Sound Masking in Technology Environments

By TN

Corporate , Technology ,
30 Mar

Technology for a Quieter America

“Many tools for designing and developing quieter products have become available in the past few decades, driven largely by increases in computational power and reductions in computational costs. Even so, access to new tools is as uneven as the allocation of resources; corporate budgets for capital equipment are generally tight and there is competition between departments for available funds.”

Noise as a Technological and Policy Challenge

(2007 article)

“In recent years, the demand for quieter products has increased significantly, particularly in parts of the world to which the United States exports consumer goods and industrial equipment. U.S. companies are facing growing competition from foreign manufacturers that produce goods with lower noise levels. In many countries in Europe and Asia, people purchasing white goods are provided with information on noise levels.

For U.S. products to compete in those markets, they must be designed to meet the criteria of overseas buyers. Exported, low-noise products are becoming increasingly important to our economic future.”

The open office noise problem: How to design around it

“The tech industry may want to reconsider its trend toward open office plans. Employees say the ability to focus on work without interruptions is a top priority in the workplace—over perks like free food or onsite daycare, according to a recent study from Oxford Economics and Plantronics.”

“But there appears to be a disconnect between manager and worker perspectives on the issue: Nearly two-thirds of executives said employees are equipped to deal with distractions at work, but less than half of employees agreed.”