Epson Interactive Projectors Now To Be Bundled Worldwide With SMART Notebook

Singapore, 12 January 2016 – It is now easier than ever for educators to obtain the world’s leading collaborative learning software along with market leading collaborative displays.  Epson, the number-one projector manufacturer in the world1, and SMART Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: SMT) (TSX: SMA), a leading global provider of collaboration solutions, today announced an agreement where SMART Notebook® collaborative learning software will now be included with Epson  interactive projectors for education models worldwide. The addition of SMART Notebook software to Epson interactive projectors provides a potent combination for collaborative learning.

“We’re delighted to extend the reach of our longstanding partnership with Epson to a global offering,” said Greg Estell, Solutions President, SMART Technologies. “SMART Notebook allows educators to easily create engaging, interactive learning in a way that’s natural to both teachers and students, and now they can do so on any EpsonInteractive projector.”

“Educators are seeking the best hardware and software solutions to help them teach effectively, and to drive student engagement and learning outcomes,” said Keith Kratzberg, Senior Vice President, Epson America, Inc. “This partnership speaks directly to the needs of teachers to create engaging, impactful and fun lessons, as well as to respond to the needs of learners in real-time. By bringing together these leading interactive classroom technologies, we are providing the tools to meet those needs.”

Building upon the already established software relationship between the two companies that has enabled Epson to sell SMART Notebook software along with its interactive projectors in certain global markets since 2013, the new agreement allows Epson to bundle SMART Notebook software, including a SMART Notebook Advantage subscription during the first year, with Epson interactive projectors as a standard offering on a worldwide basis. The SMART Notebook Advantage subscription lets customers upgrade to new versions of Notebook software in that first year, as well as access technical support and unlock premium features within Notebook.

This winning combination allows educators around the world to use the number-one selling interactive projector1with collaborative learning software to create visually compelling, engaging and interactive learning experiences. Epson’s complete interactive projector line is tested and fully authorized by SMART for use with SMART Notebook software, and SMART Notebook fully supports Epson interactive features such as dual pen and finger-touch. Both Epson and SMART will provide customer support and training for their respective products, giving educators full confidence as they bring more collaboration into classrooms and other learning spaces.

Epson interactive projectors with SMART Notebook software entitlements will begin shipping in North America in November 2015 and throughout other regions of the world in early 2016. They will be shipped to Southeast Asia from February 2016.

The award-winning Epson Interactive line of short-throw and ultra short-throw interactive projectors offers advanced connectivity options to project onto any existing whiteboard, wall or other smooth, light-colored, hard surface. Epson interactive projectors offer dual pen support and PC-free annotation with a range of devices including document cameras, DVD and Blue-ray players as well as tablets and mobile devices, or no source at all. The cost-effective Epson Interactive models deliver a large interactive learning area with variable image sizes and include HDMI connectivity. Epson projectors offer 3x higher color brightness than leading competitive projectors2. Epson Interactive projectors utilize 3LCD, 3-chip technology for brilliant images with vivid color.

***

1 Based on units sold for 500-lumen and higher projectors, calendar year 2014, according to Futuresource Consulting Limited.

2 Color brightness (color light output) measured in accordance with IDMS 15.4. Color brightness will vary depending on usage conditions. The projectors used by a third-party lab for measuring color brightness were leading Epson 3LCD business and education projectors and leading 1-chip DLP projectors, based on NPD sales data for June 2013 through May 2014 and PMA Research sales data for Q1 through Q3 2013.