Paratek announced that the company has completed a transaction involving the purchase by Paratek of Gennum’s barium strontium titanate (BST) technology group and its associated assets. Paratek has developed a proprietary form of BST, ParaScan™, as the leading RF tuning component technology for mobile handsets.

The transaction augments an agreement with STMicroelectronics announced in January, 2009. That relationship advances the next generation of Paratek’s ParaScan materials technology for high volume manufacturing and establishes a program to jointly develop tunable products that improve Total Radiated Power (TRP) for mobile phones, leading to longer battery life and fewer dropped calls for mobile handsets. Initial production of the RF-tuning components will take place at STMicroelectronics’ fabrication facility in Tours, France by the end of 2009.

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As a result of this transaction, Paratek has acquired all of Gennum’s assets of its BST technology, including equipment and intellectual property. Four employees of Gennum will join Paratek as part of the sale transaction.

"Gennum has been a supplier to Paratek for several years and an important contributor to the technological development and advancement of BST. With Gennum deciding to focus its investments on its core portfolio, we were provided the opportunity to acquire the BST technology group and assets and augment our own ParaScan efforts to continue the commercialization of ParaScan technology,” said James DiLorenzo, CEO of Paratek Microwave. “By combining Gennum’s BST expertise and existing patent portfolio with our own applications, materials and systems expertise, we believe this acquisition further strengthens our position to bring ParaScan-based solutions to market and capitalize on the significant opportunities it presents for multi-band, multi-mode mobile handsets.”

”Having worked with Paratek on BST technology and product development over the last several years, it was a natural choice for Paratek to acquire our BST group and its associated assets and continue the commercialization of this technology,” said Franz Fink, President and CEO of Gennum. “As they continue to work with leading customers to integrate into next-generation mobile applications, our shareholders will be able to benefit from the success of BST.”