The company is Digit Wireless. The Fastap creator and patent holder is David Levy, PhD, the founder and chief technology officer of the company. As reported on the company web site, the Fastap was designed to replace the slow and outmoded 12-key pad that has been a standard feature on mobile phones for decades. It’s slow because users have to tap numbers to enter letters. The Fastap is based on the 12-key design, but letters have their own keys and are interspersed between the number keys. The benefit? It's a time saver because it's an intuitive process.

The Ergonomics Report™ ergonomicsreport.com, a publication for professionals requiring in-depth coverage of current ergonomics matters, covered the struggle and mobiles issue on August 3. The article, "Cell Phones – Too Small, Too Technical, Too Complicated?" reported that a common criticism relates to the small size of the phones. Users complain aim and accuracy suffer when adult hands finger child-sized buttons. Fastap addresses this problem with wider key spacing, allowing adult fingers to navigate quickly and accurately. The company likens using the Fastap to using a laptop keyboard.

Dr. Levy’s background in ergonomics explains his emphasis on usability. He was head of Portable Device Ergonomics at Apple Computer for five years, and involved in the design of several of Apple’s signature products. Quoted in one of the many newspaper articles on the keyboard, Dr. Levy described his design as "extremely simple so that any individual is able to pick it up and use it. … (the interface) seems to be dramatically increasing the data usage and messaging usage of people who would otherwise not do it."

His quote makes a business case for ergonomic solutions: data services are one of the most profitable areas for carriers, and increased usage helps their bottom line. Telus Mobility, a Canadian company that supplies a phone fitted with the new interface, the Fastap LG 6190, reports text messaging increased by 120 percent for new purchasers of the new phone. This is after all the normal increase typical for owners of new mobile phones has been factored in, according to the company.

The Fastap appears to be fulfilling its designer's promise, but it may be a while before it is a standard feature on mobiles. According to sources quoted in The Ergonomics Report™ article about cell phones, the product development process used by the manufacturers has created a gap in what users want and what is available on the market. The sources describe the process as technology-driven, not user driven.

Digit Wireless attributes the delay to the difficulty of persuading a manufacturer to buy into a new technology that is not an in-house product. It seems only patience is needed. Telus Mobility reported sales of the Fastap LG 6190 phone outstripping sales of its other lines in its first six months on the market. Other suppliers will be watching.

Sources: Digit Wireless; PC World; China Daily; The Ergonomics Report™