GN Announces Development of New Communication Device for Soldiers in Combat
COPENHAGEN, DENMARK — Hearing aid maker, GN Store Nord, announced today that it has developed a new hearing protection device that allows soldiers to communicate on the battlefield, while also protecting their hearing. GN says that it will begin participating in military tenders in the US and with other NATO-countries this year, but says the…
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William Demant Group Opens New R&D Facility in Poland
WARSAW, POLAND — Danish hearing aid maker, William Demant Group, announced the opening of its new Demant Technology Centre in Poland. The new facility will house the company’s software Research and Development (R&D) division. The location in the new Q22 office building in Warsaw will also house other Demant companies, such as Oticon’s Polish subsidiary, Oticon Polska. The announcement of the new R&D…
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HIMSA to Release New “Industry Standard” Wireless Hearing Aid Programmer: Noahlink Wireless
COPENHAGEN, DENMARK — The Hearing Instrument Manufacturers’ Software Association (HIMSA), maker of the popular hearing aid programming interface Noah, has announced the upcoming launch of what they are dubbing as the “new wireless programming standard” for programming Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) enabled hearing aids. The new NoahlinkTM Wireless programming device was created with guidance and cooperation…
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An Update on Recent Hearing Device Activity
The U.S. private hearing aid market experienced a marked increase in June, as total hearing aid unit sales grew 13% compared to June, 2015. During that same period of time, the Veteran’s Administration system, which comprises about 20% of the total U.S. market saw their year-over-year unit sales decline 3%. This according to data published…
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After Major Acquisitions by Sonova, GN, William Demant Eyes “Defensive” Retail Acquisition Opportunities
COPENHAGEN, DENMARK — After seeing two of its biggest competitors make major acquisitions in recent months, hearing aid maker William Demant is seeking ways to minimize the impact on its global sales. According to a June 8 Reuters article by Ole Mikkelsen, the company (which owns major hearing aid brands Oticon, Bernafon and Sonic Innovations) says it “will not…
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Audiology World News: GN Group Rebrands, introduces GN Hearing and GN Audio
By Victoria Adshead With immediate effect GN has changed its legal company names in order to ‘support a renewed brand platform’. GN ReSound A/S has changed to GN Hearing A/S. Its flagship brand remains as ReSound and it will continue operating other specialty brands such as Beltone, Interton and Otometrics under the GN Hearing umbrella.…
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European Retail Chain Hoping to Fetch €500 Million
ROTTERDAM — AudioNova, one of the largest hearing aid retailers in Europe, is on the auction block, according to recent reports. AudioNova, owned by the investment company HAL Trust, has more than 1300 hearing aid retail stores across 12 countries in Europe, including Germany and France. Amplifon, William Demant, Sonova and Sivantos are reported to be…
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GN Appoints New CFO; Announces New President of Beltone North America
COPENHAGEN, DENMARK — GN Store Nord announced last week that it has chosen hearing industry veteran Marcus Desimoni as the new chief financial officer (CFO) of GN Store Nord and GN ReSound, effective February 15, 2016. Desimoni will replace Anders Boyer, who resigned as CFO in December. According to the company, Desimoni has more than 15 years of financial leadership experience…
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Samsung Hearing Aid Rumors Heat Up: Reports Claim Company Nearing Official Launch
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — After months of silence following reports in April 2015 that consumer electronics titan Samsung was planning to launch its own hearing aid, to coincide with the release of its next flagship Galaxy S7 smartphone, a number of reports surfaced last week that suggest Samsung may be readying its official launch into the hearing…
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Sonova Says Next Generation of Instruments to Use Standard 2.4GHz Connectivity
STAEFA, SWITZERLAND — Major hearing instrument manufacturer Sonova, during its 2015 Investor and Analyst Day at its international headquarters in Switzerland, has confirmed that it will incorporate 2.4GHz wireless connectivity, with a new chip, in its next generation of hearing instruments. The new chip will use the standard protocol, rather than the current 2.4GHz system used in…
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