RadioScape has opened new offices in Hong Kong as part of a multi-million dollar expansion into the Asia Pacific region.
In less than a year, RadioScape has outgrown its initial premises, which opened with six staff. The new Asia Pacific Operations Centre will have 20 staff by the end of this quarter with all core functions being represented in Hong Kong.
The Operations Centre not only provides local sales and engineering support for radio manufacturers who are primarily based in southern China, particularly around Shenzhen, but is also the hub of RadioScape's module manufacturing and logistics team. In addition, RadioScape has a dedicated Customisation Group in the Centre, which is also being expanded to create additional engineering facilities for custom software and hardware development to provide customers with innovative and differentiated products.
At the launch event, hosted by RadioScape's CEO, John Hall, demonstrations were provided of the company's innovative products, all of which are based on RadioScape's unique "Software Defined Digital Radio" approach. These included RadioScape's Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) Professional Broadcasting Suite that is used at the heart of the world's largest DAB broadcasting operation located in the UK and has over 40% global market share.
On the receiver side, RadioScape's extensive range of highly successful DAB receiver modules was shown. These are used by many leading radio manufacturers to provide a rapid, reliable, and inexpensive route to market. The latest addition, the RadioScape RS500, can also receive Digital Radio Mondiale (DRMTM) broadcasts – a technology that is exciting radio broadcasters around the world as it opens up new business possibilities.
Representing the DRM Consortium at the launch, John Sykes, Project Director for Digital Radio at the BBC, explained the exciting role that DRM will take in bringing high quality digital radio reception to countries across the Asia Pacific region. He urged the region's receiver manufacturers, who supply nearly all of the digital radios sold in the world today, to ensure that DRM figured in their plans for 2006.
DRM is the world's only, non-proprietary global standard for the digitising of short-wave, medium-wave and long-wave broadcasting. Additionally, the DRM consortium recently voted to begin the process of extending the DRM system into the broadcasting bands up to 120 MHz.
Able to cover great distances and provide near "FM quality" audio using lower transmission powers and compatible channel allocations, DRM is currently being adopted in markets worldwide to provide new and higher quality broadcasts for local, national and international audiences. Over 20 Broadcasters are already broadcasting using DRM across the globe and include the BBC (World Service), Deutsche Welle, RTL Group, Radio Netherlands, and TDF.