Xilinx Delivers Programmable Solution To Combat Mobile Phone Theft
WEYBRIDGE, SURREY, UK and SAN JOSE, CA--(INTERNET WIRE)--Jan 28, 2002 -- A new programmable chip announced earlier this month by
Xilinx, Inc. (NASDAQ:XLNX), could potentially solve the
alarming increase in mobile phone-related crime by enabling
mobile phone operators with the ability to remotely disable
stolen phones. Xilinx pioneered the development of Internet
reconfigurable logic (IRL) - electronic chips that can be
reconfigured over the Internet or any other network, such
as a mobile phone network, to perform a completely new function.
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Xilinx | |
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CoolRunner-II |
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Until now, the technology has mainly been used to update
network equipment without requiring a service visit or product
recall. But the latest technological innovation from Xilinx,
the CoolRunner(R)-II CPLD, is smaller and consumes very
low battery power, making it ideal for the latest mobile
handsets."We designed CoolRunner-II CPLDs to address the increasing
demands of today's consumer," says Alan Matthews, marketing
director at Xilinx Europe. "Once a phone containing a Xilinx
chip is reported stolen, the phone operating company can
send new data to the phone, wherever it may be within the
network, turning the CoolRunner-II chip into a block between
the keypad and the rest of the phone, which prevents any
further use. Basically, it makes the handset unusable; even
if the thief changes the SIM card, the reconfigured CoolRunner-II
chip continues to prevent use of the keypad."
This same technology can be used to re-activate the phone
if and when it is returned to its rightful owner. The chip
also includes extensive security features to prevent hacking
or other unauthorised reconfiguration.
Mobile phone-related crime
Crime figures show that mobile phone theft in the UK has
increased by 190% since 1995 and mobile phones are now involved
in 28% of all robberies*. The mobile phone industry is currently
in disagreement over the solution to prevent phone theft
and in January this year, Ministers considered whether to
introduce legislation that would force networks to introduce
anti-theft measures.
About Xilinx
Xilinx is the leading supplier of complete programmable
logic solutions, including advanced integrated circuits,
software design tools, predefined system functions delivered
as intellectual property cores, and unparalleled field engineering
support. Founded in 1984 and headquartered in San Jose,
Calif., Xilinx invented the field programmable gate array
(FPGA) and fulfils more than half of the world demand for
these devices today. Xilinx solutions enable customers to
reduce significantly the time required to develop products
for the computer, peripheral, telecommunications, networking,
industrial control, instrumentation, aerospace, defence,
low-power portable and consumer markets. For more information,
visit the Xilinx web site at www.xilinx.com.
*Source: Home Office Research Report - Mobile Phone Theft
