Extended software development partnership between Straumann and Dental Wings

Straumann and Dental Wings announced today their intention to expand their partnership with the following key elements: Dental Wings shall take over Straumann's CAD software development unit in Berlin and the implant planning and guided surgery unit in Chemnitz: These Germany-based software entities shall be consolidated into Dental Wings' overall software business. Each unit will maintain its operations at their current location.

Following its partnership agreement with Dental Wings, which was announced at the International Dental Show (IDS) in Cologne in March 2011, Straumann and Dental Wings are in the process of completing the transition of Straumann's software offering to the DWOS open digital dentistry platform. The Berlin unit will continue its software development by building new features and applications directly on Dental Wings' DWOS platform. While Dental Wings will provide the core technology, Straumann will continue to develop, sell and support proprietary implant-borne and tooth-borne work-flows.

The Chemnitz unit will pursue its development of the coDiagnostiX implant planning software. coDiagnostiX is an open architecture software for implant planning and drill-guide creation and is amongst the leading implant planning software systems with several thousand installations. coDiagnostiX has been used by labs and implantologists since 1999 to plan implant placement and to create drill guides for implant surgery. The software supports implants and guided surgery systems from all leading implant manufacturers. In the new structure with Dental Wings, customers will benefit from improved integration of surgical and prosthetic software to provide complete and easy-to-use digital work-flows. Topics such as fully-digital prosthetic-driven backward planning and immediate temporaries will streamline and enhance the work-flows.

Straumann is to increase its shareholding position in Dental Wings to around 45%: Following the successful collaboration with Dental Wings and the abovementioned formation of a leading-edge software development team across different time zones, Straumann and Dental Wings have agreed to further expand Straumann's shareholding position. The minority shareholding leaves room for strategic partners to join as shareholders. At the same time, it demonstrates Straumann's commitment to the partnership announced at the IDS 2011.

All abovementioned transactions are expected to be completed in 2012 and Dental Wings shall assume control over all associated resources as per 2013.

Dental Wings

Naoum Araj, President of Dental Wings, commented: "This announcement represents an important milestone in Dental Wings' strategy to continue expanding the capabilities of DWOS.

The establishment of a European subsidiary is an exciting moment in the history of our company. Our Berlin software development lab is staffed by highly talented engineers and specialists who will enable us to increase our software development power and capability to serve the needs of dental laboratories in Europe.

The integration of coDiagnostiX into our digital dentistry platform will deliver additional functionality to our existing and future customers. Implant planning and prosthetic design will be combined to deliver unique benefits in terms of enhanced design and aesthetics.

We are equally delighted by the increase of Straumann's participation.

Beat Spalinger, President & CEO of Straumann, commented: "Digitalization is the most significant driver of change in dentistry, but you need critical mass to drive it. In Dental Wings, we have a strong visionary partner with many of the leading software engineers in the field. The combination of their skills with the talents and expertise of the development teams transferring from Straumann will create a new software power house in digital dentistry. Straumann's goal is to offer the broadest range of customers a tooth replacement and restoration workflow that includes surgical and prosthetic planning, guided surgery as well as digital impression taking from a range of suppliers. Our intensified collaboration with Dental Wings will ensure that we have leading edge tools to meet our customers' needs and to achieve our aim".