RF Micro Devices Establishes Advanced Development Group
Team Focus: Next-Generation Technology
Greensboro, NC. RF Micro Devices, Inc. (Nasdaq: RFMD), a leading manufacturer of proprietary radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs) for wireless communications applications, has announced a major organizational change - the establishment of its Advanced Development Group, a research and development group that will focus on next-generation technology in the areas of RFIC design, packaging and semiconductor processes.
In announcing the new corporate department, RFMD(TM) Chairman of the Board/Chief Technical Officer, William J. Pratt, said, "The pace of the communications industry has experienced phenomenal acceleration over the past three years, and there is no sign of a slowdown. Simply maintaining existing technologies is not an option for RFMD. As an industry leader, we must focus on the future, developing new generations of technology in circuitry, packaging and production.
"Our Advanced Development Group will enable us to better anticipate future technical needs. We will answer those needs with targeted innovation. Any company that refuses to change, or changes too slowly, will not survive in our industry," Pratt concluded. Victor Steel will head the new RFMD(TM) group. Steel, previously Director of the Power Amplifier product line, has been with the company since 1993. As Director of the Advanced Development Group, Steel will not only lead RFMD s R&D team, but will also continue to develop relationships with other industry leaders for joint research and development.
"This new group will allow RF Micro Devices to continue to increase its technology leadership position. Our focus will be on developing technologies that can be quickly transitioned into new state-of-the-art products," said Steel. Joseph A. Grzyb will replace Victor Steel as Director of the Power Amplifier product line. Joe joined RF Micro Devices in 1996 in sales management. Joe came to RFMD with GaAs IC engineering, management and business experience dating back to 1982.
RF Micro Devices, Inc., an ISO 9001-certified manufacturer, designs, develops, manufactures and markets proprietary RFICs for wireless communications applications such as cellular and PCS phones, cordless phones, wireless LANs, wireless local loop handsets, industrial radios, wireless security systems and remote meter readers. The company offers a broad array of products -- including amplifiers, mixers, modulators/demodulators, and single-chip receivers, transmitters and transceivers -- representing a substantial majority of the RFICs required in wireless subscriber equipment. The company s strategy is to focus on wireless markets by offering a broad range of standard and custom-designed RFICs in order to position itself as a "one-stop" solution for its customers RFIC needs. RF Micro Devices, Inc. is traded on the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol RFMD.
This press release contains forward-looking statements that relate to the company s plans, objectives, estimates and goals. Words such as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes" and "estimates," and variations of such words and similar expressions, identify such forward-looking statements. The company s business is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including probable variability in the company s quarterly operating results, manufacturing capacity constraints, risks associated with the company s operation of its current wafer fabrication facility and the construction of an additional facility, dependence on a limited number of customers, variability in production yields, the company s ability to manage rapid growth, dependence on third parties and risks associated with doing business in Asia and other areas of the world. These and other risks and uncertainties, which are described in more detail in the company s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, could cause actual results and developments to be materially different from those expressed or implied by any of these forward-looking statements.
RF Micro Devices(TM), Optimum Technology Matching(R) and RFMD(TM) are trademarks of RF Micro Devices, Inc. For further information about RFMD, please visit our home page at http://www.rfmd.com.
Contact:
RF Micro Devices, Greensboro
Jerry D. Neal
Tel: 336/664-1233
RF Micro Devices, Greensboro
Jerry D. Neal
Tel: 336/664-1233
Web site: http://www.rfmd.com
