Local broad band distributor, Siltek Distribution Dynamics (SDD), has made a deal which will see the range of Philips monitors it distributes equipped with touch-sensitive screen technology. Dereck Hindry, general manager of Philips products at SDD, says the agreement with MicroTouch will allow the local distributor to simply replace the front panel of a standard Philips monitor with one of a range of touch-sensitive screens where applications or customers demand. "This enables us to add significant value to the monitors we distribute," he says. MicroTouch develops and manufactures a variety of screens suited to a wide range of applications - such as games, vending machines, kiosks, industrial work, retail or restaurant point-of-sale systems, financial applications and even medical tasks. The most commonly used form of touch screen, ClearTek, employs a capacitive film which can be optically bonded to the underlying monitor for shatterproof construction. Providing a touch-sensitive surface that requires pressure of less than two ounces maintained for less than three milliseconds, this surface provides the rapid response required for most applications. For systems - such as manufacturing or industrial applications - demanding a more robust solution, MicroTouch has developed its resistive technology. TouchTek features the ability to detect touch from virtually any stylus - such as a gloved hand, a pen or any number of blunt pointers. The company has also introduced its projected capacitive technology which is designed so that users never actually touch the sensor. The ThruGlass sensor is safely placed behind up to an inch of glass, plastic or any non-conductive material, bringing the power of touch to new environments without worries about weather, vandals or contaminants -- making it suitable for the harshest environments. Finally, MicroTouch has also developed a capacitive digitiser - allowing handwriting recognition, signature capture, data capture, annotation and precise pointing added to touch-sensitive systems and applications. "TouchPen intelligently distinguishes between pen and finger touches and can selectively `ignore` the hand while it rests on the screen during writing," explains Hindry.
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