A COMPANY at the leading edge of electronics systems development, Roke Manor Research's flagship product has paved the way for digital audio quality to reach a much wider audience.

The DAB GoldCard was developed in response to the BBC's launch of digital audio broadcasting (DAB) and has done extremely well since its introduction just 10 months ago.

Very few people owned the sophisticated and expensive equipment needed to listen to DAB's improved sound quality, but the credit card-sized DAB GoldCard receiver has removed these barriers. Managing director Paul Stein said: "We have an Innovations Panel which is specifically designed to capture and consider revolutionary ideas which could be by-passed in the natural evolution within radio frequency (RF) technology.

"The idea for developing the DAB GoldCard came out of revolution. We successfully took a development through to start of production, so the revolution was in the extra steps regarding choice of product, business planning, marketing, manufacture and selling."

Target markets were identified early in the process as being hi-fi manufacturers, car radio manufacturers and driver information systems developers. The latter were perceived to provide volume sales, with hi-fi manufacturers providing the launch customers for what was a very new concept. Roke Manor's first major customer has seen its initial predictions for year one quadruple.

David d'Arcy Hughes, senior partner at Bond Pearce, said the Romsey-based company had shown very strong R&D processes and outstanding market awareness.

"The company has a brilliant aura about it, and has moved on from being just a research engine for parent company Siemens.

"It has made all the right moves, including identifying target markets, making effective use of R&D and maintaining product development after the launch.

"I'm sure Roke Manor Research will continue its winning ways, with the DAB GoldCard setting the standard for others to follow."

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