Babble provides voice confidentiality and security of information in open-plan work environments.

"Babble is the first, true voice privacy device with powerful application in open spaces," said Sonare president Bill DeKruif. "It is a profound and proprietary technology that can be used either as a stand-alone solution or as part of a layered approach to sound management. Sound masking, or white noise technology, complements our new technology by diluting overall interior sound, while Babble provides voice privacy in the area immediately surrounding the user."

DeKruif explained that Babble provides true voice confidentiality by rearranging the phonemes of your voice and transmitting, in real time, with your spoken voice.

"Babble turns you into a small crowd and changes how other people hear your voice," he added. "The result is that those outside your workspace cannot understand your actual spoken words."

Babble is a desktop device that connects to the telephone and sends the user's voice out in multiplied and babbled form through proprietary speakers arranged in the work area. It achieves confidentiality without distracting the user of the device, and those in the user's immediate area hear what sounds like an indiscernible, low-volume group conversation.

The benefits of Babble go beyond the critical requirement of safeguarding information. It also contributes to increased productivity, allowing the user to have confidential telephone conversations at his or her workstation, where their computer and files are located.

"We know that open plan offices offer tangible benefits in terms of access, communication and collaboration, as well as cost efficiencies, but until now voice privacy has been viewed as a necessary tradeoff."

"However, traditional walled offices are frequently not practical, affordable or even completely effective when it comes to protecting confidential information," noted DeKruif. "Babble has rich implications for the office and healthcare spaces."

In keeping with parent company Herman Miller's emphasis on both aesthetics and functionality in design, as well as sustainability, DeKruif shared that Babble's physical form was a major consideration. Unlike much of what has been introduced as personal technology, I knew Babble couldn't be just another gray box. Working with the industrial design firm, Insight Product Development, we believe we've created an attractive addition to the personal workspace. Babble's controls, functional LED lighting, and overall appearance enhance the user experience, all in a very small footprint. We also chose low-emission plastics and recyclable materials that better serve the environment."

The product will be offered at a retail price of $395 for the desktop device and two sets of speakers and can be purchased online from Sonare.

Sonare Technologies researches, designs, and manufactures sound and acoustics solutions for speech privacy, facility sound management, and interior design.

Herman Miller researches, designs, manufactures, and distributes innovative interior solutions.