ACG Identification GmbH (www.acg-id.net) inaugurated the SmartWorldAcademy, the new vendor-independent training and consultancy center for state-of-the-art smart-card applications (SEE PHOTO). The center specializes in software issues for high-end smart-card technologies. It addresses the needs of system integrators, card manufacturers, and solution providers. The SmartWorldAcademy provides technical training courses that cover topics like PKI, access control, time and attendance, identification and authentication, and loyalty and multi-application schemes. The courses also delve into industry standards for microcontroller and dual-interface cards. The academy is located in Prague.

The Commercial Court of Grenoble declared the Grenoble-based PHS MEMS (www. phsmems.com) company to be in liquidation after six years. PHS MEMS has been developing and manufacturing RF MEMS for the wireless market based on proprietary technology like metal, polymer, and magnetic materials processing. PHS MEMS' assets, including its extensive intellectual-property assets, will be sold with the primary aim of consolidating technology packages related with specific applications to allow for continued market solutions and customer satisfaction.

Analog Devices, Inc. (www.adi.com) and TCL Mobile Communication Co. Ltd. (www.tclmobile.com) announced the establishment of a joint development laboratory. That laboratory is dedicated to the design of wireless handsets based on the 2G, 2.5G, EDGE, and 3G standards. As part of the joint development agreement, a new laboratory facility in Huizhou, China, became operational on March 1. It is staffed by experienced employees from both companies. Additional staff will be hired over time. In addition, Analog Devices will become the major supplier of chip sets for TCL's phones.

UbiNetics (www.ubinetics.com) announced the completion of a $26 million investment led by 3i (www.3i.com). The 3i investment will see a strengthening of UbiNetics' board by two new non-executive directors. John Scarisbrick is a veteran of the semiconductor industry and currently a non-executive director of ARM, Sonim, Bitfone, and Cambridge Positioning Systems. The second new director, 3i's Laurence Garrett, was until recently on the board of Cambridge Silicon Radio.