Toumaz teams with Harman for new Google Cast speaker

Digital radio and smart audio technology company Toumaz announced on Friday that its consumer audio business, Frontier Silicon, has been chosen by Harman International Industries, to power its new Google Cast-enabled wireless home speaker, the JBL Playlist.

The AIM-traded firm described Harman as “the world's leading provider of wireless home audio devices”.

It said this is the first design win for the group's Minuet speaker toolkit, a design platform enabling audio manufacturers to develop wireless speakers incorporating Google Cast quickly and cost-effectively.

Google Cast is an audio technology which enables wireless speakers to stream over 150 online music services, such as Spotify and Pandora, via Wi-Fi.

Toumaz said Frontier Silicon is one of a very small number of solution providers chosen by Google to develop the technology.

“Just over a year ago we announced we were working with Google on its Cast technology,” said Frontier Silicon CEO Anthony Sethill.

“Google Cast promises to be a game changer for the smart audio sector and we are delighted that our first product announcement is with the world's largest speaker company, Harman.

“This is the first of several design wins to be announced in the coming months and an indication of the exciting potential of our high growth Smart Audio division,” he explained.

Robb Mason, senior director of connected home at Harman, said the incorporation of Google Cast into the JBL Playlist will bring listeners “unrivalled” Wi-Fi access to a host of online music services.

“We chose Frontier Silicon for this project because of its high level of customer support and ability to deliver robust technology solutions,” he said.

“The Frontier Silicon relationship has enabled us to produce a high quality, attractively priced speaker in time for this year's holiday season.”