The Fitwin communication boards populate more than one third of all the cash distributor machines worldwide. In Europe they are also used for industrial safeguard applications or for point of sale terminal connectivity (POS Terminal).

Ulis, 10^th May 2006 – Impact Technologies, manufacturer of Itium thin client solutions and Fitwin asynchronous communications adaptors, today announced they have sold more than one million Fitwin communication adaptors since their launch in 1987. This figure confirms Impact Technologies reliability and command of industry. The Fitwin communication adaptors  are known for having one of the lowest MTBF (mean time between failure) rates in the market (8 million hours). Creator and manufacturer, Impact Technologies also compel recognition by their ability to anticipate market needs with innovative technology, and the progressive performance and functionality of their asynchronous communication adaptors.

PCI standard evolution

With its range Fitwin U PCI Universal communications adaptors, Impact Technologies is among the first manufacturers to propose fitting PCI boards as easily into existing PCI 5 volt slots as into new PCI 3.3 volt slots in the latest generation PCs and servers.

Multiplexing for multi-channel applications

Impact Technologies have also developed an hitherto unpublished asynchronous input/output safeguard management technology (UART), which considerably reduces the cost of multi-channel communication adaptors. The Fitwin PCI U adaptors are based on an innovative temporal multiplexing technology for communications operations, eliminating the need to rely on a chip dedicated to each communication channel.

Non power-fed adaptors for points of sale

The Fitwin boards from Impact Technologies are available for numerous industrial or business applications. Impact Technologies especially market an adaptor dedicated to point of sale applications. The Fitwin PCI U TPV cards comprise powered communication ports in order to simplify the connection of non-powered peripherals such as bar code readers.

The Fitwin communication boards, populate more than one third of all cash distributor machines worldwide. In Germany and Spain they are also used in railway management systems and throughout Europe for industrial safeguard applications or for point of sale terminal connectivity (POS Terminal).

" Over the course of the last nine years, Impact Technologies has had to align industrial policy and innovation direction in order to move the asynchronous communication adaptor market towards new applications, declared Jean-Nicolas Durand, CEO of Impact Technologies. Having surpassed one million adaptor sales reinforces us in our belief that the asynchronous communication adaptors are still uncontested components for Machine to Machine communication, and must evolve with these".

As regards IMPACT Technologies: Created in 1987, Impact Technologies is the manufacturer for ranges of new generation Itium thin clients and for the Fitwin asynchronous communication adaptors, which are among the most popular sold on the market today. In the thin client domain, Impact Technologies conceived and integrated the embedded operating systems Windows CE, Linux Embedded, Windows XP Embedded. As entirely upgradeable systems, the Itium thin clients can be managed, configured and updated remotely, via the administrative interface delivered with the terminals. Impact Technologies is the only supplier in the market to include its package of administrative aids, hot lines and follow-up for software updates in the initial acquisition costs. To date, more than 65000 terminals have been installed worldwide. Impact Technologies is also the European number one and among the leading world players in the asynchronous communication adaptor market. The Fitwin adaptors are installed in more than 1 million items, and in almost one third of the automated cash dispensers in the world. They are also used in the retail and distribution industries, in railway systems, and in numerous other industries. Based at Ulis, near Paris, and with about 20 employees, Impact Technologies recorded a turnover of 5.7 million euros in 2005. www.itechno.com