Premstaetten/Austria and Grand Rapids, Michigan/USA (20 February, 2018) — ams (SIX: AMS), a leading worldwide supplier of high performance sensor solutions, X-Rite Incorporated, a global leader in color science and technology, and X-Rite’s subsidiary Pantone LLC today announced a collaboration to develop an end-to-end mobile solution that embeds color management technology directly into a smartphone for accurate color matching. The joint solution would consist of an ams spectral sensor and optical components packaged into a miniaturised module. The combined offering would enable phone manufacturers and retailers to reshape how consumers search, match and purchase goods such as apparel, home décor or cosmetics using mobile devices.

X-Rite research shows that consumers lack confidence in purchasing color-critical items online. This uncertainty is typically due to past experiences which did not meet expectations and a difficulty in communicating color from home to store. Consumers wrongly expect to be able to simply take a photo of the inspiration color with their smartphones and match it to a desired item. However, the wide variety of tones and colors available in home décor, apparel and cosmetics is difficult to accurately reproduce on mobile device displays. Cameras are not precise enough to accurately compare the color between an online product offering and how it will appear in the consumer’s intended physical environment. This makes online color-critical purchase decisions unreliable and limits consumer confidence.

The joint ams and X-Rite solution is the world’s first spectral color measurement solution utilising Pantone Color Standards to be embedded in a mobile device. The miniaturised module is intended for integration in the back side of a smartphone. The module contains an advanced 11-channel spectral sensor and optical components that enable users to measure color of objects in a non-contact manner. The solution will connect to Pantone’s world-leading color reference systems using cloud technology. Consumers, brands and retailers will now be able to identify and share product colors, making it easier to search product catalogs and select color-critical items with confidence.

“Collaborating with ams was an ideal choice for X-Rite to bring to market a full end-to-end mobile color solution,” said Richard Roth, Vice President, Product Management, X-Rite. “The mobile sensing solution will complement our existing Color-Eye® offering, making it easier for cosmetics, home & fashion, and retail paint companies to integrate color matching technology into their existing mobile shopping or augmented reality applications. This allows consumers to search, match and purchase goods with a higher degree of color confidence.”

“We are excited to bring to market the world’s first mobile color sensing solution that helps address a critical market need,” said Jean-François Durix, Marketing Director Color and Spectral Sensing, ams. “Pantone is trusted by designers, product manufacturers, and brands around the globe, as well as widely recognized by consumers. We believe that this solution will enable e-commerce transaction growth while reducing returns due to color mismatch.”

ams and X-Rite will be available for meetings at the Mobile World Congress, February 26 – March 1 in Barcelona. Please contact otilia.ayats-mas@ams.com to arrange an appointment.

About ams

ams is a global leader in the design and manufacture of advanced sensor solutions. Our mission is to shape the world with sensor solutions by providing a seamless interface between humans and technology.

ams’ high-performance sensor solutions drive applications requiring small form factor, low power, highest sensitivity and multi-sensor integration. Products include sensor solutions, sensor ICs, interfaces and related software for consumer, communications, industrial, medical, and automotive markets.

With headquarters in Austria, ams employs more than 11,000 people globally and serves more than 8,000 customers worldwide. ams is listed on the SIX Swiss stock exchange (ticker symbol: AMS). More information about ams can be found at www.ams.com

About X-Rite

Founded in 1958, X-Rite Incorporated is a global leader in the science and technology of color and appearance.  With its wholly owned subsidiary Pantone, X-Rite employs more than 800 people in 11 countries. The company’s corporate headquarters are located in Grand Rapids, Mich., with regional headquarters in Europe and Asia and service centers across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the Americas. X-Rite Pantone offers a full range of solutions used by manufacturers, retailers, printers, photographers and graphic design houses to achieve precise management and communication of color and appearance throughout their processes. X-Rite Pantone products and services are recognized standards in the printing, packaging, photography, graphic design, video, automotive, paints, plastics, textiles and medical industries. For further information, please visit www.xrite.com. 

About Pantone

Pantone, a wholly owned subsidiary of X-Rite, Incorporated, enables color-critical decisions, from inspiration to realization, for brands and manufacturers. Over 10 million designers and producers around the world employ Pantone Products and Services to communicate color and control consistency across various materials and finishes. Pantone offers designers, brands and consumers, products and services through three unique business divisions: Pantone Standards, which includes digital and physical workflow tools and the quintessential Pantone Color Language; the Pantone Color Institute™, which provides trend, brand identity, and color assurance consulting services; and Pantone Lifestyle, the consumer products division that brings color and design together across apparel, home, and accessories. More information is available at www.pantone.com.

Join ams, X-Rite and Pantone on social media channels:

Follow ams on twitter  https://twitter.com/amsAnalog  or

Share with ams https://www.linkedin.com/company/ams-ag

Follow X-Rite on https://twitter.com/XRiteColor or https://www.facebook.com/XRiteColor
Share with X-Rite https://www.linkedin.com/company/x-rite/

Follow Pantone on https://twitter.com/Pantone or https://www.facebook.com/PantoneColor or https://www.pinterest.com/pantonecolor/ or www.instagram.com/Pantone/