iPod Chipmaker Hints the Future

Following the release of financial results from its second fiscal quarter, PortalPlayer hinted at a few of its forthcoming music player technologies and release dates to analysts and the media.

For its June quarter, iPod chip supplier PortalPlayer announced a profit of $6.3 million, or $0.25 per diluted share, on revenues of $44.6 million. The results rose sharply from its year-ago quarter, in which the company reported a $880,000 loss. In its announcement, the company hinted at a few plans for the second half of the year.

"We have completed the design win activity for our customers' exciting new models intended to ship in the second half of 2005. In addition, we worked with the supply chain to prepare our operations for significant demand in the second half of the year," said Gary Johnson, president and chief executive officer of PortalPlayer. "During the second quarter, we also accelerated our investment in innovative wireless technologies that we believe will help fuel our growth in 2006 and beyond."

Johnson went on to say that revenues for PortalPlayer's third quarter of 2005 are likely to benefit from new flash-based chip designs. The company currently supplies Apple with controller chips for its hard disk drive (HDD)-based players, while Sigmatel is responsible for the chips inside the flash-based iPod shuffle