CES: Bang & Olufsen signs chip cooperation deal with Intel
The chipmaker is now a partner of the audio, video, and home electronics company when it comes to silicon chip technology.
- Shankland covered the tech industry for more than 25 years and was a science writer for five years before that. He has deep expertise in microprocessors, digital photography, computer hardware and software, internet standards, web technology, and more.
Bang & Olufsen, a company known for its distinctive audio designs, has signed a chip technology cooperation agreement with Intel.
The Danish company has expanded into many technical markets beyond audio, including video, home media servers, telephones, and home automation that brings electronic controls to electronics, curtains, and thermostats.
"This strategic cooperation with Intel provides Bang & Olufsen with access to the latest silicon process technologies. This will enable Bang & Olufsen to stay at the technological forefront in the future and increase the efficiency of Bang & Olufsen's product development," said Bang & Olufsen Chief Executive Kalle Hvidt Nielsen in a statement.
Intel, a rare example of a component supplier with a powerful brand, is happy to be part of the partnership, too. The company provides marketing help to companies that label products with "Intel Inside" stickers, but as Apple's polished but sticker-free Macs have shown, there's something to be said for the cachet of association with good industrial design.
"Bang & Olufsen represents a unique opportunity and brings a deep understanding of the high-end consumer DTV [digital television] market to this exciting cooperation. Intel looks forward to this collaboration to develop smart TV enabling products that take advantage of Bang & Olufsen's design and engineering expertise," said Wilfred Martis, general manager of retail consumer electronics in Intel's Digital Home Group.
The companies announced the pact today at the CES show in Las Vegas.