Call centre solutions and information display systems group Ascot Systems South Africa is hoping to break into the retail market with new display and touch-screen technology.
The Lumin range of interactive and touch-screens is manufactured in Europe and the UK, and was launched at the Futurex exhibition last month, says Ascot technical consultant Duncan Gilliland.
Gilliland explains that the screens, made of crystal lattice polymer and bonded with glass or Perspex for rigidity, are designed to operate in an ambient light environment, which is an advantage over currently available display screens, which only work effectively in darkened conditions.
"What is also different about the touch-screen interactivity is that it operates on capacitance resistance technology, which means it can work through glass, as direct touching is not needed. This makes it ideal for the retail sector, where screens can be used as 'silent salesmen`," he points out, adding that the company will also target the corporate and manufacturing sectors.
Ascot Systems business development manager Sayed Abdool-Razak notes that the display and interactive screens are also suited to "blue-collar" environments, such as factories or mines, where many employees have no access to a keyboard, but need to receive information in the work area.
The group, explains Abdool-Razak, also supplies display software for the screens, which integrates with existing systems.
"We are trying to target vertical markets such as estate agents, but we expect that the spin-off from these sectors will be rather big," he says.
He claims that the technology has attracted interest from the educational sector, a fast-food chain and various corporate and manufacturing organisations.
"The fast-food chain is looking at adopting the screens to replace its display boards, which would make changing the displayed information cheaper. The franchise is also considering using the interactive screens for its 'drive-through`, which can cater for more than one car at a time along a driveway," Abdool-Razak says.
The Gautrain project has also expressed interest in the screens to potentially use them for displaying scheduling information, as they are designed to work in ambient light, he notes.
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