Atmel to Power Samsung Touchscreen (ATML)

Atmel Corporation (ATML) recently announced that leading telecommunication equipment maker Samsung has selected the former’s maXTouch mXT1664S controller to power its recently launched Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet touchscreen.

The tablet provides a wide touchscreen display driven by Atmel’s mXT1664S controller for a superior touch experience. Atmel’s maxTouch technology will enable users to experience swift response, superior accuracy which covers unintended touches, lower device power consumption, bright displays and better operations with noisy chargers.

California based Atmel Corporation designs, develops, manufactures and sells integrated circuit (IC) products. These products include microcontrollers, advanced logic, mixed-signal, non-volatile memory and radio frequency (RF) components.

With the acquisition of Quantum in 2008, the company launched numerous new products into the fast-growing capacitive touch sensing market. Touch-sensing technology is the fastest growing area in Atmel's microcontroller business and is expected to remain a major growth driver in the coming quarters.

The phenomenal growth is driven by continued rapid growth of smartphones, the rise of Android tablets and the penetration into new high-volume applications. Atmel continues to see the touch-sensing market expand rapidly beyond smartphones into new applications, such as tablets, netbooks, cameras, printers, automotive, and other areas.

Atmel expects to continue its strong relationship with Samsung and power the forthcoming releases as well.

Earlier, international payment solution provider, Ingenico chose Atmel Corporation’s maXTouch solution to power the wireless payment portals of its iWL200 Series model. The company’s maXTouch solutions continue to drive a number of touch devices from smartphones to 7-inch tablets and are now encouraged to support Ingenico’s user-friendly payment platforms.

Atmel’s maXTouch solutions are noted for their robust features such as multi-touch with infinite touch capability, facility of providing superior assistance to the large-screen devices and optimized power consumption.

Currently, Atmel’s maXTouch mXT224 touch screen technology is supporting Ingenico’s globally accepted iWL280 portable payment terminal. This mXT224 controller offers a superior touchscreen experience to the customers through its 224-node and single-chip services.

Atmel invested heavily in its Microcontroller business even during the downturn and released a substantial number of new products in the past few quarters, which will benefit the business as the industry traverses through the path to recovery.

We continue to maintain a Neutral recommendation on Atmel Corporation. Our recommendation is supported by a Zacks #3 Rank which translates into a short-term rating of Hold.