October 19, 2011

Digital signage company enters kiosk market

Keywest Technology is a familiar name in the digital signage industry, but the Kansas-based company is now trying to make a name for itself in self-service with its new line of kiosks.

Digital signage company enters kiosk market | DigitalSignageToday.com

By expanding its network of value-added-resellers (VARs), Keywest is transforming static branding to an on-screen experience that ties back to the POS or EMS system, according to David Little, the company's director of marketing. He said the plan is to provide an alternative media channel to engage customers with both self-serve sales and service initiatives.

"The possibilities of the marriage of digital signage, mobile and kiosk technologies are limitless," he said.

Available in interactive configurations as well as standard digital signage, the new turnkey series of kiosks is easy to install, and customers have the option of creating their own interactive content or working with Keywest staff to develop unique programming bundles, Little said.

"Our new series of turnkey kiosks makes it easy for professional communicators to extend the reach of their messaging by creating a dialog with their audiences that better serves their need for information," said Keywest Technology president Nick Nichols.

A variety of programming bundles are available, including interactive media, social media integration, digital advertising, interactive wayfinding, loyalty program integration, media feeds and streaming, real-time information (i.e. airport data), widget integration and integrated marketing campaigns.

"Like digital signage itself, a modern kiosk is part of the digital-out-of-home (DOOH) industry, which means it is also part of the convergence market that daily collides the evolving technologies of the Internet, mobile and interactive into something new," Little said. "Today's kiosk represents many specialties that converge upon the screen of any size for the best customer experience possible. This is barely different than modern digital signage. Keywest Technology has the creativity, technology and integration partners to provide all of this in a fresh, compelling way. "

Partnerships

Keywest has already formalized its kiosk solutions by making turnkey packages available to its entire reseller network in the United States. Previously, it was only providing software and content through resellers.

The company is already providing interactive directories to clients through one reseller, Essentialcom, of Scarsdale, New York.

Another enterprise partner, Spectrio (formally IOHI), has deployed Keywest-powered interactive kiosks at Peters Auto Mall in High Point, N.C. Most recently, Keywest has deployed POS/EMS-enabled digital kiosks at the Westin Bonaventure hotel in Los Angeles through RB Industries.

"We are working on corporate, education and retail installations in the near future," Little said

Enclosure options

Unlike digital signage, where the screen is often a third-party-branded appliance, the kiosk enclosure or surround can become part of the user's brand packaging, said Little.

"(This) certainly makes a lot of marketing sense for retailers," he said.

The company offers fully-interactive small digital door cards net-enabled and integrated with data sources for POS and POW applications. They can be installed on or inside walls, housed in self-standing enclosures or mounted within furniture shelves or cabinets.

Keywest also sells stand-alone enclosures that come in a variety of sizes ranging from 27 to 55 inches. They can be single- or dual-sided, non-touch screen or touch enabled. Interactive directories that can be customized in color and size are, yet, another option for wall-mount enclosures.

"We believe the enclosure itself is part of the benefit of kiosks," Little said.

A retailer looking for total customization can also have that through Keywest's partnership with STAR Signs.

"We can custom fabricate any kind of enclosure or cabinet that matches interior ambiance. Custom wraps can be applied for specific branding," Little said.

The cost

Like most kiosk projects, the cost depends on the kiosk and platform. Starting at the entry level, Keywest offers miniature touchscreen kiosks based on integrated technology for under $1,000. The high end of the price range is $20,000 plus, which is a custom solution with unique branding and expert programming, Little said.


Digital signage company enters kiosk market | DigitalSignageToday.com

Posted by staff at 10:21 AM

May 25, 2011

Mix-and-match software for digital signage and kiosks

Acquire and Neil Farr expanding into US and also offering wide range of options on their software.

Mix-and-match software for digital signage and kiosks | DigitalSignageToday.com

Leicester, U.K.-based Working Solutions is taking a novel, mix-and-match approach to its digital signage and kiosk software.

Rather than just offering different levels of functionality pre-packaged at different price points, Working Solutions is offering a smorgasbord of plug-ins from which clients can pick and choose. The company is also working with third-party providers to create new plug-ins and added functionality.

Working Solutions, well known in Europe, is working to expand its reach and brand awareness in the United States, Working Solutions CEO Neil Farr said in a recent telephone interview from Leicester.

The company has been crafting new versions of its workhorse software solution, Acquire, meant to allow clients to fit the solution to their needs, rather than the other way around.

Clients wanting the full range of options can still buy the Acquire Premier Editor Suite, but the company also offers Acquire Editor, Acquire Hybrid, Acquire SOLO and the Signage2Go solutions.

These solutions offer the usual range of different levels of functionality, from standalone to networked, and even the ability to create a hybrid SaaS/signage application solution.

But perhaps most interesting, the company offers the ability to buy or rent the basic version of the Editor suite and then purchase, create or have created plug-ins as needed.

"It gives you the ability to say you've got a technology ... that allows you to basically say in three months time when I want to do something extra I'm not then artificially restrained by the what the functionality is in the solution I purchased," Farr said. "It means that you can go ahead and either choose one of the plug-ins and start utilizing it, or if there's something custom that you want developed you can either develop it yourselves or, because it's a plug-in driven system, we can build a plug in custom for you. So its very, very flexible."

The company also has been partnering with third parties to create new plug-ins and add-ons for its software suites, after deciding it could either build them in-house or work with partners who are already experts in that particular area. Working Solutions has partnered with third-party solution providers like AccuWeather, for weather updates; 3D Impact Media for dual 3-D and 2-D content on screens; Nemo-Q, for queuing solutions; and Quividi, for its audience-measurement package, allowing deployers to adjust their content depending on who's standing in front of the screen.

Working Solutions had in the past created its own facial-recognition audience tracking platform, but working with a third party whose expertise is in that field leverages that expertise but also provides another level of assurance, Farr said. The software is used to adjust content but also to provide reporting stats to network customers, and having a third party's software used for that purpose lends added credence and validity to the reporting, he said.

"If we're all doing that ourselves, well we do digital signage, of course we're going to say you've got 10 million people looking at it; whereas these third parties are more believable because that's their focus. If they make up their figures then they'll be out of business tomorrow," he said. "So it adds value, not just because it creates an easier-to-use solution, but because the features are something you can believe in and trust in."

Mix-and-match software for digital signage and kiosks | DigitalSignageToday.com


Posted by staff at 11:31 AM

January 28, 2011

Android based interactive content player

Android based OS tablet in interactive signage content mode developed. To be launched at the ISE in Amsterdam next week.

Video: New signagelive digital signage player for Android launching at ISE 2011 | DigitalSignageToday.com

United Kingdom-based signagelive has announced it will launch its new signagelive player for Android at the upcoming Integrated Systems Europe 2011.

ISE 2011 is scheduled for Feb. 1-3 at the RAI, Amsterdam. The signagelive Android player will be demonstrated on both tablets and mobile phones with features that enable scheduled content to be deployed and played back based on dates and times, plus the ability to "swipe and play" media using the gesture touch interface.

In addition to the new signagelive Android player, the company will be demonstrating the following at ISE:

Click on the video below to see a demo of the new Android-based player, which signagelive CEO Jason Cremins said is attracting great interest for use in corporate communications and in auto dealerships.


signagelive for android from signagelive on Vimeo.


Video: New signagelive digital signage player for Android launching at ISE 2011 | DigitalSignageToday.com

Posted by staff at 07:15 AM

January 17, 2011

Royal Caribbean innovates with kiosks, digital signage

The newest ship in the Royal Caribbean International cruise line fleet, the Allure of the Seas, integrates self-service, digital signage and other technologies to provide a high-tech customer experience.

Video: Royal Caribbean innovates with kiosks, digital signage | DigitalSignageToday.com


The 16-deck ship with nearly 3,000 staterooms offers pervasive Wi-Fi access, with more than 900 Internet access points; self-service customer kiosks that allow voyagers to access their accounts and check-in for their flights home; and award-winning, digital-signage wayfinding stations.

"One of the things that we really wanted to do was to innovate new technologies that will make the guest experience better," RCI senior vice president of hotel operations Lisa Bauer said in the video embedded below.



Video: Royal Caribbean innovates with kiosks, digital signage | DigitalSignageToday.com

Posted by staff at 01:38 PM

November 25, 2010

Interactive Digital - Toronto's INFOTOGO interactive wayfinding pillars

infotogo.jpgOutdoor interactive digital signage in Toronto provide info and dispense maps. Nice looking units.

As part of their Coordinated Street Furniture program, the City of Toronto has designed and installed INFOTOGO wayfinding pillars to help you easily navigate and explore the city. The pillars include a large neighbourhood display map with key sites of interest, historical landmarks and public transit routes. There are currently 28 pillars in total, 5 of which feature interactive touch screens offering a thorough compilation of need-to-know facts and great ideas for what to see and do in Toronto. The kiosks also dispense $2 city maps.
infotogo.jpg

The five interactive pillars with touch screens are at the following locations:

40 Dundas St. W. (between Yonge St. and Bay St., in front of Ontario Travel Information Centre)

777 Bay St. (near corner of Bay and College St.)

750 Bloor St. W. (near entrance to Christie Pits Park)

280 Spadina Ave. (near corner of Dundas Street)

220 Dundas St. W.

Posted by keefner at 12:40 PM

October 12, 2010

Digital Signage Software Managing Photo Kiosk

Digital signage software doubles as photo kiosk software and remote management/monitoring. Send a Message and Fujifilm partnering.

Omnivex Digital Signage Software Used to Manage Unique Photo Kiosks


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Omnivex Digital Signage Software Used to Manage Unique Photo Kiosks
Omnivex provides platform to integrate multiple vendor's products into one unique user experience

Omnivex content management software is used to manage a network of Send A Message photo kiosks
Omnivex software was invaluable for the success of this system because it allowed us to incorporate advertising space along with a touch screen interface and the ability to print the postcards
Concord, ON (PRWEB) October 12, 2010

Omnivex Corporation, Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and provider of enterprise-level software for digital signage networks, announced that their software is being used to manage photo kiosks located in hotels and at tourist attractions. In partnership with Send A Message, Inc. and Fujifilm's "See Here", Omnivex is providing the software platform for the touch screen interface and backbone management of the system.

The Send A Message (SAM) kiosk is a multi-purpose digital media kiosk which provides hospitality properties with a powerful tool that delivers a unique set of services while providing several revenue opportunities. SAM's easy to use personal media workstation allows users to quickly upload photos from their digital cameras, create customized postcards and print them on high quality photo paper. In addition, they can directly access Fujifilm's "See Here" photo website for uploading their pictures for online storage, or creating photo gifts that can be ordered directly from the kiosk. Revenue is generated from the kiosk through the sale of on-screen ad space and by charging users a fee for creating their customized postcards. All of the functionality of the kiosk can be managed remotely through Omnivex digital signage software. Fujifilm North America installs and maintains these units for Send A Message, Inc.

"Our digital media photo kiosk packages a stunning technology design with a simple to use application that enables guests to create unique photo postcards with their personal media in just minutes," says Kristen Tsitoukis, president & CEO of Send A Message, Inc. "Omnivex software has enabled us to provide a more all encompassing system to our customers," said Tsitoukis.

The system has recently been deployed at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown and the Renaissance Orlando at Sea World. Omnivex value added reseller, Digisplay, brought all of the different aspects of the project together to combine the strengths of each of the companies involved into one unified solution. "Omnivex software was invaluable for the success of this system because it allowed us to incorporate advertising space along with a touch screen interface and the ability to print the postcards," said Jim McNeal, president, Digisplay, LLC. "As this system is rolled out to more locations, the network management functionality will be of paramount importance, as we plan to manage this system for Send A Message, Inc.'s hotel customers," he concluded.

The system can be seen at the upcoming Customer Engagement Technology World trade show or the International Hotel, Motel and Restaurant Show, starting November 10, 2010 at the Javits Convention Center, in New York City. For more information, visit www.omnivex.com/press/events.asp.

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About Omnivex
Founded in 1991, Omnivex Corporation is a leader in software development for digital signage networks and electronic displays. Omnivex software is used by over 2,000 customers, including many Fortune 500 companies, to manage all aspects of digital signage networks, including content management, real-time data acquisition and distribution, and remote device monitoring and management. Omnivex and our customers have been recognized with numerous awards for excellence in digital signage. For more information, visit www.omnivex.com.

About Digisplay
Digisplay, LLC is a technical integration firm, offering visual communication solutions that include developing software for interactive displays, LED billboards and LCD, plasma and LED display systems. The company specializes in bringing visual communications to life to captivate the target audience with professional design skills and technical excellence. Recognized as a leader in digital signage displays and servicing options, Digisplay offers revenue-generating results. Digisplay can help sell, inform and educate a target audience, through contextual messages that change with the pace of business. For more information, visit www.digisplay.com.

About Send A Message, Inc.
Send A Message, Inc. was founded with the passion and focus to be the leading hospitality service provider. Send A Message's products improve the overall guest experience while enabling their business partners to increase the efficiency of their business operations. Send A Message products combine cutting edge technology with leading environmentally friendly components. The company's diversity enables them to offer business strategies that achieve a variety of their partners' business objectives, through technology solutions that generate revenue and provide enhanced value to guests. For more information, visit www.sendamessageinc.com.
# # #


Omnivex Digital Signage Software Used to Manage Unique Photo Kiosks

Posted by staff at 09:49 AM

September 13, 2010

Retail kiosk for clothing information

odlo_DSC4983.jpg BrightSign, Imaculix highlight high-tech cycling gear with touch screen kiosks. Customers can explore product features and options via a combination of audio-visual presentations, touch screen interactivity and barcode scan abilities in kiosks designed and implemented by AV integrator Imaculix.

BrightSign, Imaculix highlight high-tech cycling gear with touch screen kiosks | KioskMarketplace

Saratoga, Calif.-based BrightSign reports it is using digital players, kiosks and other interactive technology to showcase the high-technology cycling undergarments of sportswear manufacturer ODLO.
odlo_DSC4983.jpg
Customers can explore product features and options via a combination of audio-visual presentations, touch screen interactivity and barcode scan abilities in kiosks designed and implemented by AV integrator Imaculix. Kiosk hardware and visual design were provided by RUN.

ODLO sought to highlight the cycle gear and showcase the technology behind the new padding in the clothing. ODLO plans to roll out the kiosks in its retail stores beginning in March 2011 and expand the information to include its entire active wear clothing line. ODLO clothing is distributed in 20 countries.

The kiosk features barcode scanner interactivity, with specially-designed price tags affixed to every product to invite customers to scan the barcode to learn more about the piece of clothing. When scanned at a kiosk, the display shows the key facts and benefits of that particular item and invites customers to interact further by touching “hot spots” on the image, which then displays further information about each piece of technology and the features ODLO has built into it.

The kiosk includes a 23-inch touch display that allows customers to browse the entire line of cycling wear using filters based on gender and categories. In addition, a Padding Finder application walks users through a series of questions in order to recommend the best padding and products for the individual.

The kiosk display can be powered on and off via an RS232 connection; and also through a remote control operated by store managers. Power control is implemented through built-in BrightAuthor software, which ensures that the display is the only item turned on/off. Meanwhile, the BrightSign unit remains powered-up, allowing it to receive remote content updates and enabling support where necessary via BrightSign Networking.

The kiosk also features built-in shelves, allowing padding options to be showcased. The presentation supports 24 cycling underwear products; each with between five and nine hot spots of detailed information and all available in three languages: German, French and English.

BrightSign’s display was shown at IBC 2010, an international convention held in Amsterdam for professionals in the entertainment and media content industries.

Brightsign website


BrightSign, Imaculix highlight high-tech cycling gear with touch screen kiosks | KioskMarketplace

Posted by staff at 10:48 AM

June 04, 2010

BrightSign Digital Sign & Kiosk Controllers at InfoComm

Some cool stuff from BrightSign who will be at the InfoComm show next week in Vegas. Digital signage and kiosks and large touch screens without the PC.

Experience BrightSign at Infocomm in Booth #N2460

BrightSign invites you to experience BrightSign at the upcoming InfoComm show in Las Vegas June 9-11th.

BrightSign is teaming up with several content developer partners to demonstrate their innovative digital signage applications at its InfoComm 2010 Booth #N2460 next week. The partner demonstrations reinforce BrightSign’s commitment to offering one-stop shopping for a broad range of turnkey digital signage solutions that are easy to use and affordably priced.

BrightSign will also create a Retail Consumer Electronics experience in the Digital Signage Application Showcase Pavilion #N2061. The exhibit demonstrates impressive BrightSign driven digital signge provided by key BrightSign Integration Partners who provide value-added solutions and services for a multitude of digital signage applications.
Be sure to visit us at InfoComm for your own personal demonstration.

InfoComm 2010 Demonstration Highlights:

Retail Digital Signage Application Showcase - Booth #N2061

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Replica video wall ticketing display as seen in FNAC, one of the largest international entertainment retail chains in France. TMM Communication has implemented close to 3000 BrightSign units at FNAC stores throughout Europe. This display includes four 47” HDTVs portrait-mounted as a large video wall and powered by BrightSign HD210 players.

*
Interactive product finder kiosk provided by MTI-Interactive promotes 6 different cell phones using a single BrightSign HD1010 controller. MTI. a pioneer in consumer retail merchandising, created uss their FreedomTM LP product lift technology and touch screen interactivity can enhance the consumer’s shopping experience and boost sales.


BrightSign Booth #N2460

Synchronized Two-screen Video Wall
A two-screen synchronized HD video program developed for BrightSign by The CSI Group out of Paramus, NJ will be featured. The CSI Group are experts in creating dynamic video content to attract attention while reinforcing brand messaging in both an entertaining and educational manner. This installation will be shown using two synchronized screens driven by two BrightSign HD210 players.

Interactive Prize-redeeming Kiosk
Direct Mail USA, a full-service marketing production company headquartered in St. Louis, MO, will demonstrate an in-store kiosk featuring its interactive Prize Wheel application running on a BrightSign HD1010 controller. As part of a complete marketing/promotional program that includes direct mail, customers are provided with a mail piece that has a barcode on it for redeeming a prize.

Synchronized Four-screen Video Wall
Celebrating over a decade of award-winning video production, funnelbox, of Oregon City, OR, produces commercials, marketing videos, web videos, tradeshow videos and DOOH content for some of the world's greatest brands. At the BrightSign booth, funnelbox will feature 4K content shot and produced to take advantage of a synchronized four-screen video wall run by four BrightSign HD210 players synchronized together via Ethernet.

SKU-activated Merchandising Application
Imaculix GmbH, a Zurich-based multimedia production house, will demonstrate the in-store interactive kiosk it developed for MBT, manufacturer of the revolutionary MBT footware. Driven by a BrightSign HD1010 controller, the kiosk uses Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and touchscreen interactivity to showcase the many pro-body benefits of the footware.

We hope to see you at the show, but you can always visit us online at www.brightsign.biz.

Best Regards,
BrightSign Team
email: [email protected]
USA: +1-408-852-9263
International: +44 1223 911842

Posted by staff at 10:46 AM

April 05, 2010

New Lobby Assistant to be shown at KioskCom

New digital lobby assistant will be shown at upcoming KioskCom in Vegas next week. Visit booth #204 and see showcase of new www.Lobstr.net building directory system, a new SMS Coupon kiosk program for retailers and recent kiosk projects and demos.


Digital Lobby Assistant picture

Unlike other directory solutions, Lobstr offers additional features designed to ensure adoption and maximize user effectiveness such as:

Publish Personnel Status: Let your visitors know your employee's immediate availability with an interactive in / out feature.

Visitors have the ability to announce their arrival via IM, SMS or email without revealing your staff’s confidential contact information.

An intuitive web-based management system allows staff to securely update the directory database in real time from any PC.

Easy to use ad-enabled templates create additional value allowing you to sell advertising space for relevant services for your tenants.

Lobstr has all of the significant digital directory functionality, but with unique features that allow your visitors and personnel to do more. Additionally, Lobstr offers a Web 2.0-friendly user interface giving visitors and office residents access to features such as: the ability to send inter-office messages, public-facing status updates, and real-time management.

Customize Your Digital Lobby Solution
Lobstr gives you the ability to customize your digital lobby solution package to suit the specific needs of your location and its tenants. Electronic Art can recommend alacarte add-ons such as integrated wayfinding maps, and inter-company communication widgets for companies seeking an all-in-one solution. Need even more? If we haven’t already thought of it, we can build it. Customize your Lobstr digital lobby assistant and set your facilities apart from your competition.

Posted by staff at 09:47 AM

April 28, 2008

Interview - Jens Schindler of Digital Signage Expo 2008 Europe

Interview with Jens Schindler of Digital Signage Expo of Europe + press release describing the upcoming show. Looks like 170 exhibitors.

source article

This week the Minicom Interview speaks to Jens Schindler, Managing Director of Digital Signage Expo 2008. With the show coming up soon, thought it would be good to speak to Jens.

A philosopher by degree, Jens founded hf media & events in 2002 after having worked in sales and marketing roles for major trade publishing and events companies in the UK and Germany. He has focused on high-tech markets such as electronics, automation, airports and digital customer communication.

Minicom Blog: Hi Jens. Thank you for joining us.
Jens Schindler: My pleasure.

MB: What do you think the highlights of the show will be?
JS: The center of the show is going to be devoted to content in the shape of the Digital Signage content center. After discussions with POPAI and our other partners, we felt that while a lot of traditional focus is placed on technology and networking, the real make or break issue is content and we wanted the floorplan to reflect that by making it our centerpiece. We want to highlight what can be done application wise with content and also want to show people how digital signage is different content-wise from TV and other audio-visual mediums.

MB: How did the show come to be?
JS: We started the Kiosk Europe magazine about five 5 years ago. It is a quarterly magazine and after a year we had feedback from clients and readers say that we should do a show and we agreed. We had a Self service interactive show last year and there was a thought that Digital Signage should be a part of it, but many from Digital Signage didn’t want to be part of another show – they wanted their own. So we got together with POPAI and that’s how it came to be. Essen is near the big retail center in Dusseldorf and this is a central area in Europe where no-one is more than an hour away which makes it convenient for everyone.

MB: Is there a theme?
JS: The left side of the floor is for interactivity and interactive devices while the right side is digital signage-related. We had the idea of wanting to showcase how digital signage and self service complement each other as well as showing people how to use digital signage as an interactive medium with which to communicate dynamically. If people have instant feedback on how successful their message is at a kiosk/touchscreen they can change it instantly which is huge.

MB: What has been the response of the Digital Signage community to the show?
JS: We will have 70 exhibitors on the Digital Signage side and 100 on the kiosk side. If we would have had 30 on the digital signage side, we would have been more than happy with that.

MB: While your show is Euro-centric, what sort of response have you had from the rest of the world?
JS: It’s been good. Most shows are heavily represented by the host country but this one has an even split from Germany and the rest of Europe. Additionally we have had some interest from the rest of the world from the likes of the USA, Asia and Australia.

MB: Besides the booths there is an extensive program of panel workshops and forums?
JS: You don’t need three days to see all the booths so the workshops and forums provide something else for the visitors to do as well as an invaluable way to learn more about the industry. The workshops are in the morning and payment is charged for those while the forums will be in the afternoon and are free of charge. The speakers are some of the top people in the industry and should make for some interesting discussions.

MB: You have any plans in store or innovations for the future shows?
JS: Yes but they can’t be announced yet. You’ll have to wait for the press conference for that.

MB: Nice speaking with you Jens and good luck with the show.
JS: Thank you



recent press release about the show


PRESS RELEASE

Experts in self-service solutions and digital customer information
meet from 6 to 8 May 2008 in Essen

More visitors than last year will be showcasing their self-service solutions at KIOSK EUROPE EXPO 2008. DIGITAL SIGNAGE EXPO 2008 will be held in parallel.

After the success of KIOSK EUROPE EXPO 2007 last year, the international trade fair for self-service kiosks, technologies and solutions for all industries is again being held in Essen this year. In cooperation with POPAI, hf media & events is also organising DIGITAL SIGNAGE EXPO 2008 that will run in parallel; this is dedicated to in-store TV, digital media, ad screens and content-management solutions. Messe Essen will open the doors to halls 1 and 2 (entrance via the Messehaus Süd) for the two exhibitions and associated workshops from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on 6 to 8 May 2008. More than 170 exhibitors have already registered, including big-name companies, such as 3M, IBM, Samsung, Sony and Wincor Nixdorf.

KIOSK EUROPE EXPO 2008 and DIGITAL SIGNAGE EXPO 2008 will together occupy 50 percent more exhibit space than last year and will showcase current solutions that are already available on the market alongside prototypes and concepts from research institutes. Exhibitors include European companies from Germany, Italy, France, Spain and several Eastern European countries, as well as suppliers operating at international level. More than 170 exhibitors have registered so far, which is 30 percent more than last year.

“This year, visitors can look forward to a new concept that will showcase both self-service solutions and those for digital customer communication. At a joint fair, trade visitors can find solutions for a diverse range of industries, including retail, financial services, tourism and entertainment, as well as for the public sector, and can thus benefit from the experience of all industries. “We are confident that we’ll be able to build on last year’s success and impress both visitors and exhibitors alike with our new, exciting concept. For the first time, the world’s largest self-service trade event and Europe’s largest fair for digital signage will be held under one roof”, says Jens Schindler, MD of the event organiser.

KIOSK EUROPE EXPO 2008, which will be held in halls 1 and 2, is Europe’s only trade fair dedicated exclusively to self-service solutions. Exhibitors will include 3M, Epson, Friendlyway, Hergos Sistemas, IBM, Sagem, Star Micronics, Thales, Verifone and Wincor Nixdorf. DIGITAL SIGNAGE EXPO 2008 is organised in cooperation with POPAI, the global trade association for retail marketing. In hall 1, exhibitors such as Fujitsu Services, JVC, Panasonic, Samsung, Scala, Sharp, Sony and T-Systems will showcase their solutions for in-store TV, ad screens and content management.
In order to place the solutions exhibited within a wider context, the organiser is holding two workshops on each day of the fair to take place in parallel with the exhibitions. These workshops will focus on self-service and digital customer communication and will take place from 10 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. in two auditoria in hall 1. They will offer insights by experts in their respective fields and will also introduce applications and, in particular, provide an opportunity for discussion. In each workshop, a panel of four experts that changes daily will be available to offer advice and answer participants’ questions.

KIOSK EUROPE EXPO 2008 and DIGITAL SIGNAGE EXPO 2008 show solutions, not technology
Self-service kiosks can be used to improve customer service and increase turnover at the same time as reduce costs. Digital signage installations feature content that can be controlled dynamically to improve communication with the customer and thus offer individual messages and services.

Self-service information and transaction terminals can be used for a variety of different processes, such as paying for goods or applying to an employer for holiday. Enabling consumers to perform these processes themselves gives them better control and, in many cases, also greater flexibility. Wincor Nixdorf demonstrates this on the basis of solutions for the retail trade and for production companies.

Digital signage solutions are suitable for presentations in different scenarios, such as waiting and reception areas, conference rooms and for use at the point of sale. Companies such as JVC, Panasonic, Samsung, Sony and Sharp will showcase a large selection of displays in various sizes, which also allow interaction with the customers. Software suppliers that will be present at the show include Dimedis, JVC and Scala; their products can be used for the flexible operation of entire networks. Fujitsu Services will present complete solutions, including services for digital customer communication.

A glimpse of the future: Self-Service Futures Parlour and Content Centre
The Futures Parlour will provide an insight into the future of self-service solutions. It will be located near the main entrance in hall 1 in a specially designated area of KIOSK EUROPE EXPO 2008.

At DIGITAL SIGNAGE EXPO 2008, the spotlight will be on the Content Centre on a round stand 12 metres in diameter located in the middle of hall 1 under the motto “content is king”. Hardware and software require customer-relevant content in order, as complete solution, to offer customers and users added value. In the Content Centre, suppliers of digital content from all over the world will be showing trailers and campaigns.

Workshops:
During question-and-answer sessions, experts from research institutes, universities, public institutions and industry will be available for discussion and to offer advice to participants. The workshops will take place form 10 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. on 6, 7 and 8 May in two auditoria in hall 1.

The three KIOSK EUROPE EXPO 2008 workshops will be held under the heading, “The future of customer service”. The individual topics and experts will be as follows:

- Tuesday, 6 May 2008: “How to manage a successful Self-Service project – or how to save 24 % selling cost”
The panel of speakers includes Prof. Simonetta Carbonaro, CEO of REAL_ISE. She is an expert in the field of consumer psychology, innovation management and strategic design management and carries out research into consumer behaviour and social and cultural change in our society.

- Wednesday, 7 May 2008:“How to Self-Service my business – or how to add 18% sales“
The panel of speakers includes Dr. Moira Clark and Joachim Pinhammer. Clark is professor of Strategic Marketing at Henley Management College in Great Britain, as well as Director of The Henley Centre for Customer Management. She researches and is a consultant in the fields of customer relationship management, customer retention and internal marketing. Pinhammer is Director Marketing Retail at Wincor Nixdorf.

- Thursday, 8 May 2008: “How to face future challenges – or how Self-Service will add value in the future”
This workshop focuses on self-service solutions for the public sector. The panel of speakers includes Dr. Paul Timmers from the European Commission, Dirk Drees from Gematik, the German Society for Telematic Applications of the Healthcare Card, Dr. Kai van Luck, Professor at the University of Hamburg and Dr. Dietmar G. Wiedemann from the University of Augsburg.

The three DIGITAL SIGNAGE EXPO 2008 workshops will be held under the heading “Put your message into motion”. The individual topics and experts will be as follows:

- Tuesday, 6 May 2008: “How to deploy a successful digital signage project”
The panel of speakers includes Jasmin Top from BASF and Frédéric Groussolles from Cisco Europe.

- Wednesday, 7 May 2008: “How to use digital signage in my business”
This workshop will provide the first comprehensive presentation of the Global Digital Signage study conducted by POPAI. The panel of speakers includes Stefan Telschow, Director of the POS Research Centre of Expertise at the Gesellschaft für Innovative Marktforschung (GIM).

- Thursday, 8 May 2008: “Digital Signage and interactivity – the consumer of tomorrow”
The panel of speakers includes Steven Platt, the founder and director of the Platt Retail Institute.
Entrance to the exhibitions is free of charge for pre-registered visitors. A charge will be made for participation in the workshops. It is possible to register for the exhibitions and for the workshops at www.kioskeurope-expo.com and at www.digitalsignageexpo.eu.


For further information:

Dr. Brigitte Knittlmayer
PR Consultant for International Public Relations
Am Heerdter Hof 24 Tel.: 0049 (0)211 569 22 44
40549 Düsseldorf Mobile: 0049 (0)172 8238 867
Deutschland Email: [email protected]

Anne Warner
hf media & events Tel: 0044 (0) 1223 410901
The Quorum Fax: 0044 (0) 1223 241600
Barnwell Road E: [email protected]
Cambridge www.kioskeurope-expo.com
CB5 8RE UK www.digitalsignageexpo.eu

About KIOSK EUROPE EXPO 2008 and DIGITAL SIGNAGE EXPO 2008: KIOSK EUROPE EXPO 2008 is organised by hf media & events, publishers of KIOSK EUROPE, Europe’s leading trade publication on kiosk terminals, technologies and solutions. DIGITAL SIGNAGE EXPO 2008 is organised in conjunction with POPAI, the global association for retail marketing.

About hf media & events: hf media & events was founded in 2001, focusing on high-quality international B2B communication. It is based in Cambridge, UK.

Posted by staff at 02:26 PM

April 14, 2008

Self-service and digital signage can co-exist

Nice perspective commentary on kiosks, self-service and digital signage by Jim Kruper of Kioware.


source article on selfservice.org

Self-service and digital signage can co-exist

By James Kruper contributor
14 Apr 2008

As the owner of a company that publishes kiosk system software and develops custom self-service kiosk applications, it has been interesting to me to watch the convergence of the digital signage and self-service kiosk industries. Although kiosks are typically designed for interactivity and digital signage is not, it is apparent to me that the kiosk industry has a lot to offer to digital signage.

Digital signage gives the opportunity for signage to evolve from static to dynamic; static branding can become animated, a static advertisement can become a video commercial, maps can be instantly updated with latest information, and current news can be easily displayed. Perhaps most importantly, content can be readily modified.

With the convergence of digital signage and self-service kiosks, now dynamic digital signage can become interactive. Self-service kiosk applications exist to provide a seamless user interface, enabling a kiosk user to perform a task. Similarly, the digital ad that draws a user to the kiosk can now be extended to enable the user to find out more information about the product and ultimately place an order. Or, a user can drill into a ticker tape news item and read the complete story. The ability to make digital signage interactive enables more information to be transferred ultimately improving the ROI of the deployment.

The first inkling of things to come occurred several years ago when LCD display prices dropped to enable kiosks to economically have second monitors – typically a big, beautiful widescreen LCD mounted above the kiosk. This gave the kiosk deployer an interesting choice. The second monitor could be used to enhance and expand the functionality of the application running on the primary monitor - for example, by providing context sensitive help, displaying detailed product information, or providing additional dynamic branding for the kiosk. Or, the second monitor could be used as an independent revenue stream by selling advertising.

Whereas, advertising had long been sold for display on a kiosk’s primary screen especially for display during periods of inactivity, the second monitor enabled constant advertising exposure and most importantly during periods of kiosk activity, when a potential customer is at the kiosk and most ready to be influenced.

Interactive Pandora’s Box

While making digital signage interactive has many obvious benefits, it also opens up many self-service kiosk issues that need to be addressed. The most important include the need for the user to be kept away from the operating system and network, to clear the user’s confidential information, and to reset the application after the user leaves. These are significant requirements to add to a digital signage application but fortunately long ago solved by the kiosk industry, so there is no need to reinvent the wheel.

As with self-service kiosks, the only thing worse than having a digital signage installation broken down, is not knowing your digital signage installation is broken down. ROI is a key determinant of the success of a project and when a kiosk or digital signage unit is sitting with a dark screen, ROI plummets. Fortunately, the kiosk industry has a solution whereby the kiosk regularly pings a centralized server saying ‘Here I am alive and well’ and typically sends a statistical snapshot of its health for proof. When a kiosk stops pinging, the centralized server sends out the alarm. The technology is readily transferable to a digital signage installation.

Similarly, the nature of digital signage is one of dynamic content and the requirement for content to change regularly. Depending on the complexity and size of the digital content and the quality of the internet connection, content can be hosted either locally at the digital signage location or at a remote server. When content is hosted locally, there needs to be a robust method to update content. Once again, this dilemma has been resolved within the kiosk industry, and the technology is readily transferable to a digital signage installation.

Not just a one-way street

Lest one believe that only the kiosk industry has technology to share with digital signage, the digital signage industry has helped the kiosk industry in at least one way by popularizing the concept of a computer on a wall. The first digital signage implementations were generally a display unit hooked up to a DVD player or to a closed circuit media network, but especially with the advent of PCs small enough to be packaged onto the back of a display unit, digital signage displays are more commonly PC driven which receive content directly from the Internet. Similarly, self service kiosk applications are increasingly either wall mounted or desktop displays instead of being floor mounted, thus freeing up valuable floor space and increasing viable installation locations.

One source of instability that plagues both kiosk self-service and digital signage is the quality of digital media players. Whereas the typical industry standard media player was designed for a user sitting at their desk playing a video file over a relatively short period of time, the media player in a kiosk or digital signage application must play a video for an extended period of time, perhaps measured in months.

Many industry standard media players and/or codecs are not up to the task of extended play. They tend to leak memory and resources in a manner that a user sitting at their desk would not notice, but can bring a kiosk or digital signage application to its knees over an extended period of time. In the kiosk industry, sophisticated kiosk system software monitors these applications and when necessary restarts the application or reboots the computer; however, the user experience of having an application freeze due to depleted system resources, then get restarted by the kiosk system software is not ideal, and it would be far better for everyone involved if the industry’s media players/codecs were better written.

In summary, as digital signage applications move toward increasing interactivity, I believe the self-service kiosk industry has a lot to offer the digital signage industry and the convergence of solutions is a positive step forward for both industries.

Jim Kruper is with Kioware

Posted by staff at 09:04 AM

April 10, 2008

Application Resource - Digital Signage

Application profile for four winds interactive. Four Winds does digital signage such as non-interactive and interactive large LCD (touchscreen or none). Recommended.


Four Winds Interactive (FWI)offers a full-service Interactive Digital Signage (iDS) software platform that turns digital signs into a flexible, reliable, easy to use digital signage network. FWI transforms standard LCD and Plasma displays into an enterprise wide digital signage network, and blends rich multi-media, web, and live data content types to create visually stimulating, dynamic, and compelling digital signs. Designed with our customers in mind, iDS is a complete solution empowering customers to manage the complete workflow of a digital display network including design, scheduling, deployment, playback, reporting, and system monitoring.


  • Quick Implementation – end users quickly grow proficient with intuitive Windows-based tools for assembling, creating, scheduling and deploying content updates to a large network of displays.
  • Customizable – end users easily create, change, import and update original content in a variety of media formats such as MS PowerPoint, Flash, Video, RSS feeds, wmv, mpeg, mov, HTML, MP3, MP4.
  • Based on open standards – the platform is not tied to proprietary design tools or formats which eliminate vendor lock-in. Users can push content out to many devices, including plasma screens, LCD monitors, and a variety of kiosks.
  • Cost-effective – your company gets a straightforward and simple cost solution based on the number of channels. This enterprise class web-based content creation, delivery and management system reduces overhead for IT management.
  • Scalable – as digital media continues to break ground and the adoption of digital media increases, you can grow your network of digital signage displays organically at the right pace for your business.
  • Secure – security and multi-tiered access levels can be enabled for different users and groups. Media is securely transferred over LANs, WANs, DSL, and satellite networks. Unicast and multicast device authentication are also available.

Digital Signage Features with Four Winds Interactive


  • Flexible Content Items – Supports all industry content types. Choose from Flash, PowerPoint, Images, RSS feeds, HTML, MPEG, gif, jpg, video and more!
  • Database Integration – with your existing platform.
  • Uses your current infrastructure – No proprietary hardware.
  • Advanced scheduling – schedule ads, events, and news by date, time, week, or year.
  • Multi-user Administration – administer from anywhere.
  • Unlimited Screen Layouts – choose from a variety of layouts, or create your own. We can tailor the design to your corporate brand.
  • Creative Content Services – Our creative team is here for you. Whether it's building your digital signage ourselves or enabling your own changes with pre-built Flash ads or PowerPoint presentations, we can help you implement custom wayfinding, weather feeds, news, events, and more.

Contact Information:
sonny lastrella | four winds interactive
director of sales/channel development
(720) 259-4684 direct


Posted by staff at 03:54 PM

February 29, 2008

2008 DIGI Award Winners

Nice pics and writeups for award winners of 2008 DIGI (Digital Signage Magazine). The AT&T rebranding initiative was very substantial.


Digital Signage Weekly: DIGI Award Winners Unveiled

DIGI Award Winners Unveiled
Feb 6th, 2008 Email this article
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The winners of the fourth annual DIGI Awards, which honor excellence in the digital signage industry, have been selected. The winning entries were discussed in a special DIGI Awards Webinar on Jan. 28, hosted by DIGI Award Chairman David Keene of Digital Signage magazine, and Jill Miller of The Digital Signage Group. The winning entries will be detailed in the February issue of Digital Signage magazine.

The DIGI Awards, co-produced by Digital Signage magazine and The Digital Signage Group, is the only industry award program that recognizes the outstanding resellers, dealers and integrators of digital signage. This year’s sponsors included LG, Minicom Advanced Systems, Peerless Industries, and Digital Signage Magazine.

The 2008 DIGI Award winners are:

• Retail, National Rollout: STRATACACHE/iPhone Launch and ATT Stores Rebranding

• Retail, Local Deployment: John Ryan Performance, Inc./Maryland Banks Digital Signage installation

• Retail Interactive: MTI-Andrews/Verizon stores interactive signage system

• Corporate Technology: John Ryan International, Inc./Toyota Financial Services (TFS), Toyota Financial Plaza Life Wall

• Corporate Creativity: Telecine Multimedia Inc./Bloomberg Wintergarden Display

• Education Technology: The Whitlock Group/Virginia Commonwealth University digital signage and security network

• Healthcare Technology: EnQii US, Inc./Digital View Media/The Senior Network

• Healthcare Creativity: IMS Audio Visual, Inc./Health Advocate. Exhibit Center and Technology Integration Project

• Entertainment Technology: C-nario/The O2 Arena

• Entertainment Creativity: Pro Display/Landmark Theater Group

• Public Spaces, Technology: D3 LED/ABC Times Square outdoor signage

• Public Spaces, Creativity: Focus On Emotions/Fira de Barcelona Trade Show Hall

• Best Product/Service: Adspace Networks/ Digital Signage Audience Measurement system

• Judges’ Innovation Award: IEI Technology Corp./Taiwan tourism WIFI signage system

“It was especially difficult for this years judges to decide winners from among 90+ great entries from around the world”, said David Keene, Executive Editor of Digital Signage magazine, and the Chair of the Judges Committee. “And the diverse nature of the entries, representing every vertical market from healthcare to retail to transportation, tells us that digital signage technology is penetrating new markets at a rapid rate.”

Each DIGI Award winner will receive a trophy recognizing their achievement, as well as a graphic suitable for use in promotional materials. All partners, including those involved in the software, content, fixture and hardware of the winning installations, will receive a certificate to recognize their contribution. Winning teams are invited to participate in a panel discussion held during the Digital Signage Expo held in Las Vegas February 27-28th The group will be sharing their experience in “Bringing It All Together”, DIGI Award Winners Share What It Takes to Implement a Winning Digital Signage Project. The Panel discussion will be held Thursday, February 28th at 4:30pm. David Keene will Chair and moderate the panel.

Judges for the 2008 DIGI Awards were: Alan Brawn, Principal, Brawn Consulting; Bill Collins, principal of Decision Point Media Insights; Ed Weil, Sourcebook Director-Content, Inc. magazine; Lyle Bunn, Principal, Lyle Bunn Consulting; David Keene, Executive Editor of Digital Signage Magazine and DIGI Awards Chairman.
The winning entries will be detailed in the February issue of Digital Signage magazine.

Posted by staff at 02:42 PM

February 27, 2008

Digital Signage From DTR News Release

DT Research announces digital signage options at the tradeshow this week. These are 15 and 17 inch models and include a touchscreen so that given a customer impulse the "digital signage" changes to an interactive kiosk. The digital signage vendors as whole are in Las Vegas today and tomorrow showing their wares. That industry struggles with identifying ROI and profitability. Target has some new displays they are trialling in stores near the medicines/lotions section and at least there they can track merchandise examined and sold and correlate back to presumed digital signage influence. That's the closest we've seen to establishing ROI.

New DT Research WebDT Signage Systems Enhance Customer Experience Through Convergence of Digital Signage and Kiosks

New DT Research WebDT Signage Systems Enhance Customer Experience Through Convergence of Digital Signage and Kiosks

15- and 17-Inch Digital Signage Solutions Offer Self-Service Hardware for More Personalized Interactions

Digital Signage Expo
Booth 442

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--DT Research™, Inc., an industry leader in the development of information appliances for vertical markets, today announced the expansion of the WebDT Signage System to include 15-inch and 17-inch dynamic displays that integrate self-service hardware elements. The DS1500 and DS1700 each features integration of a media player with a high resolution LCD, with options for a touch screen, fully-integrated magnetic stripe reader and barcode scanner for greater flexibility and enhanced customer experience.

Businesses can now simultaneously deploy and manage a wide variety of digital signage, self-service and kiosk applications that can run advertisements, directory assistance, customer service, news and emergency communications from one system. With the WebDT Signage System, companies can create a more personalized customer experience by using the integrated self-service hardware and WebDT Content Manager’s real-time web capability and multi-zoning feature to deliver targeted messages and advertising.

“Businesses are looking to digital signage technology to create targeted communications that can connect with specific audiences,” said Dr. Daw Tsai, president of DT Research. “We recognize the need to provide a solution that offers greater flexibility – whether to perform self-service functions such as price checks, or run advertisements and other types of communication when not used as a kiosk. Retailers, hotels/resorts, casinos, restaurants, educational institutions, corporations, healthcare and transportation facilities are no longer limited to deploying signage- or kiosk-only systems and now have a broader set of sizes and interactive options to better address their business needs.”

The WebDT DS1500 and DS1700 feature all-in-one LCD-integrated computing displays, which include remote management software for device and content administration. The displays offer infrared (IR) or resistive touch options that can be activated over eight independent zones or over the entire display. Ideal for a variety of kiosk and self-service applications, the signage systems are available with any combination of the optional hardware elements. The integration of the magnetic stripe reader and barcode scanner provides a seamless information-capture experience for users. The WebDT DS1500 and DS1700 also include an optional Presence Sensor Module, which can be programmed to detect when kiosk applications are not in use so as to display advertising.

The WebDT DS1500 and DS1700 include the following components and key features:

LCD-Integrated Computing Display - 15-inch and 17-inch LCD-integrated computing displays are each presented in a slim, mountable package. The all-in-one interactive system runs the Microsoft® Windows™ XP Embedded operating system, which provides a rich feature set and allows a wide variety of media types to be displayed. The systems feature a fanless and energy-efficient design, which offers greater reliability and reduces power consumption. The displays can be customized with either infrared (IR) touch with anti-glare glass or resistive touch screen options. Optional integrated hardware applications include any combination of a magnetic stripe reader and 1D/2D barcode scanner. Integration of these self-service hardware applications eliminates any concerns over compatibility of components and enhances the interactivity of each display. Options for built-in 802.11b/g or 802.11a/b/g WLAN for wireless connectivity are also available.

WebDT Content Manager – Easy-to-use, web-enabled server software provides central management of the WebDT signage appliances. The WebDT Content Manager manages content distribution, including device grouping, playlist creation and media management, multiple-zones, preset and customizable templates, urgent casts, reporting, auto-recovery and system management. Using the WebDT Content Management software, businesses have the ability to incorporate traditional self-service applications in selected zones on the display while serving interactive advertising or media on other zones. The WebDT DS1500 and DS1700 also include an optional Presence Sensor Module, which can be separately programmed to automatically display advertising when the unit is not being used as a kiosk.

WebDT Device Manager - All computing displays can be remotely monitored and controlled from any location that has network/Internet access, ensuring optimal uptime and issue resolution. The WebDT Device Manager utilizes “push and pull” technology to interact with remote appliances, allowing system administrators to install operating systems, inventory hardware, update software applications and access logging and scheduling remotely. In addition, the support for auto-recovery allows the restart of the systems without onsite manual intervention.

Availability

The WebDT DS1500 and DS1700 are available end of March 2008 directly from DT Research and through approved resellers and partners. For more information, visit DT Research in Booth 442 at Digital Signage Expo in Las Vegas on February 27-28 or go to http://signage.dtri.com.

To learn more about the WebDT Signage System, visit DT Research in Booth 442 at Digital Signage Expo in Las Vegas on February 27-28.

About DT Research

DT Research™ develops and manufactures web-enabled information appliances for vertical applications. The WebDT family of products is based on thin computing platforms for secure, reliable, and cost-effective computing. These systems emphasize mobility, wireless connectivity and touch displays. WebDT products include digital signage systems, wireless tablets, compact modular appliances, and display-integrated information systems. Powered by Windows® CE and Windows XP Embedded operating systems, WebDT devices offer durability and ease in integration, leading to solutions that can be remotely managed with the user-friendly WebDT Device Manager software. For more information, visit www.dtresearch.com.

DT Research and WebDT are trademarks of DT Research, Inc. All other brands and product names may be trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

Posted by staff at 02:44 PM

Digital Signage Software - WireSpring Announces Major Upgrades to FireCast Digital Signage and Kiosk Software

Deployed by companies like Wal-Mart, P&G and BP, WireSpring's FireCast software powers thousands of self-service kiosks and digital signage screens worldwide. Today, the company announced a major upgrade to its Linux-based software platform, while improving upon the ease-of-use, reliability, and tight integration that the company is known for.

WireSpring Announces Major Upgrades to FireCast Digital Signage and Kiosk Software

"We have been listening to customer feedback and studying the market for over seven years," said WireSpring CEO Bill Gerba. "The new version of FireCast helps customers create even more striking displays, while reducing the time and cost of operating their networks."

New features in the FireCast OS playback software include:

- Multi-channel video output allows customers to drive up to four separate screens from a single player, with a multi-zone layout on each screen

- Dynamic templates make it easy to combine content and information on-the-fly

- Other new features include multiple tickers on the screen at once, layered playback zones, duration detection for all content types, live TV on rotated screens, and smoother playback of Windows Media files

New features in the FireCast ClientCenter content management software include:

- A more efficient Playlist Editor that lets customers drag-and-drop files, choose which files will appear full-screen, and specify the start/end date, start/end time, and days of the week for each ad

- An expanded File Manager that provides centralized access to content, playlists, and reports

- The ability to display AccuWeather content by choosing it from the Playlist Editor

"We are very happy with the performance of the new FireCast release," said Kim Zetterberg, President of Frontcast Media (http://www.frontcast.se). "The multi-channel video output has simplified the installation process and lowered our costs for out-of-home advertising projects," he continued, "and our customers tell us the new playlist tools are saving them time every day."

Unlike other software packages, FireCast provides a greatly simplified experience for network operators and system integrators because everything is included on a single disk. This translates to increased productivity and lower total cost of ownership. FireCast installs onto a brand-new media player or kiosk in about six minutes, without the need for a separate Windows, Mac, or Linux operating system, third-party drivers and security software, or other time-consuming add-ons. The entire remote management system is hosted by WireSpring, so there are no servers to buy or maintain. Though primarily a software company, WireSpring also offers media player hardware and project management services.

The upgrades to FireCast ClientCenter were released in October 2007. FireCast OS 4.0 is available now, and current customers can download it from the ClientCenter website. For more information on FireCast, please see http://www.wirespring.com.

In addition to developing its software products, WireSpring invests heavily in market research and education, with new findings and tips published regularly on the company's blog at http://www.wirespring.com/weblog.

About WireSpring

WireSpring helps companies streamline their sales process and communicate more effectively with their customers and employees in retail stores, banks, corporate campuses, and other venues. The company's FireCast product line is used to power instant credit kiosks, out-of-home advertising networks, and other transactional and informational applications for customers worldwide. For more information, please visit http://www.wirespring.com.

WireSpring, Fort Lauderdale
Michael N. Smith, 954-548-3300
[email protected]

Posted by staff at 10:02 AM

February 02, 2008

Digital Signage - KIOSK offers solutions

digital_signage.jpgDigital signage is getting a lot of airtime at buzz portals. Several of the tradeshows have added a digital signage wing to try and capitalize as well. As long as they don't use the phrase "Interactive digital signage" we see great potential (albeit unproven ROI-wise so far) for digital signage to complement transactional terminals. Many of the transaction kiosk terminals that people like KIOSK deploy have large overhead and side LCD displays that are purely for signage. Signage which ultimately is designed to drive transactions (which is where most money is made and everyone likes to make money at some point...). Worth noting that KIOSK has now split out separate resource page for digital signage and these providers are very skilled in hybrid signage and transaction solutions (SATS).

source link

Digital Signage

Overview

Digital signage communicates many different applications and technologies to many different people. Bottomline, digital signage refers to electronically controlled displays, screens and signs that can be updated without the cost and expense of changing the physical sign itself. Changes can be made quickly and cost effectively, and targeted messages can be distributed to hundreds or thousands of displays at once.

Considerations

Digital signage in the broad sense has been in use for decades in the past in the form of LED ticker signs and LED video walls. However, it has yet to become a major public medium, mainly due to the following factors:

* Uncertain ROI – the costs of deploying digital signage can be high. Not only are large outdoor screens expensive - for example, the LED sign in front of the Las Vegas Wynn Resort cost $15 million - but the much more common, and much cheaper, digital signs based on LCD and plasma screens can still represent a significant investment when a large network is planned: the cost of installing one screen in, say, each restaurant in a large fast-food chain could run to millions of dollars.

* Unproven advertising effectiveness – like the Internet in the early 1990s, the digital signage medium has not yet been widely accepted as an effective advertising medium when compared with traditional means (TV, radio, flyers, etc.).

* Lack of proven technology – much of the technology used today originated in consumer-grade personal computer and DVD technology, which has not been designed to stand up to 24x7x365 usage demanded by professional digital signage. Often under stress these systems can break, resulting in damage to brand image and liability disputes between advertisers and network operators.

* Multi-channel -- does it add and complement your existing customer strategy.

KIOSK Information Systems has built digital signage for many customers. With our experience in unattended 24x7 day after day operation we are able to provide best-in-class solutions. Contact KIOSK to discuss how Digital Signage can benefit your company.


Additional Links & Resources
o Digital Signage ROI calculator
o Nanonation - software and content application partner
o Netkey - software and content application partner
o Four winds interactive

Posted by staff at 09:23 AM

February 15, 2007

Kiosks and Digital Signage -- Middle East

AKS or Aptec Kiosk Services displays new kiosk and digital signage solutions at the recent KioskCom tradeshow in Dubai.

Source link for news release

Aptec featured some of its revolutionary kiosk designs along with the MxN Media Platform an industry leading and revolutionary Digital signage solutions.

'We continue to support Aptec Kiosk Services as one of our prime resellers of our digital signage software solutions and our integrated Digital Media solutions in the region,' says Aref Chamli, Business Development Manager, MxN.

MxN Middle East has worked with AKS to integrate Digital Signage into their Kiosk solutions. The two companies will be featuring a self service kiosk with an integrated Digital Signage solution above the kiosk. MxN and Aptec continue to build on their growing relationship first established during Gitex.

MxN and AKS also highlighted an integrated Kiosk solution with Digital signage solution. 'There are many underutilized opportunities for the integration of Digital Signage and Information kiosks. More and more customers are requesting overhead LCD screens to be integrated into their service kiosks to promote their products or to generate extra revenue. After extensive research, we found that MXN and their products helped us to deliver a superior product to our customers,' says Hazem Adel, from AKS.

Posted by staff at 03:17 AM