Smart Technologies had a large suite area to meet with clients and partners. First the company told us that it has adopted a new name for its interactive displays ‘SmartBoards’, bowing to the inevitable, as the word SmartBoard has become a generic term for interactive displays in education. Going forward, the company will have three series of products, the 2000 series, 6000 and 7000 and will have a range from 65″ to 86″.
The 2000 series is a breakthrough, in that it doesn’t have any integrated touch features. That allows customers that need a mixture of touch and non-touch products can stay with the Smart brand. Of course, since the acquisition by Foxconn, Smart has got access to a very competitive supply chain for this kind of product. Initially, it will be available in 75″ and is intended to allow wireless or wired connections for content sharing.
The 6000 series is the mainstream range with the 7000 being at the high end and supporting the FlatFrog InGlass technology, which Smart calls ‘HyprTouch’. The 6000 series includes the iQ technology to allow simplified access to cloud content including content and materials, software and applications.
The 7000 series supports up to 16 simultaneous touch points and can work with four users, using pens or fingers/palms. There are dual presence detection and a magnetic pen tray. Other features include on-screen video preview and source switching.
At ISE, Smart will focus on business collaboration products.
