24th Sep 2007 07:02
Arc International PLC24 September 2007 Media Contact: Financial Contact:Lee Garvin Flanagin Juliet ClarkeARC International Financial Dynamics+1 408 437 3433 +44 20 7831 [email protected] [email protected] ARC Acquires Alarity Corporation; Establishes Multimedia Development Center In St. Petersburg, Russia Alarity's World Class Multimedia Development Team Boosts ARC's High Definition (HD) Product Development and Custom Engineering Capabilities ST. ALBANS, England, September 24, 2007 - ARC International (LSE: ARK) todayannounced that it has acquired Alarity Corporation. Alarity is a privately heldU.S. multimedia company that has a renowned team of close to 40 personnel basedin St. Petersburg, Russia specializing in codec software, firmware, and advancedmultimedia architectures. The acquisition includes all of Alarity's employeesand its vast library of optimized solutions for standard definition (SD) and HDvideo, hi-fidelity audio, imaging, DSP, and information security applications. Alarity's development team already plays a key role in select engagements with "Tier 1" customers creating multimedia solutions based upon ARC's configurableprocessors and subsystems. The acquisition will make available Alarity's fullset of resources to a broader number of ARC customers and prospects, enhanceARC's ongoing multimedia product development efforts, and bolster itscustomer-specific engineering capabilities. Alarity's engineers are experts in HD video and image processing, hi-fidelityaudio algorithms, coding and compression, A/V pre- and post-processing,encryption, digital watermarking, and digital rights management. All of thesetechnologies are essential to create a complete next-generation system for HDDVD, BluRay DVD, next-generation iPTV, and HDTV broadcast standards. As part of the acquisition ARC has established a multimedia development centerin St. Petersburg, which complements ARC's existing centers in Cambridge and St.Albans, England, and Silicon Valley. Dr. Eugene Metlitski, co-founder and CTOof Alarity, will join ARC's Office of the CTO currently staffed by Dr. AkashDeshpande, Dr. David Greaves, Dr. Tom Pennello, and Dr. Nigel Topham. Renownedin the field of signal processing, computer architecture, and informationsecurity, Dr. Metlitski has authored more than 50 books and papers, holds 9patents in the field of computer science, and is a member of the editorial boardof an international technical journal. Carl Schlachte, president and CEO of ARC International, said, "The acquisitionof Alarity supports ARC's strategy of providing comprehensive, integrated SoCsolutions for advanced multimedia applications. In engagements with majorcustomers, Alarity has proven its ability to optimize algorithms, software, andsystem architectures for highly efficient and ultra-low power operations. Bybeing a full-time member of the growing ARC team, a broader set of customerswill benefit from the ability to quickly leverage Alarity's world-classofferings for their high-volume SoC designs." "This is an exciting time in ARC's history as the company grows its capabilitiesin optimized multimedia hardware, software, and development tools," said FelixLitvinsky, co-founder and CEO of Alarity, who also joins ARC as a vice presidentof the company. "We are very pleased to be joining ARC, and look forward toextending the joint development work already underway to customers globally." The consideration will be £2 million in cash. An additional consideration of£900,000 will be paid over two and half years based upon completion of certainperformance targets. The acquisition may have a cost impact of up to £450,000on ARC's financial year 2007 operations. # # # About ARC International plcARC International is the world leader in configurable media subsystems and CPU/DSP processors. Used by over 140 companies worldwide, ARC's configurablesolutions enable the creation of highly differentiated system-on-chips (SoCs)that ship in hundreds of millions of devices annually. ARC's patentedsubsystems and cores are smaller, consume less power, and are less expensive tomanufacture than competing products. ARC International maintains a worldwide presence with corporate and research anddevelopment offices in California and St. Albans, UK. For more informationvisit www.ARC.com. ARC International is listed on the London Stock Exchange asARC International plc (LSE: ARK). ARC and the ARC logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of ARCInternational. All other brands or product names contained herein are theproperty of their respective owners. This press release may contain certain"forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties, including thedevelopment, implementation, and release of features described herein. Theseare at the sole discretion of ARC International. Licenses from 3rd parties forcertain software and essential patents may be required depending on licensee'suse/implementation. For other factors that could cause actual results to differ,visit the company's Website as well as the listing particulars filed with theUnited Kingdom Listing Authority and the Registrar of Companies in England andWales. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock ExchangeRelated Shares:
Arkle Res