Elo TouchSystems was the pioneer of touchscreen technology over 37 years ago, with the first marketed touch technology being resistive.

In the early years of its existence, touch technology was only used in high-end applications and was far from being as ubiquitous as it is now.

Throughout the years Elo TouchSystems launched various touch technologies in numerous markets and applications such as retail and hospitality, industrial, financial, medical, transportation and education to name a few.

In 1987 Elo introduced IntelliTouch surface acoustic wave (SAW) technology and in 1999 introduced iTouch - a technological breakthrough that made Elo TouchSystems a big player in the gaming and amusement market. Nine Elo touch technologies are integrated in applications around the world today, with more on their way and it is now recognised as the world’s largest touch product manufacturer.

Ever since the early days, Elo has been adding new technologies while improving existing ones and according to the manufacturer there is no such thing as "the" perfect touch technology that suits every application as not all applications have the same requirements. In the case of unattended applications, like in an arcade, anti-vandalism is important whereas in an employee-driven environment, like a cash register, this wouldn’t be the case so much. Thanks to the fact that Elo TouchSystems offers so many touch technologies, it has a solution for virtually any type of application request.

Elo has introduced a number of touch technologies in the gaming and amusement market over the years. For example, its SAW technology offered the industry a clear glass solution that ensures optimum picture quality as there are no metallic layers or coatings. It also offers Z-axiz for pressure, which adds a new dimension to the games, and transducers on the back of the glass - safely out of the way from hazards.

Acoustic Pulse Recognition is the latest newcomer to the market - this all-glass touch technology not only delivers image quality but also allows players to hold their hands on the screen while playing. Even if it were required to have 20 people holding their hands on the screen while people still played, this would be possible. APR allows an edge-to-edge flat glass design without a bezel and it is a great technology for sports betting applications where people typically use their pens as a touch device. Elo has also added IntelliTouch Plus - a multi-touch capability - to its SAW technology, a proven technology in the gaming market, which has met all the Additional Qualification testing requirements established by Microsoft for Windows 7 multi-touch interactivity.

Every market and application has different requirements when it comes to touch technology. In some environments space is an issue - in others it might be vandalism. For gaming or in a player loyalty kiosk, picture quality is important. But in a POS environment, picture quality is less important but activation with a credit card might be. In casino gaming, touch does not need to be operated with a pen, but this might be a requirement for sports betting.

Every touch technology has its own values as well as strong and weak points - according to Elo, it is very important to understand what these differences are in order to integrate the right touch technology. As part of Tyco Electronics, Elo continuously invests in new technologies and improvements of existing technologies - in 2008 alone US$640m was spent on R&D and engineering. Continuously investing in new solutions, the manufacturer told InterGame it definitely sees the demand for touch technology growing in the gaming and amusement industry.