London, UK – July 16, 2019 – This week, which sees the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing, Plantronics, Inc. (“Poly” – formerly Plantronics and Polycom) celebrates its pivotal role in the historic event. On 21st July 1969, at 02:56:15 UTC, the first words of Commander Neil Armstrong as he stepped onto the moon were transmitted through his Plantronics MS50 headset: “That’s one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind.”
The Plantronics MS50 formed the hardware portion of the iconic Communications Carrier Assembly (CCA) – known as the Snoopy cap – worn by Neil Armstrong, Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin and Michael Collins, providing the headband component, microphones and receivers.
A replica of the Plantronics MS50 headset used in the Snoopy cap was on show yesterday at a special exhibition in the Exploring Space Gallery at the Science Museum, London. Paul Clark, senior vice president (SVP) and EMEA managing director (MD) of Poly, highlighted the company’s mission to deliver human-first communication and Amy Barzdukas, executive vice president (EVP) and chief marketing officer (CMO) of Poly, set out what’s next for Poly in driving innovation and research and development in communications technology.
Helen Sharman CMG OBE, the first British astronaut, joined as a guest speaker to discuss her life in space and the importance of communications technology.
Paul Clark, SVP and EMEA MD at Poly comments: “The Apollo 11 landing was not only a momentous event in space history, but a pivotal moment for Poly. Through our focus on research and development we are developing world-leading communication technologies that power human connection and collaboration — ideal for those who also carry out their own mission-critical tasks in daily lives.”
The Plantronics MS50 headset was initially supplied to commercial airline pilots in 1962 before being implanted into an astronaut’s helmet by Pacific Plantronics (now Plantronics Inc.). It took only 11 days for the team and NASA to create a working microphone design, including noise-cancelling features, and it was used throughout the Gemini, Apollo and Skylab missions.
The Plantronics MS50 commercial aviation headset has been used by pilots for over 40 years and, with approval by the Federal Aviation Administration, a modified version was developed for air-traffic controllers. Since then, Poly has developed a full range of consumer and business communication products and its headsets, desk phones, and audio and video conferencing solutions are used worldwide.
Amy Barzdukas, EVP and CMO at Poly, comments: “Our unique heritage in mission-critical communication has laid the foundation for the technology we bring to market today. Poly’s focus on innovation is empowering people across the world by creating amazing ways for them to hear, see, work and collaborate in today’s increasingly digital world.”
About Poly
Plantronics, Inc. (“Poly”) (NYSE: PLT) is a global communications company that powers meaningful human connection and collaboration. Poly combines legendary audio expertise and powerful video and conferencing capabilities to overcome the distractions, complexity and distance that make communication in and out of the workplace challenging. Poly believes in solutions that make life easier when they work together and with our partners’ services. Our headsets, software, desk phones, audio and video conferencing, analytics and services are used worldwide and are a leading choice for every kind of workspace. For more information visit www.Poly.com.
Poly, the propeller design, and the Poly logo are trademarks of Plantronics, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Poly Media Contact:
Sonal Bisht
Poly
sonal.bisht@poly.com
+44 1753 723 726