In today’s modern, open office environments, noise distractions are one of the biggest barriers to productivity. While open floor plans foster collaboration, they often lack the speech privacy needed for focused work and confidential conversations.
That’s where sound masking comes in. Sound masking systems, often referred to as “white noise” or “noise masking systems,” provide an innovative solution to these challenges.
Here’s how sound masking works and how C2MTech’s partnership with Biamp/Cambridge can help your business create more productive and private workspaces.
What Is Sound Masking?
As we mentioned, sound masking involves adding a subtle, engineered background sound — similar to white noise or the gentle hum of the A/C running — to reduce the ability to pick up conversations nearby and other noises in an office. This makes conversations less distracting and harder to overhear. Unlike traditional noise machines, sound masking systems are specifically tuned to match the frequencies of human speech, ensuring maximum effectiveness.
Key features of sound masking include:
- Reduced Radius of Distraction: Without sound masking, conversations can be distracting up to 50 feet away. With it, this radius shrinks to about 15 feet.1
- Uniform Coverage: Speakers installed in the ceiling distribute sound evenly across the space, ensuring consistent performance throughout the office.
- Enhanced Privacy: By making speech unintelligible at a distance, sound masking protects confidential conversations and improves compliance with privacy regulations like HIPAA and GLBA.
Benefits of Sound Masking in Office Spaces
While open office layouts have made it easier for employees to collaborate, they’ve also inadvertently introduced counterproductive roadblocks in terms of noise distractions and a lack of privacy. Sound masking offers a simple yet highly effective way to address these challenges, creating a more functional and comfortable workspace.
1. Increased Productivity
Research shows that employees are interrupted by speech every 11 minutes, and it takes an average of 21.5 minutes to refocus afterward. These constant distractions lead to wasted time and decreased efficiency. By masking distracting conversations, employees can concentrate better, reducing the loss of productive work time.
2. Enhanced Speech Privacy
In open offices, healthcare facilities, financial institutions, and law firms, confidential conversations are inevitable — and often overheard. Lack of speech privacy is a major source of employee dissatisfaction and compliance risks. Sound masking helps prevent unintended listeners from understanding conversations, ensuring compliance and protecting sensitive information.
3. Reduced Workplace Stress
Noise distractions contribute to workplace stress, which can affect employee well-being and job satisfaction. Sound masking creates a more balanced acoustic environment, making the workspace feel calmer and more comfortable.
4. Cost-Effective Alternative to Construction
Instead of investing in expensive renovations or soundproofing materials, businesses can implement a scalable sound masking system that integrates seamlessly into their existing office infrastructure.
c2mTech and Biamp: Your Sound Masking Solution
c2mTech, in partnership with Biamp, offers cutting-edge sound masking solutions tailored to your office needs. As the world’s largest provider of sound masking systems, and trusted by over 40% of Fortune 100 companies, Biamp delivers advanced, energy-efficient solutions that enhance privacy and productivity. 
Whether you’re looking to improve focus in an open office, increase confidentiality in meeting rooms, or create a more comfortable workplace, c2mtech can help design and install a system that works for you.
Interested in Learning More?
If you’re curious about sound masking or would like a demo at your workplace or building, call us at 972-881-2268.
Sources: “How Does Sound Masking Work?” Biamp, 28 Mar. 2025, biamp.com/solutions/applications/soundmasking.