Promethean and Epson Announce Partnership to Boost Interactivity in US and Canadian Classrooms

ATLANTA, March 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Promethean (LSE: PRW), a global education company, and Epson, the number-one selling projector brand worldwide¹, today announced a partnership that gives educators in the United States and Canada  a wider range of options for converting classrooms into collaborative and interactive learning environments.

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Under the agreement announced today, customers will be able to purchase Promethean's teaching and learning software, ActivInspire, from Epson when buying Epson's industry-leading BrightLink interactive projectors. Each company will provide world-class customer support for their respective products, giving educators full confidence and support as they convert classrooms and learning spaces to interactive work areas. 

"School districts want to select the best interactive hardware and the best interactive software tools independently that suit their needs and budgets," said Keith Kratzberg, senior vice president of Epson America, Inc.  "This partnership squarely delivers on that request from the education community and seamlessly brings together the highly acclaimed software of Promethean with Epson BrightLink, the top selling line of interactive projectors in the world¹, to transform classrooms across the United States and Canada."

Under the agreement, Epson will have licensing rights to sell Promethean ActivInspire to new and existing customers using BrightLink interactive projectors throughout the United States and Canada, providing educators more options as they transition to collaborative, interactive classrooms.

"We want to give educators the flexibility to create environments where students can experience a 21^st century lesson with the tools and resources that make sense to them. By pairing our award-winning interactive teaching and learning software with Epson interactive projectors we provide them with options. And with over a million teachers worldwide using our software, they can have the confidence that using our software with an interactive device will motivate, engage and inspire students," said Promethean CEO Jim Marshall.

Promethean software provides educators with a flexible and easy-to-use authoring and presentation platform that they can use to design differentiated lessons filled with rich, hands-on activities that captivate students' attention, and is supported by Promethean Planet, an online community of 1.6 million members.

Promethean's award-winning teaching and learning software ActivInspire is used by millions of educators world-wide, including members of Promethean Planet, an online education community where teachers can share and access instructional content, lessons and supplemental resources for an interactive learning environment. Epson customers will also have access to Promethean ActivOffice, a new innovative software solution that adds a range of interactive features to Microsoft PowerPoint^®.

The award-winning Epson BrightLink line of short-throw and ultra short-throw interactive projectors offers an interactive projector and pen combination with advanced connectivity options to project onto any existing whiteboard, wall or other smooth, light-colored, hard surface. BrightLink interactive projectors offer dual pen support and boast built-in annotation technology that allows teachers and students to instantly interact directly with a projected image from a variety of sources beyond the PC, including tablets, document cameras, Blu-ray players, VCRs, and more.

Shipments are expected to commence in April 2013 with a suggested retail price of $299 for the addition of Promethean ActivInspire software when purchased with an Epson BrightLink Interactive Projector.  The $299 suggested retail price will be available to existing BrightLink owners as well.

About Epson 
Epson is a global imaging and innovation leader whose product lineup ranges from inkjet printers and 3LCD projectors to sensors and other microdevices. Dedicated to exceeding the vision of its customers worldwide, Epson delivers customer value based on compact, energy-saving, and high-precision technologies in markets spanning enterprise and the home to commerce and industry. 

Led by the Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation, the Epson Group comprises more than 81,000 employees in 97 companies around the world, and is proud of its ongoing contributions to the global environment and the communities in which it operates. Epson America, Inc. based in Long Beach, Calif. is Epson's regional headquarters for the U.S., Canada, and Latin America. To learn more about Epson, please visit: www.Epson.com.

You may also connect with Epson America on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/EpsonAmerica), Twitter (http://twitter.com/EpsonAmerica) and (http://twitter.com/EpsonEducation) and YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/EpsonTV).

About Promethean
Promethean. Spark Inspiration.
Promethean (LSE: PRW) is a global education company. We create, develop, supply and support interactive education and training solutions for schools, businesses and governments. Our products and services are raising learning standards, revolutionizing the way people learn and collaborate, making them more engaged, empowered and successful and thereby unleashing human potential. Headquartered in the UK, Promethean World Plc is listed on the main market of the London Stock Exchange. For more information follow @ActivNews or visit www.PrometheanWorld.com.

¹ Based upon Q4 2012 worldwide front projection market share estimates from Pacific Media Associates.

SOURCE Epson

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