ICEpower
Encyclopedia
Bang & Olufsen ICEpower a/s (aka ICEpower) is a Danish research and development company specialising in audio applications of Class D amplifiers
. ICEpower develops business-to-business
solutions for end producers.
as part of a project in collaboration with Bang & Olufsen
; his findings were applied in the Beolab 1 active loudspeakers in 1997, and he was awarded a Ph.D. in 1998. Bang & Olufsen subsequently hired Nielsen.
In 1999 a new R&D company; a joint venture between Nielsen and Bang & Olufsen is formed, with the aim of designing integrated amplifiers components of powers up to 1000W as a discrete electronic device. The company was initially called Bang & Olufsen PowerHouse.
In 2001 the company is renamed Bang & Olufsen ICEpower and the company's first commercial product is released - the A series. In 2002 the company enters collaboration with Sanyo Semiconductor; a major manufacturer of integrated amplifier chips. In 2003 the ICEpower ASP product range is launched, and the company begins a partnership with Samsung Telecommunications
for the development of a dedicated amplifier for mobile phones..
Between 2003 and 2008 the companies' product range extends to include audio amplifier components for mobile phones, home audio (active speakers and amplifiers), car audio and home theatre (multichannel audio).
In 2008 Bang & Olufsen bought out Nielsen's share in the company, making it a wholly owned subsidiary of Bang & Olufsen. At the same time Nielsen left the company.
.
and over 100 million channels of amplification shipped. Current customers seem to include Alpine
, Aston Martin
, Audi
, Bowers & Wilkins
, Eclipse by Fujitsu Ten
, Jeff Rowland
, MartinLogan, Pioneer
, PS Audio, Rotel
, Seymour AV, Vazari Audio, Samsung
as well as Bang & Olufsen
.
The company produces a standard product range, as well as undertaking custom design work and licensing its intellectual property to mass market manufacturers.
Switching amplifier
A class-D amplifier or switching amplifier is an electronic amplifier where all power devices are operated as binary switches. They are either fully on or fully off. Ideally, zero time is spent transitioning between those two states....
. ICEpower develops business-to-business
Business-to-business
Business-to-business describes commerce transactions between businesses, such as between a manufacturer and a wholesaler, or between a wholesaler and a retailer...
solutions for end producers.
History
In 1994 Karsten Nielsen began to write a Ph.D. dissertation "Audio Power Amplifiers Techniques Based on Efficient Power Conversion" at the Technical University of DenmarkTechnical University of Denmark
The Technical University of Denmark , often simply referred to as DTU, is a university just north of Copenhagen, Denmark. It was founded in 1829 at the initiative of Hans Christian Ørsted as Denmark's first polytechnic, and is today ranked among Europe's leading engineering institutions, and the...
as part of a project in collaboration with Bang & Olufsen
Bang & Olufsen
Bang & Olufsen is a Danish company that designs and manufactures audio products, television sets and telephones. It was founded in 1925 by Peter Bang and Svend Olufsen, whose first significant product was a radio that worked with alternating current, when most radios were run from batteries...
; his findings were applied in the Beolab 1 active loudspeakers in 1997, and he was awarded a Ph.D. in 1998. Bang & Olufsen subsequently hired Nielsen.
In 1999 a new R&D company; a joint venture between Nielsen and Bang & Olufsen is formed, with the aim of designing integrated amplifiers components of powers up to 1000W as a discrete electronic device. The company was initially called Bang & Olufsen PowerHouse.
In 2001 the company is renamed Bang & Olufsen ICEpower and the company's first commercial product is released - the A series. In 2002 the company enters collaboration with Sanyo Semiconductor; a major manufacturer of integrated amplifier chips. In 2003 the ICEpower ASP product range is launched, and the company begins a partnership with Samsung Telecommunications
Samsung Telecommunications
Samsung Telecommunications is one of five business units within Samsung Electronics, belonging to the Samsung Group, and consists of the Mobile Communications Division, Telecommunication Systems Division, Computer Division, MP3 Business Team, Mobile Solution Centre and Telecommunication R&D Centre...
for the development of a dedicated amplifier for mobile phones..
Between 2003 and 2008 the companies' product range extends to include audio amplifier components for mobile phones, home audio (active speakers and amplifiers), car audio and home theatre (multichannel audio).
In 2008 Bang & Olufsen bought out Nielsen's share in the company, making it a wholly owned subsidiary of Bang & Olufsen. At the same time Nielsen left the company.
Current operations
As of 2011 ICEpower is a 29+ employee firm, involved in applications of class-D amplifiers. The company’s engineering development is carried out in its Danish headquarters in Kongens LyngbyKongens Lyngby
Kongens Lyngby is the main city in the affluent Danish municipality of Lyngby-Taarbæk. Just north of Copenhagen, the city lies in the northern part of Denmark's largest island, Zealand...
.
Customers and products
Initially the companies products were only found in niche markets i.e. high end audio components. During the first decade of the 2000s the company entered the mass market of consumer electronics - with ~40% of Samsung mobile phones using its IPIntellectual property
Intellectual property is a term referring to a number of distinct types of creations of the mind for which a set of exclusive rights are recognized—and the corresponding fields of law...
and over 100 million channels of amplification shipped. Current customers seem to include Alpine
Alpine Electronics
is traditionally known as an aftermarket car audio and navigation systems manufacturer, famed for their high quality, premium in-car audio units commonly known as headunits. It is a subsidiary of Alps Electric Co. and its registered head office is in Tokyo, Japan. However its main offices, or the...
, Aston Martin
Aston Martin
Aston Martin Lagonda Limited is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars, based in Gaydon, Warwickshire. The company name is derived from the name of one of the company's founders, Lionel Martin, and from the Aston Hill speed hillclimb near Aston Clinton in Buckinghamshire...
, Audi
Audi
Audi AG is a German automobile manufacturer, from supermini to crossover SUVs in various body styles and price ranges that are marketed under the Audi brand , positioned as the premium brand within the Volkswagen Group....
, Bowers & Wilkins
Bowers & Wilkins
Bowers & Wilkins is a British loudspeaker company that produces mid-range through reference quality hi-fi and home theater speakers. The company name is often abbreviated to just B&W.Joe Atkins is current owner and chairman...
, Eclipse by Fujitsu Ten
Fujitsu Ten
is a Japanese company developing and manufacturing car audio, video, navigation and control systems. The headquarters is located in Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan...
, Jeff Rowland
Jeff Rowland
Jeff Rowland may refer to:*Jeffrey Rowland, creator of the webcomic WIGU*Jeff Rowland , American soccer player...
, MartinLogan, Pioneer
Pioneer Corporation
is a multinational corporation that specializes in digital entertainment products, based in Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan. The company was founded in 1938 in Tokyo as a radio and speaker repair shop...
, PS Audio, Rotel
Rotel
Rotel is a Japanese manufacturer of high end audio and video equipment: home theater, amplifiers, compact disc players, etc. The company was established in 1966. The company was formed by the "elder" Tachikowa and currently run by the son, Bob Tachikowa...
, Seymour AV, Vazari Audio, Samsung
Samsung
The Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea...
as well as Bang & Olufsen
Bang & Olufsen
Bang & Olufsen is a Danish company that designs and manufactures audio products, television sets and telephones. It was founded in 1925 by Peter Bang and Svend Olufsen, whose first significant product was a radio that worked with alternating current, when most radios were run from batteries...
.
The company produces a standard product range, as well as undertaking custom design work and licensing its intellectual property to mass market manufacturers.