DYMO/Mimio ITT Wins Prestigious International red dot Award in Product Design Category for MimioClassroom™ Suite

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., March 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- DYMO/Mimio Interactive Teaching Technologies (ITT), a leading provider of interactive tools for educators, has received the coveted red dot award in the product design category for the MimioClassroom™ product suite. The red dot awards are the world's largest and most distinguished design competition, first introduced in 1955.  2011 red dot award winners were selected by a jury of 36 design experts who reviewed 4,433 products from over 60 countries for the prestigious honor.  

"We are profoundly honored to receive the red dot distinction for the design of our MimioClassroom produce suite," says Laurence Huntley, general manager, DYMO/Mimio. "We designed these products with teachers in mind, and are thrilled that our efforts have been recognized in such a way that puts DYMO/Mimio in the same category as leading global brands that are synonymous with the utmost in design standards."

The MimioClassroom product suite brings together style and function in every element of the products' design, incorporating the look and feel of traditional teaching tools – from chalk trays to fountain pens – to make the technology even more comfortable and familiar to educators. The result is a seamlessly integrated system of easy-to-use, engaging products designed to help educators simply teach.

"We wanted to create a suite of products that had not only a unique and interesting look, but also conveyed an aura of simplicity, were designed with a purpose, and also fit naturally within a classroom environment," said Manny Perez, co-founder, DYMO/Mimio.  "For this reason, as our primary design metaphor, we chose a classic and simple arc with soft and fluid surfaces and edges. For the colors of the new product, we drew inspiration from a traditional dry erase whiteboard.  We also devoted a lot of time on how students and teachers would hold and use each of the components."

"As always, our jury cast a very careful eye over the products submitted. Design quality has asserted itself clearly in the judging process, with genuine and new creative solutions also being rewarded," says Professor Dr. Peter Zec, the initiator of the red dot design award. "Both of these criteria are not just yardsticks for good design, but also for the potential for success on the market."

More than 1,000 guests will celebrate the honor of winning the red dot design award on July 4, 2011 in Essen's opera house Aalto Theater in Germany. The MimioClassroom product suite will be on display along with other red dot award recipients from July 5 to August 1, 2011 in the exhibition "Design on Stage – Winners red dot Award: product design 2011" in the red dot design museum at the world heritage site of the Zeche Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex in Essen.

The recently-expanded MimioClassroom family of easy-to-learn and easy-to-use tools includes:

• MimioTeach™ System – The heart of the MimioClassroom suite, the MimioTeach system transforms any dry-erase whiteboard into a fully-interactive whiteboard. Rechargeable, wireless and not much bigger than a ruler, the MimioTeach system is the company's most advanced, next generation interactive whiteboard solution that instantly turns any dry erase whiteboard into an interactive whiteboard.  Featuring an elegant two button design and proprietary technology, the MimioTeach system automatically pairs with the MimioHub wireless receiver. The system's integral, newly designed and teacher-tailored MimioStudio™ software allows teachers to have an interactive teaching environment in a moment's notice.
• MimioVote™ Student Assessment System – Inspired by teachers and students, the MimioVote system is one of the easiest and most accurate ways for teachers to assess student comprehension. The rechargeable and wireless MimioVote system provides real-time assessment and immediate feedback with flexible options to create both customized and standardized assessments. The MimioVote system can use supplied question templates, create custom tests using Microsoft® PowerPoint®, import prepared assessments or use publishers' question banks. The MimioVote system handheld devices use a DYMO/Mimio exclusive illuminated response feature that lights only the buttons that a question requires, reducing confusion and increasing reporting accuracy. Unlike conventional assessment systems, the MimioVote devices are intelligent enough to automatically renumber themselves when returned to the tray, saving teachers and students valuable class time. The MimioVote system is ready to go out of the box as it is instantly on when powered and automatically pairs with the MimioHub wireless receiver.
• MimioView™ Document Camera – The model of simplicity, the MimioView product is one of the most integrated and easy-to-use document cameras available on the market. MimioView technology and MimioStudio software offer useful editing and storage features such as copy, cut, freeze, highlight, rotate, save and live video markup and the ability to drop images and video into lessons and tests. Roughly the size of a tissue box, the MimioView document camera uses a single mini USB cable for power and data and has one-button activation, autofocus and lighting correction. The MimioView camera easily integrates with the MimioTeach and MimioVote systems through the universal MimioStudio software.
• MimioCapture™ Ink Recording System – Considered best-in-class, the rechargeable MimioCapture system allows real-time capture of dry erase whiteboard notes and drawings. Handwritten notes can be instantly transformed into text-based fonts, so students can pay attention to the subject matter on the board instead of taking notes. Teachers can also share notes with students and parents or even incorporate them into later lessons.  
• MimioPad™ Wireless Tablet – Slim and light, the MimioPad product is a wireless tablet that allows teachers and students to collaborate and interact with a MimioTeach-enabled whiteboard from up to 30 feet away. The rechargeable MimioPad tablet features 16 shortcut keys for ready access to the most popular MimioStudio software features and requires no special training for the user.  
• MimioStudio™ 7 Software – Running on Windows®, Mac® and Linux® operating systems, available in 26 languages and capable of importing other interactive whiteboard manufacturer files, the new MimioStudio 7 Software is a model of flexibility and ease-of-use. MimioStudio software can capture, create and present engaging classroom content with images, multimedia files and more that can be integrated into lesson plans. MimioStudio software may also import other conventional interactive whiteboard manufacturer files.  An easy-to-use Mimio Gallery provides teachers fast access to ready-to-use lesson plans, images, objects and content.  Object cloning and alignment save valuable time.  MimioStudio software features drag-and-drop convenience for Flash, audio and video files and is compatible with Microsoft® PowerPoint® and Adobe Acrobat, as well as other popular software applications.  

For more information on DYMO/Mimio, please visit www.mimio.dymo.com; you may also follow DYMO/ Mimio on Twitter @MimioTechnology and via Facebook. Download lesson plans and connect with other educators at www.mimioconnect.com, and view helpful how-to videos by Mimio Masters on the DYMO/Mimio YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/dymomimio.

For more information on the red-dot design awards, please visit www.red-dot.de/presse.

About Newell Rubbermaid Global Business and Technology Solutions

DYMO is the master brand name for the Newell Rubbermaid Global Technology Solutions portfolio. In a world that demands greater productivity and measures it at every opportunity, DYMO provides businesses, educational institutions and consumers with innovative and easy ways to share, manage and organize information with improved efficiency and satisfaction.

Our DYMO global technology brands are organized into four solutions:

• DYMO® / Labeling Identification Solutions include DYMO hand-held label makers, PC connected label and postage printers, plus Industrial labeling tools (www.dymo.com).
• DYMO™ / CardScan® Contact Management Solutions include CardScan business card scanners and contact management software (www.cardscan.com).
• DYMO™ / Endicia® Postage Technologies include Endicia online shipping and mailing services (www.endicia.com), as well as customized postage (www.pictureitpostage.com).  
• DYMO™ / Mimio® ITT (Interactive Teaching Technologies) include Mimio interactive whiteboard technology, digital ink recorders, document cameras, student response systems and engaging lesson plan content (www.mimio.com).

These global technology brands complement Newell Rubbermaid's strong portfolio of global brands, which also includes Rubbermaid®, Sharpie®, Graco®, Calphalon®, Irwin®, Lenox®, Levolor®, Paper Mate®, Waterman®, Parker®, Goody®, Rubbermaid Commercial Products® and Aprica®.

MEDIA CONTACT:
SHAHRZAD NADIZADEH, KETCHUM
TEL: + 1 404.879.9234
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SOURCE DYMO/Mimio ITT