Diving into a controversial arena, Lucent Technologies said Wednesday it will work with Lydstrom Inc. to develop a recording and storage device for downloadable music.
Lucent will license its Enhanced Perceptual
Audio Coder (ePAC) to Lydstrom Inc. who will manufacture and sell the product. Users can retrieve, store, catalog, and play multiple streams of audio from the Internet, the firms said. The device is scheduled to ship in December.
“The home entertainment industry realizes the benefits of Internet-driven content and Lydstrom is capitalizing on the growing need for consumer-friendly devices that can address the need for Internet/PC/home stereo convergence,” said Rachel Walkden, director of audio initiatives for Lucent’s New Ventures Group. “The quality benefits of ePAC over competitive solutions become even more apparent when the music is played through a home stereo.”
Lucent said the player will include features to protect from copyright infringement,
a sticky issue in the Internet audio sector. Lucent is a founding member of the Secure Digital Music Initiative, an effort by the
recording and IT industries to fight music piracy.
Last week, Lucent paid approximately $900 million in stock for networking firm Nexabit and finalized its acquisition of Ascend Communications.