Volume 4, Issue 8 — August 16, 2012

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Booming Industries: Digital Signage Solutions for the Healthcare Industry

By Rick Albert
Panasonic

Digital signage saw dramatic growth across virtually all industries over the course of 2011 as businesses and institutions recognized innovative ways to produce revenue, promote brand initiatives, disseminate information and better manage their employees. According to a recent white paper by Healthcare Tech Decisions, “ROI Digital Signage,” 2012 is expected to see a 16.9 percent revenue growth in healthcare alone.

Technological advancement in healthcare has seen a healthy boom in recent years with the adoption of electronic medical records and greater use of telemedicine. Now with digital signage, patients and medical staff alike can benefit from a more efficient and professional means of communication.

There are three significant patient needs in these facilities including to be informed, to be put at ease and the ability to properly navigate the facility. Digital signage can assist with all three of these patient necessities.

Medical offices and hospitals alike have begun implementing LCD displays in high-visibility areas to provide up-to-the-minute wait times, registration information, way-finding directions and even public safety alerts. These advanced displays can reduce patient anxiety, manage expectations and efficiently save time by eliminating repetitive questions from patients. Some hospitals have even implemented displays in individual rooms to communicate more efficiently with patients.

Another significant function of these LCD displays is for education purposes. In high-traffic areas of these medical facilities, displays can distribute infotainment content, including healthy eating tips in the cardio ward, infant care in the maternal ward and radiation facts in the X-ray ward. Patients can benefit from the educational information and hospitals further their messaging of health preservation.

“ROI Digital Signage” also states that operating costs for digital signage in healthcare are generally low at about 1 percent of capital investment. As medical establishments continue to go digital and the benefits of digital signage become more apparent, we expect to see a large uptake in the deployment of digital signage solutions in the healthcare industry in the near future.

Rick Albert is vice president, flat panel displays, hospitality and digital signage sales of Panasonic’s business solutions company, a division of Panasonic Corporation of North America that delivers content creation, collaboration, information-sharing and decision-support solutions for customers in hospitality, government, healthcare, education and media production, as well as a wide variety of commercial enterprises. Rick has more than 33 years of experience in the broadcast, AV and professional display industries, including positions in sales, product marketing, marketing communications and executive management. This article originally appeared as a blog post at http://www.panasonicforbusiness.com

This article was reprinted with permission from Digital Signage Connection and originally appeared here.

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InfoComm: Digital Signage Bandwagon: Room for the AV Pro?

By Mark Mayfield

This column was reprinted with permission from InfoComm International and originally appeared here.

Digital signage has been a hot-button issue in ProAV for more than a decade. And that makes sense: The final link in the digital signage chain is usually some sort of visual display — and sometimes an audio system — and that’s the expertise of the professional AV systems integrator.

But over the years, other professionals have sensed the opportunity and jumped on the bandwagon. Signage specialists saw their market shift from print to electronic displays; many of these companies are now digital signage suppliers. Realizing that “content is king,” advertising agencies have claimed their seat. After all, many digital signs (if not most) are used for advertising in retail environments.

Retail applications of digital signs have also attracted product merchandizing experts to the market. And because one of the key attractions of digital signage is that content can be managed remotely on networked displays, IT service companies, network providers and related installers have forged their links in the chain, along with IT vendors, distributors, VARs and other channel partners because in the big picture, we’re talking about a digital medium that employs a variety of media players and purpose-built PCs. Many deployments — especially for retail applications — consist of large numbers of displays that must be installed quickly across vast geographic areas. Who are those customers going to call, if not the armies of supply-chain services and national “rollout” specialists?

You can go to a half-dozen digital signage trade shows, join about a dozen associations and read several dozen trade publications, each with a different digital signage focus. The question remains, where does the AV professional fit in? And is it too late to find a role?

What is Digital Signage, Really?

After considering all the industries on the digital signage bandwagon, a reality check is in order. It should be recognized that digital signage is not really a single, unified or discrete “market.” Digital signage, strictly speaking, is a product application — used in many vertical markets — that combines a number of technologies for specific communication objectives. Digital signage conveys advertising, branding, entertainment and information to its target audience, using a network of one or more digital displays, over which content can controlled, managed and updated either remotely or locally. So by its real-world nature, digital signage belongs to all industries, each of which brings its own area of expertise to the successful deployment.

With this understanding of digital signage, the role of AV professionals becomes a little clearer. AV pros wear many hats, are conversant in an unusually wide range of technologies and vertical markets, but more than anything else, they are experts in audio and video presentation. No other link in the digital signage supply chain can make that claim.

Once the content is optimized, digitized and transmitted to its final destination across a well-designed network, the final success factor is how good the message sounds and looks. The “quality of presentation” is ultimately determined by the AV system integration and installation, and that’s the unique selling proposition of the AV professional.

Digital signage is more than just designing systems with media players and displays and installing them, although that’s certainly a large part of it. It’s big business. A recent study by IMS Research estimated that hardware supporting digital signage, such as media players, PCs, displays and LED video arrays, generated nearly $5.5 billion in revenue during 2011. Of that total, LCD and plasma displays for digital signage generated revenues of nearly $2.7 billion worldwide, representing 22.5 percent growth over 2010. Media players and PCs for content playback accounted for nearly $1 billion.

Information and analytics provider IHS iSuppli has reported that some 15.4 million large format displays for digital signage and other professional applications were shipped in 2011; that number is expected to reach 17.3 million by the end of 2012. These days you can’t go anywhere in public without seeing one or more display holding forth advertising, information or entertainment. And frankly, it’s nearly impossible to say how many of these displays were installed by AV pros.

Adjusting to the Market

To get a piece of that business, integrators need to make some adjustments to their model. For one thing, because applications with multiple screens often reside on a network, it requires significant networking know-how and the ability to talk to the network keepers within end-user organizations.

“Networking expertise is absolutely a necessity in digital signage. The convergence of AV and IT is here,” says Vince Faville, digital signage market development manager for West Chester, Pa.-based Advanced AV. “It’s realistically what we deal with on a regular basis. There’s not always an AV contact anymore; it’s somebody in the IT department who is making these decisions.”

Advanced AV has a dedicated team that focuses on technologies like digital signage, streaming and other network-connected AV systems. “It gives us a leg up when we’re in a meeting with an IT guy who’s ready to say ‘no’ to whatever you tell them,” Faville says. “Once you start using all the right terms and let that IT person see that you understand the network, the ramifications of what we’re trying to do, and the effect it’s going to have on that network, they’re absolutely more willing to listen to us.”

Networked digital signage means the number of actual sites can be nearly unlimited. Especially in retail applications, the ability to reach vast numbers of store locations with targeted messaging makes digital signage an attractive marketing strategy. But, deploying systems to a large chain, like Wal-Mart’s 4,400 stores in the U.S., is not something AV integrators are always equipped to deal with, since most are locally or regionally focused.

“For the most part, I believe the larger deployments are more often handled by the content providers,” says Jay Rogina, principal and owner of Spinitar, a California-based full service AV integration firm. “The content providers are selling the content first and the ROI, as opposed to focusing on the hardware.”

Over the past decade, many ad agencies have added digital media content development for their clients’ web sites, as well as digital signage. So is it necessary for AV integrators to provide content-creation services in order to be successful in digital signage? Not necessarily, says Faville. “Our business is predominantly higher education and corporate, who are pretty good at doing the content on their own. They may already have a communications department doing all of their images, logos and messaging. We do offer content-creation services, but it’s not something we do a whole lot of,” he says.

Spinitar has been offering digital signage for many years. But Rogina’s not sure the company has exploited the opportunity to the extent it had originally hoped.

“We, like most AV integrators, are doing digital signage deployments for existing customers, typically smaller projects,” Rogina says. He compares this dynamic to the large national rollouts common in the retail industry. Consequently, for most AV system integrators, Rogina says, digital signage has not been a major part of their overall revenue. For example, AVI-SPL, the industry’s largest AV integrator, says that digital signage sales contribute only about one percent to the company’s overall revenue, although they’ve grown 300 percent over last year—a sign that AV integrators can still increase their take of the digital signage business. Even for a company like Advanced AV, with staff focused on the application, digital signage accounts for around 10 percent of revenues.

Where AV Pros Fit In

So where do AV pros fit into the digital signage value chain? It depends on the type of deployment. Digital signage deployments can be divided into several categories, but in the aggregate, they’re broadly defined by the type of content they’re meant to carry. The two main content categories are advertising- and marketing-oriented messaging, and information-oriented content.

For advertising-related content, the emphasis is on timely delivery, sometimes over expansive networks of displays. Tracking and auditing the content is a critical element of managing these types of digital signage networks, since their main purpose is exposing a paid marketing message to the largest audience possible. To date, because of the scope of advertising networks (which are really more like national, regional or local broadcast networks) and the role of incumbent players, it’s been harder for AV integrators to find their niche in digital signage networks built for advertising.

When it comes to information-based content, timeliness is also important, but the emphasis is on the accuracy of the message, therefore the quality of the audiovisual presentation — readability, intelligibility, etc .— is more critical. Also, information signage networks are typically smaller and confined to more closed systems, such as a corporation, hospital or university campus — key vertical markets for many AV integrators. They’re also likely to fall under a larger AV systems contract or a client-integrator relationship already in place. Therefore informational digital signage is lower-hanging fruit for the AV industry.

Still, even the most successful digital signage suppliers — regardless of who they are and they types of content their networks carry — require a roster of installation partners and service providers to manage systems once they’re installed. KeyWest Technology of Lenexa, Kan., is a full-service digital signage provider. Its core product is software that runs messaging on networks. But to make their “full-service” strategy work, the company relies on partnering.

At KeyWest, 60 percent of business goes through resellers that are primarily AV integrators. Another 30 percent goes through specialty VARs, such as Oldsmar, Fla.-based Spectrio, whose main offering is audio message-on-hold services. For installations, says David Little, KeyWest’s director of marketing, “We prefer to use an integrator, because we really do need local IT-oriented people for support. The way most installations occur is through the reseller or VAR channel.”

Identifying companies like KeyWest, Four Winds Interactive, Digital Display Group (part of Alpha Video and Audio), and even Cisco Systems, which make some products in the digital signage chain but also handle end-to-end integrated systems, is one way to find partner opportunities and build a digital signage practice.

It may be that the best chance of success in digital signage is for AV pros to focus on the market segments they already know, and to partner with other digital signage supplier in niches that are less familiar to them. AV integrators who lack the national presence required by some larger clients can seek partnerships with other qualified AV suppliers outside their regions, through resources like InfoComm’s Certified Professional Directory.

Certain end-users, such as high-end, image-conscious retail stores or prestigious law firms, may be more likely to value a high-quality customer viewing experience. To these clients, an AV integrator’s “quality of presentation” expertise may be the competitive advantage that ultimately wins the business.

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Proving the Effectiveness of Advertiser-Supported Digital Signage Networks

By Philip Cohen
President/CEO, CARE Media Holdings, Corp

It’s more than halfway through 2012, and digital signage is increasingly becoming the preferred method for retail and service establishments to communicate with their clients. However, their networks usually fail to yield significant return on investment due to a lack of knowledge, research and effort. These shortcomings result in subpar networks that do not meet a network operator’s goals and expectations.

Research shows that more than half of the viewing audience of KidCARE TV is heading to the grocery store immediately after viewing the network’s content, with another third heading to the drug store.

When deployed the “right” way, digital signage networks are the best way to extract a desired response from customers. Compared to broadcast television, costs are very affordable. Not only can custom networks yield more than a 30-second commercial, but the content can be targeted with more precision and displayed directly to those most likely to buy products and services from a vendor. CARE Media’s three networks, PetCARE TV, KidCARE TV and Women’s HealthCARE TV, are viewed more than 90 million times each year, and are displayed in more than 6,000 medical offices.

Just to give a brief history, PetCARE TV was launched in 1992 as a place-based network. Initially, due to technology — or the lack thereof — videocassettes were mailed on a monthly basis to the veterinary offices and were manually inserted and played in the waiting room. The network transitioned to mailed DVDs and then to a centralized digital signage network, with content delivered via the Internet, in 2002. And although the network has been moderately successful since the early years, it wasn’t until the digital age that results could be quantified accurately, and the content could be fine-tuned to maximize return on investment.

Beginning in 2006, CARE Media began investing in third-party research. Arbitron has been invaluable in differentiating content that is very effective and some that needed some slight tweaking. It is important to keep in mind that advertising dollars fund CARE Media’s networks, so it is an absolute necessity that the digital signage be proven effective and effectively measured. The better the results, the more inclined advertisers will be to utilize the network. Additionally, customers will be more motivated to act on the intended message.

Because CARE Media networks are advertiser-supported, the effectiveness can be measured by the ability of the viewer to recall advertisements. The ability of the content to engage and educate the consumer is what allows advertisements and other intended messages to be impressed into their minds. In the PetCARE TV network alone, which is displayed in more than 5,000 veterinary offices and receives 2.2 million views each month, pet owners recall 29 percent of the advertisements, with 37 percent of viewers recalling at least one specific commercial shown during the viewing time. These numbers are from an October 2011 study.

As of October 2011, KidCARE TV network played to an audience of more than 3.5 million each month, up 12 percent compared to 2010 and up nearly 60 percent compared to 2009.

The research from Women’s HealthCARE TV yielded some expected results and some impressive results. Being a network with screens in offices of OB/GYNs, 91 percent of the viewing audience is comprised of females, most of whom are ages 18-44. Though not surprising, it is a very useful statistic when approaching advertisers that are aiming to reach this target market. Another stat that is of great interest to advertisers is the amount of viewer impressions on a monthly basis. In the Women’s HealthCARE TV network, more than 80 percent of the audience reported to Arbitron that they actually paid attention to the content that was displayed in front of them and planned to watch it again. Women’s HealthCARE TV network is exposed to a monthly audience of more than 1.4 million patients, with nearly 1.2 million actually viewing the programming.

As of October 2011, KidCARE TV network played to an audience of more than 3.5 million each month, up 12 percent compared to 2010 and up nearly 60 percent compared to 2009. We also know that more than half of the viewing audience is heading to the grocery store immediately after viewing the network’s content, with another third heading to the drug store.

Across the CARE Media networks, we see excellent results in the numbers as well as the opinions of the viewers. Eighty percent like that the network is available in the waiting room and plan to watch it; 60 percent believe the information to be a more credible source for health education than viewing at home; and one out of five reported that the content reminded them to have a specific conversation with their doctor or staff about a health topic. The formulation for success has been an ongoing process over the past two and half decades, and has now been proven effective over the past half decade. For advertisers, knowing that their target demographic will not only be paying attention, but also remembering their commercial is of upmost importance. Couple that with the fact that 60 percent will be going shopping that same day, and you have a recipe for success.

Advertiser-supported networks exist in a competitive media space. It is up to the network operator to prove the worth of the digital signage to the advertisers. Third-party data research companies are helping digital out of home networks secure those advertising dollars. It is the investment by the network into this research that will continue to drive the digital out-of-home industry.

This article was reprinted with permission from the Digital Signage Connection and originally appeared here.

Copyright © Platt Retail Institute 2012 and reprinted with permission. All rights reserved. See the entire PRI Resource Library at www.plattretailinstitute.org/library.

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Nike’s "Enabling Technology" Camp Victory

By Mike Cearley
SVP, Digital Strategy, Fleishman-Hillard

The following is reprinted with permission from the Digital Screenmedia Association (DSA). For more information, go to http://www.digitalscreenmedia.org.

Nike shows us, if used the right way, all technology can be interactive. They’re at it again with some over-the-top OOH installations, what they call Camp Victory.

Click here to watch a YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gisw4xpJkLw

Sounds like some of the components of this installation will be put in their retail stores, which is only taking them one step closer to a completely technology-based interactive retail environment. It might take some time, but they are leading the way. And this is the future.

More than that, though, they’re just great at using (enabling) technology as a way to demonstrate to the public their own technology. And the thing about it is, they use whatever technology is best to show it off, regardless of how 1.0 or 2.0 it is.

This makes me believe that consumers might not be as intimidated by technology as I think, particularly as more and more people adopt smartphones. In a lot of ways, these types of installations are just bigger, badder smartphone applications. If people know how to work those, they’ll know how to work something(s) as enormous as this. And besides, that’s what I would call “2.0″ enabling technology. You can see just as many examples of simpler technology, but just as interactive. And that’s what I think is brilliant.

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BTX Launches DS Kit

BTX Technologies just launched a new product aimed at the DS market called the MediaMessenger Digital Signage Kit. The company says it includes everything needed to set up a digital signage system quickly in one package. Offered in three different versions — Gold, Silver, and Bronze — each level includes Net Display Systems' (NDS) PADS4 digital signage viewer software, a BTX MediaMessenger Media Player, a commercial-grade Philips flat-panel display, flat-panel wall mount and HDMI cables.

The PADS4 software is designed to integrate real-time data from sources including Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft Dynamics, SAP, content management systems, room reservation systems, queue management and social media. Interactivity can also be incorporated into signage systems using touchscreens, RFID, barcodes, QR codes and face recognition.

The Gold, Silver and Bronze Suites are all available with 32-inch, 42-inch or 55-inch displays, with the Silver and Gold Suites also offering 42-inch touchscreen displays. The Bronze Suite supports basic content including text and images. For more sophisticated presentations, the Silver Suite adds support for video and sound, web, interactivity, Flash and more. For the ultimate in multimedia, the Gold Suite is bolstered with support for presentation-in-presentation, television, charts, tables, PDFs and RS-232. To ensure proper set-up, the Silver and Gold Suites both include one hour of integrator training. An additional two hours of technical support from BTX's expert staff is included with the Gold Suite.

Get more details here: http://www.btx.com/default.aspx?page=Item%20Search%20Results

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Gary Kayye to Speak in San Francisco About Creating Creative Environments With Projection

On Sept. 6, rAVe founder Gary Kayye will speak in San Francisco at an NEC Showcase event. Kayye will give a new keynote called "Creating Creative Environments — The Future of Projection." He will explain how projection technology isn’t just for classrooms, boardrooms and meeting rooms any more and how he thinks it's all about creating immersive environments, setting a mood, accessing an emotion and taking you away to wherever the presenter wants you to go.

The showcase will be held 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Westin San Francisco Market Street and feature other classes including "10 Steps to a Successful Video Wall Project" and "Video Wall Setup and Color Calibration Training."

To see the complete schedule of events or register, click here: http://sanfranshowcase.necdisplay.com/

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Panasonic Debuts Brighter LCD Monitors

The new LF5 Series of LCD monitors from Panasonic are available in 42” and 47”. They carry a brightness spec of 500 cd/m2 as well as a number of GreenAV features including auto-off and ambient light detection called an Eco-Mode. When in Eco-Mode, the light sensor detects the ambient light level and controls the brightness of the backlight accordingly. This helps save energy by reducing the backlight power consumption. They are also specified to last for 50,000 hours.

Both are 1080p LED back-lit LCDs (18 millimeters thick) and can be mounted in landscape or portrait modes, using commercial-grade LCDs for 24/7/365 operation.

You can see all the specs here: http://www.panasonic.com/business-solutions/digital-signage.asp

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Black Box’s New MediaCento Can Deliver 1080p to 256 Screens

The MediaCento IPX Multicast extension system is designed to distribute and scale 1080p video content across a wall of tiled screens using an existing LAN. Black Box claims the system uses lossless compression technology, packetizing signals so source content can be delivered anywhere you have Ethernet cable. The company also says you can plug in as many receivers as you need for your remote screens and use a standard Gigabit network switch with IGMP to control the multicast traffic.

The MediaCento IPX Multicast system transmits up to 328 feet (100 meters) per link, but goes even longer with additional network switches added to the mix, and because it is based on standardized Ethernet protocols, you can even use media converters and run several miles over fiber optic cabling. Plus, it transmits signals digitally from end to end, so digital content is never compromised, and is HDCP compliant for streaming Blu-ray content.

Black Box offers three different versions depending on the application: MediaCento IPX Multicast Video Wall Transmitters and Receivers (VX-HDMI-IP-VTX, VX-HDMI-TP-VRX), MediaCento IPX Multicast Transmitters and Receivers (VX-HDMI-IP-MTX, VX-HDMI-IP-MRX) and MediaCento IPX Unicast Transmitters and Receivers for point-to-point IP streaming (VX-HDMI-IP-UTX, VX-HDMI-IP-URX).

The video wall version of the multicast extender supports 2×2, 3×3, 4×4 and 8×8 screen arrays.

You can see all the specs here: http://www.blackbox.com

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Peerless Ships Portable Large LCD Stand

At InfoComm, Peerless debuted its SC590, a floor-stand on which a giant LCD TV to (up to 90") can be mounted and made portable — basically, portable digital signage. With an incremental tilt of -2°, 0° and +5°, internal cable management, 4" casters, the black powder coated SC590 is capable of holding any monitor up to 220 pounds (from 32" – 90"), includes security hardware and uses a VESA standard 600×400 mounting pattern.

All the details are here: http://www.peerless-av.com/en-us/professional/products/SC590

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Wireless Ronin Still Losing Money

Revenue in the second quarter of 2012 decreased 12 percent sequentially to $1.6 million from $1.8 million in the prior quarter, and decreased 49 percent from $3.1 million in the same year-ago period. Ronin says the decrease from both periods was primarily due to fewer orders for the iShowroom-branded tower application from Chrysler.

Recurring revenue in the second quarter of 2012 from the company’s hosting and support services increased 2 percent to a record $475,000 or 31 percent of total revenue from $466,000 or 26 percent of total revenue in the previous quarter and increased 19 percent from $400,000 or 13 percent of total revenue in the same year-ago period.

Gross profit in the second quarter of 2012 was $945,000 or a record 61 percent of total revenue, compared to $949,000 or 54 percent of total revenue in the previous quarter, and $1.4 million or 46 percent of total revenue in the same year-ago period.

Net loss in the second quarter of 2012 totaled $1.2 million, an improvement from a net loss of $1.8 million in the previous quarter, and an improvement from a net loss of $1.4 million in the same year-ago period. Net loss for the second quarter of 2012 included $132,000 of non-cash stock  compensation expense versus $161,000 in the previous quarter and $178,000 in the second quarter of 2011.

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Sharp Debuts Commercial Grade LED HDTVs

Nearly a year after most MCD manufacturers debuted LED-backlit LCDs, Sharp has finally launched a commercial-grade (meaning it can be on 24/7/365), LED edge-lit LCD display in 42" and 46" sizes. Dubbed the LB-T422U and LB-T462U, these displays are 1920×1080 LCDs that offer a 6000:1 contrast ratio and include HDMI, VGA and video ports, as well as a built-in TV tuner. Control is either RS232 or network-based.

The LB-T422U and LB-T462U list for $1,250 and $1,495, respectively.

Complete specs are here: http://www.sharpusa.com/ForBusiness/PresentationProducts/ProfessionalLCDMonitors.aspx

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Almo's Fall E4 Tour Hits Dallas and NY — Kayye to Bring Back Krystal Ball

Almo Professional A/V, in partnership with InfoComm International, has now opened registration for the Fall 2012 portion of its E4 AV training and networking event. Almo will stop in Dallas on Sept. 13 and New York on Oct. 3, bringing more than 30 manufacturing partners displaying hundreds of new products. Almo will also offer a newly updated set of 13 educational sessions, many of which are worth CTS Renewal Units (RUs).
 
An overview of the Almo Pro A/V E4 AV Tour can be viewed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKp02YBhstI

The Dallas E4 educational schedule will be broken down into the following three educational tracks to help attendees navigate their way through the day:
 
Emerging Technology:

• Gary Kayye, rAVe [Publications]: Predicting A/V Futures with Kayye’s Krystal Ball LIVE (1 CTS RU)
• Alan and Jonathon Brawn, Brawn Consulting: The Art of “Techorating” with Displays for Commercial Applications (1 CTS RU)
• Alan and Jonathon Brawn, Brawn Consulting: Best Practices for Installing Large Format Displays (1 CTS RU)
• Don Hickey, Samsung Electronics: Interactive Display Tables with Natural Interfaces – The Future is Here

Technical Knowledge:

• Brian Menchew, C2G: Introduction to Master Antenna TV and RF Distribution (1 CTS RU)
• Tom Kehr, Infocomm International: Power Grounding Best Practices (1 CTS RU)
• Tom Kehr, InfoComm International: Designing and Specifying Displays Systems (1 CTS RU)
• Dave Gentile, NEC Display Solutions of America, Inc.: Video Walls: A Start to Finish Guide for Success

Business Savvy:

• Alan and Jonathon Brawn, Brawn Consulting: How to Play in the IT Sandbox with A/V Installations (1 CTS RU)
• Tom Kehr, InfoComm International: On the Go Apps (1 CTS RU)
• Jay Jenkins, AMX: How Selling Configurable Room Control Solutions Can Increase Your Revenue & Margins
• Brian Rhatigan, Almo Professional A/V: Digital Signage Content Delivery Methods
• Jennifer H. Willard, CTS, Women in AV (WAVE): What is Mentoring and Why It's Important to You

Attendees will have the opportunity to explore multi-touch interactive displays and lampless LED projectors. They can learn the ins-and-outs of media players, see examples of signal distribution over long distances and coax, and learn first-hand how to create video wall configurations with control systems. They can also win prizes from sponsors worth a total of over $5,000.
 
The E4 Dallas event will take place on Sept. 13 at the Hyatt Regency Dallas while the E4 New York event is on Oct. 3 at the Meadowlands Expo Center. Both events run from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and are entirely free, including parking, to Almo Pro A/V’s reseller, integrator and consultant partners. To register, go to http://www.e4avtour.com/

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InfoComm Sets Dates for U.S. Shows Through 2019

InfoComm International has announced its future rotation plans for its annual InfoComm exposition and conference.
 
InfoComm 2013 will be held at Orlando's Orange County Convention Center's West Building, June 12 to 14. InfoComm 2014 will be held at Las Vegas Convention Center's North and Central Halls, June 18 to 20. The show will rotate between the two cities in the same halls in mid-June thereafter through 2019. InfoComm has signed lease agreements with both facilities.
 
"InfoComm exhibitors and attendees have been well accommodated in both Orlando and Las Vegas, and we are pleased to continue our rotation between these great convention cities," said Jason McGraw, CTS, CAE, senior vice president of expositions, InfoComm International. "Our show has experienced phenomenal growth over the past several years based in large part to the well-run convention centers, large hotel selection and premium entertainment options offered by both of these destinations."
 
A schedule of future dates appears below:

• 2013 – Show 6/12-6/14, Conference 6/8-6/14, Orlando
• 2014 – Show 6/18-6/20, Conference 6/14-6/20, Las Vegas
• 2015 – Show 6/17-6/19, Conference 6/13-6/19, Orlando
• 2016 – Show 6/8-6/10, Conference 6/4-6/10, Las Vegas
• 2017 – Show 6/14-6/16, Conference 6/10-6/16, Orlando
• 2018 – Show 6/6-6/8, Conference 6/2-6/8, Las Vegas
• 2019 – Show 6/12-6/14, Conference 6/8-6/14, Orlando

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Medialine Ships Transparent LCD Box for Retail Applications

Medialine is now shipping its LCDBOX 2200, which is a transparent display box that comes in 22” and 46” sizes. The transparent LCDBOX has an integrated USB media player so you can play content (related to the product on display inside the box) on the transparent LCD. Designed in Netherlands for retail use, the user simply inserts her USB stick with content and it’s ready to go.

Learn more here: http://www.medialine.tv/ise-photos.html

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eyevis Debuts Another 4K LCD Monitor

You read that right. eyevis, the German-based DS company has shown rAVe Europe its new 31.5" 4K resolution (3840×2160) LCD monitor — adding the EYE-LCD-3150-QHD-LD monitor to its 60" and a 56" 4K monitors the company started shipping earlier this summer.

The high resolution of 3840×2160 pixels is achieved through a revised and highly compact pixel design. In comparison to a standard HD panel, the image density of the new quad full HD display (type EYE-LCD-3150-QHD-LD) is twice as high at approximately 140 ppi. It also offers 10-bit color, a direct full-array LED back-lit system and a viewing angle of 176 degrees. This sort of display can be used in digital signage applications, but can also be used for telemedicine as well.

You can see the entire 4K LCD monitor product line here: http://www.eyevis.de/index.php?article_id=12&clang=1

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Peerless-AV Ships Ultra-Thin Video Wall Mount

Peerless-AV offers a mount solution that gets large screens (40”-50”) tight to the wall, while making it simple to create ultra-sleek video walls in any configuration because the ultra-thin, 17.5-millimeter (0.69") design provides a streamlined video wall profile. This Peerless-AV DS-VW650 modular system provides many possibilities for video wall arrangement by providing simple horizontal adjustment and custom pre-sized spacers.

This mount includes a wall plate and easy attachment rails that simplify getting the screen on the wall, while a sturdy locking rail affixes to the top to maximize safety and security. It's capable of handling up to 75-pound monitors.

Go here for more details: http://www.peerless-av.com/en-uk/professional/products/DS-VW650

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Digital Signage: Three Ways to Think Beyond the Screen

By Ryan Lepianka
Creative Director, Frank Mayer & Associates, Inc.

The following is reprinted with permission from the Digital Screenmedia Association (DSA). For more information, go to http://www.digitalscreenmedia.org.

When you think of digital signage, what comes to mind? If the only image that pops into your head is a glossy or matte black textured rectangle, it’s time to think beyond the screen. Sure, a digital sign can help you tell a great story at retail but that doesn’t have to be the whole package.
 
Digital signage, like other forms of screen media, is undergoing an evolution. Low cost technology is making it possible to move beyond simple passive advertising to creating a completely interactive consumer experience. Content more than ever is a key to delivering engagement, but that experience shouldn’t necessarily be delivered in a plain black wrapper. A digital signage enclosure can be designed to enhance a powerful branded communication.
 
A digital signage enclosure should:

1. Allow the brand to own the space even if the screen isn’t on. A video presentation is just one part of a complete brand message at shelf.
2. Brand the environment in which it is placed, and make it special.
3. Attract and invite. Digital signage should be beautiful and approachable.

The next time you’re taking a lap around the trade show floor, you may want to explore screen features like large-format, multi-touch, tiling and transparency, but don’t let the currently available features limit the total statement you can make.
 
Ryan Lepianka is the creative director at DSA member company Frank Mayer & Associates, Inc.

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BrightSign Adds Web-Based UI

BrightSign announced recently BrightSign Network now offers Web-based interface capabilities that allows for an entire DS network to be served and supported as well as remotely managed via a Web user interface (UI). The BrightSign Network Web UI gives users access to its BrightSign Network subscription from any Internet-connected Mac or PC from anywhere in the world. Through the Web UI, network administrators can create user accounts, assign roles and set account permissions. Account users can remotely access features based on their assigned roles to perform network monitoring and management, generate playback, event and diagnostic reports and even author, schedule and publish simple presentations.

Go here for more details: http://www.brightsign.biz/

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STRATACACHE Launches Digital Menu Board Customer Experience Center

STRATACACHE has opened its Digital Menu Board (DMB) Experience Center at its Dayton, Ohio headquarters.
 
The 8,000 square foot demo center includes over 20 different current and future DMB systems, STRATACACHE’s DMB Experience Center is designed to provide a hands-on evaluation, comparison and testing environment of numerous technologies available for quick-service and fast-casual restaurants.
 
Continuing to build on its significant experience in digital menu boards, STRATACACHE’s new DMB Experience Center provides visitors the opportunity to examine every detail of the DMB evaluation process. The facility is open for integrators to bring large fast-food and restaurant vendors to demo their capabilities.

To book an appointment to tour the DMB Experience Center, please email sales@stratacache.com

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Philips Adds a New Digital Menu Board

MMD, the licensee for Philips Commercial Signage, has announced a new 47" digital menu board called the BDL4771V. This display is a native 1080p LCD that features a DVI loop-through so you can daisy-chain multiple BDL4771V monitors from one source. The 700-nit brightness display is said by the company to be using a commercial-grade LCD panel that can handle 24/7/365 operation. It offers control via RS232, IP or HDMI, which accepts video, audio and control signals. It also has a DisplayPort connection.

Full specs can be seen here: http://www.usa.philips.com/c/professional-products/119-cm-47-inch-full-hd-bdl4771v_00/prd/en/

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DSE Opens APEX & Content Awards Nominations

APEX Awards: The annual DSE Apex Awards honor innovation as demonstrated in the deployment of technology in the global Digital Out-of-Home industry. All nominated content will be judged on the following criteria:

1. Challenge
2. Solution
3. Result

Content Awards: The annual Digital Signage Expo Content Awards honor innovative and compelling content created for digital signage and digital out-of-home networks. All nominated content will be judged on the following criteria:

1. Creative Relevance
2. Production Quality
3. Intended Mission

To learn more or submit an entry, please download the DSE 2013 Content Awards nomination form.

Finalists in the nine Content Awards categories and the 11 APEX awards categories will be announced prior to Digital Signage Expo 2013. Gold, Silver and Bronze winners will be announced at the Digital Signage Expo 2013 Awards Dinner, to be held Feb. 27, 2013 in Las Vegas.

Please submit any questions to Richard Lebovitz, Editorial Director, at rlebovitz@exponation.net or (770) 649-0300, ext. 22.

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VIA Launches Android-Based, GreenAV Digital Signage Player

Developed for the Android operating system, the Energy Star-rated VIA ARM is an all-in-one digital signage player that can either stream network content or play content via its solid state memory on-board. The VIA ARM DS system is an energy-efficient system, consuming less than 10 watts, with a vertically-oriented design that measures just 18x12x2.5 centimeters. It has four USB ports, DVI-D and HDMI outputs, a mic input and line audio outputs, features native 1080p playback of content, has 4 GB of flash memory and 1GB of DDR3 SD/RAM. Here are all the specs: http://www.viaembedded.com/en/products/arm/1910/1/VIA_ARM_DS_System.html

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Premier Mounts Redesigns, Lowers Price of LMV Mount

Premier Mounts announced radical changes to the LMV video wall mount design and manufacturing process that has resulted in a 30 percent list price reduction. The new LMV includes a spring-loaded locking mechanism for quick release, compact mounting arms with scissor design and top-adjustable mounting brackets.

The new version shares components across all the Premier video wall product lines, thus sharing a reduction of costs. The new design of the LMV includes an updated latch and smaller base frame size for quick and easy installation. Premier says precision laser cut spacers also reveal an upgraded design that ensure a 100 percent fit and secure the spacer(s) flush with the mounts for seamless alignment without need for time consuming adjustments. Spacers are included at no cost with each purchase of the LMV. Customers purchasing two to four LMVs will receive a free spacer, while five or more LMVs purchased will receive two free spacers.

Here are all the specs and details: http://www.mounts.com/product?product=LMV

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DisplaySearch Revises Commercial LCD Sales Forecast Downward – But Could Consumer TV Use in Pro Applications Actually Be the Culprit?

The global market for public displays remains strong, but in recent quarters, flat panel display manufacturers have emphasized revenue and profit over volume, thus lowering the overall unit shipment outlook for this category. As production of plasma displays continues to wind down, LCD-based commercial displays have yet to fully fill the void. With reduced production of plasma, the public display market fell 13 percent Y/Y. However, LCD public display shipments were up 23 percent Y/Y according to the recently released NPD DisplaySearch Quarterly FPD Public Display Shipment and Forecast Report.

Forecasts still show strong growth, with the market set to push near 12 million units sold in 2018, an increase from just under 3 million units in 2011. Growth will be driven by new applications for public displays such as digital signage, interactive white boards, video walls, electronic menu boards, as well as the global trend toward urbanization in developing countries seen most visibly in China.

The advantage that plasma once had over LCD — larger displays for less money — has been disappearing over the years. Today, vendors such as Sharp are able to produce 60” and larger LCDs at less cost. Plasma had been able to capture some of the lower-end demand for public displays with that demand also being fulfilled by lower-priced consumer-TV displays. Leading vendors of commercial public displays, such as Samsung and NEC, are now focusing on 40” and larger sizes, conceding that the demand for medium-sized (26” to 39”) digital signage can be fulfilled by TV-grade products

In recent years, LCD manufacturers have been better able to differentiate their larger size displays (40” and larger) from similarly-sized consumer TV products with technologies such as thinner bezels, which allow for better video wall installations. Backlight technologies, such as LED, also offer unique solutions, allowing for not only thin displays, but also for higher brightness, which is needed by many commercial applications to perform in various ambient light conditions.

“This focus on higher-margin, larger-size displays is welcoming news—not just for display brands but for their global integrators alike. With a focus on technologies that have relevance to specific end-market needs, other players in the digital signage ecosystem also benefit by avoiding price comparisons against commoditized TVs,” noted Chris Connery, NPD DisplaySearch vice president of PC and large format commercial displays.

While the use of TVs in commercial environments is not always apparent, NPD DisplaySearch’s sell-through research with top commercial distributors and resellers indicates vendors that offer hybrid products that are a mix of commercial displays and consumer TVs. Detailed US commercial sell-through data shows that hybrid displays grew 85 percent Y/Y in Q1’12, outpacing pure commercial displays at only 5 percent Y/Y.

Connery added, “While the total market size for public displays is not shrinking, more displays now fall into different categories, which can be documented in new ways, such as when consumer TVs are used for commercial applications.”

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Digital Signage Federation Announces Support for Its Seal of Professional Excellence

The Digital Signage Federation announced today that end-users and industry suppliers have begun to sign on to support the DSF standards policy represented by the organization’s Seal of Professional Excellence.

Derived from the Privacy Standards that were developed by the Standards Committee and adopted by the organization in fall 2011, the Seal of Professional Excellence is a tangible designation for organizations that have committed to support and adhere to the DSF’s Professional Standards. The seal is intended to be a graphic symbol synonymous with excellence in professional conduct and integrity within the digital signage industry.

Ian Stone, president and chief experience office for Respario, LP, who co-chairs the DSF’s Standards Committee said, “Companies are now adopting the DSF’s Seal of Professional Excellence because it just makes sense to publicly support ethical business practices.” He added, “Even when organizations already have a codified vetting process, it’s easier and more reassuring to be able to readily recognize and gives an edge to those who have promised to deal fairly and professionally.”

Companies who have signed the DSF pledge and support the program include: Brawn Consulting, BroadSign International, Care Media Holding Corp., FastSigns International, Real Digital Media, Respario, LP, Saddle Ranch Digital, Starcom Worldwide and Wendy’s International.

More information on DSF’s Seal of Professional Excellence can be found on the DSF website at http://digitalsignagefederation.org/dsf_seal

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Digital Media Systems in Higher Education: The Case for Engaging and Retaining Students

By De’Arno De’Armond and Neil Terry

West Texas A&M University (WTAMU) is a public institution with a regional mission located in the Texas Panhandle and an enrollment of approximately 8,000 students. The technology infrastructure at the institution rivals that of even larger institutions, including a statewide network consortium and system-wide redundant Internet connectivity through a partnership with the University of Texas and Texas A&M.

The recent adoption and use of digital media systems (DMS) in higher education has been well documented. Adapted from retail, hospitality, and other vertical markets, today’s DMS do a fantastic job of targeted zonal communication. Advancements in graphical user interfaces accompanying DMS have allowed non-technical individuals to become involved in the development and distribution of information. In most cases, however, there still exists a steep learning curve to overcome, especially for non-technical individuals, in order to utilize the DMS in an efficient and effective manner. Currently, the DMS landscape is limited to mostly a push information environment. This push environment may serve its purpose well for most environments but struggles to find success at higher education institutions.

Challenges

If the general consensus in higher education holds true, then the student who becomes engaged with his or her college should display higher recruitment and retention rates. As competition in higher education has increased in recent years, colleges need to be proactive in their marketing efforts to attract and retain students. This raises the question, what can be done to enhance the environment to create an avenue of student engagement? What tools might exist to provide an opportunity for individuals to interact and engage? Further, what methods might be deployed to increase college brand awareness and decrease potential filtering of the DMS content, in an effort to attract and or retain students?

Solutions

The initial deployment of DMS on the WTAMU campus was established as a campus-wide emergency communication tool following several violent incidents on multiple campuses, most notably Virginia Tech. Every building on the WTAMU campus received multiple digital displays as part of the initial effort, which included a minimum of three screens in the mathematics area to a maximum of more than 20 screens in the College of Business. Campus leaders began to realize the opportunities the new network could provide to students and faculty. The challenge was learning more about the systems, how they perform, what they can do, and what they cannot do. From the CIO to IT staff and faculty members, engagement and training were critical to success.

The initial deployment of DMS on the WTAMU campus was established as a campus-wide emergency communication tool following several violent incidents on multiple campuses, most notably Virginia Tech. Campus leaders began to realize the opportunities the new network could provide to students and faculty.

However, concerns remained in the College of Business that students were not actively engaging the informational zones, and therefore, could potentially filter the messages over time, thus, limiting information recall and reducing effectiveness. This could impact recruitment, retention and branding opportunities. Solutions to these challenges centered on four main pillars: Branding, Zonal Flow, Engagement and Recruitment and Retention efforts.

Branding

The WTAMU College of Business (COB) encompasses the second of four floors in the Classroom Center complex. Twenty-two 42-inch displays are mounted throughout the COB. Two 55-inch monitors with news and weather information are also part of the environment. An additional four 42-inch, touch-screen monitors are deployed beneath a 26-foot, full-color LED ticker. To comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, many of the displays are offset with Plexiglas cane detection barriers that also serve to brand the network and display the COB logo. Content creators receive COB-branded templates for message and brand consistency.

Zonal Flow

Informational zones have been created in strategic areas of high student traffic. For example, near the elevators, there are two monitors side-by-side. One monitor displays mission critical information such as faculty directories, classroom information, etc., and the other may be pushing business market information, or weather information. This zone is nicely appointed with leather couches, tables, charging stations and Wi-Fi in effort to create a “stick-point.”

Other zones in the hallway are created with the merging of three separate DMS units, one displaying the mission critical information, one dedicated to in-house designed COB trivia, and the other replicating business market information. Where possible, each DMS zone is completed with either seating areas or bistro tables to optimize a comfortable student environment to increase effective message recall and enhance student retention. It is not uncommon to see dozens of students congregating in the different zones on a daily basis.

Engagement and Recruitment

An additional effort to actively engage and further create a synchronous pull informational environment is the deployment and utilization of an interactive display and an LED ticker. Four monitors work to create an interactive market wall in perfect location and harmony with the ticker, a moving, larger-than-life LED ribbon, which attracts students in one of the highest traffic areas on campus. Students from all disciplines are often seen watching the ticker, which displays market, news, and sports information.

Once the ticket attracts the individual, the natural flow is to engage the interactive market board. The individual has the option to touch the board and interact with news, market, and other pertinent information. This combination of interactivity, color, and real time information is a large attraction to the programs in the COB. This area of the college is continually busy throughout the day and into the evenings.

Retention

Higher education is concerned not only about educating the student, but also about engagement, recruitment and retention. In the WTAMU College of Business, every effort has been made to create an amazing student-centric environment of engagement. From the moment a prospective, new, or returning student steps foot on our college floor, there is something exciting all around them that is constantly changing to provide information in a 21st Century multi-tasking way. Students share positive comments with faculty advisors about how professional and comfortable the COB currently is, and what an amazing piece of technology the interactive market board is.

Effectiveness

Full deployment of the complete digital technology system in the COB is just a few years old but the results are encouraging. Exit surveys of graduating students include questions relating to technology incorporated into the learning environment. Student satisfaction in this area has structurally shifted from a mean score of 3.2 to a statistically significant higher score of 4.7 (on a scale of 1-5). There is also anecdotal evidence that brand has been enhanced by the technology advancement via the satisfaction with the program score increasing from 4.0 to 4.4.

Enrollment and retention patterns have also shown positive trends, as preliminary priority registration numbers in the COB for last year increased approximately 13 percent. Although many factors can contribute to enrollment increases, professionals involved with student advising and enrollment agree that the technology-rich environment is a significant contributing factor. The fall to spring retention rate for business students increased from 77.1 percent in 2010 to 91.3 percent in 2011. These initial results are encouraging and additional tracking will occur.

Conclusion

Attitude is everything. Within each challenge presented, there will be opportunity, and by taking a creative approach to the deployment of DMS, branding, digital media zonal flow, engagement and retention, and recruitment efforts, the WTAMU College of Business continues to positively enhance a student-centric environment. Deployment of DMS, interactive market boards, and a 26-foot LED ticker in conjunction with a scalable network technology framework are at the center of this effort. Preliminary results from WTAMU imply DMS and a move to a more synchronous informational environment are key components to successfully branding, engaging, recruiting and retaining current college students.

Dr. De’Arno De’Armond is the Hickman professor of marketing at West Texas A&M University. Dr. Neil Terry is dean of the College of Business and professor of economics at West Texas A&M University.

This case study was reprinted with permission from the Digital Signage Connection and originally appeared here.

Copyright © Platt Retail Institute 2012 and reprinted with permission. All rights reserved. See the entire PRI Resource Library at http://www.plattretailinstitute.org/library.

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So, that's rAVe DS [Digital Signage] for this month!  Remember, we are here to HELP the AV market penetrate the DS market. Only 12 percent of the DS market is integrated by AV companies. The other 88 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 percent 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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A little about me: I graduated from Journalism School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (where I am adjunct faculty). I've been in the AV-industry since 1987 where I started with Extron and eventually moved to AMX. So, I guess I am an industry veteran (although I don't think I am that old). I have been an opinionated columnist for a number of industry publications and in the late 1990s I started the widely read KNews eNewsletter (the first in the AV market) and also created the model for and was co-founder of AV Avenue, which is now known as InfoComm IQ. rAVe [Publications] has been around since 2003, when we launched our original newsletter, rAVe ProAV Edition.

Everything we publish is Opt-in — we spam NO ONE! rAVe ProAV Edition is our flagship ePublication with what we believe is a reach of virtually everyone in the ProAV market. rAVe HomeAV Edition, co-published with CEDIA and launched in February 2004, is, by far, the largest ePub in the HomeAV market. We added rAVe Rental [and Staging] in November 2007, rAVe ED [Education] in May 2008 and then rAVe DS [Digital Signage] in January 2009. We added rAVe GreenAV in August 2010 and rAVe HOW [House of Worship] in July 2012. You can subscribe to any of those publication or see ALL our archives by going to: https://www.ravepubs.com

To read more about my background, our team and what we do, go to https://www.ravepubs.com

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