Area company partners with Motorola

A Newport Beach-based semiconductor manufacturer has announced it forged a partnership with one of the nation’s largest cellphone and electronics companies.

Newport’s Conexant Inc. will provide Motorola Inc. with processors for its next batch of high-definition TV platforms.

Conexant will provide its advanced multimedia processor and highly integrated network processor for the set-top platforms, which is essentially a box that allows customers to receive programming from cable operators and other similar sources.

The processors Conexant will produce enable different functions to be performed on the set-top box, but Conexant spokeswoman Gwen Carlson said she couldn’t elaborate on what those functions will be for Motorola. The company did divulge that the processors will improve Motorola’s technology and will offer a more “flexible” entertainment experience.

Motorola representatives were unavailable for comment.

“We’re very excited to be providing Motorola with our set-top box technology for its next generation of products,” Carlson said.

Conexant makes semiconductor chips for broadband communications and digital home networks. Digital set-top boxes are one of the company’s signature products.

The company also offers DSL office solutions and other networking components.

Conexant is a $1-billion company with 3,200 employees worldwide.

“Motorola is committed to continually bringing innovative and compelling solutions to market to address consumers’ ever-evolving desires,” said a Motorola vice-president of engineering Marc Kauffman in a release issued by Conexant. “By incorporating Conexant processing technologies into our next-generation design, Motorola will be able to offer consumers the ‘next level’ of seamless entertainment, information and communications, in and out of the home.”