Oticon Takes International Grand Prize for Adapto
A jubilant Niels Jacobsen, president and CEO of Oticon, accepts the Grand Prize trophy for Adapto at the European Information Society Technology Awards. He is joined on stage by Jes Olsen, Oticon's Director of Business and Product Development. Adapto, the first voice-activated hearing instrument, was chosen over entries from 437 companies and 22 countries.
Somerset, November 14, 2002 -- Adapto, the first voice-activated hearing instrument, has been selected as a Grand Prize Winner of the 2003 European Information Society Technology Prize, among the world's most distinguished awards for groundbreaking information technologies. Adapto was honored for its technical excellence, innovative content as well as for its potential market value and resulting capacity to generate new jobs. Over 437 companies from 27 countries competed in this year's international awards program.
"We are honored to have this innovative hearing instrument recognized by so prestigious an organization as the European Information Society," stated Mikael Worning, president of Oticon, Inc. "We are especially pleased that Adapto is seen as an instrument that facilitates the sharing of information. We know that Adapto's ability to enhance users' ability to communicate with family, friends and colleagues has been key to its success in the marketplace."
Adapto is the first fully digital hearing instrument that automatically detects and prioritizes human voice over other sounds in the environment. The new instrument's VoiceFinder technology immediately detects human voice sounds and processes them for better understanding. If no speech is detected, Adapto automatically switches to a "comfort mode" - tuning out noise and irrelevant sounds to protect users from the fatigue that constant unfiltered sounds can inflict on people who wear hearing instruments.
Adapto switches from comfort mode to speech mode in a fraction of a second, so that users can participate fully in conversations and discussions. The instrument's cutting edge Dynamic Feedback Cancellation System and unique design allow for a more open fitting, so that users can enjoy superior sound quality and a more natural perception of their own voices. A tiny computer chip enables Adapto to react quickly to cancel any potential whistling or feedback before it is heard.
"Hearing care professionals appreciate Adapto's proprietary Genie software which incorporates sounds and pictures that allow them to more easily engage in client-focused fittings that address individual lifestyle needs," notes Worning.
To meet customer demand for Adapto and other new products introduced in 2002, Oticon now employs two shifts of skilled technicians who keep production moving 16 hours per day. Oticon is currently expanding its Somerset facilities to include a new 15,000 square foot state-of-the-art laboratory and testing facility. The company has recently earned certification from the International Standards Organization (ISO) for its quality management systems.
For more information about Adapto and Oticon, Inc., log on to www.adapto.oticonus.com.
For more information on Oticon click here.
Click here to visit the Oticon website.
