SMART Technologies
Encyclopedia
Smart Technologies is a publicly traded company headquartered in Calgary
, Alberta
, Canada
. Founded in 1987, Smart Technologies is best known as the developer of the Smart Board interactive whiteboard
. As of the 2011 fiscal year end, Smart Board interactive whiteboards lead the interactive whiteboard category with a 63% share in the United States, 44% share in EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) and 47% share globally. On July 15, 2010, Smart Technologies placed an initial public offering
(IPO).
As of October 2011, Smart Technologies has received more than 30 awards, including the 2011 Digital Alberta Outstanding Achievement Award, and was
ranked #18 on the 2011 Branham300 list of Canada's top ICT companies. In 2004, the company was awarded 2004-2007 Worlddidac Quality Charter (WQC) accreditation, a status which was received again for the 2007-2010 term. In 2011, the Smart Technologies Headquarters in Calgary, Alberta, received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
Gold standard certification.
which resulted in joint product development and marketing efforts and Intel’s ongoing equity ownership in Smart. Smart first received ISO 9001
certification in 1998 and most recently renewed this registration in July, 2009. In 2000, Smart opened its first office outside North America in Bonn, Germany. Additional offices were opened in Washington, D.C.
(2001), Tokyo, Japan
(2001), Manhattan, NY
(2002), Chicago
(2006), Shanghai, China
(2006) and Paris
(2009).
On July 15, 2010 Smart Technologies placed an initial public offering on the NASDAQ stock exchange and Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX), raising upwards of $660 million.
to provide touch control of computer applications and annotation over standard Microsoft Windows applications. In 2003, Smart developed and later patented DViT (Digital Vision Touch) technology. This camera-based touch technology for interactive whiteboards and interactive displays uses digital cameras and proprietary software and firmware to detect finger or pen contact with the screen. That contact is then interpreted as finger or pen activity.
In 2009, Smart filed a patent infringement lawsuit against New Zealand-based NextWindow before acquiring the company outright in 2010. As of fiscal year end 2010, Smart Technologies holds more than 150 issued patents with more than 600 patents pending. In 2011, Smart Technologies celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Smart Board interactive whiteboard, which coincided with the installation of the two millionth interactive whiteboard.
As of October 2011, Smart employs more than 1,700 people. Smart products are sold through dealers across North America and through distributors in countries around the world.
and other software.
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Founded in 1987, Smart Technologies is best known as the developer of the Smart Board interactive whiteboard
Interactive whiteboard
An interactive whiteboard , is a large interactive display that connects to a computer and projector. A projector projects the computer's desktop onto the board's surface where users control the computer using a pen, finger, stylus, or other device...
. As of the 2011 fiscal year end, Smart Board interactive whiteboards lead the interactive whiteboard category with a 63% share in the United States, 44% share in EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) and 47% share globally. On July 15, 2010, Smart Technologies placed an initial public offering
Initial public offering
An initial public offering or stock market launch, is the first sale of stock by a private company to the public. It can be used by either small or large companies to raise expansion capital and become publicly traded enterprises...
(IPO).
As of October 2011, Smart Technologies has received more than 30 awards, including the 2011 Digital Alberta Outstanding Achievement Award, and was
ranked #18 on the 2011 Branham300 list of Canada's top ICT companies. In 2004, the company was awarded 2004-2007 Worlddidac Quality Charter (WQC) accreditation, a status which was received again for the 2007-2010 term. In 2011, the Smart Technologies Headquarters in Calgary, Alberta, received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design consists of a suite of rating systems for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings, homes and neighborhoods....
Gold standard certification.
Company Information
Smart Technologies is a publicly traded company headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. In 1992, Smart formed a strategic alliance with Intel CorporationIntel Corporation
Intel Corporation is an American multinational semiconductor chip maker corporation headquartered in Santa Clara, California, United States and the world's largest semiconductor chip maker, based on revenue. It is the inventor of the x86 series of microprocessors, the processors found in most...
which resulted in joint product development and marketing efforts and Intel’s ongoing equity ownership in Smart. Smart first received ISO 9001
ISO 9000
The ISO 9000 family of standards relates to quality management systems and is designed to help organizations ensure they meet the needs of customers and other stakeholders . The standards are published by ISO, the International Organization for Standardization, and available through National...
certification in 1998 and most recently renewed this registration in July, 2009. In 2000, Smart opened its first office outside North America in Bonn, Germany. Additional offices were opened in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
(2001), Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
(2001), Manhattan, NY
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
(2002), Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
(2006), Shanghai, China
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
(2006) and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
(2009).
On July 15, 2010 Smart Technologies placed an initial public offering on the NASDAQ stock exchange and Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX), raising upwards of $660 million.
About Smart
Smart Technologies introduced the first Smart Board interactive whiteboard in 1991. It was the first interactive whiteboardInteractive whiteboard
An interactive whiteboard , is a large interactive display that connects to a computer and projector. A projector projects the computer's desktop onto the board's surface where users control the computer using a pen, finger, stylus, or other device...
to provide touch control of computer applications and annotation over standard Microsoft Windows applications. In 2003, Smart developed and later patented DViT (Digital Vision Touch) technology. This camera-based touch technology for interactive whiteboards and interactive displays uses digital cameras and proprietary software and firmware to detect finger or pen contact with the screen. That contact is then interpreted as finger or pen activity.
In 2009, Smart filed a patent infringement lawsuit against New Zealand-based NextWindow before acquiring the company outright in 2010. As of fiscal year end 2010, Smart Technologies holds more than 150 issued patents with more than 600 patents pending. In 2011, Smart Technologies celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Smart Board interactive whiteboard, which coincided with the installation of the two millionth interactive whiteboard.
As of October 2011, Smart employs more than 1,700 people. Smart products are sold through dealers across North America and through distributors in countries around the world.
Hardware
The company supplies varieties of its Smart Board product. It also supplies various other interactive technology products, including Podium, Response, Table, Document Camera and Slate, and standard accessoriesSoftware
The company supplies software for use with its Smart Board and other hardware. It also supplies videoconferencingVideoconferencing
Videoconferencing is the conduct of a videoconference by a set of telecommunication technologies which allow two or more locations to interact via two-way video and audio transmissions simultaneously...
and other software.