Why Microsoft Needed Perceptive Pixel & Vice Versa
Microsoft is set to buy multi-user large display touch screens this summer the firms announced Monday.
And though the terms of the deal are not yet public Microsoft has big plans with the acquisition. Kurt DelBene, president, Office Division for Microsoft in a statement said; “The acquisition of PPI allows us to draw on our complementary strengths, and we’re excited to accelerate this market evolution”.
Microsoft is probably making the costly screens available for the public and embedded with their Windows 8 operating software and some hardware additions.
DelBene added ;”PPI’s large touch displays, when combined with hardware from our OEMs, will become powerful Windows 8-based PCs and open new possibilities for productivity and collaboration.”
And to make the displays available to the mainstream market Microsoft wants to make them affordable; according to Microsoft’s GM Giovanni Mezgec as told to Bloomberg.
Jeff Han PPI founder speaking in the statement of their deal with Microsoft showed his readiness to work with Microsoft.
“By joining Microsoft, we will be able to take advantage of the tremendous momentum of the Microsoft Office Division, tightly interoperate with its products, and deliver this technology to a very broad set of customers.”
Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer said at the Mobile World Conference in Barcelona this February that the PPI screens could connect to PCs and looked similar to the Windows 8 tablet varying only in size and price. Windows 8 also works well with the PPI screens. It’s yet to be launched and an earlier acquisition of a might-be competitor secures Windows 8 future and its successors. The Windows 8 OS will be relayed to hardware manufacturers in August and will be ready for consumers in October 2012.
The PPI screens too have a huge market potential. Apart from the 2006 TED demonstration, the CNN’s wall screen during the 2008 US elections and a number of other major functions. The 2006 founded firm lists on its blog a number of clients which will be another market penetration for Microsoft. There are government agencies to learning institutions and events.
Microsoft too has a set of its own partner conferences which would need the interactive screen technology for its presentations.
PPI not only specializes in hardware but also has expertise in the interactive large screen display software and its acquisition gives Microsoft open access, ownership and continuous development to suit its needs.
