SiLabs sells cellular comms business to NXP

Silicon Laboratories has sold its Aero transceiver, AeroFONE single chip phone and power amplifer product lines to NXP for $285million. “This transaction transfers a one of a kind business in the mobile handset market to NXP,” said Necip Sayiner, SiLabs’ president and ceo, pictured. Assuming the deal closes, around 160 SiLabs’ employees will transfer to NXP. Dan Rabinovitsj, who heads SiLab’s cellular communications business, will lead the team as general manager and senior vice president of NXP’s Cellular Systems business line. “Silicon Labs has established leadership in rf cmos technology and was first to market with an innovative, truly single chip phone,” said Frans van Houten, NXP’s president. “I am very pleased to bring on board Silicon Labs’ highly competent engineering team and its excellent rf and cellular technologies. This innovative technology, combined with NXP’s strengths in system solutions for 2G and 3G phones, will allow NXP to further strengthen our position in global mobile communications.”