Supplier News

US – TES America completes purchase of and relaunches iconic MicroTouch brand

By Phil - 1 February 2021

TES America, a pioneer in the touch solutions market, has finalised the acquisition of certain assets from 3M Touch Systems, a subsidiary of 3M Company. Along with the purchase, TES acquired the iconic MicroTouch brand of touch monitors and is relaunching the company, bringing back a cultural icon that created the world’s leading touchscreen technology nearly 40 years ago.

TES has outfitted MicroTouch with an all-new look and is expanding the line of capacitive touch monitors, including adding all-in-one, multi-touch computer systems equipped with TES’s latest patented technology.

“With our vast industry experience and factory-direct product, I believe TES can bring MicroTouch back to the forefront of capacitive leadership,” TES America President Mark Littlefield said. “When backed by TES, MicroTouch customers will not only get a broad product mix of components, monitors and touch computers, but also greater efficiency and flexibility through our regional engineering, local customer support and global warehousing capabilities.”

The additional assets TES acquired from 3M Touch Systems include Surface Capacitive and Projected Capacitive components and displays utilized for commercial applications in various industries, including casino gaming, medical equipment, public kiosks, collaboration tables and financial transactions. While TES plans to maintain all existing 3M Touch products with unwavering customer support, the industry innovator looks to revolutionize the touch-systems marketplace as it positions the trusted MicroTouch brand as the dominant force in the industry once again.

“MicroTouch was a product of the 80’s, an industry icon that provided society a glimpse into the future. And, just as Hollywood gave us a vision for touchscreens—thanks to TV hits like Knight Rider and Star Trek— MicroTouch made it a reality,” TES America’s Vice President of Product and Business Development Gene Halsey said. “Since then, touch systems not only have become ubiquitous, but they are about to enter a new generation of technological growth with limitless possibilities, and with MicroTouch™ paving the way.”

MicroTouch was the first to patent and commercialise Capacitive Touchscreens and was integral into the technology’s adoption as the preferred touch solution for commercial applications. After the acquisition of MicroTouch and the formation of 3M Touch Systems in 2001, MicroTouch was no longer the brand identity of Capacitive touch. However, the original entrepreneurial spirit never wavered and MicroTouch continued to innovate as new alternatives like projected capacitive became standards in the market. And now, with the relaunch of MicroTouch as the standard-bearer for capacitive solutions, the history of this iconic brand comes full circle.

TES’ strength in the interactive display industry comes from over 30 years of industry knowledge coupled with a cutting-edge manufacturing process to provide touch solutions for well-known electronic devices to kiosk integrators in the financial, hospitality, medical, retail point-of-sale and industrial markets. TES specializes in complete customisation from single components to touch monitors to embedded touch computers in sizes ranging from 7 inches to 86 inches. TES provides its customers with a local-solutions partner backed by a global network.