SMART Technologies (NASDAQ: SMT, TSX: SMA) announces the launch of the 400, 600 and 800 series SMART Board™ interactive whiteboard line, SMART Notebook™ collaborative learning software and the SMART Table™ interactive learning center for Indian classrooms. The Indian education system has witnessed a paradigm shift over the last few years with the system of teaching and learning evolving and transforming into 21st century state-of-the art learning classrooms equipped with innovative educational solutions to facilitate technology-enabled education. SMART Technologies has identified this change as these next-generation products and solutions are aimed to further impact long-term technology implementation programs for education in India.
Sanjiv Pande, Managing Director – India and South Asia, SMART Technologies says, “India has traditionally had a strong emphasis on ‘education’. The country has made extraordinary advances in education and the education sector is poised for substantial growth and progress. Education today has evolved out of the realm of conventional methods of teaching, to a more intelligent, digitized and smarter way of teaching and learning. Educational institutes globally have adopted interactive IT solutions and now India is recognizing the growing demand for wholesome and comprehensive value-add educational solutions as well. As the pioneer of the interactive whiteboard and the global product category share leader, SMART has gained significant insight into the Indian education system and continues to provide solutions for the market. We believe that these end-to-end education solutions will further strengthen our commitment to India and help us enable Indian educators create a work force that is 21st-century educated, skilled and trained to thrive in a global world.”
Anju Visen-Singh, Director – Education Product Marketing, SMART Technologies elaborated further, “SMART 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. We are excited to present our education solutions to the India market and contribute to the adoption of ICT by the Indian education system.”
Elaborating on the technological advantages, Saptarshi Basu, Senior Product Manager, SMART Technologies adds “SMART’s products are technologically advanced and are equipped with the most natural and intuitive user experience to make collaboration enriching and engaging. The products are customized to the unique needs and demands of education customers and offer heightened possibilities of integration and free style functionality. The solutions encourage improved student outcomes such as increased student engagement, learner motivation and knowledge retention.’’
Education Solutions for India
The entry-level SMART Board 400 series interactive whiteboard, is designed to better meet the needs of educators throughout India. Using SMART’s patented DVIT™ (Digital Vision Touch) technology, the 400 series systems provide a fully integrated, low-cost interactive whiteboard option that recognises both pen and finger inputs and supports Microsoft® Windows® and Linux® operating systems. The 400 series systems also ship with award-winning SMART Notebook™ collaborative learning software, used by educators in more than 175 countries to create and deliver interactive lessons. The systems include the SMART Board 480iv interactive whiteboard system with a short-throw SMART V25 projector and the SMART Board 480iv, an interactive whiteboard system with a SMART V25 projector and integrated speakers.
The SMART Board 600 series interactive whiteboard combines a flexible pen-and-finger system with exceptional ease of use. Adaptable, dependable and intuitive, the 600 series has a state-of-the-art design housed in a classic interactive whiteboard styling. The 600 series interactive whiteboard is also available in a dual-touch model where, two users can simultaneously write in their own separate workspaces in SMART Notebook software. It includes 600i interactive whiteboard, a SMART projector and an extended control panel and the 685ix interactive whiteboard, which is the world’s first integrated system to combine an ultra-short-throw projector, a widescreen interactive whiteboard and an extended control panel.
The SMART Board 800 series interactive whiteboard offers the most natural and intuitive user experience yet on a SMART Board interactive whiteboard. The 800 series supports multiuser interaction, common multitouch gestures and object recognition to enable true student collaboration currently recognized in Microsoft® Windows® 7 and Mac Snow Leopard®. DViT technology uses proprietary digital cameras and sophisticated software to recognize a finger touch, stylus, pointer or other object input on the interactive whiteboard surface. The 800 series includes the standard (4:3 aspect ratio) 880 interactive whiteboard and 880i4 interactive whiteboard system with integrated projector. The 800 series also includes the widescreen (16:10 aspect ratio) 885 interactive whiteboard; the 885i4 interactive whiteboard system, which includes an integrated projector; and the 885ix interactive whiteboard system, featuring an integrated ultra-short-throw projector.
The SMART Table interactive learning center offers to engage pre-literate and literate learners aged three to eight. The SMART Table 230i interactive learning center. Unveiled in October 2008 in the United Kingdom and North America, the SMART Table 230i is the world’s first multitouch, multiuser interactive learning center designed specifically for early education. The hardware and firmware now offer improved display characteristics, built-in Wi-Fi, a quieter fan and support for an increased number of learning applications. The software enables teachers to create and preview activities on their computer and provides greater integration with other SMART products.
The SMART Notebookcollaborating learning software is the standard for creating, delivering and managing interactive lesson activities within a single application. With its rich set of features and digital resources, SMART Notebook puts all lesson materials right at an educator’s fingertips, helps you deliver high-impact lessons that bring learning to life, and connects you to a full ecosystem of content, tools and support.
About DViT (Digital Vision Touch) technology
Interactive whiteboards and interactive whiteboard systems with DViT technology use cameras embedded in the interactive whiteboard frame to detect and distinguish inputs made by a finger, fist, interactive whiteboard pen or other object. 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 multiple users.
Globally, SMART has been issued a broad portfolio of patents related to DViT technology with a significant number of patents pending. The SMART Table, interactive displays, SMART Podium and newest SMART Board 800 and 400 series interactive whiteboard use this technology
Pricing and availability
Prices vary by country and may include applicable taxes, duties and import costs.
For purchasing information, specifications and a list of authorized SMART resellers, visit smarttech.com
Image
Download the images of the SB 400 Series, SB 600 Series, SB 800 Series, SMART Table and SMART Notebook software from the SMART’s Image Gallery.
Link to SMART Image Gallery
About SMART
SMART Technologies 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.
