MICRO INDUSTRIES® EXPANDS ITS TOUCH&GO™ CONFIGURABLE INTERACTIVE POS/POC SYSTEMS, OFFERING RETAILERS THE BEST IN TECHNOLOGY AND QUALITY
Touch&Go Systems, One of the First to Feature the Latest Intel® Mobile Processor with EmbeddedATX Architecture, Sharp® Electronics Flat Panel Displays, and Made-in-the-U.S.A. Quality
RETAIL SYSTEMS 2003, Chicago, ILL. — June 9, 2003
Micro Industries® today introduced new and upgraded products for its configurable interactive Touch&Go™ POS/POC systems. The Touch&Go systems’ performance, scalability, and reliability give retailers everything required for driving media-rich applications in most POS/POC environments.
“Our expanded Touch&Go family of interactive POS/POC systems is one of the first to combine the Intel® Pentium® M processor, the EmbeddedATX (EmbATX) architecture, Sharp® Electronics flat panel displays, wired or wireless options, and the quality and reliability of a product made in the U.S.A.,” stated Michael Curran, president of Micro Industries. “With compact form factors and sleek styling, Touch&Go configurable POS/POC systems provide myriad input/output (I/O) options to retailers and OEMs.”
Advanced Technologies Distinguish Touch&Go Systems:
All Touch&Go systems feature the latest Intel mobile processor, the Intel Pentium processor. The Touch&Go systems may be wireless-enabled for 802.11a, b, or g. The systems incorporate Micro Industries’ EmbATX motherboards. Intel developed the EmbeddedATX open architecture standard in conjunction with Micro Industries and other leading POS manufacturers. It provides a platform for embedded computers that incorporate the Intel EmbATX architecture, processors and chipsets for scalability, high performance, long-term design stability and component availability. This means retailers can now select reliable interactive systems that meet their price/performance requirements while providing an upgrade path for enhancements.
EmbATX format features a low-profile with a MicroATX motherboard compatible mounting, making it ideal for applications where space is at a premium.
“The Intel EmbeddedATX standard for the interactive client market segment will significantly impact interactive client systems,” said Ton Steenman, general manager, Embedded Intel Architecture Division. “The standard supports tremendous scalability and compatibility to maximize retailers’ investments in systems and software. Incorporating this standard platform into their technology strategies for kiosk, POS and POC systems, will enable retailers to achieve a much higher ROI on their embedded designs.”
Touch&Go: A Dramatic Improvement Over Existing Interactive POS/POCs
Kiosk and POS/POC systems now installed in many retail environments are either desktop personal computers (PCs) adapted by value-added resellers (VARs) or they are proprietary systems manufactured by POS companies and other companies for informational, retail, or fast food applications. In many cases these systems are bulky and not very effective. Kluged together with old-fashioned monitor displays with limited I/O options and non-standard components obtained offshore, they are assembled by integrators and packaged as interactive systems.
In contrast, Micro Industries’ Touch&Go interactive systems go far beyond the PC technology with Intel’s newest processors and EmbATX architecture. Designed for the demands of retail and quick-service restaurant environments, these new compact standards-based systems protect investments in hardware and software by maximizing system scalability, reliability, and serviceability. The easy swap-out feature assures retailers of maximum up-time for optimal ROI and lower total costs of ownership. Touch&Go systems also provide exceptional extra bright, wide-angle viewing, with full-color flat panel displays from Sharp (http://www.sharpsma.com).
Touch&Go Product Line Offers Retailers a Variety of Options
The Touch&Go systems include compact, sleek systems with small footprints that are available in tabletop, wall mount, or floor standing models. This enhanced and expanded line features two new systems — the Touch&Go Concierge™ and the Touch&Go Billboard™. It also includes three updated systems — Touch&Go Messenger™, Touch&Go Herald™, and Touch&Go Courier™.
- Touch&Go Concierge: The new freestanding Concierge system provides optimum low power/performance, and vivid graphics, in beautiful enclosures with small foot prints, exactingly created by kiosk design leader Rittal (http://www.rittal.com). These premium systems suit retail environments demanding the most stylish presentation of interactive electronics for high-end consumers where floor space is limited.
- Touch&Go Messenger: The Touch&Go Messenger is the first configurable interactive POS/POC system on the market to offer a 30-inch color display, low power Intel Pentium M processor, and a compact EmbATX motherboard, all in one computer. OEMs can mix and match components to suit their specific applications, configuring them with a 30-, 20.1-, or 15-inch display and choice of EmbATX motherboards with Intel Celeron®, Intel Pentium III, Intel Pentium 4, or Intel Pentium M processors. Other options include a resistive or surface acoustic wave (SAW) touch panel, optional processor speed, memory size, and more. Because the system is scalable, the Messenger system can be upgraded for substantial cost savings. The Messenger is classically designed for applications where peripherals are not directly attached to the enclosure or where only a touch-screen is required.
- Touch&Go Billboard: This new 30-inch color display-only Billboard system takes output from a computer, DVD, or any other device with video output and displays it on a wide-format, high-definition Sharp flat panel display. With its high-resolution flat panel display, the system is ideal for in-store advertising, branding, and digital information communication.
- Touch&Go Herald: The Touch&Go Herald is a configurable system that can be wall-mounted or countertop-mounted. It has a curvilinear external bezel for supporting a card reader, barcode scanner, or other peripheral devices. Its bright 15- or 20-inch LCD panel has an extra-wide viewing angle and a resistive or SAW touchscreen that is enclosed in a durable custom bezel overlay built to withstand long-term customer use. This system also offers a wide selection of peripheral features.
- Touch&Go Courier: Touch&Go Courier systems are configurable computers designed to be embedded or mounted within a retailer’s own enclosure for use with or without an LCD display and touch screen. The LCD panel is available in sizes ranging from 10.4- to 15-inches and can be embedded into a custom enclosure or panel mounted from behind a wall. The touchscreen can be configured with either resistive or SAW technology to suit the application. The Courier is the ideal modular solution, offering a choice of two form factors — one with three internal PCI expansion slots, the other with a single PCI expansion slot.
Availability and Price
Based on configuration and order volume, Micro Industries’ Touch&Go interactive systems range in price from $795 to $5,995 (U.S.) each. To place an order for evaluation units, call Micro Industries Customer Service Department at 800-722-1842. For more information on Micro Industries and its new Touch&Go configurable kiosk computer systems, visit www.microindustries.com.
About Micro Industries
For more than 25 years, Micro Industries Corporation has provided electronic engineering and manufacturing services to OEMs, helping them translate their product requirements into cost-effective products for embedded and integrated computer systems in the medical, office and industrial automation, transportation, and retail markets. Micro Industries manufactures its Touch&Go computer systems and motherboards in two facilities in the Columbus, Ohio area, with a management system registered to ISO 9001:1994 and ISO 14000:1996. Micro Industries is an Affiliate Member of the Intel Communications Alliance, a community of communications and embedded developers and solution providers. For more information, please visit http://intel.com/go/ica. In addition, Micro Industries partners with media content developers and software developers to provide premium interactive kiosk and POS/POC systems to the retail market. For more information about Micro Industries and partnering opportunities, visit www.microindustries.com.
Micro Industries is a registered trademark, and Touch&Go and Touch&Go Billboard, Concierge, Messenger, Herald and Courier are trademarks of Micro Industries Corporation. All rights reserved. Intel, Pentium and Celeron are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and in other countries. Sharp is a registered trademark of Sharp Electronics. All other legal marks are property of their respective owners.
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