30.11.2020 07:59:36 CET | Demant A/S | Investor News
Investor news | 30
November 2020
Demant announces launch of new flagship hearing aids
*
Introducing Oticon MoreTM – the world’s first hearing aid with on-board Deep
Neural Network
* Oticon More features iOS and AndroidTM connectivity and is
prepared for
Bluetooth® LE Audio
* New flagship hearing aids soon rolling
out from Philips Hearing Solutions,
Bernafon and Sonic
Greater
Copenhagen, Denmark – Today, Demant, a global leader in hearing
healthcare, is
announcing the launch of new groundbreaking hearing aid
technology in all its
four hearing aid brands, Oticon, Philips Hearing
Solutions, Bernafon and Sonic.
The launch of new innovative hearing solutions
strongly supports Demant’s
purpose of delivering life-changing hearing health to
people living with
hearing loss. The new products will be launched in all major
markets in the
coming months and support millions of people in enjoying life to
the fullest.
YEARS OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
Oticon is launching the new, revolutionary
Oticon More, which is the world’s
first hearing aid that allows users to hear
all relevant sounds thanks to an
on-board Deep Neural Network. Oticon More is
powered by an entirely new chipset,
PolarisTM, boasting an eightfold increase
in memory and twice the processing
power compared to the previous generation,
Velox STM. The all-new Polaris
platform features seven processing cores, and
due to its unique architecture,
the 28 nanometer chipset delivers superior
processing capabilities while
optimising power consumption.
“Through years
of innovation, research and collaboration with leading research
institutions
around the world, Oticon has built unique knowledge and
understanding of how
the brain perceives sound. Contrary to common belief, it is
now established
that the brain needs access to all sounds in the environment to
function
optimally. By applying this knowledge to hearing technology, we enable
the
hearing aid users to enjoy more complete sound landscapes and simply get
more
out of life when they use our products,” says Søren Nielsen, President and
CEO
of Demant.
In 2016, Oticon presented a paradigm shift in hearing care with
Oticon OpnTM,
which, for the first time ever, allowed users to get access to
all speakers in
the sound landscape to allow for better understanding and
participation. This
groundbreaking approach is fundamentally different from
what traditional hearing
aids do, as they apply directionality and only focus
on the speaker in front,
while suppressing all other sounds. Then, in 2019, the
paradigm was further
developed with the breakthrough feedback prevention system
of Oticon Opn STM.
ACCESS TO ALL RELEVANT SOUNDS NOW MADE POSSIBLE
With
Oticon More, Oticon is now taking the next big step on its BrainHearingTM
journey by introducing the world’s first purpose-built hearing aid platform
with
an on-board Deep Neural Network. Oticon More utilises the
intelligent
capabilities of a Deep Neural Network to mimic the way the brain
functions. It
handles sounds based on the experience and training it has
received. The Deep
Neural Network in Oticon More is so much more than standard
AI software – it is
a unique and dedicated hearing aid solution, developed for
real-time operation
in everyday life.
Based on our vast sound processing
experience, we have trained the Deep Neural
Network with 12 million sound
scenes from real life. This optimises the way
Oticon More makes sounds more
distinct by working seamlessly across varying
listening environments with
unparalleled precision and clarity, while ensuring
that the sound is
comfortable for the user. With this integrated intelligence,
Oticon More has
learned to recognise all types of sounds, their details, and how
they should
ideally sound to optimally support the brain. As a result, Oticon
More delivers
30% more information to the brain than Oticon Opn S, while
reducing the
listening effort of the user and improving speech understanding by
15%.
“Delivering breakthrough innovation and hearing care that improve the lives
of
people with hearing loss is what we are all about at Demant. It makes me
proud
that we are ready to launch the next generation of hearing aids that use
deep
learning, the most powerful of the AI techniques, to optimise hearing
aid
performance. Not only does it improve the brain’s hearing function, it
also
enables users to hear more with less effort, so they can enjoy and keep
taking
part in everyday life,” says Søren Nielsen, President & CEO of Demant.
In addition to superior audiological performance, Oticon More
features
state-of-the-art direct streaming from both iOS and compatible Android
devices
using the ASHA (Audio Streaming for Hearing Aids) protocol and is
prepared for
the next generation of connectivity based on the upcoming
Bluetooth LE Audio
standard. This new, groundbreaking innovation from Oticon
will be available in a
miniRITE rechargeable style, in three upper price points
and at four different
power levels.
NEW FLAGSHIP HEARING AID FAMILIES IN
ALL BRANDS
Philips Hearing Solutions will soon launch the next generation of
Philips
HearLinkTM hearing aids. Featuring AI sound technology, the new hearing
aid
family will bring a significant change in hearing aid technology. It
is
developed to enable hearing aid users to connect with friends, family
and
colleagues, which is essential in order to live a social and active
life.
Philips HearLink is rechargeable, is able to stream directly from iOS
and
compatible Android devices and it is prepared for the coming Bluetooth LE
Audio
standard.
Bernafon and Sonic will also launch new hearing aids in the
coming months.
Specifically, Bernafon will introduce Bernafon Alpha that
features Hybrid
TechnologyTM, including a revolutionary approach to signal
processing that
always chooses the most optimal performance based on a precise
analysis of the
listening situation. Sonic will introduce Sonic Radiant, which
comes with
technology that actively finds, filters and fine-tunes sound so that
the user
can make the most of every moment. Both products feature direct
streaming from
iOS and compatible Android devices and are prepared for the
coming Bluetooth LE
Audio standard.
MULTI-BRAND LAUNCH
Over the coming
weeks and months, the new flagship hearing aid families of our
four hearing aid
brands will be launched in all major markets. The products will
be available in
a range of price points and power levels – all based on the
powerful miniRITE
rechargeable style, which is built on state-of-the-art
lithium-ion battery
technology. Starting today, our sales organisations will
host a series of local
launch events, conduct training sessions and launch
marketing campaigns.
Demant will host a virtual, live-streamed webcast today at 11:30am CET
where key
employees will present the new products in greater detail. The event
can be
accessed through this link
[https://live.axion.dk/demant/201130/T2r345Yu.html].
To ask questions, please
use one of the following dial-ins: +45 3544 5577 (DK),
+44 3333 000 804 (UK) or
+1 6319 131 422 (US). The pin code is 63665047#. The
event is scheduled to last
up to 90 minutes, including a Q&A session.
Further information:
| Other contacts:
|
Søren
Nielsen, President & CEO | Mathias Holten Møller, Head of Investor
| Relations
Phone +45 3917 7300
|
| Christian Lange, Investor
Relations
www.demant.com [http://www.demant.com] | Officer
|
| Trine
Kromann-Mikkelsen, VP Corporate
|
Communication and Relations
ABOUT DEMANT A/S
Demant is a world-leading
hearing healthcare group that offers solutions and
services to help people with
hearing loss connect with the world around them. In
every aspect, from hearing
devices, hearing implants, diagnostics to audio and
video solutions and hearing
care all over the world, Demant is active and
engaged. Our innovative
technologies and know-how help improve people’s health
and hear-ing. We create
life-changing differences through hearing health.
ATTACHMENTS
* Download
announcement as PDF.pdf
[https://via.ritzau.dk/ir-files/13560112/2543/2757/Download%20announcement%20
as%20PDF.pdf]
* Demant announces launch of new flagship hearing aids.pdf
[https://via.ritzau.dk/ir-files/13560112/2543/2755/Demant%20announces%20launc
h%20of%20new%20flagship%20hearing%20aids.pdf]