RF Micro Devices (RFMD) has announced the official opening of its new customer support center in Shanghai.

The new center will expand RFMD's capacity to support wireless customers throughout Asia by expanding and complementing RFMD's operations in Beijing, Shenzhen and Taipei. The new facility, which houses technical sales, sales management, application support and customer support, will enable RFMD to better support the regional manufacturers, who are increasingly developing leading-edge handset technology for the world's largest cell phone providers.

"RFMD's continued expansion into the Greater China market demonstrates our focus on supporting the local handset manufacturers in this territory," said Greg Thompson, RFMD vice president of worldwide sales and applications. "This new location will expand and strengthen our technical and systems support, while helping to advance the integration of complementary radio functions and applications in cellular handset designs."

According to industry forecasts, more than 960 million handsets will ship in 2006, and more than a billion are expected to ship in 2007.

In addition to RFMD's new customer support center, the company's investment in the Greater China market includes a sales and support center in Taiwan, a sales and support center in Shenzhen, and a module assembly facility and test and tape and reel facility in Beijing. RFMD employs more than 900 people in the Greater China area.