Sensotec takes over Online Daisy from Pyxima NV

31/03/2017

Listen to books, newspapers and magazines online

Sensotec takes over the entire Online Daisy platform (www.online-daisy.com/) from Pyxima NV. Pyxima is also a Belgian company that wishes to focus on technical solutions within elderly-care from now on.

Online reading-listening is a globally increasing market, especially for blind people, visually impaired, non-native speakers and dyslexic people. Whoever wants to listen and read at the same time, inevitably winds up with European market leader Online Daisy. The software platform takes books, newspapers or magazines directly to your computer, tablet, smartphone or your specially developed DAISY player (Digital Accessible Information System player).

Right now, Online Daisy is not only in Belgium (through www.anderslezen.be), but also in Sweden, Finland and Norway the national market leader. Online Daisy has got about 150 000 active users, who use the Online Daisy Apps daily to read their books, newspapers and magazines. Apart from linear reading, users can browse, navigate through texts and stream and download content. After a while this way of interacting with texts actually becomes superior to the traditional way of reading.

Reading-listening wherever you want

The advantages for the reader are clear. No more narrated books on CD have to be bought or asked for. There will be no more searching between piles of CD’s. Books are often available before being displayed in bookshops. Text upgrades will automatically be provided. Navigating through texts is way faster than through CD’s and you can listen wherever you want.

For the content distributor too are the advantages clear. They are done with producing and distributing CD’s, online publishing is not dependent on all existing systems, catalogues and users are always synchronized, the subscription policy stays in the hands of the distributor and all content can effortlessly be integrated into the online catalogue.

Focus on Apps

Falk Beerten, C.E.O. Sensotec: “With this international acquisition, Sensotec takes a big leap forward that relates to their strategic focus on Applications. After marketing the best and globally most sold OCR-app for three consecutive years and after becoming the owner of the iOS Daisy Apps, the acquisition now made of us the biggest European provider of listening Applications for our audience. It reinforces our international visibility and reputation, we believe that we can make this platform grow even more. Thanks to the acquisition we made room for even more employment. There are almost 40 employees working with Sensotec already. Sensotec continues to be market leader in Belgium concerning solutions for visually impaired people and people with dyslexia.

Bert Paepen, co-founder of Pyxima (www.pyxima.com): “With this transfer we put an end to a long career in assistive technology, that started at KU Leuven in the 1980’s. We managed to bring about a lot of innovation concerning the Online Daisy platform. Compared to 20 years ago, when every blind man had to read in Braille, it’s now a piece of cake to read your newspaper on your own smartphone! We can now focus on improving the quality of elderly care.  There too, are there a lot of stuff left to innovate.”

New dyslexia supporting software

Early this year, Sensotec published their very own Lezergame. An additional reading method for young children who experience trouble reading. Lezergame is an educational concept thought of by reputable speech therapist Martine Ceyssens and was realised by Sensotec in partnership with Pelckmans/Abimo publication.

Finally, Sensotec launched Alinea for Windows and iOS, a software package supporting dyslexia, in Belgium and the Netherlands. The application is a completely reworked version of the KNFB Reader, adapted to the needs of dyslexic people.