Anoto Sets Its Sights on Pentop Computing

Application Development within “Pentop computing” at Centre Stage

As announced previously, Jim Marggraff has taken over as CEO of Anoto, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Anoto Group AB. He has begun setting up the company's Silicon Valley office and has assumed responsibility for promoting the new digital pen and paper segment of pentop computing. The purpose of the effort is to work with Anoto's partners to develop a pentop computing standard based on the company's core technology. Anoto Inc. will also design development tools and applications for fresh target groups in the new areas of personal productivity, business applications, education, entertainment, wholesale/retail and many more. “Looking at the successful launch of Leapfrog's Fly Pentop Computer, we are more convinced than ever that the segment offers excellent potential and that Anoto will benefit greatly by devoting resources to its evolution," says Örjan Johansson, CEO of Anoto Group AB. "By focusing on the development of not only technology but applications as well, we are taking an important step upward in the value chain." In order to carry out the project without borrowing resources from Anoto's current business units, the company has asked Hagströmer & Qviberg Fondkommission AB to assess the prospects for a directed issue of new shares to new institutional owners through exercising part of the authorisation granted to the board of directors by an extraordinary general meeting on 10 November 2005. New ASIC Order Anoto has received an order to develop and market a new application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The company stands to gain SEK 5-8 million for the development effort, not to mention traditional margins for marketing. "The fact that we have once again obtained an order for the use of our ASICs in areas that are completely different from digital pens and paper highlights the superior quality of both our technology and development staff," says Johansson. License Orders in Interactivity – Pilot Study and Talks Are Under Way The cooperative venture with the partner that signed a license order for SEK 32 million (EUR 3.5 million) in June is going well. The previously announced pilot study is in full swing, and talks on payment of an additional SEK 32 million (EUR 3.5 million) are in their final stage. But the schedule that was released earlier and that foresaw a conclusion of the process by the end of 2005 may not prove realistic.