Reflecting on a year just ended is always an interesting activity. This is true whether you’re looking back on your accomplishments at work, in your personal life, or in an entire business. First there’s that moment of disbelief that another year has passed, and the recognition of how quickly it has gone. Then, as you begin to write down the events of the year, you realize just how much was achieved. Perhaps the year did not pass so quickly after all. In fact, it only seemed to pass quickly, because you were so busy doing great things.
To summarize this past year at Mimio in a single word, I would say that it was definitely “interesting.”
We went through some pretty significant changes at Mimio. The most notable change was Skyview Capital’s acquisition of Mimio from Newell Rubbermaid. The upshot of this exciting transition is that we are now even more nimble and flexible in responding to the needs of our customers. I would like to thank both of these outstanding companies for their support during the transition.
We also added some very significant and innovative new products to our portfolio. Three that I will highlight for this post are the MimioProjector™ interactive projector, the MimioMobile™ application, and the MimioCapture™ ink recorder.
The MimioProjector device marked Mimio’s entry into the Interactive Projector market – and what an entry it was! There’s a substantial number of great functions and features in our new interactive projector, but I want to call attention to a subtle but important feature that might easily be overlooked: its seamless integration with MimioStudio™ classroom software. From the zero driver installation, to the integrated calibration, to the enhanced multiple-pen tracking, this thing just works! It leverages all of the years of development in MimioStudio software and makes it available in a new factor.
The launch of the MimioMobile app was especially exciting. At every major trade show, there was literally standing room only at our booth, with attendance spilling into the walkway (and even occasionally into other booths)! There was a good reason for the excitement, and that is that the MimioMobile app allows students to use Apple and Android mobile devices to participate in truly interactive collaborative activities and assessment. And again, one of the things I love most about this product is how seamlessly it integrates into the Mimio experience. With a patent-pending, point-and-click setup, any student of any age can add a device to a classroom session, without needing to enter complicated codes or passwords. And the MimioMobile app leverages all of the functions and features already available in MimioStudio software, including the ability to run activities generated by our MimioStudio ActivityWizard, and to automatically store all student results.
We were also extremely pleased to unveil the updated MimioCapture™ ink recorder, which automatically saves anything written or drawn on the MimioTeach™ portable IWB system to a classroom computer. With just one click, teachers can convert handwriting into font-based text. That means they can build and edit a collection of lesson notes that can be reused in future classes, or printed as student handouts. It’s one more way that Mimio technology can streamline the teacher’s day.
Something else I want to mention is how grateful we are to all of you for your contributions in 2013. During the spring and fall we hosted a series of informative webinars on a host of subjects – all taught by our team of dedicated, talented expert educators. These are folks who, besides their ‘day’ jobs, were willing to help their peers make optimal use of our interactive teaching systems and content. Before we even thought of this series, these educators were helping to run the program. And they – and many of you – were contributing outstanding lesson content to our MimioConnect® online teacher community.
So, as we prepare to turn the calendar, please know how much we value our partnership with you.
Looking Ahead
We have a very exciting year ahead of us at Mimio. With the successful completion of our transition to a stand-alone business, we will be fully in charge of our own destiny. We plan to launch several new products and build on the success of this year’s product launches. I am particularly excited by our roadmap for the MimioMobile app, which will add more leading-edge features and expand our support for mobile devices.
Our biggest challenge in 2014? Making sure that we never rest on our laurels. Our team puts their heart and soul into the development of the products you use every day. Their passion and dedication are remarkable, and I’m pleased to say that their efforts resulted in our products being recognized with the EdTech Digest Cool Tool Award, the District Administration Top 100 Products of the Year Award, and the Tech & Learning Award of Excellence. We sincerely appreciate that these awards were given as a result of positive accolades that educators like you shared with their editors.
All of us at Mimio wish you a great Holiday Season and a Happy New Year.
Manny Perez
Mimio President and COO
