MindTree licenses its Bluetooth IP to NEC

MindTree's IP allows wireless transfer of photos, music and video on NEC GSM phones

Bangalore -- December 15, 2005 — MindTree Consulting, an international IT and R&D services company, has licensed its Bluetooth wireless technology to NEC Corporation for NEC’s GSM phones.  The MindTree Bluetooth intellectual property (IP) allows NEC customers to wirelessly transfer photos, music, video clips, address book contacts and schedules as well as to use their phone as a wireless modem and printer.

Under the deal, some of NEC’s GSM phones will offer MindTree’s Bluetooth stack and profile for short range wireless features.  The phones are already being shipped in several parts of the world. MindTree receives royalty payments on every NEC mobile phone that ports MindTree’s Bluetooth IP, sold, yielding multiple scalable revenue streams for MindTree.

“This NEC deal exemplifies MindTree’s ability to deliver mature wireless solutions to meet exacting global product standards, in this case, NEC’s GSM phone, with new features that meet consumer demands and ultimately create a more attractive and competitive market offering,” said MindTree Consulting Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer - R&D Services, Vinod Deshmukh.  “Our Bluetooth solution is helping NEC to push the envelope of mobile phones with new features that greatly benefit their customers.”

MindTree’s Bluetooth solutions include the EtherMind Upper Stack and a range of Profiles, the BlueWiz Baseband Controller and the Bluetooth Tester software. MindTree’s Bluetooth technology IP offerings are field-proven and have been licensed to over 25 customers across the world. In addition, MindTree has launched its Ultrawideband (UWB) program, cementing its commitment to lead from the front in the short-range wireless technology space.

“Over the last five years, MindTree has reached a number of significant milestones in offering the entire range of the Bluetooth solution to global product manufacturers. These products range from keyboards, MP3 players, phone adapters to automotive hands-free kits. MindTree is now poised to take its Bluetooth solution to a wider range of product manufacturers across the globe,” said MindTree Consulting President and CEO - R&D Services, S. Janakiraman.

MindTree Research focuses on building MindTree’s competence in the short range wireless technology domain with a view to create licensable building blocks that help customers achieve cost and time-to-market benefits. Incubated within MindTree as a core body of engineers and technologists in year 2000, MindTree Research has invested over 300 person years in Bluetooth technology. It offers one of the most complete suites of Bluetooth-based solutions in the industry, which includes the EtherMind™ 2.0 Upper Layer Stack and Profiles, and the BlueWiz™ 1.2 Baseband Controller. The recently launched UWB program would offer the UltraWiz MAC/ digital PHY layers which would support a maximum data rate of 480 mbps, along with other software IPs that are fully compliant to WiMedia specifications. The UltraWiz digital PHY IP may be easily integrated with WiMedia compatible Analog Front End (AFE) and RF blocks.

MindTree Research is part of MindTree’s R&D Services business which combines expertise in semiconductor IP, hardware and software to offer complete product realization services. MindTree addresses the needs of the Communication, Wireless, Industrial Automation and Consumer Appliances industries to create their next generation products backed by strong domain expertise in ASIC / SoC Design, IP development, board, system and embedded software development.

About MindTree Consulting

MindTree Consulting is an international IT services company with development centers in India and the U.S.  The Company provides end-to-end project execution onshore, offshore, or in a hybrid delivery model called OneShore™.

With clients ranging from Fortune 50 companies to enterprise software organizations, MindTree delivers global technology solutions and outsourced R&D services to innovative technology leaders around the world.

MindTree has been recognized as one of the fastest growing technology companies in India by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu in the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 India program. MindTree has been ranked among the Best Companies to Work for in 2005 in the Business Today-Mercer-TNS study. MindTree has also been ranked among the top five “Great Places to Work in 2004” in studies conducted by Grow Talent Company and Businessworld, and as one of the “Best Employers in India” for the second consecutive year in 2004 by Hewitt Associates. MindTree is also the world's youngest company to be assessed at Level 5 in both CMMi and P-CMM.  For more information, please visit www.mindtree.com.