ilumisys Rebrands as TOGGLED and Names Brent York to its Board of Directors

TROY, Mich., Dec. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Altair today formally announced the rebranding of its LED lighting subsidiary, ilumisys, to TOGGLED.  TOGGLED will be the commercial brand name carried by its energy-saving LED light tubes to replace standard fluorescent lights.  At the same time, TOGGLED appointed Brent York, CEO of Tangenesys Consulting to the subsidiary's Board of Directors.  A recognized lighting business executive with a deep understanding of the solid-state lighting industry, Mr. York will provide guidance to support TOGGLED's strategic intent to become a leading global LED lighting manufacturer. 

"As our LED lighting business moves out of research and development and low-volume assembly and into high-volume commercial production, we wanted to recognize this milestone by rebranding as we launch our new automated manufacturing operations," said Dave Simon, president of TOGGLED. "With linear fluorescent replacement representing the largest LED lighting retrofit opportunity, the TOGGLED brand will encourage the active decision to change to next-generation, energy efficient lighting.  We look forward to promoting our Michigan-made products under the TOGGLED brand nationwide and globally."

In preparation for large scale production, Altair appointed solid-state lighting business strategist and visionary, Brent York, to its TOGGLED Board of Directors. York's 27 years of expertise in technology development, product engineering, marketing, business strategy and intellectual property will be influential in TOGGLED's strategic planning, sales and distribution, and product development efforts.

"I am pleased to be working with TOGGLED on the leading edge of manufacturing in a rapidly growing market," said York.  "Achieving global manufacturing competitiveness with foundational intellectual property at a time when the LED lighting market is poised to grow by an order of magnitude is exciting, and I look forward to 2013 as a real breakout year."

As the chief technology officer for TIR Systems, Ltd., York led a research team that spawned more than 100 pioneering inventions, resulting in the company's acquisition by Philips. He subsequently held senior roles at Philips, advising the company on global SSL strategies. As an inventor, York holds more than 20 patents. He earned degrees in engineering physics and business administration from the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University.

"Brent York is both technically gifted and industry savvy," said Altair CEO James Scapa. "We are very appreciative of the perspective and guidance he brings to the growing TOGGLED organization."

TOGGLED is focused on the development and production of its mercury-free, highly efficient, UL-Classified LED tubes. With 25 patents issued to date and more than 50 patents pending, TOGGLED anticipates rapidly growing demand for its commercial-grade products as organizations move to adopt solid-state lighting to reduce energy costs and consumption.

More information about TOGGLED and its products is available at www.toggled.com.

About TOGGLED

TOGGLED is a Troy, Michigan-based company focused on next-generation solid-state lighting technology. The company was formed in 2007 as a spinoff venture and wholly owned subsidiary of Altair. Products are derived from Altair's intellectual property for the direct replacement of fluorescent light tubes with LED lamps.  TOGGLED is a member of the Michigan Solid-State Lighting Association and supports the organization's mission of ensuring that Michigan is a global leader in solid-state lighting research, development and manufacturing.  For more information, please visit www.toggled.com.

About Altair

Altair empowers client innovation and decision-making through technology that optimizes the analysis, management and visualization of business and engineering information. Privately held, with 1,800 employees, Altair has offices throughout North America, South America, Europe and Asia/Pacific. With a 27-year track record for high-end software for engineering and computing, enterprise analytics solutions, and innovative product design and development, Altair consistently delivers a competitive advantage to customers in a broad range of industries. To learn more, please visit www.altair.com or www.simulatetoinnovate.com.

SOURCE Altair