LISTEN TECHN OLOG I E S AS RENOWNED ASSISTIVE LISTENING AND COMMUNICATION SOLUTIONS MANUFACTURER LISTEN TECHNOLOGIES CELEBRATES ITS 25TH ANNIVERSARY THIS YEAR, CEO AND PRESIDENT MAILE KEONE EXPLAINS HOW THE COMPANY HAS ADAPTED TO THE DEMANDS OF AUDIENCES AND VENUES TO ENSURE ATTENDEES WITH HEARING DIFFICULTIES ARE CATERED FOR, EVEN IN THE MOST CHALLENGING LISTENING ENVIRONMENTS.
Back in 1998, Listen Technologies founder Russ Gentner wanted to create a product for people with hearing loss that would help them hear clearly in challenging listening environments. Now, 25 years later, as President and CEO Maile Keone described: “Listen Technologies designs and manufactures innovative solutions that not only serve those with hearing loss, but also enable inclusive experiences for all guests at venues where Listen Technologies solutions are available.” As well as improving the audio clarity for venue attendees, “our solutions help people overcome the challenges of hearing loss, distance, language, acoustics, and noise so they can hear clearly and engage in challenging listening environments,” Keone added. Throughout its history, Listen’s solutions have been installed in a wide variety of venues including houses of worship, higher education facilities, performing arts centres, courtrooms, on leisure tours, and in manufacturing plants. With wireless listening solutions across four types of technology: Audio over Wi-Fi, infrared, radio frequency or FM, and two-way communication, Listen’s solutions are designed to adapt and provide quality sound to attendees for any event. It all began with Listen Technologies jumping into the assistive listening market with two innovative products in the radio frequency product line family that were among the first to offer built-in displays, 57 channels, SmartCharge charging circuitry, and outstanding audio quality. As Keone explained: “After the initial assistive listening products started to take off and gain a solid hold in the marketplace, Listen Technologies quickly added new products, including the successful LR-600 Wireless Speaker/Receiver and the LR-300 Digital Receiver. These products continued to be leaders in the assistive listening space for years to come. Listen Technologies allows venues in America to meet legislative requirements for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for assistive listening, while providing an exceptional listening experience.” Having joined Listen Technologies in November 2013 as the VP of Marketing, Keone’s current role as President and CEO sees her responsible for executing Listen Technologies’ business plan and overseeing day-to-day operations. “My passion to find the best ways to position and market products drives me, and I believe I am instrumental in achieving sales growth year over year,” she added. “My strengths lie in strategic thinking and successfully translating that into execution.” In June 2023, Listen celebrated its 25th anniversary, having continued to produce a variety of high-quality tech audio solutions to expand its name globally. “Through the years, we have brought several products to market that make it easier for people to hear clearly and engage,” Keone explained. “Our first product, ListenRF, transmits audio over radio frequency to personal receivers. In 2008, we introduced ListenIR, an innovative solution that uses infrared (IR) light to transmit audio. The unique casing on ListenIR receivers supports greater light reception for twice the infrared power and up to six times the coverage area of competing systems. It is also compatible with other manufacturers’ transmitters/radiators and can help extend the usefulness of systems that have ceased production. “We pioneered audio-over-Wi-Fi technology so people can use their smartphones to access audio to hear more clearly.”
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In 2017 the company introduced ListenTALK, a two-way communication system, and earlier this year it debuted ListenWIFI, the next generation of its audio over Wi-Fi solution, a product that will ship later this year. “ListenWIFI is an easy-to-use assistive listening system that meets ADA and international compliance requirements,” continued Keone. “Listen Technologies has grown from a small group of entrepreneurial audio engineers to an established global network of distributors, integrators, and consultants. Our solutions have helped people hear clearly in challenging listening environments around the world, and we are proud that many of our customers are household names.” Throughout its 25-year history, Listen Technologies has frequently adapted to the needs of audiences and venues “by being good listeners,” according to Keone. “We are always listening to our partners and customers and studying trends to understand what people need, and we anticipate what’s next so we can create solutions that make it easy to listen and engage,” she said. “Our audio over Wi-Fi system is a great example of this. When people asked how they could leverage their smartphones to access clear audio, we created a solution that lets them stream live and recorded venue audio over a wireless network to smartphones and listen with earbuds or headphones.” However, the company has faced its fair share of challenges, with Keone noting the COVID-19 pandemic proved to be especially impactful. “We overcame many, many challenges during that time,” she said. “We endured supply chain issues, slowing sales, and many stresses on our manufacturing process. The biggest challenge we faced was helping our employees, partners, vendors, and friends in the industry navigate through such a difficult time. We came out stronger and learned many valuable lessons, and I hope we don’t have to navigate anything like that in the near future.” The company has many exciting plans for the future, particularly with the recent debut of ListenWIFI. “We developed it in response to feedback and the system includes LWR-1050 receivers for venues to offer guests who do not want to use personal smartphones to stream audio,” said Keone. “The system also includes new servers and the new ListenWIFI LA-490 Beacons that provide location-based audio for a fully automated and seamless user experience. “The system is easy to install and use, flexible, portable, discreet, and delivers exceptional audio clarity. ListenWIFI also is compliant with the ADA and international accessibility requirements. ListenWIFI makes it easy for people to access venue audio via their smartphone or a dedicated Wi-Fi receiver. It’s a simple, elegant solution that makes clear audio accessible to everyone because we believe everyone deserves exceptional listening experiences. We have many customers who are excited about the new product and eager to install it in their venues.” Listen has also made a number of promotions within the team to help further expand its global status as well as certify its status as a trusted brand within the community. “We recently promoted Mikey Shaffer to the new role of Consultant Liaison to support the unique needs of Listen’s consultant community,” Keone stated. “Shaffer is ideal for this role because she knows our business well and has worked with stakeholders throughout the AV industry. She likes to be of service, make connections, and foster inclusion. In this role, Shaffer ensures consultants are up to date on all ADA and global accessibility