News

'`Challenging environments' new Planar focus

February 24, 2004

BEAVERTON, Ore. -- Planar Systems Inc., a worldwide provider of flat-panel display systems, is expanding its suite of embedded display solutions to fulfill ATM, retail and ticketing kiosk needs for challenging indoor and outdoor environments.

The LA product line of indoor, open-frame monitors is suited for point-of-sale and point-of-purchase kiosks, according to a news release.

In addition to the LA product line, Planar has added an automatic dimming feature to its LC15 display; a rugged, sunlight-readable, 15-inch LCD monitor optimized for outdoor use and indoor applications in high-ambient lighting conditions. Leading French retailer Auchan, which operates 320 supermarkets in 12 countries, recently installed Planar's upgraded LC15 displays into outdoor kiosks for its new pilot project in France called "Chronodrive."

Auchan's Chronodrive consists of a stocked warehouse and a special platform with interactive kiosk stations containing Planar's LC15 displays, enabling customers to drive up, order and pay using the touchscreen, and receive their selected goods delivered by Auchan employees.

'This year, more than 70 percent of kiosks installed worldwide include touchscreens as businesses realize their benefits," said Francie Mendelsohn, president of Summit Research Associates Inc., in the release.

"With 20 years of experience installing displays in a variety of demanding environments, Planar is well-suited to fulfill the demand for touchscreens that is growing across a wide range of markets and applications."

The LA product family, based on the company's award-winning desktop LCD monitors, includes 15-, 17- and 19-inch open-frame monitors with or without touchscreens. The monitors come with a full warranty and feature open-frame configuration and standardized design, lowering customers' engineering design costs, total cost of ownership and speeding time to market, the release stated.