Wolfson Microelectronics
| Wolfson logo | |
| Company type | Public (LSE: WLF) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Semiconductor, Digital signal processing |
| Founded | Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom (1984) |
| Headquarters | Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom,  |
Key people | David Milne Founder Dave Shrigley CEO |
Number of employees | 5,130 (October 2006) |
| Website | www.wolfsonmicro.com |
Wolfson Microelectronics (LSE: WLF) is a Scottish microelectronics and fabless semiconductor corporation specialising in signal processing chips for the consumer electronics market. Headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland, with engineering and sales offices scattered throughout the U.S., Asia-Pacific and Europe, Wolfson is a significant player in the Scottish economy.
History
Started in 1984 by University of Edinburgh then-student David Milne, Wolfson grew under his stewardship to float on the London Stock Exchange in 2003 and be listed in the FTSE 250 until February, 2007, when he chose to step down; he was replaced in his CEO role by Dave Shrigley, previously Vice-President at Intel Corporation. His departure was one of a number of executive changes in late 2006, as Financial Director George Elliott also stood down. At this time, Wolfson had just announced a lowering of its market cap by £200m, although Milne's sign-off was said to be part of a pre-planned departure and was not provoked by the downturn.[1]
In 2006, Milne was declared Entrepreneur of the Year by the CBI, and Wolfson named Company of the Year.[2] After suffering as the media player market began to slow, Wolfson has reported (as of 2007) improved results in the first quarter.[3]
James Clerk Maxwell Award
In a joint mission with the IEEE and Royal Society of Edinburgh, Wolfson provided funding for an award, taking its name from the 19th century Scottish mathematician-physicist, of $20,000 (in addition to a medal and certificate) to be shared by up to three individuals chosen by committee.[4]
Customers
Wolfson products have found applications within the digital audio player market, providing the codec functionality for much of Apple Inc.'s iPod series (with the exception of the iPod shuffle[5] and iPod classic[6]) and Sony's PSP.[7] Wolfson chips have also found place in the Microsoft Xbox game console and the PalmOne Treo smartphone, with the Apple connection set to continue as Wolfson chips are integrated into their recent iPhone[8] and iPod touch.[6]
References
- ^ "Wolfson founder to quit after American named as his successor". The Scotsman. November 24, 2006. Retrieved 2007-06-26.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Chip hooray as Wolfson scoops double honour". The Scotsman. December 1, 2006. Retrieved 2007-06-26.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Wolfson chief signs off on a high note". The Scotsman. January 31, 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-26.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "IEEE/Royal Society of Edinburgh And Wolfson Microelectronics Create New Award". IEEE (The Institute). January 11, 2007. Retrieved 2007-07-13.
- ^ "Wolfson Microelectronics again supplies the audio codec with headphone amp". Electronic Engineering Times. January 5, 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-26.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ a b "Wolfson sales on track as it plays down iPod blow". The Scotsman. September 12, 2007. Retrieved 2007-09-17.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Wolfson produces mixed-signal semiconductors for the digital consumer electronics market, including chips for the iPod and Sony's PSP". ZDNet. October 26, 2005. Retrieved 2007-06-26.
- ^ "Wolfson set to ring up profits from iPhone sales". The Scotsman. January 12, 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-26.
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