As more and more businesses attempt to move towards virtual workplaces and enterprise mobility, it is important to utilize the proper tools to make the transition a seamless one. eBeam, an interactive whiteboard solution developed by Luidia, is one product that enables professionals in office and education settings to use the cloud to collaborate internally and with other companies using the latest interactive technology.

Jody Forehand, VP of product planning at Luidia, exclusively told TMCnet that the idea behind developing eBeam was one that goes back all the way to the mid 90s. The company originally started as EFI, a digital printing technology company that worked with big copier and printer manufacturers internationally. Forehand noted that when in conference calls with engineers overseas, in order to brainstorm, each party would have to draft something on their own whiteboard, then print the draft, fax it to the other party who would make changes and fax it back; a tedious task that needed some work to simplify the process.

“We thought to ourselves, there has to be a better way, and that’s how eBeam came to be,” Forehand said.

When EFI transitioned into Luidia in 2003, eBeam was born and the company hasn’t looked back since. As technology continues to advance and amaze us, eBeam is one tool that is certainly ahead of its time.

Utilizing even a standstill whiteboard helps to make any workplace more collaborative, but adding a whiteboard that is interactive and can change work and share it virtually helps distinguish the difference and push users to enterprise mobility.

eBeam’s innovative technology allows users to track usage with a digital pen and a receiver on the board that tracks what’s being written or drawn in real time and projected onto any surface using a projector. Forehand explained that once projectors became more affordable and digital styluses were created, the concept behind the eBeam became a no brainer.

“Anything you could do with mouse, you can do with a stylus,” she added.

The best part about the eBeam is you don’t have to have a large enterprise budget to utilize all the portable whiteboard has to offer. The eBeam is affordable and used equally by SMB’s since the functions it provides are more directed towards the nature of one’s job rather than the size of the organization.

eBeam’s interactive whiteboard proves beneficial in a number of different workplace scenarios such as internal office collaboration as well as meetings and conference calls with external companies.

Two locations using eBeam can benefit from the complete feature set of options it has to offer, however, if one company does not have an eBeam system, they can still edit a file sent from the eBeam user on the other end using the software’s collaborative element which is available to everyone over the cloud at no cost.

One industry in particular that takes advantage of eBeam is education. eBeam is used frequently in the classroom to offer students an interactive academic experience that allows students and teachers a unique learning experience. Utilizing eBeam over a projector allows teachers to display and manipulate files using the interactive stylus and mouse functionality.

In the long term, Luidia plans to add a mobile aspect to eBeam, making it easier for its software to integrate with other environments. Forehand says the company is focusing on other ways it can utilize the cloud to make data more easily available by using Luidia’s system as well as other services in the cloud. 

Stay tuned for a more in-depth review of Luidia’s eBeam as I have had the opportunity to test the product out myself. I won’t reveal much, but what I will say is eBeam is like no product I’ve ever used before. 

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Stefanie Mosca is a Web editor for TMCnet. Previously she worked as a freelance copy editor for Digital Surgeons LLC. She holds a master's degree in journalism from Quinnipiac University and a bachelor's degree in communication from the University of New Haven. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.

Edited by Jennifer Russell