CALGARY, Alberta, Oct. 28, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SMART Technologies Inc. (Nasdaq:SMT) (TSX:SMA), a leading provider of collaboration solutions, announces that the company has joined the Microsoft Technology Center (MTC) Alliances program. Following a 2010 installation of SMART hardware and software products at the MTC in Irvine, California, SMART was invited to join the Alliances program because its products were recognized as offering interactive capabilities for improved collaboration and business decision making. The SMART Board™ 8070i interactive display, SMART Board 885ix interactive whiteboard system and SMART Meeting Pro™ software have since been installed in an additional 10 U.S. and 5 international centers. As a member of the Alliance program, SMART business solutions are now installed in all 11 U.S. MTC locations. With SMART products included in these MTCs, thousands of Microsoft® business customers can learn about the features and benefits of SMART business solutions.
The MTC Alliances program is a global initiative that includes industry leaders in hardware, software and services. The MTCs provide business customers access to innovative technologies and industry expertise, and offer strategy briefings, architecture design sessions and proof-of-concept workshops to help business customers determine which solutions will best meet their needs. For more information on SMART business solutions, including the 8070i, the 885ix and SMART Meeting Pro software, visit smarttech.com/business.
"We reached out to SMART Technologies to help us improve our communication and were overwhelmed with the response and expertise we received," says Scott Case, Director, Microsoft Technology Center in Irvine, California. "SMART business solutions have become a centerpiece in our meeting spaces and changed the way that we support our customers. We see SMART as not only a valuable member of the Alliance program but also a prime innovator of interactive technology products."
"We are pleased to join the Microsoft Technology Center Alliances program because the centers offer the opportunity to demonstrate the value of SMART collaboration solutions for business customers," says Linda Thomas, Vice President, Products, SMART Technologies. "With SMART business solutions in MTCs in the United States and around the world, customers will have the opportunity to engage with our innovative products and see firsthand how SMART solutions can enhance collaboration and improve productivity on a daily basis."
Video
See how Microsoft is using SMART business solutions at its MTCs in this video.
See the SMART Board 885ix interactive whiteboard system and SMART Board 8070i interactive display in action by watching this video.
Images
See how SMART solutions have been integrated into MTCs by viewing these images.
About Microsoft Technology Centers
The Microsoft Technology Centers offer an integrated enterprise approach that bridges the gap between personal productivity and business process automation software, which enables IT environments to better support evolving business requirements. Microsoft has 25 MTC facilities in major cities around the world, including Chicago, New York, Boston, Paris, Moscow and Tokyo. Some 50,000 people worldwide visit the centers annually. Additional information on Microsoft Technology Centers can be found at microsoft.com/mtc.
About SMART business solutions in Microsoft Technology Centers
SMART business solutions are installed in all 11 MTCs in the United States, including Irvine, CA; Boston, MA; Detroit, MI; Minneapolis, MN; Mountain View, CA; Atlanta, GA; Chicago, IL; Dallas, TX; New York, NY; Reston, VA; and Philadelphia, PA. The 5 international MTCs with SMART business solutions are Mexico City, Mexico; Munich, Germany; Paris, France; Thames Valley, UK; and Tokyo, Japan.
About SMART
SMART Technologies Inc. is a leading provider of collaboration solutions that transform the way the world works and learns. We believe that collaboration and interaction should be easy. As the global leader in interactive whiteboards, we bring more than two decades of collaboration research and development to a broad range of easy-to-use, integrated solutions that free people from their desks and computer screens, so collaborating and learning with digital resources are more natural.
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