Conexant Spinoff Named Mindspeed

Though the public offering for shares in Conexant Systems Inc.’s Internet equipment business is on hold, the marketing effort kicked off Monday with the unveiling of the unit’s new name: Mindspeed Technologies.

That and the slogan “Build it first” are intended to highlight the goal of helping customers bring their products to market swiftly, explained Raouf Halim, who will head the unit.

The concept is simple enough. But the logo is another story. It looks like MNDSPEED, with a break in the “M” that makes a numeral “1” out of the last leg of the letter, which also doubles as an “I.”

Mindspeed spokeswoman Carol Thornton recounted how some employees paused to digest the new logo. “It took them awhile to focus in and go ‘Oh, Mindspeed,’ ” she said.

The Newport Beach semiconductor maker was helped by naming consultants Master-McNeil Inc. in Berkeley and brand-building agency Siegelgale in Los Angeles.

Mindspeed will begin to function as a separate organization under Conexant on Feb. 1.