Agere Systems Chipset Solutions Raise the Volume for Mobile Phone Makers By Adding Support for Microsoft Windows Media Audio

Agere Systems Chipset Solutions Raise the Volume for Mobile Phone Makers By Adding Support for Microsoft Windows Media Audio

Company designs basebands to deliver audio player functionality for mass-market, multimedia-capable wireless handsets

LAS VEGAS, April 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- As part of its efforts to enable phone makers to deliver multimedia-capable wireless handsets, Agere Systems (NYSE:AGR) today announced that its mobile phone chipset solutions are designed to support the Microsoft Windows Media Audio (WMA) format, an important feature for bringing easy and convenient music download capabilities to mass-market, feature-rich phones.

(LOGO: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040618/AGERELOGO )

The company will demonstrate WMA running on its Vision(TM) X115 mobile handset platform for key customers at the CTIA Wireless 2006 tradeshow this week in Las Vegas, Nevada (USA).

Agere's proven 2.5G and 3G mobile baseband chips and software solutions provide flexible mobile processing platforms for quick time-to-market delivery of feature-rich wireless phones. By supporting the WMA codec, Agere can help manufacturers of wireless phones and mobile devices facilitate a rich array of musical content for playback.

Mobile phones supporting the WMA format offer an avenue for leading network operators looking to provide lucrative revenue-generating multimedia services by delivering a new dimension of listening content for end users to download. Thirty percent of worldwide mobile handset shipments are expected to support full track music playback by 2007, according to David Linsalata, research analyst at IDC.

"Many consumers today will not leave home without their music, and mobile handset manufacturers are turning to bandwidth-optimized Windows Media technologies and solution providers like Agere to help them address this demand for music on the go," said Eric Schmidt, group product manager of Windows Digital Media at Microsoft Corp. "By using Windows Media Audio, Agere's chipset will provide a high-quality listening experience at an optimal file size for mobile handsets."

Agere's portfolio of Vision-based solutions delivers the performance needed for a broad range of in-demand, mainstream applications such as CD-quality audio and TV-quality video.

"We are committed to deliver on our customers' demand for high-performance digital entertainment capabilities," said Denis Regimbal, vice president of Agere's Mobility Division. "Clearly, a large and growing range of consumer devices, including the mainstream handsets for which our chips serve as the processing engine, will support the Windows Media Audio format."

Agere's Vision X115 solution supports Windows Media Audio 9.1, the format's most current version, which includes specific codecs for multi-channel surround sound and voice encoding. WMA provides both constant and variable bit rate (VBR) encoding. With VBR, the encoding bit rate increases to capture complex sections of data, and then decreases to compress less complex sections, enabling the compact, high-quality audio files required for small-form-factor, mobile devices.

Agere expects to be able to support the launch of Windows Media Audio-capable handsets in the second half of 2006.

About Agere's Mobile Handset Chipset Solutions

Agere offers a full portfolio of 3G (W-CDMA) and 2.5G (EDGE/GPRS) solutions based on its Vision and Sceptre(R) mobile handset architectures. The company's bearer technology expertise is evident with its 3G products that combine HSDPA, W-CDMA and EDGE technologies. The VX115 is the company's first chipset solution based on the Vision mobile handset architecture, delivering rich audio and video capabilities to mainstream feature phones and Smartphones. Agere completes its chipset solutions by combining them with its OptiVerse(TM) software frameworks, which are critical for easing development and enabling time-to-market benefits for designers. Agere's solutions are optimized for the size and low power consumption that consumers expect for mobile devices.

About Agere Systems

Agere Systems is a global leader in semiconductors for storage, wireless data, and public and enterprise networks. The company's chips and software power a broad range of computing and communications applications, from cell phones, PCs, PDAs, hard disk drives and gaming devices to the world's most sophisticated wireless and wireline networks. Agere's customers include top manufacturers of consumer electronics, communications and computing equipment. Agere's products connect people to information and entertainment at home, at work and on the road -- enabling the connected lifestyle.

For more information, customers may visit Agere's Web site at http://www.agere.com/ or contact one of Agere's regional sales offices. Customers in the U.S. may also call the Agere Systems Customer Response Center at 1-800-372-2447. Customers in Canada may call 1-800-553-2448. Customers outside those countries may call 1-610-712-4323. Fax inquiries may be directed to 1-610-712-4106, or e-mail queries to docmaster@agere.com. Written inquiries should be sent to Agere Systems, Room 10A-301C, 1110 American Parkway NE, Lehigh Valley Central Campus, Allentown, PA, 18109, USA.

Agere, Agere Systems, the Agere Systems logo and Sceptre are registered trademarks, and OptiVerse and Vision are trademarks of Agere Systems Inc.

The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

This release contains forward-looking statements based on information currently available to Agere. Agere's actual results could differ materially from the results stated or implied by those forward-looking statements due to a number of risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, our reliance on major customers and suppliers, our ability to keep pace with technological change, our dependence on new product development, price and product competition, availability of manufacturing capacity, customer demand for our products and services, and general industry and market conditions. For a further discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties, see our annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2005. Agere disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

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Source: Agere Systems

CONTACT: JoAnna Schooler, +1-610-712-1746 (office), +1-908-283-4060
(mobile), jschooler@agere.com or Glen Haley, +1-610-712-1747 (office),
+1-610-217-0781 (mobile), glenhaley@agere.com, both of Agere Systems

Web site: http://www.agere.com/

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