STMicroelectronics
and NXP Complete Deal to
Create
New Wireless Semiconductor Company
Strong
top-three player will enter the wireless market with a complete product
portfolio, world-class R&D and impressive customer base
Geneva,
Switzerland, and Eindhoven, The Netherlands – July 28, 2008 – NXP—the
independent semiconductor company founded by Philips—and STMicroelectronics
(NYSE:STM), a leader in delivering advanced silicon solutions for mobile
products, today announced the closing of the deal bringing together key wireless
operations of both companies into ST-NXP Wireless, a deal they announced on
April 10th, 2008. The
joint venture, which will start operations on August 2nd, launches as a solid
top-three industry player with a complete wireless product and technology
portfolio and as a leading supplier to major handset manufacturers who together
ship more than 80% of all handsets. ST-NXP Wireless will be among the few
companies with the R&D scale and expertise to meet customer needs in 2G,
2.5G, 3G, multimedia, connectivity and all future wireless
technologies.
ST-NXP
Wireless is being created from successful businesses that together generated $3
billion in revenue in 2007. At the closing, STMicroelectronics took an 80% stake
in the joint venture and contributed $1.55 billion to NXP, including a control
premium. The new organization will start with a cash balance of about $350
million, in a very healthy financial position and able to grow its business with
all of its wireless customers.
“The
wireless industry is undergoing a major change. Semiconductor companies are
coming to play an ever more important role, contributing an ever larger share of
the product value chain to handset makers, who expect us to deliver leading-edge
solutions across the full spectrum of mobile applications,” said Alain Dutheil,
Chief Executive Officer of ST-NXP Wireless. “ST-NXP Wireless is being created to
address this new paradigm; we’ll be equipped with a world-class product and
technology portfolio and top-league R&D capabilities to compete for
leadership in the wireless and mobile-multimedia market.”
Owning
thousands of important communication and multimedia patents, ST-NXP Wireless
will be well positioned with all of the vital technologies for UMTS (Universal
Mobile Telecommunication System); for the emerging TD-SCDMA standard; as well as
other cellular, multimedia and connectivity capabilities - including WiFi,
Bluetooth, GPS,
FM Radio,
USB, and UWB (Ultra-wideband), and full access to a license from NXP to NFC
(Near Field Communication) - to effectively serve its global customers with
complete wireless and mobile solutions across the spectrum of
applications.
The
ST-NXP Wireless executive team will be composed of experienced industry leaders
from both parent companies. Alain Dutheil, presently Chief Operating Officer of
STMicroelectronics, has been assigned to lead ST-NXP Wireless as Chief Executive
Officer, focusing exclusively on the new joint-venture. The Executive Committee
of ST-NXP Wireless, led by Dutheil, also includes Abhijit Bhattacharya,
currently financial controller for NXP’s Multimarket Semiconductors Business
Unit, who has been nominated to take the position of Chief Financial Officer
and, nominated as executive vice presidents and general managers, Tommi Uhari,
currently executive vice president and general manager of ST’s Mobile,
Multimedia & Communications Group, and Marc Cetto, currently executive vice
president and general manager of NXP’s Mobile & Personal Business
Unit.
ST-NXP
Wireless will combine key design, sales and marketing, and back-end
manufacturing assets from both parent companies into a streamlined organisation.
The company is designed with low capital intensity, securing leading-edge wafer
manufacturing capacity from both parent companies and foundries, while operating
its own assembly and test facilities.
To be
incorporated in Switzerland and headquartered in Geneva, ST-NXP Wireless will
have in excess of 7,500 employees with major facilities in Belgium, China,
Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Malaysia, Morocco, the Netherlands,
Philippines, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, UK and the USA.
Note
to Editors:
According
to iSuppli, a market research firm, the global handset market was 1.15 billion
units in 2007 and is forecasted to grow at about an 8% compound annual growth
rate through 2011. The handset semiconductor market represented 14% of the
global semiconductor TAM in 2007, making up the second largest segment of the
industry.
About
STMicroelectronics
STMicroelectronics
is a global leader in developing and delivering semiconductor solutions across
the spectrum of microelectronics applications. An unrivalled combination of
silicon and system expertise, manufacturing strength, Intellectual Property (IP)
portfolio and strategic partners positions the Company at the forefront of
System-on-Chip (SoC) technology and its products play a key role in enabling
today's convergence markets. The Company's shares are traded on the New York
Stock Exchange, on Euronext Paris and on the Milan Stock Exchange. In 2007, the
Company’s net revenues were $10 billion. Further information on ST can be found
at www.st.com.
About
NXP
NXP is a
top 10 semiconductor company founded by Philips more than 50 years
ago.
Headquartered
in Europe, the company has 37,000 employees working in more than 20 countries
and posted sales of USD 6.3 billion in 2007. NXP creates semiconductors, system
solutions and software that deliver better sensory experiences in mobile phones,
personal media players, TVs, set-top boxes, identification applications, cars
and a wide range of other electronic devices. News from NXP is located at
www.nxp.com.
For
further information, please contact:
INVESTOR
RELATIONS:
Stanley
March
Group
Vice President, Investor Relations
STMicroelectronics
Tel:
+1.212.821.89.39
Fax:
+1.212.821.89.23
stan.march@st.com
Jan
Maarten Ingen Housz
NXP
Tel. +31
40 27 28685
janmaarten.ingen.housz@nxp.com
MEDIA
RELATIONS:
Maria
Grazia
Prestini
Senior
Director, Corporate Media and Public Relations
STMicroelectronics
Tel: + 41
22 929 6945
mariagrazia.prestini@st.com
Lieke de
Jong-Tops
NXP,
Europe
Tel. +31
40 27 25202
lieke.de.jong-tops@nxp.com
SIGNATURES