News | May 12, 2005

Magnolia Broadband Adds To Management Team With Industry Leading Chip Design Executive

Magnolia Broadband, Inc., a fabless semiconductor company and innovator of antenna diversity radio frequency (RF) solutions for the wireless industry, today announced the appointment of Dr. Dilek Barlas as Vice President of Chip Design. Barlas will lead and oversee the company's design, testing and commercialization of its DiversityPlus mobile diversity technology.

Barlas brings to Magnolia Broadband over 25 years of experience in strategic technology planning, product development, R&D and mass chip production in the semiconductor industry for the commercial and defense communications markets. He will work closely with the company's OEMs and carriers, such as SK Telecom.

"We are excited to enhance our management team with the addition of Dr. Barlas," said Osmo Hautanen, CEO of Magnolia. "He brings a great wealth of management and technical experience to the table. We are confident that his knowledge and experience within the semiconductor industry will further enhance Magnolia as a leading developer of innovative chipsets for handheld wireless technologies."

Most recently, Barlas was chief technology officer of Communicant Semiconductor AG, a semiconductor start-up targeting wireless and communication markets. In this capacity, Barlas was responsible for assembling the core technological team and device technology development. Barlas has also held senior management positions with TriQuint Semiconductor, M/A-COM Semiconductor Business Unit, and ST-Microsonics. Barlas has a PhD in Physics from Brandeis University and a BS in Physics from Bates College.

"I am very pleased to join one of the most innovative companies in the wireless semiconductor industry," said Barlas. "I look forward to working closely with Magnolia's exceptional team and partners."

About Magnolia Broadband
Magnolia is an innovative developer of semiconductors for the wireless industry and the first company to provide diversity antenna technology using unique RF chipset products that incorporate both transmit and receive diversity. By using a unique RF (Radio Frequency) chipset product and algorithm, it incorporates a novel way of combining RF signals from two antennae for both transmit and receive signals in the mobile terminal, enabling carriers to serve twice as many subscribers within the same wireless infrastructure while boosting phone coverage, data rates and battery performance. Carriers and consumers also benefit from more reliable connections and improved quality of service while having small impact on cost.

Leading CDMA carriers and mobile terminal manufacturers have tested Magnolia's technology. Since its inception in 2001, Magnolia has raised more than $30 million in capital from notable investors like Draper Fisher Jurvetson Gotham, ECentury Capital Partners, Intel Capital, SCP Private Equity Partners, Selway Partners and Silverstar Holdings. Magnolia has filed numerous patents related to its core technology and partnered with semiconductor industry notables such as Jazz Semiconductor, and Amkor Technology. For more information, go to www.magnoliabroadband.com.