Cherry keyboards take off at Heathrow!

18th February 2010

ES Admin

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ZF Electronics has won a substantial order to supply keyboards for airport check-in desks at Heathrow airport. The company saw off heavy competition from rival manufacturers to secure the order from PKS Services, who specialize in supplying, repairing and refurbishing airport IT equipment. ZF Electronics’ Cherry keyboards were selected following a thorough testing and evaluation process begun in April 2009, which demonstrated that they would provide the most cost-effective solution over the expected lifespan of the installation, being robust enough to withstand constant 24/7 usage in a busy commercial environment.

Initial set-up cost of the desk equipment was also a key factor in PKS Services’ decision to place the keyboard order with ZF Electronics. The company’s keyboards, marketed under the Cherry brand, are well-established in a wide number of markets and enjoy a reputation for reliability and innovative design. The first order of just under 1,000 units will be installed with other equipment, such as scanners, in May of this year.

Milesh Shah, Business Development Manager at PKS Services, comments: “The brief was to reduce the cost of maintenance of the current check-in desk peripherals and therefore overall cost of ownership. The previous keyboards had an integrated passport reader and it was decided to replace these with a separate keyboard and scanner to improve reliability. Not only are ZF Electronics’ G80-11915LUMUS-2 Cherry keyboards able to cope with the demands of a busy airport operating environment, they also incorporate an integrated touch pad, removing the need for a separate mouse. This compact keyboard takes up little room on the check-in desk where space is necessarily very limited.”

Steve Gumm, Key Account Manager (Keyboards) at ZF Electronics added: “PKS has recognized the strength and quality of the Cherry product: our G80-11915LUMUS-2 keyboard is based on our proven MX module and is guaranteed for over 50 million operations. Although we have previously supplied numeric keypads for Terminal Five, this is the first major airport win for us, and hopefully the first of many.”