Oct. 20--Touch-screen technology developer N-trig Ltd. has signed an agreement with Toshiba Corp. (TSE: 6502). The Japanese electronics giant will integrate n-trig's DuoSense technology into its Satellite U505 notebook, which it has just introduced ahead of Microsoft Corp.'s (Nasdaq: MSFT) launch of its Windows 7 operating system on Thursday.

N-trig did not disclose details about the deal but estimates are that it will be worth millions of dollars annually for the Israeli company because of the large number of computers sold by Toshiba.

N-trig was chosen by "Globes" as one of Israel's most promising start-ups of 2008-09. DuoSense combines pen and a multi-touch screen in a single device, negating the need for keyboard. The technology creates a different user experience that more closely resembles touch-screen enabled cellular telephones.

N-trig stresses that this latest agreement with Toshiba has enabled it to enter the laptop Netbook market for consumers, whereas last month's agreement with Lenovo Group Ltd. (HKSE: 0992) only saw it penetrate the market for organizations.

According to Gartner Group (NYSE: IT), Toshiba is the world's fifth largest manufacturer of computers with a 5 percent market share.

N-trig CEO Amichai Ben-David said, "Toshiba's clear vision for the consumer, combined with our strong multi-touch solution, significantly changes the way that consumers of all ages can now interact with their notebooks. With our DuoSense solution, users now have a new range of options to interact directly with their computers, enabling them to play instruments and games, to schedule their daily calendar, or even finger-paint directly on the screen. We believe that this type of interaction will become the standard for all computers."

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