TOUCH SCREENS DISPLACE KEYPADS ON INDUSTRIAL ELECTRONIC OPERATOR INTERFACE TERIMINALS

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TOUCH SCREENS DISPLACE KEYPADS ON INDUSTRIAL ELECTRONIC OPERATOR INTERFACE TERIMINALS
19 January 2005 - Venture Development Corporation

A market report by Venture Development Corporation, 'The North American Markets for Industrial Electronic Monitors and Operator Interface Terminals – Fifth Edition,' finds a continuing shift toward greater use of touchscreens instead of keypads as input devices for operator interface terminals.

Current and forecast 2006 North American shipment shares of operator interface terminals with keypads, touch screens and both keypads and touch screens. About 70% of shipments incorporate touch screens, either as the exclusive input device or in addition to a keypad. This share is expected to increase as growth is anticipated for both the share of terminals with only touchscreens and those with both touch screens and keypads. Touch screens provide an easy-to-use graphic interface for data or command inputs and occupy less space than a keyboard. The incorporation of a small keypad or shortcut keys with a touch screen increases the usability of the operator interface terminal, and vendors are introducing such products. Overall, however, it is seen that the share of shipments with keypads is expected to decrease.

As was the case in a prior 4th edition study conducted by VDC on the market in 2000, resistive technology accounts for the vast majority of touchscreen shipments. This is due to the cost-effectiveness and reliability of the technology. Capacitive touchscreens have gained some market share since 2000 and many suppliers offer both resistive and capacitive technologies. Capacitive touchscreens are highly durable, but are more expensive than resistive touchscreens and cannot be used with gloves. Other technologies, such as near-field imaging, infrared, surface acoustic wave and guided acoustic wave are used in some terminals, but are generally less capable of surviving harsh environments, or are too costly.

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About: Venture Development Corporation
Venture Development Corporation (VDC) is an independent technology market research and strategy consulting firm that specializes in a number of industrial, embedded, defense and niche enterprise IT markets. VDC has been operating since 1971, when graduates of the Harvard Business School and Massachusetts Institute of Technology founded the firm. Today, we employ a talented collection of analysts and consultants who offer a rare combination of expertise in the market research process; experience in technology product and program management, and formal training in engineering and marketing. VDC's clients include thousands of the largest and fastest growing tech suppliers in the world and the most successful investors participating in the markets we cover.

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