When it comes to business, nothing is ever set in stone – there’s always someone or something causing disruption.
Netflix disrupted the home cinema experience, causing Blockbuster to go out of business. Airbnb has turned hospitality as we knew it on its head, and Apple’s iPod forever changed the way we listen to music.
Today, one area of technology that’s seeing disruption is audio conferencing. One of the biggest innovators is Nureva, creator of audio systems that take a new approach to meeting room and classroom audio.
Instead of relying on conventional beamforming and omnidirectional approaches, Nureva’s unique patented Microphone Mist technology fills a room with thousands of virtual microphones. The result is full-room audio coverage without the need for an expensive, multicomponent setup. Voices in the room are picked up no matter where people sit, face or move.
“We think a lot about how we can do things differently – and better – than the established market leaders,” said Nureva CEO Nancy Knowlton.
“Our focus is always on supporting the customer experience. It’s not about disruption for disruption’s sake; it’s about creating a product that makes things easier without compromising on performance.”
That’s why Nureva’s products have built-in continuous autocalibration. Traditional audio systems often require a technician to adjust settings whenever the room’s characteristics change.
“When we developed our audio systems, we wondered why the product itself couldn’t calibrate and recalibrate itself,” Knowlton explained.
“And not just do it once but do it continuously, so a room with a Nureva audio system in it would always be ready for use.”
Another customer-driven innovation is Intelligent Sound Targeting (IST).
“We applied technology to lessen the impact of the constant noises coming from HVAC. Because HVAC noises have a constant hum, IST can target them and simply stop picking them up,” Knowlton continued.
With this focus on making things easier, end users have been some of the strongest proponents of Nureva’s Microphone Mist technology, said Knowlton.
The powerful processor that is central to the system, autocalibration, simplicity of installation and accrued cost savings have enamoured the technology to many.
In its journey of disruption, Nureva faced some rejection, particularly from the channel.
“When we first started, we were turned down by some prospective channel members – dealers who we had asked to resell our product,” Knowlton said.
“Their rejection was not because of the product – either its quality or its price point. Rather, our systems disrupt the status quo of higher prices for the hardware, profitable programming services and highly profitable installation that they have enjoyed.”
Since those days, Nureva has found a receptive audience of both end users and channel members.
“We’ve built our global channel with people and organisations that believe in breakthrough solutions that can solve real problems at a fair price,” she said.
And it isn’t done yet. Nureva’s patented technology means that its audio systems can continue to evolve.
“Yes, today matters, but IT managers have an eye on the future as well,” Knowlton explained.
“Improvements and advancements are expected, and we have a roadmap that matches where organisations want to be now and in the future.”
Learn more about how Nureva is changing the audio conferencing game.
