NEC Corp. will start providing a coating service for business operators from late February to counteract the coronavirus on personal computers.
The new service will reduce users' burden of sanitizing the devices, as the glass coating will remain effective for around five years, according to the major Japanese technology company.
Liquid mixed with an agent that inactivates the virus will be applied to form a solid glass membrane on the surface of PCs when it reacts with moisture in the air.
The technology was developed by Tokyo-based glass coating agent manufacturer HardoLass Holdings Co., according to NEC.
In an evaluation test conducted by a third-party organization, the amount of virus was reduced by more than 99.9 percent 24 hours after the liquid was applied to devices, the company said.
NEC will have the agent tested for effectiveness against the highly transmissible Omicron variant, which has driven recent surges in COVID-19 infections in Japan and overseas.
The company will offer the service for its desktop and laptop PCs and some related devices such as a mouse and keyboard as well as those manufactured by other firms.
NEC will provide the service at its kitting centers, as well as by making visits to its customers, with the service cost depending on the number of PCs to which it will cater.
The coating service is priced at 440,000 yen ($3,870) for a package of 100 PCs when they are coated upon purchases of NEC products.
The company would charge 213,400 yen for 20 sets. A set includes a desktop or a laptop, along with additional gadgets such as a mouse and a keyboard.
The company will provide the service for other manufacturers' electronics as well, but would charge less if a customer buys the coating service while making a purchase of NEC's products, it said.
In the future, NEC said it will consider making the service available to individual customers as well.
