FST.L Regulatory News (FST)

3 January 2012

Toumaz Limited

New fabless subsidiary established focusing on low-power wireless technology & solutions

Toumaz Limited (AIM: TMZ, 'Toumaz', or 'the Group'), a pioneer in low cost, ultra-low power wireless communications technology, has established a new fabless subsidiary, Toumaz Microsystems, which will be responsible for its growing wireless IC business. Toumaz has secured investment and support from Imagination Technologies Group plc (LSE:IMG, 'Imagination') as a strategic partner for this business.

In order to strengthen the focus of both the healthcare and semiconductor divisions of Toumaz, the board of Toumaz Ltd has decided to reorganise into two distinct businesses: Toumaz UK covering health technology & solutions; and Toumaz Microsystems covering integrated circuits for low power wireless communication. Both companies will be subsidiaries of Toumaz Ltd.

Toumaz Microsystems will focus on the design, development and sale of semiconductor chips and solutions for the growing and emerging embedded wireless connectivity market addressing the opportunities in a wide range of internet connected devices. These include home and enterprise automation, healthcare, smart power, security/monitoring systems, intelligent toys and other connectivity-centric cloud-enabled systems. Toumaz Microsystems will become Toumaz's vehicle for all its wireless chip development and supply.

Toumaz will own 75% of Toumaz Microsystems and has moved its silicon integrated-circuit (IC) design team and related assets to the subsidiary. Imagination will invest a combination of cash, certain licences to Imagination's hardware and software technologies, and supportive engineering resources, totalling £5m, in Toumaz Microsystems and will own 25% of the business.

Toumaz's chip businesses, including Telran, the world's lowest power radio system-on-chip; Xenif, the multimedia and internet connectivity chip; and the Group's ultra-low power radio IP, and licenses of further IP, will be transferred to Toumaz Microsystems. The wireless semiconductor expertise of Toumaz coupled with the hardware and software IP from Imagination will enable Toumaz Microsystems to offer a world-leading comprehensive connectivity solution for low-power internet-connected applications.

The subsidiary will focus on developing a new multi-standard connectivity chip, an ultra-low power radio receiver and transmitter chip incorporating the new IEEE standard 802.15.6 (see notes to editors) and other relevant standards. It will be one of the first chips to be based on this new standard and will specifically target Body Area Networks and a range of low-power domestic consumer wireless sensor applications.

With this change Toumaz Limited now has two focussed operating businesses; Toumaz Microsystems and Toumaz Health Technologies with the latter focused solely on the healthcare and sport applications for Toumaz technology. Toumaz Microsystems will supply semiconductor chips for Toumaz's healthcare and sports business and its licensees.

The Board of Toumaz Microsystems will consist of two members from Toumaz and one from Imagination. Professor Chris Toumazou, CEO of Toumaz, will become the Chairman of Toumaz Microsystems.

Professor Chris Toumazou, Toumaz Chief Executive, commented:

"Establishing Toumaz Microsystems is the next logical step for us, building a subsidiary for our radio IC chip development with investment and support from strategic partner, Imagination. The rest of the Group, operating now as Toumaz Health Technologies, can then be focused on the applications for our technology in the healthcare and leisure arena. This brings clarity to the business and ensures our all-important silicon devices have a strong roadmap, are delivered in a more structured manner, and have the outlet and backing needed, both for our own healthcare business and also to exploit the huge global opportunities of connected devices."

Hossein Yassaie, Imagination Technologies Chief Executive, said:

"The extended collaboration with Toumaz , and our support of its newly established subsidiary Toumaz Microsystems, is part of an overall strategy of developing strategic partnerships and supporting the growth of ecosystems which will drive and exploit the opportunities of an increasingly internet-connected world."

Enquiries:

About IEEE standard 802.15.6

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is the world's largest technical professional society. It is a leading developer of industry standards in a broad range of technologies and in 2007, its standardization group recognised the need for a new standard targeted specifically at Body Area Networks (BAN). 

BAN applications involve wireless devices worn on or close to the body, from sports and fitness monitors and wireless healthcare products to 3D glasses and next generation wearable computer input gaming devices. Existing short-range wireless protocols such as Bluetooth and Zigbee have power consumption levels which are considered too high for miniature wearable applications, and do not provide the security and reliability needed for certain BAN applications such as wireless medical monitors. 

As a result a task group was formed, with Toumaz a key contributor, to develop a new standard suitable for BAN uses which will be known as 802.15.6. Other key contributors to the standard development include Texas Instruments, GE, Philips, Fujitsu, Samsung and Medtronic. The standard is now close to completion and will be launched in Q1 2012. 

About Imagination Technologies (www.imgtec.com)

Imagination Technologies Group plc (LSE:IMG) - a global leader in multimedia and communication technologies - creates and licenses market-leading multimedia IP cores for graphics, video, and display processing, multi-threaded embedded processing/DSP cores and multi-standard communications and connectivity processors. These silicon intellectual property (IP) solutions for systems-on-chip (SoC) are complemented by platform level IP and services, a strong array of software tools and drivers and extensive developer and middleware ecosystems. Target markets include mobile phone, handheld multimedia, home consumer entertainment, mobile and low-power computing, and in-car electronics. Its licensees include many of the leading semiconductor and consumer electronics companies. Imagination has corporate headquarters in the United Kingdom, with sales and R&D offices worldwide.

About Toumaz (www.toumaz.com)

Toumaz is pioneering low cost, ultra-low power wireless technologies for a wide range of markets including medical monitoring and internet-connected consumer devices.

Targeting the Healthcare market, Toumaz's licensable smart sensor interface and transceiver platform, Sensium, is a leader in real-time wireless monitoring of the body's vital signs. Sensium has the potential to transform medical monitoring and reduce the cost of healthcare by wirelessly connecting individuals to healthcare providers - simply, affordably and unobtrusively. For healthcare professionals, this creates new opportunities for pro-active monitoring and improved quality of care. For patients, it delivers new opportunities for lifestyle-compatible personalised healthcare.

Toumaz also uses its ultra-low power expertise to design devices for wireless connectivity and internet-connected consumer products. Toumaz currently supplies FM/DAB radio chips and complete modules to leaders in the digital radio market, such as PURE. 

Toumaz is an AIM listed company (AIM: TMZ) with development centres in Oxford, UK and Taipei City, Taiwan.