Annual Report 2010/11 - Sonova

ON THE WAY TO BECOMING A GLOBAL
HEARING CARE COMPANY
“Blindness separates people from things; deafness separates
people from people.” The words of the 18th-century
philosopher Immanuel Kant are truer today than ever before.
Hearing has become a megatrend. Hearing is necessary
for understanding and forms the basis for interpersonal
communication. Sonova provides solutions for better
hearing.
BETTER HEARING: A MEGATREND
Hearing has become a prerequisite for social and professional
integration in our modern society. Today, we communicate
anytime and anywhere – using wireless and mobile systems,
and across continents. Approximately 16% of the world’s
population is affected by hearing loss and could benefit
from technological assistance in order to participate in
our communication-based society. Demographic trends and
increasing noise pollution in daily life and at work mean
that this figure is constantly growing. The World Health Organization
(WHO) estimates that 1.1 billion people will suffer
from hearing loss by 2015. And the trend spans generations:
about one-third of individuals with hearing loss
are of retirement age, but the majority are significantly
younger.
Technological solutions play an increasingly important role
when good hearing is the goal. More and more powerful
hearing solutions enable people to experience once again
all the sounds that shape the world and connect us with
other people. Technology serves individuals and their hearing
needs: devices can now be fitted according to individual
preferences and lifestyles and ensure optimum quality of
life. Even people who are almost totally deaf can hear
again and participate actively in life with the aid of modern
technologies.
People with normal hearing can also benefit from modern
technology. It’s hard to imagine walking down the street
without seeing people wearing small in-ear headphones
that transmit conversations and music directly. Wireless
communication solutions enable people to understand each
other easily, even in the noisiest environments. Referees
and linesmen conferring across the pitch, construction workers
needing instructions when building tunnels, and sailing
crews working together on deck despite wind and weather –
SONOVA GROUP
they all use state-of-the-art technologies for better understanding
and interference-free communication.
When you are in a noise-intensive working environment,
you not only need good communication but also effective
hearing protection. Employers in many countries are required
to provide professional hearing protection devices when
noise levels reach 85 dB or above. Customized solutions offer
personalized protection and can be worn comfortably for
many hours.
Better hearing means greater quality of life and social integration.
Better hearing creates the foundation for performance
and professional success. The hearing megatrend is
not only a social phenomenon but has now become an
economic factor. Modern hearing technology can improve
employees’ quality of life and as a result their productivity,
and thus play a positive role in the economy as a whole.
With its sophisticated product portfolio, Sonova provides
the best individual solution for each person, thereby covering
all personal hearing needs.
GROWTH MARKET FOR HEARING SOLUTIONS
The hearing megatrend means that the market for hearingrelated
products covers more and more aspects and product
groups and is experiencing continuous growth. People
today can choose the technological solution that best fits
their individual needs from a wide range of options, depending
on their type and degree of hearing loss as well as
on their hearing preferences and requirements.
Hearing instruments
People who have sensorineural hearing loss ranging from
mild to severe are best served by a hearing instrument. The
willingness to wear such a device varies and increases with
the degree of hearing loss. While most people with mild
hearing loss manage without a hearing instrument, almost
three quarter of people with severe hearing loss wear a
hearing instrument. There are primarily two kinds of hearing
instruments: behind-the-ear models (BTE), which
are suitable for all degrees of hearing loss, and in-the-ear
models (ITE), which are generally custom-made and
can be worn by people with mild to profound hearing loss.
Sonova offers a wide selection of high-quality BTE, ITE,
and CIC (completely-in-the-canal) hearing instruments that
are virtually invisible from the outside.
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