The most striking thing about the show floor at UC Expo in London this year was the imposing presence of the VIVIDtouch booth in the centre of the exhibition. In the three months since the BETT show, the VIVIDtouch brand has gone from launch to international recognition as a potential leader.
Why has the market reacted to VIVIDtouch so positively? Nigel Steljes, founder of VIVIDtouch and he brand’s UK distributor Steljes Ltd, believes that the combination of FlatFrog’s touch technology, the Windows 10 operating system and the sophisticated look and feel of the product is a winning combination.
Interestingly, Nigel Steljes concedes that the product’s initial development was focused on the needs of teachers. Market research revealed that teachers use exactly the same software tools in lesson preparation and presentation as commercial users – Microsoft applications including Word. Excel and PowerPoint. What better way to display the results than the Windows 10 environment of VIVIDtouch?
What has been astonishing, give the timescale, is the level of interest in VIVIDtouch expressed by corporate and business users. This was absolutely apparent at UC Expo, where enterprise representatives immediately understood the ability of the VIVIDtouch VTF range to deliver Microsoft Office apps directly from the panel.
No compromises
With the product strategy meeting widespread approval, the quality of the hardware and software components also plays to the consensus. The VTF series includes the built-in full-feature Quad core INTEL Windows 10 processor to accelerate performance with the Windows 10 operating system to enable users to access, manage and create content, while using familiar software packages, browse the internet and employ cloud services to extend VIVIDtouch capabilities.
But perhaps the most obvious quality differentiator is the use of VIVIDtouch InGlass using FlatFrog technology. FlatFrog has long been admired and it is one of the unexplained mysteries of AV development that it hasn’t been adopted for similar application before. InGlass technology is described as giving users a true tablet-like experience, replicating the responsive, smooth, intelligent and accurate performance on a large touch screen optimised for the workplace.
The VTF range is available in three different sizes, 65”, 75” and 84”, and has been specifically designed with ease of use and deployment in mind, with control keys on the front of the display, as well as connection ports. Users can integrate written content with OneNote and share with colleagues, as well as log in to their Office 365 accounts, accessing their files and information, or Skype for Business on the panel itself, negating the need for an additional PC or laptop in the meeting room.
We know that Microsoft has plans to integrate further capabilities into Windows 365. Offering collaboration tools within its standard applications. Security is often a question that is raised by CTOs or CIOs. VIVIDtouch plays its part here, with Windows Defender providing real-time protection by scanning everything that is downloaded or run on the touchscreen. Windows Firewall filters information coming in from the internet to block any potentially harmful software or content.
Restructuring
While really gratifying for the Steljes team, the initial plaudits for VIVIDtouch pose a challenge in their own right. Almost from Day 1, it is clear that demand for the product is global. This demand is already manifesting from channel partners and also from multinational end-user organisations. It is unlikely that VIVIDtouch is one of those products that can be phased in territory-by-territory – customers want it now. Nigel Steljes and his team are working to ensure adequacy of supply and also the availability of all the support services that the corporate wold demands.
VIVIDtouch VTF: a combination of FlatFrog’s much admired touch technology, the Windows 10 operating system, familiar Microsoft applications and sophisticated look and feel.
And let’s not forget that the product was launched to similar acclaim at BETT. Nigel Steljes believes that he has successfully addressed the pricing issues that dogged Microsoft’s own Surface Hub in the enterprise space and, to an extent, SMART Technologies in education. With a complete suite of interactive touchscreens, from the Windows 10 offering with VIVIDtouch; the Android option from BenQ; and the established SMART Technologies range with Notebook, the Steljes distribution business has been restructured to achieve the necessary balance in the organisation.
By covering all the bases, Nigel Steljes is confident about the future for all aspects of his business. News of the shared distribution for the UK of the SMART product line has been offset by this latest, and potentially most successful, evolution of his business.
Nigel Steljes: maintaining a balanced portfolio of interactive touchscreen solutions, while master of his own destiny with VIVIDtouch.