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MediaTile is at the Super Bowl. . . sort of. #sb46 #social46

Tuesday, January 24, 2012 by Chuck Gose

The Super Bowl is less than two weeks away and MediaTile will be there. . . sort of. Let me explain.

MediaTile is headquartered out of California, but I live and work in Indianapolis, this year's host of the Super Bowl. It's been a point of pride for the city ever since the NFL announced Indy as the host for the big game.

Well now it's here and we're ready show off the city. The Super Bowl Host Committee asked me and 45 other local social media enthusiasts to join its #Social46 crew. Our task is helping spread the word about all of the great events going on in the city and improving communication to our networks, leading up to the matchup between the Giants and Patriots.

They are calling this year's game the most urban is history, thanks to Lucas Oil Stadium's great downtown location. And we are working to also make it the most connected in history. Mashable has written about the Social Media Command Center, which we will all have access to.

If you're on Twitter and either heading to the Super Bowl or just want to check out what's going on, be sure to follow #social46 and share anything with your network that are helpful or interesting.

So what does this have to do with digital signage or MediaTile? Nothing, except that I work here. But one of MediaTile's partners, Verizon Wireless, is making news with its 4G LTE network. Our digital signage hardware, including the HumanKiosk, can all run on Verizon's super fast network.

A few years back when Indy hosted the Final Four, it was nearly impossible to send out a call or text due to the bandwidth crunch from tens of thousands of visitors.

Now with hundreds of thousands coming into town, Verizon is doing its part to help. As this Super Bowl is the first with 4G LTE, Verizon is prepared for its customers by adding all sorts of extra bandwidth. This makes me happy since I have a Verizon Wireless MiFi device.

Check out this video from Gotta Be Mobile for more details on Verizon's work.

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31 reasons not to be afraid of digital signage #dsafraid // Reason #23: IT involvement

Saturday, October 22, 2011 by Chuck Gose

In light of October being a rather scary month, we thought we would highlight 31 reasons not to be afraid of digital signage. We hope you enjoy them.

Reason #23: IT involvement

One of the scariest phrases to a marketer or communicator is, "You'll need to get IT involved." They've likely worked with IT in the past on projects and probably clashed. Not because either group is in a feisty mood, but because often their priorities are vastly different.

If a company chooses cellular as the networking choice, IT doesn't HAVE to be involved, but I still recommend it. It will be helpful for them to understand how the network works. And if LAN or Wi-Fi is chosen, a marketer will need IT's support to add the digital signage network to the internal network.

Many IT people I've worked with love the cellular solution because it's NOT on their network. But because of the security measures we've built into our platform, more and more IT pros are supportive of adding a MediaTile network to the corporate LAN or Wi-Fi.

So don't be afraid to call IT when you're looking to launch a network. Their hearts are in the right place. . . usually.

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31 reasons not to be afraid of digital signage #dsafraid // Reason #13 and 14: Content Management and expansion

Monday, October 17, 2011 by Rob Brinkmeyer

Reason #13 and 14: Content Management and expansion

Keeping your digital signage content unique and fresh can seem like a daunting task. Many digital signage content management solutions almost require you to learn a new language to update what’s on your screens.

Don’t our friends in IT have enough on their plates?! They don’t need to handle all your content change requests too. MediaCast allows administrators to upload existing media assets and quickly schedule them to play down to the screen or even the zone.There are some basic guidelines that will help steer content management and expansion:

- Purpose: Know what you want your message to be and what the objective of your digital signage network is. Examples may be to enhance the consumer experience while entertaining or maybe to educate the viewers on human resource announcements. It is important to have a clear understanding of what your digital signage network is aimed to do to ensure your created content can achieve those goals.

- Know your viewers: For content to be effective, it needs to be created for a specific targeted demographic. The audience and location of the screens will dictate what content you display.

- Interaction: Once your targeted demographic of viewers notice your digital signage screens, they need to be engaged and interact with the content. A content strategy identifies design tone, messaging, playlists, and length which intern drives use. Viewers that are attracted, engaged and immersed in content will be more likely to recall the information.

- Call to action: Now that your content has attracted, engaged and immersed your viewers that last step is a call to action. An effective digital message will not leave a viewer with any doubt as to what comes next. Content should communicate how they should respond or act next.

These basic guidelines will be a good springboard to help you initially create your content and direct you in its on going evolution. The MediaCast content management system has the flexibility to allow you use existing content, create new on screen assets, and modify what type of media resource your can use from any remote location. Content can be new, recycled, or have new features/functions added at your convenience. It’s up to you to piece together your digital signage “Frankenstein” and when it’s done right, none of the towns people will be tempted to light it on fire or plunge a pitchfork in to it.

31 reasons not to be afraid of digital signage #dsafraid // Reason #2: Cellular

Monday, October 10, 2011 by Chuck Gose

In light of October being a rather scary month, we thought we would highlight 31 reasons not to be afraid of digital signage. We hope you enjoy them.

Reason #2: Cellular digital signage

As mentioned in the first reason, IT can be a scary world for a lot of people. They'd probably rather check out a spooky noise at the endy of a creepy hallway than set up a meeting with their IT people.

All the way back in 2004, we released the world's first cellular digital signage. This was a huge breakthrough in the industry because it overcome one of the biggest obstacles in network installation: expensive IT infrastructure.

With both 3G and 4G connections available and coverage issues almost non-existent, for many cellular is the right choice. Plus because your digital signage network then stays completely off of your IT grid, it greatly reduces any security risks. This is a huge selling point for banks and other financial institutions (download).

And also for retailers, who's POS networks are often just large enough to manage store transactions. Adding more machinery to the networks could bog things down. But with cellular, they ride on a completely separate network.

The cellular connectivity is completely embedded, thanks to our partnerships with Verizon, Sprint and AT&T. All you have to do is hang your signage on the wall and get power to it. That's it. Plug and play.

Thoughts on measuring digital signage internally

Thursday, September 1, 2011 by Chuck Gose

"How do I measure digital signage internally?" has been an age-old question without an easy answer. I faced this challenge back when I managed my own network at Rolls-Royce. It's a lot of anecdotal feedback, mixed in with focus groups and surveys, and sprinkled with gut feelings.

Every month, the fine folks at Digital Signage Expo asks an industry-related question its Advisory Board. This month's question focused on properly measuring digital signage.

“What do you believe are the best practices in measuring viewership? Is employing a marketing analysis firm to determine viewership worth the cost?”

Most of the responses related to ad-based or retail networks but a few of the answers were from network owners who manage internal screens and I was very happy to see this. Here are their thoughts. (None of them are MediaTile clients.)

I think it’s important to be able to provide some sense of viewership, and effectiveness of messaging, as a rationale for using (and expanding) a digital signage network. However, since most higher education installations aren’t specifically generating revenue through their digital signage systems it’s hard to justify much expense at all to do this.

We have very little data on how many of our students, faculty and staff look at our signs, but we do conduct focus groups and other small activities to try to determine whether what we show is getting across the message we want. This is similar with what we do for messages delivered using other media.

Ron Danielson, Vice Provost for Information Services & CIO

Santa Clara University

We don’t measure viewership since all of our signage is internal and viewership isn’t a big concern for our executives. We are, for 2012, trying to figure out the best way to provide better ROI to be able to purchase more equipment or better manage our system. We do this in various ways, usually providing some type of incentive for our employees to take action (coupon codes or QR codes on the screens for prizes, lunch discounts, etc.) and that has proven to be a simple but fairly effective way to provide some measurement (certainly not very scientific!). But using a marketing analysis firm wouldn’t be worth the cost to us.

Paul Bennett, Manager, Creative Services IT

AFLAC Worldwide

Metrics are difficult to quantify, in our environment, because much of the content we are displaying is communication based. While many of the events, that are hosted at the school on a daily basis, are displayed on the signage, we have not put much effort to determine if the signage brings more attendees than email blasts or announcements on our the web portal.

Going forward, we could implement a tracking code or a “coupon” that would be only displayed on the signage, which would then be redeemable for a small giveaway or refreshments at the event. This would be a simple way for us to gauge the amount of traffic generated from the displays.

Additionally, we are in the beginning stages of using an interactive touch screen that allows members of the campus community to look up events and then, by swiping the person’s school ID, an email message with the event information gets sent to their email accounts. Using this interactive feedback might prove to be a very good way to get a measure of viewership.

James Velco, CTO

The John Marshall Law School

There's nothing Earth-shattering in these answers, but it does reinforce (in my opinion) the need to come up with some sort of measurement that corporate communicators can point to. I like that the John Marshall Law School is looking at using interactive as a way to get some data on network use and awareness, as well as AFLAC looking at QR codes, which can be tracked.

You can read all of the answers provided by Advisory Board, but there's a great and simple piece of advice provided by Kimberly Sarubbi, president & CEO of Saddle Ranch Productions.

"Test, adjust, optimize." This is exactly what digital signage network owners should be doing regardless of where their network is.

What are your thoughts on measuring digital signage that isn't ad- or retail-focused?
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Flickr image, StevenHarris

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Is 2011 the year for digital signage in higher ed?

Wednesday, July 13, 2011 by Chuck Gose

They say 83% of stats are made up on the spot. What about these numbers?

According to an article on eCampusNews, digital signage is set to take off for higher ed in 2011. But already seven+ months into the year has it?

That's the multi-million dollar question. Data from Northern Sky Research showed that 1,500 higher ed campusses added digital signage in 2010, totaling 8400 individual screens. Average it out and those are only 5-6 screen networks. I'm not minimizing the number but those aren't very big networks. Northern Sky shared that 13,000 screens will be installed in 2011, about a 50% increase.

I just haven't seen that level of interest from universities or colleges here in the U.S. In my opinion, the interest seems to have declined in broader campus communication (with so many smartphones in pockets and backpacks) BUT has increased in more niche areas within schools.

For example, the interest we've received are schools looking to use digital signage to update donor boards and other donor recognition efforts, replacing the traditional plaques and posters. And by going digital, you can recognize donors in much more timely and dynamic ways.

Another number shared by Northern Sky is that 97% of college students prefer digital communication over printed. This really should come as no shock to anybody, with maybe the exception of wondering who those 3% are who prefer print.

I'd love to hear from readers their feedback about communication on college campuses and if digital signage has taken off like Northern Sky expects it to.

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Flickr image courtesy of kristyhall

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Support the Red Cross Relief Efforts in Japan

Monday, March 21, 2011 by Simon Wilson

Together, we can make a difference – The recent disaster in Japan has affected millions of lives. Many are facing a day-to-day struggle. Together, as members of the digital signage industry we can make a difference. Collectively, we can use our technologies and our digital signage networks to promote Red Cross Relief Efforts and reach an estimated 155 million viewers each month.

Take action today - We have the power to dramatically improve the promotion of Red Cross Relief Efforts. By adding Red Cross Relief PSAs (Public Service Announcements) directly into our daily playlist and program schedules, we can influence millions of viewers to take action. If you own or operate a digital signage network, whether a promotional network or an internal communications network, you can help make a difference. Please visit www.dooh4relief.com , download the pre-approved Red Cross PSAs, and add them to your network today.

MediaTile diversifies the partner channel by adding Diversified Media Group (DMG)

Friday, January 21, 2011 by Rob Brinkmeyer

Diversified Media Group (DMG) is a network and systems engineering company, responsible for the management of day-to-day planning, engineering, installation, content development and routine maintenance across a wide span of business sectors. DMG is also the sister company of Diversified Systems, one of the US’ largest A/V integrators, with multiple offices from New Jersey to Seattle).

DMG recently deployed the MediaTile solution for AkzoNobel, which is the world’s largest global paints and coatings company (brands include Devoe, Dulux, Glidden, Liquid Nails, Ralph Lauren, with several more). Screens are currently deployed in corporate offices and manufacturing facilities across the US and Puerto Rico. Because our digital signage is cellular-based, it is uniquely appropriate for AkzoNobel’s existing communications network, which is carefully contained (not unlike most large-scale company infrastructures). The flexibility with which MediaTile signage can be installed and deployed eliminates the need for on-the-ground IT support and additional resources, without infringing upon the company’s network bandwidth.

DMG’s creative team works closely with MediaTile’s in-house talent to design and produce custom, templatized content specific to AkzoNobel, which is then broadcast on each display. As our software is intuitive and SaaS (cloud) based- any member of the team (with administrator permissions) can take the reins and drive the programming schedule. This is a digital signage network intended to provide its operators with ultimate control with minimal fuss.

We are excited to see where this opportunity leads…hopefully next to a retail location near you!

Feedback on our MediaCast Video Presence #CES

Friday, January 7, 2011 by Simon Wilson

After only one day at CES demonstrating our MediaCast Video Presence platform on multiple HumanKiosk solutions, we’ve been told repeatedly that it’s truly impressive. But what makes the solution so compelling is having the remote MarketStar on-call video attendants available to answer real questions, and in a number of different languages. And all through the magic of 4G networks from Alcatel-Lucent, Sprint and Verizon Wireless.

The HumanKiosk Video Concierge solution has interactive content at the bottom of the screen, running looped video promotions highlighting some of the shows here in Vegas, including “Jersey Boys”, “Peepshow” and “Phantom.” There’s also a version that highlights products, and a video jukebox, but I’ll save those for later, and continue with the Video Concierge.

If you’re interested in one of these shows, you can push one of the six call buttons that represent the different language options – English, French, German, Spanish, Chinese, and Japanese which are represented as flags. Pressing the “Japanese” flag, for example puts into a direct, 2-way face-to-face conversation with an on-call attendant who speaks Japanese and who can provide you with information about the show, show times, and even a discount code. All right on the digital signage.

It’s no wonder by brands, agencies, and even our good friends at MarketStar are interested in this next generation of interactive digital signage. They can make local-language and subject-matter experts directly available to their customers, and get the added value of real “face time” without the need to put brand advocates who speak all these languages in every location. This is a great example of business value both in terms of increasing brand coverage while slashing costs.

And thanks to 4G networks from ALU, Sprint and Verizon Wireless all that’s needed at each location to support this solution is a power outlet. Just a power outlet. Pretty amazing.

Announcing the Digital Signage for Corporate Communication conference #dscorpcomm

Thursday, July 1, 2010 by Chuck Gose

Out of personal frustration that the major digital signage events and associations pay very little attention to the growing amount of corporate communication networks, I have decided to do something about it.

With the help of Chris Bias and Eli Lilly & Company, I will be hosting the Digital Signage for Corporate Communication conference on August 10 at the Lilly Corporate Center in Indianapolis, IN.

The day-long event will provide attendees tips, tricks and techniques for running an internal digital signage network and improving communication. And as an added benefit, I hope the day will provide great networking for those involved. I hear all of the time from clients that they want to know who else is responsible for running an internal network.

And maybe the best news of all for some of you, the event will be FREE for MediaTile customers as a thank you. Non-MediaTile customers will also be able to attend at a nominal fee. The event will not be a sales pitch so we'd like for anybody running a corporate communication network will feel comfortable attending.

Lilly runs one of the largest corporate communication networks so part of the day will include a tour at the Lilly Corporate Center. So whether you've had a network for a while or are just starting one, you'll get to see one of the best in the world.

So block out the date and please stay tuned for registration information. I hope you'll be able to join us in August.

One more thing to potentially plan for is that Steve Crescenzo, an internal communication guru, is running his Corporate Communications 3.0 workshop the following day in Indy (August 11). It will be a great two days of corp comm learning. As a favor to me, Steve will also swing by our digital signage conference to share some of his wisdom.

It will make for a grew two days in Indianapolis.

HumanKiosk gets some love from Digital Signage Today

Wednesday, April 14, 2010 by Chuck Gose

Earlier this week, our award-winning HumanKiosk was given a pat on the back from Digital Signage Today. The article highlighted how new technology will change engagement through digital signage.

Keith Kelsen authored this article and is also the author "Unleashing the Power of Digital Signage – Content Strategies for the 5th Screen." Pulling a bit from the article, Keith writes:

I am always impressed by the impact of technology on media and then the impact that will have on us as viewers and media creators: Even how we define "viewer" is in flux right now.

Looking back at the technology advances of the last year and where these may lead us, we can see where "viewer" will become "participant" in the near- and long-term future.

In the near term, displays have delivered on the HD promise, but where do we go from here? What about the connected technology that creates a whole new form of engagement?

When I speak about connected technology I am talking about multilevel, multidynamic, multidimensional connections. These areas have and will create largely new, connected display systems that will transform our viewers into engaged participants.

In one type of connected displays, we have a digital signage network that allows us to change content, update ads, and receive feedback in what I call "Linear Connectedness."

With our HumanKiosk, there is true two-way interaction and communication with the viewing party. Not only are they able to interact with the content, but they have the ability to provide real-time feedback. Very powerful stuff.

For those attending NAB this week in Las Vegas, the Human Kiosk is on display in the Verizon Wireless booth (#SU8502). Check it out.

Digital Signage Content Strategies Summit: Day 2 in Review #DSContent

Wednesday, April 14, 2010 by Chuck Gose

Wow. You know when you go to conferences and you may not get much out of them but you're still overly complimentary? This is not the case at all. Day 2 of the Strategy Institute's Digital Signage Content Strategies Summit was awesome. And those aren't just my words, but the feedback from other attendees.

Aside from being a consumer myself, I don't have any experience in the retail world and truly am not aware of the challenges they face in the digital world. After yesterday, color me enlightened. Just follow the hash tag #DSContent and you can see all of the messages I shared from the @MediaTile Twitter account.

The day was a good balance of what the possibilities are with digital technology along with many of the obstacles that still exist. Here are a few of my observations...

Kevin Flatt and Mark Renshaw, Leo Burnett and Arc Worldwide, showcased the future of what digital can be in the retail world, using a great analogy of who's driving the bus. Apparently agencies are the drivers who know where they want to go but often get lost and NEVER ask for directions.
Paul Flanigan, The Preset Group, led a panel of Michael Twitty, Unilever Americas, and Jim Lucas, Draftfcb. The information spewing out of Michael was amazing. I practically couldn't type fast enough about how brands are viewing digital in the consumer packaged goods world. This will lead to future blog posts.
And we finally had our first Foursquare mention with Stephen Randall, LocaModa. Stephen did a great job showcasing how digital signage and social media content can play quite nicely in the same sandbox. His point that "you must view that your digital signage message has a range of 20 miles, not 20 feet," really hit home with the audience.
And then there is Bob Stowe, Wendy's. Bob added an important element to the conference, highlighting the challenges faced when working with large corporations. Many wonder why quick service restaurants have been somewhat slow to adapt to digital signage. Bob outlined all of the players that get involved and the challenges with each. Though I don't think he'll be getting the key to the city of Detroit anytime soon. He mentioned that one of their stores stays open 24 hours solely due to security concerns. Yikes.
Rudy Dearborn, MGM Mirage, outlined the history that his casino has had with the technology along with some of the unique content challenges. What was peculiar is that they use Mac Minis to drive displays and had to have custom mounts built, along with a custom digital signage software application. BUT they do a great job of utilizing existing resources and data to keep content fresh and relevant.
And last but not least, our very own Simon Wilson and David Ozer, iPOWOW!, presented on the importance of getting instantaneous viewer feedback of what they are seeing on the screens. The audience didn't appear to be a big hunting crowd, so the example of how Hunter Specialities is using touch-screen technology in endcaps to promote their products. All kidding aside, the digital signage has given them a 30% sales uplift. That's no laughing matter.

So, all in all, a great show. But during the networking lunch, one of the attendees asked me how much of our business was in non-retail. Quite a bit in fact. He was curious why there was no attention paid to corporate communication networks.

I told him that's my challenge. That's why I do what I do. That's my crusade.

Some of the best digital signage content advice I've ever read - #dse2010

Wednesday, February 24, 2010 by Chuck Gose

And I learned it all from my online mistress. . . Twitter.

I didn't get into Vegas until mid-day yesterday and didn't attend any of the Tuesday Digital Signage Expo events. But thanks to Twitter and those who did tweeted their comments, I followed the #dse2010 hash tag to see what was going on.

So without further delay, here's some of the best advice I've ever read on digital signage content...

This fantastic nugget was delivered by Jason Kates of Argo Digital Solutions as part of Tuesday's activities. What's great about the advice, beyond its simplicity, is that applies to every application of digital signage. I don't care if you're installing it to help out with employee communications, upgrading menu boards for a restaurant, installing signage into banks to advertise to customers, or it's a purely ad-based network.

The philosophy works. It doesn't matter what type of network you operate. If your audience is on the go, keep your content still. If your audience is still, make your content move. I'm now going to share this with even my existing clients because I think it helps cement with people what they need to focus on when it comes to digital signage content.

And at the end of the day, that's simply what matters most. The hardware is important. And so is the software. But if people and clients don't know what to do with content, we're in trouble.

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As the Expo goes on, I'll provide updates through the event. I do recommend following the #dse2010 hash tag on Twitter, as well as the official @DSExpo account. (And it would mean a lot to me if you followed @MediaTile, too.)

Digital Signage Expo: "Have fun storming the castle!"

Wednesday, February 17, 2010 by Chuck Gose

Digital Signage Expo is a week away and I'm ecstatic to report that MediaTile will have quite the presence at the event in Las Vegas. To reference a memorable Bill Crystal quote in The Princess Bride, we are "storming the castle."

We have a pretty good sized booth (#1427) at the convention center, but most importantly is that several of us (employees and customers) are speaking at various sessions.

You can check out the full schedule and details of those speaking at panels and Lunch & Learns, but here are the highlights:

Wayne Ward, Sprint, VP, Emerging Solutions
Simon Wilson, MediaTile, CEO
Chris Bias, APR, Eli Lilly & Company, Communications Consultant
Robert Russell, AT&T
Chuck Gose, MediaTile, Director Business Development & Social Media
 Keith Kelsen, Author "Unleashing the Power of Digital Signage - Content Strategies for the 5th Screen"

In addition to the panels, the Ad Council, the nation’s leading provider of PSAs will highlight its PSACasting initiative powered by the MediaCast content delivery and management system. PSACasting will make it easy for operators to browse, preview and download current Ad Council PSAs for various causes, such as Haiti relief, to digital signage networks. Visit Booth #C7 in the content pavilion.

Hatian Relief PSAs now available for digital signage networks

Tuesday, February 2, 2010 by Chuck Gose

We've seen Americans respond in positive and dramatic ways to help Haiti and her people attempt to recover from the devastating earthquakes. And getting the word out more and more only helps.

Through a partnership between the Ad Council and MediaTile, PSACasting.org has three different Hatian relief PSAs that are available to download for any digital signage network.

It's important to note that you do not need to be a MediaTile customer to take advantage of these PSAs or others provided by the Ad Council. You just need to log in or sign up on PSACasting.org to download the videos.

So whether you're running a digital out-of-home network in retail, banks or for employee communications, please consider downloading these important PSAs and adding them to your content playlists.

Did you miss last week's Digital Signage supplement in USA Today?

Tuesday, February 2, 2010 by Chuck Gose

If you missed last week's Digital Signage supplement in USA Today, you weren't the only one. The 16-page pull-out supplement only appeared in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. I suppose those are USA Today's major markets because it reached more than two million subscribers.

But unless you're in one of those cities or an industry junkie, you likely missed it. If you're interested, you can download it courtesy of Digital Signage Today.

Publications like this one (and the second time it's happened) is truly great exposure for the industry and the leading experts and contributors. I was hoping there would at least been a mention of corporate communication in the publication but alas there wasn't. Some of our most successful deployments are for corporate communicators but maybe we are in the minority. However, there are still threads in the supplement's articles that can be helpful to those looking to install an internal network.

You can check out MediaTile's ad on page 3 of the supplement, underneath the article on Digital Signage Expo.

Wrapping up the Strategy Institute conference (#BuildDSBiz)

Monday, November 23, 2009 by Chuck Gose

Last week, I was in Chicago for the Strategy Institute Building Your Digital Signage Business. This is the fourth Strategy Institute conference I've been to and it was another solid conference.

If you are interested in a conference "play by play" both myself and David Drain tweeted throughout the show. You can follow along at #BuildDSBiz.

Though there was a sort of a good news/bad news situation with the show. The good news? MediaTile had a 32" Digital Sign in a Box set up there which generated a lot of questions through the two-day show. The bad news? I couldn't always pay full attention to each of the speakers.

Here are some of my thoughts and observations on the show...

I was really interested to hear from Tom Campbell, Healthy Advice Networks. I had heard so much about their digital signage network but never really knew the details. He said they use a reverse "Field of Dreams" approach. Meaning, they let the customers (doctors & patients) dictate if a screen is put in place. Health Advice has been around for several years but it was surprising they use dial-up to deliver content to the screens. But if that's what works, then it's working well for them.
Later on, Pierre Richer, NEC, spoke about overcoming some of the current industry challenges. He said that the current glut of content management systems (CMS) is making ad buys harder. I'm guessing it's going to stay this way until there is some great consolidation within the digital signage industry. I don't see anybody stepping aside to help other vendors.
Later in the afternoon, the debate around SaaS versus a hosted solution took place. I've blogged about it several times here before, but both Greg Argyle, GoGo Cast, and Sanjay Manandhar, Aerva, spoke about the pros and cons of each choice. It seemed to me that the choice might simply come down to a company's culture or appetite for SaaS. if they use it in other areas, then they'll likely use it for digital signage.
Bill Collins, DecisionPoint Media Insights, closed out day one with a highlight of 2009 developments. I'm still a little peeved at Bill for calling corporate communication networks "vanilla" (at the Digital Hub Initiative) but I'm sure I'll get over it.
OVAB's ears must have been burning during the show. They were mentioned so often attendees could have turned it into a drinking game.
I feel one of the more informative sessions was led by Tom Kunka, University of Illinois, and Michael Hoffberg, Villanova University. Both gave a brief review of their networks and it was interesting to see how each school has approached digital signage differently but both appear to be successful with their implementations. And even in the education market, the debate of SaaS versus hosted software rages on.
The conference switched to content, but from unique areas. Manolo Almagro, Show & Tell Productions, focused on user generated content (UGC). I think this was extremely helpful for the audience because there are so many sources for this and Manolo did a great job at highlighting the key sources and provided tips on how to best use them.

Then one of our customers, Chris Bias, Eli Lilly & Company, reviewed his global communication network that he's installing at Lilly locations around the world. At a corporate level, Chris is able to deliver the broader messages to employees around the world, but then give local administrators access to add in their own unique local messaging. This feature is key for any company looking at a larger corporate communication install.

As I wrote earlier, I would have liked to have been able to pay more attention to all of the speakers, but I also had a chance to meet a lot of new people and answer their questions about the MediaTile solution. At last year's conference, which also took place in Chicago, we were one of four companies exhibiting. This year, we were the only one. I'm not sure why we were the only one, but others missed out I think.

I scoured around looking for other conference recaps and found this one from AdSemble's Matt Olivieri, who was also in attendance.
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P.S. On a side note, I'd like to personally thank and congratulate Keith Kelsen on his new ventures. I've known Keith for several years, first as a customer when I was at Rolls-Royce and Keith was MediaTile's CEO. He is now moving on to bigger and (maybe) better and I wish him all the best. Four years ago I told him MediaTile had the perfect corporate communication solution and he gave me a chance to prove that. For that, I will be forever grateful.

Cellular Digital Signage + Banks: A perfect union

Wednesday, October 21, 2009 by Leah Kane

Today's guest entry is contributed by Pegi Patwardhan.

(Pegi started as an advertising executive in 1998 at a b2b technology agency, responsible for all media used in the marketing mix (online, email marketing, direct mail, magazine, events). Her focus has always been finding ways to shorten the sales cycle for her clients - and has found MediaTile an excellent vehicle for making that happen.)

Banking and digital signage together makes sense. Customers have a need to know and
learn about their finances. The bank team needs to have current information.
MediaTile has recently added another chain of banks to its list of happy clients. (Due to confidentiality agreements, I can't name the bank yet).

What I can talk about is why they chose to go with MediaTile. Corporate headquarters was looking for a way to deliver specific, targeted messaging to each of its branches, while maintaining consistency in its branding effort. They also wanted to offer their customers more of a professional experience. Multiple POP displays and printed materials were cluttering branch lobbies and surfaces; by switching to MediaTile, they were able to update their lobby with a sleek and professional, modern look.

Overwhelmingly, banks cite their concern for security as the number one reason not to use digital signage in their facilities. The security of the bank's network is paramount. However, MediaTile's built-in cellular networking feature eliminates the need to tie into any on-site infrastructure, insulating the signage network from sensitive customer data.

What can digital signage bring to banks? It can personalize and support core knowledge for everyone who visits. With MediaTile, banks can also educate customers on their other products and service offerings in a fresh and enticing way. It can offer relevant and timely advice. It can reassure everyone, with up to the minute information. That is the service, the value and the purpose of digital signage.

The Digital Signage Show Europe - Economic Slow-down or Just the "Traffic Congestion Charge Effect"?

Tuesday, October 13, 2009 by Simon Wilson

While visiting a range of channel and cellular carrier partners last week in the UK and the Benelux region I was able to spend a day at the Self Service Expo and Digital Signage Show Europe at Olympia in London. One of our value-added solution partners, Box Technologies, was exhibiting there, so I spent a day chatting with network operators and prospective customers as they came across the Box stand.

I also met with Bill Yackey, Editor of Digital Signage Today, who was speaking on both days of the show covering some great statistics and trends for the industry as a whole. Bill has a very comprehensive write up of the show and event on the Digital Signage Today web site.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/simondee/3162006147/

For those of you who have visited London in the last few years you will know all about the new Traffic Congestion Charge – in effect a toll charge for entering central London by car. A masterful ruse to raise money for local government projects all in the name of reducing pollution and the British carbon footprint – trouble is less people are coming into London as a result and business generally suffers - Hence the phrase of the moment in London; “the Traffic Congestion Charge effect”.

Meanwhile, back at the 2009 Signage Show, the number of digital signage exhibitors was down on 2008, traffic flows reduced, and general activity levels more subdued. Well the view through my rose-tinted spectacles was somewhat more positive. I saw solid traffic-flow across the exhibition stand, well-qualified and educated prospects, great questions, and folks ready to buy and deploy.

According to my colleagues, this was true on both days, not just the day I spent at the show. What was also interesting was the proportion of value added solution providers rather than network owner/operators who were looking for technology partners. These ranged from creative agencies, and merchandising firms, to managed service providers and network management firms. No longer is this an industry whose channel is dominated by AV integrators. The emphasis of the value chain or ‘solution stack’ has definitely shifted upstream to consulting, content, and service.

So no doubt the general economic condition has had an impact on our industry with the UK being no exception - but the quality of customers and vendors has improved as a result of this shake out – not only can they afford to pay the Traffic Congestion Charge but they are also ready and willing to buy.

Keepin' it Simple

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Photo credit, SimonDoggett

Panel discusses digital signage at Digital Hub non-Conference (#dhi09)

Monday, September 28, 2009 by Chuck Gose

Digital signage panel, photo courtesy of @marybethonline

I had originally intended this post to be more of a "Day 2 recap" of sorts. But since MediaTile is a digital signage company, I felt I should focus on the panel that discussed what we do - digital signage.

The session was good, but also disappointing. But the disappointment didn't have anything to do in particular with the panelists but more so with the limited time. The session was scheduled to last 45 minutes and we got a late start. It's just too big of a topic to even provide an overview in 45 minutes or less. (That's me in the far right of the photo, Twittering away in the session.)

Tim Burke, of Electronic Arts and also known as @kioskguy, moderated the session and did a great job of keeping the conversation moving. Here's the goods and not-so-goods of the session.

Goods:

Bill Collins, DecisionPoint Media Insights, gave a brief yet informative "digital signage 101" discussion.
The panelists all agreed that companies should be using commercial-grade digital signage hardware and not the consumer-grade stuff that might appear cheaper in the short run but users will pay over the long haul.

Not-so-goods:

The beauty of digital signage is that it delivers dynamic and relevant content. Yet the samples in the room weren't networked and one screen showed old weather for Lincoln, Nebraska. Nebraska? We're in Cincinnati. Now I'm sure this is because some signage doesn't work unless you set up an expensive IT network. Maybe somebody should look at cellular digital signage. Hey wait, I think I know somebody...
Bill Collins is a smart man, but I was a bit offended when he described corporate communication networks as "vanilla" and ad-based networks as chocolate. He said they're vanilla because they aren't as exciting. I beg to differ. I had a lot of fun managing networks. I like vanilla. You can add all sorts of great toppings to vanilla ice cream. I'll give Bill a pass on this one.

I was glad to see digital signage included in the Digital Hub non-Conference, but 45 minutes just isn't enough. Maybe we can do more in 2010. One idea might be to focus on a small successful case study for each vertical market (retail, transportation, hospitality, corp comm, etc.).

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On a side yet important note, I wanted to personally thank and congratulate all of those responsible for putting on this year's Digital Hub non-Conference. Without a doubt, it was one of the best comms-related conferences I've ever attended. They pulled together a phenomenal group of speakers and session leaders and everything appeared to run smoothly despite all of the rain. I'm looking forward to bigger and better in 2010. Get to work! :)
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Photo credit, marybethonline