SMART maintains strong lead in 2011 interactive display product category

SMART Technologies, a leading provider of collaboration solutions, announces its continued leadership in the global interactive display product category, which includes interactive whiteboards, with a 45 percent share for 2011. SMART shipped a total of approximately 385,000 SMART Board^® interactive whiteboards during the year. According to Futuresource Consulting, an independent global research company that has tracked interactive display shipments for 12 years, SMART’s share was more than twice that of its nearest competitor. Compared to 2010, SMART increased its product category share in EMEA and was also the leading interactive display provider in many other countries, including Saudi Arabia.

Futuresource reports that a total of approximately 857,000 interactive displays were shipped globally in 2011. This is forecasted to increase to approximately 965,000 in 2012, up 12.6 percent, with most of the growth expected to occur in EMEA. While substantial opportunities remain in education, these numbers also reflect an increasing use by business users.

SMART products have been available in the Middle East for over a decade and have contributed significantly to the region’s move towards adopting ICT products and digital resources into classrooms. Incorporating SMART Board® interactive whiteboards and the corresponding SMART Notebook™ collaborative learning software can positively enhance the teaching and learning experience and increasingly, schools across the Middle East are adopting these products allowing for increased collaboration and interaction and access to a world of digital resources.

“Educational establishments across both the public and private sectors are recognizing the impact that technology can have in the classroom and investing in educational technology products,” said Aaron Fright, Area Manager, SMART Technologies Middle East. “SMART is the global leader in the provision of interactive whiteboards and other technology products and it is our commitment to our customers in and helping transform education so it is more interactive, compelling and engaging, that allows us to go from strength to strength.”