customers find more ways to put better technology to work for their customers. We are a market leader and global supplier of performance audio, intelligent audio, and specialty components in the mobile communications, consumer electronics, hearing health, military/space and other industrial end markets. Our deep understanding of acoustics and the audio ecosystem facilitated our natural progression from acoustic components, to integrated audio modules, into intelligent audio solutions. Supported by rigorous testing, we deliver consistently dependable and precise products including hearing aid components, MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical systems) microphones, transducers, capacitors, and oscillators. We are also uniquely positioned to deliver advanced hardware and software solutions including intelligent microphones, voice processors, and other hardware and software solutions that optimize the performance of the audio signal path.

We have always, and continue to, introduce disruptive communication technologies such as the world’s first miniature microphone and receiver for hearing aids in 1954 and the first surface mount MEMS (micro-electrical-mechanical systems) microphone in 2001. With the addition of Audience Inc. in 2015, a mobile voice and audio-processing company, we have the most comprehensive audio system capabilities and applications in the market.

Headquartered in Itasca, Illinois, our global scale of more than 7,000 employees in 15 countries worldwide includes design centers in Europe, Asia, India and North America. Coupled with our significant investment in research and development, our scale enables us to remain agile and efficient and deliver groundbreaking technology to our customers with high-volume economies.

Throughout our history, we have transformed the way people communicate and enjoy sound. Our solutions, which are used in more than 70 percent of hearing health products and 60 percent of mobile devices in the market, have enabled technology leaps. Our products are also widely used in the professional music industry – we created the first personal monitors for musicians – replacing floor monitors and improving sound quality for large-scale performances. Our devices, designed for mission critical applications, can also be found in military equipment and various outer space utilities including NASA’s Mars Curiosity Rover. In fact, our products amplified Neil Armstrong's words from the moon during the Apollo 11 mission in 1969.

At Knowles, we hear possibility in unexpected places and are unified by a spirit of innovation to constantly push boundaries and connect people by bringing audio to life.