1. Brandy Collins

2. The Need for the Smartboard Due to the rise of technology within schools, businesses and organizations, it has become inevitable for the traditional chalkboard and traditional whiteboard to be replaced by this piece of technology they call the Smartboard.

3. The Research of the Smartboard SMART Technologies is the industry pioneer and market leader in developing collaborative products for classrooms and meeting rooms. Founded in 1987 by partners David Martin and Nancy Knowlton, SMART began as the Canadian distributor for a U.S. projector company. Revenue generated through projector sales was directed toward the research and development of the SMART Board interactive whiteboard that would enable groups to interact and instantaneously share information with people in the same room or around the world..

4. The Development of the Smartboard In those early years no one knew about an interactive whiteboard, much less why they might want or need one, so sales for SMART started slowly. At that time, it took a substantial effort to let people know about the product and the benefits that they could enjoy from using them. Some of the early adopters of SMART’s products were educators with a need to give lectures at a distance. Imagine the challenges inherent in doing that in the early nineties – low speed modems, early versions of Microsoft Windows software that were often unstable and slow processors with little graphics capability. However, bit by bit teachers, business people and government staff around the world came to appreciate the new way in which they could do their jobs using the SMART Board interactive whiteboard, and a new product category was officially born.

5. The Commercialization of the Smartboard Those early years were characterized by a great deal of financial uncertainty, and at various times, SMART’s future was in serious doubt. However, with a long-term focus, a firm belief in the opportunity to forge a new way for people everywhere to work and the patience of its bankers, SMART got through the many difficulties. In the process it developed most of the key operating parameters that define the way in which SMART runs its business and serves its customers. In 1992 SMART formed a strategic alliance with U.S. computer giant Intel Corporation. This alliance resulted in joint product development, joint marketing efforts and Intel's equity ownership in SMART. While the initial project that caused the investment to be made has long since been completed, the equity ownership in SMART remains. Other than the Intel equity investment and some small investments from family and friends, the company has relied on its retained earnings to fuel its growth. That early relationship with Intel was another of the key building blocks in SMART’s history. The equity investment helped SMART push forward in both its hardware and software development activities. Perhaps just as importantly, SMART staff felt something akin to a “seal of approval” for all of the pioneering efforts that it had undertaken with the SMART Board interactive whiteboard and in trying to help people achieve better results in classrooms and meeting rooms.