Soft dB SmartSMS brochure User Manual

Page 3

Greater confidentiality

Today, it is easier and more economical to use sound

masking than conventional soundproofing methods

in order to obtain greater speech privacy in office

spaces. That is why a system such as SmartSMS has

proven to be an effective, uncomplicated solution

for increasing confidentiality in all types of work

environments, and ensuring better protection of

your private information.

Productivity gains

Sound masking makes undesirable conversations

and other noise distractions less audible. The result:

Employees are less distracted, they are able to

concentrate better, and their productivity rises

measurably!

Increased productivity and confidentiality
with the SmartSMS sound masking system

Today, more than 80% of businesses have open-plan offices, and the occupancy density is
constantly rising. Open-plan offices are increasingly seen as a strategy to provide common areas
for work teams, and to encourage the exchange of information and sharing of knowledge.
However, such close quarters inevitably entail noise, and this greatly detracts from concentration
and productivity. The use of sound masking systems has become essential to ensure an adequate
level of acoustic comfort that facilitates mental concentration. This is why professionals are
increasingly integrating such systems into their office designs.

How does sound
masking work?

In office spaces, the background noise

level is generally low. Hence, people

unintentionally overhear conversations

– a difficult situation for all concerned.

To address this problem, sound mask-

ing systems emit a soft, inconspicuous

background sound with the use of a

loudspeaker system. The ambient

sound level becomes more uniform

and otherwise noisy distractions are

muffled by the sound masking.

* The principle of sound masking is not to eliminate sounds like anti-noise, but to make them less perceptible.

Noise distractions affect
work quality:

• Unintentionally overheard conversations

can lead to a 10% drop in productivity and

an estimated 12% rise in the risk of errors

(Heriot-Watt University).

• The lack of speech privacy in open-plan offices

can generate a 40% loss of productivity and

increase data-handling errors by 27% (Data

Entry Management Association).

• It takes about 15 minutes to return to a state

of concentration after an interruption (Tom

Demarco and Timothy Lister,

Peopleware:

Productive Projects and Teams).

Sound level variations in a typical office

Time (sec)

Sound Level (dBA)

Noise

Masking