Phonak strengthens wireless division
The Phonak hearing systems group, based near Zurich, has bought the wireless activities of the United States company, Telex Communications.
Phonak said in a statement on Thursday from its Stäfa headquarters that it had purchased the CROS brand from Telex Communications to strengthen its wireless division.
No financial details of the transaction were given.
Phonak said the acquisition, effective from January 1, would add some $3.5 million (SFr5.8 million) to the group’s consolidated sales and make an above average contribution to the operating profit.
The CROS line of hearing instruments is designed to benefit people with little or no hearing in one ear and some degree of hearing in the other.
Good ear, bad ear
The system consists of two hearing aids that communicate with each other. The poorer ear is equipped with a microphone and a transmitter. The sound from the “poor ear” is transmitted via a radio signal to the better ear.
Phonak comments that this helps people who have only one good ear to hear conversation and alerting sounds on their “bad side”.
The president of Phonak in North America, Mike Jones, said the CROs system was a complement to the already successful Phonak line of hearing systems and communication devices.
“Phonak is known throughout the industry as a leader in wireless communication…Phonak’s FM systems are rapidly becoming the industry standard,” he commented.
Phonak said the purchase of the Telex wireless CROS system includes all intellectual property.
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