Sigma & Trident deal completed

The acquisition includes Trident's complete digital TV product portfolio, including its digital TV SoC (system-on-chip), frame-rate-conversion (FRC), and extensive SmartTV software suite, as well as some legacy analog TV products. The acquisition includes these products, intellectual property licenses, software and leased facilities. "This transaction adds tremendous potential to Sigma's business, enabling us to leverage our core investments of media streaming, connectivity and software platforms towards penetration of all types of intelligent media devices, including SmartTVs," said Thinh Tran, chairman and CEO of Sigma Designs. "The acquisition expands our total addressable market, provides us with complementary intellectual property and establishes an immediate position in the SmartTV market. We believe this SmartTV business, together with our existing set-top box and connected media player businesses, positions Sigma as a full-breadth SoC platform provider for world-class consumer electronics manufacturers." Moving forward, Sigma has established a Digital TV business unit based around the Trident acquisition and has appointed Mustafa Ozgen as its Vice President and General Manager in charge. Mr. Ozgen will be responsible for directing the definition and development of all SmartTV SoC solutions, including management of the worldwide resources assigned to this business unit as well as driving synergies with the existing media processor group. Mr. Ozgen has spent the last 15 years in the digital television semiconductor industry in engineering management and executive positions. Most recently, Mr. Ozgen served as the Vice President of Home Entertainment Products at CSR Technology, a UK-based provider of consumer electronics solutions that acquired Zoran. For the previous eight years, Mr. Ozgen worked at Zoran, where he was most recently their Vice President and General Manager of the TV Business Unit, a part of their $450 million business where he managed 360 employees in the US, France, China, Taiwan, Serbia, Russia and India. Prior to this, Mr. Ozgen worked in engineering and management positions at Oak Technology, TeraLogic and Wind River Systems. "I am excited to work with the team at Sigma Designs to develop a DTV division, mapping to the long-term strategy of the organization to become the industry's leading provider of advanced SoC solutions for converged media platforms," said Mustafa Ozgen, Vice President and General Manager DTV Business Unit, Sigma Designs. "With Sigma's long history in media processors, set-top boxes, connectivity and home control, DTV is a logical step for the organization." In connection with the Trident transaction, approximately 320 global employees will become part of Sigma Designs. The transaction, originally announced on March 19, 2012, closed effective as of May 4, 2012.