Anoto: Pens That Are Mightier Than Swords
Company:
U.S. Headquarters: Westborough, Mass.
Technology Sector: Hardware
Key Product: Anoto Digital Pen
Year Founded: 1999
Number of Channel Partners: more than 350 worldwide
Ideal Channel Partner: SMB-focused solution providers
Why You Should Care: Swedish-based Anoto is readying its entry in the U.S. channel with a portfolio of digital pens and related software as part of a strategy to tackle the health care market.
The Lowdown: Anoto produces digital pens and related forms processing software, selling its products in Europe through partners such as system integrators, software developers and IT consulting firms.
Now the company is trying to bolster its efforts with U.S. channel partners focusing on health care facilities, education and the public sector.
Given the U.S. government's multi-billion dollar plan to overhaul the nation's health care infrastructure, partners that resell Anoto products could gain "a real competitive advantage," a spokesman said.
Anoto is proactively trying to increase its number of partners, particularly system integrators, in order to increase market reach especially in the untapped U.S. market. The most important end-customer markets are the health care and clinical trials sectors, the spokesman said. Within health care, the company's products and solutions are aimed at simplifying routine administrative tasks and documenting procedures and medications for compliance, insurance and legal reasons.
Like many companies, Anoto came was born out of frustration. In 1995, Swedish graduate student Christer Fahraeus was writing his doctorate and envisioned a high-tech pen that could read text using advanced image processing, digital camera technology and a fast processor.
Years later, the company's best known product is the Anoto Digital Pen, also known as the C-Pen, which contains an integrated digital camera, an advanced image microprocessor and a mobile communications device for wireless connection. Data from the pen can be transferred wirelessly via Bluetooth and can instantly send the information to a mobile phone. Data can also be sent via a USB port to any PC.
The company has also expanded its product line which now includes Anoto penPresenter and Anoto penDocuments.
The Anoto penPresenter projects a blank PowerPoint slide that creates a digital whiteboard. By using a digital pen and paper, meeting participants can write down notes which are automatically captured (doodlers take note). The information can be printed locally or sent using a mobile device.
The company's other product, Anoto penDocuments, digitally captures handwriting which can be saved, stored and sent documents immediately, and is meant to eliminate scanning, faxing and mailing paper documents. The product can be used in various ways including proof of compliance; entering PDFs into document management systems; and sending signed business letters by e-mail.