IEEE Radio Frequency IC Symposium 2005
RFIC 2005
Plenary Session

"Integration Technologies: Cellular and Beyond"

Jerry D. Neal
Co-founder and Executive Vice President of Strategic Development, RFMD

Over the last decade, wireless connectivity has become a way of life. As the world's highest volume consumer electronics product, the cellular phone is a leading driver of mobility. Consumers continue to demand cell phones that feature advanced capabilities, including web access, cameras and even television tuners, which require higher data rates. To accommodate this trend, handset manufacturers are focusing on incorporating these advanced functionalities into the cell phone, and they are looking to their semiconductor suppliers to provide more highly integrated components and complete system solutions that are smaller, better performing and more cost competitive. To drive these higher levels of integration and develop more complex, complete system solutions with optimal performance, RF Micro Devices specializes in using a combination of multiple process and packaging technologies. In addition, RF Micro Devices is honing its radio expertise beyond cellular to provide handset manufacturers multiple radios, including Bluetooth®, wireless LAN and GPS, all of which are forecast to populate cell phones and a proliferation of other wireless devices in the future.

Jerry D. Neal, the company's executive vice president of marketing and strategic development and co-founder, has over 30 years experience in the RF and wireless industry. After obtaining his college education at Gaston Technical Institute and North Carolina State University, Mr. Neal continued his education in the area of computer technology during his employment with Hewlett-Packard. An entrepreneur at heart, Mr. Neal founded Moisture Control Systems, which he later sold to Hancor, Inc. Before co-founding RF Micro Devices, he broadened his exposure to sales and technical business aspects at Analog Devices.