TOKYO, Japan—January 2, 2017—Wacom Co., Ltd announced today that the company is developing a new stylus capable of using both Wacom’s own Active ES™ Pen protocol and Microsoft Pen Protocol.

The new stylus, which will be released under the Bamboo brand, is the first result of collaboration between Wacom and Microsoft based on the licensing agreement in March 2016. Incorporating the two leading pen protocols, the stylus will offer the broadest compatibility on the Windows market, enabling users to alternate seamlessly between multiple pen-equipped devices with a click and tap into ink applications including Windows Ink.

Styli have continued to gain popularity, amid growing recognition of their potential for improving productivity and creativity with mobile devices. Targeting this market, Wacom has since 2014 shipped its Active ES Pen solutions for a range of OEM customers. Microsoft has been actively promoting ink with Windows devices and this culminated in Windows Ink in 2016, where styli play a primary role for creating and manipulating content. Both companies concur the potential of digital ink and pen have in store for us.

“As more devices come onto the market equipped with styli and a broadening array ofink solutions emerge, it is vital to stay focused on the customer experience. The new stylus can be used seamlessly across devices, enabling the user to take advantage of digital ink solutions such as Windows Ink,” said Mike Gay, SVP in charge of Wacom’s Consumer Business Unit.

Wacom announced the establishment of Digital Stationery Consortium, Inc. in October 2016, which aims to promote the wide adoption and market development of digital stationery under an open partnership, harnessing the power of digital pens and digital ink, to serve creative minds in the most natural and intuitive way. A single stylus which can unify two different technologies fits this objective.

Wacom and Digital Stationery Consortium, Inc. will jointly host the event “Connected Ink Las Vegas” on January 6, to establish digital ink as universal, open and smart content format by promoting and managing WILL™ (Wacom Ink Layer Language)-based ink formats.

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