apt-x audio compression technology set to extend CSR’s wireless audio leadership and enhances its expansion into new audio markets

Cambridge, UK – 28th July 2010 – CSR plc (CSR) today announced the acquisition of Belfast-based APT Licensing Ltd, (APT), following a successful three year collaboration under the CSR eXtension Partner Programme, which saw APT’s professional quality audio compression brought to consumers on CSR’s wireless audio platforms. The acquisition enables a tighter integration of the apt-x low latency audio compression CODECs with CSR’s next generation audio products. The acquisition also enables CSR to substantially strengthen its offering in the growing real-time streaming audio market for mobile and wireless consumer applications and support its expansion into broader audio markets.

CSR’s CEO Joep van Beurden commented, “In acquiring APT, CSR is buying one of the industry’s strongest audio IP portfolios and a 20 year heritage in audio expertise. The closer integration of APT’s IP with our own technologies will expand the market for its technology to more mainstream consumers and enable us to realise benefits that neither party could achieve independently. CSR is a leader in wireless audio, and the addition of APT will enable us to develop an exciting new generation of excellent quality, highly differentiated products that will further enhance the consumer experience. This will also serve to extend CSR’s capability in wireless audio platforms and help us to broaden our offering into new audio markets and revenue streams.”

“We’re very proud of what APT has achieved over the last 20 years and are delighted to be joining CSR in what is a very positive step towards the increased proliferation of the high quality CODECS, into broader mobile and wireless consumer applications,” said Noel McKenna, CEO of APT. “Both CSR and APT’s engineering teams share the same passion for audio and have proven their ability to collaborate successfully over the last three years. Through even closer integration of our CODECs with CSR’s wireless technology I see a very exciting future ahead.”

Hal Wilson of Crescent Capital, APT’s principal investor, commented, “the sale of APT to CSR represents the final chapter of this successful investment for Crescent with the company’s hardware division having previously been sold to the Worldcast Group in 2009.  We see CSR as been a natural fit for APT and wish the combined forces every success in ensuring the dominance of APT’s technology in the wireless audio marketplace.”

All seventeen of APT’s highly qualified and experienced full-time staff will become an integral part of CSR’s audio platform team, and CSR plans to retain the apt-x product brand.

Public Technology Institute (PTI) Recognizes Local Governments Across US for Providing Public Multi-Channel Access to Government Services and Information

Rockville, MD – June 24, 2010 – Lagan, the global leader in government to citizen technology, today announces that Lagan customers, Buffalo 311, Hampton 311 and San Francisco 311 have been designated by Public Technology Institute (PTI) as “Citizen-Engaged Communities.”   A total of nine local governments across the US have been awarded leadership as “Citizen-Engaged Communities” for their efforts to provide the public with multi-channel (web, civic media, Interactive Voice Response, 311/call agents) access to government services and information. 

The three Lagan awarded customers, Buffalo 311, Hampton 311 and San Francisco 311, continue to demonstrate contact center excellence and lead the charge with accountability, consistency and overall customer satisfaction.   “This award is challenging local governments to achieve high standards in citizen participation, seamless service delivery and democratic accountability; which speaks volumes about the dedication and commitment our three winning customers have to their communities,“ said Des Speed, CEO of Lagan.  “All of us at Lagan extend our heart-felt congratulations for this prestigious honor from PTI.”

In Buffalo, Mayor Brown’s 311 Call and Resolution Center handles 13,000 calls per month on average with over 30% of inquires addressed by Self Service.  Live with Lagan CRM since July 2008, Buffalo 311 strives for excellence with the recent addition of a satellite office of the Buffalo Police Department Internal Affairs Division in the 311 suite in City Hall and a direct link from 311 to Buffalo’s newest crime fighting tool, Keeping Neighborhoods On Watch (KNOW) email alert system.  “Mayor Brown’s 311 Call and Resolution Center has been a key initiative that has strengthened communication between city residents and the Administration,” said Oswaldo Mestre Jr., Director of Citizen Services in Buffalo.  “In our effort to decrease response time and avoid unnecessary department transfers, the 311 Call and Resolution Center prides itself on following citizens’ concerns from receipt of information to completion of the corresponding city action, while always maintaining a high level of customer satisfaction.”

One of the original 311 contact centers in the country, Hampton 311 continues to pioneer contact center excellence since its initial launch with Lagan in 2006. “Staying true to our track record of innovation, Hampton is always looking for ways to enhance and extend service delivery through Hampton 311,” said Liz Nisley, Hampton 311 Call Center Manager.  “With over a million calls answered, 12,000 emails and self-service requests created, and tens of thousands of non-emergency calls offloaded from 911, we are committed to serve to our citizens and are very pleased to be recognized in PTI’s elite group of ‘Citizen-Engaged Communities.”

Famous for leading-edge innovation, such as the rapid adoption of Twitter and being at the forefront of the Open 311 movement, San Francisco 311 has been a success story since its initial launch in March 2007.  With over 5.5 million calls answered in its first two years of operation, 88% of all departments supported, and Self Service ROI in less than seven months, San Francisco 311 has been named a Citizen-Engaged Community for just some of these reasons.  “As the official site for obtaining information, reporting problems or submitting service requests to the City and County of San Francisco, we are proud that our contact center has been recognized by PTI as a leader in the country,” Andy Maimoni, Deputy Director, San Francisco 311.

Download the Andor Annual Report September 2009

Download the Andor Annual Report March 2010

London, UK – June 10th, 2010 SpeechStorm®, a leading provider of Interactive Voice Response (IVR) application software, today announced the completion of a Management Buy Out (MBO) and initial funding round of 1.8 million pounds.  The funding is provided by Crescent Capital, a leading venture capital fund manager, Kainos, a leading supplier of EDRM solutions, and the SpeechStorm senior management team – Oliver Lennon, Damian Kelly and Brendan McCarthy.

SpeechStorm, who employ 24 people, is headquartered in Belfast, with staff in Dublin and London.  This investment will enable SpeechStorm to accelerate development of its IVR applications for retail, financial services and telecoms sectors as well as expand its operations in international markets.  Oliver Lennon, CEO, SpeechStorm said “We have a great team, superb applications and a proven track record with our customers. This investment is an endorsement of SpeechStorm’s capabilities and strengths in our existing markets and our strategic vision for the company.”  “We are delighted to have Crescent Capital and Kainos on board and the opportunity to drive SpeechStorm’s international expansion with their support”. 

Deirdre Terrins, Investment Director, who led the MBO on behalf of Crescent Capital commented, “We are really looking forward to working with Oliver and the SpeechStorm Management Team on this exciting offering to a dynamic and growing international market”.

SpeechStorm was first established as a business unit within Kainos in 2007.  Following a number of successful projects with eircom, Ireland’s leading telecommunications provider, SpeechStorm quickly extended its customer base, providing innovative IVR applications to customers including Allied Irish Bank, Comet PLC and Etisalat. 

Brendan Mooney, Managing Director, Kainos said, “For Kainos, the Management Buy Out represents a natural next step in maximising the growth of SpeechStorm; we are very pleased to be supporting the management in this investment.”   “I wish them every success in this new venture”.

Key to SpeechStorm’s strategy will be the launch this summer of the latest version of SpeechStorm’s Dynamic IVR™ platform, which will revolutionise the delivery of both Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and on-premise IVR applications.

SpeechStorm® is a leader in software for automating customer service over the phone.  Using a combination of speech, touchtone, SMS and video, SpeechStorm Dynamic IVR™ enables businesses of all sizes to reduce customer service costs, improve the customer experience and adapt more quickly to changing business needs. 

For more information about SpeechStorm, please visit: www.speechstorm.com

About Crescent Capital NI Limited

Crescent Capital (www.crescentcapital.co.uk) is Northern Ireland’s leading investor of venture capital with a focus on telecoms, high technology, bio/pharma, tradable services and manufacturing opportunities.  This investment in SpeechStorm’s MBO completes Crescent’s portfolio for its £22.5m second fund, Crescent Capital II LP.

About Kainos
Kainos designs and implements IT solutions that make businesses perform better. The company was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in Belfast with offices in Dublin, London and Gdansk. Kainos employs over 260 consultants and it prides itself on the quality of its people; client focused, reliable, dedicated and they understand how technology can be used to its best advantage.

Kainos’ customers include some of the biggest names in both private and public sector throughout the UK and Ireland, including AIB, the Audit Commission, Shipowners’, Bank of Ireland, Aviva, Northern Ireland Civil Service, the Information Commissioners Office and permanent tsb. For more information, see www.kainos.com.

Jonny McClintock President of Worldwide Sales for APTX said, “We are delighted to have i.Tech Dynamic on board as our latest apt-X licensee, they join a growing roster of Consumer Electronics brands who have committed to developing an apt-X enabled ecosystem of products for high quality Bluetooth Stereo audio. i.Tech Dynamic develop an exciting and innovative range of Bluetooth products and by licensing apt-X audio codec they have demonstrated a commitment to ensuring high-quality Bluetooth Stereo for end-users.”

Wendy Cho, Managing Director for i.Tech Dynamic states that “the apt-X codec is viewed as the final piece in the jigsaw for Stereo Bluetooth products to become consumer mainstream. Implementing apt-X into the i.Tech products is a clear statement of intent on our view of audio quality. It is the gold standard in terms of acoustic integrity and we look forward to reaping the rewards of this relationship for the months and years to come.”
 
Embedded in silicon and/or software, apt-X technology enables the streaming of CD-quality audio for Bluetooth A2DP at extremely low latency. Suitable applications for apt-X technology include headsets, speakers, mobile phones and portable media players.  Existing licensees of apt-X technology include Sennheiser, Altec Lansing, Creative Labs, Jaybird and Armour Home and the technology was awarded the ‘Best of CES’ by the Bluetooth SIG at CES in January.

…beyond imagination

Delivering Unique Patient Experiences

During a patient consultation, patients position themselves in front of the Axis Three system which captures the patient’s 3D image in just seconds. Then, while the patient dresses, the patient coordinator or surgeon prepares the simulation by plotting a few points on the image and then using tools to simulate the surgical outcome. Patients experience the “wow factor” as the simulation is revealed – and patients actually see what they will look like after the procedure. They can view as many as six images at a time and look at the comparisons side by side from any angle. In fact, 91% of patients said Axis Three improved their experiences.

Features That Deliver

Axis Three’s system includes a feature set that provides surgical practices with the most accurate experience, while ensuring they have the flexibility to add their specific surgical style. For breast augmentation these include implant catalogs from the major manufacturers and flexibility to adjust placement or rotate the implant to gain the desired effect. In addition, surgeons can take pointtopoint measurements and use drawing tools to demonstrate how the surgery takes place.

The technology is complex with patented CCT^TM (Color Coded Triangulation) imaging technology developed in cooperation with Siemens Corporation and patented physicsbased TBS (Tissue Behavior Simulation) for anatomical accuracy. The result is complex technology that is intuitive for the user and delivers unprecedented patient confidence.

On The Path to Widespread Adoption

Surgical practices in North America and Europe are adopting Axis Three technology to provide unique patient experiences and differentiate themselves in increasingly competitive markets. The current, challenging world economy has made differentiation more important as patients seek more value for their precious pennies. Surgeries utilizing Axis Three report increases in revenue of 25% or more, the initial capital outlay pays for itself in just a few months of use. Demand for this technology is increasing as a direct relationship of growing patient awareness. Axis Three CEO, John Knapton commented, “Given the choice of deciding on surgery using, before and after images, photomorphing, image sculpting or a clinically based 3D simulation system, prospective patients will always choose the latter. The Axis Three system is fast becoming the standard consultation tool in surgical practices, worldwide.” Bryan Keating, the company’s Executive Chairman added, “The Axis Three team has the experience [over 100 man years] and the passion to deliver solutions that will redefine the consultation experience, becoming the ‘Hoover’ of the medical world.”

Axis Three’s comprehensive product roadmap includes software modules for additional body, invasive and noninvasive face and breast procedures including reconstruction for patients who have undergone mastectomy or partial mastectomy.

Axis Three’s corporate headquarters are in Belfast, Northern Ireland with US offices based in Boston, Massachusetts.

America may be the land of opportunity – but in business that requires an understanding of the market place and an appreciation of its culture.  Writing from Boston where she is based ALICIA RECUPERO, vice president of marketing with Belfast company Axis Three which specialises in 3D imaging for people undergoing plastic, cosmetic or reconstructive surgery, looks at the subtleties involved in a successful transatlantic business relationship

FOR many export orientated companies in the technology sector, the United States of America offers the single largest market prospect. This realization offers both opportunity and risk. Many companies, dazzled by the bright lights of far off shores can very easily drown on the crossing, burning precious cash in the process of trying to bite off more of the big apple than is practical. The American market needs fundamental understanding and real presence to produce success. The old adage, two nations divided by a common language is very true. Believing that because we both speak English will make for some easy sales in a huge market is often the first mistake (and potentially the last) many would-be exporters make.  Establish your business in your home market first, plan your expansion thoroughly from both logistics and finance perspectives and allow for “cracking” the US market to take longer than you initial anticipate; is sound advice. 

But don’t let the challenges put you off, with proper foresight; there are huge opportunities in the USA awaiting the savvy entrepreneur. Axis Three did not have the luxury of building a home market first. Focus on the plastic and cosmetic surgery markets meant we had to come to terms with the fact that the local market could not singularly sustain us. Detailed plans backed by adequate funding and experienced leadership were required, to bring 3D simulation to the third of the global market, concentrated in North America.

As Steven Covey suggests, “understand before trying to be understood”, is key to export success. Local markets in the US are as diverse as the countries of Europe.  Developing the correct pitch for each can decide your sales successes. Texas in the south, Boston in the east, Los Angeles in the west or Chicago in the mid-west all have distinctive culture and style. A “Yankee” print advertisement can be offensive to someone in the “deep south” and vice versa. The culture, language and focus of people are quite different; never mind the economics of the federal system throwing up roadblocks and pot holes that can derail the unwary traveler. Axis Three took time to “personally” understand our customer base, asking questions of key representative individuals, listening and really understanding their needs.

So, in a nutshell, the size and scale of the USA presents great opportunity but with these opportunities come challenges, both cultural and commercial, that require careful consideration. Local knowledge is key, so utilize people with experience, those who have “been there and done that”. Establish a presence; America is really quite insular and generally prefers doing business within its own borders. Less than 4 per cent of US companies actually export and over 2 per cent of these only export to Canada and Mexico!

Without the backing, advice and handson assistance of Invest NI and Belfast based VC fund manager’s Crescent Capital, Axis Three’s success as a Northern Ireland net exporter may have been very short lived. US headquarters was established in Boston, with native team members,  like myself, accruing the local knowledge and “face” of the company in America, necessary to succeed.

In any business, good communications are essential; introduce 3,000 mile of ocean and good communication becomes critical.  Avoiding creating two dysfunctional companies out of one – the “them and us” syndrome – requires thoughtful and thorough action. More communication is better than less to ensure a single team persists. While there’s no substitution for face-to-face meetings, Axis Three relies on the telephone as well as more cost-effective communication methods such as VoIP and Skype. In the funding world, differences with size, scale and culture are also oceans apart. The comfort factor of having a Northern Ireland VC when seeking US funding cannot be underestimated. In the Northeast and California, it’s not untypical to see funding applications versus offer ratios in the region of 300:1!  Axis Three is focused on leveraging the best mix of local and American talent to maximize the US market opportunity. Our small team comprises eight different nationalities, based in three countries – a wealth of culture, skill and experience to draw on; the building blocks of a truly dynamic and winning export business.  So back to the language subtleties between the US and Northern Ireland, which present sometimes unexpected and sometimes humorous results; think before you speak is the advice; that way you avoid misunderstanding at best or offence at worst. Americans tend to be prone to hyperbole and can seem overly enthusiastic.  Unless you fully understand the implications of a fender bender, carrying garbage in your trunk, the shape of your buns, or worse, be conservative in your conversations, and speak extra slowly!