Acterna Releases Its Fastest Production Tester for Mobile Handsets
Manufacturing Tester Reduces Test Time By Up To 50 Percent, Increases Production Capacity By 25 Percent
MUNICH, December 10, 2001 -Acterna (NASDAQ: ACTR) today announced the release of the Turbo Option for the Acterna Mobile Production Test System 4400M, the company's testing platform for GSM and GPRS mobile phone production. The Turbo Option helps eliminate potential bottlenecks in handset production flow by increasing production capacity up to 25 percent and reducing test times up to 50 percent, all without compromising measurement accuracy.
The Turbo Option increases production and service throughput by delivering transmitter measurements faster than ever. Because of its fast digital signal processor (DSP) add-on board, the Turbo Option speeds up the transmitter measurements without reducing test measurement accuracy and reliability (based on Acterna lab tests). It installs seamlessly with the existing 4400 platform, ensuring fast installation on the production line.
Revenue can also be impacted. For example, if the overall test time per mobile handset is decreased from 40 seconds to 30 seconds by using the Acterna 4400M and its Turbo Option, a production line manufacturing 100,000 mobile phones per year will then output 125,000 mobile phones per year. This represents a potential revenue increase of 25 percent.
"As profit margins continue to shrink in the production of wireless handsets, manufacturers are seeking solutions that help increase production efficiency without reducing product quality," said Cyrille Damany, general manager and vice president for Acterna's Wireless Networks Division. "Manufacturing engineers can now further improve production efficiency and throughput with the Acterna 4400M and its Turbo Option, saving costs and potentially increasing revenue."
The Acterna 4400 Series is a full-featured test set providing the complete range of GSM and GPRS transmitter and receiver measurements, including bit error rate testing and spectrum analysis, with complementing audio, codec and multi-slot options.
The Turbo Option for the Acterna Mobile Production Test System 4400M is available for shipment.
About Acterna Wireless Solutions
Acterna offers a wide range of solutions to meet the testing requirements of wireless carriers, including testing of handsets and devices, RF testing and network testing. Acterna is the world leader in mobile handset test equipment used by service providers to determine specific problems with mobile phones and validate the need for repair. Acterna's Air Interface Instruments and network systems are recognized leaders in their field and are deployed around the world. Acterna's R&D labs are actively developing testing solutions for all of emerging wireless services and networks.
About Acterna
Acterna is the world's largest provider of test and management solutions for optical transport, access and cable networks, and the second largest communications test company overall. Focused entirely on providing equipment, software, systems and services, Acterna helps customers develop, install, manufacture and maintain their optical transport, access, cable, data/IP and wireless networks. The company serves customers in more than 80 countries. Acterna is a subsidiary of Acterna Corporation (NASDAQ: ACTR). Information about Acterna can be found on the Web at www.acterna.com.
Acterna, 20400 Observation Drive, Germantown, MD 20876-4023. Tel: 301-353-1560; Fax: 301-353-9380.