Smart Tech eyes south India for growth

With educational institutions mushrooming by the day, and coupled with the concentration of IT firms, Canadian firm Smart Technologies, a supplier of interactive white boards (IWBs), is betting big on the South Indian states for growth.

An interactive whiteboard is a touch-sensitive screen that works in conjunction with a computer and projector. They are used in educational institutions and companies for training and meetings.

The first interactive whiteboard was manufactured by Smart Technologies in 1991 and the firm has sold over 2.5 lakh IWBs worldwide.

"It is a product designed to enhance teacher productivity and accelerate the learning process among students. Educators globally have shown a keen interest in IWBs realising that the potential of the IWBs as not just instructional, but also as one that aims at professional development and student collaboration. Our clients in India include IITs and IISc. We intend to make our presence felt in an enhanced manner," Nancy Knowlton, CEO and co-founder, Smart Technologies, told Business Standard.

"South India happens to be a significant market owing to the presence of the IT industry and the large number of engineering colleges. Last year, we sold over 500 IWBs in India and we hope to increase the numbers greatly by focussing on this region. We held a series of interactions with the stake-holders to achieve a higher growth rate," she added.

The firm is also hoping to bag government projects to supply IWBs and learning modules to schools. It has successfully commissioned a similar project in Mexico.

"We held discussions with government officials in New Delhi on our projects. We are hopeful of coming up with suitable projects," she added.