AT&T Microelectronics Forms Personal Communication Systems Unit to Pursue Market for ”Communicators”
BURLINGAME, Calif. — July 13, 1992 — AT&T Microelectronics Monday announced the formation of a business unit to provide underlying technology for a new class of devices called Personal Communicators — small, mobile devices that accept input from a special pen, and which will be used primarily for communications.
The unit, called Personal Communication Systems, will develop semiconductor products, development tools and software based on the Hobbit microprocessor. Hobbit employs an architecture created by AT&T Bell Laboratories called CRISP (C-Language Rational Instruction Set Processor), and the unit will leverage this and other technologies to serve the emerging market for Personal Communicators.
''We see Personal Communicators as a market with enormous potential,'' said Richard Koeltl, vice president of AT&T Microelectronics' MOS division, of which the Personal Communication Systems unit is a part. ''We also see the products we are developing as uniquely suited to serve that market. AT&T Microelectronics — backed by the world-renowned research and development of AT&T Bell Laboratories — has strengths in such areas as processing technology, communications algorithms, digital signal processors and other technologies that will complement the work of this unit to provide total systems solutions to the makers of these new communications devices.''
Headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif., the Personal Communication Systems unit is headed by Senior Director Ahmed Nawaz. Nawaz is responsible for product planning, design and development, applications engineering, ISV support and product marketing. The unit also has operations in Japan, Europe and Allentown, Pa., and is backed by the support of AT&T Microelectronics' worldwide capabilities.
''We intend to be a major player in this new and emerging market, and we have committed the resources and programs to support our customers' immediate needs and their ongoing requirements,'' said Nawaz. ''Our unit can capitalize on AT&T's vast experience and expertise in providing communications products and services to the full range of business customers and consumers.''
Nawaz joined AT&T in January after 17 years with Philips, Harris Corp. and Texas Instruments. He most recently was product line director for the PC Systems Logic Business in Texas Instruments' Semiconductor Group. In that position, he was responsible for all aspects of the worldwide business including product design, systems engineering, applications and marketing.
Other key personnel leading the Personal Communication Systems unit are Marketing Director Rakesh Sood, who has worldwide marketing responsibility, and Robert Scavuzzo, Supervisor Microprocessor Architecture Group, who manages overall architecture, design and development.
CONTACT:
AT&T Microelectronics, Burlingame
Kevin Compton, 408/522-4099 (office)
or 408/353-3883 (home)
or
Mary Lou Ambrus, 908/771-2825 (office in New Jersey)
or 908/707-1147 (home)