Lake Technology today announced that Sanyo, Texas Instruments and NEC have become licensees of the Lake-developed Dolby Headphone technology.

Osaka,Japan-based Sanyo Electronics Corp is one of the world’s largest suppliers of electronic components and electronic systems. Sanyo’s 1998 Sales topped US$15 Billion.

Texas Instruments (TI) ibased in Dallas, Texas, USA, is a global semiconductor company. TI claims to be the world's leading designer and supplier of digital signal processors and analog integrated circuits," the engines driving the digitization of electronics". TI’s sales in 1999 were over US$9.5 Billion.

NEC Corporation is a leading international supplier of electronic products that primarily comprise communications systems and equipment, computers and industrial electronic systems, and electron devices. NEC had total revenues of US$40.3 billion in 1999.

Both Sanyo and TI are now Implementation Licensees of Dolby Headphone, which will allow them to produce chips that implement the technology for supply to consumer electronic product manufacturers.

NEC has licensed Lake’s own PC software implementation of Dolby Headphone for use in PC DVD playback on it’s own line of PC products

Lake’s Managing Director, Len Layton, said today that, "These latest licensing achievements continue the great progress already made this year since the official launch of Dolby Headphone at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January, 2000."

"Both Sanyo and TI have enormous reach into the markets Lake is targeting for its technology. Added to the impressive array of licensees already developing Dolby Headphone solutions, these two licensees will provide the technology with a reach across a large part of the consumer electronics and portable audio device marketplace," Layton said.

NEC, which has a strong market presence in personal computers in Japan and also worldwide through its Packard Bell brand, has licensed Lake’s own PC implementation of Dolby Headphone.

"NEC will integrate Lake’s software into their Software DVD player application which together will provide NEC’s customers with a near-cinematic experience, including the fantastic surround sound of Dolby Headphone," said Layton.

"Revenue from NEC’s license of Dolby Headphone will begin to accrue immediately when Dolby Headphone-equipped PC shipments start within this quarter," said John Bell, Lake’s Chief Financial Officer.

COMPANY CONTACT : John Bell, Company Secretary, Phone 02 9213 9003