March/April 2012 by Signage Solutions Magazine

Signage Solutions March/April 2012

The Technology and Solutions Magazine for Digital Signage, DOOH, Mobile and Place-based Digital Media

MAKING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR

DIGITAL SIGNAGE INVESTMENT GOING ALL IN Casinos doubledown on digital signage p25

NOT YOUR GRANDMA'S BUS STOP Riding technology into the 21st Centuryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s urban transit system p28 www.signagesolutionsmag.com

NOTHING TO FEAR Digital signage equipment may seem intimidating, until you switch it on p39

Interactive innovation. Find it at Peerless-AV.

Publisher’s Perspective

Game Changer? The 2012 Digital Signage Expo in Las Vegas was a great opportunity to catch up with old friends, make some new ones and, of course, see what’s new in the digital signage industry. All the usual suspects were exhibiting, plus a few new ones that I was excited to see. One exhibitor that I found especially noteworthy was DIRECTV. DIRECTV was there with RMG Networks, a national digital media company that owns and operates a portfolio of digital place-based video networks, to announce a new digital signage offering that allows DIRECTV customers the ability to section off their current TV display with custom content in a “reverse L” format. The new product is called DIRECTV Message Board. The format is not new; we have seen DOOH network operators doing this for years. What is new, however, is that DIRECTV can provide this option for the tens of millions of screens that already use their set-top boxes with the flip a switch. In my humble opinion, this is a game changer for the SMB market. We see so many companies looking to adopt digital signage but get frustrated with content management systems, software selection or what media player works best and why. This new offering allows SMBs to utilize what they already have (live TV) and add value for their customers through the use of their own branded messaging. Don’t get me wrong; although I think this will be a BIG deal for the SMB market, it is not the end-all solution for everyone. To learn more about DIRECTV Message Board, visit www.signagemag.com/2782 I’d love to hear your thoughts on the matter. Do you think it is a game changer? At DSE, there were so many great innovations that will continue to push this market forward. Some of the digital signage software I was able to demo was pretty complicated but also extremely useful. The right solution for you depends on your industry and how you want to use digital signage. Rest assured, there is a solution out there for you and whatever you can dream up. Until next issue,

Ben Skidmore Publisher ben@signagesolutionsmag.com Find us on Twitter @SignageSolMag Follow Signage Solutions Magazine on Facebook

Digital Signage Technology for Today’s Applications

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Contents

March/April 2012

The Technology and Solutions Magazine for Digital Signage, DOOH, Mobile and Place-based Digital Media

Technology @ Work

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

features

COVER Story Making the Most Out of Your Digital Signage Investment In terms of communication,what was effective 10 years ago is no longer effective today

25 8

Vertical Views Corporate

Happy 75th Anniversary, Radio-Canada Digital signage showcases 75 years of broadcasting excellence

18 The Pillars of Success

Harnessing social media and digital signage to grow your bottom line

22 11

Going All In

Casinos double-down on digital signage to impress guests and enhance customer service

The Case for Satellite/ Cellular Networks Achieving reliable and costeffective content delivery for DOOH networks

Vertical Views - Education

DIGITAL SIGNAGE GOES VIRAL ON CAMPUS

Not your Grandma’s Bus Stop

Riding technology into the 21st century’s urban transit system

Purdue University’s approach to digital signage was not the most orthodox approach, but it’s one that’s beginning to pay off in spades

By The Way Nothing to Fear Digital signage equipment may seem intimidating, until you switch it on By David Wible

www.signagesolutionsmag.com

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

So Happy Together

Social media is a natural fit for digital signage

Judd Norris

As the General Manager of Legends Entertainment District, Mr. Norris has overseen the creation of a brand new signage and entertainment district surrounding Chase Field and The US Airways Center. Prior to joining Legends Entertainment in 2009, Judd was the Vice President of Corporate Partnerships for the Phoenix Coyotes. He served a pivotal role in conceptualizing, implementing and managing corporate sales policies, objectives and initiatives for the Phoenix Coyotes and Jobing.com Arena. He has also held positions with ESPN Radio and Sports Radio 1310 “The Ticket”. His 15+ years of experience in arena management, marketing, sales, event presentation, television and radio has made him one of the most respected individuals in the sports entertainment industry.

General Manager Legends Entertainment District Phoenix Suns/Arizona Diamondbacks

EDITORIAL BOARD Lyle Bunn Principal & Strategy Architect BUNN Company

Jason Carey Vice President, Retail Digital Signage Network Director Wells Fargo

Andreas Claus Director, Production Services Vanderbilt University

Linda Hofflander Chief Strategy Officer Saddle Ranch Digital

Garry McGuire Chief Executive Officer RMG Networks

As Chief Executive Officer of RMG Networks, Garry is responsible for all aspects of the company's profitable growth and market expansion strategy. Mr. McGuire leads the company's strategic business development, M&A activities, as well as acting as the Chief Revenue Officer of the company. He joined RMG with more than 15 years of advertising, marketing and business experience. He was the Founder and Chairman of Icon Internet Ventures, which owns and publishes affinity websites that aggregate target audiences. Mr. McGuire also served as President of Gyro HSR, a leading independent, London based, digital marketing agency. He was educated at The University of Dayton, and attended the Advanced Management Program at The Harvard Business School.

Garry McGuire Chief Executive Officer RMG Networks

Stephen Nesbit Managing Director Prestonwood Trail Holdings

Judd Norris General Manager, Legends Entertainment District, Phoenix Suns / Arizona Diamondbacks

Patrick Quinn President & CEO PQ Media

Hugh Sinnock Director, Customer Experience

Lyle Bunn (PhD Hon.) is an independent analyst, advisor and educator in the rapidly emerging areas of Dynamic Place-based Media. He has assisted hundreds of firms in the planning of their initiatives and has helped train several thousand professionals. He has published over 200 articles and whitepapers on related subjects, and served as principal writer and editor of Dynamic Media supplements included in USA Today, The Wall Street Journal and The National Post. His eBook Digital Signage Planning Guide, now in its fifth edition is used around the world. He serves on the advisory boards of the Lyle Bunn Principal & Strategy Architect industry’s primary events and on the judging panel of its major awards programs. He lives outside Toronto BUNN Co. and travels extensively.

Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority

Dave Taylor Audio Visual Engineer American Eagle Outfitters

Daniel Trigub Vice President, Business Development Chief Financial Officer Blue Bite

Donald Van Buren Director, Interactive Media Torrance Memorial Medical Center

Brian Gorg Executive Director Digital Signage Federation

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Updates

Go to www.signagesolutionsmag.com to read full version of articles found in the Industry News & Updates section of Signage Solutions Magazine.

Industry&News

Technology @ Work

SUBWAY Announces Rapid Expansion of SUBWAY TV & RADIO Digital Signage Network Powered by NEOCAST SARASOTA, FL – Real Digital Media, provider of the enterprise-class NEOCAST® digital signage platform, and Independent Purchasing Cooperative, Inc. (IPC) the independent SUBWAY® franchiseeowned purchasing cooperative, today announced expansion details for the SUBWAY®TV & RADIO digital signage network. Designed to enhance the SUBWAY® customer experience worldwide, the SUBWAY®TV & RADIO digital signage program aims to better inform customers of their food and drink options, introduce new menu items and enhance the visibility of in-store promotions. The program is an elegantly designed marketing and sales vehicle streamlined to fit within the daily operations of franchisees’ restaurants. The network has been expanding rapidly since it was launched in 2010. Approximately 1,000 installations have already been deployed in the United States, with over 500 installations in the Los Angeles market area alone with plans underway to soon expand into international markets. Digital Signage Technology for Today’s Applications

DIRECTV and RMG Networks Partner to Develop the DIRECTV® Message Board SAN FRANCISCO, CA – DIRECTV and RMG Networks (“RMG”) are revolutionizing digital signage services with the development of a best-in-class digital signage product for businesses offering customized messaging along with the ultimate DIRECTV experience. The product suite called DIRECTV Message Board and will launch nationwide this spring. DIRECTV Message Board is an exciting digital

MARCH/APRIL 2012

Technology @ Work signage tool that allows business to overlay promotional messaging on to the live DIRECTV programming they are displaying in their establishment. The product empowers business managers to improve service, and up-sell products while entertaining consumers with premium satellite TV. This easy-to-use product is web-based so businesses can create messages in minutes from any computer to display on one or more TVs. DIRECTV’s off-the-shelf Message Board solution eliminates the need for costly rollout and installation. It is simply built into the DIRECTV service bundle.

compared to the $4,000+ cost of other systems on the market today.

Cisco Transforms Digital Signs Into Highly Interactive Experiences, Creating New Ways to Increase Engagement

Digital Menu Me Rolls Out CloudBased Digital Menu Boards to Freshberry Frozen Yogurt Franchises Nationwide

Volkswagen Leads the Way With Social Media and Digital Outdoor Link-Up Volkswagen has launched “Big up The up!” interactive Facebook and outdoor campaign. The concept was created by DDB UK, in a campaign planned and booked by MediaCom and Kinetic and running across JCDecaux’s national network of Transvision screens. The campaign encourages people to pay a compliment to the new Volkswagen up! via the Volkswagen U.K. Facebook page; in return, Volkswagen pays them a personalized compliment back on digital outdoor poster sites nationwide, with every person receiving a unique message alongside their photo. Compliments paid online to date include: “The VW up! won the ‘What Car? Car of the year 2012’ award. (They're a little like the Oscars but with more mechanics and less frocks.)” This message came from a passerby, and VW responded to her with “Louise is probably the nicest person on a huge billboard.”

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SAN FRANCISCO, CA - San Francisco based Digital Menu Me, producer of cloud based digital signage, recently announced the system wide installation of cloud based menu boards into Fresh Berry Frozen Yogurt Café franchises, which is part of the Beautiful Brands International Franchise Corporation. Fresh Berry will be utilizing Digital Menu Me to update their frozen yogurt menu display units in real time, from any location with central management. “With Digital Menu Me’s cloud based menu boards, FreshBerry will not only have the capability of adding updates to our menu, we can do so, with dispatch and from one central location,” says David Rutkauskas, Beautiful Brands International Founder, CEO, and President. “This will allow for consistency in normal business operations and the needed ability to manage change in the menu and pricing without disruption and confusion to our customers.” By partnering with Revel Systems and utilizing their Apple iPad POS system, Digital Menu Me is ahead of the digital signage game, combining Samsung televisions with cloud based technology. The system is optimized for restaurant and retail establishments, providing innovative menu boards and advertising displays. The digital menu boards are fully customizable with Facebook and Twitter. Best of all, the systems are inexpensive, with a $2,000 price tag,

SAN JOSE, CA - Cisco announced new digital signage innovations that can dramatically enhance how organizations attract, educate and engage customers, employees and citizens, and elevate their brand visibility. These innovations, delivered through the Cisco(R) Interactive Services solution set, provide enhanced interactive capabilities through video, Web applications and touchscreen digital signs. Cisco is also announcing new customers that showcase the continued expansion of the digital signage market, including the Canadian city of Edmonton and parx casino(R) in Pennsylvania; these customers are using Cisco Digital Signage Solutions to change how they engage and communicate with their customers and employees.

DSE 2012 Shatters Previous Records, Sets New All-Time Attendance Milestone ATLANTA, GA – Digital Signage Expo® (DSE), the world’s largest and longest running International Conference and Tradeshow dedicated exclusively to digital signage, interactive technology and digital out-of-home networks (DOOH), today announced that its ninth show held last week at the Las Vegas Convention Center has officially shattered previous records, set a new attendance milestone and reinforced DSE’s position as the digital signage industry’s preeminent show. While additional specifics will be forthcoming, show management has just confirmed that new all-time benchmarks established last week include:

Technology @ Work VË|^åÔ|Ë¶Ö? xjaË?ÍÍj ajjÄË®jÞW Öa ~Ë exhibitors) – a 9% increase over 2011 VË-jW ÁaËW wjÁj WjË?ÍÍj a? Wj VË-jW ÁaË ÍjÁ ?Í ? Ë?ÍÍj a? WjËwÁ Ë?Ë total of 69 countries VË-jW ÁaËjÞ M ÍËÄ? jÄ]ËÉÔ^||åË jÍËÄ¶Ö?ÁjË feet – a 4% increase over 2011 Chris Gibbs, President of Exponation, LLC, which produces Digital Signage Expo said, “Not only was the show a success by all quantitative measures, but the quality and number of end-users who attended helped create a positive energy that kept the show floor humming right up to the ‘closing bell’ on Thursday.” He added, “Attendees were working the show floor harder and longer over the two-day event, which confirms the fact that attendees come to DSE to find the information they need.”

Broadcast International Deploys "First-of-its-Kind" Digital Signage Solution into Zions Bank SALT LAKE CITY, UT - Broadcast International announced the deployment of a "first-of-its-kind" digital signage network by Zions Bank. The network -- driven by an enhanced version of the Company's Managed Media Service 2.5 Platform -- replaces virtually 90% of the institution's printed marketing collateral with a digital solution consisting of digital signage and posters, tablets, and music with messaging. The network also has the ability to deliver training and internal communications via live video and video-on-demand to associates. "Zions wanted to enrich their customers' experience beyond the typical passive screens located behind the teller," said Rod Tiede, President and CEO. "Together we designed a digital marketing and merchandising network that attracts the customer the moment they enter the bank via brilliant digital posters featuring mobile interactivity. We keep the customer engaged with well-placed tablets designed

to attract, and offer a personal navigation experience, and large screens focused on branding and the community. Branch Managers or other authorized personnel even have the capability to add content to the playlist by leveraging our local insertion feature. Overhead music, as well as strategic branding and marketing announcements are used to provide a privacy curtain and improve both customer and associate satisfaction."

Hughes Template Builder allows customers to easily create sophisticated displays on the world's most popular tablet platform GERMANTOWN, MD - Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HUGHES) announced the Hughes Template Builder application for the Apple iPad. Using Hughes Template Builder on their iPads, customers can create powerful, sophisticated displays to be delivered over Hughes MediaSignage systems, enabling enterprises to manage distribution of digital content to employees and customers in a rich-media experience designed to improve retention. With the Hughes Template Builder iPad application, users can drag and drop images and place components (RSS feeds, video playback, time and date, etc.) on the screen, then preview that screen. Once the layout is approved, a simple touch of a button uploads the template to the Hughes MediaSignage server, where it can be added to a program and distributed to media players for display.

Digital Signage Technology for Today’s Applications

MARCH/APRIL 2012

Vertical View Corporate

Happy 75th Anniversary, Radio-Canada Digital signage showcases 75 years of broadcasting excellence As one of Canada’s largest and most storied cultural institutions, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC)/Radio-Canada had a wealth of content to showcase for its 75th anniversary celebration in 2011. One new vehicle for this content was an immersive, multi-screen digital signage project at Maison de Radio-Canada, the crown corporation’s regional headquarters in Montreal. The concept that emerged for this project was a depiction of the past, present and future. Key moments in Radio-Canada’s history and ongoing development would be made readily accessible through interactive touchscreens to the building’s 3,000 employees and 80,000 annual visitors. The content would take them through a Canadian media journey, from radio and TV to the Internet and evolving social media outlets, including YouTube, Twitter and Facebook. Given the fact that CBC/Radio-Canada websites serve more than 7.5 million unique visitors per month, it seemed fitting for Web-based media to be a key component of the digital signage.

Streamlining Production As a result, there were initially many stakeholders involved in the project, which caused some unanticipated delays. When Telecine Multimedia— a Montreal-based digital signage content provider and installer—came on board in late June 2011, it faced an aggressive five-week timeline for creation, testing and implementation. The work would start on July 18 and needed to be completed by Aug. 22, in time for the first in a series of Radio-Canada’s 75th anniversary celebrations. Telecine enforced a point-person approach to ensure efficiency of communications and project management. “Our first meetings were with 12 to 14 people,” said James Fine, president of Telecine. “We were afraid they would all need to be involved in the entire process, but fortunately, Radio-Canada delegated the project to three key people before the work began.” With services responsible to these three

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contacts, the company was able to deliver the custom content in a timely manner. “There was nothing in the programming we hadn’t done before, so it wasn’t Earth-shattering, but it was a lot of interactivity to handle in that tight a timeline,” Fine said. “We had to streamline our usual production process, as this kind of work would normally take three to four months.”

Managing Content Radio-Canada required a series of complex digital signage content templates and scripts, Web browser integration and a custom interactive audio player. Telecine staff engineered these elements using out-of-the-box Scala software tools, without needing much new coding, while also consulting with the client to steer the project toward the most efficient, cost-effective, easily updated content templates.

“One of their requirements was the ability to manage content without needing special training,” Fine said. “Some of the news feeds, for example, come in from their system automatically.” “The CBC people find it really easy to use this system and replace information,” said Larry Pieters, Telecine’s project manager. “We’re helping them design that content and use templates they can update.” This complete, centralized content management system had to manage and update multiple types of display screens, with scalability for future expansion. “Many people use this software for only a subset of what it can do,” Fine said. “This project used more of those capabilities. The platform lets us do almost anything, and we have programmers on staff who do nothing else but work with it.” Scala’s software was used similarly in 2010

Vertical View Corporate during the Winter Olympics in Vancouver to support the Bell Ice Cube, an interactive video environment housed in a temporary 3,000-square-foot structure. The center attracted more than 4,000 visitors each day during the games, allowing them to watch teams compete in high-definition and to interact with Bell’s “smart cube” displays. Another key factor in this regard for Radio-Canada was the fully bilingual content management interface for the Scala software. This meant in-house system users could operate in their choice of either French or English. “They’re the largest single producer of French-language media anywhere in the world,” Fine said. “Our bilingualism, too, was an asset, as was our proximity. They’re within bicycling distance from our office.”

Sharing the Concourse The system was deployed within the facility’s 1-kilometer (0.6 miles) long grand indoor concourse, which is accessible to the general public at all times but was in need of a modernization upgrade to reflect the broadcaster’s creativity, current values and heritage. Before Telecine’s involvement, Montrealbased Sid Lee Architecture had worked with Radio-Canada to design the concourse’s new look, including refreshed décor. “Radio-Canada needed to update this space, which used to look like a grey cinder block,” Fine said. “The new look is so much better. The digital displays are interspersed carefully along the hallway. While they’re the most prominent feature, the concourse’s appearance also benefits greatly from the updated colour and light-

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ing. It all works together very well.” Hardware installation was handled by the client. As a broadcaster, Radio-Canada employs skilled technicians who could handle the job just as well as anyone else. “Sometimes we’re a technology integrator, but we rarely do everything ourselves,” Fine said. “We create the content and program the system. We don’t need to design the screen enclosures, for example. We aren’t control freaks. We like to work with partners.” Another benefit of this partnership was working with Radio-Canada’s sheer wealth of content. “It was a treat to have the archived content ready,” Fine said. “It was a great opportunity to do something fun.” “They had good ideas about what they wanted on the screens, but didn’t know how to get it there, as they had no direct experience with interactive digital signage, so we helped mould their vision,” Pieters said. “And the content was an embarrassment of riches, maybe even too much to handle! They’re digitizing everything these days.”

A Diverse Deployment The system used 25 HP media players running Scala’s software to operate 46 screens, including LCDs featuring the crown corporation’s major accomplishments and awards, the interactive touchscreens, projected displays with employee communications, a 4x1-foot video wall (using half-height displays) and more LCDs with schedules and coverage of live events. Some screens feature black-and-white photos of notable past personalities. Digital projectors enable moving logos to appear on the walls at each end of the hallway. Another projection is dedicated to long-form international content. “This kind of project shows how digital signage can be used in many effective ways,” Fine said. “Each screen is doing something different, but most of the content is fun, not complex. Great digital signage is about simplicity, taking away everything you can do without.” Given the breadth of the project, Radio-Canada had to turn to several manufacturers, including Panasonic, LG and Sharp, based on when they could deliver their hardware. “Radio-Canada was manufacturer-agnostic,” Fine said. As the project unfolded, however, it became apparent the timeline would not allow for the hardware to be fully tested prior to on-site installation. And unfortunately, several systems were found to be defective. “It was the final weekend before the

grand opening, and we were not happy with the speed of response on some of the touchscreens,” Fine said. Telecine immediately sourced alternate players with superior specifications to deliver a more responsive interactive performance. “We also couldn’t test the content here in our offices first, as there was no time to change things,” Fine said. “We had to ship the media players first, put them in place, get them working right away and then iron out any little details. Fortunately, the content’s really good.” “In a normal production schedule, any issues like this would not have to wait until the last weekend,” Pieters said.

Future Value Radio-Canada held an open-house celebration in early October 2011, attracting a turnout of more than 12,000 visitors. It was the first time the organization had held such an event in nearly 20 years. “It was fun working with creative people who understand good design and content,” Fine said. “You have to add value to a project, not just hang a screen on a wall. For our part, we brought our experience with digital signage and interactivity.” Telecine is also remaining involved in the project in a limited fashion, answering technical questions, training new RadioCanada staff and handling ongoing maintenance. The goal is to ensure the 75th anniversary project can prove perennial. “There are lots of employees and visitors,” Fine said. “When they pass by a screen again, there needs to be new content on it, to satisfy both of those groups. That’s the best part. Digital signage is a living medium.” SSM

Vertical View Education

DIGITAL SIGNAGE GOES VIRAL ON CAMPUS

Purdue University’s approach to digital signage was not the most orthodox approach, but it’s one that’s beginning to pay off in spades By Thomas Bunton

Purdue University is “exhibit A” for how well-executed digital signage can transform a large university’s ability to deliver timely information to students and faculty, all in a consistent and effective manner. The digital signage network originally grew out of a need to find a greener, less wasteful and more engaging replacement for the plastic table tents that were used in dining halls throughout the campus. The initial installation included three 46inch displays in various dining facilities and soon grew to 20 displays located in residence halls. Today, the system continues to grow as other Purdue University schools, departments and student organizations see the value of a centralized, enterprise-wide digital signage solution. Not only can departments produce

and publish their own content, they also have access to a continually updated collection of university messaging created by the Purdue Office of Marketing and Media. They can even incorporate data-driven subscription features, such as news and weather tickers. When department-specific content isn’t being displayed, the system can default to universitywide messaging. For special events, such as the naming of Purdue University Professor Ei-ichi Negishi as a Nobel Laureate in chemistry, departments can use their digital signage solution to get the news out within a matter of minutes. Purdue is very proud of its digital signage installation, and they have learned a lot from their experience. Here are some tips and lessons learned that university officials believe

Digital Signage Technology for Today’s Applications

are useful for any higher-learning institution.

1. Sell the value. In Purdue’s case, demonstrating the value of digital signage was easy—especially for the initial deployment to the dining halls. They looked at the environmental impact and the cost of printing thousands of paper fliers each week. The automated aspects of digital signage also helped make their case, since it’s much easier and less costly to quickly log onto the system and correct an error than to reprint and re-distribute paper fliers. In addition to replacing expensive and inefficient manual processes, the centralized system replaces as many as 50 different signage systems and 30 different technologies around campus, many of them outdated.

MARCH/APRIL 2012

Vertical View Education

2. Pick the right tool for the job. Purdue wanted an enterprise-class system that could scale well, allow users to join their players to the network easily and manage content remotely, and enable the management and display of both shared and private content. Officials also needed a secure system that could integrate with the university’s ID and authorization system. There are many digital signage systems on the market, but the one that most closely met their needs is Haivision’s CoolSign. This platform offers the flexibility to support a variety of media types and content, and it allows university departments and facilities to use existing displays and PCs rather than proprietary displays and players. Plus, CoolSign is an extremely resilient solution that can keep operating in the event of a network failure, which was a critical requirement given the large size of the campus.

3. Consider a grassroots approach. Many campuses approach digital signage from the top down, adopting a campuswide strategy to which all departments are expected to line up. Purdue took a decidedly different approach since the project began as a grassroots effort for the Housing and Food Services department that immediately got the attention of other departments. The grassroots strategy is not without its challenges, but any major new technology paradigm will be much more effective—and much more quickly adopted by users—if it spreads in a viral way as opposed to a mandate that is handed down from the top. So how do you sell digital signage to groups that are accustomed to handling communications in more traditional ways? First and foremost, make sure they understand that this is not just an electronic system for posting fliers, but a completely different medium for sharing content that will give them unprecedented flexibility for getting the word out. Purdue began engaging other departments very early in the process, as they were progressing from the initial three digital displays to 20 more. By involving others in the technology evaluation and system design, Purdue was also selling them on the

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big picture of how the digital signage could not only be implemented campus-wide, but could benefit their organization as well.

4. Choose your test groups wisely. Purdue learned early on that every type of user—administrator, faculty member and student—needs to be involved in testing and feedback since each has a different approach to accessing, understanding and consuming information. For instance, when they finished their first set of screen prototypes, they showed them to a group of administrators who thought they were too busy. But when they showed the same screens to a group of students, they were very pleased. It stands to reason that students, raised in the digital age, are used to being bombarded by information and will be much more open to presentations that offer a highly engag-

ing, interactive and multimedia experience. Purdue University certainly did not take the most orthodox approach, but it’s one that’s beginning to pay off in spades in terms of cost savings, efficiencies and consistent, engaging communications for every audience campus-wide. Moving forward, Purdue continues to evangelize the program across campus and move it beyond the 16 departments that have currently adopted it. Besides the hard cost savings, the most rewarding bit of feedback has come from the students themselves—embodied by the large groups that gather around the displays, the popularity of the interactive voting features, and the chatter in the lunch lines about the news feed and other content. SSM Thomas Bunton is associate director of HFS-IT for administrative computing at Purdue University.

In terms of communication, what was effective 10 years ago is no longer effective today By Tom Nix

Making the Most Out of Your

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DIGITAL SIGNAGE INVESTMENT

If you look around today, people have an incredibly wide range of communication choices that can generate a lot of distractions. If you really want to communicate effectively with people, email is probably not going to be very efficient. Personally, I probably have more than 500 unread messages sitting in my inbox right now. What was effective 10 years ago is no longer effective today, simply because people just might not read email; they might read their Facebook news feed instead. This is one reason why digital signage is so useful today in keeping content fresh and meaningful to their audiences. A visual message and keeping it fresh are critical. We’re sitting on mountains of data, and the goal is to create information that keeps people interested. Here are some considerations for harnessing that data to make your digital signs and displays strategies work for you.

Relevancy: Develop Relevant Content Digital displays are content-driven systems. Without the content, all you’ve got is a screensaver. Formulating a content strategy is the most important aspect and the starting point for any marketer or communications professional. It’s similar to building a website. If you don’t have compelling content to put on your webpages, you don’t provide any reason for readers to engage. Developing relevant content can be a daunting task since it needs to be appropriate to all viewing audiences. For example, if you’re a national retail organization, there may be regional factors that need to be addressed in your digital signage strategy with unique messaging requirements in local environments.

invested in. This dynamism can help solve the problem of data deluge, similar to what you might have in your email inbox right now. Like me, you probably are finding it’s a difficult task to go through every message and absorb all of that information. The goal here is to understand that the system harnesses information from multiple data sources and can broadcast content in a compelling style. This way the information becomes meaningful and is delivered in a timely fashion.

Dynamism: Keep Content Fresh

Mobility: Integrating with Mobile Strategy

You also have to think about keeping your content fresh and current. It’s like having a television channel that plays the same episode of “Friends” or “Seinfeld” over and over again, “not that there’s anything wrong with that.” Of course, some people want to watch that channel every day, but eventually most people will lose interest and change the channel. By visualizing your data, such as HR databases that have employee photos or CRM systems like Salesforce, your signage systems can continuously display meaningful information that command attention in a broadcast-quality medium. And you’re not only creating incredibly relevant communications, but you’re extracting added value from systems and key performance indicators you have

The key consideration to understand with mobility is that businesses want to enhance an end user’s experience in every interaction—digital signage included. For example, using tablets for assisted selling in a retail environment. Many organizations today are wondering how a small sign like an iPad or an Android device can integrate with their digital display strategy or how digital displays connect to their mobility strategy. People are increasingly accessing digital content on mobile devices rather than standard computer browsers. A natural extension will be individuals using their smart phones to interact with digital signs and displays to get more information, product coupons, reviews and more.

Digital Signage Technology for Today’s Applications

Kiosks: Enabling Self Service Self-service kiosks are gaining popularity at an increasing number of points of decision, such as grocery stores, hospitals, hotels, movie theatres, quick-service restaurants, transportation hubs and tourist attractions. Many people prefer kiosks over other transaction options because they are faster, easier and can deliver more accurate services in addressing their needs. And companies view kiosks as a way to avoid rising labor costs or as providing an opportunity to boost service levels in tight labor markets where it may be difficult to add employees. The key to a successful kiosk is in line with other forms of digital signage. Organizations need to present visually compelling graphics and associated content to highlight products and services, and make recommendations as calls to action. As a naturally interactive medium, kiosks present the opportunity for an organization to collect valuable business intelligence, which in turn can lead to better messaging based on client behavior.

Social Media: Extending Conversations Companies can use digital signage to extend Internet conversations with their “connected consumers.” MARCH/APRIL 2012

optimum sales message to your customers with point-of-sale immediacy. Predictive analytics transforms historic market data and live thirdparty data streams into marketing messages that positively impact buying behavior so you will know what your customers want to buy before they do. This allows you to easily distill past patterns and transactional data to anticipate future consumer behavior that may not be immediately obvious. In terms of digital signage, predictive analytics can help organizations focus their content strategies based on a set of studied variables. For instance, a retailer might use digital signs to display weather conditions. For example, if it is raining, the content could nudge customers to buy umbrellas. In this sense, with predictive analytics, content can be driven to grab customers’ attention, engage them with immediacy and interactivity, present multiple streams of information on one or a series of displays—all while constantly changing messages to match the location, the time of day, the weather or even the individual customer in front of the screen. It allows you to target the ideal message to the right customer at the precise time in the perfect place. Taking this scenario one step further, some organizations are now combining their digital signage hardware and software with video analytics technology, which can aggregate anonymous data about the number of people viewing a digital sign, their average duration of attention and even their genders and age brackets. This approach is helping them gauge the effectiveness of their digital signage content and make changes based on who is viewing a screen at any given time.

Conclusion

Analysts predict that by next year more than 50 percent of digital content will be accessed on mobile devices rather than standard computer browsers. In a retail environment, customers will increasingly use their smart phones to interact with digital signage to get coupons, product information or reviews. And social media will be connected with digital signage. For instance, an outdoor screen message could invite people to become a retailer’s Facebook fan to receive a coupon. Or, a digital display can say, “Follow us on Twitter and retweet to get a free item (or coupon).” Another option is to use on-site display content to invite visitors to “check in” through an application like Foursquare. This can

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encourage repeat visits through various perks, such as naming a visitor “Mayor” and displaying his/her name and face on-screen for friends and family to see. Twitter also has a key place in a digital signage strategy, encouraging retail or restaurant customers to tweet about their favorite products or menu items. This can help a company feel more local as it engages customers and increases their dwell times, which in turn can lead to additional purchases.

Predictive Analytics: Hitting Your Target Especially in retail environments, predictive analytics technology leverages the data you already own to predict and deliver the

Today, organizations of all sizes are using digital signage solutions to effectively reach their target audience. Digital signs have evolved from being simple posters with one-way communication to an interactive experience with two-way communication. The ability of the technology to connect to multiple data sources to gather content provides the flexibility organizations need. These features add to the versatility of digital signage and enable it to inform, influence, provide direction, reinforce branding, track key performance indicators and yield many corporate benefits, as part of a highly impactful interactive communications strategy. SSM Tom Nix is the CEO of Scala Inc., a leading global provider of digital signage and advertising management solutions.

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THE

PILLARS SUCCESS Harnessing social media and digital signage to grow your bottom line By Charlie Leib

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Social media has created two of the world's youngest billionaires, Dustin Moskovitz and Mark Zuckerberg. It has brought down high-level politicians, reunited longlost high school friends and crowns “mayors” of favorite, most-visited places. We all know the popularity of social media these days, but how about its importance in helping promote and grow your small business? More than likely, if you are a small business owner, you have a website. If not, you really need to get with the times. Gone are the days of the 6-pound phonebook. In those days, business strategies included naming your company with the letter “A” to get it listed first in the Yellow Pages and, hopefully, allowing you to take the lion’s share of customers’ phone calls. Online search engines, such as Yahoo!, Google, Ask and Bing, now help guide customers to your website. So, in 2012, you must be online to survive. Getting your business online and part of the 21st century crowd is a good start. Now, how about having a social network presence? In the business world, Facebook and Twitter simply aren’t just hip and trendy platforms anymore. They are now being used to keep up with the times. In business, competitors may use them steal your customers away by marketing to them via an ever-increasing and superior online and marketing presence. According to multiple 2011 surveys, approximately one in two U.S. businesses use social media in some fashion. Small businesses make up an even larger percentage (upwards of 81 percent) of this trend. Where does your company fit in this integrated and digitized world? Sure, you can find thousands upon thousands of small businesses with Facebook, Twitter and other social network accounts by simply searching for them online. But, it’s mostly the customers who do the legwork as small businesses rarely promote their social media presence in stores, and even fewer promote it via digital signage within the confines of their establishments. Word of mouth, or a customer’s simple curiosity, is still the norm. How do you get started? First, after creating your social media site, you must inform the masses. Like most small businesses, you don’t have the budget to advertise on TV or radio. You may advertise in the local paper once or twice a week or pay a few extra dollars to make sure you have a premium presence when someone

If you operate digital signage in-house or advertise on them outside your location, you may be missing the boat to capitalize on marketing your social media presence. searches for your local services online. If your business has a social network account, what are you doing to let customers know that is exists? Do you hope they stumble across it online? Do you tell them about it in person? Are your servers or sales associates supposed to mention it? Wouldn’t it be easier, and more productive, to have a digital signage board or menu that consistently reminds patrons of immediate, as well as long term, benefits if they “check-in,” “friend” or “like” your business? Social network promotions via digital signage doesn’t have to be bland and simply informative. Make it fun and interactive by having a continuous full or split-screen feed of your Facebook page on one or more monitors within a location so patrons can see their check-ins in real time. You can offer the Foursquare “Mayor” of your establishment free lunch once a month or give them a $20 gift card. Give patrons who “friend” or “follow” your business a once-a-month or once-a-week special discount via Facebook or Google+. Reward customers who check-in and tag two or more friends. With these promotions, a significant amount of patrons will friend or follow you immediately.

Opportunities Lost I recently stopped by a local franchise of a nationwide restaurant chain, which has a rather large Facebook presence whereupon they regularly advertise social networkspecific specials and benefits. But, my friends with Facebook accounts, who also frequent this particular establishment, had no clue that these social network specials existed. The disconnect occurred because patrons were not asked to “friend” this franchised location on Facebook, where these specials are advertised. Since this chain is famous for a multitude of screens within each location, how

Digital Signage Technology for Today’s Applications

many more customers do you think would “friend” or “like” this location if an in-store digital signage board promoted free food in exchange for social media engagement? Corporate parent companies should not be the only ones to spearhead social media campaigns. Individual franchises should be, as well. Local marketing is key for the small business owner/operator. Of course, franchised locations may have to abide by corporate headquarters’ rules and regulations, depending on their contractual obligations and limitations, especially if corporate is providing the direct feeds to your digital signage. But inquiring about it or simply re-reading your contract may be all it takes to launch this simple yet effective campaign for your franchise. If

MARCH/APRIL 2012

you are allowed to have a Facebook page, use it to advertise your business. Then, there’s the built-from-the-groundup, self-founded owned-and-operated small businesses that are not handcuffed to corporate policies. I spoke with a local private bicycle shop owner who claims to do a lot of social media for his business. He uses a few “pay-for-play” outsourced marketing programs, such as email blasts to some current and potential customers. I inquired about the two in-store digital signage screens that display scrolling specials and product information of the different makes and model of bikes that he sells and services, as well as his store’s maintenance capabilities. I didn’t notice anything about promoting his social media presence during the digital rotation. He looked at me with furrowed brow, and said, “You know, I never thought of that. That's not a bad idea.” It’s a simple yet effective campaign.

Drive-By Marketing You don’t have to promote your social

Online search engines, such as Yahoo!, Google, Ask and Bing, now help guide customers to your website. So, in 2012, you must be online to survive. media accounts solely in-store. Small to mid-size businesses have an even greater opportunity to grab the attention of potential customers via digital signage. Take car dealerships, law firms, medical practices and furniture stores, for example. Many advertise on large digital billboards along major vehicular arteries. Slapping the social network icon on this message board that

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plugs your available new cars and financing specials or your medical expertise reminds thousands of potential customers and clients on a daily basis to visit your Facebook site. They can also see others who have “friended” your site, read reviews about your business and see online promotions you currently offer. I’m not too sure how many law firms have “friends,” but you get the idea.

Fight ADD and Hook Them on the Spot If you operate digital signage in-house or advertise on them outside your location, you may be missing the boat to capitalize on marketing your social media presence. With the added popularity of smartphones and similar devices, many customers have the ability to “check-in,” “friend,” “like” or “follow” you right there, on the spot. Your captive audience just needs to be reminded to do so consistently while you have their attention. SSM Charlie Leib is president of CRL Public Relations.

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The Proliferation of

Interactivity Delivering smartphone-to-screen experiences across your network

The true promise of digital signage isn’t to bombard consumers with more content in more places. It’s about replacing traditional printed graphics with smart technology and transforming a passive message into a conversation that encourages consumer participation. Many of today’s screens, however, are just video loops, menu boards, slideshows and weather feeds that don’t encourage the viewer to do anything but watch. Behind every digital sign is a computer that can drive interactive content and deliver smartphone-to-screen connections and more. It’s time to empower the technology to turn inactive viewers into interactive participants. Interactivity is more than just adding a social media feed to the rotation or encouraging people to send a text to the screen. Nearly every company offers some form of Twitter widget or text crawl. Some of it is well done, with a large call to action telling people where to tweet. Like magic, the message appears on the screen, sometimes with impressive filtering to ban offensive words. It’s all very last decade though; once you’ve seen it, the magic is gone. True interactivity means giving the customer a reason to continue interacting. Social media is an excellent way to create conversations with the audience, but it has to go further than just sending a message to the screen. In order to motivate a customer to continue the conversation, there needs to be rewards. Interaction has to be earned. Earning interaction requires giving the audience something fun and rewarding. Entice viewers with a 10-percent discount for sending a message to the screen, and once an hour give one lucky participant a 25-percent discount. Make the interaction a competition. For example, if 10 people “check-in,” a better promotion kicks in. Great interactive experiences allow viewers to connect to the screen directly via their mobile Digital Signage Technology for Today’s Applications

By Jim Nista

phone and using mobile Web standards so anyone can participate. Interactivity is not about using the latest and greatest technology. Use what works now: Web, text, social and email; use whatever customers have in their pocket. Don’t make viewers download an app or scan complicated codes. Make it something the least tech-savvy person could do in seconds. Every additional step translates directly to lower engagement rates. Keep is simple and offer multiple methods to connect. Allow interaction via email, text, Web, Twitter and Facebook, to give participants the choice they feel most comfortable with. Most importantly, respond to those who took the time to interact. All of the major social media networks have powerful APIs, allowing programmers to not only capture a social shout-out on a digital sign, but to thank the user. The experience must extend beyond the screen. For your client, the true benefit beyond creating an experience for customers is the analytics you get back. Interaction creates an undeniable metric, exact tracking of the number of viewers who visited a website or texted back your code. The client site also gains valuable marketing data, such as email addresses or mobile numbers, allowing them to continue promotions to that viewer. It’s time to leverage the power of the computer behind the screen to deliver rich experiences everywhere, including displays that traditionally have been information only. From the airport flight status screen to the quick-service menu board, smartphone-to-screen connections over social and Web standards deliver measurable customer activity and build brand experiences our clients will want to invest in. Jim Nista is President and CEO of Insteo and can be reached at jnista@insteo.com. MARCH/APRIL 2012

The Case for

SATELLITE/CELLULAR NETWORKS Achieving reliable and cost-effective content delivery for DOOH networks By Greg Weaver

Content delivery technology is not usually the first consideration when planning a digital-outof-home (DOOH) or digital signage network. Choosing the environment, location and purpose come to mind first, followed by content themes, dwell times, software GUIs and ROI. Next on the list are displays, mounts, installation considerations, financing and ongoing system management. And don’t forget about advertiser meetings, content suppliers, and advertising sales and staffing issues. Connectivity is usually an oversight or seen as low priority. However, content delivery methodology is one of the most import logistic parameters.

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You can have the best DOOH technology and most engaging content, but if the system is playing outdated content due to connectivity and delivery problems, you’re in trouble.

Selecting a Delivery Network In most cases, the connectivity issue is an afterthought and “whatever is currently available” in the venue is utilized. Sometimes this is due to the small initial size of the fledgling network. In other cases, it is to save on the cost of a dedicated network. Speed, quality and cost must be the determining factors in selecting the

appropriate delivery network. As the size of the network grows or the existing connectivity infrastructure clogs, other alternatives are investigated. Additionally, the venue or IT group may not want to allow a third party to access their LAN/WAN. This is especially true in organizations that use the network for secure communications, such as POS/transactions.

The Dedicated Route Dedicated circuits, such as DSL or cable, provide a better level of reliable content delivery connections than sharing existing Image: NASA.gov

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networks but they also incur a substantial recurring cost per site. Usually, the cost of dedicated terrestrial IP connectivity for a business connection starts in the $80 per site/per month range. If the network consists of a few hundred sites, this cost can dwarf the balance of expenditures for the rest of operating the network: VËË ÁË¤ååË W?Í ÄË?ÍËgoåË¬jÁËÄ ÍjË equals $8,000 per month. VËËË ÁËyååË W?Í ÄË?ÍËgoååË¬jÁËÄ ÍjË equals $40,000 per month. VËË ÁË¤^åååË W?Í ÄË?ÍËgoåË¬jÁËÄ ÍjË equals $80,000 per month.

Wireless Technologies Certain wireless technologies may be overlooked because of the preconceptions of capacity or costs. In this instance, we refer to cellular and satellite technologies. Most of the cellular plans available for IP content delivery have caps at 5 GB. Substantial overage charges apply if the traffic exceeds the plan cap. However, using broadcast satellite is a fixed-cost solution. The total required throughput is established, and a fixed cost is applied. There are no surprise charges. Some satellite plans allow for a pre-determined “burst” schedule as well. This type of satellite delivery method is used

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in many applications, such as streaming and file delivery for in-store music, business television and other corporate communications. In some of the DOOH/digital signage applications a return or “back channel” is required. Normally this traffic is very infrequent and requires a low data rate. A hybrid network utilizing satellite for the “heavy lifting” or bulk content delivery and a small cellular data channel return is an economical and reliable alternative that is readily available nationwide.

The Final Step Once the network has the connectivity architecture in place, distributing within the venue to the “last foot” is the final piece. There are a number of LAN distribution products available off the shelf that are very cost effective and reliable. Also, local distribution to multiple points wirelessly via 802.11 platforms offers easy and secure connection. A limited number of network operators offer all the above in one device. This combination of satellite, cellular and 802.11 technology in one box can greatly reduce the complexity and cost of multiple devices. Currently a number of networks, from 50 locations to more than 2,500 locations, use this type of network.

A budgetary cost example for a 250 site network supplying more than 40 GB of content to a site with 100 Kb per day return channel is $30 per month. That is a savings of more than $50 per month per site when comparing to traditional terrestrial only circuits. This totals to a $12,500 per month savings for the network plus a much higher total monthly throughput. As more sites are added, the monthly cost continues to be reduced because of the fixed cost of satellite. Still, some operators may be hesitant because of confusion surrounding satellite technology. Utilizing a satellite services provider that has many years of experience and a large, established installed base will ease technology issues or concerns. In addition more and more cellular providers have partnered with satellite broadcast providers and can offer these hybrid solutions as well. It is never too late to transition to a satellite/ cellular network. All equipment is available offthe-shelf, and there are thousands of qualified installation technicians nationwide. Whether you have 50 locations or 5,000 locations, a hybrid network can be implemented in days and can save money each month. SSM Greg Weaver is manager of digital signage networks at Microspace Communications Corporation and can be reached at gweaver@microspace.com.

Casinos double-down on digital signage to impress guests and enhance customer service

All In

Going

For casinos, digital signage not only provides the high-tech “wow factor” that today’s players and guests are looking for; it offers a powerful tool for delivering exceptional service. The result is an enhanced customer experience that builds brand loyalty and increases revenues. When evaluating digital signage options for a casino, there are several important factors to consider.

High-Quality Content The most important factor for a digital signage system is the display of the highestpossible quality content to attract and retain viewers. The fact is, with the proliferation of

HDTV and high-resolution online graphics, today’s audience is very sophisticated and sensitive when it comes to the look and feel of content on screens. For a network to be successful, it needs to meet viewers’ high expectations.

Targeted Messaging To offer the best service possible to players and guests, the digital signage solution should have the ability to target all screens in the casino as well as specific screens and even send SMS messages to individual mobile phones. For example, promotions for restaurants, amenities and events—in addition to

By Jay Martin

The digital signage system in the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tulsa, Okla., allows players at gaming tables to receive real-time alerts of current standings and scores. Guests can also view eye-catching promotions of other attractions throughout the casino floor, such as restaurants, shows and upcoming tournaments.

March/April 2012

emergency messaging—can be sent to all screens to maximize coverage. To greatly enhance the gaming experience, real-time alerts of current standings and scores can be displayed only at screens surrounding the gaming tables. For the ultimate in personalization, SMS messages can be sent to individual guests. An additional benefit of targeted messaging is that it enables effective and timely communication of information to employees. Whether it’s sent to the desktops of administrative staff or the mobile phones of staff members on the floor, as a corporate communications tool digital signage provides an easy way to keep employees up to date on company information, employee benefits, and security issues in a timely and entertaining fashion.

Getting Interactive Not only does interactive signage provide a more engaging experience for guests, it is a very convenient and useful way for them to receive information they need when they need it. Guests can interact with touchscreen displays to access information on hotel amenities, airline arrivals and departures, nearby attractions, the news, the weather forecast and much more. An interactive digital signage system also can play a crucial role in allowing guests to navigate a casino with an easyto-read wayfinder map highlighting the route to their chosen attraction.

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Updating and Integration It’s vital to keep content fresh. However, as many casinos place non-technical personnel in charge of this important task, tools for quick and easy updating are critical, such as simple, intuitive Web-based interfaces with point-and-click simplicity. For conferences and meetings, event data updating can also be completely automated through integration with hospitality software or other applications. For example, at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tulsa, Okla., X2O Media’s Xpresenter™ digital signage platform is integrated with Delphi hospitality software. Information from Delphi, such as event details, meeting room updates and other announcements, is automatically displayed on screens within the property. This means hotel event organizers don’t have to re-enter information, and important announcements, such as meeting room changes, don’t get lost in the shuffle. For casinos, there are numerous advantages to incorporating digital signage. Ultimately, it serves to increase the sense of well-being of guests and provides them with the utmost customer service; thus stimulating customer loyalty, which translates to repeat business, and that’s the name of the game. SSM Jay Martin is director of sales for X2O Media, a provider of software for real-time visual communications applications, including digital signage. He can be reached at jmartin@x2omedia.com.

Not your

Grandma’s Bus Stop

Riding technology into the 21st Century’s urban transit system By Loren Bucklin

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While many modes of transportation have made decent use of digital signage, urban bus transit systems are just now coming to the party. Bus lines trace their heritage back to the early days of stage coaches. Often, the stage depot was just a chalk board on the wall in front of the town’s hotel. The board was updated as needed by the stage drivers. If it was in a “civilized” town, telegraph operators were employed. Fast forward to today’s typical city bus station or substation and not much has changed. Routes and times are posted on a variety of custom hardboards, CRT monitors and even the venerable dry-erase board. They really don’t provide any more utility than the original chalk board. But what has changed is the environment that urban transit system must serve: a fast-paced culture and diverse citizenry that expects a level of performance. If a plane is five minutes late most people don’t grumble very much, but when a bus leaves the passengers standing outside for five extra minutes on a cold, windy day, out come the pitchforks. Consider that arrival and departure boards in airports really only need to display one of three messages: delayed, cancelled and on time. This holds true for train signage as well. While bus transit systems have similar requirements, they also have a huge exposure to many possible scenarios that require alternative messaging. Urban transit systems often have to deal with things like traffic accidents that require an adjustment to the schedule. Pre-scheduled or unplanned utility work may close a portion of a street on a particular route. In that case, the sign system will have to adjust the route and schedule information for several days or weeks. Most of this type of message cannot be pre-packaged. The power behind digital signage for a bus line is the flexibility and ease of scheduling content. The most basic deployment can feature multiple well-placed large-format displays running simple schedules and route diagrams. Multiple languages rotating in the same area of the display can also be added. Creating time-of-day content schedules ensures only content that applies to that particular period of time remains on screen. Adding a touch-screen kiosk gives users the ability to receive several levels of information as needed and in display or printed format. In a recent deployment for a Colorado public transit system, they wanted the option to trigger content changes rapidly for emergencies and other events. They employed a simple Twitter feed as the data source. When staff

tweets a certain keyword from any cell phone or computer, the pre-packaged content appears almost immediately on the public displays. A social media trigger gives content control to staff on the local level and at the point of influence. Using pre-defined content packages ensures that the message complies with the organizationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s standards. Of course many other benefits ride along with a top-notch digital signage effort. Riders waiting for the bus are able to receive weather, news and other local interest information, which results in a less stressful and more positive experience. The biggest benefit to the transit authority has nothing to do with the rider experience. By inviting local advertising, the transit authority can drive revenue to support and expand the digital signage system. For many transit authorities, this is an easy add-in as they already have the mechanism in place to sell and service advertisers. Bus wraps and placards have long been a source of revenue for their operations. Now using the digital signage system to display paid ads can give the advertisers an extra boost and justify a larger portion of their ad budgets. The additional revenue generated can be used to offset budget cuts and any increased expenses. The use of QSR code and Smart Tags helps drive customers to their expanded messages on websites. With specific tags and codes, the

advertisers are able to track exactly what influence the transit advertising has on their business. But wait, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more! Like all good digital signage deployments, there is a public and a back-of-the-house approach. After successfully displaying timely information for their customers, the organization can use the same digital signage system to communicate with the entire staff. Displays in break rooms and office areas can post safety bulletins and urgent announcements as well as team-building and personnel information. A

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

digital signage system can function as a Swiss army knife of visual communications. Emergency messaging, employee communications and public information kiosks all combine to create an internal communications network that helps transit authorities stay up to date and on time. SSM Loren Bucklin, President of ConnectedSign, has more than 17 years of experience in the interactive and digital signage industry. He can be reached at lbucklin@connectedsign.com

March/April 2012

Happy

Social media is a natural fit for digital signage By Sanjay Manandhar

Social media offers the immediacy and stickiness that digital signage content lacks. Before embracing social media as a panacea for dull digital signage content, one must be mindful of a plethora of social, technical and user dynamics that make layering of social media work for you.

A Natural Fit Digital displays can show the latest social stream, such as Twitter, Flickr, Pinterest, Facebook or Tumbler, which increases stickiness and immediacy of content. Viewers are attracted by color, motion, immediacy and user-generated content, which promote the use of larger displays. Social is about sharing, and it’s much easier to share with the help of a public display. In addition, viewers are often motivated to participate in the conversation when they see other people’s comments and tweets on a public display.

Awareness of Content Consumption The canvas that public displays provide is different and that difference should be maximized. For instance, the public display should be leveraged as a public call-to-action to participate. In addition, public displays can support more creative elements than a personal device. Hence, showing content from social media application, such as TweetDeck for Tweets, on a public display will not be attractive or appropriate. For instance, Figure 1 shows Aerva’s Twitter widget used for Blackberry’s #BeBold campaign during New Year’s Eve on the American Eagle

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Together

outdoor billboard in New York City. The tweets appeared with a flourish of animation and displayed for six seconds. Reading a long list of tweets from a Twitter client application may be quite natural on a handset, tablet or computer, but a long list of tweets would be very difficult to read and unattractive on a large display.

Permissions and Moderation Increasingly, there are discussions of what is permitted on a public display and whether displaying user-generated social media content is fair game. For instance, would you be surprised to see your tweets on a giant billboard, a place-based network or on TV? Some argue all social media content is in the public domain and therefore, fair to use; others believe permissions are needed. The legalities are also not consistent, nor are the terms of use or terms of service of the social media companies. Moderation of user-generated content, including social media submissions, for propriety is another important aspect. Some systems may have automated moderation for texts and tweets, but a person should be used as a back-up. In addition, images and videos should definitely be human-moderated, to prevent any mishaps and wardrobe malfunctions. Since this area is quite new, most companies do not have a moderation interface, while others have very sophisticated moderation for text, image and videos as well as Webbased authentication and measurements for audit purposes. All serious brands and media buyers will require moderation features.

Metrics and Fraud Detection Brands gravitate towards metrics, and social media surpasses all metrics of usage. Social media alongside other ads can also be economically beneficial. However, how the social media counts are measured must be accurate and reliable. In a recent social media campaign, users with the most retweets with a certain hashtag would win top prizes. Figure 2

Figure 1 Fraudsters, however, employed bots to create fake twitter accounts to unfairly tip the scales. Blindly counting the number of retweets would have skewed the contest unfairly toward the fraudsters and would have given bogus metrics to the brand promoting the campaign. Re-examine those metrics!

Seamless Execution Social media integration requires expertise. In addition consumer habits, there’s also branding issues and a plethora of applications programmer interface (API) to be familiar with, each with its own API rules and rate limits. The parties that bring the best expertise to the table can help execute social media integration seamlessly into a digital signage system. Being rate-limited by a social media network can mean that one’s desire for fresh content will be all for nothing. There are probably more social media executions that have been a debacle than success stories, but with the right expertise, the journey can be pleasant and revenue-generating for brands and network operators.

The Party is Now The number of requests for social media integration on digital out-of-home and campaigns and events is growing rapidly. The execution, however, is patchy since it is not a straightforward execution due to many pitfalls along the way. Nevertheless, there is hardly an event or campaign that is not considering social media content on digital signage. If forward-looking trends are any indication, the use of social media in digital signage is going to mushroom. Figure 2: Taco Bell’s Hometown Tweet Off contest was designed to promote a new product (Doritos Locos Tacos) and used social media to create a viral effect. SSM Sanjay Manandhar is the founder and CEO of Aerva Inc. He can be reached at sanjay.manandhar@aerva.com.

Digital Signage Technology for Today’s Applications

March/April 2012

Signage Solutions

&Products

Digital signage products and solutions for today’s applications

Video Wall Controller Matrox Graphics has validated Trenton’s TVC4403 4U video controller for use with up to eight Matrox Mura MPX™ Series controller boards used in advanced display wall applications. Eight Mura board support enables delivery of 32 high-definition inputs across 32 HD outputs. The TVC4403 features a Trenton JXTS6966 single board computer and BPG7087 PCI Express 2.0 backplane, up to eight front access / hot swap storage drives and flexible system power options. Eight Mura board support enables 32-cube video display walls. Trenton Systems™ www.signagemag.com/2167

Active VGA Managed System Streamlines Digital Signage Cabling MuxLab's Active VGA Managed System (AVM) is a total cabling solution that allows digital signage systems to be installed and managed more efficiently via a Cat5e/6 structured cabling system. The solution is comprised of four components; Active VGA Managed Dispatcher Hub, Active VGA Managed Repeater Hub, Active VGA Managed Receiver and Active VGA Manager Software. The AVM solution allows a network of over 256 displays to be driven up to 2,000 ft (610m) from a single VGA/Audio source. AVM allows picture gain, sharpness and skew to be adjusted at each receiver MuxLab™ www.signagemag.com/2817 Multi-Touch Display The 3M™ Multi-Touch Display C3266PW is a 32" full HD, multi-touch display solution that delivers 40 simultaneous touches at an ultra-fast 10 millisecond response time. This large-format multi-touch capability enables true multi-user interaction for cutting-edge, interactive collaborative applications and a more natural, intuitive and responsive user experience, when compared to infrared-based and optical-based systems. The display has a metal bezel for interactive digital signage solutions, which can be removed to create flat front surface interactive tables and kiosk solutions. 3M™ www.signagemag.com/2171

Globally Manageable, Wearable Digital Signs Enhance customer engagement with Black Box® iCOMPEL™ WDS digital signage. It enables you to create personalized, full-motion presentations for uploading to 2.4" LCD players that you wear. Content loops (featuring video, audio, special effects, scrolling text, and logo images) are assembled using a drag-and-drop Web interface. What’s more, content for one miniature sign or thousands of signs worn by associates around the country or around the world can be managed and quickly updated using Black Box’s iCOMPEL™ EDS system. Black Box® www.signagemag.com/2498

Line Powered Video Transmitter 4-Way Transmitter for Point to Multipoint - The ALPV154T is able to take the same HD input and send it to 4 different screens connected via the ALPV150R receivers. There is a feed through port on the unit to allow a local display or you can cascade another ALAV154T so you can supply 8 screens. No PSUs needed at the receivers. Full HD 1080p, 1080i & 720p up to 500 feet. Advanced DDC protocol. Adder www.signagemag.com/2506

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Professional LCD Displays The new Panasonic LF30 Series Professional LCD Displays offer exceptional brightness that accurately conveys information, even in high-levels of ambient light. Available in 42-inch and 47inch models, the series is ideal for open spaces, like shopping malls, hotels and restaurants. The displays come equipped with Panasonic’s SLOT 2.0 functionality and allow for powerful Plug-In PC boards and increased expandability. Slot 2.0 also allows for a variety of input terminal cards including the i5/i7 Plug-In PC capable of running even the most powerful software applications. Panasonic www.signagemag.com/2503

Products

VGA over UTP Wall Plate Transmitter/Box Receiver Kit The TruLink A/V over UTP products extend signals up to 300 or 500ft. Wall plate and box form factors are available and are interoperable for a clean custom installation. This product line supports phantom power which only requires one power supply for operation. Four port transmitters are cascadable for multiple monitor support. The following combinations are supported: VGA, VGA/ 3.5mm, VGA/3.5mm/RS232 Serial, VGA/3.5mm/Composite video/ RCA audio, HDMI, HDMI/RS232 Serial. CablesToGo® www.signagemag.com/2810

3D Test Pattern Generator The Generation3D™ is a 3D test pattern generator featuring a pre-loaded internal 3D test pattern as well as custom user generated 3D test patterns which can be loaded via SD card. The GENeration3D™ is capable of accommodating all 3D formats and a wide spectrum of video formats including 2K 24fps and 1080p up to 60 fps. The GENeration3D™ also boasts genlock capabilities, multiple output color modes and 3D depth control (-20p to +20p). Doremi™ www.signagemag.com/2507 Live TV Programming With Digital Ads The dB TV program is an in-store, digital media display designed to engage, entertain and inform customers at retail and in waiting areas. Ideal for automotive after market, motorcycle, power sports and outdoor power equipment dealers, dB TV displays customized messages about your products and services alongside live TV programming of your choice. It’s an engaging and timely way to reach customers at the point of purchase. Vital Media® www.signagemag.com/2461

Tablet PC Floor Display The Tablet PC Floor Display by Frank Mayer is a sturdy powder-coated metal stand that features several opportunities for branding, using either temporary or permanent approaches and materials. 48 inches tall, this versatile display has a very modest 18” by 14” footprint for ease of placement, and can effectively secure a wide variety of tablet PC’s, including the iPad. Frank Mayer & Associates www.signagemag.com/2504

Digital Signage Technology for Today’s Applications

March/April 2012

Signage Solutions

&Products

Digital signage products and solutions for today’s applications

Digital Signage Software for Mac Platform With Media Sign Pro, creating professional, award winning digital signage has never been easier. Powerful, affordable and fully customizable digital signage software built exclusively for the Mac platform in one single full featured product. Why Apple? Because stability and security is our top priority. No server required, no monthly fees and a lifetime license. Media Sign Pro www.signagemag.com/2195 55” LED Commercial Grade Display At 2.3” deep, this 55” LED monitor is one of the thinnest monitors readily available, while still featuring many of our cutting edge technologies. Completely customizable, you have the option of having this monitor be touch sensitive. Built for long term reliability, this DID (Digital Information Display) display can withstand though the most taxing commercial environments even as giving-off 35% less energy than standard CCFL displays. These commercial displays will be sharper, clearer, more colorful and consume less energy. Also Available in 65” DID. PrimeView www.signagemag.com/2500

Software for Digital Signage From simple, very affordable, one screen displays to extensive worldwide networks that include dozens or even hundreds of screens, the Audience platform provides all the software tools needed to create, manage, and play out dynamic digital signage. Features found within Audience 4.2 include stereoscopic 3D output and effects, support of broadcast quality HD video, advanced scheduling features, newly added plug-ins, improved remote access to content through handheld devices and social media applications, and more. Capital Networks™ www.signagemag.com/2809

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Christie Microtile™ Mounting System This modular mounting system allows more than three Christie Microtiles™ to be stacked in order to create customizable arrangements. The floating wall plates, wall brackets and multi-tile mounts of the MTM make for a quick and easy installation, regardless of the size. For off-site set-ups, the tiles can also be pre-installed and stored in cases attached to the mount. Premier Mounts® www.signagemag.com/2194

HDMI Passive Extender Kit for Cat5e/6 Cable The HDMI Passive Extender Kit from MuxLab allows HDMI equipment to be connected up to 100 ft (30m) via two (2) Cat5e unshielded twisted pair cables in a point-topoint configuration at 1080p resolution. The product also works with 1080p up to 150 ft (45m) via Cat6 cables. The kit comes with one (1) transmitter and one (1) receiver. MuxLab™ www.signagemag.com/2175

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March/April 2012

Signage Solutions Products

Ultra-Narrow Display The third generation 46-inch NEC X463UN ultra-narrow LCD display, a full HD professional-grade large-screen display that includes direct LED backlighting to improve uniformity, reduce power consumption (120W typical) and allow mercury-free components. The X463UN is designed for the rigors of 24/7 operation in a variety of video wall applications and offers full digital connectivity with DisplayPort in/ out, HDMI in, DVI in/out and an Open Pluggable Specification (OPS) option slot for ease during installation. It enables a near seamless video wall in configurations up to 10x10. NEC Display www.signagemag.com/2468

Portable Digital Signage Cart The RPS-200 is the most durable, cost effective mobile flat-screen cart on the market. Adjustable mounting bracket for displays from 32” up to 55”. It will adjust from 61" up to 71”. It comes standard with a metal shelf and 3” casters. Perfect for use in hotels or banks and is lightweight, easily mobile and completely customizable. Integrated universal screen mounting system with 100% Solid steel construction with chromed supports. AVTEQ® www.signagemag.com/2179

IP Audio Decoder The Exstreamer 205 IP audio decoder features a built-in 2x25 watt amplifier (like its predecessor, the Exstreamer 200) that helps to reduce cost and infrastructure at loudspeaker points — making it ideal for multipoint, in-store media systems at retail chains and other businesses. Businesses operating digital signage systems can benefit from adding the Exstreamer 205 to digital out-of-home networks. This allows operators to establish a general stream for the entire network, with the flexibility to interrupt the stream and play out local audio content at any location. Barix AG® www.signagemag.com/2176

All-In-One Compression Tool PROCON is a convenient, easy-to-use, all-in-one compression tool that features a patented rotating connector positionerhead and multihead adapter. Switch coax cable sizes and connector types on the fly. Additional features include switching from RG6Q/6 to RG11/7; connector positioner rotates to change between F, BNC, or RCA; adjustable crimp stroke; accommodates all standard compression F, BNC, RCA, and right angle connectors; a built-to-last high carbon tool steel frame; designed for CATV, CCTV, satellite, security, home theater, residential and commercial structured wiring applications. Platinum Tools® www.signagemag.com/2811

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3x3 Universal VideoWall Cart The 3x3 UniversalVideoWall Cart is the first of its size to be introduced to the digital signage market and can hold nine flat panel displays measuring 46to- 55-inches.Aesthetically appealing, the cart features a covered shelf that effectively hides media devices and upright channels to organize cables. Five-inch casters are sturdily constructed in order to support up to 1,000 pounds of flat panel displays and can swivel fully 360-degrees for maneuverability.A unique positioning feature enables simple flush alignment without tools. Peerless-AV www.signagemag.com/2807

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Signage Solutions Products Digital Patient Engagement Solution Digital Clinic is a new Digital Patient Engagement solution exclusively for healthcare professionals. It uses ultra-thin 42-55 inch LED/LCD screens to engage patients while sitting in your lobby. The result, a relaxed and entertained patient who enters the operatory with an increased awareness of you and your team, key procedures, and technologies available to them. The managed solution, which resides in the Cloud, includes ongoing content development, two way social media, and first class support. Digital Clinic™ www.signagemag.com/2459

HDMI Over a Single Cat 5 Extender Kit Atlona’s HDMI over a single Cat 5 extender kit (AT-HD4-V110SR) was designed on HDBaseT technology, which allows full 3D support up to 330ft at 4Kx2K (4 times the 1080p) resolution. It supports Bi-Directional RS-232, Bi-Directional IR, Bi Directional Ethernet, DTS HD Master Audio and Dolby True HD pass-through. The Atlona AT-HD4-V110SR is a perfect solution for extending any HDMI source such as a Blu-Ray, PS3, Apple TV, Video Codec, Matrix Switcher, or any other from a remote location to your display. In addition, the unit provides support for Deep Color, HDCP, and full 3D, while preserving 7.1-channel digital audio. Atlona® www.signagemag.com/2170

Instant Video Expert Bring a live agent directly into the Kiosk/Digital Sign experience. The customer touches a button on the Kiosk electing to talk with a real person. The correct video enabled agent is notified. That agent establishes an HD video connection with the Kiosk. Works with Kiosk hardware running Windows or Linux. Integration with Kiosk content management software very straight forward. Soltrite www.signagemag.com/2462

National Weather Radar for Digital Signage The Retriever Digital Signage solution attracts viewer attention by using engaging content. The latest addition to this category is FREE national weather radar, which joins the local radar and 5 day forecast. This content used along side animated templates for text, graphic or picture messaging, provides for a total signage solution. Content is automatically updated to keep the signage fresh. No user installed software is needed for content creation because of the simple web based interface. Retriever™ Digital Signage www.signagemag.com/2183

Professional Automation Control System The Professional Automation Control System makes it simple and effective to control HDTV displays, addon switchers, distribution amplifiers, scalers, digital signage players and more from a central interface. It features a high-efficiency method of accessing audio/video devices equipped with RS-232 or IR over a networked system. Volume, video distribution, power and more can all be controlled from any web browser. Audio/video systems can be accessed from anywhere, including mobile phones, home or office computers and tablets, delivering always-on access 24/7. Gefen® www.signagemag.com/2178

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By The Way

Nothing to Fear Digital signage equipment may seem intimidating, until you switch it on By David Wible Xenophobia is the fear of the unknown, and for those digital signage xenophobes out there, I’m here to say, when it comes to digital signage, you have nothing to fear. Digital signage is often seen as a tech-heavy facility that is daunting, frustrating and best left to the professionals in the IT department. And maybe people think it’s hard to use because of the many applications, verticals and industries for digital signage, such as wayfinding for the healthcare or education industries and pushing promotions for the hospitality and gaming industries. Digital signage equipment may seem intimidating, until you switch it on. To dispel these myths, let’s explore this medium.

Why Use Digital Signage? At the end of the day, we’re all in business to connect or reach our target audience. Studies show that increased information leads to a better connection. Digital signage can build visibility for your business, which translates into stronger branding and a deeper relationship with your audience. If you can get your audience to engage with your brand, that’s winning half the battle. You can also use signage to pro-

At the end of the day, we’re all in business to connect or reach our target audience. Studies show that increased information leads to a better connection.

Digital Signage Technology for Today’s Applications

mote your products and services and highlight special offers or events. You can even scale the message to tie in with the location. Whether you’re rolling out an all-store retail promotion or promoting an upcoming event at a school, digital signage has a solution to suit your business needs, budget and system requirements. Important and crucial information also can be sent through the digital signage mediums, which can be highly useful for customers and employees. In times of emergency, a digital signage message can be broadcast quickly and efficiently.

What Does It Involve? This is where it can get a little technical. What’s involved all depends on what content you want to show on your signage, and what you want it to do. Basically, you decide what content you want to push out, and depending on how closely you want to be involved with the creation process, you can work with your team to make sure it’s a seamless deployment. Add to that a customer support element for additional guidance or service, and you’re good to go. The simple intuitive interface means even more convenient ease of use for non-tech

March/April 2012

Signage Solutions

By The Way

If you can get your audience to engage with your brand, that’s winning half the battle. You can also use signage to promote your products and services and highlight special offers or events.

users of digital media. Most digital media companies also offer customer support and training. The best offer it for free. Obviously this is a basic overview, but it should help you, the customer, better understand the process. And hopefully help you feel less intimidated by it.

What Exactly Can It Do? When it comes to current and potential uses, digital signage runs the gamut in communications. Applications include wayfinding, branding, promoting offers, facial detention, and the list goes on and on. Chances are, whatever you need or want to say, you can say it briefly on digital signage.

It’s Digital Signage, Not Rocket Science Before we get too worked up, we need to remember that digital signage can be as complicated, or as easy, as you want it to be. It all depends on what your content needs are, which company you work with

and which digital media management software or platform they work with. Some customers (and some companies, for that matter) feel that the level of difficulty is direct ly related to the cost of service. If you pay a lot for it, then surely it’s very difficult to use. But if you’ve been in the digital signage industry for any amount of time, you’ll know that’s very seldom the case. Some digital media companies actually want you to think that; that’s how they stay in business. So if your digital signage really is too difficult to use, maybe you need to work with a digital media management platform that makes it easy, approachable and effective, which is the way it should be. SSM

David Wible is CEO of Industry Weapon, the digital media solutions company that developed the cloud-based platform known as CommandCenterHD. Designed with the non-tech user in mind, the platform provides innovative media solutions for digital signage, mobile phones, IP Phones, the desktop and the Web to a range of clients.

Advertiser Index

CHIEF www.chiefmfg.com ........................................................................................................................................................... 23 DIGICHIEF www.digichief.com .................................................................................................................................................. 35 DYNASCAN www.dynascanusa.com .......................................................................................................................................... 9 FLIXIO www.flixio.com ................................................................................................................................................................. 35 FLYPAPER www.flypaper.com ..................................................................................................................................................... 35 IAVI www.iavi.com ....................................................................................................................................................................... 24 INSTEO youtube.com/insteo ....................................................................................................................................................... 35 INFOCOMM 12 www.infocommshow.org .................................................................................................................................. 37 MANUFACTURING RESOURCES INTERNATIONAL www.mri-inc.net ....................................................................................... 17 MICROSPACE www.microspace.com ......................................................................................................................................... 7 MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC VISUAL SOLUTIONS www.mevsa.com ............................................................................................... 3 NAB SHOW www.nabshow.com ............................................................................................................................................... 27 PEERLESS-AV www.peerless-av.com.com ........................................................................................................ inside front cover PRYSM www.prysm.com/facts .................................................................................................................................... back cover SADDLE RANCH DIGITAL www.saddleranchdigital.com ......................................................................................................... 35 SENECA www.senecadata.com ................................................................................................................................................ 29 UCVIEW www.ucview.com ......................................................................................................................................................... 20 VIDEO MOUNT PRODUCTS www.chooseamount.com ............................................................................................................. 7

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