Codec specialist gears up for licensing deals

APT has significantly strengthened its licensing division by appointing a new Licensing Business Manager and two new DSP Engineers.

Following last year's successful management buyout and injection of venture capital, audio codec manufacturer APT has significantly strengthened its licensing division by appointing a new Licensing Business Manager and two new DSP Engineers.

These appointments clearly indicate the importance the company places on growing the licensing portfolio for its pioneering apt-XT algorithm.

With potential applications in all areas of high quality consumer and professional audio, licensing apt-XT to third party manufacturers is now a key business strategy for the company.

"Licensing apt-XT is a major opportunity for us", says APT's Managing Director Noel McKenna.

"The quality and audio benefits of apt-XT technology are undisputed and I believe that the apt-XT brand has the potential to become a house hold name".

An ability to operate within bandwidth requirements, combined with a unique resilience to bit errors and with minimal delay means apt-XT is ideal for applications such as wireless headphones, wireless 5.1 surround and wireless microphones.

For years APT has been recognised as a leader in professional audio, and this will serve as a solid backbone from which to release a new era of high quality consumer audio.

APT's new Licensing Business Manager is Stephen Wray, who joins from Amphion Semiconductor, now a subsidiary of Conexant Systems, where he was the Global IP Business Manager.

An honours graduate from the University of Edinburgh, Wray's responsibilities at Amphion Semiconductor included sales, marketing, business development and channel management activities for the company's complete portfolio of IP (intellectual property) cores.

Wray has also served as a design engineer with Nortel Networks and more recently as an Investment Manager for InvestNI, the local economic development agency.

"Stephen has spent time in both Asia and the US, where he managed global customer relationships with many major companies including Intel, Sony, Sharp, NEC and Panasonic", says Jon McClintock.

"This has enabled him to foster strong links in the industry and given him the necessary understanding and business acumen to deliver high quality solutions".

"We're delighted to have him as part of our licensing team and look forward to benefiting from his extensive experience and contacts".

Wray adds: "I am very excited to be joining APT, especially at a time when the convergence of technical capability and rising consumer expectation provides such a great platform for the apt-XT algorithm, which is uniquely placed to enable high quality wireless audio technologies".

APT has also appointed Chris Clotworthy and David Trainor to the position of Senior DSP Engineer.

Clotworthy, who joined APT as a DSP Programmer in October 2005, previously worked for Nortel, SLDI and Arca Technologies.

Trainor joins APT from Latens Systems where he produced software security systems for the digital television market.

Prior to that he spent seven years at Amphion Semiconductor designing digital signal processing and communications modules for system-on-chip implementation.

At APT, he will be responsible for the research and development of novel audio processing algorithms, and the translation of apt-XT and other existing audio algorithms to new technologies.

"These new appointments underline our commitment to our backers to increase development and intellectual ownership and exploiting these by securing more licensing deals with third party manufacturers and developers", McClintock adds.

"We also plan to move apt-XT technology into the consumer market, where we have particularly identified high definition television (HDTV) and 5.1 and surround sound radio markets as potentially fertile grounds".

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