Robin Thomas

sComm: makers of the UbiDuo

About sComm One family's efforts to find a communication solution has resulted in bringing access to a market estimated at 37 million Americans with hearing loss. Imagine what it would be like to have a son - a grown son with whom you share the same interests: real estate, business, finances, etc. - but you're unable to communicate meaningfully with him at a detailed level. Imagine you're a young man, eating breakfast with your father, and trying to have an in-depth conversation about real estate or finances - but you can't, because you're deaf. Your father can sign, but not as fluently as he would like so that the two of you would be able to discuss complex topics. Between the limitations of sign language, finger spelling and lip reading, your conversation is low-level at best and incredibly frustrating at worst. sComm, which stands for "simultaneous communications,"​ was founded in 2002 to design the UbiDuo. The company's focus is on enabling people to communicate directly with each other without face to face barriers. "Ubi"​ comes from the word 'ubiquitous'​ – means being present everywhere at once; being or seeming to be everywhere at the same time; omnipresent – and "Duo"​ – for two people. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office awarded a patent for the UbiDuo to sComm in 2005.