Infineon joins GSMA: security and broadband expertise for mobile industry

Munich, Germany – February 22, 2017 – Infineon Technologies AG (FSE: IFX / OTCQX: IFNNY) has joined the GSMA, the association of the mobile industry to actively shape mobile communications of tomorrow. The GSMA unites nearly 800 mobile network operators worldwide with almost 300 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem. As an associate member, Infineon will contribute its expertise in security and data transmission technologies to develop mobile standards used by billions of consumers globally.

“Our advanced semiconductor solutions are the key to a smart, secure and energy efficient cellular infrastructure connecting consumers, homes, vehicles and factories to the Internet,” said Helmut Gassel, member of the management board of Infineon. “As a member of GSMA we will contribute our high-frequency and security expertise to the mobile industry and enable commercial deployment of 5G.”

Securely identifying man and machine in the connected world

An increasingly critical aspect of communication in the era of the Internet of Things (IoT) is secured identification of consumers, devices and machines. Infineon has been supplying security chips for SIM (subscriber identification module) cards since the beginnings in the 1990s. In its role as a GSMA member, Infineon will drive further development of next-generation embedded SIM (eSIM) standards.

SIM cards are used to authenticate mobile subscribers to their mobile networks. However, form factors are now evolving from removable plug-ins to embedded solutions which are significantly smaller in size and consume less power. eSIMs offer additional advantages: they are integrated into phones, wearables, machines or cars during the manufacturing process. As such they allow remote SIM provisioning and management and are not tied to a single mobile network. The GSMA expects up to 10.5 billion mobile connected devices by 2020 leading to a huge market opportunity for eSIMs, predominantly in the machine to machine (M2M) and mobile consumer devices sectors.

Infineon provides a comprehensive eSIM product portfolio that fully complies with the newly defined GSMA specifications. Having introduced first specialized eSIMs in 2008, Infineon is a pioneer and market leader, particularlyfor automotive applications. The world's major car makers trust Infineon's certified eSIM security controllers for their emergency call (eCall) implementations that will become common standard in the European Union in 2018. Besides industrial and automotive applications, eSIMs are also increasingly used for connecting consumer devices to mobile networks. Infineon offers miniaturized versions for smart phones or wearables such as the Samsung Gear S2 smart watch. The world’s smallest eSIM measures only 1.5 mm x 1.1 mm x 0.37 mm and will be exhibited at Mobile World Congress (Barcelona, February 27 – March 2, 2017).

Hunger for mobile broadband access drives development of 5G networks

Besides voice communication, mobile devices are increasingly used for broadband access. But current cellular infrastructure will reach its limits within the next years with billions of devices getting connected to the Internet. Whether for entertainment or IoT applications – compared to the preceding 4G infrastructure, 5G is 100 times faster and able to transmit 1000 times more data in real-time. Enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) at multi-gigabit speeds requires advanced semiconductor solutions. Infineon provides high-frequency components that receive, amplify and transmit data while components for antenna tuning and switching enable an unmatched user experience.

Inspiring mobile business – Powering the future the secure way!

At Mobile World Congress 2017 (hall 6, booth 6C41), Infineon will demonstrate semiconductor solutions for secured and energy efficient communication in the connected world. Highlights include intelligent street lamps for a smart traffic infrastructure, security gateways to protect connected devices in the smart home as well as new concepts for facilitating the interaction of humans and machines by using voice and gesture recognition. Further information is available at: www.infineon.com/5G

Infineon Technologies AG is a world leader in semiconductor solutions that make life easier, safer and greener. Microelectronics from Infineon is the key to a better future. In the 2016 fiscal year (ending September 30), the company reported sales of about Euro 6.5 billion with more than 36,000 employees worldwide. Infineon is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (ticker symbol: IFX) and in the USA on the over-the-counter market OTCQX International Premier (ticker symbol: IFNNY).

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