Ottawa, Canada, August 19, 2008 -- Zarlink Semiconductor Inc. (TSX:ZL) today announced availability of the VoiceEdge VE792 Next Generation Carrier Chipset (NGCC), expanding the company\'s industry-leading VoiceEdge family of highly-programmable integrated voice silicon solutions. The VE792 is a 3 chipset solution bringing carrier class performance closer to subscribers through features such as support for simultaneous high speed video and voice, carrier grade line testing, and the lowest power usage and highest density on the market.

As carriers continue to revolutionize their networks, with a push towards Fixed Mobile Convergence, they are calling for a new class of voice access equipment. This revolution means equipment designers must combine support for operational testing in the field with a high degree of flexibility. Because Zarlink anticipated these needs more than two years ago when it began development of a next generation carrier chipset, it is best positioned to meet market demand today.  Zarlink worked very close with tier one line card designers to define the best solution for the next generation network.  This network revolution will call for a shift from the traditional TDM line cards to the next generation IP line cards,  evolving the line cards into a stand alone system capable of delivering voice, data, video, while accurately monitoring, provisioning, and testing the copper loop infrastructure which will significantly increase the demand for this chipset.

\"Our annual VoIP market report forecasts steady growth in \'low density\' aggregation media gateways, with compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 62 percent through 2011,\" said Steve Rago, principal analyst, iSuppli. \"Demand for optimized chipsets, like Zarlink\'s VE792, is a market-must to support this next generation telecommunications infrastructure deployment.

The VE792 offers a flexible, cost effective, comprehensive processing architecture that also integrates widely supported system interfaces.  This design allows Zarlink customers to develop multiple architectures from a single chipset and utilize the voice feature processor of their choice.   In initial testing the VE792 received high marks from access communications equipment designers working to offer the highest-quality line card while reducing time to market and overall system costs.

\"Operators continue to maintain traditional telephony services in the presence of high-speed DSL and streaming video over the same twisted pair of copper,\" said Shahin Sadeghi, segment marketing manager, Zarlink. \"The VE792 allows these operators to continue with the same level of support as they move forward with the deployment of the more-robust next generation networks.

The VoiceEdge VE792 chipset includes an octal Subscriber Line Audio-Processing Circuit (SLAC), with integrated carrier grade line test toolbox and DTMF detection, Single Channel Subscriber Line Interface Circuit (SLIC) and a multi-port Voice Control Processor (VCP), providing up to 72 channels of real time call control function, as well as full carrier grade line test, when enabled with the Zarlink LineCare software suite.  The chipset supports a centralized architecture, capable of interfacing all system on chip voice packet processors and network processors, giving end users full scalability and software compatibility with their favorite architecture.

Pricing and Availability

VoiceEdge VE792 chipset samples are available and are currently  being evaluated by alpha customers.  Final pricing will be determined by order quantity. Please contact Zarlink  or Mr. Jacky Su at Seraphim,Taiwan distributor of Zarlink, tel: 26984540 ext. 216 or email to jackysu@seraphim.com.tw for details. 

Vendor:

Zarlink