Author: marika

OptimalTest claims to have a 90% presence along the supply chain of fabless companies. 11 November 12 19:33, Shmulik Shelach

Chip testing company OptimalTest has closed a financing round of $7.5 million. Aviv Venture Capital joined the financing round alongside previous investors Pitango Venture Capital, Carmel Ventures, and Evergreen Venture Partners. The company has raised $39 million to date.
OptimalTest was founded in 2004 by CEO Dan Glotter, and COO Nir Erez and currently has nearly 70 employees.

OptimalTest is striving to cope with one of the major problems confronting the development of processors. Today most of the world’s chip providers have operating models that do not include their own fabless plants. The largest companies in this niche market are Qualcomm, Broadcom and AMD in a market worth $65 billion in 2011 represent 20% of the entire chip market. The cost of setting up an advanced PCB production line is between $2 billion and $6 billion. For these companies, the logistics of manufacturing through outsourcing, usually in the Far East, include command and control of complex procedures between various suppliers, shipping, sales, and the production itself. The production process is completely outside of their control and managed by external suppliers, and thus the companies designing chips have little information about the success of the process that undergoes production installation, testing, packaging and transportation. In some instances each of these stages is managed by a different supplier.

OptimalTest attempts to simplify the process by providing software that allows the assembly development companies to receive, “the latest picture of every chip that moves at them,” says Glotter. “We’ve become a company that every fabless company loves.”

OptimalTest claims to have a 90% presence along the supply chain of fabless companies.

Customers include Qualcomm, Broadcom and Nvidia. OptimalTest had revenue of $11 million in 2011 and expects to end 2012 with Revenue of $20 million and profitability.

Haim Shani, the former NICE Systems Ltd. (Nasdaq: NICE; TASE: NICE) CEO and Finance Ministry director general has rejoined OptimalTest’s board of directors. He resigned from the board when he became head of the Finance Ministry.

New PT-VW431DU Projector Simplifies Wiring, Installation and Maintenance InfoComm 2012

LAS VEGAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Panasonic, a provider of professional projector solutions, today announced its new PT-VW431DU, high brightness, 4,300 lumen, WXGA resolution compact body projector. Through Panasonic’s new Digital Link technology, the device helps simplify projector installation, wiring and ongoing maintenance by sending audio, video (including uncompressed HD video), Internet, controls and power over a single Cat5e/6 LAN cable. For customers in corporate and education markets, where the number of installed projectors are high, the efficiency and reduced cabling costs can be significant.
“The Panasonic projectors team strives to improve our end-user’ AV experience by helping eliminate common installation challenges they face”
Panasonic Digital Link
Based on Valens HDBaseT™ technology, Panasonic’s Digital Link is embedded in the PT-VW431DU, allowing a single cable to transmit uncompressed videos signals, audio, and control commands up to 100m (328ft). The need for an external receiver is eliminated when the PT-VW431DU is used together with Panasonic’s new ET-YFB100 switcher box or other switchers with HDBaseT™ chipset.
Panasonic has partnered with industry-leading manufacturers of HDBaseT™ solutions including Crestron, Extron, and AMX, to insure the interoperability of PT-VW431DU with Crestron’s DigitalMedia 8G+™ compatible switchers, Extron’s XTP Systems and AMX’s Enova DVX and DGX Digital Media Switchers.
“The Panasonic projectors team strives to improve our end-user’ AV experience by helping eliminate common installation challenges they face,” said Scott Wellington, Sr. Product Marketing Manager, Panasonic. “With rapid adoption of HDBaseT embedded products within a variety of markets, we saw a need to support this technology with our projectors. By providing our first projector launch with Digital Link compatibility, we are in a great position to lead the market into a new era of simple yet dependable connectivity.”
“The adoption of HDBaseT technology by industry leaders such as Panasonic confirms and assesses HDBaseT’s status as the de facto standard of digital connectivity industry,” said Dror Jerushalmi, CEO and co-founder, Valens Semiconductor. “Device adoption in the professional AV space marks a significant step in HDBaseT’s migration to the consumer electronics market.”
Excellent Image Quality in Varied Lighting Conditions
The PT-VW431DU offers high brightness of 4,300 lumens and a high contrast ratio of 3,500:1. In addition, the device ensures high image quality even in bright environments, thanks to Panasonic’s Daylight View Basic technology which uses a built-in sensor to detect and measures the amount of ambient light, adjusting the image according to light condition.
Eased Installations and Reduced Maintenance
To ease permanent and temporary installation challenges, the PT-VW431DU features a vertical lens shift function, which moves the image position +48% vertically without distorting the image. The device also offers a 1.6x manual zoom lens, allowing a wide range of projections, from 2.5m (8.2ft) to 4.1m (13.5ft) to project a 100” diagonal image. To reduce maintenance costs, the projector is equipped with a pleated micro cut filter, which delivers of up to 4,000 hours of service.
Other useful features include HDMI input terminal, easy remote monitoring and control over a LAN, Extron’s GlobalViewer® and Crestron’s Connected capability which lead the way to cloud-based connectivity, direct power off, and built-in 10W speaker for effective presentations.
PT-VW431DU Preliminary Specifications:
Model PT-VW431DU
Brightness 4,300 lumens
Resolution 1,280 x 800 pixels
Contrast Ratio 3,500:1
Lamp 280W UHM x 1
Lens Manual 1.6x zoom
Digital Link (powered by HDBaseT™) Yes

The PT-VW431DU and ET-YBF100 are planned to begin shipping in October 2012.
For more information on Panasonic’s professional projector solutions go to: http://panasonic.net/avc/projector/
Sales inquiries for Panasonic’s PT-VW431DU and ET-YBF100 should be directed to pjsolutionsus.panasonic.com or 877-803-8492.
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Panasonic Solutions for Business
Built on a celebrated engineering foundation, Panasonic architects business technology solutions that help build a better world. Customers in government, healthcare, production, hospitality, education and a wide variety of commercial enterprises, large and small, depend on integrated solutions from Panasonic to help them acquire, manage and interpret the information that drives innovation. The complete suite of Panasonic solutions addresses unified business communications, mobile computing, security and surveillance, retail point-of-sale, office productivity, high definition visual conferencing, visual communications (professional projectors, displays, digital signage) and HD and 3D video production. As a result of its commitment to R&D, manufacturing and quality control, Panasonic engineers reliable and long-lasting solutions as a partner for continuous improvement. Panasonic solutions for business are delivered by Panasonic System Communications Company of North America, which is a division of Panasonic Corporation of North America, the principal North American subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation (NYSE: PC).
All brand and company/product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of the respective companies. All specifications are subject to change without notice. Information on Panasonic solutions for business can be obtained by calling 877-803-8492 or at www.panasonic.com.
About Panasonic Corporation of North America
Based in Secaucus, NJ, Panasonic Corporation of North America provides a broad line of digital and other electronics products and services for consumer, business and industrial use. The company is the principal North American subsidiary of Osaka, Japan-based Panasonic Corporation (NYSE: PC), and the hub of Panasonic’s U.S. branding, marketing, sales, service and R&D operations. Panasonic was the only Consumer Electronics company to be listed in the top ten brands on the Interbrand Best Global Green Brands 2011 ranking (http://www.interbrand.com/en/best-global-brands/Best-Global-Green-Brands/2011-Report/BestGlobalGreenBrandsTable-2011.aspx). As part of its continuing efforts to reduce its carbon footprint, Panasonic Corporation of North America will relocate its operations to a new eco-efficient office tower adjacent to a mass transit hub in Newark, NJ in 2013. Information about Panasonic Eco Ideas initiatives is available at http://panasonic.net/eco/ecoideas/. Information about Panasonic and its products is available at www.panasonic.com. Additional company information for journalists is also available at www.panasonic.com/pressroom.

ComQi, global multi-channel message management leader, announced today the launch of five new place-based mobile applications interacting with digital signage displays in a retail venue. Powered by ComQi’s Interaction Manager, these mobile apps include: Voting, Information and Couponing, Group Buying, Quizzes and Games.
In today’s market, retailers need to provide new ways to keep customers engaged and entertained while in the store, and to stay in contact with them after they leave. ComQi’s new mobile experiences empower the consumer and enable them to enter into a dialog with both brands and retailers by linking their mobile phone to digital signage and social media.
Ajay Chowdhury, ComQi’s CEO, says: “ComQi’s Interaction Manager enables marketers to engage with customers at the point of influence. These new applications enable brands and retailers to engage in a conversation with their customers on the go, establishing and reinforcing a relationship complemented by social networks. ComQi’s innovative platform enables retailers to improve their brand image, customer satisfaction and customer retention.”
Consumers can connect to the Interaction Manager platform with their Smart Phones through a variety of means on the screen – using a textual URL, a QR Code, via NFC – or any combination of the three.
The Interaction Manager offers many different Connected Experiences to the consumers, including sharing thoughts and opinions in an interactive way through a Voting App, receiving coupons and discounts on specific products, or participating in a game or a contest within the venue in order to enhance the store’s atmosphere.
Come and see those Connected Experiences managed by ComQi’s Interaction Manager at ISE 2012 in Amsterdam, from 31.01.12 until 02.02.12, booth 10K118, click here to register for a demo ISE 2012.
For more information on ComQi’s Interaction Manager please click here.
For more information on ComQi’s Mobile Apps, please click here.
Another of ComQi’s Connected Experiences, the Ettraction ExploreBoard Touch Screen solution to provide information for tourists in hotels developed for CTM, was listed today as a finalist in the Interactive Solutions section of the DSE APEX awards.
For more information on ComQI’s Interactive Solutions, please click here. .

About ComQi
ComQi is a global leader providing a powerful multi-channel message management platform that controls a network’s content and infrastructure, closing the loop between digital signage, mobile, web and social media within a venue. ComQi won numerous awards including the AV Technology Award for the Best Digital Signage Product in 2011. It has been voted as the number one global digital signage provider for three years in a row by DailyDOOH and a Tier One player by Frost & Sullivan for the second year in a row.
Created through the merger of Minicom Digital Signage and EnQii, ComQi’s mission is to deliver an end-to-end solution that is tailored to engage consumers by optimizing communications and marketing strategies that provide the best ROI. By putting the consumer at the center of the experience, Comqi enables Connected Experiences through a single platform that offers media distribution, network and content management, interactive experiences and impact measurement. ComQi offers all these solutions directly or by partnering with systems integrators, distributors and marketing agencies. ComQi’s hundreds of customers include leading brands around the world, such as Care Media, Compass Group and Six Flags (in the US), McDonald’s and The Premier League (in the UK), CinemaxX (in Germany), Toys ‘R’ Us (in China) and Carrefour and Credit Lyonnais (in France). With over 12 years of expertise and an installed base of more than 400,000 displays worldwide, ComQi is a global company headquartered in New York with offices in Jerusalem, Toronto, London, Zurich, Paris, Hong Kong Shanghai and a representative office in India.