DigitalSignage Issue 7 by Alchemedia Publishing

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Making it up as you go along

Editorial:

Story: Christopher Holder

f you’re reading this, I’m guessing we’re already on the same page.

If you’re reading this, you understand that digital signage isn’t something you can neatly pigeonhole – ‘oh, it’s IT’s responsibility’, or ‘that’s Marketing’s problem’.

If you’re reading this, you know to have a digital signage network that actually matters, someone has to care.

Hearing NAB’s Helena Athans for the first time at DigitalSignage World earlier this year, one thing was absolutely clear – she cares… this woman is passionate about digital signage and what it can do for her business. Helena was fairly bursting with real-world, hard-won experience and it was a breath of fresh air.

Which is why I’m really excited about having her thoughts neatly summarised in print in this issue of DigitalSignage . Her experiences highlight the fact that digital signage is still comparatively new. There isn’t a huge body of received wisdom on what works and what doesn’t. There isn’t some zero-risk recipe that your business can adopt to make digital signage work for you. In fact, to instigate a system that meets your goals you need a Helena – you need a champion of the digital signage cause.

So where to ‘put’ digital signage in your business? Interestingly, NAB now taken Helena and her compact team out of marketing and placed them in the ‘retail’ department. What this means is that signage becomes part of the NAB’s in-store experience strategies. Within that, Helena helps inform the layout of the new NAB retail ‘stores’ – that’s right, NAB doesn’t have ‘branches’

anymore, they’re stores! It’s not to say that banks are designing their floorplans around the screen real estate, but it recognises that screens play a significant role in getting customers into the store and, once there, informing and entertaining them. Contrast the NAB new-store ‘ground up’ approach with the more common ‘someone else’s problem’ scenario, where the AV guys will respond to a call to fit some screens after the shopfitters have left. Then, with the screens up someone will pose the question: “so what are we going to put on these screens?” “And who’s going to generate the content?” If you’re reading this, chances are you have a signage network or you’re looking to invest in one.

If you’re reading this, I dare say you instinctively understand that signage is going to play a big part of your commercial future.

And, if you’re reading this, you may well be rueing the fact you don’t have your very own Helena to give your signage the impetus it needs. Before you despair, chances are, you do. Your signage champion is probably in your ranks. Just not in the place you’d most expect to find them.  Christopher Holder, Editorial Director

Chris always enjoys hearing about your digital signage experiences. Send him something via email: chris@dsmag.com.au

CONTENTS ISSUE 7 2012 Digital Place-Based Media & Technology

Advertising Office: (02) 9986 1188 PO Box 6216, Frenchs Forest, NSW 2086

Editorial Office: (03) 5331 4949 PO Box 295, Ballarat, VIC 3353

Publication Director: Stewart Woodhill (stewart@dsmag.com.au) Editorial Director: Christopher Holder (chris@dsmag.com.au) Publisher:

Philip Spencer (philip@dsmag.com.au) Art Direction: Dominic Carey (dominic@alchemedia.com.au) Graphic Design: Leigh Ericksen (leigh@alchemedia.com.au) Contributing Editor: Graeme Hague (news@dsmag.com.au) Technical Editor Andy Ciddor (andy@av.net.au) Accounts: Jaedd Asthana (jaedd@alchemedia.com.au)

IN ACTION 8 Adidas Neo Store, Germany 10 Chatswood Concourse, Sydney 12 Conical Video Wall, Hong Kong 14 Parramatta Leagues Club COLUMNS 16 Trevor Jones, PHD Creative 17 David Gittins, The Innovation Hub NEWS 28 News & Product Info

Circulation Manager:

Mim Mulcahy (subscriptions@dsmag.com.au)

FEATURES 18 Banking on Experience: NAB Retail 22 Wayout West: Perth Arena 24 Getting the Message: Rio Tinto HQ 26 Set Like a Jelly: SPC’s Augmented Reality Activation REFERENCE 30 Who’s Who Company Profiles COMMENT 34 Mug Punter: Adaptive Camouflage?

alchemedia publishing pty ltd (ABN: 34 074 431 628) PO Box 6216, Frenchs Forest, NSW 2086 info@alchemedia.com.au All material in this magazine is copyright © 2012 Alchemedia Publishing Pty Ltd. The title AV is a registered Trademark. Apart from any fair dealing permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission. The publishers believe all information supplied in this magazine to be correct at the time of publication. They are not in a position to make a guarantee to this effect and accept no liability in the event of any information proving inaccurate. After investigation and to the best of our knowledge and belief, prices, addresses and phone numbers were up to date at the time of publication. It is not possible for the publishers to ensure that advertisements appearing in this publication comply with the Trade Practices Act, 1974. The responsibility is on the person, company or advertising agency submitting or directing the advertisement for publication. The publishers cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions, although every endeavour has been made to ensure complete accuracy. 28/11/12

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Window Shopping Adidas’ interactive shopfront

In Action

Adidas is taking window shopping to a new level with an interactive digital window concept that connects with consumers’ smartphones, making it easy to shop at any time without an app or scanning various QR codes. German teens shopping for the latest fashion items have used it for the first time during a six-week pilot test at the adidas NEO Label store-front in Nürnberg.

Vice President Global Retail Environments Adidas Brand, Ted Mager said: “After the success of the Social Media Mirror, one of our latest retail innovations, we’re excited to prove our innovation leadership yet again by introducing the latest advancement in window shopping. Our NEO teen fashion label offers the perfect environment to test this new and stimulating shopping experience because for us NEO means new: new by definition, new in concept and new in spirit.” The new storefront window is a fully functioning virtual store with lifesize products. The intuitive interface of the touchscreen window lets shoppers explore, play and drag lifesize products they’re interested in directly into their smartphone for easy and convenient purchase from adidas NEO online.

TBWA\Helsinki: www.tbwa.fi

Digital Place-Based Media & Technology

By visiting a simple URL via their smartphone and typing in a one-time PIN, the shopper’s mobile becomes interlinked in real time with a shopping bag on the window, showing a live view of its contents. Any product dropped into the window’s shopping bag instantly appears on the mobile. The shopper can edit product details, save products for immediate or later purchase and share with friends through social media or email. Shoppers can also play with a lifesize digital model showcasing NEO’s fashion range in a fun and engaging way. By touching hotspots on the window the shopper can make the mannequin show product details, interact with the product and make playful actions and movements.

The Adidas Window Shopping experience was developed in a co-operation between Adidas and TBWA\Helsinki, part of the TBWA Worldwide network. 

Engaging Retail Signage Out of the Box

Affordable LED BackLit LCD “Out of the Box” Digital Signage Solution The MagicInfo Lite scheduler/ player (included in the displays) allows for simple scheduling and delivery of your important content without the need of complex digital signage systems. Use the 2.8gb of free internal memory to store your content and schedule content via remote control. Set up the content schedule with the display’s remote control.

Slim & Light The Samsung MD series allows your customers to enjoy an expansive visual experience in environments like food and beverage outlets, cafes, restaurants, retail shops and other leisure places. The slim and light weight design coupled with exceptional image quality from Direct LED* backlighting, gives you a convenient alternative to static image light box technology.

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*Samsung LED BLU displays utilise LCD screens with LED edge or back lights.

www.samsunglfd.com it.sales@samsung.com Digital Place-Based Media & Technology

Chatswood Thinks Big The Concourse’s D3 public display

In Action

DRM AV: www.drmav.com.au D3: www.d3led.com Gilfillan Soundwork: (02) 9569 5626 or www.gilfillansoundwork.com.au ICE Design Australia: (02) 9568 4684 or www.icedesign.net.au Technical Audio Group (Martin Audio, QSC): (02) 9519 0900 or info@tag.com.au Techmedia (Scala): (02) 9526 7880 or www.ConnectedSignage.com.au

Willoughby Council’s Concourse centre gives the affluent burghers of Sydney’s North Shore yet another reason to not renew their Harbour Bridge e-Tags. Why bother schlepping your way to the CBD when you’ve got a world-class concert hall, theatre and library smack dab in the middle of Chatswood (arguably Greater Sydney’s shopping epicentre)? Add to the list of Concourse attractions, a public plaza with a big LED screen. The D3 screen, supplied and installed by DRM Audio Visual, provides a community focal point for big events such as the Olympics, New Year’s Eve, etc.

It took around six hours to lower the screen into position and plug all the D3 modules together, a process that – according to DRM AV boss Brad Hogan – is bit of a cakewalk: “Stick all the cat5 cable together, put it into a network switch, hit the Configuration button, and the system sends out a magnetic field off each module which allows each to ID its neighbour – ‘this module next to me is this Mac address, and the one above me is this other Mac address’. Effectively it builds itself.”

Deep in the bowels of the building is the control room, which gives the operator the ability to view and preview all the input sources and, once selected, an AMX system takes care of all the audio and video switching – digitally, of course; everything is HDMI and DVI-D. A Scala digital signage system is installed, again, working hand in glove with the AMX control system.

A big public screen needs a big public audio system as well, which was supplied by Technical Audio Group. A lot is expected of the audio. It’s a big area to cover and there’s enough concrete to give an acoustician a heart attack. Martin Audio’s Omniline baby line array came to the rescue. David Gilfillan of Gilfillan Soundwork and ICE Design Australia were commissioned to measure/model the space to ensure the system was at its best – hitting the audience and missing the walls, glass balustrades, and surrounding cafes. From there a QSC Q-Sys system took care of all the processing. Complementing the two 20-element Omniline arrays is a bass array. All up, Sydney’s only permanently installed big public display makes for an impressive crowd puller. But it’s not until you see it in action on occasions such as The Reading Hour 2012 do you get a sense of the possibilities. With its broadcast quality back-end, impressive D3 LED image and high-quality Martin Audio sound system, the Concourse screen can share hookups with Federation Square and the Perth Cultural Centre screen with great results. Clearly, this is far more than a big telly or digital billboard, it’s a suburban touchstone in a digitally connected, yet socially disconnected, world. – Christopher Holder 

Innovateq is a leading IT & AV Technology Services provider that focuses on delivering tailor made business solutions for its clients. Drawing upon extensive experience and industry knowledge, Innovateq offers a single point of contact whilst delivering their comprehensive ‘end-to-end’ solutions. Their design philosophy is to concentrate on their client’s business outcomes and create the most cost effective solution, not to push technology where the value isn’t recognized.

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FOR SOLUTIONS03 8401 3320 info@innovateq.com.au www.innovateq.com.au Digital Place-Based Media & Technology

You’ve Arrived Conical Wall in Hong Kong

In Action

Hennessy Centre is the new flagship construction by Hysan – Causeway Bay’s most significant developer of high-end retail and office properties. The new building, now the tallest in Causeway Bay, overlooks some of the most expensive retail space in Hong Kong.

Although not initially planned as a high-end shopping precinct housing the world’s most expensive brands in fashion, jewellery and watches, Causeway has certainly evolved into this. Consequently, the street layout is narrow and traffic quickly becomes congested as soon as one leaves the main thoroughfare of Hennessy Road as it is all situated upon land that was reclaimed from Victoria harbour long before anybody could have imagined the district as a shopping Mecca.

Illumination Physics: (03) 9455 0761 or www.illuminationphysics.com

Digital Place-Based Media & Technology

The nature of the streetscape presented a significant challenge to the architects of Hennessy Centre. The interface with Hennessy Road did not provide the opportunity to create a grand entrance in what is a deep canyon of metal and glass. On the contrary, the main entrance to the new building would not be from the district’s major road, but from the narrow maze of streets a block away. Therefore, creating a grand sense of ‘arrival’ became pivotal when considering both the location and enormous competition. Thus grew the genesis of the Conical Wall – a vast media wall which forms the arch under which most visitors will pass.

The shape of the wall was immediately problematic; the overhanging façade is formed in the shape of a truncated and inverted cone. This created a three dimensional puzzle that no modular media wall product could match. Illumination Physics solved the problem with one of its linear media wall products. Some customisation was required to match the dimensions of the conical wall, but the linear product could be arranged in such a way that the width between the modules diverged slightly with height following the divergence of the wall itself. Although the horizontal pitch changes from 80mm at the base, to 110mm at the top, the change is not perceptible. The change in pitch is corrected in the mapping software of the IP X-Software. The media wall is approx. 400 square metres in total area. The media wall at Hennessy Centre is a spectacular feature that indeed provides a great sense of ‘arrival’. 

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Different League Parramatta Leagues’ IPTV & Digital Signage solution

In Action

Big changes at Parramatta Leagues Club. A site wide renovation program coupled with the impending analogue to digital switchover was set to leave their existing TV solution both out of place in its new surroundings and obsolete. Its existing visual entertainment solution had operated both an analogue TV system and separate, stand alone, digital signage solution, both had been in place a number of years and now provided limited control and ability to engage with patrons. Parramatta Leagues would play host to a bunch of new bars, restaurants, cafes and clubs so it was pretty clear that a site-wide, integrate solution would be required. So, in early 2012 Parramatta set about finding a new solution.

Tripleplay: (02) 9017 7370 or www.tripleplay-services.com Streamvision: 1300 300 407 or www.streamvision.com.au

Digital Place-Based Media & Technology

“We were informed of the Tripleplay solution by one of the AV companies working on our refurbishment. We arranged a demonstration with Streamvision, one of Tripleplay’s Authorised Resellers, and found the system was extremely impressive,” says Ross Kellaway, IT Manager at Parramatta Leagues Club. He continued; “To make our decision even simpler, other IPTV solutions we’d looked at were three times the cost and didn’t include digital signage as a part of the package.

The solution Tripleplay and Streamvision delivered was an exact match to our requirement.”

The solution, a mixture of Tripleplay’s TripleTV IPTV system, TripleSign Digital Signage and TripleCMS content management provided Ross and his team with a much higher quality of output, a greater level of control and management, a decreased reliance on staff to run the system and a fully scalable, future proof solution. The system integrator was Streamvision. Streamvision CEO, Greg Bassine commented: “Parramatta Leagues Club is an excellent example of a venue adopting the benefits IPTV and digital signage can deliver, and utilising the Tripleplay system to their advantage.” “I can be anywhere in the world and change anything on the display system at the touch of a button,” commented Ross Kellway. “In the past we have relied on staff within the bars and restaurants to make changes and with the high staff turnover levels in the service industry training became an issue. This is no longer a problem for us.

“It’s a superlative system and I’d recommend it to anybody considering IPTV.” 

Digital Place-Based Media & Technology

Creative:

Increased Shopper Engagement & Education with a Kiosk Trevor Jones is principal of phdcreative, a retail marketing agency, based in Sydney. He works across the creative and digital teams to help brands take advantage of the opportunities offered by integrating traditional with digital communication. phdcreative was an early advocate of the power of digital placed based media to engage consumers in the retail environment. You can learn more by visiting www.phdcreative.com.au

Story: Trevor Jones

he retail environment is now far more than ‘e-commerce versus bricks and mortar’. Brands are now up against competitors within their own retail space. Technology is now so portable and connected, we defer to it for even the most mundane tasks. A simple ‘What should I wear today?’ question, now becomes a topic on Twitter. We shouldn’t be surprised that shoppers are turning to this wonderful source of knowledge to make sure they’re spending their hard earned coin correctly. 68% of all smart phone users access it in-store.

20% of smartphone users use it to research products in-store.

24% of smart phone users intentionally have their smart phone with them to inform themselves about products.

Shoppers are researching competitor products in-store. They desire and expect to be well informed before purchasing. This is the current state of retail and is now our social nature.

Convenience is no longer a factor, we know we can find it somewhere else cheaper and have it delivered right to our door. So shopper confidence in your product is a key to turning them into a customer. Google’s amazing data about mobile search queries doesn’t just show the importance for brands to focus on mobile technology, but highlights the specific requirements of the shopper in the retail space. There are many solutions to this new opportunity. Yes, a mobile strategy should be included as part of your omni-channel marketing strategy, but mobile alone presents hurdles between the shopper and your brand.

Search results – you can only optimise your site as much as your competitor can. Search advertising – you can only optimise your campaign as much as your competitor can.

At phdcreative we have recently partnered with Van Heusen, a division of Gazal, to bring a large-format interactive touchscreen to the menswear floor of the Myer Sydney City store. The kiosk is part of a major concept store relaunch for Van Heusen and this is the first large-format interactive kiosk to be installed at Myer. The strategy is to highlight technical product information and personal styling advice with a strong focus on coordinated looks. In turn, supporting sales staff on the floor. To maximise the customer interaction experience we created an easy to use interface with simple navigation paths and logical clear language to communicate detailed product information.

“This project wasn’t just about product information display and new technology. “We wanted to create an interface with measurable outcomes.” phdcreative executive, Gaye Steel, explains. “So we kept it simple with the aim to attract, engage and direct.” The Van Heusen Touch Screen Kiosk system provides key measurable product and brand touch points, directing customers to the next step in the purchase cycle. The kiosk will be rolled out across Australia to key Myer stores through 2013.

Making your kiosk a key touch point in-store is all in the execution. There are no hard and fast rules. But like everything in-store, you should always start with the customer. Ask yourself these questions: Where are they coming from in-store? What information are they after? How much do they already know? Where will they go next? This will give you the framework of how to attract them, engage them and direct them. Then you can start working on your information architecture. Aim for it to be as logical and shallow as possible. Don’t just take the information you have on your website and put it on a 43-inch touchscreen. The information required in-store will be different to any other piece of communication you have.

Print material is also a good option, but when was the last time you picked up and read an in-store brochure?

User interface design is not a dark art; we’ve all used multiple touch devices (safe to say they’re Apple devices, with a 77% market share). UI design for interactive devices is the integration of form and function. Users will judge it on how well the design works with the functionality.

• It’s informative. Enabling us to search and refine the information in a way that’s unique to each user.

During each of these phases we suggest getting it in front of people for some user testing. Just like you would with your website. Have real users put it through its paces. This will highlight key barriers in the user interface and architecture early enough to do something about it.

You could further train your staff in customer service or put on additional staff to cover in-store inquiries.

Then there is the kiosk. If the objective is to inform the shopper and fill them with confidence, this seems like the easiest way for the shopper to access and digest all the information you can offer. Plus we all love technology. Not because we love electronics and all that geeky stuff, but because:

Then you can make it look pretty and align it with the rest of your environmental design and brand.

• It’s responsive. Nothing keeps you engaged more than something that gives back.

Now with the utmost confidence you can deploy your kiosk on the appropriate technology in-store.

• It makes our lives easier by doing all the heavy lifting for us.

A kiosk has the sole task of informing customers about your products and services. The information is right there for them to access and is relevant to the environment. There are no barriers to the shopper immersing themselves in the detail of your product 16

and service. A kiosk can engage, educate, inform and persuade customers.

Digital Place-Based Media & Technology

A final word: The kiosk offers shoppers a new way to shop alongside traditional touch points. It enables customers to access the detailed information they are after. By controlling the environment where the information is displayed you remove competitor influence and ultimately deliver increased shopper engagement and education. 

Retail

Need A Little Downtime? Dave is a consultant with The Innovation Hub, a digital signage and place based media consultancy based in Sydney. Over the past six years he has designed, deployed and managed over 5000 screens across 13 networks in Australia, New Zealand and the UK. He also chairs the Content Manager’s Forum on LinkedIn.

Story: Dave Gittins

ast week I was invited to participate in a walkthrough of a digital out of home (DOOH) network in Sydney that had just upgraded some screens and locations. While I did not have any direct involvement in the set up of this particular network, the owner and I have known each other for a few years now and I was keen to see the changes he’d made given the significance of the network and the revenues it was generating through advertising.

The owner and I walked around different areas of the building looking at screen placement, content and customer engagement, all of which were certainly impressive, however a number of screens were either blank or turned off, much to the consternation of the owner. This prompted a hasty audit of all the screens, due to the fact that a potential advertiser was coming in that afternoon to see the network. Each vacant screen was in plain view of at least 10 members of staff and yet no one had reported any of the eight-plus screens as being down.

Of course, the problem of blank screens is not limited to this particular network, far from it – every time I’m in the Sydney CBD, I see screens in store windows that are blank; video walls with one or more tiles off; error messages; and the dreaded ‘blue screen of death’. Furthermore, given I work in the screen media industry, I’m more attuned to this problem than most, but I believe many companies still fail to see the damage a blank screen can do to their brand or network. HEARING THE SCREENS

For DOOH networks the damage is quantified by lost revenue. If an advertiser happens to do a spot check on a network running their ads and finds one or more screens down, they will probably contact the network operator for a ‘proof of run’ report to determine the extent of the problem. Depending on the contractual arrangements, when more than an agreed number of screens are down during a campaign, the network will have to rebate the client or bonus them with additional ads. Luckily, the DOOH operators have robust networks and it’s rare to see a screen down and, when they do, the situation is quickly rectified.

More often than not it is the branded networks of large retailers I see with blank screens. Because these networks rarely generate direct revenues, less scrutiny is placed on monitoring their performance, but I would argue that blank screens in a store environment really hurts. If you place a screen in a store, your customers reasonably expect a delivery of information or entertainment. When a screen is off, you fail to meet those expectations, even if that ‘contract’ is implied. When screens are placed in high dwell time areas, such as a queue for service, the problem is even more noticeable. Retailers reading this column will know only too well how much money and time is lavished on store design. So when one or more screens are down in a quality store fitout, the impact on the brand’s image can be significant. STAYING UP

I should point out: the occasional blank screen is a statistical inevitability – equipment fails from time to time. Planning for this

eventuality will make the difference between a screen being down for a few hours or a few weeks. With this in mind I have listed my Top 5 tips for minimising network downtime. 1. Don’t Skimp on Quality: Many companies look at the initial capital cost of setting up a network and baulk at the price, leading to cost cutting, particularly with displays. Yes, you can pick up a 40-inch LCD direct from China for $250, but I guarantee you will see a high failure rate. Factor in that a service call to remove a faulty screen and replace it with another will cost at least $250 and with the likely multiple failures each month, then suddenly the $900 for a branded display with three-year warranty looks very reasonable. On a related note, make sure you purchase some spare hardware, so you have stock to draw from when you do experience a unit failure. In this way you won’t have to wait for a unit to be repaired to get your network back up and running.

2. Select the Right Hardware: Leverage the features your commercial displays offer, such as RS-232 control or Ethernet connection. The former will allow your players to control/monitor your screens if both have RS-232 ports, whereas Ethernet will let you do the same over a LAN/WAN, either through a player or directly from your Content Management System (CMS). Ethernet is a preferable to RS-232 – cheaper and more versatile in terms of control capabilities.

3. Ensure Your CMS Has Suitable Tools: This is probably the most crucial point. Be sure to ask your CMS supplier what control and monitoring functionality is available in the software. As a minimum it should be able to monitor if a media player is online or offline and alert you if there is a problem. More advanced systems will allow you to monitor and control displays as well as players, remotely administer, update and reboot devices and alert multiple people via email or SMS if there is a problem. It’s also good to find software that can monitor content too. Some CMS providers (such as Scala or Nexus-On-Demand, for example) will alert you if content has not been delivered to one or more players, or if it has been corrupted en route. All of this helps ensure you are aware of exactly what is happening on your network at any given moment.

4. Ask Your Vendors About Their Support Capabilities: Beyond the capabilities of the CMS, ask your vendors what value added services they provide in support of your network. Do they sub-contract on-site support (sometimes leading to quality issues)? What are the support coverage hours they provide (there is no point having 9am to 5pm service desk if you are a 24/7 business)? Also look for any innovations they offer to better support your network. I recently saw a demonstration from an Australian vendor, Engagis that included an app for your staff to use for log issues with screens. The app logs the location, hardware barcode, time/date and automatically creates a job in their ERP system. 5. Engage With & Educate Your Staff: Finally, try and involve staff in the success of the network by ensuring they are aware of its purpose/value and who to contact in the event of a problem.

Some companies also offer rewards for actively reporting problems, even if they are small items like cinema tickets. The cost of offering small incentives is often far less than the potential lost revenues from advertising or sales.  Digital Place-Based Media & Technology

BANKABLE EXPERIENCE Helena Athans

Digital Retailing Manager, NAB Retail

JOURNEY OF A THOUSAND MILES STARTS…

round four years ago I started with only 40 screens. At the time they were playing the same piece of content – essentially an animated poster – for 30 seconds over and over again. Primitive, but that’s how we started. To start making the right digital signage decisions you need to understand the fundamentals. When I talk about what we do at NAB, I talk about the whole customer experience. And my team’s role at NAB is to look after the ‘digital customer experience in our physical stores’.

KEEP IT SIMPLE

Keep your messaging simple. For example: No Tickers! They’re a distraction. A vendor will sell you an amazing solution that will be able to do 100 things on the screen at once but the thing is, the customer will hate it. I’m a busy person and I don’t want a busy screen. I want one thing at a time. Because it’s the simplicity that works. That’s what we found. There will be plenty of pressure to squeeze more content onto your screens. Don’t. Keep it simple. BRANCHING OUT?

In the push to online banking and online retailing in general, am I wasting my time? The stats tell us that only 5.3% ( July 2012) of retail sales are done online. So bricks and mortar banks aren’t going away in a hurry. Customers still demand face to face contact, especially when it comes to home loans. Retailing isn’t dead. NAB has 800+ stores. The stores are potentially our best advertising platform and our best brand ambassadors. SHOPFRONT: RANDOM ACCESS

At the beginning of 2012 we launched our flagship store in Docklands, Melbourne. For the shopfront screens, which are our portrait 55-inch displays, we video taped the store’s manager beckoning, mouthing, ‘come in’. It was an instant hit. It was without any audio but everyone loved the random nature of it.

So I’d recommend random pieces of content for your shopfront. The worst crime for a shopfront screen is to be ignored. I’m angling to get dancing monkeys on the screen, totally random, but it’ll get people’s attention and they’ll think…. what the…? It’s NAB?! The next thing that will get people through the door is the promise of free wifi. So we pump that on the shopfront screens. We don’t mind if people hang out in our store. After all, we’re competing with all the other retailers, not just the other banks, for shoppers’ time. 18

Digital Place-Based Media & Technology

The Digital Screenmedia Association Asia-Pacific: What it Means for You

Industry:

“There will be plenty of pressure to squeeze more content onto your screens. Don’t. Keep it simple” Digital Place-Based Media & Technology

QUEUING: NON-TRIVIAL METRICS

One thing customers hate in a bank is lining up. They get irritated by it. And the one thing that banks are measured by and the metric we all compete on is Customer Satisfaction. Interestingly, a big chunk of ‘customer satisfaction’ is the wait time in the queue. Often, in peak periods, there’s not much we can do about the wait time, but we can make a customer’s time in the queue entertaining.

We’re also having great sucess with trivia questions. Every single location now has trivia questions on our queue displays. It’s been a big hit with customers – a simple thing to do, but they love it. Customers are distracted, they try to guess the questions… They’re entertained.

iPAD ATTRACTION

We’re not ashamed to say that we want to be like an Apple Store — we’re not alone on that front! We want you to hang out with us. Admittedly our products aren’t as cool as Apple’s but we’re going to offer incentives for you to linger.

iPads: people love them. They’ll just want to reach out and play with an iPad. We’ve done an in-store NAB app – this isn’t an Appstore thing, it’s only found in NAB branches. This has given us ‘channel convergence’ – customers are using our app in store, mixing the virtual with the physical experience. By the way: we’ve tried other tablets, and people aren’t interested. There’s something about the iPad that has the magnetism, and everyone knows how to use them.

STAYING IN CONTROL

The best thing about all this content is it’s made by my team. The only thing I outsource is support through Telstra and, of course, the Cisco equipment. But my in-house team takes care of the content creation and the distribution of the content programming. I’m a true believer in this method – it’s the only way you can ensure you stay relevant. You get what you need straight away. You’re in control of your brand, and you’re not waiting on a third-party contractor. If something happens in the market – the RBA announces a rate cut – I can make a change straight away. I’m not going to rely on someone else, I stay in control.

COMMUNITY NOTICEBOARD

One thing people can do on our iPads – and this is something we trialled in our ‘concept stores’ – is to place a notice on our ‘community noticeboard’. A customer types in their notice – a sausage sizzle fundraiser or Auskick starting up next week, something like that – and submits it. That goes to our team and we vet the submission. Within 24-48 hours your notice will be up on our screens in that branch. What’s great about the noticeboard is it’s promoting that notion of community. The notices are about who I am and where I am right now. Weather is RSS’ed through and that’s local. The RSS newsfeed is local.

Local content is important in connecting back to the local community. FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHT

I had to fight tooth and nail to convince people that digital signage would work and be worth the investment.

Digital signage doesn’t neatly fit into any one department. I came from the NAB internal communications and markeing departments but soon realised that what worked for marketing doesn’t always work for digital signage. I now work in the ‘retail’ department – where it all about the in-store experience. In a naturally conservative business people are very intent on maintaining the status quo and not breaking anything. But you can’t change the world protecting what you’ve got. 20

Digital Place-Based Media & Technology

Wayout West

The Perth Arena has a bold and sophisticated signage network. Story: Christopher Holder

Digital Place-Based Media & Technology

he freshly-minted Perth Arena is a bold piece of architecture and design. Inside, a digital signage installation makes a similarly bold statement. The showpiece, unconventionally-configured ‘pendant’ array comprises 88 NEC displays – 44 on each side – and provides a striking canvas for advertisers to reach the thousands of punters funnelled through that foyer area, or indeed for AEG Ogden (the venue manager) to theme the Arena.

Perth Arena Interim General Manager, Steve Hevern commented that the digital pendant is a pioneer in venue digital display. “There is nothing like it anywhere else in the world and there is no doubt that it will make jaws drop at the sheer size and scope of it,” Mr Hevern said.

As with anything as ambitious as the Arena pendant, it wasn’t a doddle to bring together. As the AV integrator, Rutledge Engineering had to draw on all its 30-year corporate experience to ensure a high-quality result. The project’s AV consultant, Peter Hunt principal of Hewshott International, describes how the NEC software provided the right degree of sophistication: “It allows you to map each screen – the orientation between the screens, the distances between the screens – such that your imagery is taking into account all the bezels and the gaps between the screens, to allow the content to flow across nicely. Each NEC display can take individual, native 1080 HD content; you can address the screens in clusters or indeed the whole array. It’s quite powerful in that respect.” The pendant array is clearly a big investment for the venue, but its ability to generate revenue is just as significant. IPTV SYSTEM

The huge 88-screen pendant is by far and away the biggest ticket, digital signage item within Perth Arena but there are some 200-odd more Samsung commercial displays throughout the complex along with a Panasonic LED superscreen. Given the unique format and application of the pendant, it actually sits

on its own network, quarantined, as it were, from the broader, venue-wide signage installation.

In a first for this part of the world, the broader signage network is driven by an Intellimedia solution. Whereas most networks push content to a media player in the back of the screen, Intellimedia is more like an IPTV broadcaster – change the channel on the display’s set top box to accept one of the multiple channels coming from Intellimedia. Intellimedia is notoriously easy to drive, but is particularly suited to Perth Arena’s purposes for its ability to take live video and relay it out to the scores of screens with a more-than-acceptable latency (under 40ms). This is crucial, if you can image the VIPs in corporate boxes enjoying a view of the screen and the live action, where a longer delay will render the two annoyingly out of sync.

“There is nothing like it anywhere else in the world … it will make jaws drop”

SUPERSCREEN VERSATILITY

The 108sqm Panasonic LED (10mm pitch) bigscreen was selected for its brightness, sharp image and, crucially, its versatility. The Arena plays host to the Perth Wildcats basketball team, but come Summer will also see Hopman Cup action, and throughout the year visiting bands and performers will use the Arena as a concert venue. The big screen would need the capacity to break down and be reassembled as a centrally-hung, four-sided ‘gondola’ style display for the basketball games (showing live video, scores etc), then repurposed as one large screen at back of stage, as a piece of staging for a concert production, for example, all in a short turnaround. The full 5000-nit LED screen will also be pressed into service outside Perth Arena, now a city landmark, strategically positioned at one end of the ‘Federation Square’ style development currently underway in the Perth CBD. Graham Partridge, Chairman of VenuesWest wraps up the overall experience: “A world class venue needs a world class digital signage solution that delivers an unforgettable experience to the Perth Arena’s hundreds of thousands customers, and beyond.” Perth Arena delivers exactly that. 

Perth Arena: www.pertharena.com.au Hewshott International: (08) 6230 2780 or www.hewshott.com Rutledge Engineering: (03) 9488 1500 or www.rutledge.com.au R-Group International (Signage Installation): 1300 789 398 or www.r-group.com.au VR Solutions (Intellimedia): (07) 3844 9514 or www.vrs.com.au NEC: www.nec.com.au or contactus@nec.com.au Samsung: (02) 9763 9904 or www.samsung.com/au/lfd Panasonic: 132 600 or www.panasonic.com.au Digital Place-Based Media & Technology

Getting the Message

Rio Tinto’s new Brisbane HQ takes corporate communications to a new level. Story: Christopher Holder Photos: Christopher Frederick Jones

he bigger your company, the harder it is for everyone to be on the same page. Rio Tinto is a very big company, and its corporate communications department has its job cut out for it.

Its East Coast presence (centred in Brisbane) was strewn across 11 different offices and it was decided that a new HQ should be built. The result is 123 Albert Street, a 6 Green Star edifice in downtown Brisbane.

The new building is full of the latest technology including a state-of-the-art digital signage network. The design was put together by Innova-Tech, then installed and commissioned by Rutledge Engineering. DigitalSignage spoke to Alison Smith, General Manager – Media & Corporate Relations, Energy, about how Rio is harnessing the network.

Alison Smith: Previously we had offices spread across the Brisbane CBD, which meant we had quite a disjointed culture – to meet with members of other teams you might need to get from one end of town to the other. It would take quite a bit of 24

Digital Place-Based Media & Technology

time out of the day to get together on joint projects. Similarly, we didn’t have a unified Brisbane-facing presence – the teams worked quite individually. So there was no direct communications across all of Rio’s employees Brisbane-wide. When we were looking at consolidating that footprint and working in one building it provided a huge opportunity for us to not only bring teams together but also to look at ways of bringing location-relevant information to teams in a much easier way. Using, hopefully, a single platform. DigitalSignage: I guess you’re also considering what the signage network is replacing?

AS: That’s right, which are noticeboards and Blutacked things on the walls. People never remove them, they’re out of date, and you get layer upon layer of messages and posters. Messy.

123 Albert Street is a six Green star building, and we wanted a similarly sophisticated way to get those sorts of messages out.

TALKING SPECIFICS

The digital signage spec is quite sophisticated. The

system allows Alison and her colleagues to run generic messages across the whole network or run specific messages to individual screens. Level 27 incorporates a broadcast system where company addresses can be captured and then viewed from anywhere in the building and, indeed, around the world via videoconference. DigitalSignage: How do you use the network?

AS: In a whole range of ways. We have generic company-wide information, such as Rio recruitment information, changes in benefits from our health care provider, or changes in our computer system – housekeeping messages. We have local news, such as when an international business leader is visiting and if that business leader is conducting a ‘town hall’ meeting, for example. The screen content is normally duplicated in our weekly in-house e-newsletter. It provides a saturation effect – providing more visual cues to consolidate the messages from the newsletter. DigitalSignage: Where are the signs placed?

AS: In key areas where staff congregate, such as in the ‘mix and refresh’ areas where staff sit in kitchen

TALKING TO THE XPERT The Rio building introduced a brand new digital signage technology: the IS-XPT-2000 Inspired XPert Player from AMX (this is the Inspired XPert hardware solution that delivers digital signage to each display as required). This new technology supports 1080p with processing power to simultaneously display HD video, internet feeds, images and text in a smooth and reliable fashion. NetLinx programming options combine Inspired XPert with AMX Control systems to create messaging solutions that involve the entire environment including lights, audio, and control over connected displays. This particular technology was implemented for Rio Tinto due to the need for multiple content contributors. It was also chosen due to its workflow management tools, particularly a review and approval process module prior to publishing content. The ISXPT-2000 Inspired XPert Player comes with a template and content creation package allowing for high quality content to be created quickly. AMX: (07) 5531 3103 or www.amxaustralia.com.au

Job: Rio Tinto Brisbane HQ Purpose: Corporate communications The Team: Innova-Tech (02) 8090 2053 or www.innovatech.com.au Rutledge Engineering (03) 9488 1500 or www.rutledge.com.au

facilities – it’s where they go to make a cup of tea or coffee, sit down read the news or chat with a colleague. So it’s not just where people are walking by, it’s where they’re lingering. DigitalSignage: Sounds like it’s quite easy to create content?

AS: It needed to be simple to use – we didn’t want to tie up designers or need to outsource the job. We have a number of content ‘owners’. That includes different communications staff members on different teams responding to a variety of areas of the business. They can control and manage screens relevant to their areas of business. So it’s not just one person’s job, it’s a shared resource, with the messaging being entirely generic across the whole network to totally specific on one screen. DigitalSignage: And are you learning to refine/ embellish the messages to good effect?

AS: We started with simple designs. And it’s like anything, the more visual the message, the more likely it’ll be viewed. So we’ve looked to maximise the use of images and bright colours.

We then realised that the network would be useful

in the event of an emergency. The signs are now, what we call, a business resilience tool. During our regular exercises we looked at different scenarios that might arise. For example, if there was another flood in Brisbane, the screens could be used to communicate evacuation messages, about staying in contact with team leaders, etc. We also looked at how the screens could be of use if there was an emergency on only one floor – you could tailor that message on a floor-by-floor basis. That’s a key appeal of the system. DigitalSignage: What have you found captures the attention most?

AS: When we show employee profiles. People want to hear about other people, what they’re doing in the business. Invariably they’re the most popular. DigitalSignage: It’s a team thing.

AS: That’s right. And the screens need to be friendly to achieve that. The tone and feel are always non-threatening. Even when it’s important ‘need to know’ info, it’s always done in a way that’s visual – easy on the eye – and uses a tone that’s not instructive but informative.

DigitalSignage: Are you using the network to stream corporate messaging, say, from the CEO?

AS: We’ve not really explored streaming and broadcast yet. On one floor we’ve set up a lectern, fixed cameras and lighting. So if we did need to broadcast an address we could do that throughout the building. The capacity is there.

We’ve also deliberately ensured the screens can easily revert to normal TV coverage. Which will come in handy for significant news events or even things like the broadcast of the Melbourne Cup.

DIGGING THE TECHNOLOGY

DigitalSignage: Is it something you’re likely to roll out across other sites?

AS: Already one of our coal mining sites in the Bowen Basin has undergone training because they’re planning on introducing screens. They’ve seen the benefit of the system using highly visual messages, prompts, images, and so they’re going down that path. I understand our new Singapore offices are going to employ this type of AV fitout as well. It’s seen to be effective in reaching out to people.  Digital Place-Based Media & Technology

Set Like a Jelly

SPCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Augmented Reality Activation Story: Christopher Holder

Digital Place-Based Media & Technology

ampling campaigns are a staple of marketing. What better way of getting someone interested in your brand-new, better-than-theopposition, sandwich spread than to force feed it to punters as they try and go about their weekly shop?

SPC, the cannery cum fruit ’n’ juice company, is no different. It was about to launch a new fruity jelly and had set aside thousands of samples to give away. But this would be a sampling push with a difference. SPC had a partnership with Westfield shopping centres’ holiday program. So the idea was to link the sampling campaign with the two weeks of kids invading the malls. Smart thinking. APPLE A DAY

SPC then approached the Ogilvy Action agency to come up with some bright ideas.

One of SPC’s key messages is all about ‘active hunger’ – kids earning a healthy treat. So Ogilvy Action began to explore the idea of getting the kids involved in a fun activity with a fruit jelly reward. Such an approach would generate some more ‘talkability’, get the children excited about the product, and be more likely to get the parents involved – after all, they’re the ones buying the jelly. An interactive obstacle course perhaps? No, that would take up too much space.

After observing the trends overseas Ogilvy Action decided to pursue something more up our alley – a digital option; in fact an augmented reality/video game option. Ogilvy Action chose Westfield sites in Melbourne and Sydney to host these ‘activation spaces’. The augmented reality game was then developed in collaboration with Vision2Watch: a routine where

children would jump fruit dropped from a tree, thus filling their fruit jelly pouch – which is essentially the product being spruiked. To increase turnover of participants, each game lasted only 60 seconds and as many as four kids could be simultaneously involved – a la some Xbox Kinect games you might be familiar with. Upon completion, the child gets a high five and a fruit jelly.

AUGMENTED HAPPINESS

Seeing the delighted looks on the kids’ face, the AR approach seems particularly well suited to anklebiters. The basis of AR sees the punter involved in the on-screen action, which grown-ups find mildly diverting, but kids can hardly believe their eyes. And happy kids means happy parents. The payoff for SPC is greater engagement with its new product, and it’s seen as a go-ahead company that lives in the same world as the kids. Nothing boring about SPC.

AR is still a relatively nascent technology area – not a category you’ll find in the Yellow Pages just yet – but Ogilvy Action had heard good things about AR ninjas, Vision2Watch: “We did our research and were aware that Vision2Watch was experienced in this area [see our Tissot article in Issue 6],” noted Ogilvy Action Account Executive Jodi Cousins. “We designed the game concept, but Vision2Watch needs to take credit for making it a reality. Everything went smoothly, which is certainly not guaranteed where technology is involved.” And what did SPC think? Jodi again: “SPC loved it. They had some great feedback and a couple of high-profile PR opportunities came their way because of it. And now they have an asset they can re-use over the summer holidays.”  Ogilvy Action: www.ogilvy.com.au

MORE FROM VISION2WATCH Vision2Watch has become the Australian go-to company for interactive displays and augmented reality. As Vision2Watch Director George Ibrahim explains: “AR comes in a number of guises. Anything from one-off installations run on a powerful custom-built PC, through to smartphones, or even the consumer’s home PC. SPC’s initiative required something powerful and bespoke. We realised the game concept from Ogilvy Action, supplied the 2 x 2 46-inch NEC commercial displays, and commissioned the system on site in Melbourne and Sydney. Both shopping centres were packed during those holiday periods and we’re very pleased with how much interest the activation received and how many families engaged with it.” Vision2Watch: (02) 9502 4800 or www.vision2watch.com.au

Digital Place-Based Media & Technology

ELIMINATING THE DEADZONE

NEC: HERE’S LOOKING AT YOU

LED-Signs has released two visual display products that deliver the wow factor for the hospitality, retail and advertising industries. The new Transparent Bezel LCD panels and flexible LED technology are world-firsts and exclusive to LED-Signs, according to chief executive officer Richard Soussa. The Transparent Bezel Series of multi-panel LCD has an intelligent LED display bezel that eliminates the back borders – or deadzone – of traditional multi-panel displays to delivers a seamless, high definition video wall. The transparent bezel is actually an intelligent LED display bezel integrated into the frame of the LCD panel. It contains an ultra-fine pitch LED display with an intelligent control system that takes the normal bezel correction features of a standard panel and drives a LED circuit.

The holy grail of screen media metrics is having an automatic measure of how many eyeballs look at a certain message. What’s more, if you could tell me the age and sex of those eyeballs… well, then, where do I sign! NEC may well have the answer. NEC’s FieldAnalyst detects facial images and classifies their age and gender into groups in real-time. FieldAnalyst provides these customer attributes by using CCTV cameras. The system

LED-Signs: 1300 553 555 or www.led-signs.com.au

Measurement of attention to the targeted content is based upon the amount of time spent engaged with the content being displayed. It provides an important statistic for the Content

collects and processes this information for marketing analysis or real-time effective advertising using digital signage. The advantages of this NEC solution are speed, accuracy and the ability to integrate into other real-time analysis or reaction based solutions.

Creator to understand how much involvement a target segment has actually given to the content. People are detected and tracked for counting purposes in real-time. Faces are also detected and analysed in real-time. The output of the analysis can then be used immediately for eporting, statistics or to change the customer experience via control systems.

NEC: www.nec.com.au

68% of all smart phone users access it in-store NAVORI INNOVATIONS: The Navori QL Trigger SDK enables full system interactivity and alerts, using an input device (key/remote control/sensor based) or data (stock values – storage room temperature threshold data, alarm systems data/interface etc). Navori QL Trigger can launch and loop: a media file (programmed in the playlist or not), a playList, a video stream, or a URL (whatever its content). Also due out shortly is a Navori QL Player on the Android eco-system. It’ll be compatible with smart TV appliances on Android and Google TV. All devices such as tablets and micro PC players (becoming available at a marginal cost of around US$45), Smart TV appliances

NEWS:

Digital Place-Based Media & Technology

even down to mobile phones can now be used as signage player devices. Command Australia: (02) 4560 1800 or www.commandaustralia.com.au INTELLIMEDIA HITS OZ: VR Solutions has taken on Intellimedia Systems, which develops and manufactures real-time IPTV products. The technology ensures total control of IPTV network assets and the delivery of live multimedia content over corporate IP infrastructures. The IntelliMedia IPTV solution allows the user to create and deliver targeted broadcast messages direct to their audience, these messages can be overlaid onto pre-recorded or live video feeds. One of the key

benefits of the IntelliMedia solution is it’s easy-to-use GUI. Once the system is set up, control of the system is user friendly and the operator can quickly influence the content and where it is displayed. IntelliMedia Systems and VR Solutions have worked closely to design a system for the Perth Arena to effectively and efficiently manage and deliver a wide range of display content across the entire site. See our Perth Arena story earlier this issue. VR Solutions: (07) 3844 9514 or www.vrs.com.au SEAMLESS SCEC: The Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre has taken its reputation for seamless

SLIM PICKINGS

HISTORICAL SCREENING

Panasonic’s new LED LCD LF50 professional display series comes in a 70-inch and an 80-inch model – the largest LED LCD Panasonic has ever offered – and sports an ultra-thin space-saving design with a depth of only 89mm, making it the thinnest of its kind. Its light weight makes it ideal for ceiling-suspension and offers greater installation flexibility, while still delivering large screen images for digital signage applications and for large venues. The high brightness 700cd/ m2 displays are ideal for customers looking for a bright digital signage solution that can deliver a ‘wow’ factor, even in a very large public space. With SLOT 2.0 architecture, the LF50 offers the expandability to run the most robust software to meet diverse needs in showrooms, retail, transportation terminals and auditoriums.

YCD Multimedia C-nario Messenger digital signage platform has been implemented as the software behind multimedia displays at the renovated New York Historical Society Museum. The museum presents the rich history of New York and the US including paintings, sculptures, documents, furniture, household accessories and other artefacts. C-nario Messenger manages various video walls across the venue, displaying useful information about the museum’s offerings and Historical Society activities such as details about exhibits and artists, prices, way finding and so on. The video walls, arranged in various shapes such as totems and rectangulars, are fully integrated in the renovated museum’s architectural concept and are located at key points such as the admission counter, near elevators and the theatre entrance.

Panasonic: 132 600 or www.panasonic.com.au

YCD Multimedia: www.ycdmultimedia.com

20% of smartphone users use it to research products in-store. delivery of events to a new level, with the installation of seamless digital signage screens. A first for an Australian venue, the 20 slimline LED screens are now in use above the entrances to the venue’s Grand Hall and Bayside Auditorium. Installed in rows of five with only 3mm between them, the screens can be used individually or together to play full video content, creating high impact, bolder signage for events. Organisers can also choose to configure the screens to present a mixture of video content and event information. Centre chief executive Ton van Amerongen said the installation of the screens re-

flected the venue’s commitment to delivering state-of-the-art support as it heads into one of its busiest years on record. Of course, what with the full rebuild, who knows what’s in store for the new SCEC. FLYPAPER CONNECT: for Google Calendar joins the Flypaper Connect family of digital signage software components. Flypaper Connect for Google Calendar enables users to access and update event information stored in a Google Calendar and deliver content to displays without republishing a Flypaper project. Flypaper Connect for Google Calendar empowers anyone to manage and maintain

data-based event and appointment content for digital signage programs easily. Flypaper: www.Flypaper.com MINI-ITX MOMENTUM BUILDS: More and more digital signage development companies embracing the mini-ITX format. Developed in the early 2000s, the idea behind mini-ITX technology is simple – take all the hardware and capabilities of a conventional PC and miniaturise it. The main benefit a mini-ITX system offers is its flexibility in customisation – processor speeds, memory, hard drive space, and other hardware can be tailored,

meaning you only pay for what you need. The beauty of mini-ITX solution is that it is Windows based, giving you freedom in your CMS choice. Apart from building your own specific CMS, you can also use the wide-range of content software that is available free online, or supplied with Windows. iTunes, Windows Media Player, rich HTML5 websites, YouTube, and Social Media sites all run flawlessly, and be updated either in-store or remotely. Mini-Box is a mini-ITX specialist with systems starting from $599. Mini-Box: mini-box.com.au

Digital Place-Based Media & Technology

WHO’S WHO:

YOUR GO-TO GUIDE FOR DIGITAL SIGNAGE

3M AUSTRALIA 136 136 www.solutions.3m.com.au AERIS SOLUTIONS (03) 9544 6902 www.aerissolutions.com.au

AMBER TECHNOLOGY (02) 9452 8600 1/2 Daydream Street Warriewood, NSW 2102 info@ambertech.com.au www.ambertech.com.au To be strictly correct Amber Technology doesn’t have any digital signage services of its own to offer. However, it is the distributor of Gefen products, which are already listed on these pages – to mention just a few. In fact, that’s the point here. Amber Technology is the Australian distributor of such a large range of manufacturers, including the makers of just about every bit of electronic gadgetry you’ll need when it comes to installing a digital signage network, that it would be remiss not to bring Amber Technology to your attention. Another side to digital signage should be pointed out – plenty of companies are coming onto the scene offering to produce for clients broadcast-quality content without getting involved in the actual hardware installations. One of Amber Technology’s Professional, Broadcast and Consumer divisions can tap into a wealth of expertise and resources to help find the right studio recording or video editing equipment. As a distributor Amber Technology may have to point you towards an authorised dealer, but don’t hesitate to give them a call.

E L E C T R O N I C S P T Y LT D

AVICO (02) 9624 7977 8 Foundry Road Seven Hills NSW 2147 info@avico.com.au www.avico.com.au Since 1993 Avico Electronics has been part of the Australian electronics landscape providing a comprehensive range of electronics accessories to the commercial, retail and custom install market. Our products are available to our customers throughout Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. • AVICO – Range of value backed electronics accessories • PHILIPS – Exclusive ANZ distributor for commercial and Hotel TV • ATLAS – ANZ distributor high end AV cables and AV products • AMC – ANZ distributor of high end multi room and sound reinforcement products • ATLONA – Australian distributor of AV distribution and control technology • B-TECH – ANZ distributor professional and consumer retail grade AV mounts Our products are sourced from all over the world from our and managed from our office in Sydney and as at July 2012 we have 20 people working with us. We strive to deliver the best outcomes for our customers by providing the total AV solution they need with the products and brands that we know and trust. Our customers’ needs are fore most in our minds and all the actions our company takes are there to support our customers whilst ensuring our own people gain satisfaction providing those needs.

CISCO SYSTEMS (02) 8446 5000 www.cisco.com/go/dms

COMMUNITECH (07) 3205 6188 www.communitech.com.au

DAT MEDIA (07) 5575 7798 Ground Floor, 183 Varsity Parade Varsity Lakes Qld 4227 sales@datmedia.com.au www.datmedia.com.au DAT Media was established in 2003 to manage BIG W’s national in-store radio network. With over 15 years experience within the in-store media industry, Managing Director Andrew Becker was quick to notice the emergence of digital signage advertising within the retail sector. He began focusing on creating a visual media solution for current and future clients to harness the power of what was still back then a developing media. The strategy resulted in DAT Media creating a complete digital media network for BIG W that now includes in-store radio, digital signage, register Point Of Sale (POS) and a customer queuing solution that reduces the frustration of being caught in a long – or even wrong – queue. DAT Media expanded rapidly as they claimed some serious scalps for clients – among them Coles, Target and ABC Shops. DAT Media offer a comprehensive Content Management System and can assist new clients in broadcasting material across existing networks such as those mentioned above or will help you create a complete digital signage network from the ground up. They also have a Creative Services department that can take the hassle out of putting everything together.

DYNAMIC VISUAL SOLUTIONS (02) 9431 6070 www.dynamicvisualsystems.com.au

AMX Australia (07) 5531 3103 5 Commercial Drive Southport, Qld 4215 info@amxaustralia.com.au www.amxaustralia.com.au AMX is synonymous with networking and control systems. Not surprisingly AMX has entered the digital signage industry in its own right (after all, AMX supply a huge amount of gear for everyone else’s DOOH) and have on offer two products. Inspired Xpress is for smaller or simpler installations with a ‘tiny’ media player called the Is-Xpress-1000. The integrated software is comprehensive, yet straightforward and intuitive enough to cater to clients to get their screens up and running quickly with a minimum of servicing the message afterwards. Inspired Xpert is – as you might guess – a more serious DOOH product with better options like HD broadcasting that, among many other extras, takes advantage of those system command and control devices that AMX has in other corners of the warehouse to provide fully-blown large networks. Plus with Inspired XPert customers have access to custom content development and content management services from AMX.

Digital Place-Based Media & Technology

COMMAND DIGITAL SIGNAGE 1300 780 204 Unit 2, 30 Park Road Mulgrave, NSW 2756 sales@commandaustralia.com.au www.commandaustralia.com.au Command is celebrating 10 years in Australia as a specialist digital signage supplier and technology partner. They are the distributor of the successful Navori digital signage software, the next generation of screen display and management software, a technically advanced solution suitable for all types of installations from Small Business to Enterprise. As a technical partner, Command can provide full supply, project management and installation for the deployment of small or large systems Australia wide for corporate, education, small business, retail, stadium and specialist requirements. Command’s product range includes Wayfinding solutions, GlassVu projection films, RoomManager hotel software, kiosks, wired and wireless video extenders, LED displays, FJ media players and a range of mini computers suitable for all digital signage requirements. With over 25 years in the IT, graphics and advertising industries and 10 years specialising in digital signage, Command’s experience is guaranteed to leave their customers happy. In summary, Command is a one stop shop for digital signage solutions and interactive displays.

ESCENTIA 1300 729 866 www.escientia.com.au FUJITSU DIGITAL MEDIA SOLUTIONS (03) 9924 3468 www.fujitsu.com.au

GENCOM (AUSTRALIA) (02) 9888 8208 www.gencom.com

HARRIS CORPORATION (02) 9975 9700 www.harris.com HERMA TECHNOLOGIES (03) 9480 6233 www.herma.com.au HEWLETT-PACKARD 1300 305 017 www.hp.com.au

IMAGE DESIGN TECHNOLOGY (IDT) 1300 666 099 Unit 2, 33-35 Alleyne Street, Chatswood Nsw 2057 Sales@idt.com.au www.idt.com.au Image Design Technology (IDT) is based in Chatswood, NSW and operates primarily as a wholesale supplier of signal distribution equipment and commercial video displays including, of course, digital signage devices. Among a long list of products IDT is the distributor of Brightsign solid state digital signage devices and Magenta signal distribution solutions. Displays include NEC and Samsung screens. IDT doesn’t have any one particular digital signage service or software application to which they align themselves to – it doesn’t have its ‘own’ complete digital signage solution aside from the Brightsign products – instead, IDT’s specialty is in providing from its catalogue of preferred manufacturers of display and monitor screens, media players, streaming video over IP, matrix and signal distribution boxes – you name it, to get the job done. Have a look at the credits for any major project undertaken in Australia during the last few years and you’ll probably find IDT has been involved somewhere along the line.

INSTOREVISION 0412 960182 www.instorevision.com.au/digital-signage/

interactive controls

INTERACTIVITY 1300 797 199 Level 1, 1268 - 1270 High Street Armadale, VIC, 3143 sales@interactivity.com.au www.interactivity.com.au In 2004 Interactivity was set up as a result of a partnership between F1 Software to develop the Interactivity foil which enables any window to become fully interactive ‘through the glass’ by allowing anyone, using their finger, to interact with a rear projected image or screen behind the glass. Interactivity is now embedded in this emerging popular industry of Interactive and Digital Signage and associated products. Its products and services are known for reliability, functionality and most importantly our ability to future proof the technology we deliver.

ISIGNPAK (02) 9457 6945 or www.isignpak.com

KVM AUSTRALIA (08) 9411 6333 www.kvm.com.au

LED-SIGNS 1300 553 555 or www.led-signs.com.su

pty ltd

INTERACTIVE CONTROLS (02) 9436 3022 or www.interactivecontrols.com.au

LG ELECTRONICS (02) 8805 4409 or www.lg.com.au

Interactive Controls (IC) offers a variety of services to customers from consultation to sales, hire and installation of display and control system equipment and software. They also design and develop media and hardware control systems for specific events, installations, film and commercial shoots, exhibitions, museums... okay, you get the picture. Medialon and Dataton hardware and software products get the nod from Interactive Controls and for digital MADISON TECHNOLOGIES signage in particular IC offers the Medialon show 1800 669 999 and media control software and embedded control75 Proprietary Street, lers along with Dataton Watchout and Medialon MIP Tinggalpa ,Qld, 4173 HD Interactive Media Player. There is also the Medislaes@madisontech.com alon Scheduler application, which allows control of www.madisontech.com multiple venues and screens from a central server. Madison Technologies specialises in the supply Given Interactive Controls’ wide experience in inof communications infrastructure products for the stalling innovative display systems it can help you Professional Broadcast, Audio Visual, Building choose the best way to deliver your vision and with Services and Telecommunications Industries. With Medialon’s strong history in show control systems, FINAL_v2w_dsm ad SECOND EDITION.pdf AM than 16 years of market experience, an exIC will no doubt have a neat trick or1 two29/11/12 to suggest 10:49 more tensive product range and a national team of over for impressing your audience. 100 staff, Madison Technologies is a company

providing complete communications solutions. Madison’s main expertise lies in its massive catalogue of electronic goods, from enormous rolls of cabling to the smallest bits and pieces. Madison is the Australian agent for a wide range of products that are used in the digital signage business; names such as SpinetiX and 3M to mention just a few. Australian owned and operated, recently Madison Technologies was awarded a $1 million contract to provide custom manufactured low voltage copper cable and fibre optic cable for Airport Link in Queensland, the second largest infrastructure project the city of Brisbane has seen. It doesn’t mean they won’t help you out finding a 0.99 cent fuse though.

MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC (02) 9684 7777 348 Victoria Rd Rydalmere, NSW, 2116 sales@mitsubishi.com.au www.mitsubishielectric.com.au Similar to some of the other, large electronics companies listed here, Mitsubishi Electric can put its hand up as a digital signage provider courtesy of a range of public LCD display models. Sizes range from 32- to 46-inch models in designs that can stand alone, or there are the ‘Slim-line’ models from 42- to 65-inch – ‘slim’ being the size of the bezes, not the depth of the unit – and finally there are two specialty displays of 46-inch and 56-inch that can be employed in a video wall configuration. However, taking things a little further than just having fancy LCD tellies, the Mitsubishi Electric LCDs have inbuilt Cat5 receivers and an accompanying transmitter box which makes them ready-to-go for hooking up to any digital signage content source. Up to five of the displays can be daisy-chained together via the Cat5.

MOOD MEDIA AUSTRALIA 1800 808 368 www.moodmedia.com.au

NEC AUSTRALIA 131 632 Level 14, 141 Walker Street North Sydney, NSW 2060 displays@nec.com.au www.nec.com.au NEC Live is NEC’s leading digital signage solution that lets you distribute dynamic video, images, text and more to display screens anywhere, anytime. With NEC Live you are empowered to dynamically display digital content across your network on NEC Commercial LCD panels based upon the individual

WHO’S WHO:

YOUR GO-TO GUIDE FOR DIGITAL SIGNAGE

schedules for each panel. The NEC Live user interface is easy to use, yet with the power and flexibility that is only limited by your imagination to achieve your communication objectives with your target audience. The NEC Live solution includes a range of commercial grade LCD panels offering full high definition performance and many supporting technologies to address the most demanding digital signage applications. Whether it be reliability over an operating cycle of 24 hours x 7 days, or an ultra narrow bezel for a video wall or ensuring that content is visible when an LCD panel is in an location heavy with sunlight, NEC has the LCD commercial panel to ensure you maximise your communications to your target audience.

NEWS DIGITAL MEDIA (02) 8114 7400 www.newsdigitalmedia.com.au

PANASONIC AUSTRALIA 02 9491 7400 1 Innovation Road Macquarie Park, NSW 2113 sales@au.panasonic.com www.panasonic.com.au It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Panasonic, which already has a huge manufacturing base for televisions and monitors, should jump on the digital signage bandwagon. It’s fronted by the Commercial Plasma Display series of products that come in two configurations. One is a selection of Optional Terminal Boards that will convert your Panasonic plasma screen of choice to accept data signals to suit your needs ranging from digital PC inputs to the humble RCA video component. Alternatively there is an Embedded Solution with a small PC installed into the plasma that can operate as a stand-alone display without a network. Panasonic can provide DOOH authoring and network control software in the form of its digital signage application, NDS 3.1, which can apparently feed both analogue and digital screens in a variety of formats suggesting that your digital signage network doesn’t necessarily need to be confined to Panasonic’s plasma range. As long as it’s a Panasonic display of some kind, I’m sure they’ll figure out a way to hook it up to your DOOH display.

QUINTO COMMUNICATIONS (02) 9894 4244 or www.quinto.com.au

SALIENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS (02) 93135111 or www.salient.com.au TECHMEDIA DIGITAL SYSTEMS (SCALA) (02) 9526 7880 Unit 7 / 65 Captain Cook Drive Taren Point NSW 2229 info@techmedia.com.au www.connectedsignage.com.au SAMSUNG 1300 362603 8 Parkview Drive Homebush, NSW 2127 sales@samsung.com www.samsung.com Samsung’s digital signage is centred on its Large Format Display (LFD) range, a screen with chameleon characteristics in its role as the basis for all Samsung’s DOOH products. There is a straightforward model that can be used either stand-alone in portrait or landscape mode or as a part of a limited multi-screen display. A slightly different UD model can be linked with up to 250 units for a wall of vision. There is a Touchscreen version including an outdoor type with features to withstand the elements and a specialised uVending model for installing in the front of vending machines. MagicInfo is Samsung’s proprietary software for content control and creations. Samsung’s PROM system is already taking DOOH solutions along the fast-developing path of providing audience statistics to tailor the signage content. A wide dynamic range (WDR) camera embedded discreetly somewhere in the installation captures and recognises faces to determine who is actually watching the screen. PROM can either just collate the information for market analysis or actively change the display according to who is viewing it. It’s both clever and almost scary ‘big brother’ stuff. We’re assured these systems are completely anonymous. Still, maybe keep one hand on your wallet.

THE SCREENMEDIA GROUP (02) 8090 6565 www.thescreenmediagroup.com SHARP AUSTRALIA 1300 13 55 30 www.sharp.net.au RVISION (02) 8188 0882 www.rvision.net.au

PLAYCOM (02) 8815 6600 22/89 Jones Street, Ultimo info@playcom.com.au www.playcom.com.au Today Playcom operates throughout Australia and beyond with hundreds of commercial sites connected to its services. Playcom has moved beyond just music but the vision is unchanged: to provide top quality digital media entertainment solutions to businesses. In achieving this vision, Playcom has developed enormous content libraries, unique customisation techniques, unrivalled delivery technology and super-reliable hardware.

Digital Place-Based Media & Technology

Scala boasts an impressive list of clientele and is responsible for over 200,000 screens worldwide. Scala’s experience shows in its product; the comprehensive content creation and distribution software goes one step further with Scala Ad Manager, an accounting add-on that handles the financial side of your DOOH business such as generating invoices. In the hardware department, Scala has its own Scala Player for linking with the Content Manager software. From there Techmedia will source display screens and networks best suited to the job.

TECHTEL (02) 9906 1488 www.techtel.tv

TELSTRA 1300 835 782 www.telstraenterprise.com

VISION2WATCH (02) 9502 4800 www.vision2watch.com.au sales@vision2watch.com.au As part of Vision2Watch global, Vision2Watch Australia is locally owned and operated. We deliver a range of out-of-home (OOH) Interactive and Digital Solutions to transform ordinary spaces and surfaces into touch and motion-activated displays. We’re also excited to be involved with Augmented Reality (AR) technology — specialising in the development of customised AR applications to help our clients achieve a cutting-edge promotional campaign.

SONY AUSTRALIA 1800 017669 www.sony.com.au STREAMING MEDIA (02) 9460 0877 www.streamingmedia.net.au

STREAMVISION PTY LTD 1300 300 407 www.streamvision.com.au

SUMO VISUAL SOLUTIONS (03) 9429 4552 info@sumovisual.com.au

TechMedia is one of Australia’s premier digital visual communications companies. TechMedia’s expertise is centered around the digital platforms, content and services driving the growth in Connected Signage and DOOH. With over 17 years of experience with Scala-based network deployment and management as well as customised hardware and data integration development, there is an abundance of local knowledge to tap into.

WILSON & GILKES (02) 9914 0900 www.gilkon.com.au

Should your business be included in our Who’s Who section? Listing is free. Contact Chris Holder at chris@dsmag.com.au

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Comment:

Blending Out from the Crowd

Story: Mug Punter

he term ‘adaptive camouflage’ sounds too military for digital signage. Clients tend to shy away from anything that might be considered even just a little controversial and, in these troubled times, it pays ‘not to mention the war’.

It’s clever stuff though, adaptive camouflage. It’s the kind of technology that allows an enormous Centurion tank to drive straight out of the jungle and into a snow drift (global warming permitting) and it’ll turn instantly from dark green to pristine white, fooling the enemy. It’s not clear what’s done about the splintered trees, the stench of diesel and deep tank tracks in the slush, but nothing’s perfect, right? Without doubt, the MI5 boffins will be working on that.

The important thing to remember is that a lot of everyday technology – and even emerging commercial technology – was born from military research and development, not to mention NASA and space exploration. It’s a well-known fact that Teflon, the non-stick material used in frying pans, was originally created by NASA during the 1960s Apollo missions to prevent the lunar landing modules from… ah, sticking to the moon probably. Okay, thinking about it, why would astronauts need a non-stick frying pan? You’d want quite the opposite really, otherwise their cooked brekkie is going to be floating in mid-air around the spacecraft’s cockpit and plastering yolk on the windows – you’d <want> them to stick to the pan in zero gravity, wouldn’t you? Hmm… maybe the conspiracy theorists were right all along – Buzz and the boys never landed on the moon at all. It was an enormous hoax filmed in California, directed by Walt Disney. Perhaps they used an early form of adaptive camouflage to screen out all the nonmoon-like bits of the Mojave Desert? Don’t forget, the US government had been tinkering with a crashed UFO in the Roswell panel beater’s shop for over 20 years. They must have found some useful technology in the glovebox by then. STAYING ON MESSAGE

Yes, we have spectacularly digressed. So back to the point, which is that adaptive camouflage is a very handy way of hiding stuff you don’t want seen. Of course, you <want> to see your digital signage, but what about everything else? All that annoying, distracting clutter that can drag your customer’s attention away from the important message – the real world, in other words. Could it be possible to use adaptive camouflage to mask everything <around> your digital signage so your promotion was the only thing in the audience’s point of view?

Instead of using a mirror or, heaven forbid (apparently) sticking your head out the window for look, instead a system of screens, mounted cameras and projectors create the illusion that the back of the car vanishes and you can reverse with complete confidence seeing everything behind you. Unfortunately the same won’t apply to any passengers unless you can convince them to wear gillie suits of reflective material. The kids won’t disappear (no, don’t even think it). It’s a work in progress. The demonstration video is impressive – particularly the added safety factor of the female assistant madly waving her arms, just in case, to stop the driver hitting anything. The ambition of the project is to expand the technology even further until the entire vehicle disappears and the driver enjoys an uninterrupted 360 degree view of the world. Great idea to prevent people bumping into things, but when someone decides to crash into you the illusion isn’t going to be so satisfying. Downright terrifying, more likely.

BLOCK OUT THE WORLD

So here’s the idea: Your expensive and very impressive, huge touchscreen digital signage display is mounted on a large, reflective wall that – thanks to the wonders of adaptive camouflage technology – can be made to disappear entirely and be replaced with something far less distracting like… okay, that’s a problem. The wall wasn’t really an in-your-face issue in the first place. And even if it was, what image exactly would you replace the wall with that’s considered bland and non-distracting enough to ensure your customers watched only the digital signage message? Back-to-back episodes of X-Factor spring to mind, except that copyright infringement may apply. Don’t be discouraged. It’s only another fresh challenge for the industry. The need for engaging, informative and interesting content for your digital signage may well become <less> important than sourcing boring, stupefying imagery that can be employed with adaptive camouflage technology to focus your customer’s attention where it should be – on the advertising display. Get it right, and the results could be brilliant. Imagine customers walking into a shopping mall and finding your digital signage, then abruptly <absolutely everything else> vanishes before their eyes and only your message is visible. How good could that be?

All right, admit it – you don’t care. Because you’re still thinking of the exciting possibility of making those damned kids in the back seat vanish. You just wish… It’s only an illusion, remember. The children are still there. Maybe somebody better check. 

Ah, now the digital signage industry has perked up its ears and looks interested.

You may be thinking that the military isn’t about to release its deepest secrets. However, researchers at the Keio University in Japan have designed a system using adaptive camouflage in a car that effectively ‘removes’ the back seat and shelf when the driver wants to reverse.

Digital Place-Based Media & Technology

DigitalSignage magazine wants to know what you’re up to. Share your plans and opinions with Chris Holder on chris@dsmag.com.au

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