Pittsburgh Innovates

The future of telecommunications looks like this: A thin, tiny computer chip no larger than a pencil point, capable of a clear, high definition voice signal that eliminates annoying, muffling interference.

This marriage of the microphone and a computer chip is fueling the growth of Akustica, the 6-year-old South Side-based company that has developed and is producing the world’s smallest and first high definition, surface mountable digital microphone for use in laptops, desktops, mobile phones, headsets, and speakers.

With the rocketing popularity of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), the routing of a voice conversation over the Internet or through an IP provider, there is a tremendous demand for higher quality voice connections. Akustica believes that the acoustic performance of its patented, digital microphone chip is equal to or better than conventional analog microphones, making Akustica a market leader in the business.

“We have made a microphone out of a computer chip that’s better, smaller and costs the same so it’s a major benefit to the world," explains Jim Rock, co-founder and CEO. “We’re riding an emerging trend in Voice over IP use right here in Pittsburgh.”

While the company outsources its manufacturing overseas, it plans to keep its headquarters here in Pittsburgh. The company presently employs 60, but will hire for 10 more positions in the near future, Rock says.

“We’re in growth mode. We just opened an office in Taiwan and we plan to grow into mainland China. It’s fair to say we will be growing rapidly and hiring like mad, although we can’t reveal the numbers since we’re a private company.”