Telcordia opens 3G practice field in Taiwan

Telcordia Technologies is opening an Applied Research Center in Taiwan to develop next-generation technologies and perhaps gain some market presence in the Asia Pacific Region.

The research center, called TARC-TW, is part of a collaboration agreement with the Communications Research Laboratories (CCL) of the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI.) The center will be located in the Nan Kang Software Park.

Telcordia has signed an agreement with ITRI and is in the process of signing a lease on the facility. The company is currently recruiting Taiwanese talent to work in the labs. Initially it will be staffed with approximately eight local employees, a couple of rotating Telcordia people and another 10 or so employees from Telcordia’s industrial teaming partners.

"I consider the folks we have on the Taiwan part of the organization like everybody back here. We share the same processes and same management. And we have good collaboration tools with reasonable trading of personnel back and forth," said Adam Drobot, senior vice president and general manager of Applied Research at Telcordia.

Telcordia has been doing contract work for various organizations in Taiwan for about 12 years. At TARC-TW, the company will research and develop network control point technologies and software, particularly for 3G wireless networks--or as the Taiwanese call it, B3G, which means beyond 3G. Telcordia expects to incorporate technology developed through TARC-TW into its Elementive portfolio of solutions.

Drobot characterized the investment as sizeable and said it was primarily a Telcordia investment and effort rather than SAIC, its parent company. Telcordia will invest money, personnel and intellectual property. It also will take on specific projects in collaboration with the local industry on Taiwan.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs has an incentive program for companies looking to set up R&D centers in Taiwan. "The climate was good for us to create a stronger presence on Taiwan and in general the Asia Pacific region," Drobot said.

He said the move will allow Telcordia to do forward research that will eventually become part of the company’s product set, particularly the wireless, cable and emerging markets business unit.

"On Taiwan and in Asia Pac in general the networks being deployed by telecom providers tend to be more adventurous than what you find in the States," Drobot said. "And if you believe that eventually things will happen here, you have to have a place to go and practice it. Taiwan makes a very good place to do that."