Is technical overload killing your product innovation?

Product innovation for each customer differs vastly. Each has its own vision, sonic signature, ideas, and project timelines.

THE PROVERBIAL HUNDRED HATS

We’ll show you the ins and outs of how to differentiate your product with a team whose experience and skills cross the entire product development and supply chain gamut, including:

Marketing Requirements Document
Product Requirements Document
Industrial design
Acoustic, mechanical, and electrical design
Design/selection of microphone, speaker, and amplifier hardware
Codec and DSP for audio
Voice algorithms, tuning, and app development
AVS and other pre-certification testing
Supply of acoustic sub-assemblies
Supply chain management services

While some customers utilize us for several elements of the development process and supply, others trust us to implement all aspects of their product vision in a turn-key manner.

IT’S A LOT TO CHEW ON
PROCESS MANAGEMENT
THE TALENT POOL
NECESSITY + INNOVATION

DOZENS OF MOVING PARTS

Many organizations simply do not have the human bandwidth and breadth of technical resources it takes to plan and execute an ironclad process for design, development and supply of a new audio product, particularly if it has voice capability. Hiring an outside firm with the skills and experience in every step of the process is a smart choice.

WE’LL WORK DIRECTLY WITH YOUR TEAM

Working well and collaborating with your product management, technology and purchasing staff is crucial to our process management. We have dedicated humans that handle communications flow and project timelines with ease.

USE OUR WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE

Our team members in Indiana, California, Canada, UK, and China are named in more than 50 patents. Our heritage spans Harman International, Bell Labs, Jaybird, Klipsch, and MWM Acoustics. To bolster our core expertise in acoustic systems design, we partner with Cirrus Logic, advanced audio testing facilities in Indianapolis and China, providers of voice algorithms and ChinaBase, our China supply chain partner.

WHEN IT DOESN’T EXIST, WE GET TO WORK

We’re no stranger to designing/sourcing custom parts or writing codecs for specific needs.

Meet the Team

Jack Fatum

CEO
Gary Roberson

COO
Alan Michel

Chief Technologist
John French

Technical Fellow - Acoustic Systems
Spiro Iraclianos

Vice President, Engineering

Partners
Clients
Representatives

Successful integration of audio and voice is challenging, starting with the PRD. Besides combining elements of software and hardware, acoustic tuning, pre-certification testing and supply of critical sub-assemblies are all pivotal. To help customers, TAOT has partnered with industry leaders to build perfect solutions.

Our clients range from multi-billion companies to start-ups. Innovation is in their DNA. They see value in bringing in our nimble organization with the skills, experience and resources needed to support each stage in the process from concept to successful launch.

To support our clients’ needs to the fullest extent possible, we have teamed up with A-List representatives with line cards that complement our products and services and work with us to build great relationships.

EVOLVE YOUR PRODUCT INNOVATION. LET’S FURTHER DISCUSS YOUR IDEAS.

Jack Fatum// CEO

Jack is responsible for corporate development and financial management. In his 25 plus years as an entrepreneur, operator, executive and advisor in international electronics, technology and energy sectors, he has led early stage growth initiatives with branded consumer and industrial corporations (Klipsch, Shaw Industries), multiple start-ups (Jaybird, Audera, Sentient, Wavelock, Hyun Won), and ODM manufacturers (Eastech, Audiosphere). Jack has particular expertise in technology licensing programs, establishing global product distribution channels and developing supply chain networks.

Gary Roberson// COO

A business development and sales executive with more than 25 years’ experience in selling branded audio coupled with engineered products and services, Gary leads TAOT’s sales and operations. Since 2002, he led the worldwide sales effort at MWM Acoustics, a microphone and audio transducer component design and supply company, where he forged profitable relationships with world class leaders in telecommunications, automotive, industrial, computing and mobile markets. Following the acquisition of MWM by Harman International Industries in 2011, Gary also added general management to his duties in the newly establish Embedded Audio Division.

Alan Michel// Chief Technologist

An innovator in acoustic technologies with 22 awarded patents, Alan’s career began at Bell Labs where he was appointed Distinguished Member of Technical Staff for work related to digital signal processing. He co-founded MWM Acoustics, a provider of acoustic designs that was acquired by Harman International. Alan Brings to TAOT substantial real-world experience needed for optimum performance in voice-enabled products. He has engineering degrees from Purdue and the University of Michigan.

John French// Technical Fellow - Acoustic Systems

A serial entrepreneur and innovator in audio power electronics with 19 patents, including the highly regarded BASH^® amplifier, John leads TAOT’s acoustic systems programs. In 2004, he founded Audera Acoustics, an audio technology company focused on novel integrations of power electronics and audio transducers. When Audera’s SAMdriver™ electromagnetic transducer technology was acquired by Harman International, John joined Harman as Distinguished Engineer, Advanced Technology Group. His groundbreaking WaveLock™ invention and his widely acknowledged industry leadership in power electronics brings a singularly qualified resource to the TAOT team. His degree in Electrical Engineering is from the University of Toronto.

Spiro Iraclianos// Vice President, Engineering

Spiro has been involved in the design and manufacturing of loudspeaker components and embedded audio systems throughout his three-decade career. He is responsible for technology development and all facets of engineering to which position he brings global experience in engineering, product development, and program management gained at Harman International Industries, Rockford Corporation, and DCM Corporation. Spiro is a certified Project Management Professional and has also served as a Director and President of the Association of Loudspeaker Manufacturers & Acoustics International.

Cirrus Logic

Cirrus Logic is a leader in high-performance, low-power ICs for audio, voice and other signal-processing applications. Cirrus Logic’s products span the entire audio signal chain, from capture to playback, providing innovative products for the world’s top smartphones, tablets, digital headsets, wearables and emerging smart home applications. With headquarters in Austin, Texas, Cirrus Logic is recognized globally for its award-winning corporate culture.

Check us out at www.cirrus.com.

Outside Source

Outside Source (OSD) is an Internet of Things app development company that moves vision to reality and products to market. This senior-led, design-minded IoT team solves complex challenges through innovative technology. From progressive web apps (PWA) to dashboards, digital transformation to complex web-based interactions, Outside Source provides scalable solutions for a range of forward-thinking possibilities.

Visit us at https://www.outsidesource.com

Think-A-Move

Think-A-Move, Ltd. is a leader in developing innovative Automated Speech Recognition solutions. SPEAR, its ASR, provides unparalleled performance in high noise – utilizing: deep neural networks, natural language processing, customized acoustic & language models, and conversational AI. TAM’s products are used by both enterprises and government/military. Milicom Headsets, TAM’s mobile device and radio headsets, contain patented In Ear Voice Capture technology, capturing voice in the ear canal and providing 33 dB of passive noise reduction.

Visit us at www.think-a-move.com.

Dolby

Service: Support a new product offering by Dolby

TAOT Mission: Provide interim product expertise and product development processes

“We engaged The Audio of Things to assist with establishing a new product offering for Dolby. TAOT were able to jump-start this new initiative by supporting our team with excellent expertise, processes, and with staff while we built the internal team. TAOT are a professional outfit with world-class audio expertise and were easy to work with.”

Kevin Brennan, Senior Director of Product Management, Dolby

iDevices

Product: Instinct™, the smart light switch with Alexa Built-In

TAOT Mission: Integration of microphone sub-assembly to ensure compliance with AVS certification. Source and supply.

“The Audio of Things was a tremendous resource for iDevices throughout the development of Instinct™, both in terms of microphone expertise and meeting requirements set forth by Amazon’s Alexa Voice Services team. Throughout the development process, the TAOT team was professional, responsive, and attentive to our stringent industrial design guidelines.”

Shawn Monteith, CTO, iDevices

Sorian

Sorian is a South Korean manufacturer and supplier of hearing aids and other medical devices.

Product: Hearing aid

TAOT Mission: Define, source and supply balanced armatures and packaging

“We take advantage of the extensive, qualified supply chain developed by The Audio of Things to source high quality acoustic component and packaging. The technical competence and responsiveness of their China team has convinced me that this is a partner I can count on.”

Oshik Song, President