During CES 2012, Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America announces the launch of an 80-inch AQUOS Board interactive touchpanel display that is targeted at collaborative solutions.

Sharp says its AQUOS Board PN-L802B will be available in late February with a $13,795 MSRP.

Large flat panels seem to be in demand among many clients. There is an on-going battle between flat panels and projection systems in terms of which is the video solution of choice for conference room and other environments, according to Pacific Media Associates (PMA), which provides front projector market information.

Projectors are still dominant when customers require large displays, according to a recent PMA survey, but flat panels are gaining steam.

Panasonic is also seeing that trend with a lot of adoption of its 103-inch TVs in videoconferencing applications, according to Rudy Vitti, product manager for Panasonic’s digital display group.

Sharp’s 80-incher joins 60- and 70-inch models in the company’s family of meeting targeted flat-panel solutions. It offers end users built-in collaboration with conferencing tools like WebEx, GoToMeeting and Skype and is compatible with Microsoft Office.

The AQUOS standalone will be available with a three-year on site parts and labor limited warranty and is designed for workgroup collaboration, videoconferencing, interactive signage and video walls, the company states.

Users can also purchase the AQUOS bundle, which includes the 80-inch display, rolling cart floor stand and a whiteboard PC, which is preloaded with Microsoft Windows 7, Sharp Pen Software and touchscreen drivers. An HDMI cable is also included in the bundle.

Sharp also states the AQUOS has a full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution and is readable regardless of ambient light.

Users can write directly on the screen, interact with their own PCs and print, the company says.