Faster Time to Market at Lower Cost with Increased Test Coverage Highlight CCF Test Platform Results

Global Non-Profit Saved Wireless Industry $14 Million and 10 Years' Labor in 2006; Leading India-Based Operator Tata and Manufacturing Giant Nokia Among Those to Realize Benefits

Business Editors/Technology Editors CTIA Wireless 2007

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 14, 2007--The CDMA Certification Forum (CCF), a global non-profit playing a critical role in ensuring that CDMA2000 devices come to market faster and at a lower cost than ever before, today announced its year-end 2006 test platform results. The cumulative data reveals that both operators and vendors realized significant time and cost savings using CCF's test lab as compared to previous processes, and that CCF as a whole saved the wireless industry $14 million and 10 years labor.

In just its first full year of testing, CCF's streamlined global certification process certified 35 CDMA2000 devices, which represented about 40 percent of certified devices that hit the market last year. Vendors saved on average 12 weeks of time, as compared to current processes, while vendors also saved as much as $400,000 in certification costs, not including their own engineering labor, per device tested. Operators saved on average six weeks of engineering process time in acceptance testing as compared to current standards.

One of the largest operators to benefit from CCF processes in 2006 was Tata Teleservices Ltd., which reduced time to market by six weeks and enjoyed engineering cost savings by using CCF versus previous test processes. Handset manufacturer Nokia also experienced the benefit of using CCF in 2006, seeing faster product acceptance than previous processes used, with a 79 percent reduction in certification costs and a five week reduction in the time to achieve certification for its Nokia 2355 CDMA2000(R) 1X phone. Of the 35 devices certified by CCF, many of them are currently in use in multiple markets after passing standard CCF Laboratory (CCF-L) certification lab testing All CCF certified devices meet the requisite product conformance, network interoperability, and essential performance specifications dictated by international standards bodies.

"These numbers are quite telling, considering they were realized on a relatively small percentage of the overall market potential," said CCF President Thomas Erickson. "With greater participation from more tier 1 operators, these industry savings could approach $100 million annually."

Launched in late 2005, a total of 16 operators and vendors have so far adopted the CCF process and a total of 43 devices from 11 vendors are now certified. The success rates achieved by Tata, Nokia and others validate that after one year, CCF has a compelling value proposition that enables operators and vendors to increase efficiency, reduce cost and speed time to market.

Now entering just its second full year of existence, CCF is gaining momentum in the industry. Other vendors to place their trust in CCF test processes include Axxestel, Haier, Huawei, Kyocera, Motorola, Sungil, Telian and ZTE. Additional operator members of the CCF are such well-recognized companies as Movicel, Sasktel, Telus, US Cellular and Verizon. CCF is planning to highlight its successes and value proposition at the upcoming CTIA Wireless show, March 27-29, 2007 in Orlando, Fla.

The CCF test process is an evolutionary step forward from the existing CDMA Development Group (CDG) test process, and it is working closely with the CDG to create a single and evolved test process. In the interim, CCF continues to work to improve product quality, reduce costs, accelerate time-to-market and improve the end-user experience, with CDG's Global Handset Requirements (GHRC) for CDMA defining the features and functional requirements that drive the CCF test coverage.

CCF welcomes operators to submit their devices for a "test drive" of its streamlined global certification process. For more information, please visit us on the Web at www.globalccf.org.

About CCF

Every day the CDMA Certification Forum (CCF) is playing a critical role in ensuring that CDMA2000 devices come to market faster and at a lower cost than ever before. Its streamlined global certification process, which saved the industry $14 million and 10 years labor in 2006, certifies that CDMA2000 devices meet the requisite product conformance, network interoperability, and essential performance specifications dictated by international standards bodies. A critical partnership between CDMA operators and CDMA device vendors, CCF is a global non-profit organization with members companies from Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America and North America. Founding members include Motorola, Nokia, QUALCOMM, Telstra, U.S. Cellular and Via Telecom. For more information about the CCF, visit the CCF Web site at www.globalccf.org or contact the CDG News Bureau.

CONTACT:
CDMA Certification Forum
Joe Connor, 858-531-7128

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