Hitachi Interactive Solutions unveils Plug and Present IWB
Vendor claims the interactive whiteboard will open up another market for its resellers
Hitachi Interactive Solutions has launched its first interactive whiteboard (IWB) specifically designed for the corporate market.
Supplied with a USB stick containing the software, Hitachi’s Plug and Present IWB allows users to plug the stick into the computer and start presenting immediately.
Plug and Present can also be used as a standard whiteboard and has built-in conferencing software that allows communication between up to 50 IWBs.
Alex Goudge, marketing manager at Hitachi, told CRN: “Plug and Present will open up another market to our resellers. We are giving our VARs a board that is specifically tailored for the corporate market.”
Colin Messenger, senior consultant at analyst Decision Tree Consulting, said: “It is a very sensible move by Hitachi because although education is still a big market for IWBs, it is no longer growing. Corporate is a tiny market at present, but by 2010 we predict it will represent 25 per cent of all IWB sales in the UK.”
Plug and Present will be available via Hitachi’s two UK distributors: Midwich and Medium UK.
Stuart Mizon, audiovisual divisional director at Midwich, told CRN: “The majority of other IWB vendors focus on education, so this gives us a new message to offer our resellers and something different for VARs to talk to customers about.”
Paul O’Reilly, commercial director at Medium UK, said: “By providing a simple USB device, users can gain control of the whiteboard without loading any bespoke software. This prohibits the need to gain full access rights to the customers PC and/or network environment.”
Smart Technologies, market share leader in the IWB market, pointed out that its 600i all-in-one IWB system, launched in September (CRN 9 October), can also operate without being connected to a computer.