Special report continued from P10
rate users not only want the sleek look and feel of PCAP for their boardrooms and meeting rooms, they also want a nat- ural handwriting experience. PCAP is ideal for applications with fine detail – architectural design, construction, engineer- ing, product design, car manu- facturers and CAD. The
move to collaborative
working in corporates is mir- rored by the move to cloud- based working. This makes it easy for people to walk into a meeting space and access and share their content. But, he concedes, price will continue to be the limiting factor on demand. True-bonded PCAP is around double the price of standard touch. From a buy- er’s perspective, there isn’t a TCO case to make. It doesn’t last longer and is no easier to repair. “Buyers will choose it because they want the best – best looking, the most respon- sive and accurate,” comments Marklew.
Collaborative tools
To add further value to its busi- ness collaboration solutions, Clevertouch added additional capabilities including option- al Mobile Device Management (MDM). Marklew explains: “No longer will IT support have to perform diagnostics on each screen, using a new centralised
MDM system will save Clever- touch users valuable time and we’ll also give them a new op- tion of switching off and wiping the screen remotely.” With Clevertouch MDM users can create groups to make sure each screen has the most suit- able apps and files for its envi- ronment. They can take control of the Clevertouch screen from their desktop and push mes- sages directly to the Clever- touch display (ideal for security announcements). Optionally, Clevertouch MDM can serve as the basis for managing oth- er devices in the organisation (Android, Windows, iOS and Chrome OS) from a single con- sole, such as: desktops, lap- tops, tablets and smartphones. Clevertouch
has also intro-
duced Over-the-Air technology for promulgation of new fea- tures, bug fixes, software and hardware updates. These can be seamlessly delivered to ev- ery Clevertouch screen, making life easier for IT Managers who are responsible for ensuring smooth running on site. Pre- viously IT Managers have had to spend time running manual maintenance and software up- dates on each machine – but now Clevertouch can handle this for them.
Marklew comments: “This is a huge step forward in touch- screen innovation. Clevertouch has always been the first with
the latest technologies and once again is the first inter- active touchscreen to harness wireless technology in this way.”
One final but almost univer- sally popular addition to, and a slightly unexpected hit in the Clevertouch range, is the Clev- ershare USB connection from a mobile device to the Clev- ertouch display. Users of the similarly named Belgian prod- uct will recognise the value of this as a handy time saver in kickstarting meetings.
PCAP on the Big PAD
Sharp’s latest range of Big PADs includes an 80-inch PCAP model, the PN-80TC3, designed to service the needs of customers for the company’s business machines. The Pro- jected Capacitive Touchscreen is paired with an advanced controller and faster sampling techniques. The controller em- ploys a unique algorithm which through increased sampling speeds of 220Hz and stron- ger signal creation reduces the amount of noise right down to 1/8 of that which would other- wise be expected. Touch accuracy is improved, unintended and false inputs are almost completely elim- inated, and latency virtually eliminated. BIG PAD’s touch- screen can recognise up to
ten simultaneous touches with pinpoint accuracy and as many as four people can use it at the same time. The Sharp Pen software also utilises unique technology, which allows pen pressure to influence the visi- ble result.
The speed and accuracy of the touch input using this ap- proach results in a natural and fluid writing experience, which along with pressure sensitivity feels almost identical to writing on an old-style whiteboard with marker pens. Quite unusually, this is a full HD product, with Sharp asking the question: “Is 4K really necessary for busi- ness applications.”
Does it have to be PCAP?
If 4K is a bit of a luxury for business, is PCAP a necessity? Unfortunately, we were not able to try the new 75-inch CTOUCH Leddura 2Meet and 2Share – they will not be available until the end of this month. But they sound promising. CTOUCH has worked closely together with Barco and Harman Kardon on the 4K Leddura range. Leddura 2Share was specially designed to share digital con- tent wirelessly and securely in meeting rooms. It also brings easy access to a digital white- board and annotation function- ality to make collaboration as easy as can be. The emphasis
in the Leddura 2Meet model is shared with video collaboration with remote meeting partici- pants.
The CTOUCH Leddura is compatible with Windows, Mac and Android platforms and has a slot for an onboard PC. The range is equipped with Micro- soft Skype for Business, offers secured wireless possibilities for working together and reacts to spoken commands for que- ries in Google and Microsoft. Unlike the Sharp BIG PAD, Leddura 2share and 2meet are both 4K but, unlike the Sharp, the glass is not PCAP. CTOUCH CEO Remmelt Van der Woude comments that CTOUCH has considerable ex- perience with touchscreens. He says that, currently, three quarters of all touch screens are sold to the educational market, but Leddura will be dif- ferent: “The CTOUCH Leddura enables users to work together on presentations in a secured, wireless environment. It is also equipped with the latest tech- nology by our partner Harman Kardon, thus enabling spoken commands for Google and Mi- crosoft”.
The introduction of the Led- dura range will see CTOUCH undergo some organisation- al and directional changes. CTOUCH CEO Remmelt Van der Woude commented: “CTOUCH is in the midst of transforming
from product-focused think- ing to client-focused thinking. ‘CTOUCH as a service’ soon becomes reality. Then we’re able to embark on a long-term relationship with our clients. A lasting relationship, with much attention to service, guidance, and personal commitment.
User requirements
So what conclusions did we reach from our perambulations around business collaboration. First, Microsoft Hub is unde- niable impressive. If your cus- tomer is a Microsoft house, and has the budget, make sure they see it and give it due consider- ation. If your customer does not want to be restricted to a locked down solution, be it from Mic- rosoft, Google or Cisco, there is no denying that most of the Hub benefits are available for a half or even a third of the cost of a 54-inch Hub, albeit at the smaller 65 or 70-inch screen size. For many installation en- vironments, this is enough.
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