What's the most important aspect in designing a product?

In our experience, the most important aspect of designing a good product is to meet genuine customer needs with the many competing new technologies.

So then, what's the biggest mistake that most companies make in the design phase?                                    

The biggest mistake that companies make is underestimating the design effort required. It can be tempting to assume that wireless design is a simple matter of putting technology building blocks next to each other. A view that can be reinforced by the component supply industry which has a tendency to see their own component as the key part of the system. The reality is that each different technology element can be in conflict with the needs of the product as a whole: and it requires more dedicated skill and care to resolve "integration issues" than is commonly appreciated.

How does Plextek's expertise help a company get to market faster?

To take a multi-standard wireless device from concept to product launch requires different skills throughout the development. Plextek's expertise is in the breadth of experience of it's engineers across the whole lifecycle. From hardware design, through software integration and into manufacture and factory test. The trick is to make the different radio technologies complementary to each other, rather than competing with each other.

How much time does this typically take?

How long does a typical project take? It depends! If a project based on Plextek's existing Intellectual Property (IP) designs then a product prototype can be ready within 3 months. A development based on novel customer requirements can take around a year.

Can you point to a couple of design projects / product launches you are most proud of?

In development at the moment, we have a portable wireless "infotainment" [information & entertainment] device based on Windows CE which includes wireless data communications, GPS and digital TV. In the past, Plextek has launched custom mobile devices using Windows CE for applications including gaming, PDAs and security.

Finish this sentence "The most exciting thing in the wireless industry today is"

The most exciting thing in the wireless industry today is the increasing capability of pocket sized devices. The on-going challenges of the next few years will be to keep control of size, power consumption and diverse wireless technologies.