Leading provider of interactive whiteboards on pace for another record year
WASHINGTON, DC --- June 29, 2009 --- SMART Technologies announces it continues to be the preferred choice for interactive whiteboard purchasers in the United States. In the first five months of 2009, from January to May, SMART sold nearly 65,000 SMART Board™ interactive whiteboards to U.S. customers, a 28 percent increase over sales in the same period last year. Sales of the SMART Board 600i interactive whiteboard system were particularly strong, increasing by nearly 140 percent compared to the first five months of 2008. SMART Response sales were also robust. Figures show U.S. educators have purchased nearly 7,800 of SMART’s interactive response systems so far this year, a 53 percent increase over last year’s sales in the same period. The company’s records indicate SMART products continue to be popular throughout the United States, with significant recent sales to school districts in many states including New York, California, Virginia, Texas, Arizona and Illinois.
Since introducing the world’s first interactive whiteboard in 1991, SMART has been the leading provider of interactive whiteboards in the United States. In 2008, SMART enjoyed close to a 60 percent product category share. It sold just over 160,000 interactive whiteboards, making it a record year for the company. SMART’s sales in 2009 indicate last year’s record will be surpassed. Futuresource Consulting, an independent research firm that regularly tracks industry sales by country and globally, has forecast that the United States will install nearly 275,000 interactive whiteboards in 2009 – the largest number ever for one year.
“Federal and state governments across the United States are currently asking educators to make important decisions about the implementation of technology in the classroom,” says Nancy Knowlton, SMART’s CEO. “It is heartening to see so many U.S. educators choosing SMART as the company best able to provide interactive environments to improve learning outcomes.”
