August 9, 2016

Today, MyScript, a pioneering market leader in accurate, high-performance handwriting recognition and digital ink management technology, announces the launch of Nebo, a brand new notetaking app that showcases the power of its leading-edge Interactive Ink technology.

Recently, I had a chance to interview my old industry friend, Mr. Gary Baum, VP of Marketing at MyScript. He introduced that the name of the app—Nebo—is the name of the god of writing in Babylonia.

Nebo enables tablet users with active pens to write and edit their handwritten notes in real-time. Now, users can write complex mathematical equations, draw diagrams, sketch pictures and instantly convert to digital form for sharing, searching and storage. All of Nebo’s real-time digitized content – text, diagrams and mathematical equations – is editable with the stylus alone, providing for ease-of-use and productivity gains previously not possible with digital handwriting.

Nebo works on many active pen devices, such as those from Microsoft, or Apple. In the recently published “Active Pen Technologies, Supply Chain and Market Forecast Report (Second Edition),” Touch Display Research Inc., an independent market research and consulting firm, analyzes more than twenty digital pen technologies, which include thirteen active pen technologies and eight passive pen technologies. Touch Display Research forecasts active pen writing module (includes pen sensor, pen and controller IC) revenue will reach $6.1 billion in 2021, from $2.9 billion in 2016.

Figure 1. Active pen module market forecast

Source: Touch Display Research, 2016

Touch Display Research defines active pen as a pen with an electronic circuit. Some active pens have an integrated battery in it, and others don’t. A passive pen has neither an electronic circuit nor a battery.

The “Active Pen Technologies and Market Forecast 2016 Report” is available immediately and includes a PowerPoint file of over 270 pages and an Excel database.

Thanks for reading,

Dr. Jennifer Colegrove and team