Some reports estimate that pre-COVID 20% of employed adults worked from home. That percentage soared to 71% during the pandemic. At least half of those people want to continue working from home. Zoom, one of several video-conferencing software platforms, reported that, on its platform, 10 million people met daily in December 2019, mushrooming to 300 million people in June 2020. So there has been a large chunk of the population needing to learn a new kind of employment where the home is the workplace. With that comes new challenges, such as staying motivated, coordinating with coworkers in different time zones, and, except for people who live alone, the interruptions, particularly when you are in the midst of a virtual meeting.
Whoever you share a home with (spouse/partner, roommate, children, parent) does not mean to be rude. They see you sitting there, and it seems harmless to ask a quick question: Where’s the peanut butter? When will you be done? Bet you’re glad to be away from your ogre of a boss? And, yikes!, the boss is right there on your computer, part of the meeting.
Any kind of interruption is disturbing during a meeting—to you and to your coworkers. Imagine being in a meeting room and people keep opening the door and hollering in. A “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door should solve that problem. What if you could have a “Do Not Disturb” button on your desk to let people know that you are busy and, perhaps most important, that the people on your computer can hear them!
Five very clever people dealing with interruptions while working at home got together to figure out a solution. Voila! MuteMe!
MuteMe is a peripheral device, a button, that allows others to know immediately if your mic is on or off during a virtual meeting. The button glows green for “on” and red for “off.” The software works with MacOS, Windows and Linux operating systems; is able to control any microphone; and syncs across multiple conferencing apps, such as Zoom, Webex, Skype and Google Meet.
MuteMe Features
- Modern sleek design
- Ready to go right out of the box, simply install and plug in
- Takes up minimal desk space: 2.3” x 2.3” x .7”
- Rubber feet keep it from slipping around
- Made from durable polycarbonate and stainless steel
- Toggle from mute to unmute with a tap of your finger
- 8 colors that you can program according to your preferences or to accommodate people who are red/green colorblind
- 360º brilliant light
MuteMe Founders
- Parm Dhoot, CEO, BS in Business Administration and Management, employed in Human Resources, tech wizard, inveterate tinkerer.
- Tye Davis, CFO, MA in Communications: Media & Public Relations, BS in Business Administration: Marketing, Manager of Technical Marketing for software corporation.
- Handeep Dhoop, COO, PhD in Chemistry, author of Tinker Toddlers Books about machine learning, artificial intelligence, and interplanetary travel; R&D engineer; inventor in artificial intelligence, material science, and autonomous vehicles.
- Brittany Davis, CMO, degree in Mass Communication/Media Studies, entrepreneur, owns and operates three businesses.
- Pavan Purewal. Lead Software Engineer, BS in Mathematics and Computer Science, software engineer for Ticketmaster and Voyager Space Technologies.
They came up with the idea of the button in August 2020. By June 2021, MuteMe was being sold in Staples and online.
