US Akustica, a spin-off from a project conducted by Carnegie Mellon University in 2001, recently launched its AKU2000 offering, a single-chip microphone with an embedded analog-digital converter to be used in products such as notebook PCs and mobile phones. Currently, ECM (Electret Condenser Microphone) technology is used, but this needs a separate analog-digital converter and suffers from noise interference, which is significantly reduced using the new chip. Akustica's CEO was quoted as saying that several Taiwanese notebook PC makers are considering equipping their notebooks with the new chips within a few months. He also stated that services such as VoIP will greatly benefit from the new chip, as it significantly enhances sound quality.