CTV News Ottawa

Updated: Fri Aug. 08 2008 4:42:58 PM
ctvottawa.ca

SMART Technologies is a real Canadian success story. Their Ottawa manufacturing plant employs 500 people. Yes, a tech factory. In fact SMART boards have always been made in Ottawa. Now after 17 years the new facility allows production to reach up to two thousand boards per day. Next Tuesday the one millionth SMART Boards will come off the line.

If you work in a tech firm there is a good chance old style white boards are everywhere and everyone from sales people to engineers use them as a visual aid to think through problems. The SMART boards are replacing white boards by adding in sophisticated electronics... but that is just one role for the SMART boards.

Think of the SMART Boards as your computer screen up on a big screen TV. Now you can write or type or draw on the screen with your finger or special pens. Your touch controls the computer. You can use the board for conference calls, doing email, web surfing pretty much anything you can imagine. Using specialized software the screens are a huge hit in schools as an interactive teaching tool.

Nancy Knowlton is company co-founder and CEO I spoke to her at the company headquarters in Calgary. She still loves working 80 hour weeks because she feels the company was ahead of the curve and the digital world is just now realizing what their devices can do. She says spending 60 million dollars for the new factory in Ottawa and a new headquarters in Calgary is well ...smart.

The firm expects a 50 percent growth rate for each of the next 5 years. Dave Martin the other co-founder told me that production stays here because of a smart workforce that allows them to remain competitive. Hard to believe when it seems everyone else is heading offshore to produce electronics.

You have seen SMART boards in TV shows like CSI, CNN News and Hockey Night in Canada.

They are used by the 25 largest school boards in the U.S. but ironically you'll find them in only a handful of schools in Ottawa. Next week I'll look at the debate over using computer technology in the classroom, is it good for our children.

Web site of the Week: 

www.sweemo.com.  Would driving a Ferrari with a model in the front seat next to you make your life complete? Sweemo, short for Sweet Moments was launched last month in Britain it allows you to bid on experiences. It will soon be available in North America.

Join me this Sunday for TECH NOW as part of the CTV News @ 6.