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The history of Oticon
Hans Demant, a representative for General Acoustics in Odense, Denmark, founds Oticon on 8 June 1904. He is inspired by personal experience because his wife is hearing impaired, and he is determined to help her and others like her. After Hans Demant’s death in 1910, his son William continues the family business. By then the company has moved to Copenhagen, Denmark. In the 1920’s Oticon opens sales offices in Kristiania (Oslo), Malmö, Stockholm, Helsinki and Sankt Petersborg. By 1930, the Oticon product range consists of hearing aids, church hearing aids and hospital systems, including patient radio receivers. By 1940, during the Second World War, Oticon is employing 16 people. As a result of the German trade blockade it becomes impossible to import hearing aids from the US. So William Demant starts his own production in Copenhagen manufacturing an exact copy of the Acousticon hearing aid. In 1944 Oticon establishes its first sister company, in Sweden. The first true Oticon hearing aid - the Oticon model TA - is introduced in 1946. In 1957, William Demant and his wife donate their Oticon stock to a foundation called the William Demant & Ida Emilie Foundation, later also known as the Oticon Foundation. Oticon continues to expand during the 1960’s. Oticon Nederlands B.V. is founded in 1964 and during the next three years, Oticon Inc. (US), Oticon S.A. (Switzerland) and Oticon GmbH (Germany) are established. A new independent research unit called Eriksholm is established in 1977. Oticon becomes the world’s largest hearing aid manufacturer – a position it maintains for several years. During the 1980’s Oticon undergoes a major transition. It changes from a technologically driven company to an audiologically driven company. Some of the biggest changes in the history of Oticon happen in the 1990’s. The company’s new headquarters in Copenhagen is designed as an open, ‘paperless’ office environment, and Oticon wins worldwide recognition as the ‘Spaghetti-organization’. In 1991 Oticon introduces the first fully automatic hearing aid without volume control: MultiFocus. Oticon Holding - later known as William Demant Holding - is launched on the Copenhagen Stock Exchange in May 1995. Another revolutionary introduction takes place in 1996 with the release of DigiFocus – a fully digital hearing instrument using a new audiological rational called Adaptive Speech Alignment. In 2001 Oticon introduces it's most advanced instrument so far: Adapto.
Today, Oticon improves its position worldwide through new, technologically advanced hearing aids and a strong distribution network. |
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