Digital Signage Solutions

It is always very satisfying when you can help local businesses do a better job of building community ties, while at the same time improving their product and service promotions. Our local supermarket chain, The Scotts Valley Market, has deployed a digital sign above their deli counter – in one of the highest traffic areas of the store with good dwell time.

Their goal is to augment existing promotions, while also informing shoppers of all the community activities that they are involved with, including Chamber of Commerce events, such as the upcoming art and wine festival. They also run local weather and a national news ticker to keep shoppers engaged and entertained while waiting for deli orders. It’s great to see that digital signage has become such a common and well understood medium. This is right in line with the recent Arbitron study, which estimated that 155 million adults in the US remember seeing a digital display each month.

I’d also like to point out that one of our resellers, Vivid Digital Concepts (www.vividdigitalconcepts.com) is in the business of setting up digital-signage network operator franchisees who deploy and operate their own community-based and owner-operated chain-wide networks.   So...if you’re thinking of getting into the business, they are a terrific starting point. And because it’s a MediaTile cellular and web-based solution, the only infrastructure you need on-site is a power outlet (that’s my shameless plug!).

I was delighted to see that our new 3G/4G Cellular-based Digital Signage Whitepaper has made the Top10 list of downloads at Digital Signage Today. It’s great to see that there is a ton of interest in 3G and 4G based digital signage solutions, and that interest continues to grow among resellers and customers.

Recently, I’ve attended and demonstrated our 4G-based solutions in Sacramento, at the Government Technology Conference, and at a Sprint 4G Launch Event in Kansas City, and was overwhelmed by the newfound interest.   I believe that 4G is truly a “disruptive technology”, and it has the ability to change the networking landscape as we have come to know it. High-bandwidth networks no longer require a tethered network access point.

For everyone interested in how 4G wireless broadband networks will affect the digital signage industry, please visit Digital Signage Today and download the new, and just-released version of the “3G/4G Cellular-based Digital Signage” guide.  

Here’s what contributing editor Richard Slawsky, of Digital Signage Today, had to say about the impact that 4G will have: “Although 3G networking provided a breakthrough for digital signage, 4G is expected to be the ‘tipping point’ for a new generation of wireless digital signage deployments, as it eliminates any remaining variance between hard wired, high-bandwidth networks.”

(Today's Guest entry comes from Mike Foster, CMO and Co-Founder of MediaTile) 

Sprint has accelerated their marketing efforts around 4G, and is now offering 4G services in more than 30 US markets.  We are very excited about the 4G opportunity, including the soon to be released 4G LTE platform from Alcatel/Lucent and VerizonWireless.  

4G networks could very well be a tipping point for the entire digital signage industry, accelerating deployments and enabling new market opportunities.  If you’d like to know more about the impact that 4G will have on digital signage, please visit Digital Signage Today and download the newly updated version of the "3G/4G Cellular-based Digital Signage" guide. This guide includes the latest 4G information and commentary by carriers, users and integrators.

• 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" 

Today's guest post is provided by Nick Powley of b2m Consulting in the UK, who has extensive experience in systems integration, and content distribution & management...

Every now and again something dramatic happens that really catches your eye, and during last week's visit to theIntegrated Systems Europe (ISE) show in Amsterdam, I really had my eyes opened! Now, those of you who know Amsterdam are probably off on an entirely wrong track already...but here I’m talking about big bright and very eye-catching displays.

The theme of this year's show appeared to be, "How Big and Bright Can We Make Our Display to Really Get Noticed?" Those of you who visited the show and did so without dark glasses may have come away with an LED-induced tan. Whilst every exhibitor seemed to be competing for the most innovative, and sometimes obscure way to deliver their message, the recurring theme was undoubtedly digital signage, or as one exhibitor had written over their booth, Digital "Sinage"...how appropriate, given the location.
 

Sadly, even though it was nearly impossible to find a space in the show where you could avoid seeing those magic words, "digital signage," many exhibitors appeared to have lost their way when it came down to content and message. Things got even more interesting when one stopped to discuss signage solutions with potential vendors, who, without even asking about the application or what might be required, were happy to launch into wonderful technical block diagrams with ftp file servers, message handling servers, interrupt and backup devices, as well as a plethora of content management and creation tools...Oh! My head hurt, and not just from the retinal burn.

Stepping back for a moment and enjoying one of Amsterdam’s most expensive treats (exhibition coffee), I mused on why digital signage vendors still insist on focusing on hardware. Sadly, too many have come from a highly technical background and still believe that the only way to impress customers is to talk about file types/protocols and server architectures. Having now spent several years working in the sector and seeing good, bad, and ugly solutions, I believe passionately that the simpler the offering, the easier it is to understand and use, the more likely it is to be a real business benefit and not a millstone.

Surprisingly, finding simple solutions can be an incredibly complex process, and often suppliers can only offer a piece of the puzzle. Frequent enquiries at the show for a complete solution yielded responses from "Yes, we can do everything, apart from installation," through to "No, we only provide the software so you can use your own hardware." It would be wrong to imply that companies cannot offer complete solutions- of course they often can- but the route to enlightenment can be long and tortuous without a competent guide to lead the way.

As an independent consultant in the signage sector, I should declare that my current enthusiasm lies with the simple and highly effective offering from MediaTile. From the very first day I met with MediaTile in Las Vegas in 2007, I knew my life as a systems integrator was about to get a whole lot easier. "Digital Sign in a Box" seemed almost too good to be true, but three years on, I still find the offering hard to match in what has become a very competitive and confusing marketplace for vendors.

So as a veteran with some 25 years of trade show appearances,  I can offer a few small pieces of advice when you're on the floor:

• Go with a plan and be prepared to change it!
• Keep your eyes open for new and exciting offerings.
• Don’t get drawn onto the rocks by the sirens with big distractions.
• Be inquisitive and dig beneath the surface to see if what glitters truly is gold.
• Bring a lot of cash if you want to eat/drink at the show.

If what you want from your digital signage is "Wow Factor," then visit Las Vegas' strip and be wowed.  If, however, you need a global solution that's easy to manage and deploy, and provides great return on message, then focus on "keeping it simple" -  and stay away from the bright red lights!

Nick Powley
b2m Consulting - UK

• 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.
   

Our very own Chuck Gose and his Digital Signage Solutions blog is in a heated battle to win the Top 50 Blogs in Indiana competition. It would be great recognition for MediaTile and the digital signage industry if we could pull out the win.

It only takes a few seconds to place your vote. If you have a few moments today, please log your support for the work we do.  Thank you.
 

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.

There is increasing recognition in the DOOH industry of the importance of relevant content and ‘making every screen count’ – in other words ensuring that the content on each and every screen on the network is relevant to its specific audience at all times.  This of course is not a straightforward task - technically, creatively, or even logistically in the case of large disparate networks.  Add to that the drive towards experiential and contextual-based content and you have a complicated cocktail of requirements on your hands.

In response to this requirement, solution providers are taking varied approaches and bringing different backgrounds and skill sets to the client table in order to design and deliver high value-add digital signage content solutions.

One rather interesting approach is that being taken by Muzak.  The other day I met up with Jon Luther, Director of the Visual Solutions Division of Muzak, and wanted to share his approach.  Muzak has a long rich 75-year history and is the leader in in-store and on-hold custom music solutions. Over recent years, Muzak has been expanding its approach to deliver a much broader solution.  Playing on the senses of sight and smell, as well as hearing, Muzak now provides a broader sensory and experiential branding solution to its business clients.  By combining music, messaging, custom scent, and visual imagery through digital signage, Muzak has created a compelling and contemporary integrated suite of sensory branding and entertainment products and services.

As network operators and digital signage customers increasingly demand that their DOOH networks deliver a contextual based experience that is relevant to their environment, I expect we will see more examples of innovative approaches like Muzak’s.  This really is an exciting time to be at the forefront of digital signage.

Keepin’ it Simple

1. Learn more about MediaCast, our digital signage software solution
    
2. Digital Signage 101 - coming to a college campus near you? 
    
3. Composer makes creating digital signage content easy 
    
4. Change your password to improve digital signage security 
    
5. Keep the lines of communication open, ALL of the time