On2 Technologies to Acquires Finland's Hantro for Mobile Video Compression

On2 Technologies, which develops video compression technology, agreed to acquire Finland-based Hantro Products Oy, a provider of video technology for mobile devices.



Hantro provides optimized video compression implementations for mobile, digital consumer-electronics and IPTV devices. The company's customers include Nokia, Freescale, LSI, Vimicro, Sanyo and over 20 other leading global device and semiconductor manufacturers. The companies said Hantro's technology has been implemented on more than 200 million devices to date and in mobile phones produced by 5 of the top 6 handset manufacturers.



On2 said the acquisition is intended to accelerate the deployment of On2's technology on semiconductor chipsets that power mobile and embedded devices. This will further On2's strategy for establishing a leadership position in the distribution and consumption of video on all three major device platforms used by consumers: PCs, mobile/portable devices and television.



"We have long set the standard for excellence in video with our codec technology. By gaining access to Hantro's technology and expertise in chip implementation, we expect to be able to extend our reach on devices," said Bill Joll, president and CEO of On2. "This acquisition should speed the deployment of VP6 and VP7 by industry-leading embedded platform suppliers. For device manufacturers, this should mean that On2's video technology can be easily implemented on devices with low silicon costs, lower power demands and increased performance."http://www.on2.com/http://www.hantro.com