Asustek is reportedly ending its work with Garmin on cell phones, according to several news reports Garmin had previously said it was getting out of the smartphone business. Garmin specializes in personal navigation devices and its cell phone business has struggled to become successful.
Infrastructure provider CommScope has confirmed that it is in discussions with the Carlyle Group regarding “a potential transaction that would result in the infrastructure provider becoming a private company.” Under the terms of the potential agreement, Carlyle would acquire all of the outstanding shares of CommScope common stock for $31.50 per share in cash. CommScope noted that no agreement has been reached and it does not intend to make any further comment on the matter until it is appropriate to do so.
J.D. Power and Associates reports that people shopping for cars are increasingly using mobile devices to access information to shape their buying decisions. The research firm says mobile sites with satisfying usability help increase the likelihood of shoppers to test drive, helping to drive traffic to the dealership.
LTE backhaul provider Ceragon Networks made $4.6 million in the third quarter on a 39 percent increase in sales, which reached an all-time high of $62.3 million. As a result of strong demand throughout the world, Ceragon now expects to achieve annual revenue growth toward the upper end of its previous target range of 30-35 percent for the full year.
Wireless charging manufacturer Powermat has expanded its product line to several new smartphones, including the iPhone 4, the HTC Evo, the Motorola Droid X and the Nokia N97. The company also made its charger less bulky, reducing the thickness of its components by more than half from 3.4mm to just 1.6mm.
Bridgewater Systems says Yota has selected its service controller and subscriber data broker to support the rollout of Yota’s WiMAX service in Nicaragua. The network, which launched on July 1, is the first wireless broadband service in the country. Bridgewater’s service controller authorizes and authenticates subscribers and provides accounting functions.
Semiconductor company Skyworks Solutions has opened an office in Singapore to support increasing demand and to further enhance its manufacturing activities in the region. Skyworks’ Singapore office will support sourcing, supply chain planning, logistics and engineering; provide storage for finished goods and die-bank distribution; and serve as a failure analysis laboratory to help shorten customer response time.
KDDI America and Kyocera Communications announced that KDDI America will release Kyocera’s Android-powered Sanyo Zio smartphone in December. It will be the second Android device offered by KDDI America, which is an MVNO using Sprint’s network and targeting its services at the Japanese and Korean markets in the United States.