:Perceptive Pixel

{{Short description|Division of Microsoft}}

{{Infobox company

| name = Perceptive Pixel, Inc.

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| type = Division of Microsoft

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| foundation = {{Start date and age|2006}}

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| defunct = {{End date|2012}}

| location = Redmond, Washington

| locations = 2 offices (2014)

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| key_people = Jefferson Han {{small|(founder, general manager)}}

| industry = Large-scale multi-touch display technology, education, broadcast, meetings and collaboration

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| parent = Microsoft

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Perceptive Pixel was a developer and producer of multi-touch interfaces. It was purchased by Microsoft in 2012. Its technology is now used in fields including broadcast, defense, geo-intelligence, energy exploration, industrial design and medical imaging.

Background

The company begain in 2006 as Perceptive Pixel, Inc., headquartered in New York City and maintaining offices in Mountain View, Portland, and Washington, D.C.{{Cite web |last=Pollicino |first=Joe |date=2019-07-19 |title=Perceptive Pixel unveils an 82-inch multi-touch LCD, TV news anchors overcome by giddy hands |url=https://www.engadget.com/2011-08-09-perceptive-pixel-unveils-an-82-inch-multi-touch-lcd-tv-news-anc.html |access-date=2023-10-23 |website=Engadget |language=en-US}} Prior to the company's establishment, founder Jeff Han{{cite news|url=http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/112/open_features-canttouchthis.html|title=Can't Touch This|date=February 1, 2007|work= Fast Company}} publicly demonstrated multitouch hardware and software technology at a TED conference in February 2006.{{cite news|url=http://www.ted.com/talks/jeff_han_demos_his_breakthrough_touchscreen.html|title=Jeff Han demos his breakthrough touchscreen|date=August 1, 2006|work= TED}} The company was founded later in the same year.{{Cite news |last=Sharp |first=Morgan |date=2012-07-09 |title=Microsoft to buy display maker Perceptive Pixel |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-perceptivepixel-microsoft-idUSBRE8680Q820120709 |access-date=2023-10-23}} Subsequently, it shipped its first Multi-Touch Workstation and larger Multi-Touch Collaboration Wall in 2007.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/24/technology/24proto.html?scp=4&sq=perceptive%20pixel&st=cse|title=Prototype - Turning Point for Touch Screens|date=August 23, 2008|work= New Times}}{{cite news|url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-11386_3-10082642-76.html|title=Election a win for multitouch inventor|date=November 5, 2008|work= CNET News}} The latter gained widespread recognition for transforming the way CNN covered the 2008 US Presidential elections.{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/11/04/magic.wall/index.html|title=The inventor behind CNN's election 'Magic Wall'|date=November 5, 2008|work=CNN|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120930100929/http://articles.cnn.com/2008-11-04/tech/magic.wall_1_multi-touch-technology-perceptive-pixel-cnns?_s=PM:TECH|archive-date=September 30, 2012}}{{cite news|url=http://broadcastengineering.com/newsrooms/cnn_clarifies_complex_caucus/|title=CNN clarifies complex caucus cavalcade with new 'Magic Wall'|date=January 4, 2008|work=CNN|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080221014655/http://broadcastengineering.com/newsrooms/cnn_clarifies_complex_caucus/|archivedate=February 21, 2008}}{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/22/arts/television/22king.html?scp=1&sq=perceptive%20pixel&st=cse|title=John King of CNN Revels in His High-Tech Election Night Toy |date=April 22, 2008|work= New York Times}} In 2009, the Smithsonian awarded Perceptive Pixel the National Design Award in the inaugural category of Interaction Design.{{cite news|url=http://www.nationaldesignawards.org/2009/category/Interaction-Design/|title=Interaction Design - National Design Awards 2009|work= National Design Awards}} Throughout its history as a startup company, Perceptive Pixel had focused on ultra-high-end touch displays that were sold to large businesses in key niches.{{Cite web |last=Fried |first=Ina |date=July 9, 2012 |title=Interview: Multitouch Pioneer Jeff Han on Why He Sold His Company to Microsoft |url=https://allthingsd.com/20120709/interview-multitouch-pioneer-jeff-han-on-why-he-sold-his-company-to-microsoft/ |access-date=2023-10-23 |website=AllThingsD |language=en-US}}

Microsoft acquisition

On July 9, 2012, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer announced that they would acquire Perceptive Pixel Inc. in a transaction that closed three weeks later on July 31.{{cite news|title=Breaking: Microsoft Buys Perceptive Pixel|url=http://www.insideris.com/breaking-microsoft-buys-perceptive-pixel/}}{{Better source needed|date=April 2021}} At that year's WPC conference, Ballmer stated the company hoped to use its newly acquired technology to enhance its Windows 8 operating system.{{Cite news|date=2012-07-31|title=Microsoft buys large-screen maker Perceptive Pixel|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-19062196|access-date=2021-04-09}} Han also stated that the sale could allow their products to be more broadly available.

On January 21, 2015, Microsoft announced the Surface Hub during its Windows 10 launch.{{Cite web |last=McCracken |first=Harry |date=June 10, 2015 |title=The Untold Story Of Microsoft's Surface Hub |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/3046819/the-untold-story-of-microsofts-surface-hub |access-date=October 24, 2023}} The new product was described as a next-generation device under the Surface brand and was developed by members of the Perceptive Pixel team.{{Cite web|last=Welch|first=Chris|date=2015-01-21|title=Microsoft announces 84-inch Surface Hub tailored for Windows 10|url=https://www.theverge.com/2015/1/21/7867585/microsoft-surface-hub-announced|access-date=2021-04-09|website=The Verge|language=en}}

References

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