Bang & Olufsen Strikes Partnership With Intel

The Intel news of the week will definitely be the $1.5 billion that they'll be paying to NVIDIA for licensing fees over the next five years. But there's something else going on in the Intel camp that only those who pay attention to high-end audio will notice. The company has just landed a deal with Bang & Olufsen. B&O, as they're often called, is a very elite audio group that sells the most sophisticated, expensive A/V gear that the consumer world knows. You can definitely find nicer professional gear, but B&O is definitely one of the nicest consumer firms out there.

The B&O/Intel deal is unique, and there's really no telling where this could go. According to the CEO of Bang & Olufsen, the deal will provide them with Intel's latest silicon for use in future devices, and now that the company is getting into televisions, remotes and other smart products, having access to Intel's CPU stable will definitely give them an edge over companies that are using more conventional, mass market silicon. This may also mean that Intel-based products would use B&O audio technologies.

We're always a fan of high-end partnerships. And this one's no different. We confess that we wish we knew a bit more about what these two had planned, but for now we'll just wait patiently to find out how this collaboration will benefit the consumer space.

Bang & Olufsen enters strategic cooperation with Intel

Bang & Olufsen is working in cooperation with Intel to gain access to the latest technologies, and to provide Intel with first hand information in the consumer electronics industry from a leader in the high-end segment.

Bang & Olufsen, a worldwide provider of exclusive, high quality audio and video products is working closely with Intel, the world leader in silicon innovation.

“During this convergence of PC, TV and audio technologies, this strategic cooperation with Intel is hugely important to Bang & Olufsen. We are looking forward to working with Intel on creating unique product solutions for the future”, says Kalle Hvidt Nielsen, President & CEO, Bang & Olufsen.

“This strategic cooperation with Intel provides Bang & Olufsen with access to the latest silicon process technologies. This will enable Bang & Olufsen to stay at the technological forefront in the future and increase the efficiency of Bang & Olufsen’s product development”, Kalle Hvidt Nielsen continues.

“Bang & Olufsen represents a unique opportunity and brings a deep understanding of the high-end consumer DTV market to this exciting cooperation”, says Wilfred Martis, General Manager, Retail CE, Digital Home Group, Intel Corporation. “Intel looks forward to this collaboration to develop smart TV enabling products that take advantage of Bang & Olufsen’s design and engineering expertise.”

Bang & Olufsen will be launching this cooperation at the 2011 International CES in Las Vegas, January 6-9.