Nokia Siemens Networks will transfer its research-and-development (R&D) team, working on radio-access technologies, to Indian outsourcer Wipro.

Under an agreement between the two companies, staff from the radio access R&D group, based in Berlin, will be transferred to Wipro by December, said Ramesh Emani, Wipro president of product engineering solutions. Wipro hopes all 58 staff, employed at the Berlin center, will transfer to the company.

Wipro is adoing outsourced development for Nokia Siemens' various R&D groups. After the transfer is complete, the staff in Berlin will join Wipro's own staff working in India for Nokia Siemens on radio-access products, Emani said.

Wipro will not be making any payment to Nokia Siemens for the transfer of the staff, Emani said.

The transfer of staff from Nokia Siemens gives Wipro access to experts in the area of radio-access equipment, such as wireless base stations, according to Emani. Nokia Siemens will in turn have the benefit of a supplier who can ramp up the number of staff working on its projects in India.

The team from Berlin will initially work on projects from Nokia Siemens, but down the line Wipro plans to use this staff on projects from other clients, and in other areas of telecommunications.

Wipro has a large outsourced product-development business, and has focused on strengthening the wireless products and semiconductor design part of this business.

In a bid to increase its portfolio of semiconductor IP and design services, Wipro acquired NewLogic Technologies, a privately held Austrian company, in 2005. The acquisition brought to Wipro expertise and IP in Bluetooth and wireless LANs.

The company also announced in September that it was acquiring a semiconductor design subsidiary in Singapore of Oki Electric Industry. The acquisition of the subsidiary will bring to Wipro expertise in wireless communications, and IP in the area of digital TV, Ultrawideband and RFID, the company said.

The IDG News Service is a Network World affiliate.