Tactile Technologies reaches out to 'touch' the future

Ernst Ohloff, manager of the Gauteng Branch office of Tactile Technologies.

The Innovation Hub is the new home to touch-screen specialists, Tactile Technologies Gauteng branch, allowing the company to further cement its presence in the Gauteng region.

Established four years ago by managing director Mauro Mercuri with company headquarters located in Cape Town, Tactile Technologies has become the leading outlet for touch monitor technology in the region. The company received sole distributorship status for the Elo TouchSystems range in 2002. It currently also carries the Value Added Distributor status, allowing for all repairs to be done locally and for the company to provide the design, manufacture and support for custom-made solutions.

Ernst Ohlhoff, head of the new Gauteng branch, points out that Elo is the world leader in touch monitor technology, boasting a range of eight different touch sensor technologies. Using these cutting-edge technologies, Tactile Technologies offers over 200 different monitor configurations, including the innovative iTouch and IntelliTouch range, which make use of Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) technology to detect the finger's position on the screen.

According to Ohlhoff, Tactile's experience and expertise within the industry enables it to educate the South African community. "We have the expertise, the know-how and the product range to educate the market. With the relevant knowledge, one can appreciate the many applications that are available", he says. Tactile prides itself on providing products that are completely unique within the IT industry, with applications suitable for industries as diverse as the mining and medical environments.

Ohlhoff adds that The Innovation Hub was an ideal platform from which to launch their presence in the Gauteng region. "It is a high profile site known for new and innovative technology, and for a young SME trying to establish itself in Gauteng, it is ideal", he says.

The Hub's position as a thriving community of knowledge workers involved in the development of new technologies is aligned with Tactile's own vision. Two of the Hub tenants have already shown an interest in the company's offerings. Naledi 3D Design and Active Touch are both interested in using touch monitor technology as an interface for navigation through their interactive product designs.

Current clients include leading kiosk solution company Dicoll Interactive, who is running a pilot phase of the innovative Through Glass product in their retail space, which is essentially an interactive information point that can be accessed from outside the front window of the store. Various touch based solutions are in place with Mercedes Benz dealerships, Toyota, Medi-Clinics, Virgin Active and the Seeff Property Group.

The Hub itself will soon be using the 'I-Directory', an interactive alternative to the traditional two-dimensional information map used in most shopping malls.

For more information on Tactile Technologies, contact Ernst Ohlhoff on
+27 12 844 1005.

[Back to top]

Next