In April we transitioned to our core “Image by PicoP®” business model that entails working with key strategic partners to bring our patented PicoP® display technology to market through licensing agreements. MicroVision can focus resources on our core competencies: PicoP display technology reference design, system controls algorithms, MEMS and new applications. With benefits for all parties involved in bringing new products to market, this model is preferred not only by MicroVision but also by companies we are in discussions with.
Partnering for success
Under this model, we just announced a strategic relationship with Intersil, a leader in the semiconductor industry. This agreement is part of cementing our ingredient brand business model by offering a solution that not only has industry leading features today but also has a strong roadmap that advances the technology for years to come. PicoP® Gen2 display technology boasts the only HD image for pico projectors available today and it can be delivered in a package that is about 1 inch wide and less than a quarter of an inch thick. It is low powered at less than 2.5 watts while displaying up to a 25 lumen image. This combination of specs make PicoP Gen2 optimized for mobility. Like any high tech solution, what is optimal today can and should get better as it matures. That is where the Intersil relationship strengthens the MicroVision PicoP display technology roadmap to give original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) evaluating PicoP display technology today assurances that the technology can improve to facilitate their roadmaps for their end user products. A perfect illustration of the importance of roadmap is evident right now as the mobile industry experiences the introduction of the iPhone 5, the sixth in a series of iPhones that Apple has launched in the last five years, with each new introduction improving on what it marketed in the previous version.
Through cooperation with Intersil, PicoP display technology is expected to offer much higher brightness while simultaneously lowering power usage without increasing the size of the module. This combination extends the mobility value proposition of PicoP display technology because remaining a battery powered solution with higher brightness is a key necessity for mobile products. So while PicoP display technology is optimized for mobility today in relation to market expectations for pico projection, the solution that can be offered with the Intersil chipset stands to redefine that optimization with enhanced capabilities as the market for pico projection grows and consumer expectation grows in parallel.
When we looked at Intersil and their core values as a company, it was clear that their focus on innovation, doing things in a smarter way that breaks with the norm and their belief that having talented people is the driver for real innovation made them an ideal partner for MicroVision. We couldn’t be happier to have Intersil contributing to advancing the PicoP display technology value proposition as we strive to enable people to not only think outside the box, but to see outside the box as well.
I have written many posts for the Displayground over the years but this post in particular is bittersweet. Bitter because after 12 amazing years at MicroVision, I have decided to move on to a new opportunity and today’s post is my final one on the Displayground. Sweet because I am proud of what we have achieved with this blog since launching the Displayground in 2008 and I am happy to leave it as a legacy after I am gone.
June 30th marks three and a half years of the Displayground, and I hold this blog close to my heart. It started with an idea — we wanted a way to communicate about our business in a dynamic and current way, differently than what is possible with press releases and SEC filings. Back then we had a team of bloggers contributing ideas from many areas of our business including marketing, sales, customer service, and investor relations. Looking back, it is hard to believe that it was one of the first corporate blogs that included an IR component.
As our business has evolved and changed, so has the team. The team is smaller, and therefore we may not post as often as we or our readers would like, but we will continue to use the Displayground to provide updates about our industry and our business as often as we can.
In addition to sharing information via the blog, I have also been fortunate enough to talk regularly with many of our shareholders. I know that the road has not been smooth as a MicroVision shareholder – it has required some patience to be an investor in this company. People I speak with often want more information than we can provide. It has sometimes been frustrating for shareholders and equally frustrating for me because what we are allowed to discuss is outside of our control – as a public company the guidelines are very clear and strict on communicating business status. So within these limits, I will offer my parting opinion. I believe in the PicoP technology and the market opportunity, I believe in the people and the team, and I believe that MicroVision has a path to success with a plan in place for commercialization. So I will continue to listen to my gut instead of the noise from others who don’t share my belief.
I am grateful for the experiences I have been a part of and the opportunities that I have had here at MicroVision. I have had 5 different jobs and worn many hats during my 12 years here. I have had the opportunity to work with some of the smartest, most talented, dedicated and nicest people I have ever met. MicroVision is a family and I will truly miss my friends and colleagues. I am full of pride to have been able to contribute to “Image by PicoP®.”
So while I won’t be living MicroVision on a daily basis and I won’t be blogging on the Displayground, this company and the people inside and outside the company I have met will continue to be in my thoughts and I will continue to believe in MicroVision. Thanks for being part of my 12 year journey and I wish each of you good things in your future.
I marvel at how creative people and technical people, two groups you don’t typically associate with having a lot in common, share the ability to think outside of the box to foster innovation in their respective disciplines. MicroVision is encouraging people to go a step further and see outside the box as well with PicoP® display technology. Breaking down the constraints of the small display in a handheld mobile device or the dashboard of a car with PicoP display technology can free the imagination and open up a world of possibilities. At MicroVision we are heavy on the technical people who have pioneered the concept of seeing outside the box. As someone more on the creative side of the divide, I was thrilled when I saw how London-based filmmakers The Theory, directing team Tom Jenkins and Simon Sharp, are showing us how artists are thinking and seeing outside of the box with PicoP display
technology. These guys have produced a short film using SHOWWX+ projectors provided by MicroVision that illustrates the amazing results of applying PicoP technology with its always in focus picture to reimagine filmmaking. Speed of Light / aka/ The World’s Tiniest Police Chase is the world’s smallest police chase made with the world’s smallest video projectors. 100% projected and filmed for real with NO CGI trickery, Speed of Light features an escaped convict, a determined cop and a fully armed police helicopter! Tom and Simon not only directed and produced the film, they starred in it as well. Tom is the escaped convict and Simon is the cop. I wonder if they flipped a coin to see who would play which role? However they figured out the roles and all of the clever details they put into Speed of Light, the smallest police chase on film, the result is 2+ minutes of pure fun. I hope you enjoy the ride as much as I did!
