Allows more students to interact simultaneously for increased collaboration
CALGARY, Alberta --- January 6, 2012 --- SMART Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: SMT) (TSX: SMA), a leading provider of collaboration solutions, announces a no-charge upgrade enabling four-touch interactivity on its education line of the SMART Board 800 series interactive whiteboard and the SMART Board 8070i interactive display. For use with SMART Notebook™ collaborative learning software, four-touch interactivity will be available on all shipping 800 series interactive whiteboards and 8070i interactive displays. Additionally, customers with existing interactive whiteboards and displays can upgrade to this feature at no cost and with no additional hardware. The 800 series interactive whiteboard and the 8070i interactive 
display support multiuser writing and common multitouch gestures currently recognized in Microsoft® Windows® 7 and Mac Snow Leopard® operating systems. The four-touch functionality will increase opportunities for collaboration by giving students more hands-on time at the interactive whiteboard or display. The no-charge upgrade – available in Q2 2012 – will enable simultaneous freestyle interaction and object awareness for up to four users. The new functionality will also enable two users to engage in multitouch gestures at the same time. Teachers can access SMART Notebook lessons designed for four-touch interactivity through the SMART Exchange™ website (exchange.smarttech.com).
The SMART Board 800 series interactive whiteboard and the SMART Board 8070i interactive display offer true collaboration and a natural and intuitive user experience. The products feature DViT® (Digital Vision Touch) technology, which uses embedded cameras that detect and distinguish inputs made by a finger, fist, pen or other object. This optical touch technology offers many advantages over other touch technologies, including effortless zero-force touch, the ability to scale to large sizes and the ability to support multiple touches and users. Freestyle interaction enables multiple users to perform different tasks simultaneously, such as writing with digital ink and manipulating objects anywhere on the display surface. With object awareness, the interactive whiteboard or display automatically recognizes if up to four students are using fingers or pens, allowing them to switch seamlessly between the two. Additional information on the SMART Board 800 series interactive whiteboard can be found at smarttech.com/SMARTBoard800. For more information on the SMART Board 8070i interactive display, visit smarttech.com/SMARTBoard8070i.
“Adding four-touch interactivity to our education line of SMART Board 800 series interactive whiteboards and the SMART Board 8070i interactive display enhances the collaborative capabilities of our products,” says Linda Thomas, Vice President, Products, SMART Technologies. “Now, even more students will be able to interact with lesson material on the interactive whiteboard and display leading to increased student engagement and improved learning outcomes.”
Features
Freestyle interaction – Allows up to four users to perform different tasks at the same time anywhere on the interactive whiteboard or display surface
Touch gestures – Accepts common multitouch gestures for two users currently recognized in Microsoft Windows 7 and Mac Snow Leopard, including one- and two-finger gestures such as pinching, zooming and tossing
Object awareness – Distinguishes automatically between fingers, pens or other objects, recognizing the tool choices of up to four users
Multiuser Pen Tray – Enables users to pick up a pen and begin writing. Easy-to-use buttons on the Pen Tray make switching ink color, right-mouse clicks and accessing the On-Screen Keyboard effortless.
Modular design Pen Tray – Enables the quick and easy integration of accessories such as the extended control panel
Locking pen mode – Locks the SMART Board interactive whiteboard in pen mode, so students can write and draw with a finger, pen or other object
Warranty – Includes a two-year standard warranty or a five-year warranty with product registration
SMART product integration – Integrates seamlessly with the full range of SMART hardware and software
Image
Download an image of the SMART Board 800 series with four-touch interactivity.
About SMART
SMART Technologies Inc. is a leading provider of collaboration solutions that transform the way the world works and learns. We believe that collaboration and interaction should be easy. As the global leader in interactive whiteboards, we bring more than two decades of collaboration research and development to a broad range of easy-to-use, integrated solutions that free people from their desks and computer screens, so collaborating and learning with digital resources are more natural.
Reader’s advisory
Certain information contained in this press release may constitute forward-looking information or statements. By their very nature, forward-looking information and statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and risks that predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking information and statements will not be achieved. We caution readers not to place undue reliance on these statements as a number of important factors could cause the actual results to vary materially from the forward-looking information or statements. We do not assume responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of the forward-looking information or statements. Any forward-looking information and statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.
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For more information, please contact
Public Relations
SMART Technologies Inc.
Phone +1.403.407.5128
E-mail pr@smarttech.com
smarttech.com
© 2012 SMART Technologies. SMART Board, SMART Notebook, SMART Exchange, DViT, smarttech and the SMART logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of SMART Technologies in the U.S. and/or other countries. All third-party product and company names are for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.
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