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Volume 1, Issue 2 — February 20, 2009 |
Read rAVe DS [Digital Signage] online
Click here to subscribe now! PCs Suck: The Non-PC Digital Signage Solutions Are Coming!
By Gary Kayye, CTS Using a PC as a content transmitter and receiver for Digital Signage networks sucks. Microsoft and their myriad problems have bled all over the DS market too.And, everyone's been screaming for non-PC based solutions since the beginning. But, there haven't been many that have, well, not sucked too. At least Microsoft Windows-based PCs are familiar, we know how to control and manage them (even if they don't work consistently well) and, let's face it, Apple hasn't exactly realized this market even exists. They seem to be caught up in the iPod generation, all the while having a product that could DOMINATE the DS market as a content player (the iPhone) if they had enough sense to modify it for us — and realize that there are already commercial applications for iPhones. What the heck am I talking about? Well, think about it. The Apple OS (currently known as OS X) is rock solid, bug-free and virus-safe. You can't hack it and you can't even modify it unless Apple says so. The version they tapped for the iPhone is rock-solid-er, bug-free-er and in its nearly two years of existence, hasn't yet had a virus. As for the DS market, the reasons that a PC sucks as a content player are many and well-known. But, imagine the iPhone. It's got a 16 GB drive, it's got a display that will allow you to troubleshoot a system locally at any time, it works off of three different communications networks (3G, Edge and WiFi) and it's like 300 bucks! But, even Apple doesn't see the DS market — yet. Of all the non-PC based Digital Signage players/receivers we've seen so far, by far, the best is the SpinetiX HMP100. No, I didn't get paid to say that. No, they are not an advertiser. In fact, I have NEVER spoken to a single person at that company by phone, in person or via e-mail. It's just a fact — it's the best non-PC based content player out there. But, it's got limitations too. It's only got a 2 GB drive (although it is solid state), it's highest resolution is only 720p (when just about every DS monitor today is native 1080) and it's not tried and true tested — it's new. But, you got to start somewhere. It plays back just about any type of file — including AVI, MPEG-everything, H.264, PowerPoint, Flash, Animated GIFs and even Windows Media 9. And, it's small — way smaller than a crappy PC. It's 4"x1"x3" and weighs just 6 ounces (yes, ounces). I am in no way affiliated with this company — just trying to help you! Try it out! Back to Top |
Click above for more information Succeeding with Digital Signage
By Andrew Starks
Tightrope Media Systems cofounder The explosive growth of the digital signage market has been well documented. A great indication is the large number of manufacturers that are in the game: 3M, Cisco, Panasonic, ViewSonic, Samsung, NEC, etc. All told, there are well over 500 companies that claim to make digital signage solutions.Then why is it that when we visit a new AV integrator prospect and ask them to sell our products, we find such resistance? The projects are there and the technology is well within the grasp of your typical installer. There seems to be no reason why digital signage isn't lighting the AV industry on fire. In truth, we've had great success with the dealers that we do have. My first job was working as a support technician at a dealership in my back yard. I later became a sales person for another dealer and when I started my company, selling through this channel seemed natural. It turns out, I was right! For the last four years our revenue has grown by 50 percent or more, last year hitting 64 percent growth, with positive cash flow in each one of those years and now we are entering 2009 with no debt. This is thanks to our 250 dealers, 95 percent of which are AV integrators. In my 13 years of experience running a DS company, I believe that there are nine keys to selling DS successfully in the AV market. At the risk of showing all of my cards, I'll share them with you here: 1: Find a company that you can make money with. We find that the dealer has to be able to win the bid with the digital signage solution. They cannot win if it comes down to price and they are competing with dealers that did not have to do any of the engineering work. One solution to this challenge is to have an extremely aggressive bid registration program that gives the registered dealer a significant advantage over a competing bid. We even go so far as to cut the registered dealer a check for the difference if our product goes in, but through a dealer that didn't register. This gives the sales staff confidence that they can lead with the product and thus we have their mindshare. Taking on a new system is hard work and nothing discourages this effort more than getting cut off at the knees by another dealer or, worse, the digital signage manufacturer. 2: Do not work with a company that swims in the pond that they fish in. If a digital signage company is going to sell directly to end users, they should not expect to be successful with the AV industry. What many manufacturers fail to understand is that a dealer doesn't really make any money off of individual projects "here and there." They make their money when momentum is built off of previous projects. When a sales person has happy customers to reference and older proposals to copy, subsequent sales get cheaper and easier to close. If a sales person closes a job and that client refers another potential customer to the manufacturer, which then sells the product directly, they have just destroyed any chance of succeeding with that dealer. Do not work with a digital signage manufacturer who also sells their product directly to end users. It is harsh, but sage advice. 3: Pick a solution with an understandable price list. Many systems are modularized to the Nth degree, just to capture every nickel. When a sales person doesn't feel confident about how to configure the system, they don't bring it up in casual conversations, for fear of getting stumped. They don't see every visit to their customer as a potential DS sale. "How's your AMX system doing? By the way, have you thought about digital signage?" By keeping the configuration options simple, sales people can talk about everything that the product does and quote it without screwing it up. They look like heroes. Too many digital signage systems are impossible to quote. Find one that makes it easy. 4: Independent reps are your friends. They have been a big key to our success because they are able to go into an AV integrator with the mount, UTP transmission equipment, monitor and our system. They effectively hand our AV integrators a working solution. What's more, they are able to manage the territory, prevent oversaturation of dealers, assist in demonstrations, etc. For a product like digital signage, good independent reps have been critical. This point is not so much a key to your success, except to say that if the company that you are working with uses independent reps, embrace them and the job that they do. They are there to help you win business. 5: Pick a company where dealer training is a priority. As an example, we give away free, high quality training to our dealers every month. We promote that training relentlessly through email blasts and through our independent reps. For us, a trained dealer is a committed dealer. For you, a trained installation staff means installation revenue and satisfied customers. A trained sales staff means accurate quotes and closed sales. If your digital signage manufacturer is doing all of the training and install work for you, you are giving money away and you are losing momentum because the relationship is now with the digital signage manufacturer and not with you. Where are they going to go for upgrades and expansion? 6: Get a demonstration unit and use it in your office. We believe in this point so strongly that we sell our demonstration kit at below our hardware costs. It includes every option available, a carrying case, every adapter a salesperson might need and multiple channels of industry specific demonstration content. Just to get management to buy it, we let them turn it in 6 months. Getting a demo unit will increase your success tremendously because your support and sales staff can play with it and your customer can see it. If you're not buying a demonstration unit, you're not serious about digital signage and you will not succeed. Also, get demo equipment into your own lobby. Your staff will use it as a part of their job and hopefully like the product and it's a great story to tell the customer. We go so far as to design content specifically for our dealer's lobby, for free. 7: Offer creative services or pick a digital signage company that offers it. Our success picked up dramatically when we started our creative design department. They can set up a system with unique content or low-cost, pre-made customizable content that is designed for specific industries. The AV dealers resell these creative services and when the system goes on line, they look like a hero because the customer is not left wondering how they are going to make the display look good. It looks great as soon as they turn the key. Some dealers will go so far as to hire an artist to do creative content development. If you feel confident that you can keep that person busy, perhaps by having them develop your marketing materials as well, it is a great source of revenue. 8: Support must be free. A long-time adviser to my company told me, "If you have a support problem, you really have a development problem." Work with companies that give their support away. As a matter of principle, we keep our support free. Any dealer can call us with support questions and so can their customers. We have an online forum, live chat rooms, free training videos and staff blogs filled with how-to tips and tricks. Without free support, too often you will be forced into situations that your staff is not prepared for. Then the salesperson gets a call, which means they loose confidence and thus momentum. Also, asking a customer for a credit card to answer a support question destroys good will. Going above and beyond creates fans of your customers and references for your next sale. 9: Finally, it goes without saying, but find a great product that your customers will want. Pick a company that is good at ignoring the noise of opportunities where their product almost fits, but not quite. Steve Jobs, who has been a little successful in his run at Apple, said, "I'm as proud of what we don't do as I am of what we do." Not every solution fits every customer and trying to sell retail signage products designed for multi-national store deployments is not going to work in the AV world. This channel is about public information signage and some limited retail. Products that are focused on that market, and that are stable and priced well, have great potential for your AV dealership. Want to help educate AV-Integrators on the DS market too? Well, write the story. Tell us what you’re doing that’s working and if it’s something that will help the AV market eventually dominate the DS market, we will write it up! Send your story ideas to gary@ravepubs.com.
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TruMedia and Dzine Partner TruMedia Technologies, a provider of audience measurement and "proactive" advertising (their words), and dZine, a digital signage solution manufacturer entered into a partnership two weeks ago. By integrating TruMedia's PROM proactive marketing solution with dZine's digital signage solution, users of the dZine player can now proactively and automatically trigger advertising content change based on the demographic characteristics of the viewing audience. This seems extremely creative and has the potential to make digital signage more interactive. The companies said that the combined solution logs viewers in front of the display using a structured feature in the dZine DISplayer. One can choose the data filters to perform targeted marketing in the best way. Statistics, created afterwards, show the relation between the played content and demographic composition of the viewer groups all by timestamp. The Smart Scheduling system changes the actual playing content depending on the gender and age of the person(s) in front of the display. Conditions can be imposed so the right content is played depending on the number of genders or ages. This seems like a good partnership and a creative solution. I am worried that implementation may be complicated, but both are partnering with AV integrators, not IT companies, so that's a big plus! Give them a call and consider becoming a dealer. dZine is at: http://www.dzine.be/ TruMedia is at: http://www.tru-media.com/ Back to Top C-nario Aims New Software Package at Small DS Apps C-nario's new C-Sign is designed for small and medium businesses, enabling users to upload all types of content (video, images, text) easily, schedule the content and manage it through a Web browser with what the company says is a user-friendly interface, from anywhere, anytime. C-Sign is a Web 2.0 Rich Internet Application (RIA) and it includes pre-designed graphic templates that can be easily customized to the user's preferences and language, enabling multiple users to access the system in different languages at the same time.C-nario is another software solution specifically targeting the AV integrator and has, like dZine (above story) partnered with TruMedia as well. You can read all about it at: http://www.c-nario.com/category/C-Sign Back to Top VISIX Launches Room Sign Line — Digital Signage Outside Every Meeting Room!
Visix, Inc., has released its new interactive room sign line, which they say is the most comprehensive solution of its kind in the digital signage industry. This is a great up-sell for AV integrators and by integrating this, you will be learning how to do digital signage too! Visix's interactive MeetingMinder room signs are available with 10.4-inch or 15-inch displays that can be wall-mounted or even recessed in the wall. The interactive touch screen room management feature, wrapped around the Visix digital signage player, offers "walk-up" reservation capability with bi-directional event scheduling support for Dean Evans & Associates EMS Software and Microsoft Exchange.
Visix interactive room signs are complemented with a variety of architectural accessories, including display frames and enclosures that allow clients to customize the signs to go with the colors, style and design of their facility. Room signs are typically mounted outside conference, training and meeting rooms to announce room availability and schedule information along with dynamic digital signage content.
Visix room signs are powered by the company's AxisTV software application, allowing them to deliver current room and event schedules, integrate with the most popular scheduling applications, and provide the flexibility to display a wide range of visual communications – including text, graphics, media files, PowerPoint® slides, data feeds and tickers. Visix's browser-based interface allows users to create and manage content from any PC or browser-compliant device on the network or via the web.
The interactive room management feature requires that room signs have access to an AxisTV version 7.0.15 (or higher) Professional or Enterprise content manager and read-write access to an EMS database or Exchange public calendars. A single Visix Enterprise server is capable of supporting up to 4,000 room signs.
Starting price for each interactive rooms sign models is MSRP $2469. For more information about the MeetingMinder room sign line, go to: http://www.visix.com/products/meetingminder/index.htmBack to Top The Coolest Crowd Grabber at ISE At ISE, an eye-catcher was the I2F MediaWheel that spins when it has an audience. The creative content (made by a film director) and the spinning metal-construction (made by Inter2Face) were designed to attract an audience to their stand. But the main message they wanted to convey was: here's what you can accomplish with their software, I2F Media Products.Their core software, I2F MediaBrick is a high definition media server that handles standard formats of still or moving images and sound, including URL, live camera images, applications such as Google Earth or Flash, and any other executable provided it can run on the chosen hardware. This package controls all kinds of peripheral devices. They use their knowledge of hardware to squeeze all it has to offer out of a standard motherboard to let it control lights, sound, cameras, projectors, motors, doors, etc, and to allow for interactive applications. They use the information we take from the content to synchronize a frame or sound fragment on the one hand and an action or event (i.e., lights) on the other. Like their I2F Media Wheel, it is all a matter of finding the right load balance between the hardware chosen and the desired content, as well as using industrial protocols creatively and effectively. They can make a totally unmanned set-up from just one box and an affordable software license. By employ sensors on a large scale to display content only when and where somebody can listen and watch. To read more about Inter2Face, go to: http://www.inter2face.com/english/index_eng.htm Back to Top Scala Launches New SaaS Release 4 Two weeks ago, Scala launched its new SaaS solution, Release 4. Scala, one of the industry's leading non-AV, pro-IT supporting Digital Signage SaaS solutions, partnered with Samsung to show Release 4 which includes web services for Content Manager, Ad Manager integration with Content Manager, media playback controls and improvements, time triggers, playback audit reports, a Photoshop plug-in, and lots of usability enhancements.I am hopeful in my meeting with Scala next week (at the DSE Show) I can convince them that seriously focusing on the AV channel via education will help AV as a whole as Scala has been around a long time in DS and is sort of the InFocus of DS right now — in the mind of many AV integrators. Scala can be found at: http://www.scala.com/ Back to Top NEC Trumps EVERY Other Flat Screen in DS Market with Virtually Bezel-less Monitor This week, NEC showed a new bezel design that is virtually seamless. In the form of the 46-inch MultiSync X461UN ultra-narrow professional display, the design of the bezel makes it nearly invisible and ideal for video tiled applications. To be quite honest, Sharp, Sony and Samsung are lucky this is only in 46" right now. I am sure they will RUSH to copy this as this is a big deal in DS.The 46-inch large-format display is intended for video wall solutions, where its bezel allows for a screen-to-screen distance between two neighboring MultiSync X461UN displays of only 7.3 millimeters, a near 500 percent improvement from NEC's previously revolutionary 34-millimeter MultiSync 20 Series displays. The MultiSync X461UN can be deployed in video wall matrices of up to 10×10, creating a total surface area of approximately 645 square feet. The barely-discernable transition gap between displays ensures a homogenous picture across the matrix. The X461UN is a native 1360 x 768 LCD monitor with 700 cd/m2 and a specified contrast ratio of 3000:1. Although the product isn't on NEC's site yet, you can read about it in their press release which does contain specifications, at: http://www.necdisplay.com/NewsAndMediaCenter/PressRelease/?pressrelease=24b0b2b5-0fa6-484e-81ec-9600fc07896b Back to Top Did You Know EIKI is in DS Market? Some time ago, EIKI acquired a company called .advanceMethod based in Seattle, Washington. .advancedMethod created a product called "express" that does a pretty good job of simplifying entry into the digital signage market by attempting to provide a turn-key solution including software, servers and a player — sort of an "everything's in the box" solution. Although I believe it's clear this sort of solution usurps the AV dealer side of the business and makes it easier for others to compete with AV integrators (i.e. IT), EIKI is an AV-based company as has specifically told me that they actually aimed this at AV as a "starter" kit for DS. I think their on-line video tutorial for "Express" is interesting and does simplify the process of understand the DS market for a newbie. Click on the link below, and then the "express" box to watch the video: http://www.advancedmethod.com/v7/ Back to Top Wireless Ronin Reports 18 Percent Increase in Revenue Wireless Ronin this week reported revenue of $1.9 million for the fourth quarter of 2008, an 18 percent increase from $1.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2007. The company also reported a fourth quarter 2008 net loss of $6.9 million compared to a net loss of $3.7 million in the year-ago quarterly period, and a basic and diluted loss per share of $0.47 compared to a basic and diluted loss per share of $0.25 last year.The year-over-year increase in the net loss for the 2008 fourth quarter was primarily the result of the impairment of the network equipment held for sale asset of $1.8 million, an impairment charge on intangible assets of $1.3 million and severance cost of $274,000 related to the fourth quarter 2008 workforce reductions. Fourth quarter 2008 results also included costs of approximately $411,000, or $0.03 per basic and diluted share, of non-cash stock compensation expense related to FAS123R compared to approximately $286,000, or $0.02 per basic and diluted share, in 2007. To read the entire financial release, go to: http://www.wirelessronin.com/6.0_news_109.html Back to Top Chief Adds Line Specifically For DS Market Chief Manufacturing this week launched a line of display carts and stands for the digital signage market. Chief's cart and stand collection includes the PFC Mobile Cart and PF1 Stand for 42"-71" plasmas and LCDs, and the MFC Mobile Cart and MF1 Stand for 30"-55" plasmas and LCDs. The carts and stands are packed with innovative features that help put the focus on your presentation, including: - Telescoping height adjustment: easily position your flat panel screen at the ideal height for maximum impact
- Centris technology: effortlessly adjust the angle of your screen with the fingertip tilt functionality
- Modular design: quickly assemble or disassemble your cart or stand, and add accessories to customize your installation
- Integrated cable management: easily hide cables out of sight for a clean installation
- Compact base design: easily fit your cart or stand through doorways and in corner locations
- Heavy-duty casters: large wheels pass over big obstacles with ease
To see the entire collection, go to: http://www.chiefmfg.com/productdetail.aspx?MountID=131 Back to Top North Dakota's Legislative Council Although many who read this may see this is a simple example of DS, it's interesting and typical — and a great system that any AV-integrator could enter the DS market with. With the help of AV integration firm Tricorne Audio, The North Dakota Legislative Council recently installed Magicbox Inc. digital signage in the North Dakota State Capital building. The Goal? There was a need for a way to provide both legislatures and the public accurate information regarding what bills and meetings were scheduled for a particular committee hearing room. How'd They Do It? Utilizing Aavelin SignMate RT players and EZ Stream software, those outside the meeting room are able to view the upcoming meetings and see which meeting is currently in progress. Tricorne Audio (an NSCA and InfoComm member) proposed the SignMate players to the council and provided a demonstration of the project. Dallas Anderson, project manager with Tricorne Audio, stated, "Having the capacity for the interns inside the room to quickly and accurately update the information was a key element in helping the Legislative Council to make their decision."The EZ Stream software accesses a database where the daily schedule is posted each day by the interns. If during the course of the day meetings are postponed or changed, the intern is able to change the information in the database and the updates appear on the display for the public to see. Additionally, a small area in the corner of the screen monitors an .XML file and updates the current meeting status every 60 seconds. Other commonly-used databases that can be accessed by the EZ-Stream software include People Cube Resource Schedule, Dean Evans EMS, Outlook, Google Calendar and text files. The EZ-Stream content was designed by Magicbox based on information provided by the Legislative Council. To read the entire case study, go to: http://magicboxinc.com/news/2009/20080105_ndlegislative.shtml If you want to submit your install as the Case Study of the Month, send it to: pr@ravepubs.com Back to Top So, that's rAVe DS [Digital Signage] for this month! Remember, we are here to HELP the AV market penetrate the DS market. Less than 5 percent of the DS market is integrated by AV companies. The other 95 percent is IT-based. Now, there are AV publications and even an association that would like to draw those IT people in to AV (it would increase readers, right? – and more readers means they can charge more for ads). That is NOT what we are doing. rAVe DS is specifically designed to pull AV into the DS market and teach AV companies how to take business away from the currently dominated by IT market.
For those of you NEW to rAVe, you just read a 100% opinionated ePublication that's designed to help AV integrators. We not only report the news and new product stories of the digital signage industry, but we stuff the articles full of our opinions. That may include (but is not limited to) whether or not the product is even worth looking at, challenging the manufacturers on their specifications, calling a marketing-spec bluff and suggesting ways integrators market their products better. But, one thing is for sure, we are NOT a trade publication that gets paid for running editorial or product stories. Traditional trade publications get paid to run product stories — that's why you see what you see in most of the pubs out there. We are different: we run what we want to run and NO ONE is going to pay us to write anything good (or bad).
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rAVe [Publications] has been around since 2003, when we launched our original newsletter rAVe ProAV Edition. rAVe HomeAV Edition, co-published with CEDIA, launched in February, 2004. rAVe Rental [and Staging] launched in November 2007. rAVe ED [Education] launched in May 2008. rAVe DS [Digital Signage] was launched in January 2009.
To read more about my background, our team, and what we do, go to https://www.ravepubs.com Copyright 2008 – rAVe [Publications] – All rights reserved – All rights reserved. For reprint policies, contact rAVe [Publications], 510 Meadowmont Village Circle, Suite 376 – Chapel Hill, NC 27517 – (919) 969-7501. Email: sara@ravepubs.com rAVe Rental [and Staging] contains the opinions of the author only and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of other persons or companies or its sponsors. Back to Top |
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