Screens keep Norwegians in touch

Norsk Information Terminals (NIT) has standardised on 3M MicroTouch touch screens for its Vision information and voice-over-IP terminals.

Norsk Information Terminals (NIT) has standardised on 3M MicroTouch touch screens for its Vision information and voice-over-IP (VoIP) terminals being supplied to local telecom operator Telenor in the world's first public VoIP network.

Telenor has ordered an initial 1100 terminals for use in airports, railway stations, shopping malls and hotel lobbies throughout Norway.

As Norsk Information Terminal Sales Manager Terje Ortiz explained: "Our selection was based on the criteria of quality, quantity and warranty".

"As well as meeting our technical requirements, we needed a vendor with the ability to deliver in volume, on time".

"3M offered us the manufacturing scale and logistics operations to deliver the substantial number of units required within six weeks, and backed their quality with a 3-year warranty".

"3M thus proved to be the most competitive solution in terms of total cost of ownership".

The Vision terminals, which are initially being installed in indoor locations over the summer, feature 3M monitors based on ClearTek capacitive touch technology, providing the tough dependability demanded for public participation in the world's first nationwide VoIP network.

Future outdoors kiosks are planned, which will be based on broader temperature-range touch-screen technologies that can be used with gloves.

The level of reliability achieved by 3M is exemplified by the fact that NIT has experienced no problems whatsoever with the touch screens in more than 500 existing kiosk installations, in some of the most exacting environments.

Telenor is the first national network in the world to use Internet protocol rather than conventional voice networks.

Thanks to Telenor's use of SHDSL (symmetric high-bitrate DSL) technology, users will be able to access the worldwide web and download e-mails at the same time as making voice calls to any Telenor subscriber in the country - all using the Internet alone.

The NIT Vision telephone and Internet kiosk also offers camera functions, a live information and marketing channel, a wireless access point and flexible payment methods.

User interaction is via a user-friendly 15in touch-screen, trackball on waterproof steel keyboard or touch-screen-based keyboard.

It also has a web camera with microphone, a separate numeric keyboard for telephony, and voice communication via loudspeakers or its attractive and hygienic handset receiver.

Payment can be made with coins, credit cards and smartcards.

Applications such as this are well-suited to 3M ClearTek capacitive touch screens, which operate by sensing electrical signals to determine the presence and location of the finger as it makes contact with the screen surface.

Unlike resistive-technology screens, operation is unaffected by surface damage, including scratches caused by abrasives, chemicals or vandalism.

Other advantages include faster response time, better durability and the ability to operate with surface contamination.

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