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Screen hygiene
You want money, not germs, when you go to an ATM. With that in mind, MicroTouch Systems, Inc. has introduced CleanScreen, a touchscreen incorporating antibacterial technology. Permanently bonded to the glass, the treatment ensures that bacteria and other contaminants cannot accumulate and grow on a screen's surface. The Methuen, Mass.-based company offers the feature to its customers -- including ATM manufacturers Diebold, NCR and Fujitsu -- at no extra charge. Other MicroTouch clients include Mitsubishi Electronics, Apple and IBM. Alice Moran, MicroTouch's director of product marketing, said that MicroTouch has created marketing kits -- complete with stickers touting the screens' antibacterial properties -- and hopes manufacturers will use them "to differentiate the CleanScreen-type screen from other screens out there in the marketplace." CleanScreen uses a proprietary antibacterial treatment marketed by AEGIS Environments of Midland, Mich., and based on technology developed and tested by the Dow Corning Corporation. Commercially available since 1976, the technology is used in hospitals, schools and other locations. It is registered with the Environmental Protection Agency for treatment of glass fixtures. MicroTouch uses a proprietary process to permanently bond the AEGIS Microbe Shield to a touchscreen's surface. The transparent shield will not wear off with use or cleaning. Only a "deep scratch" would compromise its antibacterial properties, Moran said. The original market for the product was Japan, where germ-conscious consumers have been known to wear masks and wash money. According to a New York Times report, other antibacterial products in Japan include telephones, pens, stationery and dishwashers. The market seems to be increasing in the U.S., as the population becomes more health-conscious. The number of U.S. products incorporating antibacterial properties increased from 36 in 1992 to 242 in 1998, according to Marketing Intelligence Service Ltd., a Naples, N.Y. Research firm. Moran said that MicroTouch decided to develop an antibacterial product after examining studies about the presence of bacteria in public places. "We thought it would be one less source of bacteria in daily life." Fleet Financial has deployed more than 1,000 touch-enabled ATMs equipped with CleanScreen. "We think banks see this as a key differentiating feature for their customers," Moran said. Use of touchscreens is also growing. Moran predicts the technology will be "pervasive" within two years. "I think by then the majority of devices you interface with will be touchscreen," she said. Consumer acceptance of touchscreens is high because the technology is so intuitive, Moran added. Her husband, who is "non-computer literate," used an ATM near their home three times before he realized it was a touchscreen.
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