Volume 5, Issue 5 — May 22, 2013

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Four Keys to Digital Signage Corporate Communications Success

By David Wilkins

As corporate communications compete with the proliferation of information targeting today's employees, connected companies are seeking new ways to engage and communicate with their workforce beyond traditional channels. Enter digital signage.

Connecting with Employees

Unlike emails, intranet sites, posters and pamphlets, which have saturated the business environment, digital signage proposes a new broadcast medium by engaging employees via visual-centric communications.

Furthermore, with the reliability of today's network infrastructures, digital signage can distribute real-time information using rich, high-quality graphics and video to a variety of screens. As a result, communication professionals can focus on creating exciting digital campaigns that truly connect with their employees.

"The requirements for being successful with digital signage remain anchored in providing integrated, flexible, feature-rich content targeted to the right person, at the right time, on the right screen." — David Wilkins is president and CEO of X2O Media

There are many digital signage applications for internal communications. These can include bolstering a company's corporate culture via branding initiatives, conducting remote employee training, diffusing employee newsletters, displaying event programs and schedules, and communicating emergency messaging to staff. However, technologies have evolved, allowing new innovative ways to use digital signage.

Requirements for Success

1. In order to be effective, solutions should now integrate seamlessly with existing systems, provide flexible publishing capabilities to reach the right users and offer functionalities that make the system both cost-effective and simple to use. What follows are four considerations essential for ensuring that your corporate communications digital signage is a success:
2. A company's primary requirement should be to ensure that a digital signage platform can successfully integrate with other internal systems. For instance, companies using Microsoft SharePoint for enterprise-wide content management could use the same content posted in SharePoint throughout their digital signage network without the need to duplicate content creation and management. Consequently, by using tight interoperability and integration, information such as KPI (Key Performance Indicator) dashboards, team calendars and company announcements could be automatically displayed without duplicating data entry, which adds to the cost of managing content.
3. Second, a successful digital signage deployment should be flexible. In other words, messaging should be able to target specific divisions of an organization, particular staff members or the enterprise as a whole. By allowing local staff to customize messaging to specific screens and locations, network managers are able to better target their viewers, which increases the content's impact, raises the probability of action from members and makes communication over the network more efficient. This can include real-time messages delivered directly to employees' computer screens via pop-up alerts or information sent to mobile devices to reach staff members working remotely or who may be temporarily away from their desks.
4. Another important consideration for digital signage platforms is the ability to leverage the HTML 5 standard, which allows content producers to create media-rich content channels that can be published easily to both onsite screens and mobile devices. This includes the capacity to distribute HD video, 3D animations, graphs and links to live data sources, which recreate TV-like experiences for viewers on any screen.
5. Content creation solutions should also support the inclusion of business rules into signage workflows. This allows administrators to schedule broadcasts to coincide with optimal viewing times and better plan programming to ensure that only the most effective messaging makes it onto screens. The result is a more automated and cost-effective signage solution.

In short, applications for corporate communications may vary, but the requirements for being successful with digital signage remain anchored in providing integrated, flexible, feature-rich content targeted to the right person, at the right time, on the right screen.

David Wilkins is president and CEO of X2O Media, a provider of software for real-time visual communication applications that significantly improve enterprise-wide communications and drive business. At DSE 2013, David Wilkins delivered "Enterprise-wide Digital Signage Fundamentals," an interactive session to help participants understand the requirements for deploying successful digital signage networks for employee communications, employee training, real-time data visualization and more.

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

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Why Is LGE Launching Curved A OLED TV?

By Ken Park
DisplaySearch

This week LGE announced that it will beigin taking orders for a curved OLED TV (the 55EA9800), with shipments planned to start in June. The price was set at 15 million Won ($13,550), a 4 million Won premium on the 55” OLED TV (55EM9700) it started selling in January for 11 million Won ($10,330). Even though there is no other competitor in the OLED TV market and LG’s existing OLED production is not yet stable and sales of OLED TVs are still very small, LGE seems to be in a hurry to announce another OLED TV product.

Standard OLED TV is not positioned well in the market, and Ultra HD (4Kx2K) LCD TVs are clearly a competitive threat. With an inventory overhang of old models from last year, launches of new models are somewhat delayed. Since the timing doesn’t look ideal, and since no case has been made for the benefits of a curved TV, the question is why is LGE moving forward with curved OLED TV at this time? It may be a reflection of longer-term strategic concerns at LGE.

First, there are still plenty of rumors about Samsung’s OLED TV. Some assert that Samsung cannot launch its OLED TV this year, while others say that Samsung will adopt white OLED (following LGE’s technology) because RGB OLED suffers from very poor manufacturing yields. Another viewpoint is that as TV market leader, Samsung would take the tactical decision not to launch a copycat OLED TV even if RGB OLED TV was ready to mass produce. Despite this, it is likely that LGE is worried about Samsung’s response in OLED TV and may be trying to occupy any potential territory available to its rival.

Second, production yield is still a headache for LGE. OLED TV shipments have been delayed in Korea, the first market, and other regions are also facing delayed launch and shipments, most notably the U.S. So, rather than increasing volumes, a value increase is better for such scarce quantities. If the shipment target is also June, LGE may be buying itself more time to improve manufacturing processes.

Third, like Sony, LGE is planning to launch 55” and 65” UHD TVs, following the launch at 84”. LGE may find it difficult to differentiate a hugely expensive flat OLED TV from a relatively cheap UHD TV. A curved OLED TV (with a higher price) would clearly be different than a simple LCD UHD TV. No TV has ever been produced in a concave design, as it requires some sort of flexible display.

OLED still faces the challenge of hitting LCD’s fast-moving target. LGE has not given up on thinking of new ways to compete.

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

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BYOD: Mobile Interactivity with Digital Signage Networks

By Todd Fender
DisplaySearch

BYOD (bring your own device) has traditionally referred to the act of people bringing their personal devices into their work environment with the ability of being able to access privileged company documents and information on those devices. However, this acronym may soon find another application referring to personal interactivity with public digital signage networks.

Interactivity – whether via physical touch, gesture or other method – has gained popularity over the last several years. Smart phones with touch screens have single-handedly changed the way we expect all interactive devices to work. Console-based video games have also helped push the envelope with gesture or motion-based interactivity (Xbox Kinect, PS move, Wii remote, etc.)

Regardless of how it is accomplished, interactivity seems to be gaining traction and popularity with end users. As a result, software companies, integrators and advertisers are noticing. The good news for them is the infrastructure is already very large and growing larger every day.

According to NPD DisplaySearch’s Smartphone Quarterly report, smartphone shipments will reach 937 million in 2013, just over half of all mobile phone shipments. We live in a connected world and for the masses, there may be no going back. “Generation Y” is now driving many markets, and they thrive on interaction. Whether the interaction is social media (Twitter, Foursquare, Instagram, etc.), based on an ability to respond to simple surveys, polls or to provide feedback for the chance of winning or earning discounts or prizes, playing games with people at the same venue, or to receive additional product or service information on a new product they just saw; they want it and they want it now, on their device.

How will increased mobile interactivity with these networks affect the digital signage ecosystem? Will public kiosks become extinct or shift their focus to cater to the older generations and to the very young? Will the market for touch overlays and other touch technologies on large screen public displays decline? (According to our tracking of large format commercial display sell through in U.S. distribution channels, in Q1’13, touch-enabled monitor sales declined by 16 percent Y/Y.)

These and other questions will be addressed at the FPD Conference at InfoComm on June 11 in Orlando. In addition to providing attendees with several sessions of expert data and analysis of the display market, the conference will feature Stuart Armstrong, President of the Americas for ComQi, which provides a multi-channel message management platform for networked content and infrastructure, who will provide insights on the impacts and opportunities for mobile interactivity within the digital signage industry.

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

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Say Goodbye to the Sharp That We Knew

By David Barnes
DisplayDaily

Sharp sunk further in the fiscal year that ended in March and it has surrendered more control to its creditors in an effort to revive its businesses. As outgoing chairman Takahashi told reporters in Japan [source: DowJones Newswires], “We need to say goodbye to the Sharp that we knew in recent years. We need to be ready to change everything at the company, other than the founding principles.”

Mizuho and Mitsubishi financial groups bailed Sharp out of a hole last October with a $3.6 billion loan in return for taking control of key office and factory assets. Now they are lending Sharp $1.5 billion more to help cover redemption of a $2 billion bond due in four months. For this, the banks have obtained two board seats and some influence on executive changes. The former President becomes a non-voting chairman and the former chairman becomes a retiree. Apparently, the pair are taking the blame for over-investing in Sakai (both for LCD and solar).

There is much more that can be said about restructuring charges, takeover defenses and new business targets, but those may be interesting subjects only to strategy wonks like me. For most readers, the key points are changes in the status of Sakai, renewed emphasis on external panel sales and more concrete plans for IGZO technology.

Looking at consolidated LCD business results since 2002, we can see how profit margins collapsed after 2008. There are two related reasons for that. Sharp became too reliant on demand from affiliated business lines and Sharp’s internal demand declined after the national subsidy for TV sets lapsed (the Eco-Point Program). Sales in the company’s AV sector declined 31 percent from FY2012 and 54 percent from FY2008.

If we look at the difference between consolidated LCD sales and gross LCD sales before eliminating internal transfers, we see that only 50 percent to 60 percent of sales were external transactions in 2008–2012. The portion of external sales increased in FY2013 but the LCD assets in Sakai were removed from consolidation as part of Sharp’s effort to lighten its balance sheet in September of 2012. That means sales from Sakai’s Gen-10 lines no longer contribute to operating results. The problem with that is Sharp’s own capacity becomes only 3 percent of the industry and that share is declining. Sharp is already smaller than China Star (CSOT) on a consolidated business basis.

Thus, Sharp has few alternatives to becoming more of a merchant supplier to other brands, like Samsung. The good news is that Sharp still has unique technical capabilities that other companies may value. It announced three new notebook panels are going into production next month at Kameyama plant 2.

• 11.6 inches, 2560 x 1440 pixels at 253 ppi
• 14.0 inches, 3200 x 1800 pixels at 262 ppi
• 15.6 inches, 3200 x 1800 pixels at 235 ppi

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TouchSystems Introduces New 55-Inch Display with Multi-Touch

TouchSystems has launched a new 55-inch 1920×1080 LCD display with multi-touch. The display is part of the X Series, TouchSystems’ line of executive-level touch screens.

The X 55, comprised of an industrial-strength, premium-grade panel, is designed for 24/7 operation and includes thermal protection, internal temperature sensors with self-diagnostics and fan-based technology. The display is LED BLU, meaning that power consumption is decreased and that the display has a slimmer depth. It also features a built-in, standardized expansion slot — commonly known as an Open Pluggable Specification (OPS) slot — that allows for seamless integration with third-party components such as single board computers or media players. The display is integrated with an infra red technology that offers 12 touch points.

Here are the specs: http://touchsystems.com/

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We Got BenQ's InfoComm Launch Plans

BenQ is adding three new series of large-format LCDs and two projectors to its lines at next month's InfoComm show in Orlando.   BenQ claims all three of the LCD series use commercial-grade displays. The SL Series is a dust-proof line; the interactive IL Series features up to six-point multitouch points; and the P Series has a bezel design of only 5.6 millimeters between two adjacent screens and offers up to 10×10 display capabilities.   All three of the Series of BenQ flat-panel displays feature something it is calling a Multiple Display Administrator (MDA) application, which enables control of up to 98 displays simultaneously through the LAN and the ability to monitor the health of each display and coordinates sequential startups to prevent power surges. To improve energy performance and reduce maintenance costs, all of them also feature sensors to automatically adjust brightness, anti-image retention to prevent the "burned-in" effect after extended periods of usage and scheduling management to allow users to program up to seven sets of on/off times down to individual video input sources. All models feature landscape and portrait modes.   BenQ will also introduce two new projectors in the form of the 6,000-lumen (their spec) 1080p SH963 and a 6,000-lumen, 1024×768 resolution (XGA) SX914 projector. Both have a contrast ratio spec of 50,000:1.   After InfoComm, they'll be here: http://www.benq.us

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Red Intros Redray 4K and 3D Player

The new Redray Player from Red plays 4K files as well as upscales HD files to Ultra HD content to a resolution of 4096×2160. Redray connects to 4K displays using a 1.4 HDMI output or one of four HDMI 1.3 outputs, with an additional HDMI output for 7.1 channel audio (for HD displays, Redray uses 1x HDMI 1.3 output). It also supports 3D playback at 48-60fps.

Redray utilizes a 1 TB internal drive to store content and is capable of synchronized video playback to four 1080p displays or two 4K display panels, simultaneously. Multiple Redray players can also be genlocked together to serve large video wall applications.

While the Redray Player is targeted at home theater applications (Red has demo'd it running content on 4K TVs), it also will be used for on-set dailies, in post production, by VOD providers, running video walls and could be used in digital signage applications too. Why video walls? It has four 1080p outputs on HDMI connectors, so it works just fine for a 2×2 wall offering full resolution without a video wall controller.

Playback can also occur at three different levels: 10-, 20- and 40-Mbps. The 40 Mbps level is cinema quality and each minute of content requires a lot more storage space. At the 20Mbps rate, the 1TB hard drive should store about 100 hours of 4K content.

Here are all the specs: http://www.red.com/store/products/Redray-player

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DSE Calls for Digital Signage Content Award Entries

Digital Signage Expo (DSE) is now accepting nominations for its 11th Annual Content Awards. New for 2014, DSE has added a Professional & Personal Services category to differentiate services provided by banks, insurance companies, accounting firms, brokerages and salons from the general retail category.

To qualify, nominees must have a new or current digital signage or interactive technology program installed between Nov. 1, 2012, and Nov. 1, 2013. Submissions deadline is Fri., Oct. 4, 2013, and forms are available at: http://www.digitalsignageexpo.net/dse-content-awards

Nominations will be evaluated by a panel of independent judges on the basis of:

• Creative Relevance – The extent to which content demonstrates new or unique creative design and delivers compelling relevance to the intended audience.
• Production Quality – The extent to which the overall appearance and impact of the content meet or exceeds standards for quality production.
• Intended Mission – The extent to which the content quantitatively accomplished its intended mission (i.e., increased brand awareness, informed or directed customers or visitors, increased or expanded existing revenue).

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Scala Releases New Customer Experience Engine

Scala debuted of its latest digital communication software, Scala Enterprise. Earlier this year at DSE, Scala provided early access to select DS dealers, showing off the redesigned interface in addition to many new features and improvements. The feedback led to further refinements and additions including a more user-driven design and improved workflows, under the hood this release includes a dramatic expansion of our existing APIs, HTML5 and Android player support, expanding options for Scala's current and future customers.

Scala’s signage solution Scala iS will also be offered with Scala Enterprise. Aimed at retailers and quick service restaurants needing optimized digital content at the point of decision, Scala iS uses “big data” and predictive analytics to drive targeted, personalized customer engagement.

Scala Enterprise lists these features (in the company's own words):

• Flexible – Integration with existing systems, capable of supporting a wide range of interactive and dynamic content
• Customizable – Never limiting a customer's creative freedom, adaptable to enable any content dreamt up
• Scalable – Run one screen, or tens of thousands all from a central location. A track record of proven results from single display installations to enormous global networks
• Stable – Scala systems are rock solid. The digital signage software provider with one of the largest QA staffs in house and a platform that has been constantly refined over 25 years to perform flawlessly

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Extron Ships Economical DVI Twisted Pair Extenders

Extron's new DTP DVI 230 and DTP DVI 230 D are desktop and Decora-style twisted pair extenders that transmit DVI-D video, audio and bidirectional RS232 and IR control signals up to 230 feet (70 meters) over a single CATx cable. The DTP DVI 230 and DTP DVI 230 D provide what Extron calls an economical and effective means for extending single link DVI-D or HDMI signals. The transmitters are each equipped with a buffered DVI loop-through output to support a local computer monitor. Both models feature remote power capability of either the transmitter or receiver, and can be mixed and matched for installation flexibility.

The extenders support signal resolutions up to 1920×1200 and 1080p/60, and are fully compatible with HDMI signals when used with the appropriate DVI-HDMI adapters from Extron. The DTP DVI 230 and DTP DVI 230 D can transmit HDMI signals, supporting Deep Color up to 12-bit, CEC, and embedded HD lossless audio formats. They also allow a direct connection from devices with an analog stereo audio output, such as desktop computers or laptops, and provide balanced and unbalanced audio output from the receiver.

In addition, the extenders continuously maintain DDC communication of EDID and HDCP between a source and display for reliable operation, ensuring direct compatibility and optimal signal transmission between devices. The DTP DVI 230 and DTP DVI 230 D are compatible with CAT 5e, CAT 6, and CAT 7 twisted pair cable, and can be used as a point-to-point solution or integrated with a switching and distribution system to extend inputs or outputs to remote locations.

Check out all their specs here: http://www.extron.com/

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Digital Screenmedia Association Elects Bill Lynch as New President, Also Names New Officers

• Executive Vice President – Marketing: Paul Flanigan, vice president, Pro-Motion Technology Group
• Treasurer: Janet L. Webster, president, Creative Solutions Consulting
• Secretary: Margot Myers, director, global marketing & communications, Platt Retail Institute

• Executive Vice President – Digital Signage: Craig K. Martin, owner, Reality Interactive
• Vice President – Digital Signage: Jennifer Nye, channel manager – wholesale, Kohler Co.
• Executive Vice President – Mobile: Steve Gurley, president & CEO, Pyrim Technologies
• Executive Vice President – Self-Service Kiosk: Ron Bowers, senior vice president, Frank Mayer & Associates
• Vice President – Self-Service Kiosk: Craig Keefner, media manager, Connected Technology Solutions

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Yuvad Intros New Encoders

Yuvad Technologies is now shipping its Yuvision family of video encoding solutions, developed specifically for multiscreen encoding for the over-the-top (OTT) market. Yuvision says its products can be configured by customers for either live/real-time encoding or file-based transcoding because both real-time and file-based transcoding licenses are delivered with each system.

Yuvision also claims the performance of its encoders is measured not only in terms of the number of output streams per system, but also in terms of the bandwidth efficiency of the encoded output streams. With higher compression efficiency, users obviously save on the costs of network transport and storage, both of which are recurring costs, and improve the general viewing experience – higher video quality at any given bit rate.

There are three models – Base, Standard and Premium. Each system can be configured as a cluster (requiring an iCluster server node) to support fault-tolerance for live stream encoding. The same cluster, under the control of the Yucoder file transcoding manager software, can also provide load-balancing and fault-tolerance amongst multiple transcoding nodes.

You can see each of them at: http://www.yuvad.com

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VISIX Announces Winners of 6th Annual Expression Awards

Visix, Inc. has announced the four winners of the company’s sixth annual Expression Awards. The company launched the annual awards in 2008 to recognize the best content designs from end-users of its digital signage software applications.
 
More than 80 designs were submitted to the online photo contest hosted on the company’s Facebook page. The judging committee, comprised of marketing, communications and design specialists, have given three Judges’ Awards to organizations who excelled in technical design, creativity and communications effectiveness. Online voters chose the People’s Choice winner.

• Judges’ Award: Anadarko, Bring Your Kids to Work Day
• Judges’ Award: Anadarko, Anadarko Encourages Employees to Vote
• Judges’ Award: First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem, Service Times
• People’s Choice: Mountain Empire Community College, Happy Holidays

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Digital Signage Expo Opens Call for 2014 APEX Awards Nominations

Digital Signage Expo (DSE) is now accepting nominations for its 11th Annual APEX Awards.
 
New for 2014, DSE has added a Professional & Personal Services category to differentiate services provided by banks, insurance companies, accounting firms, brokerages and salons from the general retail category. The definition of the “Interactive Self-Service” category has also been broadened to include submissions from the burgeoning automated retail sector
 
To qualify, nominees must have a new or current digital signage or interactive technology program installed between Nov. 1, 2012, and Nov. 1, 2013. Submissions deadline is Fri., Oct. 4, 2013, and forms are available at: http://www.digitalsignageexpo.net/dse-apex-awards.
 
Nominations will be evaluated by a panel of independent judges on the basis of:

• Challenge – The size, scope or unique requirements of the deployment and what problems had to be solved or overcome to ensure successful implementation.
• Solution – The degree to which the solution was “cutting edge” (new, unique, or innovative).
• Result – The quantitative extent to which the digital signage or interactive technology deployment benefitted the viewer and achieved the installation’s goals.

Nominees remain the venue where the installation was deployed. The nominating companies can be the venues themselves, the technology providers that provided the installation hardware and software, the architects and design firms who conceived the project, as well as thesystem integrators who did the installation.
 
The 5th Annual Apex & Content Awards Dinner will beheld on Wed., Feb. 12th from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Again, submissions deadline is Friday, Oct. 4, 2013, and all the forms you need to enter your own company or installation are available at: http://www.digitalsignageexpo.net/dse-apex-awards

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Flypaper Studio Adds QR Technology for Increased Consumer Engagement

Flypaper Pro has added Quick Response (QR) technology that allows consumers to use their mobile device to scan a unique code and directly access targeted information provided by the display owner. It's part of their new software version 3.9 with several new features and enhancements. The QR Generator helps content creators give end users access to additional information by making it easy to include a QR Code in their displays. They simply type in a URL and the software produces the QR Code and inserts it into the content.
 
The QR Wayfinder will get end users where they’re going. They type in beginning and end points to get a QR Code they can scan with their mobile device to download customized directions to their destination.
 
Other Flypaper 3.9 updates include:

• Flybrary List View: Quickly scroll through a text listing of Flybrary items.
• Digital Sign Templates: Templates specifically designed for digital signage applications are now available for Flypaper Pro users.
• Component Enhancements: Improvements to several Flypaper Pro Components including: Image Cube, Image Gallery, Clock, Weather and CSV. Version 3.9 also adds a Charting Component to quickly add dynamic charting to any project.
• Safe Image Search: Filters out inappropriate images with a default setting that produces only Flickr-approved results.

 You can download a 30-day free trial at: http://www.Flypaper.com

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Digital Screenmedia Association Announces 2013 DSA Industry Excellence Award Winners

The Digital Screenmedia Association (DSA) announced its 2013 DSA Industry Excellence Award Winners at its Digital Screenmedia Symposium in Dallas this month. These awards recognize achievement in digital signage, mobile, self-service and interactive kiosk technology projects.
 
The 2013 winners are:

Industry Deployer of the Year
Six Flags Entertainment Corp.

Network Operator of the Year
RMG Networks

Screenmedia Integration Award
Project: SportChek Retail Lab    
Client: FGL Sports Ltd.
 
Best Digital Out-of-Home Campaign Deployment – Digital Signage
Project: Times Square Takeover Campaign
Client: Beats By Dre

Best Entertainment/Gaming Deployment – Digital Signage
Project: Digital Content Delivery for Match Days
Client: Fulham Football Club

Best Financial Services Deployment – Digital Signage
Project: Digital Branch
Client: BBVA Bancomer

Best Government Deployment – Digital Signage
Project: Digital Signage System
Client: Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre

Best Restaurant Deployment – Digital Signage
Project: Burgerville
Client: The Holland, Inc.

Best Retail Deployment – Digital Signage
Project: "Store of the Future"
Client: Build-A-Bear Workshop

Best Travel Deployment – Digital Signage
Project: Terminal 3 Digital Signage
Client: McCarran International Airport    

Best Corporate Communications Deployment – Self-Service / Interactive Kiosks
Project: The Aramco Experience
Client: Aramco Services Company
Also contributing: FLOAT4 Interactive

Best Digital Out-of-Home Campaign Deployment – Self-Service / Interactive Kiosks
Project: Choose Your Subaru Adventure  
Client: Subaru of America

Best Entertainment/Gaming Deployment – Self-Service / Interactive Kiosks
Project: Teeosk Gaming System
Client: JustOne Golf    

Best Financial Services Deployment – Self-Service / Interactive Kiosks
Project: NOVO Experience
Client: Bank Audi

Best Government/Education/Non-Profit Deployment – Self-Service / Interactive Kiosks
Project: EZtouch Window
Client: Mayport Coastal Sciences Middle School
Also contributing: DXM Marketing Group

Best Restaurant/Food Service Deployment – Self-Service / Interactive Kiosks
Project: Costa Express Vending Machine
Client: Costa Express

Best Retail Deployment – Self-Service / Interactive Kiosks
Project: Showroom Digital Media
Client: John Deere

Best Travel Deployment – Self-Service / Interactive Kiosks
Project: Hertz gives self-service a human touch
Client: The Hertz Corporation

Judges included:

Digital Signage Award Judges

Lyle Bunn, Principal / Strategy Architect, BUNN Co.
Brad Gleeson, President & CEO, TargetPath LLC
Christopher Hall, Editor, DigitalSignageToday.com
Eric Himes, Director, Digital Media and Video Production, Marshall University
Gary Kayye, Founder, rAVe Publications
Keith Kelsen, CEO, 5thScreen Digital Services
Thomas Kunka, Coordinator, Network Systems & Operations, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Erik Larson, Assistant Professor – Broadcast Design, CUNY College of Technology
Barnaby Page, editor, Screenmediamag.com
Lucas Peltonen, Digital Out-Of-Home Director, PITCH
Sean Scott, President, SignIndustry.com
Lou Thurmon, CMO, Two West, Inc.
Michael Tutton, Manager, Digital Signage, Ontario Lottery & Gaming Corporation

Self-Service Kiosk Award Judges

Ted Blanchard, Principal, tedblanchard.ca
Natalie Gagliordi, Editor, KioskMarketplace.com
Eric Hoell, SVP, Operations & Product Development, SoloHealth
Dan LaFayette, Lowes.com Product Owner, Lowe's Companies, Inc.
Faith MacPherson, Senior Director, Global Payroll Services, Avery Dennison
Michael Mascioni, freelance writer and market consultant
Jared Padgett, Manager of Web Development & Digital Media, Pepperdine University
Frank Roscoe, Director of SSM Division, Qpay, Inc.
Janet Webster, President, Creative Solutions Consulting
Sean Whiffen, Co-Founder, AutoNetTV

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Wireless Ronin Reports Another Sales Decrease for Q1

Wireless Ronin Technologies today reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2013. Revenue in the first quarter of 2013 was $1.4 million as compared to $1.8 million in the same year-ago quarter. The decrease was primarily due to reduced Chrysler development and content orders associated with iShowroom.

Recurring revenue in the first quarter of 2013 from the company’s hosting and support services was $495,000 or 35 percent of total revenue compared to $466,000 or 26 percent of total revenue in the same year-ago quarter. The increase was driven by a continued expansion of support services through the company’s network operations center.

Gross margin in the first quarter of 2013 was $746,000 or 53 percent of total revenue compared to $949,000 or 54 percent of total revenue in the same year-ago quarter. The one point decrease in gross margin percentage was primarily due to lower hardware margins in Q1 2013.

Net loss in the first quarter of 2013 totaled $1.4 million or $(0.27) per basic and diluted share, an improvement from a net loss of $1.8 million or $(0.40) per basic and diluted share in Q1 2012. The year-over-year improvement in net loss was primarily due to decreased operating expenses and effective cost management.

Non-GAAP operating loss in the first quarter of 2013 totaled $1.2 million or $(0.23) per basic and diluted share, an improvement from a non-GAAP operating loss of $1.4 million or $(0.31) per basic and diluted share in Q1 2012. The company defines non-GAAP operating loss as GAAP operating loss less stock-based compensation, depreciation and amortization and severance and other one-time charges (see further discussion of this non-GAAP term as well as a reconciliation to GAAP operating loss, below).

At March 31, 2013, cash and cash equivalents totaled $3.1 million, compared to $2.3 million at end of the prior quarter. The increase was  due to the $1.4 million of net proceeds from the company's registered direct offering completed in March 2013.

Management Commentary

“During the first quarter, we focused on building recurring revenue and worked to enhance and broaden our digital marketing technology offerings,” said Scott Koller, president and CEO of Wireless Ronin. “Along those lines, we released our fourth generation of RoninCast software, designed to increase functionality and improve the customer experience while reducing installation and operation costs.

“RoninCast 4.0 software aligns perfectly with Samsung’s new open source digital signage platform, providing significant advantages for the end user, including lowering costs, simplifying installation, improving uptime, and ultimately improving the ROI for our customers. The combined offering dramatically simplifies deployment and ongoing management, breaking down barriers and opening the field to a much larger universe of potential users.

“Last month, we entered into an exclusive license and service agreement with Delphi Display Systems, a leading manufacturer of outdoor LCD-based display systems, to provide integrated technology solutions to the QSR market. Delphi will pay us a minimum of $2.0 million over five years, of which we received $750,000 in Q2 2013. Delphi will leverage its sales and marketing expertise to license our RoninCast software to its 30,000 customers in the QSR market, enabling us to focus our resources on our growing pipeline of opportunities in the automotive, retail and food service markets. We believe this arrangement will be truly transformative for Wireless Ronin by extending the sales reach for RoninCast software, while potentially increasing our stream of recurring hosting and maintenance revenues. “Altogether, these developments have set the stage for a productive second quarter. We now provide industry-leading technology and have world class relationships to capitalize on our growing pipeline and the tremendous industry opportunities.”

Here's the full release: http://www.wirelessronin.com/page/1/Q1-Earnings.jsp

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Extron Now Shipping New Compact HDMI Fiber Optic Extender

Extron is now shipping its HFX 100 HDMI Fiber Optic Extender, a transmitter and receiver set for long distance transmission of HDMI video and embedded audio signals over one fiber optic cable. It extends HDCP-compliant HDMI signals over a multimode fiber at lengths up to 300 meters (984 feet). This compact extender uses all-digital technology to deliver perfect pixel-for-pixel transmission of images up to 1920×1200, including HDTV 1080p/60.

The HFX 100 supports HDMI specification features including data rates up to 6.25 Gbps, 12-bit Deep Color, HD lossless audio formats and CEC. To simplify integration, Extron's HDMI cables are attached to the transmitter and receiver, allowing direct connection with source and destination devices. The HFX 100 transmitter and receiver are housed in compact 1U, one-eighth rack width enclosures.

Here are the details: http://www.extron.com/product/product.aspx?id=hfx100&s=5

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Arsenal Media Dazzles InfoComm Attendees With Boundary-Pushing “Fountain of Content”

For InfoComm 2012, Arsenal Media launched a unique display concept dubbed the “Fountain of Content.” The concept explores the relationship between five types of display technology (LED, LCD, Christie MicroTiles, projection mapping and an iPad), with content streaming from one display technology to another. All five types of technology were connected and integrated into one structure developed by the Arsenal team, and wowed attendees at last year’s InfoComm.

Background

Arsenal Media developed a hybrid structure combining LCDs, LEDs, Christie MicroTiles, projection mapping and iPad technology that was inspired by the architectural elements of transformation, effervescence and marvel.

The project also involved live content creation, and live video jockeying (VJing) and disc jockeying (DJing), an iPad app and an interactive camera that was used to create live visual effects.

The Fountain of Content was developed to explore the relationship between form, content and technology, and also to make a strong statement about Arsenal’s ability to create unique, interactive and experiential destinations. The main objective was to inspire end users as well as integrators, architects, industry consultants and designers on how to use technology in a purely experiential approach.

In addition to its debut at InfoComm 2012, the Fountain of Content was recently showcased at Arsenal’s DSE 2013 booth.

Challenges

The main challenge Arsenal experienced with this project was establishing optimal technical specifications, both from an equipment and structural perspective, to ensure feasibility, efficient cost management and creative flexibility. More specifically, establishing the content flow through the various types of displays, as well as creating the creative guidelines, were major obstacles.

Another challenge Arsenal encountered was from a structural perspective: Designing a concept that was iconic and also integrated the various display technologies in a smart way proved difficult.

Last, from an operational perspective, Arsenal faced the challenge of forming an efficient workflow between the live content creation, iPad control, VJing, music and interactive cameras without creating too much chaos for the operator.

The main objective of the project, over and above Arsenal’s own digital exploration purposes, was to inspire end-users, integrators, architects, industry consultants and designers in how to approach the creation of experiential destinations.

The Fountain of Content installation featured a variety of custom built elements within the structure, including a custom Power PC and a VJ App based on the technology.

Solutions

Though Arsenal faced several obstacles with this project, the company was able to overcome them by:

• Dedicating an in-house team to lab exploration for a period of five weeks to develop the concept;
• Designing a signal flow matrix based on form, function and the technical specifications of each display type. Arsenal also designed a custom Power PC to playback the high-resolution content and manage the on-site, real-time interactive process;
• Using the signal flow to create an architectural shape that could be seen from a distance, leveraging verticality to showcase the notion of content continuity and positioning the displays to symbolize the notion of uniqueness of form in the structural concept;
• Integrating a work station within the installation and establishing direct content feeds to better coordinate/monitor the content creation and playback process; and
• Assigning the iPad to one specific role: It was used as a content viewer and interactive VJing tool accessible to booth visitors.

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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.  In 2012, less than 20 percent of the DS market was 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.

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