December 2008
Demand
for Immersion's Solutions Drives Record Revenue
Immersion’s third quarter revenues
surpassed $10 million, marking the highest quarterly revenue in the company’s
history. Touch user interfaces are proliferating in systems and devices
on a global basis and record revenue was driven by strong demand for,
and adoption of, Immersion’s solutions across multiple end-markets.
Read on to acquire a deeper understanding of how Immersion is driving the development of exciting new products to address the growing worldwide trend of incorporating touch feedback in digital user interfaces. Immersion owns the world’s most comprehensive portfolio of patented haptics technology, and in this newsletter you will learn more about the company’s unique approach to high-growth, global markets for highly differentiated Medical and Touch products.
For
fastest response to your questions or comments, contact us at http://ir.immersion.com/contactus.cfm.
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In This Issue |
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›Record Revenue | |||
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›Medical | |||
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› Touch |
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› | Touch
Interface Products |
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› | Mobility | |
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› | Gaming | ||
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›Corporate Developments | |||
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›Immersion in the News | |||
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›Events | |||
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Immersion in the News |
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“The VibeTonz feature is the coolest
thing. Little vibrations based on touch screen selections or scrolling
etc. It’s hard to describe so I’ll just say two words
that have stuck with me… ‘touch sensation.’”
(From GeekwithLaptop.com review of Samsung F700 phone.
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Events |
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Immersion
and several of its customers will exhibit touch interface, mobility,
and gaming products and technology at the Immersion
to present at the 11th
Annual Needham Growth Stock Conference, |
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Medical
Immersion’s medical and surgical simulators
are revolutionizing the fields of medical training and education. Doctors
and medical professionals seek out Immersion’s solutions to achieve
the most realistic experience for simulating medical procedures. As the
largest contributor to Immersion’s revenue on a percentage basis,
the medical line of business is one of the most important growth drivers
for the company. To fully capture this tremendous global market opportunity,
Immersion is aggressively building its medical line of business for predictability
and scale.
CEO Clent Richardson Elevates Awareness in China
Cementing Immersion’s position as a key player in the rapidly growing
medical training market in China, CEO Clent Richardson participated in
two high-profile events in Beijing in November: The International Forum
on the Future of Simulator Education in China (read
more, see
photos) and a company sponsored, in-depth media event with top publications
including China Computer World, Mobile China, E-Health
Care, Economic Information News, and CBN Weekly.
(See
photos).
Company
Expands Global Distribution of Medical Simulators in China
Significant growth in China’s economy and healthcare infrastructure
has created a tremendous need for medical simulation and education solutions.
Creating relationships with local distributors is one method of capturing
opportunities globally. To this end, Immersion has forged a strategic
distribution agreement for Immersion Medical surgical simulators in China
with Tellyes Scientific Company, Ltd. of Tianjin, China, a leading supplier
of advanced medical education products. See
press release, see
photos of signing ceremony.
Immersion Medical Makes Strides
in Burgeoning Latin American Market
Demonstrating the need for Immersion’s medical solutions globally,
the company has sold three simulation systems to Universidad de Pamplona
in Cucuta, Colombia: an Endoscopy AccuTouch® System, a LaparoscopyVR
surgical simulator, and a CathLabVR simulation system. Immersion
Medical was also a key participant in the first Colombian Symposium of
Clinical Simulation (website)
in Bogota in October, another unmistakable indicator of growing interest
for medical simulation in Latin America. Read
more.
Touch
Interface Products
Immersion is deeply engaged in accelerating
the rate of growth for its Touch Interface Products business, where in
addition to its touchscreen feedback and automotive products, its haptics
technology is becoming increasingly relevant to an expanding number of
vertical markets including Consumer Electronics, Office Automation, and
Machine Controls. Growing uptake for the company’s solutions includes
an expanded licensing agreement with Samsung for TouchSense® technology
in digital audio devices (see
press release), design wins with licensee SMK for machine and factory
automation controls (see
press release), and touch feedback in a touchscreen-based navigation
system for a major U.S. car rental company.
TouchSense Technology Powering New
Driver Control in 2010 Lexus RX
A 2D haptic device with Immersion technology developed by Alps Electric
was integrated by Denso Corporation into the 2010
Toyota Lexus RX. Toyota, the world’s largest auto manufacturer,
is using the device to elevate the automotive user experience, especially
safety. The Remote Touch haptic control tips and tilts in all directions,
moving a cursor on a screen above. When the cursor moves over different
icons, like buttons, the driver feels haptic feedback. The system gives
Lexus designers more flexibility in positioning the navigation/audio display,
such as very near to the driver’s peripheral view of the road –
a clear safety advantage. Watch
CNET video.
Immersion’s
Haptics Technology Widely Featured at G2E 2008
Immersion’s haptics technology for casino gaming systems was prominently
featured at the 2008 Global Gaming Expo. 3M, as well as numerous gaming system integrators, demonstrated
the technology in new products.
Mobility
Global leaders in the mobile market are
rapidly expanding the implementation of haptics technology across their
product lines. Immersion remains at the forefront of innovation for this
sector. In fact, more than 35 million mobile phones featuring Immersion’s
haptic technology have now been sold worldwide, including more than ten
million in the third quarter of 2008 alone. These include many of today’s
popular, high volume phones including the LG Incite
and the Samsung Soul
and Tocco.
(Read
more).
Samsung Sees Strong Sales of Haptic
2 Phone Featuring Immersion's VibeTonz® System
The follow-up to its highly successful Haptic phone for the Korean market,
Samsung’s Haptic 2 is the first phone using Immersion’s technology
to allow users to create their own haptic effects. Through a simple but
powerful drag-and-drop graphical interface, users can personalize touch
feedback such as distinct non-audible ringtones. More than 100,000 Haptic
2 phones were sold in the first four weeks following launch. Read
more.
Gaming
New
Gaming Peripherals Shipping for Holiday Season
The addition of haptics and force feedback technology dramatically revs
up the gaming experience, whether played on a console, PC, or mobile device.
Hot gaming peripherals for the gift-giving season featuring Immersion’s
TouchSense force feedback are now available in major retail stores and
online, including Katana’s new wireless PS2 controller and Logitech’s
Speed Force Wireless Wheel for the Wii. In addition, gamers will soon
be treated to dreamGear’s CES
Innovations award winner, the Shadow Wireless controller for the PS3,
the first of a number of TouchSense-enabled products to be released by
this prominent licensee.
Corporate
Developments
Immersion Attracts New Talent to
Executive Team
The company is making significant and measurable progress in transforming
its executive team, attracting proven leaders who share a vision and passion
for Immersion’s technology as the future of both medical education
and training and the user experience in digital devices.
- Dan Chavez has joined as senior vice president and general manager, Immersion Medical. See press release.
- Craig Vachon was appointed vice president and general manager, Mobility. See press release.
- Amie Peters has joined as vice president, Legal. See press release.
To focus global strategy on the most potent growth markets in its portfolio, the Medical and Touch lines of business, Immersion will conclude divestiture of its 3D business in the first quarter of 2009. See press release.
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IMMERSION CORPORATION |
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Copyright © 2008 Immersion Corporation. All rights reserved.
Immersion, the Immersion logo, TouchSense, and VibeTonz are trademarks of Immersion Corporation
in the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.