Spirent Communications and Agilent Technologies to join CSR in the EGPS Forum

CSR plc (LSE:CSR):

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CSR today announced that Agilent Technologies and Spirent Communications are to join CSR and Motorola in the EGPS Forum, the open industry forum for evaluating and fostering enhanced Global Positioning System (EGPS) technologies. Working with CSR, Agilent and Spirent have created an essential building block of EGPS: a single system that can simulate both GPS and cellular signals. This system provides a development and test platform on which to build EGPS technologies.

CSR and Motorola announced the intention to create the Forum in January this year: http://www.csr.com/pr/pr321.htm. Both Agilent and Spirent are world leaders in test and measurement systems and by joining the Forum have taken the first steps with CSR to ensure that the test equipment is in place for designers to easily and quickly design and test EGPS products.

Spirent is the world’s leading test equipment provider for satellite navigation technologies and the company has provided CSR with its GPS Satellite Simulation and Cellular Multipath Fader systems. Spirent’s experience in testing both satellite navigation and cellular wireless has been invaluable in developing a system appropriate to the hybrid (cellular + satellite) nature of EGPS.

Richard Catmur, Location Test Product Segment Manager at Spirent Communications commented, “We are pleased to be a key contributor to the development of a comprehensive testing capability for EGPS. The system we have developed in collaboration with CSR and Agilent goes much further than test systems developed for earlier Assisted GPS (A-GPS) technologies”

Agilent has a long history of working with handset makers and network providers around the world and developing measurement systems for a diverse range of cellular technologies. The Forum benefits from Agilent’s experience as well as its powerful network emulation equipment. This experience is essential in building an EGPS system suitable for roll out in a wide range of 2G, 2.5G or 3G networks.

“Agilent is committed to leveraging the RF and data analysis strengths of the Agilent 8960 wireless communications test set to help our customers design enhanced 2G, 2.5G, and 3G devices such as those employing EGPS technology,” said Niels Faché, Vice President and General Manager of Agilent's Mobile Broadband Division. “We’re excited to participate in the EGPS Forum, working with CSR to create test and development solutions, and believe the combination of accurate cellular and satellite positioning in EGPS has the potential to revolutionise location technologies.”

EGPS technologies augment GPS to provide timely and accurate position information in demanding environments. The EGPS Forum advocates improvement to location technologies in mobile devices and is committed to meeting both consumer and regulatory needs for precise and consistent levels of location information.

CSR’s Location Based Services Business Unit Vice President, Stuart Strickland commented, “Agilent and Spirent bring an essential combined experience and expertise to the Forum. By designing a comprehensive testing system for EGPS together we have taken a necessary step closer towards driving a wider industry adoption of EGPS technologies to be designed into portable and consumer applications.”

The EGPS Forum is open to a broad array of participants from the telecommunications industry including handset manufacturers, location technology companies, network infrastructure providers and mobile network carriers. Initial activities of the Forum will focus on evaluating hybrid technologies that enhance GPS by combining satellite measurements with timing measurements taken from cellular networks and on establishing the underlying infrastructure to ensure full interoperability of this technology.

CSR’s patented eGPS™ techniques augment traditional GPS or A-GPS with cellular network measurements to provide a much improved user experience. Universal availability of location information, increased responsiveness and reduced power consumption make eGPS far more appropriate for use in mobile handsets when compared with current GPS technologies. eGPS works globally, providing far more accurate position information than conventional cellular-based technologies and allowing carriers to support the fine time aiding critical to GPS performance in difficult environments without needing expensive overhauls of unsynchronised GSM or W-CDMA network infrastructure.

In addition to the launch of the Forum in January, CSR gave demonstrations at Mobile World Congress 08 in February, announcing at the same time that its own eGPS silicon was back from the fab and had been tested working: http://www.csr.com/pr/pr323.htm

For further information about CSR’s eGPS technologies visit: http://www.csr.com/egps

About CSR

CSR is the leading global provider of personal wireless technology and its product portfolio covers Bluetooth, GPS, FM and Wi-Fi (IEEE802.11). CSR offers developed hardware/software solutions, based around its silicon platforms, that incorporate fully integrated radio, baseband and microcontroller elements.

CSR’s customers include industry leaders such as Apple, Dell, LG, Motorola, NEC, Nokia, Panasonic, RIM, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, TomTom and Toshiba. CSR has its headquarters and offices in Cambridge, UK, and offices in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, China, India, France, Denmark, Sweden and both Dallas and Detroit in the USA. More information can be found at www.csr.com

About Agilent Technologies Inc

Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) is the world's premier measurement company and a technology leader in communications, electronics, life sciences and chemical analysis. The company's 19,000 employees serve customers in more than 110 countries. Agilent had net revenues of $5.4 billion in fiscal 2007. Information about Agilent is available on the Web at www.agilent.com.

About Spirent Communications plc

Spirent Communications (www.spirent.com) is a global provider of integrated performance analysis and service assurance systems that enable the development and deployment of next-generation networking technology such as Internet telephony, broadband services, 3G wireless, global navigation satellite systems, and network security equipment. Spirent Communications’ solutions are used by more than 1,700 customers in 30 countries, including the world’s largest equipment manufacturers, service providers, enterprises and governments. Based in Sunnyvale, CA, Spirent Communications has 1,500 employees worldwide. Information about Spirent is available on the Web at http://www.spirent.com/