Using Chrome to Drive Digital Signage

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By Richard Slawsky | Contributing writer, Digital Signage Today

Internet giant Google is betting that its Chrome operating system is going to be a dominant player in the digital signage market

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As many may have noticed, digital signage is nearly everywhere, and by most indications its potential has barely been tapped.

The global digital signage market is forecast to grow from $14.89 billion in 2015 to at least $21.92 billion in 2020, according to a study by Research and Markets, growing at a com-pound rate of 8.04%. According to that study, “Digital Signage Market by Type, Software, Services, by Application & Geography - Global forecast to 2020,” the United States is expected to lead in market share over that time, although the rest of the world is well on the way to catching up.

And as the digital signage industry grows, it changes as well. Larger screens with higher reso-lution, wireless connectivity, all-in-one multi-touch devices and ever-smaller media players are part of that change.

The software driving those deployments is chang-ing as well, with cloud-based content management systems pretty much the norm, and new compa-nies entering the market on a regular basis.

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By Richard Slawsky | Contributing writer, Digital Signage Today

Using Chrome to Drive Digital SignageInternet giant Google is betting that its Chrome operating system is going to be a dominant player in the digital signage market

3© 2016 Networld Media Group | Sponsored by AOPEN

One of those new entries is technology powerhouse Google. The company is betting that its Chrome operating system, supported by commercial products that will provide an end-to-end solution, will be a major player in the digital signage market of the future. Google’s Chrome OS will release the handbrake on digital signage due to its simplicity, low cost of ownership and flexibility.

How it started

Google’s Chrome OS, developed in 2009, is an operating system based on the Linux ker-nel and designed by Google to work with both installed applications and those that reside in the cloud. The system is more stable, boots faster and takes up less storage space than some of its competitors. In addition, Chrome OS is built with security in mind, and as such isn’t susceptible to viruses or malware, alleviating the need for any anti-virus software.

Over the past few years Google has made strategic investments in technology and partnerships to drive Chrome OS as a platform to facilitate digital signage.

Any Chrome device can be turned into a media player for digital signage via the system’s Chrome Kiosk mode, which locks down the device for single purpose use. Incremental software updates keep all Chrome devices up to date at all times with frequent patches and security enhancements, dramatically reducing the time it takes to manage and support a Chrome OS-based solution. Chrome OS also provides a plat-form which allows developers to easily develop their own applications for digital signage.

And using the Chrome Device Management Console allows network administrators to remote-ly manage thousands of other Chrome devices anywhere an Internet connection is available.

Recent additions to Chrome OS include a new sign builder, an app builder for interactive kiosk software, and new continuous device monitoring, reporting and rebooting tools for detecting and repairing errors in signage deployments. The tools offer ways to build signs, schedule their appearance, and deploy them across global installations, all without the consumer licensing fees that are a feature of other operating and/or content management systems. Additionally, screenshots and RS232 commands (only available on the commer-cial Chrome solution) allow visibility and control right through to content.

A restaurant chain, for example, can set up breakfast, lunch and dinner menus, update prices and schedule those menus to automatically change depending on the time of day. Retailers, through their preferred Content Management Providers, can set triggers for content, promoting sweaters when the temperature dips below freezing or featuring sun-glasses when the forecast calls for sunny weather.

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Managed service providers or end clients can do the same thing for self-service kiosks. The Chrome OS re-porting tools notify administrators if any of the screens go down, allowing them to reboot the device remotely.

Famous Fish by Costi in Melbourne, Australia, is rolling out Commercial Chrome devices to its stores across the nation, strategically using digital display, POS and express ordering technologies to increase brand awareness and deliver a memorable customer experi-ence. Famous Fish is the first business anywhere in the world to adopt end-to-end Google Commercial Chrome technology – a recently launched hardware and software platform, developed by Google and AOPEN, designed specifically for high-use Retail and Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) environments.

Commercial Chrome has immediately improved efficiencies for Famous Fish.  Of great sig-nificance to the brand is the fact that the introduction of digital has also seen an increase in customer spend.  

“We’ve observed that our customers spend more when they use digital self-service tech-nology on AOPEN’s Commercial Chromebase,” says Jon Sully, a director of Famous Fish.  “At our newly launched Fountain Gate franchise, our average transaction value is 28.7% higher when customers have the autonomy and time to consider their purchase, and order it themselves in-store.”

Fort Myers, Fla.-based specialty clothing retailer Chico’s FAS, for example, is deploying Chrome devices throughout its stores as part of its Digital Retail Theater strategy, bringing personalized content to as many as 5,000 screens in 1,500 stores.

Administrators wanted to control displays down to each individual screen and update content without the need for expensive hardware at individual stores. After reviewing a number of solutions, the company chose Chrome devices.

“The easier a digital signage system is to install and use, the faster we can push out unique and relevant content to screens – an imperative in retail, where merchandise and promotions always change,” Chico’s VP of Technology and Security Alan Mariotti said in a post on Google’s Chrome resources website.

“The impact of our Digital Retail Theater strategy with Chrome goes far beyond screens with pretty pictures,” Mariotti said. “When customers come to one of our stores, we want to immerse customers in the Chico’s FAS shopping experience – sharing with them the perfect jacket for her first day at a new job, the winter coat that transforms her look, or the dream dress that makes her evening magical.”

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Beyond the Chromebox

In the early days of digital signage, desktop PCs often served as the media player. Unfor-tunately, though, that meant that much of the computer’s hardware and software resourc-es weren’t being used. In addition, most desktop PCs weren’t designed to withstand the rigors of 24/7 use in commercial applications. As a result, it wasn’t long before hardware manufacturers began developing specialized media players devoted entirely to driving digital signage deployments.

The same thing is happening with Chrome OS.

Digital signage hardware manufacturer AOPEN, for example, is working with Google to open the doors for new commercial signage products with a focus on high performance, fast deployment and security. The company rolled out two Commercial Chrome OS devic-es in 2015. These include the Chromebox Commercial and one Chromebase Commercial all-in-one touch devices created for kiosk applications.

The commercial-grade devices are designed to be extra rugged, and come with data and device security for in-store customer engagement. The players are solid-state and have legacy powered ports which support industry vertical applications, this means that other peripherals like printers and scanners are able to attach and be powered by the Commer-cial Chrome devices.

“Google shares our vision for open standards and encouraging multiple app providers. Retailers of all sizes are increasingly embracing digital signage, and the new products we are developing with Google will be powerful but still affordable,” said AOPEN’s corpo-rate director for global strategy, Stephen Borg. “We’ve already seen big developer interest in Chrome OS as a platform for digital signage apps, and we’re excited to bring new managed commercial Chrome devices to market.”

About the sponsor:AOPEN is a Google for Work Premier Partner and a multi-tiered distributor of the Chrome Device Management specializing in small form factor computing and touch display technology for digital signage, kiosks and POS. As a leading manufacturer of digital signage hardware solutions worldwide, AOPEN continues to expand its products and services in other vertical markets such as retail, transportation, automation, hospitality and medical. AOPEN offers a durable product platform for reliable, green and powerful computing, offering AV and electronic system integrators a solid solution for any scenario.