Signage Solutions Magazine

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

www.signagesolutionsmag.com

November/December 2011

Seeing the LightLED technology moves into the mainstream p19

technoLogy of tomorrow

Integrating point-of-sale and

digital signage p22Digital Signage Products & Solutions • Signage Essentials • Industry News

in the moment

Marketing

The roles of digital signage and interactivity in retail technology of the future

Under the microScopeRecognizing what digital signage is

—and is not p22

This is Only the BeginningI get the opportunity to travel around the United States quite a bit for work. Some of my travels involve attending industry trade shows, client visits and, if I’m really lucky, a much-needed vacation. Along the way, I enjoy seeing how digital signage is being deployed, such as in airports and hotels. But the most interesting aspect is how each area of the country has adopted digital signage differently.

For example, the Phoenix area has fully embraced the digital billboard. As you drive down Inter-state 10, digital billboards are placed every mile or two, displaying five or more ads per board.

However, I live in the Dallas area and digital billboards are just beginning to pop up along the interstates. This area still embraces traditional static boards, but you do notice that some are quietly being converted to digital.

As a part-time “road warrior,” I eat at a lot of fast-food restaurants, and I always make a point to see what type of signage is employed for their menu boards. Some of my favorites are true believ-ers of digital menu boards, while others are holding out. Why they are holding out is a mystery to me. I am slowly seeing the conversions, but we have a long way to go.

Airports were early adopters of this technology, and fast-food restaurants within airports have followed. As hardware costs continue to decrease and menus become an increasingly effective application for digital boards, I’m surprised by the slow conversion rate.

I did, however, notice an effective use of a prominently displayed digital board inside the DIY retail giant Home Depot. The ad campaign was a “special of the day,” and the digital board leveraged a basic template that can be easily updated to feature a new product every day of the month. The template incorporated company colors, promoted the brand and offers something new every day. In my opinion, it was the perfect use for a digital sign. Home Depot is able to save on printing and labor costs every time a new ad or promotion runs. This was my first experience of a savvy digital billboard campaign in Dallas.

As you go about your day, make a point to notice the digital signage, or lack thereof, in your area. As a technophile, I’m always interested in hearing from our readers about the use of digital signage in their respective cities. If you see something interesting or new, let me know about it. We might even feature it in an upcoming issue. Inside this issue, you’ll find articles about businesses that have embraced this technology in unique ways to attract and com-municate and engage with audiences, as well as thoughtful pieces that explore the technology’s human aspect and future.

Until next issue,

Ben Skidmore

Publisher’s PerspectiveSignageSolutions

magazine

November/December 2011 • Volume Two • Issue Six

Publisher/Editorial Director Ben Skidmore

(972) 587-9064 [email protected]

Circulation Mia Kinzer


Accounting (972) 782-2490

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Advertising Ben Skidmore — East Coast


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

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1November/December 2011Digital Signage Technology for Today’s Applications

features Vertical ViewsRepeat Business Rutter’s Farm Stores turns heads and profits with a digital signage network

Vertical Views A Deep Impact Park Cast Network has grown their digital out-of-home network based on direct input from advertising partners

November/December 2011

Signage Solutionsmagazine

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

Contents Technology@WorkA brief look at company/industry news within the digital signage industry.

39 By The WayA Tale of Two Screens By Mike Cearley

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.

30

8

COVER Story Marketing in the Moment The roles of digital signage and interactivity in retail technology of the future

16

12

20 22

4

Seeing The Light LED technology moves into the mainstream and delivers improved efficiencies

The Most Important Reason You Do This Digital signage, at its core, is still about people

28 26Under the Microscope Recognizing what digital signage is—and is not

Technology of Tomorrow By integrating point-of-sale and digital signage, a business can leverage an engaging and powerful marketing and messaging channel

The Most Important Reason

You Do This Digital signage, at its core,

is still about people

2 www.signagesolutionsmag.com

By The WayA Tale of Two Screens By Mike Cearley

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

Prysm’s Digital Mannequin Displays Enhance The Honeywell Aerospace In-Booth Experience

SaN JoSe, Ca - Digital display innovator, Prysm, announced earlier this month that the company’s Digital Mannequin displays were selected to enhance the Honeywell Aerospace in-booth experience during the 2011 National Business Aviation Association Annual Meeting & Conference that took place in Las Vegas, NV on October 10-12. Powered by Prysm’s revolutionary Laser Phosphor Display (LPD) technology, five Digital Mannequins standing seven-feet tall brought Honeywell Aerospace’s customers and technology to life with brilliant, high-definition video displays during the business aviation industry’s largest tradeshow.

“We are thrilled to have partnered with Honeywell Aerospace and its agency The Brand Experience for such an innovative project,” said Prysm’s co-founder and CEO Amit Jain. “This is a true testament to the quality and capabilities of Prysm’s display solution.”

During the show, Prysm’s Digital Mannequins were used as valuable sales tools bringing various Honeywell Aerospace products to life with stunning imagery and product videos. Each

Digital Mannequin was used as a stand-alone presentation tool; designed with a custom touchpad interface controlled by the sales reps, the display on any tower could be easily changed to exhibit one of sixteen Honeywell Aerospace product presentations. As the sales reps met with attendees and told the story of the various Honeywell Aerospace products, the Digital Mannequins helped illustrate the product stories with short video presentations that include stats, pictures and design details.

Wireless Ronin to Expand Digital Signage Footprint at Mall of America

MINNeapolIS, MN -- Wireless Ronin Technologies, Inc., a Minneapolis-based marketing technologies provider, announced that


Technology @ Work

it will expand its RoninCast(R) digital signage footprint into the East Avenue Renovation of Mall of America, the nation’s largest retail and entertainment complex.

“Mall of America designed its digital signage to integrate key drivers including placement, location and proper traffic flow throughout the Mall,” said Mall of America facilities manager, Rich Hoge. “It is because Wireless Ronin’s digital signage solutions have accomplished these goals while maintaining both an aesthetically pleasing and functional environment that we have continued to rely on their solutions during renovations throughout the Mall.”

The Mall of America’s new renovations will feature six unique Wireless Ronin solutions including: Guest services, walkway ad kiosk networks, Nickelodeon Universe(R) Schwan’s kiosk, greeter board system, elevator promotional displays, and food court displays.

In addition to providing the hardware and software, Wireless Ronin will monitor the network health through its customer support center and deploy, create and schedule content. Wireless Ronin has worked with the Mall of America’s sign vendor, Leroy Signs, to deploy RoninCast digital signage solutions and, once renovations are complete, Wireless Ronin’s digital signage solutions will be on display throughout the Mall.

Courtyard by Marriott Takes Virtual Concierge to the Next Level and Beyond with New GoBoard® 4.0

In today’s world, travelers expect to have relevant information readily available at any given time. Courtyard by Marriott, a pioneer and leader in the world of virtual concierge, understands and offers them exactly what they want at their fingertips. Along with its partner, Four Winds Interactive, Courtyard today pushes hospitality technology to the next level by unveiling the new and exciting GoBoard® 4.0.

Launched in 2008, the award winning GoBoard® has evolved to serve the needs

of guests and the constantly changing technological requirements of business and personal travelers worldwide. The new 4.0 version highlights mobile integration, enhancing the user experience with features such as Microsoft Tags.

“We are thrilled to present this new technology to our guests,” said Janis Milham, vice president and global brand manager for Courtyard by Marriott. “The new GoBoard® 4.0 features allow travelers to access information easily and to maximize the use of the GoBoard’s offerings. This development

helps us deliver on our brand promise of giving our customers more options to empower them while on the road.”

Blue Mountain Resorts Selects Omnivex to Manage Digital Signage Network

CoNCord, oN - Omnivex Corporation, Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and provider of content management software for digital signage networks, announced that their software has been selected by Blue Mountain Resort in Collingwood, Ontario, Canada, to power an

Huntsville International Airport Expands Investment in Planar’s Clarity™ Matrix

portlaNd, or - Huntsville International Airport in Huntsville, Ala. has renewed its commitment to LCD video wall technology from Planar Systems, Inc., a worldwide leader in specialty display solutions.

For the second time in as many years, Huntsville International Airport-- which served 1.2 million passengers last year -- has chosen Planar’s Clarity™ Matrix LCD Video Wall System for its unique combination of superior image quality, easy-access design and reliability. The new video walls are a key part of the airport’s $92 million capital improvement program.

“No other video wall technology on the market today meets our needs as well as Planar’s Clarity Matrix,” said Betty Fletcher, chairman of the board of directors for Huntsville International Airport. “The opportunity for digital signage usage in airports continues to grow and Planar is at the forefront of understanding the technology needs of our industry. Planar shares our vision of how technology must support the airport’s goals to accommodate an increasing number of passengers and visitors and further improve airport services.”

Huntsville installed its first Planar video wall in a renovated public waiting area in 2009. The two new video walls were deployed in June to provide real-time flight information, tourism promotions and retail advertising to passengers in the newly renovated baggage claim area. One video wall consists of 21 Clarity Matrix LCD panels in a seven-wide-by-three-high (7 x 3) configuration. The other has 25 panels in a five-wide-by-five-high (5 x 5) configuration. In all, the two video walls provide more than 400 sq. ft. of digital signage space.

September/October 2011Digital Signage Technology for Today’s Applications 5

Technology @ Work

extensive digital signage network throughout their facilities. Blue Mountain will replace their existing digital signage software with Omnivex Moxie software, to manage displays throughout their extensive resort to meet their diverse list of applications for digital signage, conference and meeting room displays, including interactive wayfinding, and menu boards, to name a few of the immediate priorities.

Blue Mountain had deployed and maintained three separate digital signage software solutions, but found that they were not able to accomplish all of their goals and that maintaining three separate systems was becoming too labor intensive. The company decided that in order to streamline operations and make the day-to-day administration of the digital signage more manageable, they wanted to find one platform that would enable them to consolidate the existing system. “Our primary goal with this deployment was to have one centrally managed digital signage system that would be interactive, flexible and scalable,” said John Gowers, Director of IT, Blue Mountain Resorts. He continued, “After an extensive evaluation process, we

selected Omnivex Moxie software for its ability to address all of our requirements with one comprehensive platform.”

Ecast and Walsh Vision Team Up to Deliver the First 4G Wireless Concierge Digital Signage Solution for the Hospitality Industry

SaN raMoN, Ca - Ecast and Walsh Vision announced today the launch of SmartConcierge™, an enterprise-level, touchscreen software solution providing the first ever mobile, interactive, and customizable concierge service for hotels. SmartConcierge leverages 4G wireless connectivity in an advanced digital signage platform, making it the first truly plug-and-play concierge solution for the hospitality industry. Ecast is a leader of in-location interactive touch screen media solutions, providing innovative digital signage solutions to the hospitality and retail industries. Walsh Vision is a leading wireless solutions integrator, offering full-service cellular wireless solutions and consulting to public sector and enterprise organizations nationwide.

SmartConcierge delivers the features, functionality and tools that hotel managers

need to optimize their brand presence to their guests, directly from the hotel lobby. The solution supplements existing concierge services during high traffic- and off-hours, as well as functions as a standalone concierge service for establishments that do not currently have a concierge department.

SmartConcierge features a user-friendly touch screen, allowing guests to explore on-property amenities with just a few taps of the screen. Guests can quickly access information about a hotel’s restaurant, golf course, spa, and convention facilities, as well as view photos, menus, reviews, and utilize its wayfinding capabilities. Guests can make dinner or spa reservations on the screen and get reminders sent straight to their mobile phone.

LeapFrog Interactive Unveils Digital-Out-Of-Home Interactive Marketing Piece

loUISvIlle, Ky. – LeapFrog Interactive, a digital advertising agency, will unveil its first Digital-Out-Of-Home (DOOH) interactive marketing piece in October. The DOOH piece was created for the Hamilton County Public Health WeTHRIVE! campaign, and will be located in the Mercantile Building in downtown Cincinnati.

The goal of the project was to create an eye-catching display where citizens of Hamilton County, Ohio can interact and learn about healthy eating options at the same time.

“The DOOH piece is a perfect representation of what LeapFrog Interactive is about: Logic and Magic. The technology and creative components are synchronous. In the planning stages, we studied other Digital-Out-Of-Home pieces that have inspired us, and pinpointed why they grabbed the audience’s attention, and how they kept it. Then we applied our findings to determining what the DOOH would do, and what it would look like,” said Alan Gilleo, Chief Creative + Experience Officer at LeapFrog Interactive.

Madison Square Garden Lights up Harris Digital Out-Of-Home Network

New YorK, NY - Madison Square Garden opened its doors to hockey fans for the face-off between the New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs. The occasion marked opening night for the Rangers’ home season — and the storied arena’s first sports event since completing phase one of a venue-wide renovation.

The new look inside the arena includes a Harris digital-out-of-home (DOOH) network powering HD graphics and high-impact video on numerous digital display screens. Fans passing by the box office, wandering the main concourses and climbing the escalators will see a mix of promotional content for sports and other live events, advertisements, and — in the concourse areas — digital menu boards highlighting food and beverage selections.

The digital display signs and striking content are especially vibrant in the freshly renovated main concourse, which has been widened and well-lit to create a more enticing environment for fans. The fan experience will be further heightened following the completion of the final two renovation phases, which will see the Harris DOOH network expanded to inside the bowl, upper concourses and other areas including two elaborate sky bridges.


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Vertical Views Retail

Repeat BusinessRutter’s Farm Stores turns heads and profits with digital signage network

Rutter’s Farm Stores is a company that is dedicated to keeping in step with its customers.

The business debuted in 1967 as an additional outlet for Rutter’s Dairy products. Today, Rutter’s has more than 55 Pennsyl-vania stores in York, Lancaster, Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin and Franklin coun-ties. Named the 2010 Convenience Store Chain of the Year, Rutter’s is dedicated to creating an environment and experience that keeps its customers coming back.

It is that dedication, along with the desire to maintain its position as a technology leader in the convenience store industry, that led to the decision to deploy a digital signage network throughout several Rutter’s stores.

Enhanced Appearance, Advanced Technology

“The idea was to enhance the look of our stores, in addition to increasing sales of targeted items through advertising, by replacing static signage with cutting-edge digital displays,” said Troy Yohn, marketing

technician for Rutter’s. “As a customer, when you enter one of our stores, the eye-catching displays are definitely impressive. They are distributed evenly throughout each store, with a three-screen display over the coolers, two signs by the deli, and one display each at the beverage station and seating area.”

When it came to selecting a digital signage platform for its network, Rutter’s had several requirements that needed consideration. For one, the company had a

special video file format it wished to use. In addition, it was important that everything be centrally managed so Rutter’s could monitor any display’s content to see what is running in real time. There were also bandwidth issues to contend with, as bandwidth varied throughout the stores due to the prioritization of financial transaction data.

“The idea was to enhance the look of our stores, in

addition to increasing sales of targeted items

through advertising, by replacing static signage with cutting-edge digital

displays,” said Troy Yohn.


Vertical View Retail

A Strong PartnershipTo meet its unique needs, the company

turned to Vistacom Inc., one of the North-east’s premier A/V system integration firms.

“We worked closely with the Rutter’s creative and technical team to understand the company’s requirements,” said Rodger Wagner, applications engineer for Vista-com. “We demonstrated and discussed several digital signage solutions with them, highlighting the various strengths of each platform. In the end, the best fit to meet Rut-ter’s needs was X2O Media’s Xpresenter.”

Xpresenter takes dynamic communica-tions on digital displays to the next level, combining unprecedented ease of use with broadcast-quality video graphics. An end-to-end platform, Xpresenter is a complete suite of applications that allows users to create dynamic content for their digital displays quickly and easily, distribute the content and monitor activity on the displays using powerful remote management tools.

“Besides the extraordinarily high video

and graphics quality Xpresenter provides through its rendering engine, the solu-tion also supplies a highly customizable platform that allows us to address Rutter’s requirements,” Wagner said. “Through the Web-based X2O Portal, Rutter’s can easily monitor content in real time for each dis-play, and it was the only solution that was compatible with the company’s special video file format.”

Content That CompellsWhile companies have offered to sup-

ply content for Rutter’s digital signage, the company has chosen to create its own, with a dedicated technical team that is in charge of content creation. With Xpre-senter Template Maker 3.0, the team can create compelling content and schedule it straight from the familiar PowerPoint® inter-face. In addition, a “smart” object library allows for the quick and simple creation of content featuring videos, images, Power-Point slides, RSS feeds, live information

sources and much more. Xpresenter also includes support for 3-D effects, enabling the creation of innovative elements such as rotating graphics.

“We sit down with marketing each month and decide which products we want to focus on in our signage,” Yohn said. “From there, we design the templates and Xpresenter makes it simple to roll out the content to the screens. It’s a very easy and efficient process. And while the deployment is still in its infancy, we have been able to track its success. There is a direct correlation between products adver-tised on our signs and an increase in sales for those products.”

“Rutter’s, Vistacom and X2O Media have worked very closely as a team to make this digital signage rollout a suc-cess,” said Doug Burrell, senior account manager at Vistacom. “The impact of the network is demonstrated by the fact that the project continues to expand and evolve.” SSM

“Rutter’s, Vistacom and X2O Media have worked very closely as a team to make this digital signage

rollout a success,” said Doug Burrell, senior account manager at

Vistacom. “The impact of the network is

demonstrated by the fact that the project continues

to expand and evolve.”


Vertical View Public Spaces

A Deep Impact Park Cast Network has grown their digital out-of-home network based on direct input from advertising partnersBy Tony Hymes

Not long ago, it seemed that the most impressive digital out-of-home (DOOH) net-works were the ones with the largest numbers of screens. Marketers were guilty of brushing off the smaller guys when their salespeople came in to pitch the networks, saying some-thing along the lines of “come back when you have twice as many screens.”

Back then, overall reach was more important than specific targets. But, as a new network based in New York City is finding, mass reach might not be as desirable as hyper-targeting a specific audience.

The Opportune TimePark Cast Network has built its DOOH

presence in parking facilities located in Manhattan, N.Y., and is now expanding to downtown Chicago. The company targets locations such as sports complexes, enter-tainment areas, financial districts, shopping centers, hotels and upscale residences. The screens are placed at strategic touch points, where parking patrons are captive for a

brief time while their car is being parked or retrieved. It is during these moments that Park Cast makes its impact.

The network provides relevant and engag-ing content, including information about weather, news, traffic reports, local events and non-profit cause-related marketing. Inter-spersed with advertising from partners, such as ESPN Radio and FOX News, it is a rather simple combination of attention and content. It works because the information is stationed at a place and time when people are receptive to these sorts of messages.

“It is all of the elements coming together—presence, dwell time and engagement—that makes the network effective,” said Joe Ma-triss, Park Cast’s managing director.

Letting the Advertiser LeadWith the content strategy in place, the

growth plan was less certain. Instead of installing a screen in every possible parking garage—a growth strategy that unfortunately is all too common in the DOOH industry—Park Cast wanted to make sure that they were go-ing to places where advertisers would want to present their messages.

Matriss came from the outdoor advertising industry and still plays a big role in the formation of large-scale digital billboard installations in Times Square. He took the idea of letting the ad-vertisers lead and brought it to his new project.

“We charted a map of potential locations available to us through our parking operator partners, and we ran that by our major advertis-

The network provides relevant and engaging

content, including information about

weather, news, traffic reports, local events and non-profit cause-related

marketing. Interspersed with advertising from partners, such as ESPN Radio and FOX News, it is a rather

simple combination of attention and content.


Vertical View Public Spacesers,” he said. “We listened to them. ESPN Ra-dio was sports-minded, and we had partnered with them because of our presence at Yankees Stadium. On their direction, we went and secured our positioning at Madison Square Gar-den and Red Bull Stadium in New Jersey. FOX News is oriented toward the business-minded, so we supplied the World Financial Center and other Wall Street locations.”

The Smaller the Better?Growth is an important part of any DOOH

network, especially one that is working to find its critical mass and achieve profitability. A lot of mistakes can be avoided by isolating desired locations and seeing where they fit in to an over-all network. Some high-profile locations are so desirable that they can be sold billboard style, one at a time. Other locations are grouped with bigger advertising buys. Seeing the value of each individual screen makes it easier to sell and goes against the notion that the bigger the reach the better.

“As we discussed things with our media partners, we realized that within the geographic network in Manhattan, we could create specific networks,” Matriss said. “Shopping and enter-

tainment came up a lot, so we secured the rights to several garages in Times Square to promote shows and restaurants.

“Obviously, we are all about cars, and we are definitely talking to radio stations and car companies in every market. But inside the geographical network, we are developing these hyper-targeted networks, and at some point, less becomes more.”

The ability to hyper-target means smaller buys from advertisers, but it achieves better results and leaves a positive feeling for the client. The confidence that this inspires is what has made Park Cast’s partners willing to work with them to build out the network.

Feedback and GrowthFeedback also came from new sales partner

Encompass Digi Media, which was recently added as an agent to sell advertising on Park Cast’s network. In their preliminary conversations with potential clients, they have come back to Park Cast with numerous suggestions and verifi-cation that the model is working. They are also finding that breaking down the overall network into focused areas is proving to be the most attractive option for advertisers.

Now Park Cast is expanding their network in New York City and to downtown Chicago, a choice it made in collaboration with their advertising partners.

“It was an extension of the same philosophy,” Matriss said. “We asked our partners: what oth-er markets do you want to be in? Now we are going to Chicago and using the same principle to develop the Chicago network, focusing on sports, entertainment, the Loop business district. It’s the Park Cast footprint in a new market, and it has been received with a lot of enthusiasm by our partners who are happy to come with us to a new market.”

With sports being an important part of their network, Matriss recently reported the company has secured the rights to the parking facilities near Wrigley Field.

Park Cast intends to take this approach to all their future expansion plans as they build out the density of locations in Chicago and New York and in the expansion to Los Angeles next year. SSM

Tony Hymes works with the DOOH industry to promote education and awareness of the medium. He currently edits the informational portal www.DOOH.com and is focused on helping ad-based initiatives in the US.

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Vertical View Stadiums/Arenas

Going DigitalCandlestick Park realizes value of digital signage, despite 49ers’ possible move By Kevin Goldsmith

Almost everywhere you go these days—whether at a shopping mall, in a taxi or in a quick-serve restaurant—you cannot escape digital-screen advertising.

The case for going digital is compelling, but why are so many companies making the change? The industry value for 2011 is esti-mated to be $5 billion and expected to grow to $7 billion within the next two years. The results look great, but why invest in digital when you already have printed content on display?

Updating HistoryLet’s take a look at Candlestick Park, home of

the San Francisco 49ers, to answer that ques-tion. The stadium recently installed digital menu boards at a majority of their concession stands, just in time for the start of the 2011 NFL season.

Here, you have a historic venue that no longer fulfills the needs of the team, which is actively seeking to relocate to Santa Clara, Calif. Despite the possible move, the team and concessionaire realized the value of implement-ing a digital menu board network, even if it is for a short term.

The 49ers installation comprised 54 42-inch LG commercial monitors and 41 LG NC2000 embedded media players running a Web-based content management platform. The

system was installed at 18 concessions and integrated among existing televisions used for live game feeds. Some of the media players drive multiple displays through cloning. Content management for the digital menu boards is administered by an online Web application that enables content to be updated from anywhere on any Web-connected device, such as a PC, smart phone or tablet computer.

Determining SuccessIn a case like this, many look for the hard

ROI and ask how will this increase turnover, per

One of the most common goals for sports venues is to improve customer experience and perception. Standing in line for five minutes doesn’t feel like five minutes when digital menu boards have been deployed.


caps and overall margin. But there are many factors that affect the success of digital menu boards other than the direct impact on dol-lars and percent growth—which, according to industry sources, yields anywhere from 5 to 10 percent. The 49ers looked at the total value of converting to a digital solution, not just the financial return.

One of the most common goals for sports venues is to improve customer experience and perception. Standing in line for five min-utes doesn’t feel like five minutes when digital menu boards have been deployed.

The 49ers put great emphasis on ensuring fans’ safety and well-being. They worked closely with Ping HD’s content design team and achieved vibrant and dynamic menus designed for maximum impact. Included is a zoned partition that delivers strategic messages to fans, such as the location of the nearest first-aid station and a powerful Department of Homeland Security message that states: “See something, say something. There are over 120,000 eyes at today’s game. Help us create and maintain a safe and enjoyable experience on game day.”

Converting to digital also enables a venue

to direct business to other on-site cost centers. In the case of the 49ers, this includes direc-tion to other concessions that sell different types of food, where to buy official team merchandise, tickets for the next home game, concerts and other upcoming events happen-ing at the stadium. The screens also promote fan-loyalty competitions.

From a food-service perspective, the pri-mary benefit of digital menu boards is how it brings the offerings to life, for example, by showing video of a mouth-watering burger being grilled. Other benefits include promot-ing combo meals and the ability to quickly change pricing and product offerings based on the event.

The Other Side of the CoinNot surprisingly, digital menu boards can

generate additional revenue in many ways. But they also bring cost savings. For ex-ample, the flexibility of a digital menu board solution enables concessionaires to change the menus throughout the stadium within minutes. It used to take the San Francisco Gi-ants at AT&T Park one week to change the stadium’s menu content for a concert or other non-baseball event.

Savings are also achieved by eliminating the printing costs associated with static menu board changes. By going digital, content managers know the information is uniform across the venue.

As technology continues to evolve and costs are reduced, it won’t be long until digital menu boards and digital advertising networks will be commonplace in every conceivable out-of-home location. SSM

Kevin Goldsmith is the director of digital media operations for Ping HD.

Marketing in the MoMent

The roles of digital signage and interactivity in retail technology of the futureBy Jose Avalos


It’s a fact: New technologies are giving

modern shoppers access to a huge amount of

information about retailers and their products. They are using this information

to shop around more competitively and carefully, which means retailers must also use new technologies

to deliver a richer retail experience across all

channels—and devices.

Take a look at the numbers: mobile phone subscribers exceeded 4 billion in 2009, and market research firm Infonetics predicts that number will reach 5.9 billion by 2013. An estimated 1.5 billion television sets and 1.1 billion personal computers are in use, and some 1.7 billion people access the Internet. Two-thirds of these tech-savvy consumers regularly visit social networking or blogging sites. 1

A Complex DynamicAll that consumer technology is having an

enormous effect on the world of retail. Today’s in-store experience has become a far more complex environment over the last few decades. The increasing shift to the self-service format—which offers convenience, added choice and, sometimes, greater value—also brings complexity to the design and layout of the retail environment. Digital signage plays an enormous role in this area.

The other dynamic is the technological complexity retailers must have in order to support their infrastructure. From the POS terminals, self-service kiosks and readers to the network supporting the operations, retailers need to drive efficiencies by automating their processes, which enables informed, proactive business decisions.

What does this mean for retailers? They need to think differently about their digital signage strategies and deployments—as a business strategy, not as an IT overhead item. The signage itself needs to be “smart,” focused on the customer, providing unique and relevant content, and integrated into retailers’ information systems so they can quickly and easily see what is and what is not working in-store (with a way to quickly make changes).

Retail Signage of the FutureI recently read a statement that I agree with:

“The question is no longer ‘How can we make the in-store experience as satisfying as the web?’ But rather, ‘How can we make our stores more significant than showrooms for online merchants?” Therein lies the challenge.

Having only in-store screens formerly known as “dumb terminals” adds little value to the

retailer or the shopper. If you are simply deploying screens for information or directions, you are merely replacing old paper or

cardboard signage with an electronic version of the same.

However, if your signage helps you promote excess perishable inventory in real time to encourage a quick sale, now it’s a business advantage.

So, what will retail digital signage technologies of the future look like? Imagine that one of your high-spending customers who shops your brand (both off line and online) just walked into your store. She scans her cell phone, with her store loyalty number in it, on the reader at the front of the store. In moments, the store manager is alerted to her presence and her purchase history in real time.

Well, this is all happening today. For those of you who missed it, Intel previewed this technology at NRF in January in their Connected Store POC.

Giving the store manager the instantaneous information he needs to acquaint himself well with this customer and providing him the tools to deliver a relevant, personalized and high-touch shopping experience is a clear competitive advantage. How many people do you think she’ll tell about how well she was treated in that store? You can bet a lot.

How does this translate into real life? It’s being able to order the shoes I want from the store—on the spot via kiosk DS technology—even when the retailer doesn’t have them in stock in my size. It’s the device capturing all of my credit card and shipping information immediately without asking me to re-enter it all. It’s about saving the sale, and saving the retailer and shopper a lot of hassles. In the end, it’s all part of creating a positive and painless shopping experience—and creating a differentiator.



Interactive, Connective, Customer-Focused

From a marketing perspective, anonymous video analytics (AVA) technologies, like Intel AIM Suite, enable digital signage solutions to be smart and relevant to shoppers’ in-store experiences. These tools capture non-personal demographic information in real time to enable more relevant content, promotions and experiences for the store’s customers.

Intel is looking at how to equip any future digital signage solutions with the ability to use technologies like AVA to measure audiences and provide more targeted messaging, as well as measure the effectiveness of the advertising to establish pricing.

For example, a digital sign or self-serve kiosk equipped with AVA can automatically take on a different personality, with various offers and options based on demographic metrics information gathered in real time. Viewers can interact with these offers via a touch screen, opt to download them to their smartphones and take off on a guided shopping excursion.

For instance, a petite woman might appreciate being offered a special promotion or sale in the petites department (with the signage height modified in real time to accommodate her height). Likewise, someone carrying a baby might want to know that diapers are on sale before he reaches the check-out line. An AVA-enabled DS solution can make that happen without collecting any personal information—in real time. This creates a new way for retailers to provide an

engaging experience that, if intelligently and tastefully done, is welcomed by shoppers.

Linking the store’s digital signage, kiosks, store loyalty programs, POS and point of wait can create sales lift (the holy grail of retailing) while also increasing customer service and loyalty. It’s taking the best of online, print, in-store promotions and media and making the whole bigger than the sum of its parts—which is what tomorrow’s retail digital signage environment will be all about.

This connectivity enables a consumer to receive a relevant store coupon on her cell phone as she approaches the store on her way home from work. Instead of going straight home, her interest in stopping and shopping has been enabled via technology.

Interactivity allows consumers like me to walk into that store and scan my shopper number on my cell phone again to get a buy one/get one offer that would incent me to buy more and to think highly of the retailer who employs this digital strategy.

Change for the BetterHere’s a great example of the power

of smart digital signage, and how digital technology has changed the way companies market to consumers:

You walk into your favorite mall and are greeted by a digital sign promoting a number of special offers. One of them catches your interest—a possible gift for your son. However, it’s your lunch hour and you are pressed for time, so you download the information about this special to your mobile device and lock in the price for 72 hours.

Now, because it’s lunch time, you realize you are hungry. Fortunately, your favorite restaurant in the mall (as you were informed when you scanned your smartphone on the mall reader) has sent a message to your mobile phone informing you that your favorite meal is on special. You text your order back with instructions to have it ready for takeout because you’re in a hurry.

Let’s face it: In-store shopping is never going away. And mobile channels will continue to grow and evolve. Shoppers’ in-store expectations will increase along with their sophistication, so retailers and brands must be focused on providing a great in-store experience to keep shoppers coming back for more. Digital signage technologies can enhance the retailers’ ability to meet shoppers’ expectations and retailers’ goals. Watch and see. SSM

Jose Avalos is the retail sector general manager for Intel Corp. In this role, Jose Avalos leads Intel’s worldwide retail and digital signage businesses and his organization is responsible for delivering Intel’s Intelligent retail and digital signage platforms, software and service, as well as initiatives to fuel the growth of these industries.

1 IBM Retail Report, Smart Consumers 2010

Linking the store’s digital signage, kiosks, store loyalty programs, POS and point of wait can create sales lift (the holy grail of retailing) while also increasing customer service and loyalty.

This creates a new way for retailers to provide

an engaging experience that, if intelligently and

tastefully done, is welcomed by shoppers.

Interactivity allows consumers like me to walk into that store and scan my shopper number on my cell phone again to get a buy one/get one offer that would incent me to buy more and to think highly of the retailer who employs this digital strategy.

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Among the hundreds of innovations that enhance our business and personal lives, LED technology ranks near the top as one of the most universally applied.

LED technology is everywhere. It’s utilized in almost every industry, in multiple applications and in a variety of sizes, shapes and price points. Think Times Square and Broadway billboards, data tickers, airports and casinos, arena and stadium video scoreboards—and just about anywhere that traditional signage can be used. But that is only the beginning.

A Brilliant MatchThe reasons for the proliferation of LEDs

are numerous, and in the case of digital signage and displays, the benefits are clearly visible in terms of scale and image clarity. In addition to providing a great display platform for HD-quality video content, LEDs also provide a highly efficient source of lighting that outlasts all other forms of lighting available today. They reduce energy costs and help protect the environment, and provide the ability to visually transform a venue’s appearance to match event themes.

Seeing

LIGHTthe

LED technology moves into the mainstream and delivers improved efficienciesBy J.M. Allain

www.signagesolutionsmag.com20

Overall, facility lighting architecture can greatly benefit from the design flexibility, dynamic color changes and programmability that intelligent lighting systems offer.

Smart BulbsBasically, an LED is just a light bulb without the

filament, and its color and illumination intensity are dictated by the movement of electrons in the semiconductor material. The current is then directly transformed into light with no wasted energy. Comparatively, incandescent bulbs produce light by generating heat to warm the filament, which creates significant amounts of wasted energy.

Without a filament to burn out, LED life span can exceed more than 50,000 hours, which is equivalent to almost six years of continuous operation. Even after as many as 70,000 hours of 24/7 operation (approximately eight years), they retain nearly three-fourths of their original light output capacity. This is compared to approximately 750 hours for typical incandescent lights, which need replacing on a regular basis.

Now, factor in the large number of bulbs needed to light an office building, whether incandescent or compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). The re-lamping costs can be substantial.

Because of this, the use of LEDs as direct light sources can be easily justified. For example, a 60-watt incandescent light bulb draws more than $300 worth of electricity per year and provides about 800 lumens of light. An equivalent CFL uses less than 15 watts and costs only about $75 of electricity per year. LED bulbs are even better, drawing less than 8 watts of power, costing about $30 per year, and lasting 50,000 hours or longer. The Department of Energy estimates that replacing regular light bulbs with LEDs could save 190 terawatt-hours annually, which is the equivalent of lighting more than 95 million homes.

LEDs On DisplayThe same claims hold true for LEDs that are

used as light sources for large-screen display systems. Per watt, LEDs output more lumens of light than regular incandescent bulbs and use less power. LEDs also have a higher luminous efficacy—which measures how efficiently electricity is converted to visible light—than an incandescent bulb. And because LEDs are based on solid-state technology, they can be more readily controlled and programmed, which makes them one of the most versatile and flexible light sources available today.

As a result of the primary materials used to make the diode, LEDs can produce many intensities of light output and any color within the visible light spectrum. Blue LEDs are produced from indium gallium nitride, green are based on aluminum gallium phosphide and red are from an aluminum gallium arsenide. When these three colors are combined, they become “white” light, and the potential for millions of colors is born.

Environmental EffortsAccording to market indicators,

organizations are becoming increasingly eco-conscious, either as part of their corporate responsibilities or in an effort to please sponsors and partner organizations. LED lighting technology is recognized as the future of green lighting, both in facility usage and in large-screen displays, because it offers a sustainable solution to organizations that

are addressing environmental concerns. LEDs help reduce greenhouse gas emissions

from power plants, which in turn helps lower the carbon footprint; and, since there’s no toxic mercury in an LED, they’re easier and less expensive to dispose of than CFLs. Due to their electrical semiconductor and solid epoxy resin construction, LEDs do not contain fragile components like those found in incandescent or fluorescent bulbs such as glass, filaments and gases that are easily broken or disrupted. This makes LEDs a remarkably durable and rugged

technology capable of withstanding shock, vibration and even extreme temperatures.

The right combination of LEDs throughout a facility, whether used for video displays or as a light source, can open up a whole new realm of possibilities, including the ability to create controlled environments with LED signage and lighting that can be programmed to transform venue appearances. LED technology has amazing potential as a platform for a wide variety of business applications well beyond digital signage, which makes it not only the lighting of the future but one of the primary technologies of the future. SSM

J.M. Allain is the president and CEO of Trans-Lux, a company with more than 30 years of LED experience. Trans-Lux is working with partners around the world to develop and implement new applications for LED displays and lighting.

...because LEDs arebased on solid-state technology, they can bemore readily controlled and programmed,which makes them one of the most versatileand flexible light sources available today.


Before I worked in digital signage, I was run-ning video boards for professional sports. As a sports fan, I often would escape the control room and head down to the seats to take in the game. I didn’t care what game it was or what the score was, I just loved sitting with a crowd in a live sport-ing event. I like watching people.

The more I watched people, the more I studied them. I observed how they reacted when the video board was trying to command their attention.

And I realized that the single most important reason I was doing any of this was sitting right next to me gobbling down cold hot dogs and drinking warm beer.

People.Not the product or the content or the service or

the technology. None of that is important if you don’t focus on the user. It’s about the person who comes up to the screen and wants to engage. It’s about knowing how that person enjoys using touch screens, what kind of education she has, and her

level of patience before she walks away. It’s about knowing that the user must be

rewarded for his time with you. This isn’t a call to action, this is a two-way relationship. He has made the effort to get to know you. What will you do for him?

Technology, for all its wonder, has given us license to replace human interaction with keyboards, mobile phones and video walls. But the farther we go using technology to create an experience, the closer we must get to the humanity of engagement.

We must begin with people.

A New FocusI’m in the “content is king” camp. Many of my

The Most Important Reason

You Do ThisDigital signage, at its core,

is still about peopleBy Paul Flanigan

But the farther we go using technology to create an experience, the closer we must get to the humanity of engagement. We must begin with people.


colleagues live in other camps, and skirmishes often break out across social networking platforms. But the one thing that no one can argue is why we do this.

I’m writing about it now because I believe this has been lost in the transition to bright, shiny high-definition screens. Today, touchscreen interactivity is more interest-ing than the person who is using it.

Over the past several months, we have seen a slew of videos on the Internet showing some pretty amazing things, such as 3-D mapping on the side of giant buildings and multiple HDTVs in an interactive street-side wall.

The one thing we have not seen is the impact. The videos show the interactive screens and people touch-ing them. This is awareness, not an impression. What we need to understand is how this affects people—how this engagement becomes a priority in the user’s mind so that action is taken.

We need to understand these people.With these types of very public interactive and visual

experiences, trying to identify a demographic is futile. Your audience demographic went from 18- to 34-year-old males to everyone between 5 to 95 years old. And in most verticals, demographic segmentation has eroded. Even though a venue might have a primary audience target, there’s a very good chance that the target has a spouse, child, parent or friend. Are they in the demographic target, too?

At the end of the day, there is one question on the mind of the marketer who spent all that money to put this visual eye-candy in front of everyone: What is my ROI?

The culture of screens everywhere is pushing the metrics into reality; the numbers will stabilize and be the standard for a long time. Until then, the question remains, and it keeps a lot of financial people awake at night. Is this experience worthwhile? Will I get out of this what I put into it? While the traditional methods of communication—newspapers, TV and even Internet, to a degree—continue to wane, they are still safe bets because they are surrounded by years of measure-ment. Until digital signage, in all its forms, meets this standard, it will be a crap shoot.

While the numbers are a bit foggy, there are a few things you can do to ensure that the experi-ence is appealing to the people.

Measure It YourselfThere are plenty of outstanding companies that

provide measurement services and will gladly hand you a stack of research. But, research firms can only measure what you give them. Garbage in equals garbage out.

The best way to really understand whether a concept will work is to go and see it as the customer does. Don’t go with your colleagues, co-workers or boss. Go by yourself. Better yet, go with people who have no interest in your project, such as your children or a friend. Gauge how they react and how you react to their reaction. Be the audience you’re trying to impress.

Make It Work for EveryoneWhen I worked at Best Buy, I drove the initia-

tive to display closed captioning on our closed-circuit home theater program. The audience (and corporate) response was phenomenal.

While consulting a company several months back about a portrait screen they wanted to put in a lobby, I asked if they thought about compli-ance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. They had not. They went back and moved the buttons from the top of the screen to the bottom of the screen. Again, the response was outstanding.

Keep in mind: You may have a perfect audi-ence, but every single person in that audience is different. A few simple techniques can over-come myriad physical and mental variables. Speaking from experience, it’s the little things that mean a lot.

Make sure your experience works for everyone.

Break the RulesWhile I worked in baseball, it was crucial we

spend every inning break pushing content out to the video boards. These breaks were the optimal time to get the audience’s attention and sell them stuff.

In one game, I decided to break this strategy and do nothing. Just music. No video boards, no crowd shots, no advertising. Just music. We

received an immediate and enormously positive response from the fans. By removing all the mes-saging, the experience was actually better. One fan wrote, “Thank you! This place feels less like Times Square and more like a ball game!”

When you develop your experience, there will be no shortage of research, planning, meetings and consulting. Everyone will have an opinion about what you should do. Don’t get caught up in it. All of this information is fundamental.

But to truly know what works, you have to break the rules. You have to try things that might not work. You have to push the edges of what might be acceptable. Why? Because digital signage is radically different from every other kind of messaging you build into your venue. It can be amazing, interactive and compelling. You won’t know until you try.

This is not permission to insult your viewers or your advertisers. On the contrary, this is the way you learn about what works and what doesn’t. This is what separates you from your competitors. This is what will make your network, and you, unique and spectacular.

Break the rules. You’ll be amazed at how many you’ll rewrite.

At the End of the DayYou want to connect with people. You want to

develop a relationship with them. Technology may replace humans in some

form, but they will never replace humanity, that al-most metaphysical experience of interacting with another person. Because of this, technology can be a terrific complement to the entire experience. And the more you know about people, the more engaging your technology will be. SSM

Paul Flanigan is vice president of content strategy for Saddle Ranch Digital. A seasoned veteran of digital media, he is a frequent speaker and writer covering topics such as digital signage, digital and social media, and consumer engagement. You can find him online at twitter.com/paulflanigan and experiate.net.

At the end of the day, there is one question on the mind of the marketer who spent all that money to put this visual eye-candy in front of everyone: What is my ROI?

But to truly know what works, you have to break the rules. You have to try things that might not work. You have to push the edges of what might be acceptable. Why? Because

digital signage is radically different from every other kind of messaging you build into your venue. It can be amazing, interactive and compelling. You won’t know until you try.


Under the Microscope

recognizing what digital signage is—and is notBy Judy Hoffman

Digital signage has been used as a prominent form of communication for more than a decade. You’ll find it in just about every venue. Yet, many people still do not have a correct understanding of what it is or how it is different from television.

The term “digital signage” has been used for years, so why all the misunderstanding? Try explain-ing what digital signage is and how it works to someone who knows nothing about the technology. Soon you’ll see, first hand, where the culprit lies.

Understanding the BasicsFor the general public, digital signage is literally

indistinguishable from TV. Often, some will say, “Well, yes, I’ve seen televisions in stores or restaurants.” More

business-minded folk will say, “Oh yes, the screen with PowerPoint presentations.” Both are erroneous; digital signage is none of the above.

Let’s dig deep into the basics. Wikipedia defines digital signage as a form of electronic display that shows television programming, menus, information, advertising and other messages. Unfortunately, this is an ambiguous answer and doesn’t accurately define this growing technology.

Wikipedia identifies digital signage as an electronic display, implying that this is what makes it digital—when its digital nature is actually a combina-tion of hardware, software and screens. Second, it in-correctly throws in the word “television programming” as part of its many uses. And here is the problem.


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This misconception is fed by the fact that many digital signage users quickly assume that since TVs (including LCDs and LEDs) are being used to display content, viewers will expect television-like advertising. The end result is chaotic, motion-packed screens that entertain viewers with flashy graphics, at the detriment of delivering the message.

The Meaning of Digital SignageLet’s take a closer look at digital signage

by focusing first on the word “signage.” With “sign” as the root word, Wikipedia tells us that a sign is “any kind of visual graphics created to display information to a particular audience.” Another definition of this key-word is “a display structure bearing lettering or symbols, used to identify or advertise.” Simple enough. A sign conveys a message, but these definitions do not mention anything about entertainment.

Now let’s adjust our lens to focus on the word “digital.” Digital is defined as “relat-ing to or being a device that can generate, record, process, receive, transmit or display information that is represented in discrete numerical form or relating to or being a service that provides information expressed in discrete numerical form.” Again, there is no mention of entertainment in this definition.

Combining these two definitions would then create a solid definition for digital signage: “an electronic display that bears

lettering or symbols to convey a designation, direction or information, in which such infor-mation or message is generated, processed and transmitted in discrete numerical form.”

Digital signage is simply a sign, but rather then being printed with ink on paper or vinyl, the message is digitally displayed on a video screen. But just because this in-formation is displayed on video or television screens, it does not mean that such displays

need copious amounts of motion.

Keeping It SimpleThere are situations in which viewers

need to be entertained by programming, such as at a sports bar. That is television. Television programming is something quite different from digital signage.

The majority of digital signage deploy-ments fare better with little or no video content or motion. After all, think of how most signage is used: to provide vital information, such as wayfinding, menus, schedules and identification. People are usually on the move when they encounter digital signage, and chances are, they won’t stop. For typical sig-nage applications, simple and subtle content with smooth transitions is the only movement necessary for updating, changing and add-ing new information.

Imagine trying to find a particular menu item on a digital menu board when food items are flying across the screen. Digital menu offerings should be displayed as traditional

static menu boards. The same goes for signs that identify meeting rooms; these only need to display the room number, the name of the meet-ing and the speaker’s name. There is no need to confuse the viewer’s eye with motion.

Using motion in these applications compli-cates the message and deters focus and con-centration. Moving images may catch viewers’ attention, but it becomes difficult to find pertinent information when the information is moving.

More users are coming to the realization that in most cases limited use of motion is ideal and much more effective. Just because the tech-nology allows you to create content that crawls, flashes, flies, rotates and seemingly bursts off the screen, doesn’t mean you should.

So Why Go Digital?We are in the era of digital signage, and

there is no going back. We will be seeing more digital screens functioning as signs. Already,

they are becoming somewhat commonplace. While there will always be a need for tradi-tional signs, we’ll see less of them in certain applications. But, we will see digital signage supersede traditional signs because digital signage is a bright and visually stunning solution.

The industry is moving away from backlit signs that require bulb replacements and expensive printing and delivery.

Linked to databases, digital signs bring ease to promotional launches, which can be tested and deployed easily over digital signage networks with instantaneous changes.

To sum it up, magnifying the smallest parts of digital signage and dissecting its uses sheds light on its basic definition. It is not TV or televi-sion advertising. It simply possesses the basic components of traditional signage, yet offers the ease of digital creation and control. SSM

Judy Hoffman manages communications and is a press representative for Noventri, a global digital signage solutions innovator.

Combining these two definitions would then create a solid definition for digital signage: “an electronic display that bears lettering or symbols to convey a designation, direction or information, in which such information or message is generated, processed and transmitted in discrete numerical form.”

The majority of digital signage deployments

fare better with little or no video content or motion.

After all, think of how most signage is used: to provide vital information,

such as wayfinding, menus, schedules and identification.


Digital signage is viewed as the “next big thing” for advertisers, marketers and promoters in a wide range of market seg-ments, including retail, hospitality, entertain-ment, restaurants and convenience stores.

Consumers are captivated by animated images on digital menu boards, fountain drink dispensers, merchandisers, build-ing surfaces and billboards. Innovative brand owners and businesses use digital

signage to highlight, inform, educate and engage consumers as they seek to enhance customer experiences in their venues.

At the same time, point-of-sale soft-ware has grown from a “cigar box” into

Technology of Tomorrow

By integrating point-of-sale and digital signage, a business can leverage an engaging and

powerful marketing and messaging channelBy Craig K. Chapin

By Craig K. Chapin

Digital Signage Technology for Today’s Applications

a sophisticated offering that uses the latest technologies to manage business operations more efficiently and cost effectively. By integrating the two, one can harness these robust technologies to leverage an engaging and powerful marketing and messaging channel.

A Smarter PartnershipThe prevalence of digital signage

and the seemingly endless variety of POS systems gives people the impres-sion that integrating the two is just a walk in the park. But without thorough preparation, education, the right equip-ment and experience, success may be out of reach. Integrating POS software and digital signage requires specialized education, training and experience in order to achieve a successful business deployment that drives demand and will meet business objectives, resulting in increased value for employees, sharehold-ers and, most importantly, consumers.

The digital signage industry has been experiencing incredible growth and is playing an increasingly important part in nearly all business-to-consumer settings and public venues around the world. With this phenomenal growth, it may seem that anyone can sell you a digital sign. But the components of understand-ing how to accomplish your objectives, choose the proper technology for your purpose, and determine where and how to integrate with other technologies have never been more important.

For retail companies, digital signage can be an efficient and effec-tive platform for increasing revenue and influencing consumer purchasing behavior. For example, in quick-serve restaurants, more than half of consumers make purchas-ing decisions after arriving at the venue. By going digital, the point-of-purchase—the moment and place where consumer buying decisions are made or transacted—can become a more rewarding interaction for both the business and the consumer. For ex-ample, aligning identified business needs—such as up-selling or add-on sales—with identified consumer needs—including faster and easier decision-making at the point-of-decision—through an integrated digital signage POS system can result in a greatly enhanced brand-to-consumer experience.

Business BenefitsA few key benefits of properly planned

and integrated digital signage include: • Standardized, consistent brand

representation and messag-ing (global, regional, local).

• Engaging viewer focus on featured products, services and information.

• Enhancing overall brand-to-viewer experience.

• Measurable ways to increase revenues and decrease operational cost.

Integration of dynamic digital signage with enterprise POS soft-

ware is mission-critical in order to:• Increase efficiency and accuracy via single

system data entry, reporting and support.• Maximize the impact of your signage

strategies at the point of purchase.• Enable real-time synchronized up-

dates (because as POS is updated, digital signage auto-updates with cor-responding information), better manag-ing constantly changing information sources, requirements and needs.

• Pull relevant POS system information for display to specific types of digital signage such as digital menu boards, kiosks, digital merchandisers, order confirmation screens and digital fountain displays.

As you can see, all of these benefits impact the consumer, the business and its employees

greatly. To this end, in an effort to improve prod-uct diversification and quality of service, a business can decide to implement new POS and digital menu board systems. Both of these systems are fully integrated to provide a single interface for price and

content changes, allowing the business to focus on its core competency: ensuring employ-ees put a greater focus on their customers.

Staying FlexibleThis marriage of technology offers

tremendous flexibility with regard to ease of price and promotion changes. Businesses

can easily implement targeted market-ing and price initiatives within

given markets. The convergence of POS with digital signage has allowed for promotion of freshly prepared items, items approaching hold times, promotional trends based upon

sales figures and specials that mitigate spoilage and increase the quality of the product.

When it comes to running a successful, revenue-driving and engaging POS-based digital signage implementation, it’s vital to be as fully prepared and informed as possible. This means understanding the tools required, from hardware and software to content creation and scheduling. Be sure to seek out and leverage the experience, success and support of a market-proven digital signage and POS integration partner. SSM

Craig K. Chapin is CEO of Allure Global Solutions Inc., an enterprise software specialist that provides point-of-sale and digital signage applications to a variety of retail markets.

29September/October 2011

For retail companies, digital signage can be an efficient and effective platform for

increasing revenue and influencing consumer

purchasing behavior. For example, in quick-serve restaurants, more than

half of consumers make purchasing decisions

after arriving at the venue.


Digital Out-Of-Home SolutionFrom production, scheduling, distribution and presentation to business management, Harris Digital Out-Of-Home solutions — including the revolutionary InfoCaster™ product line

and Punctuate™ business management software — leverage years of broadcast and IT workflow expertise to help you manage content, better monetize assets and realize new revenue streams. InfoCaster delivers dynamic graphics, flexibility, speed and a scalable signage platform to users spanning many sectors, including sports, hospitality, retail and live entertainment.www.signagemag.com/2048

Digital Signage Player

The QNAP iS-800WL has great thermal design to fulfill 24/7 operation requirements for digital signage applications. The

Intel® Atom processor of iSignager-800WL provides the computing power for simultaneous multimedia playback on various formats.www.signagemag.com/2046

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

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

Turnkey Digital Signage Solutions Educate, advertise and entertain with digital signage – the hottest medium for reaching your audience. From retail and restaurant menus, to live media streaming, digital box office and interactive touch screens displays Christie has you covered. Working with a national dealer network, Christie Managed Services will design, build and deploy a digital signage display perfect for your business.www.signagemag.com/2040

Fanless 47" Ultra-High Brightness LED-Backlit Narrow Bezel Professional LCD The DS47LT4 is a 47 inch ultra-bright

professional LCD with IPS technology. With a maximum brightness rating of 2800 cd/m² this display features a local dimming LED back light technique for incredible, high contrast picture quality and low power consumption. The DS47LT4 features narrow 11 mm bezel width, making it an ideal solution for video wall applications in bright environments such as store front windows. The display utilizes a patented, proprietary LED local dimming backlighting technique which is more energy efficient and provides a 2,800 nit maximum brightness level - far brighter than traditional CCFL backlit displays. Darker areas of an image receive less backlighting than lighter areas resulting in incredible contrast and color.www.signagemag.com/2055

Swingout Display MountThe AM175 is a scissor-style, swingout mount that extends up to 16 inches straight from the wall. The lightweight tubular design makes installation easy, and included adapters reach extra-wide mounting patterns. To ensure optimum flat-panel placement, the AM175 includes the ability to fine-tune vertical adjustment post-installation, 10° of continuous tilt and 45° swing. Displays can be mounted in a row for simultaneous viewing from any angle. Premier Mounts’ patented Griplates™ safely support the flat-panel display.www.signagemag.com/2063


Signage Solutions Products

Portable Flat Panel MountThe PROCFCART is a media cart that allows you to maximize your technology investment by sharing a large display over multiple rooms. The PROCFCART is equipped with Constant Force technology allowing smooth, effortless portrait-to-landscape rotation, tilt and height adjustment. Fits most 37–55" flat panel displays and supports 50–90 lbs.www.signagemag.com/2030

Video Wall Content Distribution

Hiperwall puts video walls and distributed visualization solutions within reach of most organizations by replacing the cost and complexity of traditional hardware-based video processors with commodity displays, commodity computers and an ordinary LAN. Just add our software to create a full-function video wall or distributed visualization solution. The result is a system that has superior scalability, enhanced functionality, simpler installation, easier operation and reduced cost. Hiperwall systems are typically used for command & control, education and digital signage applications.www.signagemag.com/2051

Wayfinding Software

The Virtual Campus is a customized immersive wayfinding software application designed as a real-time virtual tour integrated with marketing solutions such as large format touch-screen signage and mobile devices. Each 3D environment is custom built for your facility and can accommodate any large complex or mixed use venue such as a hotel, concert hall or conference center. Enhance the visitor experience by increasing awareness of central attractions and special events.www.signagemag.com/2027

All-weather Sunlight-readable Display

Model 4655DS-EST is SunBriteTV’s 46-inch all-weather sunlight-readable digital display that is targeted for outdoor commercial installations. Delivering power and performance, this model includes a 46-inch 1500 nit high-bright screen, extended solar tolerance capabilities and a service-set that allows users to perform maintenance and service without dismounting the display. The TV is protected by SunBriteTV’s signature all-weather feature set that protects the display from rain, snow, dust, insects and extreme temperature ranges.www.signagemag.com/2026

OPS Player ModuleAxiomtek announces its NEW Intel® Open Pluggable Specification (OPS) compliant pluggable module based on Intel QM67 Sandy Bridge platform. Intel® OPS aims to provide greater interoperability while enabling faster & easier upgrade/maintenance to lower costs associated with additional development & implementation. OPS860 pluggable module is compatible with ALL brands of displays complying OPS design while offering superb graphics performance with Intel 2nd Gen Core i3/5/7 mobile processors. This OPS860 equips with Intel® AMT 7.0 technology, allowing 24/7 remote accessibility even when the system is powered off.www.signagemag.com/2031



Affordable LED Backlight Videowall SolutionThe Samsung UE Series (UE46A and UE55A) is designed for customers looking to deploy an affordable videowall solution that provides a near-seamless device while taking advantage of the benefits of LED backlight technology. The products feature 1920 x 1080 resolution, 450 nit brightness, ultra-fast 240Hz panel refresh rates and Samsung picture technology. Samsung UE Series displays are also 3D-capable (with optional 3D glasses). The displays are available in 46 and 55-inch size classes.www.signagemag.com/2028

Full HD 3X3 Video Wall ControllerThe QNAP iVW-UD133 is the 9 port DVI output video wall controller which achieves ultra high resolution performance for 3x3 Video Wall. Accept input source resolution up to 4080 x 2304 by using the dual-link DVI interface. Various Video Wall configuration are supported including the 3x3,2x3, 3x2 at landscape mode and 3x3, 3x2, 2x3 at portrait mode. www.signagemag.com/2047

iPad Wall Mount FrameThe IPM-700 wall mounting frame turns the iPad™ into a secure, compact interactive display for digital signage. The frame completely covers all iPad ™ controls to prevent unauthorized access but does not obstruct reception to WiFi networks. Available in stainless steel, chrome, black and white finishes, it is ideal for retail, hospitality, corporate environments and tradeshows. Other versions of the IPM-700 are available and feature varied access to power and controls, to accommodate installation needs. www.signagemag.com/2036

Web-based Digital Signage Management Software The NEOCAST® Media Server is a centralized, web-based digital signage management software for managing large scale networks. This software supports both Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and Enterprise delivery models, and incorporates the key constructs of campaigns, markets, schedules and collaboration to enable the efficient distribution of content across networks down to individual media players. This flexibility creates the optimal environment for any marketing or advertising professional seeking to communicate targeted messages that reach audiences at the right place and right time. www.signagemag.com/2049

360° LED Video Display Measuring over 9 feet tall and 39 inches in diameter, the DS0816 boasts a display area of more than 45 square feet, the equivalent of a 120-inch LCD, and a bright 750 cd/m² image. The new model has been designed for indoor applications such as shopping centers, airports, conventions centers, stadiums, and other public venues with high foot traffic. An optional light box base is available to provide greater visibility through the use of backlit posters. www.signagemag.com/1948


Mobile Connectivity for Digital Signage and POS iSIGN’s Smart Antenna is a single all weather antenna unit that can broadcast to mobile phones through Wi-Fi and Bluetooth® simultaneously. Providing business intelligence and collecting anonymous customer data, it appears as a free and open access point to users who can connect and view unlimited interactive content within their phone’s web browser, including coupons, videos, games, and more. Smart Antenna also supports user polling and loyalty membership management, includes a CPU, and can be connected with existing digital signage or POS platforms.www.signagemag.com/2044


Flexible and Cost Effective Video Wall SolutionDIDO Jr. is the ideal video wall processor. Integrators can design unique video wall configurations using displays in landscape, portrait and hybrid configurations, thanks to the DIDO Jr’s internal video-rotation engine. Input and output resolutions are completely customizable to match the displays optimal resolutions. DIDO Jr’s image quality is visibly superior to much more expensive video wall processors, and it gives any integrator the ability to produce a high quality video walls cost effectively. www.signagemag.com/1997

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Interactive Mobile App for Engaging Consumers

Screenreach’s interactive Screach app allows you to create your own content that consumers can interact with directly from their smart device. Your content could come in any form, from games to polls, and will allow you to fully engage your consumer through your digital-out-of-home platform. Screach technology enables you to deliver in-app rewards to consumers for interacting and Screach’s profiling tool allows you to learn more about the people that are stopping and engaging with your screens. www.signagemag.com/1998

Digital Signage Social Media PackX2O Media’s Digital Signage Social Media Pack is a new set of templates and objects specifically designed to display content from popular social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook on digital signage screens. The templates and objects can be personalized using X2O’s PowerPoint®-based authoring tool — providing network operators with the flexibility to select the format that best fits their display content strategy — and displayed in the highest image quality with the Xpresenter™ Player. www.signagemag.com/2033

Digital Signage SoftwareBrightAuthor is a powerful PC application included free of charge with BrightSign’s broad line of solid-state digital signage controllers. The newest version of BrightAuthor adds support for Twitter feeds, a free local networking solution and new presentation creation tools —all Easy, all free with BrightSign Players. www.signagemag.com/2039

Fiber Optic Digital/Analog Audio/ Video Extender with Bi-directional RS232The HR-7233 has two HDMI /DVI inputs, one VGA/YPbPr input with audio and one bi-directional RS232. The output is HDMI and bi-directional RS232. The sender converts and scales any PC or HDTV video signal to any other HDTV resolution then transmits an uncompressed HDMI video signal with HDCP/EDID/CEC over distances to 3280 ft on multi-mode fiber. Front panel buttons or LCD for setup and diagnostics. www.signagemag.com/2053

Compact and Fanless Digital Signage PlayerNEXCOM’s NDiS 166 embedded computer powered by 2nd generation Intel® Core™ processor and integrated QM67 graphics controller easily supports dual, independent, full-HD video playback. Further, its slim and compact enclosure makes it easy to mount behind display monitors or plug into mission-critical applications. Additionally, the fanless design cuts tremendous maintenance cost thanks to low failure rate and reduced dust accumulation. This is especially helpful when the system is located at a remote site. www.signagemag.com/2012


3D Format Converter The Dimension 3D is a 3D Format converter allowing the conversion

of any standard 3D format to another including changing of the frame rate. Standard video formats are supported from high definition to 2K. Dimension-3D accepts both dual and single stream as well as HDMI inputs and outputs. The Dimension 3D allows for any 3D input stream format to be used with all types of display component currently available, including high end projectors and the latest generation 3D ready LCD displays. www.signagemag.com/2000


Multi Touch Pedestal KioskThe Multi Touch Pedestal Kiosk from Comark is available with a single or dual 23.5” Multi-touch Monitor - 1920 x 1080. Available with 1.86GHz Atom Dual Core or i5 Processors – 4GB Ram - 160 GB Hard drive, and runs on Windows 7. Enclosure constructed with cold rolled steel. Kiosk is ADA compliant and has a small foot print. Units are also customizable with various other options. www.signagemag.com/2064

Digital Room Sign

The Marshall Digital Room Sign is a 12" wide screen monitor. The built in open platform processor can accommodate any number of operating systems and content management systems. The panel is rated at 50,000 hours of operation, great for 24/7 usage. The cabinet is all metal, and can be either surface or flush mount. There are no exposed wires or buttons. It runs on 12 volt. The monitor has a protective cover. The Marshall Digital room Sign is a perfect solution for public spaces. www.signagemag.com/1994

Digital Signage Software

The new EZ-Stream Overlay Region feature allows users to select an area or region on the screen where they would like their information from their database displayed. The template that gets generated from EZ-Stream will be overlaid on top of other content in the project such as backgrounds, images, and text. Users can now simultaneously display their EZ-Stream database information and any Digital Signage content. www.signagemag.com/2043

High Performance HD H.264 VideoThe Makito family of encoders and decoders enable HD video to be distributed over IP throughout the organization without reservation. Delivering up to 1080p60 high definition H.264 video, the Makito is ideal for multi-channel enterprise IPTV delivery, for HD signage deployments, and for mass HD distribution/record environments such as schools, medical facilities, stadiums, auditoriums, professional training, and simulation environments. With Makito, the process from live video to IP video stream takes less than 55 milliseconds, supporting an end-to-end latency of 70 milliseconds. www.signagemag.com/2029

www.signagesolutionsmag.com3636


HD Digital Signage Monitors

Available in 40”, 46”, 55”, 65” and 70”, the NL series from ViewZ features DID LCD panels delivering brilliant HD video wrapped in a narrow all metal bezel for professional digital signage and security installations. Versatile with numerous analog and digital inputs, Ultimate Control with the RS-232 communication ports and Reliable with our 3-Year factory warranty. All Metal Narrow Bezels. www.signagemag.com/2054

Comprehensive Digital Signage Solution

Cisco Digital Signs is a comprehensive solution for flexible and centralized management and publishing of compelling digital media to networked, on-premise digital signage displays.

Using the network as a platform for digital media publishing and access provides organizations in many different industries with innovative tools for internal and external communications, marketing, sales, education, and training. Support from the broad Cisco partner ecosystem of deployment, solution-development, and content-creation partners helps ensure a successful digital media implementation. www.signagemag.com/2011

Access Concierge Services On-the-GoClients of all industries, and their patrons, can now access a mobile version of their facility’s digital signage from any handheld device through an interface developed by JANUS Displays. The mobile interface provides access to seven tabs of facility-specific content such as wayfinding, event schedules, and directories. In one effortless motion, the system synchronizes to any mobile device, enabling users to access valuable facility information from virtually anywhere. www.signagemag.com/2032

Enterprise Digital Signage NetworksBlack Box’s new enterprise signage solution, iCOMPEL™ EDS, simplifies the task of managing expanding networks of 50 or more screens. The platform’s VMware® manager application features a drag-and-drop interface for building multizone presentations showing video, tickers, multicast streams, HTML content, Flash, and other media. It also features advanced layout and playlist management tools, and group player control for segmenting content playout by location. Content on screens anywhere in the world can be synchronized and managed via a standard Web browser connection. Plus, the iCOMPEL EDS is scalable. To expand a signage network, you simply add iCOMPEL EDS Subscriber players.www.signagemag.com/1980

HDTV Scaler Modulator for Digital SignageThe QMOD-HDSC HDTV Scaler Modulator features an internal, in-stream HD scaler for digital signage applications. The scaler converts signage VGA to 16:9 HDTV video. Easy two-step formatting shapes the video and compensates for cropping for perfect edge-to-edge presentation on TV displays. This enables a single signage player to broadcast to many displays across a site’s RF network. Flat-panel TVs include an HD tuner, so playback at each screen is free. No additional players, servers, or licenses are needed. www.signagemag.com/1999



Digital Signage Media Player The NEOCAST® Media Player K2 is the latest high powered, fanless digital signage media player from Real Digital Media. Designed solely to store and play digital signage content, the product offers extreme reliability, hours of content storage and supports a variety of video, graphical and audio formats, including WMV, AVI, MPEG 1, 2 - 4, Divx, VOB, PNG, JPG, GIF, Microsoft® Silverlight™ and Adobe® Flash®. The product supports both Linux and Windows Embedded Standard

operating systems. www.signagemag.com/2050

Flat Panel Tilt Wall MountThe VMP FP-XMFT “extra medium” flat panel wall mount with tilt capabilities handles most mid-size flat panels from 32- to 52-inches. Its adjustable rails and -5 degree to +15 degree tilt option make flat panel placement easy to set. The open back design also allows for easy management behind the panel. Additionally, the FP-XMFT has a maximum flat panel hole pattern of 616mm x 400mm and comes available in both a black and silver powder coat finishes.www.signagemag.com/2045

Signal Management For Digital Signage TheAT-HD-V14SS distributes HD video signal from any source, switch or amplifier to four displays over a single CAT5 cable. This unit also features an HDMI port for local displays. The device functions with in an ecosystem of products that allow integrators a range of options to suit various distance and feature needs. www.signagemag.com/2065

Full HD Content to 18 ScreensDT Research’s MS1800 powers multiple screens for dynamic digital signage applications. Featuring the powerful and energy-efficient Intel® 6-Core™ i7 980X, the MS1800 includes the latest graphics technology with 18 digital outputs for high-quality video and optimal display experience. Combined with WebDT’s powerful Content Manager software, one MS1800 is capable of delivering full HD content to 18 screens, configured in video wall array or ribbon, or distributed to multiple displays throughout a facility. www.signagemag.com/2035

38 www.signagesolutionsmag.com38

Advertiser Index


PEERLESS MOUNTS www.pearlessinfo.com ............................................................................................................................. 3

NEC DISPLAYS www.necdisplay.com ......................................................................................................................................... 7

IAVI www.iavi.com ........................................................................................................................................................................ 9

PRYSM www.prysm.com ............................................................................................................................................................ 11

VIDEO MOUNT PRODUCTS www.chooseamount.com ............................................................................................................. 15

CHIEF www.chiefmfg.com ........................................................................................................................................................ 19

DIGITAL SIGNAGE EXPO www.DSE2012.com ........................................................................................................................ 25

MICROSPACE COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION www.microspace.com ........................................................................ 37

MITSUBISHI PRESENTATION PRODUCTS www.mitsubishi-presentations.com ............................................... Inside Front Cover

INTEL www.intel.com/go/digitalsignage ...........................................................................................................Inside Back Cover

SAMSUNG www.samsung.com/comercialdisplays .....................................................................................................Back Cover

23” LED 1080p Premium Display ORION Images continues to lead industry in the design, development and manufacturing of commercial grade monitors certified for continuous operation. The new 23” LED Premium display is eco-friendly, light weight and consumes up to 30% less power then traditional LCD’s. Many unique features include all metal chassis, auto pixel shifting, picture in picture, split screen, auto power recovery, sequential source switching, trigger sensor and security menu lock out making this display a truly professional experience in next generation technology. Built to run 24x7x365 continuously. www.signagemag.com/1825

Turnkey Digital Signage SolutionSolutiON Dynasign is designed as a cost effective but flexible and feature rich digital signage turnkey product. It is a complete easy to use out-of-box solution for customers, which eliminates the hassles of choosing the right hardware and software for their needs. SolutiON Dynasign is ideal in retail, hospitality, and public sector user scenarios.www.signagemag.com/2042

November/December 2011 39

By The Way

On the train, there are two screens. The scrolling LED—and the smart phone.

I never see anyone looking at, much less paying attention to, the red, scrolling, digital one. As I look across the train, out of the eight people sitting comfortably in their seats, six of them are looking at and giving their at-tention to their smart phone. They don’t even look up to watch the sun peak through the clouds. Their heads are down, with their at-tention focused on their personal little screen that some people still call a phone.

We are a captive audience here on the train, and no one wants to look at the scrolling digital sign. Clearly, they place no value in it. Is it because of the sign’s low-fi technology or the uninteresting content? Or is the smart phone simply too engaging to give attention to anything else?

One person plays solitaire, another reads a book and one scrolls through their music. One of the most powerful aspects of that little personal screen: Users can essentially

do anything they want to do on it. The experience is theirs, not a preconceived and served-up one. It’s the content they want as frequently as they want it. How can any other screen measure up?

A Tale of Two Screens Contemplating the role of digital

signage when people won’t look up from their smart phonesBy Mike Cearley

Heads are down, with their attention focused on their personal little screen that some people still call a phone.


Signage Solutions By The Way

The Missing PieceIn the lobby, there are two screens. Screen one:

Screen two:

Out of four people waiting for the elevator, two look at the large news screen and two look at the mobile personal one. The ones looking at the large news screen are just filling time, half tuned in. And why not? After all, it’s the same recycled content that each of us has already heard earlier in the day.

It’s too easy to simply pipe boring, meaning-less, depressing content across other screens, outside of personal TVs and desktop comput-ers. More screens, more places, right? They’re everywhere. The problem is “more content” is easily overlooked.

The Sea of ContentAs I ride up the elevator, no one speaks be-

yond, “Good morning” and “You doing OK?” After the pleasantries, the eyes turn back to the personal screen—that darn magnet.

Time is a funny thing: it keeps going, regard-less of how much value you place in it. Technol-ogy has an interesting effect on time. It seems to make it go by faster. Consumption via all these screens fast-forwards our lives by drastic propor-tions. Just by the shear rate of life, who has time for what content?

Content: what we consume and engage with on a daily basis, what we give our attention to, whether it’s for connection, entertainment or

education. TV shows, websites, blogs, videos, pictures, news feeds, texts—the sea of content is deep and we easily get lost in it.

How do we prioritize what content we give our time to? I think that decision is based on any of these three factors:•We like the subject matter •We like who makes it•We have nothing else to do or have time to spare

No. 3 is hardly sticky, but it is a reason to give your time to it.

These factors are much easier to control on our personal screen. That begs the questions: What is the role of digital signage? And what can we expect them to really do?

For Better or Worse?People, including me, say all the time, “peo-

ple are on the move, now more than ever, so it’s important to hit them where they are, which is less in their living rooms and at a desk and

more when they’re out and about, in the real world.” This is one of the profound opportunities of anyone in the digital signage business.

I wonder if those same people ever think about the responsibility that comes along with that opportunity: the responsibility to not create

more noise and distraction. We’re also in a time, now more than ever,

where no one seems to experience boredom or lose themselves in thought. What happened to quiet time, in the auditory and visual sense? Is there even such a thing today?

These screens are impacting behavior, and I have to wonder if it’s healthy. Is “all on, all the time” or any variation really a good thing for the human condition? SSM

Mike Cearley is senior vice president of consumer engagement at Fleishman-Hillard. He authors a blog, www.11thscreen.com, which explores all things digital/interactive out-of-home and its convergence with our everyday lives. Cearley can be reached at [email protected]

Technology has an interesting effect

on time. It seems to make it go by faster.

Consumption via all these screens fast-

forwards our lives by drastic proportions.

Just by the shear rate of life, who has time for what content?

We’re also in a time, now more than ever, where no one seems to experience boredom or lose themselves in thought. What happened to quiet time, in the auditory and visual sense? Is there even such a thing today?

Copyright ©2011 Intel Corporation. Intel, the Intel logo, Intel Sponsors of Tomorrow™ and Intel Sponsors of Tomorrow logos are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.

Signs with a digital IQ.Managed directly from HQ.Digital signage solutions based on Intel® Core™ processors are equipped with Intel® vPro™ technology that enables remote management capabilities such as content updates, diagnostics, and troubleshooting, all without sending a single truck into the field. And that adds up to lower costs, and a higher ROI.

Learn more at intel.com/go/digitalsignage.

INNOVATION #4,928 A Full Line of Ultra-Effi cient LED-Backlit LCD Displays

Light by design. Heavy on performance.

At Samsung we know what your customers demand. That’s why our full line of ultra-thin, ultra-light LED-backlit displays support unparalleled AV integrators with

ease of installation, effi ciency and beauty. From light-usage to mission-critical video walls, our best-in-class displays help lower costs without sacrifi cing quality.

Because at Samsung, it’s not just business. It’s business, innovated.

© 2011 Samsung Electronics America, Inc. All rights reserved. Samsung is a registered trademark of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Screen images simulated.

Learn more 1-866-SAM4BIZ | samsung.com/commercialdisplay | Business. Innovated.

SEA9356_CMD_LIFE_SignSolutSeptOct.indd 1 10/5/11 9:58 AM

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