Neural Audio and VoiceAge Team Up to Deliver Neural-Optimized AMR-WB+ Solution

Neural Audio and VoiceAge Team Up to Deliver Neural-Optimized AMR-WB+ Solution

February 13, 2007

Combining the AMR-WB+ 3GPP & DVB-H Audio Compression
Standard and Neural Audio's Optimized Low Bit Rate Audio
Processing Technology

    BARCELONA, Spain, Feb. 13 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- As the
3GSM World Congress 2007 ramps up, Neural Audio Corporation,
the market leader in developing advanced audio and surround
sound technologies, and VoiceAge Corporation, the world's
premier supplier of speech and audio codecs and
co-developer of AMR-WB+, today announced the release of the
new Neural-optimized encoder for AMR-WB+. Developed in full
collaboration, the Neural-AMR-WB+ solution satisfies the
critical need for ever better processing solutions for
Internet service providers and mobile operators who strive
to increase audio quality while reducing bit rate
consumption for audio and music download and streaming
applications to mobile devices.

    "The new Neural-AMR-WB+ solution will allow
greater bandwidth efficiency to network operators while
allowing consumers to experience ever higher audio quality
on their mobile devices," stated Geir R. Skaaden,
Neural Audio CEO. "By combining Neural Audio's world
renowned audio optimization processing technology with
VoiceAge's AMR-WB+ standard audio compression technology,
our companies have created a solution that satisfies the
critical demand for high-quality audio/video streaming
applications to consumer electronics devices such as mobile
phones, digital music players, computers and more."

    The new Neural-optimized AMR-WB+ encoding solution,
combining years of research on audio optimization and codec
pre-conditioning, provides:

    -- Superior quality stereo music streaming and download
from remarkably 
       low bit rates (e.g., the key rates of 24 and 16
kbps, and even lower) 
       through 48 kbps;
    -- Improved listener satisfaction while reducing
fatigue by delivering 
       more natural sounding music;
    -- Improved bit-rate-saving network carrier effect
through significantly 
       improved bit rate performance leading to lower
communications bandwidth 
       usage.

    Using Neural-AMR-WB+, both network operators and
consumers get more for less:

    -- more content to                          -- less
bandwidth 
    -- more users over                          -- less
processing power
    -- more networks                            -- less
battery power
    -- at an always increased audio quality     -- less
download time
                                                -- less
storage memory

    "Neural Audio brings years of research in a field
of expertise highly complementary to VoiceAge's speech and
audio compression technology development achievements.
Building on our respective strengths, together we have
created the Neural-AMR-WB+ encoding solution to realize the
highest quality audio at the lowest bit rates available
today for a wide array of mobile and portable
applications," stated Laurent Amar, VoiceAge
president. "The Neural-AMR-WB+ encoding solution
presents tremendous advantages for both network operators
and consumers, which should help accelerate the robust
growth of the mobile multimedia services market."

    Aimed primarily at the mobile market, for mobile-TV,
radio and streaming applications, Neural-AMR-WB+ also
delivers enhanced features, which can benefit a broad range
of other applications, from wired, and IP telephony to
online gaming and more. Parties interested in learning more
about the Neural Audio and VoiceAge partnership, ongoing
projects, new product release dates or becoming licensees
can contact Neural Audio's team at
[e-mail].

    ABOUT VOICEAGE CORPORATION

    VoiceAge(R) is a leading developer of digital speech
and audio compression solutions for devices that operate
over wired and wireless networks, including internet,
cellular, Wi-Fi, WiMAX and convergence applications as well
as consumer electronics equipment and toys. Our business
activities focus on: speech and audio compression
technology R&D, standardization, codec and audio
processing software implementations and IPR licensing.
Using designs based on our widely deployed flagship
ACELP(R) technology platform, VoiceAge speech and audio
codec solutions deliver unsurpassed quality experienced
daily by well over two billion users worldwide. Visit us at
http://www.voiceage.com. 

    ABOUT NEURAL AUDIO

    Neural Audio, through its Neural Surround(TM) THX(R)
Technologies brand and unique audio optimization
technologies, has become the key enabler in the delivery of
high quality content for the TV, radio, game, Internet, home
theatre and mobile markets. Key broadcast partners and
customers such as THX Ltd., XM Satellite Radio, Yamaha
Corporation of America, Sony Corporation, Pioneer
Electronics, Onkyo Corporation, Denon Electronics, Marantz
America and Harris Corporation, Broadcast Communications
have adopted Neural Audio technologies to provide the best
quality audio available today to their customers. For more
information, please visit http://www.neuralaudio.com and
http://www.neuralsurround.com . 


    For more information, please contact:  

    Neural Audio Corporation
     Dakx Turcotte
     Marketing and Business Development Manager 
     Tel:   [phone], ext. 135
     Email: [e-mail]

     Jackie Broo
     Communications Manager
     Tel:   [phone], ext. 116
     Email: [e-mail]

    VoiceAge Corporation
     Baris Demir
     Director of Marketing
     Email: [e-mail]


SOURCE  Neural Audio Corporation