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Digital Signage Technology for Today’s Applications

January/February 2011

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Quick Bite Entertainment for viewers and value to advertisers p16 Your first four steps to a

Successful digital signage project p39 SIGNAGE SOLUTIONS & PRODUCTS

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IN PLAIN SIGHT A large-scale digital signage deployment at the North Dakota Sate Capital p28

Brains, Beauty, and Relevance: The New Digital Screen Media Infrastructure

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Signage Essentials

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Industry News

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Publisher’s Perspective SignageSolutions

How will you use it? Happy New Year! I can honestly say that I hope 2011 is better for you than the last few interesting years we’ve had. I think we are approaching the upswing and I’m grateful for it. A lot has happened over the past few years that has really made companies reevaluate the way they operate and run their businesses. This is especially true with the way companies are communicating with their customers and their employees. This is where digital signage is playing a big role. The digital signage market is growing in all industries with different forms of applications and installations. However, I still see a big need for helping our readers understand the benefits and possible return on investments. There is also the Return-OnOpportunity that you need to think about. Sometimes it’s not about making money, but accomplishing something entirely different. There are literally thousands of different uses for digital signage; you just need to figure out what the best use is for you and your business. There are two major models for digital signage networks. The first being the advertisement supported model, where advertisers pay for time and space in order to reach the audience watching the screens. The other model is a straight communication tool; which allows companies to share information with Charlie Brown ICE Exhibit, Gaylord Texan, Grapevine, TX employees and customers. Which Shared by Ben Skidmore one is right for you? Since there are so many uses out there, I would like to start something new for our next issue. Please send us a picture of digital signage “in action” with a quick description, your name and location. We’ll place them in the next issue. You can even send them direct from your smartphone. Please send all submission directly to editor@signagesolutionsmag.com. See example in the above photo. If you’re attending the Digital Signage Expo in Las Vegas, be sure to swing by our booth and say hello. Until next issue -

Ben Skidmore Publisher

E-mail me at ben@signagesolutionsmag.com Find us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/SignageSolMag

Digital Signage Technology for Today’s Applications

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January/February 2011 • Volume Two • Issue One Publisher/Editorial Director Ben Skidmore (972) 587-9064 ben@signagesolutionsmag.com Circulation Stephanie Kennedy (972) 782-2490 stephanie@partnerspr.com Accounting (972) 782-2490 info@partnerspr.com Advertising

(972 )782-2490 info@partnerspr.com Web Site/Webmaster Colby Nate (888) 284-8334 cnate@visualagility.com Design/Production OFFTHELEASHDesign

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Signage Solutions Magazine (ISSN 2159-0060) is published bi-monthly (Jan/Feb, Mar/Apr, May/Jun, Jul/Aug, Sep/Oct, Nov/Dec) by Partners Publishing, 306 South Tennessee Street, McKinney, TX 75069. Application to Mail at Periodicals Postage Prices Pending at McKinney TX 75070 and at additional mailing offices. Basic subscriptions rates: one year (6 issues) free to qualified subscribers. Others may subscribe at a cost of $60 for 6 issues. Individuals copies sold for $15, per issue. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Signage Solutions Magazine c/o Partners Publishing, 306 South Tennessee Street, McKinney, TX 75069

Author’s Guidelines: Signage Solutions will consider manuscripts that are not offered to other publications. Preferred length is 700 words (case studies) or 1200 -1,500 words (Features). Please submit manuscripts to Editorial Director at the mailing address above or send via email to: editor@signagesolutionsmag.com

January/February 2011

Signage Solutions

magazine

Contents

Digital Signage Technology for Today’s Applications

Technology @ Work

A brief look at company/industry news within the digital signage industry.

Vertical Views

Corporate/Retail Brains, Beauty, and Relevance: The New Digital Screen Media Infrastructure ‘Intelligent communication’ drives measurable business results required for digital marketing to flourish By Linda Hofflander

Digital Dialogue

Signage Solutions talks with Thomas Wyatt, Vice President & General Manager of Cisco’s Digital Media Systems Business Unit about the digital signage market. We also get his perspective of the digital signage industry and his thoughts on what the future will hold for this relatively new industry.

Signage Solutions & Products

Digital signage products and solutions, along with the technology which runs them, make the industry what it is today. Every issue of Signage Solutions magazine features new products and solutions.

Government Department of Natural Resources puts Minnesota’s beauty on display using kiosks

January/February 2011

What's the Plan?

Your first four steps to a successful digital signage project By Dave Haynes

16 features Out For a Quick Bite In today’s fast paced world, Dallas-based indoorDIRECT strives to provide entertainment to its viewers and value to its advertisers By Marc Barrera

22 37

Signage Essentials

By The Way

Behind the Screens

The decision to choose a software platform that powers your screens By Jeff Porter

How to Know When Your Content Gets Stale By Kim Sarubbi

Signage Solutions Cover Images: Wendy's screen image photo courtesy of WAND Corporation and McCarran International Airport. Screens courtesy of Mitsubishi and NEC Displays.

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In Plain Sight A large-scale digital signage deployment at the North Dakota State Capital is keeping both legislators and the public informed of committee meeting progress, schedule changes, session agendas and more. By Michelle Bowles

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Hockey Arena Installs New FairPlay Scoreboard and Video System HOLLAND, MI – The Muskegon (Mich.) Lumberjacks Hockey Team launched its 20102011 season in a newly renovated arena enhanced by video and information provided by a new, high-tech Fair-Play by Trans-Lux LED scoreboard system. Installed directly above center ice, the four-sided scoreboard displays extensive game stats and more, helping fans stay on top of the action. And to deliver a major-league impact, the new system also features a four-sided Trans-Lux TL Vision 10 mm LED video display for showing instant replays, POV (point of view) shots, images from the “fan cams” and other promotional video content. “The arena’s new Fair-Play scoreboard system, which replaces an older Fair-Play scoreboard, features state-of-the-art technology,” said Jeff Reeser, national sales manager, Norwalk, Conn.-based Fair-Play. “The design of the combined scoreboard and video display offers an innovative approach for helping fans connect to the game and keeping them entertained.” The four-sided HK-1870-4 Fair-Play scoreboard measures 5 feet high by 9 feet

6 inches long and displays bright, distinct game information that is easily read from any of the seats. Fans can track shots on goal, player penalty times and other pertinent information in addition to watching live action video on the 5-by-7-foot LED video displays. Along with the display’s advanced LED technology and high resolution capability, the 10 mm pixel pitch design ensures that the video is crisp and clear right out to the edges.

www.trans-lux.com www.asgllc.org

EnQii Launches QR Code-enabled Digital Signage NEW YORK, NY –

Global digital signage company EnQii recently showcased the integration of Quick Response (QR) Codes with digital signage at the Consumer Engagement Technology World show in New York. QR codes are scannable 2-D bar codes containing data. A shopper can photograph the code using a smartphone application and receive venue-, product- and user-specific offers and product information linked to the content displayed on the digital sign. “Retailers are continuing to innovate to ensure that customers get the most relevant information at the point of purchase,” said

Technology @ Work online solution and features a familiar set of tools for building professional looking visuals from existing marketing materials and adds intuitive ways to blend in real-time information from blogs, financial tickers and other Internet feeds. Customers simply upload new images, videos and content using a web browser and deploy the updates themselves to all locations worldwide with a few clicks of a mouse.

www.request.com

Max Stevens-Guille, New York-based EnQii’s chief technology officer. “QR codes linked to digital signage allow retailers to close the promotional loop in-store and give their customers relevant offers at the point of purchase. EnGage’s QR codes embed the store’s ID into the code so that we can keep track of where people are viewing the ads across a chain as well as seeing what they are viewing.” The QR codes are integrated with EnQii’s EnGage software platform. In the future, as EnGage links with ePOS and inventory data, it will allow for items that are in stock and perhaps over stocked to be promoted via QR codes. It also can be linked to loyalty programs as well as influencing playlist content based on individual or group profiles.

www.enqii.com

ReQuest Launches Harmony Digital Signage and Commercial Audio Solution MALTA, NY – ReQuest is

now shipping Harmony, a user-centric, webbased digital signage and commercial audio platform geared toward the non-technical business owner.

According to the company, the Harmony system promises a more accessible way to deliver digital signage, customized music and marketing messages all from the same easily installed device that can be deployed anywhere in the world. “Our top priority was to offer a solution that puts business owners in control,” said Peter Cholnoky, Request CEO. “With Harmony, anyone who can use PowerPoint or iTunes and a web browser can quickly create, update, schedule and deliver digital signage and music to hundreds of locations “ According to the company, Harmony is offered as a Software as a Service (SAAS)

Planar Video Wall First To Meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Accessibility Standards BEAVERTON, OR – Planar Systems, Inc. took another industry-leading step with the introduction of the first LCD video wall specifically able to meet all the requirements of high-traffic public venues. Today, Planar announced the Clarity Matrix LCD Video Wall System with next-generation EasyAxis™ Mounting System which measures a mere 3.6 inches in total depth, surpassing the stringent Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirement for protruding objects of less than 4 inches. Planar is the only video wall supplier in the world to meet this important safety legislation, exemplifying its commitment to innovation and leadership. When combined with the proprietary ERO™ (Extended Ruggedness and Optics™) bonded front glass and smooth touch surface, Clarity Matrix provides a unique level of ruggedness and ambient light rejection optimized for the rigors of high-traffic spaces. Previously, end users who wanted to incorporate eye-level digital video walls into their environments had to consider the additional expense of recessing the displays into existing walls or building cabinetry in order to meet ADA accessibility guidelines in buildings and facilities. Often these are high traffic public environments, like sports arenas and airport terminals, where unprotected LCD’s can be damaged by passersby, resulting in increased service and maintenance costs.

At Saddle Ranch Productions, we don’t just produce great content, we have over 25 years of experience, specializing in targeted digital signage and place based media. To learn how we can help you contact us at 310-746-5652.

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Digital Signage Technology for Today’s Applications

January/February 2011

Vertical View Corporate/Retail

Brains, Beauty, and Relevance: The New Digital Screen Media Infrastructure ‘Intelligent communication’ drives measurable business results required for digital marketing to ﬂourish. By Linda Hofﬂander

onsumer taste and trends, technology and device utilization, and business strategies are evolving quickly and require communication tools and concepts to keep pace. The role of digital screens, social media, smartphones, and the advancement in data analytics and legacy ERP and CRM systems integration has marketers racing to not only keep up with consumer demands in communication expectation, but heightened awareness to anticipating needs and provide real-time, relevant data around products and services on demand—all presenting a real challenge in creating effective in-store marketing communications.

Smart Content and Data Integration Challenges Retail Solutions Digital software, hardware, and service providers have spent years prepping the pipeline for retailers, educating them as to what the industry can do, and what it can deliver at the store level with little adoption, however consumers are now in the driver’s seat and through technological developments, can pretty much determine who, what, when, where and how brands can and will communicate with them. The technology is here, the sophisticated infrastructure modeling is here, and the execution of solutions is here through the systematic modeling of business and customer metrics as seen by way of ScreenMedia Intelligence, its North American office based in Minneapolis, MN. Translating client data

The 32,000 ft² Miele Inspirience Centre located in Vianen, The Netherlands opened in 2009. Photo courtesy of Miele

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Registered guests are presented with a Miele portfolio to be used during their visit to the Miele Inspirience Centre. This portfolio includes an iPod containing a comprehensive application including GPS wayﬁnding, product information, inventory and brand history, manufacturing and design insights and information.

which are fed into the communication system infrastructure are then processed to deliver a targeted, multi sensory experience including sound, vision and smell within the physical environment. Sound like digital media science fiction? Well it’s not. Adrian Weidmann and Luc Heijnen, two of the founding partners of ScreenMedia Intelligence are pioneers in creating one of the top cross channel communication blueprint models for customer initiated communication. They’ve developed a fully scalable process capitalizing on how consumers want to interact with brands pre, during and post transaction. Their solutions are designed upon consumers’ willingness to be efficient and effective in how they allow brands to communicate with them by allowing a controlled, anonymous and sometimes even ‘personal’ amount of data to be collected and shared regarding their desired experience. “Since its inception, digital signage has always been seen as a brilliant tactical implementation in desperate search of a strategy. We believe that we have developed an intelligent structured process, which we call ‘GyroMarketing©’ that bridges the gap between the technically curious and the economically serious by developing an intelligent ‘context based’ communication system that addresses all customer contact points—be it via mobile, tablet, online, digital out-of-home, in-store, broadcast, web or print.” said Adrian Weidmann.

Vertical View Corporate/Retail

The Miele cooking school theater

Experiential design is not a new design concept nor is the use of digital media at the store level. What is new is the systematic process whereby a relevant communication portfolio from your customer’s perspective is the methodology perspective upon which the experiential communication is built. Communication objectives based on knowing and understanding your customer’s business and life-cycle patterns, challenges and all of their daily communication habits. Intelligence is collected directly from the customers—permission based. Cross channel media strategies that make the customer’s life easier, more efficient and more informed are then identified The Miele ‘Steam Oven’ Theater is an actual demonstration kitchen theater and developed. This ongoing exchange of knowlaugmented by various camera, projection and display technologies. edge and insight builds a client for life relationship and its efficacy and financial reward can be tracked with a brand”, states Mr. Michel Remmers, former Director of Marand measured. Needless to say voluntary customer provided data is keting for Miele Netherlands. now being leveraged to expand, enhance, and efficiently manage The Miele Inspirience Center is not just an extension of their product engagement and interaction at the store level. online or in-store experiences but an innovative approach to The Miele Inspirience Center conducting business while ‘being digital’. The experience is driven A phenomenal execution of Gyro-Marketing© can be seen in the by its personalization. Customers are able to opt-in to register to Miele Inspirience Center in The Netherlands. A high-end, experienparticipate in the “experience,” this can be done either online or tial brand solution brought to life and one of the first cutting-edge, on-site by completing a short questionnaire which includes personal fully executed, scalable, multi sensory communication solutions and demographic information. Over 10 different technologies have actively being used today. been integrated into a seamless personal experience for the custom“Miele is a brand with products; our competitors are products ers. For those consumers that do opt in to the experience, Miele pro-

Digital Signage Technology for Today’s Applications

January/February 2011

Vertical View Corporate/Retail

More than 100 different pieces of relevant content are triggered to address the appropriate audience when positioned within the various products.

vides more detailed information regarding their needs during AND after their visit. Their digital questionnaire answers are leveraged via a location tracking system to provide relevant details regarding product features and benefits—for them! “The shift in technology acceptance towards on-line, mobile interactive devices has provided the opportunity for marketers to create one-to-one shopper initiated interactions with their audience whenever and wherever they are. In the case of Miele, the goal was to integrate digital signage with all available legacy systems, such as the product information database (ERP), customer profile data, location and their behavior”, explains Luc Heijnen, the principal experience designer. The key performance metrics used to measure the business success of this solution that addressed over 245 unique product SKUs included the conversion of visitors into customers, the increase of ‘basket size’ (sales per ticket) for each customer, brand image and the increase of dealer sales through referrals. The foundation of the process is about establishing trust and knowledge about consumers to determine the correct mix of rich media, whether it is mobile, internet, in-store, broadcast or print, based upon the targeted customer’s 360° communication perspective and profile. The personalization about the data enables relevancy across multi-channel consumer experiences. “Past purchase behaviors become meaningless as consumers reshuffle their value perception. As

Wayﬁnding using the Miele iPod application within the Miele Inspirience Centre.

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a result, we all need to rely far less on customer purchase history, and more on current behavior, attitudes and trends, “ said Mr. Weidmann “Personalized customer initiated interactions are critical to success, whether you are a brand or a retailer. The overall goal is relevancy, which then leads to loyalty, which then translates into profitable sales.” When it comes to consumer decision making there not just one touch point. There can’t be just one touch point. The entire network of technology interacts and digital store marketing via displays and mobile devices are all incorporated into the buying decision. A blueprint for intelligent communication bridges the gap. “The response is the communication – the only truth behind why customers will interact is because they are rewarded. Price is not a reward, using all the other marketing tools available must provide today’s consumers with trusted and credible information. Sharing credible and insightful information while becoming the ‘trusted mediator’ for their questions on products and services – that is the essence behind Gyro Marketing©. The consumer initiated experience is the message that needs to ignite the correct communication through the correct medium and channel. This permission based, empowered digital world will continue to marginalize your brand without a holistic and intelligent marketing communication strategy,” says Luc Heijnen. Retailers appear to be looking for a repeatable, scalable approach to bring a complete value proposition. Their desire is to integrate a number of business backend technologies in order to deliver a fairly automated solution not requiring a large staff to tactically manage and execute on. Message control in the 21st century has changed the way consumers and shoppers are obtaining information. They are systematically taking control of how they are communicated with. Living in a multichannel, multimedia world we have the ability to turn off, tune out or ignore any or all communications. Consumers are deciding through which of these channels brands communicate a specific type of message, information or promotion. “Whether you’re at home, at work, on the move or in a store environment accessing the internet using your mobile phone – you are empowered. The media is not the message anymore. The consumer experience is the message that needs to ignite the correct media through the correct channel,” said, Adrian Weidmann. “Innovative brands are leveraging this empowerment and actively developing methods to communicate directly with their consumers, establishing trust and knowledge, which they are, and will, leverage into commerce—bypassing the antagonistic business relationship between retailer and manufacturer.” It’s possible that this new model of driving the experiential store marketing will provide retailers with the reportable, measureable data accelerating the adoption of digital signage as one of the many mediums consumers are requiring relevant, real-time, intelligent communication. SSM Linda Hofflander is the Chief Strategy Officer of The Handa Group and is an active Advisory Board Member for the Digital Screenmedia Association (DSA). She can be reached at lhofflander@thehandagroup.com.

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Vertical View Government

Department of Natural Resources puts Minnesota’s beauty on display using kiosks

n his book Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder, author Richard Louv cites research that shows how a lack of exposure to nature has a direct effect on many current childhood issues. Among those he cites are increasing incidents of childhood obesity, attention deficit disorder and depression. It’s a concern the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has taken to heart. In an effort to reverse the trend of declining participation in outdoor recreation, the Minnesota DNR decided it was time to capture the attention of its residents, especially families, and bring them back to nature by showing them all the great outdoor opportunities the state has to offer. The Minnesota DNR’s state park system includes 66 state parks along with seven recreation areas, eight waysides, 21 state trails (including more than 1,255 total miles, approximately half of which are paved), and 56 state forest campgrounds and day-use areas. In all, the agency manages more than 300,000 acres of public land throughout the state. In 2009, the latest year for which figures are available, the system hosted 8,971,880 visitors, most of whom were day use.

The Challenge While the usage numbers may seem impressive at first, the average age of park visitors has been creeping up every year, and the DNR knows it needs to attract the Next Generation, especially families with young children, to sustain the system long term, according to Amy Barrett, public information officer for the DNR’s Division of Parks and Trails. “If people aren’t getting out and using the parks, then who is going to care for the resources and vote for funding in the future?” she said. Of particular concern was falling usage among the younger generations, especially families with small children. With computers and ubiquitous Internet access, satellite and cable TV, video games, smart phones/texting and more at their disposal, getting out and enjoying parks and trails didn’t seem to be on their radar. In 2010, money became available to DNR for outreach to Minnesota residents to try to reverse the trend. Although there is a lot of information available on the Minnesota DNR’s website, it was being visited primarily by people who already use the parks system. What was needed was a way to bring the information to a new audience instead. Calling upon her past experience, Barrett suggested creating touchscreen kiosks that could be placed strategically in high-traffic areas, such as shopping malls, the airport, downtown office buildings and other locations—anywhere young families were likely to congregate in large numbers. That would take care of making the informa-

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tion convenient to view. But a second challenge remained—how to attract their attention to the kiosks. Many kiosks, especially those in shopping malls, go unused for long periods of time because they blend in with their surroundings. To make the program successful, the Minnesota DNR needed the kiosks to engage passersby from a distance, draw them into the information and encourage them to interact with it. “The audience we’re targeting is pretty tech-savvy,” Barrett said. “They’re used to seeing high-quality, brightly colored pictures presented in a large format in their personal and professional lives. We really needed whatever we did to interrupt whatever mission they were on at the time and give them an experience that made them think, ‘Wow, that’s cool. Instead of staying around the house, we need to head out to a park or trail this weekend.’”

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Vertical View Government

As a government agency, the Minnesota DNR was required to issue an RFP for the project. After reviewing nearly a dozen proposals, however, one stood out—not only for its technical quality but for the creativity it showed in both the creation of the kiosks and the recommended placements.

The Solution The winning bid came from AlivePromo, a Minneapolis-based company that specializes in unique digital projects. For the Minnesota DNR, AlivePromo recommended an approach that combined the beauty of nature with the latest technology. “The kiosks themselves are designed to resemble something you would find at a state park,” said Sam Rogers, president and co-founder of AlivePromo. “They incorporate rocks, wood and other materials that are native to Minnesota. They are so beautifully designed, and so out of place in the steel-and-glass world of the big city, that you almost have to walk up to them to find out what in the world something like that is doing there.” In fact, Rogers’s goal was to create a structure that would be viewed as a work of art rather than a typical kiosk, while being durable enough to withstand rough handling, particularly by young children. It also had to be portable enough to move from location to location as needed. The Minnesota DNR was impressed with AlivePromo’s well thought-out plan. AlivePromo made specific recommendations on how to make the kiosks accessible to people with disabilities and people who don’t speak English. They also recommended locations for the kiosks that clearly demonstrated the company’s understanding of the DNR’s goals. The fact that AlivePromo had already created and installed a kiosk at one of the target locations gave the Minnesota DNR even more confidence. A big part of the plan was selecting the right display. It had to be bright in all lighting conditions, and had to display the photos of the parks and other graphics in striking detail. It also had to be capable of running 24/7. For that, Rogers said AlivePromo recommended NEC’s MultiSync LCD3210 display, which would be integrated with a third-party touchscreen system. The size of the screen and depth of its colors would create a user experience that was at once enjoyable and informative, while also meeting requirements for use by visitors with disabilities. The operation itself is simple. LCD3210 displays contain NEC’s exclusive Digital Signage Technology Suite (DSTS), a set

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of more than 20 features and functions developed specifically for the digital signage market. Superior screen performance, lower total cost of ownership and enhanced display management are just some of the benefits. The displays also feature 1366 x 768 native resolution and 600:1 contrast ratio. “The kiosk has a motion-sensing window,” said Barrett. “When visitors first walk up, they see a waterfall. Then buttons appear so they can interact with it. They can pull up a parks map, touch one of the dots and get more information. If they want to continue at home, they can enter their email address and pick up the session right where they left off. Alternatively, visitors can have information mailed to them.”

The Results The primary goal of creating a presence for the Minnesota DNR in high-traffic areas has definitely been achieved. Kiosks are currently placed at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, the Rosedale Center (Minnesota’s third busiest mall), the IDS Center and the Minneapolis Zoo. A traveling kiosk was at the Minnesota State Fair in late August/early September and will be in the State Capitol when the state legislature resumes in January. It will also travel to sports shows and special events throughout the year. Immediately after the kiosks went live, they began drawing hundreds of hits as busy Minnesotans virtually “hiked out” of the city for a few minutes to learn about the state’s parks, trails and recreational areas. Tracking software is helping the Minnesota DNR gather information on which parts of their offerings are attracting the most attention initially, which ones kiosk users are staying with longer, and how well the different locations are performing overall. “Being able to track usage is very important to us,” Barrett says. “We need that information to justify the expense in creating the kiosks as well as the cost of the lease for each location. We can use the information to learn what people are most interested in. If one kiosk isn’t being used as much as the others, we might decide to move it.” Of course, usage numbers that really matter are the ones at the parks and other areas. “It’s too soon to tell what impact the kiosks are having,” Barrett says. “But we believe we’re going to see more people, and especially more new people, using our parks and trails. If we can get more of today’s technooriented families to rediscover the beauty of nature, the impact will be profound and a long-term benefit to both themselves and society as a whole. That’s a pretty good return on investment.” SSM

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Digital Dialogue

Q & A With Thomas Wyatt

Looking at the Digital Signage Industry in a BIG Way

Where do you see the biggest market opportunity in the digital signage industry? Over the past year we’ve seen a dramatic shift in digital signage deployments moving from small, siloed pilots to large-scale deployments. We’re seeing this across various industries from educational institutions deploying signage campus-wide for safety and security to manufacturing plants deploying signage for employee communication. In addition to expanded deployments, there’s also a big opportunity beyond the United States. The digital signage market in emerging markets and Asia Pacific is growing at a phenomenal rate. Developing cities within these regions are being built from the ground up, providing a huge opportunity for technologies, such as digital signage, to be worked into the infrastructure plans from the beginning. I recently visited Songdo, a brand new city created from scratch in South Korea, and was amazed at how advanced and integrated the project is. Here, Cisco Digital Signs will drive environmental sustainability through the display of real-time building information such as power consumption, CO2 emissions and water usage.

What is Cisco doing to drive market leadership? We are driving this market leadership, not only through our dedication to digital signage, but through our complete end-to-end solution and our ecosystem of partners. Cisco has developed an extensive partner ecosystem community, made up of content and application development partners, expanding the possibilities of our customers’ digital signage deployments. Not only do we have leading digital signage solutions, but we’re able to take advantage of Cisco’s network expertise. This combination is what differentiates us in the market. We’re not just offering point products, we’re offering a complete video portfolio that customers can take advantage of to transform their businesses. This is all enabled through what we call “medianet”, which provides a scalable and flexible way for organizations to deploy multiple video applications across the network.

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What are some of the more unique customer deployments you’ve seen lately in terms of digital signage deployments? We’ve seen many innovative use cases, but one in particular stands out in my mind. Northern Virginia Community College built an application enabling its campus safety and security officials to control digital signage content from their mobile devices. The college had a campus shooting incident not too long ago, which put its emergency response strategy to the test. In just a few clicks, school officials were able to have all of their digital signage screens instantly display emergency messaging. As campus safety and security officials are often away from their decks, flexible content management was very important. Officials needed to be able to update digital signs on the fly using both PCs and mobile devices and have the ability to select which screens to display the emergency information on. Everyone acted quickly, delivered the necessary emergency messages, and no one was hurt. The local public law enforcement recognized Northern Virginia Community College for their preparedness and emergency communication execution.

What do you see as the biggest challenge right now for the digital signage industry? Business process around content creation still proves to be one of the biggest challenges for the digital signage industry. Many customers looking to deploy digital signage don’t have content creation professionals in their organization and do not have a content strategy. A content strategy is necessary before a digital signage deployment can be successful. In addition, fragmentation within the industry also continues to be a challenge. Customers are presented with so many different options that decision making is often stalled. This challenge is probably more short term however, as we predict a consolidation in this market is going to accelerate and a few companies will capture most of the market opportunity.

Digital Dialogue

Thomas Wyatt Vice President & General Manager Digital Media Systems Business Unit, Cisco Thomas Wyatt is the vice president and general manager of the Digital Media Systems Business Unit at Cisco. The Digital Media Systems business unit provides customers with an integrated solution for networked digital signage, business IPTV, and webcasting and video sharing applications.

Cisco tends to have an advantage entering into new markets purely because of its size and technology footprint. Do you see Cisco's size affect its ability to quickly react to market needs in the digital signage industry? Yes/No and why? We actually see Cisco’s size and installed base to be a tremendous opportunity on the digital signage front. Cisco is already a trusted partner and an IT expert, two of the most important attributes customers are looking for in today’s fragmented market. While Cisco is known as the network leader, digital signage is a focused practice within the company, with hundreds of people that wake up every day thinking only about digital signage. Another benefit of being a large company is the amount of research and development resources that we have available, allowing us to constantly innovate the platform.

Where do you see the digital signage industry in 5 years? The industry has already started consolidating. Over the next few years, this consolidation will continue until there’s only a handful of key players. These vendors will offer a variety of solutions including both on-premises and cloud models, different formats and end-points and integration into other video technologies such as virtual experiences and physical security. It is a very exciting market with amazing growth and technology opportunities ahead.

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Cisco deployed its StadiumVision system into the Dallas Cowboys Stadium which will hold the 2011 Super Bowl. With the rumor of the stadium adding 1,000 more screens before the Super Bowl, will this be the largest Cisco single deployment for signage and screens? We’ve seen great success with StadiumVision, which has been deployed across many major stadiums including the Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Royals, New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays, and Toronto Blue Jays. Yes, all of these stadium deployments consist of thousands of displays, but we have actually had larger deployments outside of stadiums. Retail, banks, and manufacturing have been key industries where we’ve seen our largest deployments. We’re seeing tremendous growth in large scale deployments across all industries.

Digital Signage Technology for Today’s Applications

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January/February 2011

Photo courtesy of WAND Corporation and McCarran International Airport.

Quick BITE

Out for a

By Marc Barrera

erhaps it was fate. Perhaps it was coincidence. Whatever the cause, Starbucks was the ideal place for Michael Winton and Bill Myers to meet for the first time. Winton was a lawyer and had an extensive background in restaurant franchise law. Myers owned a boutique design shop that handled everything from traditional

print to Web consultation. Starbucks served as a backdrop and model of how a simple idea could spell business success when properly implemented.

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Through that fateful meeting in August of 2006, the two decided to combine their two areas of expertise and put that to work in creating a customized restaurant entertainment network that would entertain customers while they dined at their local quick service restaurant (QSR). “Starbucks is kind of what got their creativity going as far as what the potential was,” said Brian Hasenbauer, vice president of marketing for what was to become the Dallas-based company indoorDIRECT Inc. “Since Michael had a background in franchisees and restaurants, they thought the QSR model would be the best place to do that.” At the time, Winton was wrestling with the issue of incorporating digital signage within CiCi’s Pizza locations. He had entered into the restaurant business through his father, who happened to be the largest franchise owner of CiCi’s Pizza at the time. “Someone had approached them about digital signage,” said Bill Myers, COO and co-founder of indoorDIRECT. “As we started talking, the idea came to us that maybe we should replace all of the TVs inside the CiCi’s and control the content, so taking digital signage a step beyond the traditional.” Myers took on the role of architect and designed the look of the screen. Instead of your traditional TV screen layout, his format used many Internet elements. The screen was real estate and was treated as such. The main part of the screen’s format was unchanged, but around it were banner ads of varying sizes, similar to those hosted on many website pages today. The idea was to provide a “sitback” watching experience that incorporated video and sound, rather than the simple animations that digital signage provided. “Our thinking was that we could take digital signage beyond where it was and work with where the Internet is going in the Web 3.0 world, which is much more video heavy,” Myers said. “The concept was to create a TV network for the restaurant industry.” This concept quickly expanded from one that started within CiCi’s Pizza locations and moved on to other QSRs such as Wendy’s, Taco Bell, Arby’s, Carl’s Jr. and Hardy’s.

“

Our thinking was that we could

take digital signage beyond where it was and work with where the

Internet is going in the Web 3.0 world, which is much more video heavy.

“

The concept was to create a TV network for the restaurant industry.

– Bill Myers, co-founder and COO of indoorDIRECT

Right Place, Right Time

The idea was not new. Many companies had tried and failed in similar fashion. One company had tried to execute a similar concept with restaurants inside malls while another worked exclusively with Burger King restaurant locations. But timing and the execution are what made the biggest difference for indoorDIRECT’s success. The cost for electronics and equipment were now cheaper than they have ever been and the decision to focus solely on QSRs turned out to be a fortuitous one. “The big difference that we see is that the space within the fast food restaurants isn’t as cluttered as far as the entertainment that’s available,” Hasenbauer said. “For instance, if you go into a Wendy’s, there might be a Dallas Morning News in there or the local paper, but for the most part there’s not actually anything except for some music on the Muzak system.” Faced with the rising costs of cable television and Muzak

Digital Signage Technology for Today’s Applications

service, the prospect was a win-win for QSRs. IndoorDIRECT would strategically install all the equipment, including screens in the dining area and in Point-of-Purchase positions near registers, and provide the program content at no cost to the locations. Plus, the restaurants would share in a portion of the proceeds received from advertising on the network. The QSRs didn’t even have to worry about the upkeep and maintenance of the system. “On the service maintenance side we have a smart system that actually monitors the entire network down to the sound levels in the restaurant. We can tell if the screen is turned on or off. We can tell if there’s a color saturation problem,” Myers said. According to Hasenbauer, this smart system allows them to remotely correct many problems within minutes as each screen sends back regular “heartbeat” reports. “Every few seconds it sends back

January/February 2011

a signal to our main server saying that this device is up, it has current content and the screen is on,” he said. “So we’re able to monitor most of that remotely in Dallas.” In the event that a problem cannot be fixed remotely, a service technician can be sent 24/7 to fix any problems.

a week before it goes out to the restaurant locations to make sure there are no objections. “The customer service side of what we do is very important,” Myers said. “These are our partners; their success is our success, and we’re very cognizant of that.”

Taking a BITE Out of the Industry

A Hard Sell?

According to Myers, one of the biggest challenges indoorDIRECT faced was convincing corporate franchises that their brand would remain intact. “Obviously, corporate is worried about making sure the network content is on brand and that they’re actually gaining from this and not taking away from the experience,” he said. “Initially when we started we’d do little pilots, and there’d be a small 10 to 20 stores that get to kick the tires for a minute.” In that quest to provide appropriate content, theBITE and theBITE Weekend programs were born. Updated weekly, these hosted magazine-style shows feature short bites of entertainment including segments from a wide variety of sports, music, lifestyle and entertainment content providers."We're very ambitious in terms of our content groups," Myers said. "We call them content providers, but it's actually some of the major studios, such as NBC, Fox, ABC, CBS, some of the large cable networks and all of the Ted Turner properties. We have about 110 content providers who give us tidbits of between two to five minutes of stories." All content, including advertising, is carefully screened to be appropriate for all audiences. “What we’ve done is we’ve designed a content standards and practices document that all of our content sales people are aware of,” Hasenbauer said. “It outlines blacklisted topics and content that we can’t air on the network, such as anything with nudity or anything religious or political.” To further assure clients and set their worries at ease, QSRs are allowed to screen the content, allowing clients to preview the content

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If you’re an advertiser, your first impression of a QSR might be that of a frantic-paced dining experience where the customer is in and out, usually within 20-to-30 minutes. So, where is the value in advertising if the audience retention time is so short? Since indoorDIRECT’s creation, research has been performed on a yearly basis, first with Arbitron and then with Nielsen, that asks diners various content questions, such as: Did you notice the screen? Did you like the programming that was on the screen? Did you find it an intelligent way to advertise? Based on those findings, the programming content is continually adjusted. “Each year we’re looking to refine that by having Nielsen do those same types of studies so we can get more information on the diners,” Hasenbauer said. “I think at the end of the day, if you produce quality content that will keep them engaged, customers are going to come back to that same restaurant because of the content that was there.” But perhaps the biggest selling point to come out of that research was the Nielsen finding that 35.3 percent of indoorDIRECT viewers reported they are out shopping. If you’re an advertiser, this is an ideal time to reach viewers. “It started to make sense to advertisers that they’d want to have their ad shown at these locations since the fast food industry is really good at choosing the real estate where they put their stores up,” Hasenbauer said. “They’re typically located within a few miles of a Wal-Mart, a Best Buy or a major intersection where there are a lot of stores and retail opportunities.” For Myers, it’s the last push that gets customers to do business with

“

It started to make sense to advertisers that they'd want to have their ad shown at these locations since the fast food industry is really good at choosing the real estate where they put their stores up. They're typically located within a few miles of a Walmart, a Best Buy or a major intersection where there are a lot of stores and retail opportunities.

“

– Brian Hasenbauer, vice president of marketing for indoorDIRECT.

drive-thru window while a film crew recorded customers' surprised reactions as they drove up to receive their order. "What it was, essentially, they have this guy in a big bear costume who is actually running the drive-thru sort of David Letterman style," Myers said. "So as you're pulling through the drive-thru, this big bear will hand you your coke and your order. So, the shock value was kind of interesting." The finished ad ran exclusively on theBITE network, featuring a specially coordinated text promotion, and immediately went viral. It can be seen on theBITE’s YouTube page, www.youtube.com/user/thebiteshows. “In this YouTube world that we live in now, that’s the way people consume media, in these short little bites of entertainment,” Myers said. “That’s why we call it theBITE. It’s these little viral videos that are strung together in a nice show format. We have a really cool, hip host who introduces all the videos and all the sports highlights and all the viral stuff that we can come up with and use.” NBC embraced the interactive, social media advertising trend when it ran a promotion for one of its newest comedy shows “Community.” NBC aired special “shout outs” from the show’s cast members on theBITE network leading up to airing of a special episode of the show on April 23, 2010, during the peak lunch hour. Both NBC and indoorDIRECT used Facebook and Twitter to help promote this special airing. Over several weeks, posts provided information about the show and links to indoorDIRECT’s website where potential viewers could find a local QSR location to watch the special airing. During the airing, viewers could also text in and send comments via Twitter that would show up on NBC’s Community Twitter page and had the option to participate in a text-based quiz shown in one of theBITE’s ad spots during the show presentation.

Divide and Conquer

an advertiser. “It’s not like its Tuesday night and I’m watching Seinfeld and I have to remember this Saturday there’s a sale at Kohl’s,” he said. “It’s that proximity, that last 300 yards, those advertisers are pretty excited about. The last 30 feet’s important, but how do I get them that last 300 yards so I can optimize my last 30 feet of instore promotion?”

InterADtivity

Another early challenge indoorDIRECT faced was changing the way advertisers delivered their message. “When we first started, I think the majority of the advertisers thought that they should just repurpose TV commercials and just put it to the right specs,” Hasenbauer said. “What we’ve now noticed is that as the advertisers and agencies have gotten more used to our specs in our network, they’ve seen that it’s more effective to create a custom ad that’s more specific to the location.” Beyond meeting indoorDIRECT’s specifications, advertisers have begun to think from a complete, Web-integrated package perspective that incorporates elements of social media and viral video. One example is a recent Coca-Cola and Wendy's advertising campaign that was created for indoorDIRECT. In Los Angeles, an actor dressed as the Coca-Cola Polar Bear worked at a Wendy's location's

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According to Myers, indoorDIRECT has screens installed in approximately 1,075 QSRs and is poised to install a thousand more. A major factor in the company’s success is their early recognition of segmentation within their market. Much like the success the magazine industry had when it segmented from general variety topic magazines to individual-topic-focused and concentrated products, indoorDIRECT has concentrated its efforts to one segment, the QSR industry. For Hasenbauer, this recognition has met with success for many in the industry. “We’re seeing that companies that have more of a shorter dwell time and less of a TV type product, are starting to be placed into a different category than companies such as indoorDIRECT and Cinemedia,” he said. “So one of the things we’ve been trying to do is support our industry but also try to make clear that there is a differentiation between digital signage and what we’re trying to accomplish with our out-of-home TV product.” For Myers, even more important for indoorDIRECT’s success is the recognition that they strive to be more than just a digital signage company. “We consider ourselves less of a signage company and more of an entertainment company,” he said. “That’s really been the focus, because after the sexiness of the screens disappears, it’s the quality of the content that you’re going to watch. If it’s not great content, they’re not going to watch.” SSM Marc Barrera is a freelance writer and editor based in Dallas, TX.

PANTONE 286 C PANTONE 485 C

C:100 M:70 Y:0 K:0 C:0 M:100 Y:100 K:0

R:0 G:64 B:192 R:237 G:28 B:36

ALL GAMING

ALL THE WORLD

Behind the Screens By Jeff Porter

ollywood’s “Best Picture” Oscar winners usually start with an award-winning script. Even the highest-funded movies fall flat without carefully crafted lines feeding the actors on screen. Similarly, companies can’t experience the full potential

of even the most elaborate digital signage network without the right software powering it behind the scenes. It’s critical to success.

To create a new digital signage network destined to be a box office hit, start by

clarifying the project’s objectives. All too often, companies approach digital signage projects from the bottom up. Managers think first in terms of the type and number of screens, then look for a good price on players, and then finally consider what content to display. Yet, it’s the content strategy — based on considered business objectives — that should ultimately drive the software purchase and corresponding network design.

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So, before making any selections, ponder big-picture questions like the following: •

What will be the primary purpose of the network? To inform employees? To provide product/pricing information? To entertain? To interact with customers? • How many locations will the network encompass initially? What about in two, three or five years? • How many locations will require unique content? And how many unique signs would be best per each location? • Do I want real-time data integration? (For example, different pricing in different stores.) Will that be different each week? And different in each location? The biggest question is not setting up the network to start, but in “feeding the monster” once you’ve built it. If your content is not fresh, timely and relevant, people will tune out your message. And if you don’t have the ability to target your message to a specific audience in a specific location at a specific time, will you achieve the desired results? Armed with a clearer understanding of what is expected from the digital signage network, companies can start searching for the right software solution. Of course, what goes on behind the screens of a digital signage network is different for different businesses. But there are a few common elements to consider in order to fully leverage the power of digital signage technology today — and tomorrow.

Enables Multi-Purpose Messaging

An effective digital signage network needs to be able to display targeted ads and messages, breaking news or emergency

Digital Signage Technology for Today’s Applications

information, and relevant information that might be coming from the Internet or a point-of-sale system. Multi-frame screens and the ability to override multiple frames with a full-screen message are now a considered a must. Smart network operators have advanced beyond the simple video playlist with the same videos in each location to providing a targeted message in each location. But how do you keep from going crazy while managing all of the variations? That’s where the software comes in. Build the “smarts” into your network, and your system can make the correct decisions to display the right information at the right time in the right location, without you needing to manually intervene.

Support Frequently Changing Content

Content must be changed frequently to remain timely and relevant. Users are now able to accomplish this by dividing the network into dayparts — using triggers to change content based on an event — by creating separate and modular playlists. They also have the ability to incorporate feeds from websites and news services, and use metadata to tag specific messages to play in specific locations at specific times. As a result, networks will have greater success at engaging the viewer and fulfilling its primary purpose.

Simplify Content Management

Very few organizations have staff whose sole responsibility is to oversee the content strategy of the digital signage network. Typically, these people have many other responsibilities and not a lot of time to babysit content for a new digital signage network. Even for those that do have full-time employees devoted to content management, a solution that makes the ongoing creation and management of network content easy saves the organization time and money.

January/February 2011

PremiseBased

vs.

SaaS Solutions

Choosing the Right Solution for the Right Digital Signage Application When selecting a digital signage solution, a major consideration is whether the digital signage content management software will run locally on the end-user hardware (“premisebased” or “on-premise”) or will be hosted on servers off-site by a provider (“software as a service” or “SaaS”). Premise-based software has been around for quite a while and is fairly well understood. SaaS, however, is less understood, even though the concept is not new. SaaS actually describes the business model and not the software per se. The basic idea behind the SaaS model being that there is one version of the software running on hardware that is off-site, and users can access the software using the Internet. The key advantages of SaaS relate mostly to pricing and cost savings. Pricing models are based on consumption, typically a monthly payment for a predetermined number of months. In addition, there are lower installation, maintenance, and support costs. SaaS also provides the convenience of accessing the network from anywhere with an Internet connection. The limitations of SaaS are mostly related to control, the conﬁdentiality and security of customer data, the need for Internet connectivity, and in some cases the ability to customize the application. While resistance to the SaaS model has come down in recent years due to improvements in performance and data security, as well as a better understanding of the services rendered, a number of corporations and organizations will simply not use SaaS applications as a matter of company policy. They typically deem the security risks to be too high, and want full control over their applications. Other types of applications have no Internet connection. While these types of installations are becoming scarce, some do exist and in these cases premise-based software is an obvious solution. For other types of customers — network operators for example — the advantages of a SaaS solution can be the difference between operating or not. For users with less up-front capital, eliminating the need for costly IT/support while experiencing lower installation and maintenance costs, in addition to lower hardware expenses, makes the SaaS model the obvious choice. SaaS also helps digital signage networks scale quickly, which can be critical to generating revenue derived from the sale of advertising. Aside from these obvious cases, the decision over which type of software to purchase should focus on a number of other factors. A signiﬁcant factor driving the decision is the type of content to be displayed on the screens of the digital signage network. If the content to be displayed is fairly simple, such as full-screen video or graphics, then a SaaS solution will work very well. Content better suited to on-premise software would include graphic-rich content that changes dynamically in real time based on external triggers. Content that requires links to external sources is also better suited to on-premise software. For example, some platforms can easily link to external systems such as Delphi — the most comprehensive hospitality software program — enabling hotel event organizers to export information such as event details, meeting room updates, and other announcements directly to display screens without having to re-key that information in the digital signage system. It’s clear that there is not a simple formula for selecting a digital signage software system. However, we can see that the higher the customization or integration with other systems, the more likely it is that an on-premise solution will make the most sense. Maria Porco is vice president of business development for X2O Media and can be reached at maria@x2omedia.com.

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In recent years, even recent weeks, the industry has seen an influx in new web interfaces that greatly enhance and simplify the management of content on a digital signage network. Software providers that incorporate such easy-to-use web interfaces dramatically simplify the content management process. Those who were intimidated by the complexities of bygone systems have nothing left to fear. Increased intelligence “under the hood” allows end users to focus on the strategy of content management rather than on the technology. For example, some software allows companies to create automatic playlists that run according to pre-set schedules (just “set it and forget it”), essentially freeing managers from babysitting content all day.

Meet Consumer Graphical Expectations

Most consumers have very high expectations of digital graphics because of their exposure to broadcast television, high-definition movies and graphic-intense video games. Fall short in this area, and the entire project will, to say the least, be lackluster. Today’s 1080p high-definition screens are only part of the equation for displaying eye-grabbing content throughout a digital signage network. The software solution powering the content is as much an important part of producing amazing graphics as the screens themselves. And it doesn’t have to come with a high price tag. So before you buy, double-check that the software includes features for creating top-quality computer graphics, and that the video chips in the player are on par with the day’s highest level of high-end video game graphics.

Empower Vertical Industry Customization

Most providers hold their software close to the vest — vigilantly protecting their application’s “secret sauce.” However, this limits what end users can do to tailor their signage network to their specific needs, which is especially important in unique vertical markets. Digital signage software solutions with an open architecture designed to leverage web services empower companies to custom-design a system with highly specific functionality. As an example, a U.K.-based quickservice restaurant recently built a totally new web-based network for managing digital menu boards using an open-architecture software as its base platform. The new network is easy to use with a web interface familiar to

the food service industry. Underneath it all is a reliable and powerful software application that is integrated with the point-of-sale system. Systems that are not open tend to be extremely difficult and cost-prohibitive to modify. Plus it generally takes many months to get a modification up and running without errors.

Provide Technology Options

In recent months, new technology innovations have begun funneling into the mainstream markets. Specifically, cloud or SaaS-based applications have become increasingly more popular for their massive economies of scale, ease of maintenance and flexibility. It’s a major break from traditional hosted and on-premise technologies — so much so that many companies are not yet ready to make the switch. When evaluating digital signage software providers, find out if they offer cloud or SaaS-based applications in addition to traditional technologies or, better yet, if they offer you the choice. Regardless of which technology platform your organization prefers now, it’s important to know that the option is available if things change for your business in the future.

Support Wide Variety of Hardware

The ever-increasing popularity of digital signage has led to the development of new hardware devices at lower price points. Some hardware providers offer new players that have strong capabilities but are marketing them at an entry-level price point. Sometimes these devices are open, and they can be connected to mature and robust content

management systems, but often times, these systems are closed and are only controllable with a limited and proprietary vendor-specific system. New product announcements like these come fast and furiously these days, so be sure that the software solution you choose supports a wide range of different hardware. It opens your organization to a wider range of product options and price points. There are a number of important considerations for digital signage software, and they are all important to the overall usefulness of your network both now and long-term. So what’s the bottom line? Simply speaking, measure twice and cut once. In other words, take a top-down approach to network design by seriously considering what you want to accomplish before buying equipment and software. Ask the software vendor, “How many 500-player networks have you deployed?” If the answer is zero or pretty close to zero, move on. While you may not initially be thinking about rolling out 500 players, this may be where you end up someday when you have individual content streaming to multiple signs at all of your locations. Most organizations seek to leverage the full power of digital signage technology by implementing a system that can manage various playlists at various locations at various times. But choose carefully because not all software solutions offer this level of sophistication. By building the right team of integrators, and hardware and software vendors to help you “behind the screens,” you’ll be on your way to digital signage success. SSM Jeff Porter is Executive Vice President at Scala Inc., and can be reached at jeff.porter@scala.com

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Digital Signage Technology for Today’s Applications

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January/February 2011

In Plain

Sight

A large-scale digital signage deployment at the North Dakota State Capital is keeping both legislators and the public informed of committee meeting progress, schedule changes, session agendas and more.

Every January,

the North Dakota

Legislative Assembly convenes in regular session, breaking into committees throughout the Capitol to discuss and vote on important issues affecting the state’s nearly 647,000 residents. But until late 2008, legislators and the public had to rely on a less-than-high-tech method for information on meeting agendas, schedule modifications and room changes.

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by Michelle Bowles

“Each morning, we would post a paper with each committee’s agenda outside every meeting room,” says Deb Gienger, IT systems administrator for the North Dakota Legislative Council. “But if more people than expected were going to be speaking on a particular bill, and we needed to move rooms, there was no reasonable way to inform the public. A new piece of paper would have to be printed and slid into the plastic holder outside every room.” Furthermore, rooms at the Capitol have either wooden or glass frosted doors, making it impossible to see what’s going on inside from the outside. So if a meeting ran late, legislators and members of the public planning to attend the next meeting in the room—unaware of the one still in progress—would often interrupt. But in November 2008, electronics contractor Tricorne Audio Inc. was tasked with helping the North Dakota Legislative Council step into the 21st century. The Tricorne Audio team devised a digital signage solution complete with monitors and players outside every committee room. Today, interns inside the rooms update screens in real time with information on meeting progress, room numbers, agendas and more for legislators and the public. “The signage solution is so simple, efficient and instant,” Gienger says. “Legislators enjoy having the public know which bills are coming

“The North Dakota Legislative Council got a really good reaction on the initial three units from legislators and the public. After the 2009 session, they told us, ‘Get ready. All our committees like these units and want them outside their rooms’.” - Dallas Anderson

up so they can obtain the feedback they’re looking for. But clearly getting information to the public was a top priority.”

The Pieces of the Puzzle

Tricorne Audio, in business for more than 20 years, is no stranger to working with government organizations. Government projects, along with education and house of worship projects, make up most of the firm’s repertoire. For this particular government project, officially completed in July 2010, the North Dakota Legislative Council had several specific requirements for the solution that would be put in place, says Dallas Anderson, lead audio designer at Tricorne Audio. First, the digital signage solution would need to eliminate redundant processes. “For the 2009 session, there was no central calendar available for the digital signage to pull information from, so the interns published the calendar daily for each of the rooms that had digital signage,” he says “However, the Legislative Council knew that during the next session in 2011, there would be a central calendar in place.” So a system was needed that could pull information directly and reduce the amount of manual input for the interns. Secondly, the displays would need to be quickly refreshed in a matter of 15 seconds to one minute from a user-supplied database, such as Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Excel or People Cube, Anderson says. Lastly, the client demanded flexibility from the solution because, for 19 months every two years, the Legislative Assembly would not be in session. Based on those requirements, Tricorne Audio implemented a BIOS operating system—more secure than a Windows-based system—with an LG monitor and MagicBox SignMate RT player for each meeting room. Unlike many signage systems that store everything on a central server, Tricorne Audio’s solution enables information to reside on the individual players. “Because each room has its own player, each room’s information is exclusive,” Anderson explains. “You aren’t relying on that central server. If one player fails, that’s all that would go down. If a central server goes down, on the other hand, you could lose everything.” But because the players are equipped with EZ-Stream soft-

Digital Signage Technology for Today’s Applications

ware, they can automatically pull information from the user-supplied database. “The current system pulls the committee name, chairperson and daily agenda from a database,” Anderson explains. “The ‘current meeting in progress’ box is pulled from a .xml file located on a server that is updated by the interns.” The Legislative Council will soon be switching to a new software system, but because EZ-Stream is so versatile, the players should have no problems making a seamless switch. Additionally, most players are equipped with MagicBox TXWeatherStream, an NOAA weather feed that sends weather updates and forecasts to a crawl area on the displays. “This is actually very useful in North Dakota especially during the winter, as the legislators come from all across the state,” Anderson says. “Spending the day inside the building, they really don’t know what the evening or next day will bring. Having the weather updates helps them make travel plans.” As for the monitors, Tricorne has a long history of working with Panasonic and LG products, so the choice was a natural one. The digital signage solution called for 22- to 46-inch monitors, depending on location and function, and better-thanaverage warranties. “These things are on 24-7, so we needed

One of the many the screens where visitors are entertained by state trivia on topics like North Dakota state symbols and the history of the Capitol.

January/February 2011

One of the many the screens where visitors are entertained by state trivia on topics like North Dakota state symbols and the history of the Capitol. Above, an example of a meeting room being named for one of North Dakota's historical sites, like forts or rivers. Included are a photo and description of the particular historical site outside each door. Right, an example of the mobility feature of the rolling screens. Far right, an example of the general public being informed and kept up to date on current events and status of meeting rooms and changes.

more than the standard one- or two-year warranty,” Anderson says. With its three-year warranty, LG met both demands. Tricorne Audio opted for off-the-shelf products rather than a truly custom one for a few reasons. First, Anderson and the team were able to immediately put a product in front of the client. Secondly, the client appreciated the fact that with off-the-shelf products, they could count on support from the manufacturer if Tricorne Audio went out of business. “When you’ve got a system that is out of the box, easy to work with and includes quality products that are ready to use, it makes things work very smoothly,” Anderson says.

Instant Success

What began as an installation of just three units quickly expanded to five by the end of the 2009 session. Then, over the course of the next year and a half, Tricorne Audio was tapped to install a total of 22 players and 30 monitors throughout the State Capitol. “The North Dakota Legislative Council got a really good reaction on the initial three units from legislators and the public,” Anderson says. “After the 2009 session, they told us, ‘Get ready. All our committees like these units and want them outside their rooms.’” But the Tricorne team didn’t simply add more LG monitors and MagicBox players outside meeting rooms. The team also created three video walls for the Capitol’s lobby area—one in the main west entrance, the second at the information kiosk and the third by the bank of elevators in the lobby. The first is a true video wall comprising four 46-inch monitors in a 2x2 configuration. “Built-in software allows you to expand one monitor to go across all four monitors,” Anderson says. “The North Dakota Legislative Council can put up a big welcome banner for dignitaries or the state flag across all four monitors, for instance.” The second smaller video wall is simply made up of four 26-inch monitors grouped together. “It looks like a video wall, but actually it’s just four separate monitors,” he says. And near the elevators, Tricorne Audio installed four 37-inch monitors side by side at a slight angle from the ceiling—similar to what would be found at an airport. All three video wall systems use Cat 5 distribution, as their main players are located several hundred feet away, Anderson adds.

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The project didn’t stop there, though. In addition to the meeting room monitors and players, and the three video walls, Tricorne Audio created a mobile monitor/player unit that can be easily moved depending on time of year and need. The portable Premier floor stand holds a smaller 8 ½- x 5-inch player and a 22-inch monitor secured with an adapter bracket.

The Whole Year ’Round

Because the North Dakota Legislative Assembly isn’t in session all months of the year—or even every year—the Legislative Council devised some unique ideas to put the boards to good use during downtime and maximize investment. “During the interim months, we put state history on many of the screens outside the meeting rooms,” Gienger says. “All of our meeting rooms are named for North Dakota historical sites, like forts or rivers. We include a photo and description of the particular historical site outside each door.” On the video walls in the lobby area, visitors are entertained by state trivia on topics like North Dakota state symbols and the history of the Capitol. An animated video was even created for the video walls based on a brochure written by a State Capital employee on how a bill becomes law. “The kids visiting the capital really get enjoyment out of that,” Gienger says. “We’ve gotten terrific feedback from the public in general. People are really interested in and appreciate these boards.” All in all, Anderson calls the installation a complete success. “With government projects like this one, your work is going to be critiqued by a lot more people. In a state capitol situation, you have to be able to answer tough questions from the public like, ‘Why are we spending all this money?’” he says. “We also had to have patience to go through all the different steps, get funding from different areas and get everything approved by an architect since the Capitol is historical.” Anderson hopes that the positive feedback and rapport developed with the Legislative Council will lead to future jobs with other North Dakota government agencies. “We expect to work more with the state now that there is an established standard,” he says. SSM Michelle Bowles is a free lance writer based in Carbondale, IL.

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Signage Solutions

Products Signage Solutions & Products Digital signage products and solutions for today’s applications

Digital signage products and solutions, along with the technology which operates them, make the industry what it is today. Every issue of Signage Solutions Magazine features new products and solutions contributed by their respective companies. Please take time to review the products and see the full descriptions on our web site at www.signagesolutionsmag.com

Commercial Display ViewSonic’s 42” CD4233 slim bezel commercial display commands attention with its bright, high contrast images, making it deal for both single unit public displays and grand multi-monitor display walls. With an ultra-slim 16.3mm bezel and Full HD 1080p display, brightness of up to 700 nits, and 178-degree viewing angle, the CD4233 is simply stunning. The unit can be placed into configurations up to a 5x5 video wall arrangement and may be seamlessly partnered with Linux and Windows-based networked media players. Teamed with ViewSonic’s MultiView video wall software, ViewSonic offers multi-dimensional configurations via a single video input. Designed for 24/7 operation. www.viewsonic.com

Digital Broadcasts Over IP Video Networks The Torpedo™ family of DVB-to-IP gateways enables today's digital broadcasts to be delivered over IP video networks without the need to re-encode the content. The Torpedo takes a digital RF DVB signal from a satellite or terrestrial antenna, extracts and filters the MPEG-2 transport stream packets, and retransmits them to multiple multicast or unicast UDP targets via an Ethernet interface. Using a single Torpedo, enterprises can deliver a number of digital satellite TV and radio services to viewers over standard IP video networks. Haivision's Torpedo supports both SD and HD satellite (DVB-S and DVB-S2) and terrestrial (DVB-T) signals. The new gateway may be used as a standalone system or be integrated as part of the Haivision Furnace™ end-toend IP video system. www.haivision.com

Live-Streaming of Social Media Sites to Digital Signage

Panasonic Signage with CoolSign ® Software

Insteo Display digital signage offers live-streaming feeds of sites such as Twitter, Flickr and Foursquare, allowing customers to be instantly rewarded through customer loyalty programs. Insteo Display’s filtering system prohibits bad words (including variations and misspellings), and also filters competitor names from making it to the screen. Behind-the-scenes controls allow access to screens immediately, either by browser or mobile phone. Instantly Reward Customers for their Loyalty and Keep them Talking about YOUR Business. www.insteodisplay.com

Visual motion and sound is the most effective way to attract, inform and persuade viewers. Digital signage package solutions are now available from the leaders in digital content, display and distribution. Panasonic and CoolSign® have partnered to deliver a fully-integrated, all-in-one, digital signage solution. Panasonic Full-HD LF20 LCD displays and CoolSign Digital Signage Software Platform, together were designed specifically for digital signage media, incorporating still images, full-motion graphics and broadcast-quality video with or without sound to convey attention grabbing messages. www.panasonic.com

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Sunlight-Readable Digital Display New CyberResearch¨ CyRAQ 1000 sunlight-readable outdoor digital displays help you reap the benefits of outdoor digital signage in any weather. With portrait, landscape, and wall-mount options, these 1080p high-def signs can be used nearly anywhere. The new CyRAQ 1000 series of 42" to 65" stainless steel and pylon-mounted digital signage displays are reliable, vandalresistant and cost-effective for use in all types of weather for outdoor video, wayfinding, menu-board and other signage applications. CyRAQ 1000 LCDs use AR-Bondingª to enhance their naturally clear and sharp high-contrast images. It's like polarized sunglasses for your screen. The AR-Bonding layer also provides extra support to the glass and eliminates the problem of air-gap fogging from condensation. www.cyberresearch.com

Signage Solutions

Products

Digital Signage System

Dust-proof and Water Proof Digital Signage Unit Axiomtek announces its DSH-142 industrial grade digital signage unit. The pluggable CPU board module is built for easy system configuration and maintenance. The DSH-142 is equipped with a 42inch HD wide TFT LCD; it supports 1920 x1080 resolution and supports a high-performance Intel Core2 Duo T9400 2.53 GHz or a low-power Intel Celeron M 575 2.0 GHz processor with Intel GM45 chipset. This unit is ruggedized with an IP3x-rated full enclosure and an IP65-rated front bezel to prevent water and dust from penetrating, making this unit ideally suited for any wet or dusty environments. www.axiomtek.com

Digital Signage Technology for Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Applications

AerWave is the smart solution for managing your content across a network of interactive digital displays. The 100% web-based software allows you to work from any browser. Features such as playlists, a WYSIWYG program editor, screenshots, calendar, and customizable widgets make AerWave fast and intuitive to use. The scalable system gives you the flexibility to expand your network to any size. With mobile interactivity and social media options, you can add user-generated content and engage your audience. www.aerva.com Dynamic Touch Screen Technology CyberTouch touch screen technology built-in to any Mitsubishi professional LCD monitors brings touch interaction to professional monitors without sacrificing the aesthetic and display performance of the monitor. It is a great way to engage the audience through dynamic and interactive visual content. Whatever the application, CyberTouch touch-screen Mitsubishi monitors are simple to use and easy to interact with; allowing users to intuitively interact with the display through resistive technology. www.mitsubishi-presentations.com

January/February 2011

Signage Solutions Products

Signage Solutions & Products Digital Signage Software

The Harris InfoCaster v4.0 digital signage solution for content creation, network management and media playout includes three new hardware systems that deliver smaller form-factors for real estate-challenged installations. The new designs range from tabletop mount (DS500) to rack/wall-mount versions (DS1100 and the 2RU DS4100 model). New software features for InfoCaster include support for Windows Vista/Windows 7 and media playout over IPTV and Mobile DTV delivery platforms. Other software features include audio and video synchronization and automated features for column resizing, screen transitions and audio leveling. www.digitalsignage.harris.com Integrated Hardware/Software Platform Use your latest HD display for eye-catching digital signage, and get really creative when assembling content for that display. Black Box’s iCOMPEL™ is an affordable, integrated hardware/software platform that offers virtually endless creative possibilities for digital content presentation. It includes free screen templates and easy, drag-and-drop tools for streaming HD-quality video, images, Flash animation, RSS feeds, HTML, and other media into multiple zones on one screen—or many screens. Plus, all software updates are free, and there are no SaaS fees. www.blackbox.com/go/iCOMPEL

Cellular digital content delivery Vizit is a new mobile Internet device that allows users to deliver digital content seamlessly over its VizitMe.com content management platform via the cellular network. Businesses can send targeted advertising content to stores across the nation by simply using VizitMe.com to deliver context-specific content on each display. Field updates no longer need to be made to displays due to cellular connectivity, which allows the immediate and remote upload of new content. www.VizitMe.com

LED-backlit Super Slim LCDs NEC’s new 46” X461S and 55” X551S models are our first super slim displays featuring an LEDbacklit panel. Shipping in April 2011, these LCDs offer DisplayPort connectivity, full HD resolution for 24/7 operation, and the open pluggable specification (OPS) slot for integration of NEC solutions and third-party components. With improved brightness and reduced power consumption, these displays are ideal for digital signage in rental and staging,corporations, education, training facilities and wayfinding. www.necdisplay.com

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Touch Screen Monitor The new PN-L601B Touch Screen LCD Monitor integrates a high quality 60” class Sharp LCD display with full-array LED backlight, along with a high sensitivity touch screen and original user-intuitive pen software. The result is an easy to use and ultrareliable touch screen monitor that is ideal for interactive digital signage applications as well as meetings, video conferencing, presentations, corporate training and classroom instruction. The PN-L601B is now in stock and available through Sharp authorized dealers and resellers. www.SharpUSA.com

Solutions &

Product Showcase Digital Signage Solutions by Planar Systems

Product Features LT1201 Touchscreen

LT1201 Touchscreen For your ultra-low profile Point of Sale (POS) touchscreen monitor set, Planar provides the LT1201 and sets a new standard for energy efficiency, visual aesthetics, and ease of use. This new standard in POS can be used anywhere a touchscreen monitor is required. The ultra thin design is enabled by energy saving LED backlighting. The wedge shape keeps sight lines in your retail setting unobstructed. Best yet, the optical quality is unsurpassed.

LT1201 sideview

LC46 Series

LC46 Series Planar’s LC46 Series of outdoor digital signage modules is the optimal digital signage solution for the drive-thru, delivering best-in-class, true outdoor performance, customer experience, and return on investment for mission-critical applications. Patent-pending design ensures round-the-clock operation in extreme temperatures without the disadvantage of competing alternatives. With true brightness of 2000 nits over 7 years and designed to withstand -22o F up to 122o F, the LC46 series provides long-life display performance.

With over 27 years as a leader in the display industry, Planar Systems provides a proven portfolio of displays for digital signage solutions, including its new LC46 series of rugged digital signage modules for outdoor use and the LT1201, an ultra-low profile Point of Sale (POS) touchscreen monitor set. Planar will feature these digital signage modules and POS systems, along with many other digital signage solutions at DSE (Planar booth #2025). Whether your display requirements call for indoor or outdoor digital signage, Planar’s custom display solution experts assist in the design of your enclosure for an unbeatable offering. Visit Planar’s website for more information at www.planarembedded.com. www.planarembedded.com

Digital Signage Technology for Today’s Applications

Planar Systems

866.752.6271

Planar Systems 1195 NW Compton Drive Beaverton, OR 97006 Phone: 503.748.1100 www.planarembedded.com matt.adamson@planar.com

January/February 2011

Signage Solutions Products Audio streaming and control over IP networks Barix introduces the Exstreamer 120 IP audio decoder, offering high-quality audio streaming and control over IP networks for in-store music, advertising and paging/notification applications. The Exstreamer 120 adds a MicroSD card slot in place of the standard USB interface for added content protection. The device also features a backlit 2x16 character LCD to display stream metadata and file information; as well as a relay closure and a built-in remote control receiver to enable channel selection from a variety of music streams. www.ip-audio.info Digital Signage and Commercial Music / Audio

Wearable Digital Signage

A web-based platform for delivering customized audio, video and digital signage to all your business locations anywhere on the planet. With simple hardware and no software to install, Harmony empowers even nontechnical business owners with a set of intuitive tools for building your own digital signage from existing marketing materials, coupling your visuals with your own music and custom audio messaging, and scheduling it all with your own unique knowledge of your locations and customers. www.request.com

Personal digital signage worn like a name tag that plays sharp images, animations and video for 8 hours on a single charge. Advanced OLED screen display technology ensures professional performance including high contrast and brightness and wide viewing angles. Content can be scheduled into day parts and triggered with a push of a button. New content can be automatically downloaded while being recharged. The magnetic fastener doesn't ruin clothing and its 100% Audienceâ&#x201E;˘ software platform compatible. tag.capitalnetworks.com

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Signage Solutions

Products

Software for Digital Signage The Audience software platform provides the tools to create, manage and play out dynamic digital signage displays. From simple, single screens to worldwide networks that include hundreds of localized displays, the highly scalable Audience platform delivers using standard PC hardware. Create displays using a combination of text, graphic and video content. Automated data streams are easily infused ensuring timely content is always on display, without additional effort. Audience ships with a library of pre-created templates, but also comes packaged with a graphic interface giving users the ability to produce highly customized displays. www.capitalnetworks.com Digital Signage Computer Holder HDMI 1x4 Distribution Hub Streamlines HD Cabling

Developed for the custom residential and commercial AV market, MuxLab's HDMI 1x4 Distribution Hub (500420) allows one (1) HDMI source to be distributed to up to four (4) HDMI displays via two (2) Cat5e/6 cables. At 1080p/8-bit resolution, the hub supports up to 150 ft (46m) via Cat5e cable on either side of the hub, thereby allowing a total distance of 300 ft (92m) to be achieved between the HDMI source and the display. Furthermore, the product supports 1080p Deep Color up to 150 ft (46m) via Cat6 cable. www.muxlab.com

The digital signage computer holder is used to attach a digital signage media player to a wall or ceiling mount. The holder attaches to mounting rails in landscape or portrait positions to better hide behind the flat panel. The media player holder utilizes tamper resistant hardware and works with VMP models FP-LDSB, PDS-LC and PDS-LFT as well as most other manufacturer’s mounts which have sufficient clearance for the box. Box dimensions – 11” x 7” x 2.375” with black powder coat finish. www.videomount.com

Retriever Digital Signage

Solutions &

Product Showcase

by DRM Productions Inc.

Key Features • •

• • •

•

Founded in 1983, DRM Productions started as a video production company and over the years we have evolved into a full service media company helping our clients "Communicate with Impact" The Retriever digital signage system was developed from the ground up for our clients that wanted a simple to use, dynamic and graphically interesting signage system. Retriever Digital Signage works on a simple throw and fetch concept. Throw your content to the website using your exclusive user name and password. Your Retriever fetches this new information every ten minutes and it will appear on your screen. Every Retriever feature is included, there are no hidden costs. Information slides containing weather, news and more update automatically to keep your sign looking fresh. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination. Train our Retriever to be the digital sign you want.

www.RetrieverDigitalSignage.com

Retriever Digital Signage

888.817.2817

Manage content over the Internet Make your message dynamic with easy-to-use, professionally designed templates Add pictures with the touch of a button Personalize content to maximize impact Schedule content to run for a day, a week or a whole year Quickly send alerts to Retriever locations

DRM Productions, Inc. 286 Piper Rd. Mansﬁeld, Ohio 44905 888.817.2817 info@RetrieverDigitalSignage.com

Signage Solutions Products

MagicBox Announces Aavelin 4 Software At the beginning of the New Year, MagicBox, Inc. will be releasing a new Aavelin Composer and Playback software. This release will include the following new features: Video Playback of DivX and H.264 AVC (mp4) Video Clips Aavelin now supports playing short video clips on any page in your project. You can then schedule them to play at any time. PDF Support - Bring in a page from a PDF file onto your Composer page using the same method for bringing in any other image. This feature is only available in Composer Professional. New Standard Backgrounds - We now have 100 new backgrounds that will be included with any Composer 4.0 and above installation. These backgrounds now come in two resolutions: 1080p (16:9) and XGA (4:3). Improvements to Interface – Buttons and some menus have been reorganized to make it easier to find the more commonly used items. www.magicbox.com

Interactive Visual Projection Enhancements Respondr transforms existing environments into highly dynamic and captivating areas that deliver your brand or marketing message in an unforgettable, magic-like fashion. Respondr features a built-in playlist that can be set to change effects and imagery automatically, remotely, or on a set schedule. Respondr easily transform floors, walls, tables, countertops and virtually any other indoor or outdoor surface you can imagine. The intuitive and powerful user interface is easy to customize and update. Features networking capabilities for remote content management. Simple to setup and maintain and utilizes stills or video content playback. www.respondr.com

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Signage Solutions 36

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magazine

Signage Essentials Understanding the Basics on Content

How to Know When Your Content Gets Stale By Kim Sarubbi

here is a real boom in the digital signage or place-based media field right now. Business owners are spending millions to install state of the art displays and pushing content using the most advanced technology available. But spending a lot of money does not necessarily ensure a successful network. Great technology and displays will only get you so far; content is the variable that will dictate the value of a network. Although it is certainly the most important aspect of digital signage, you cannot run the same content indefinitely. Compelling content is created by using knowledge collected with regard to the environment that includes the type of venue, the audience, and intended message. Content can be third party tested and proven to be engaging, and therefore effective, but it only has the power to test one particular moment in time. New relevant content must be developed and displayed when appropriate. The difficulty in rotating content lies within the planning stage. As we said before, third party research companies can be used to determine effectiveness at one moment, but by the time the content is deemed ineffective, it is too late. Theory and experience must be applied. An experienced content provider should have the knowledge to create a plan that will offer years of effectiveness. By exploring specific venue, audience, and message, the answers will present themselves. Venue â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Depending on the type of venue, content must be changed daily, monthly, annually, or never. A busy coffee shop is a venue that requires frequent content changes. Most patrons will visit the shop several times a week and some more than once per day. An environment such as this one would benefit from daily or even hourly changes. A patron that visits the coffee shop for breakfast is usually searching for a pick me up. They are there to buy a caffeinated beverage. Content that informs the customer of a 99 cent pastry that comes with any beverage is a great way to upsell a profitable item.

But what about the patron who comes by at lunch? Does he know about the free wireless internet service available in the shop? How about the coupon for a free coffee before 9 am with the purchase of a lunch sandwich? Free internet is a draw for many people in this age of technology. Catching up on emails and surfing the internet is a great complement to a relaxing meal. Additionally, it is very difficult for a patron to not take advantage of a free coffee offer. Utilizing the digital signage properly can encourage upsells while at the point of sale

Digital Signage Technology for Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Applications

as well as return visits. And when a customer returns to the shop for the free coffee, there is a good chance he will purchase a breakfast sandwich to go with his drink. Digital signage displays in a gas station off of a rural highway neednâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be changed very frequently at all. The typical customer is a traveler that may only be inside this station once or twice in a lifetime. First off, the content needs to be designed in a way that will capture attention and deliver a specific message. Perhaps a display at the pump offers a free cup of coffee for any purchase over

January/February 2011

Signage Solutions

Signage Essentials Compelling content is created by using knowledge collected with regard to the environment that includes the type of venue, the audience, and intended message.

eight gallons of gas. The obvious benefits of such a message will encourage the consumer to fill-up and to enter the building, where other items are sold. Because return visits will be few and far between, the content may be perfectly effective on day one as years later. Audience – Remember that effective content must always be relevant to the audience demographic. Well, what if that demographic changes? Think about a movie theater – where the demographic varies with each movie. Have you ever gone to a movie without a clear understanding of what category it would fall under? You are watching the pre-film entertainment and wondering if you were going to see a murder mystery, a comedy, or a science fiction movie. I know these are completely different styles and you would probably have some sense as to what you paid for, but go with me on this. The previews start and the first is about Valentine’s Day. The next is about high school

sweethearts, and the third is an adventure with two couples on a tropical island. By this time you are gearing up for the romance feature you are about to watch. The point being, in a movie theater, the previews are changed to be engaging to the audience demographic. The same holds true with regard to any digital content. Intended message – Content, most certainly, must be changed as the intended

message changes. Messages should be changed in many situations. For example, in a veterinary office, many diseases and medical issues are seasonal. Content that speaks about fleas, ticks, and heat stroke will be more engaging in the spring and summer, while content that discusses the potential danger of antifreeze is better suited to be displayed in the fall and winter. Creating compelling content is obviously an important and complex task, but there are other considerations. Content must change with the times to stay fresh. Depending upon specific details regarding the environment, the frequency will vary greatly. A proper audit of these variables in the planning stage is the only way to ensure a successful placebased network rollout. SSM Kim Sarubbi is the president and CEO of Saddle Ranch Productions and can be reached at kim@saddleranchproductions.com

Advertiser Index AVALAN WIRELESS www.avalanwireless.com .................................................................................................................... 1 AMX www.thinkinspiredsignage.com ................................................................................................................................... 9 BLACK BOX NETWORK SERVICES www.blackbox.com .................................................................................................. 11 CHIEF www.chiefmfg.com ....................................................................................................................................Back Cover CET WORLD www.cetworld.com ....................................................................................................................................... 29 DIGITAL SIGNAGE EXPO www.digitalsignageexpo.net ..................................................................................................... 21 INTEL www.intel.com/go/digitalsignage ............................................................................................................................ 13 MAGICBOX www.magicboxinc.com .................................................................................................................................. 25 MITSUBISHI ELECTRONICS www.mitsubishi-presentations.com ..................................................................................... 19 NEC DISPLAY SOLUTIONS www.necdisplay.com ................................................................................... Inside Front Cover PLANAR www.planarembedded.com ................................................................................................................................. 33 QVS www.qvs.com ............................................................................................................................................................. 31 RETRIEVER DIGITAL SIGNAGE www.retrieverdigitalsignage.com .................................................................................... 35 SADDLE RANCH PRODUCTIONS www.saddleranchproductions.com ............................................................................... 5

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By The Way

What's the Plan? Your ﬁrst four steps to a successful digital signage project

By Dave Haynes

Wayfinding – Directional signs that can be updated on the fly and interactive (so that things like multiple language support can be enabled) make for a huge improvement in customer experiences. Distracting from wait times – Whether it’s being stuck in a waiting room to get your car serviced or your medical needs attended to, or in a line-up at a bank or government office, it always seems to take a lot longer when there is nothing to do but stew about how long it’s taking. Screens can pacify those crowds, but the content on the screen MUST be interesting and relevant. Employee communications – We mostly think of digital screen deployments in terms of messaging in some fashion to the public. But many companies have started using screens for employee-facing purposes, with nothing in the public-facing areas, or Determine objectives something entirely different. Screens mounted in reception areas, in Projects need clearly defined objectives, and some idea on the lunch rooms or lounges, or on a facility floor can be a very effechow those objectives can be met and assessed. tive means of distributing information around a company. Here are just some of the objectives that can start to define Improving safety – Networked digital screens, when a network: they’re using optimal software and connections, have the ability Sell more stuff – In retail, the rule of thumb is 15 percent lift to distribute information as quickly as it comes available, and taron items that are properly, effectively promoted on digital screens. get information where it’s needed. A dangerous incident in one That’s now well-documented. building of a massive campus is an emergency in a tight area, Boost brand awareness – For but a mile away, raising that same level some retailers and venue operators, the enof emergency could cause undue panic, tire content approach is just about reinforcing and strain resources needed closer to the the brand and the sensibilities that go with it. real problem. Many networks now tie in to Youth apparel retailer Hollister, for example, Amber Alert programs. used video walls with visuals from a CaliforReducing costs – Most site comnia beach to set a tone for its stores. munications are now done using print, Improve messaging complibe it paper or plastic materials that get ance – Printed promotional sign promounted in frames. That material gets regugrams are tied to a human factor. A lot of larly changed out as the seasons, services scheduled sign programs go off the rails and offers rotate, and some retailers and because the signs don’t go up and then venues need to change printed material as come down when they are supposed to, much as weekly. Aspects of this—such as or often, they don’t go up at all. When creative production—require just as much there are mistakes, they can take days or work whether it is digital or not, but where weeks to remedy. Digital makes that all additional costs come in are the material go away. and labor needed to print new posters and Example of wayﬁnding display with enclosure Improve communications at signs, organize and ship them to dispersed used within a mall setting. the venue – Communication-focused sites, and then have visual merchandising or screen networks offer a tremendous opfloor staff change all that material out. After portunity to boost the quality and timeliness of information on a the initial capital outlay, all the printing, transport and set-up costs go premise because the messages can be targeted by area, changed away using digital creation, scheduling and distribution. The costs of and distributed on the fly and, increasingly, made interactive. training staff and product education can also be reduced, as well as hen people new to the digital signage industry start developing their projects, they often tend to look at what they’re doing as a technology play. That’s a mistake. The product is not the technology. It’s what’s on the screen. If the programming isn’t relevant and engaging to the targeted viewing audience, all that lovely, very expensive technology is just ineffective eye candy. When I start talking to clients about their digital signage and Digital Out Of Home plans, I tell them to forget pretty much everything they’ve seen out in the wild—because very few projects have truly been done well—and get down to some basic tasks for their planning.

Digital Signage Technology for Today’s Applications

January/February 2011

Signage Solutions

By The Way

staff and company communications, by using that lets them fire up smartphones and the screen networks after hours for scheduled laptops? product knowledge sessions and pep talks. Putting a screen behind a reception Green considerations – Digital desk in an office lobby may look cool, screen networks can make a statement for but what purpose does it actually serve? an organization about their efforts to help Would the screen be better located in the reduce carbon emissions and waste. Digital waiting area, used to educate and pre-sell screens can largely eliminate the need to use customers? Is the psychology of that waitpaper products for mid to large format mesing area conducive to selling, or is that saging and mean a truck is needed once to a time to be conveying other messages? get a screen on site, instead of weekly or What role do demographics play in the Hollister video wall with visuals from a California beach. monthly to courier over new signs. Computcontent mix? ers and screens draw power, but nominal amounts when compared What is the programming that is truly contextual to the cirto other systems in most buildings – and huge strides have been made cumstances? The over-used and flawed default concept of putting in reducing power consumption and the amount of toxins used in the up screens and running news tickers, weather and sports scores is electronic components. New LED backlit LCDs consume only a frac- rarely—repeat rarely—the right way to go. All of that information is tion of the energy of older flat panels. readily accessible and usually of no real interest. The best networks Generating revenue from advertising – This is the one think carefully about what interests people at that time, and they that tends to get all the attention, but the promise is so far much develop programming accordingly. greater than the delivery. It is still early days for advertising, and very few networks “make it” based on ad sales alone. Selling ads is a Use that programming model to drive staffing and technology decisions tough game, and make no assumptions a concept will work. The volume of content needed to keep programming fresh may Develop a strategy have an impact on how content is distributed – big fat video files Your objectives should lead you to a strategy, and a viable moved on a 3G network could get very expensive, for example. A business model. You need a fully realized, well-defined, spread- network that allows local venues to update some messages probsheet-worthy strategy and model that looks all the way through what ably can’t just run video, and needs Flash or HTML 5 support. But a you want to do, how much it will cost and what the return on that media player that plays out smooth HD video may not even support investment looks like. Flash. If messages are going to be changed frequently you may If the program is less about money and more about objec- want to consider software that bundle or at least supports templates. tives, you still need to somehow quantify that. Even something as There’s also a big technology decision about who manages simple as explaining that roughly $200 a month would be saved the technology. Some platforms are designed to be sold as bundles in printing costs for a staff circular is a compelling argument for a and managed by the client, while others use a Software As A Sernetwork. Digital wayfinding that eliminates the need for a staffed vice model that lets end-users effectively rent the technology and information counter is a very powerful argument. minimize their IT needs. Again, objectives, strategy and programIf your network is working with retail, your compelling business ming all influence that decision, as do budgets. Your technology deargument needs to speak in that sector’s business language and fully cisions can be a direct contributor to adding headcount or keeping adopt how those retailers measure positive contributions to the bottom just about everything outsourced. line. The simple, common argument that a screen network in a store Technology decisions also need to be made based on the mid-towill sell two more DVDs a day and therefore pay for itself may ring long-term, particularly in a fast evolving and converging marketplace. hollow—because the $32 made from up-selling those DVDs is really The right decision now may be entirely wrong 18 months out if things just $4 after all the costs of buying, shipping and stocking those units such as the need to eventually build in mobile applications or backare factored in. Your business argument needs to be solid and con- office (like point of sales) integration. An open system minimizes those textual, and if what you are developing is going in a third-part venue, risks. Closed, proprietary systems may paint you into a corner. you need to understand that venue’s business. This is a really intriguing sector and one filled with opportunity Your strategy should have a roadmap, and milestones, and it for the custom electronics industry. But there is far more to it than should start with tests and tweaks that lead to go/no go decisions if choosing software and hanging screens. Always factor in this in: the network has multiple locations and a big capital and operating • objectives lead to strategy budget. Learn to swim before you enter a triathlon, so to speak. • strategy drives programming • programming drives technology choices and execution plans. Define your programming model Keep that in mind and your project can prosper. Ignore the Objectives and strategy lead you to a programming model that advice at your own peril. SSM considers the audience and the dynamics of the venue. What are people doing in the venue? What are they thinking Dave Haynes is a founder of The Preset Group (www.presetgroup.com) about? What are the circumstances where the screens can really digital signage/emerging media consultancy, and the owner of the commuhelp? How long are people there? How long are they looking? Are nications strategy ﬁrm pressDOOH (www.pressdooh.com). He writes the they truly captive or is there wireless Internet and mobile coverage well-known industry blog Sixteen:Nine (www.sixteen-nine.net).

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