Archive for May, 2009
Posted on May 7, 2009 by Jane Goodwin at 6:35 pm
From Business Wire.com, via Media Tile, comes this post about how digital signage contributes to the public good:
Digital Signage Contributes to the Public Good: The Ad Council and The MediaTile Company Strike Historic Partnership to Deliver Public Service Announcements (PSAs) To Digital Signs
“PSA Casting” Service for All Digital Signage Networks Announced at Digital Signage Show in Las Vegas
The Digital Signage Show 2009
Ad Council booth, number 934
LAS VEGAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Advertising Council, the nation’s leading producer of public service advertising campaigns, and The MediaTile Company, a world leading provider of cellular digital signage solutions, today announced a partnership to provide a free, new service for network operators to easily add public service advertisements (PSAs) to their digital signage programming schedules. “PSA Casting” is planned for release in the fall of 2009 and will provide royalty-free access to a rich library of PSAs, previously available only to traditional media networks. The announcement was made at the Digital Signage Show in Las Vegas this morning. Information can be obtained on the show floor in the Ad Council booth, number 934, or by visiting www.psacasting.org
“This partnership with MediaTile is a wonderful opportunity to share and promote our campaigns with 
digital signage operators,” said Tim Davis, EVP of Media, The Advertising Council. “We’re excited about PSA Casting and the potential of this new technology to effectively distribute our ads to the growing number of digital signage networks. With this initiative, we will be able to engage broader audiences throughout the country with our public service messages.”
The MediaTile Company is supporting the PSA Casting initiative by providing its expertise in hosting and delivery of media-based content for digital signage networks. MediaTile will use its web-based Mediacast content delivery and management system as the engine both to host and provide PSAs on-demand to digital signage networks of all types, regardless of their underlying technology platform. MediaTile will also utilize its recently announced Mediaservices organization to format PSAs into digital signage compatible file formats.
“We are delighted to be part of this broad industry initiative that will positively affect the lives of millions of viewers,” said Simon Wilson, CEO of The MediaTile Company. “Delivering PSAs for the Ad Council is both an honor and a privilege, and we’re eager to support their efforts in improving awareness of critical social issues. Together, we will help non-profit organizations and government agencies extend their integrated communication campaigns beyond traditional media to include the ‘Fifth Screen’ – digital signage.”
The Digital Signage Show, which is co-located with KioskCom/Self Service Expo, is where thousands of professional buyers of digital signage and kiosks from multiple vertical industries, along with digital out of home network owners and advertising agencies, have gathered.
“We’re ecstatic to provide a venue to showcase and launch an industry initiative that supports important social issues,” said Lawrence Dvorchik, General Manager of The Digital Signage Show and KioskCom. “In support of this initiative, I encourage our exhibitors and media partners to contact the Ad Council for information on PSA Casting, or visit our show website (www.thedigitalsignageshow.com) for more information.”
About The Advertising Council
The Ad Council (www.adcouncil.org) is a private, non-profit organization that marshals talent from the advertising and communications industries, the facilities of the media, and the resources of the business and non-profit communities to produce, distribute and promote public service campaigns on behalf of non-profit organizations and government agencies in issue areas such as improving the quality of life for children, preventive health, education, community well-being, environmental preservation and strengthening families.
About The MediaTile Company
MediaTile is a worldwide supplier of award-winning, all-in-one cellular digital signage and kiosk solutions that are remarkably easy-to-deploy and operate. Just add power to MediaTile Digital Sign in a Box™ or Kiosk in a Box™ systems and use the web-based Mediacast Portal to manage and monitor your advertising, informational or interactive communications network. Backed by MediaTile best practices, Return On Message™ (ROM) Methodology, a 99.9% uptime guarantee, end-to-end service and support, and a creative media team, your network will be up and running in record time, with record results. www.mediatile.com
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available:
http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=multimedia_detail&eid=5957719&newsLang=en
Contacts
Pacifico, Inc. (for The MediaTile Company)
Paul Fernandez, 408-439-4828
pfernandez@pacifico.com
or
The Ad Council
Ellyn Fisher, 212-984-1964
efisher@adcouncil.org
Posted on May 6, 2009 by Jane Goodwin at 6:31 pm
The Digital Signage Show is at Mandalay Bay in Vegas today and tomorrow – May 6 and 7!
Follow the Digital Signage Show doings on Twitter.
You’ll find most of the best digital signage companies at the show, including Scala, Netkey, and Symon.
Here’s what the Digital Signage Show website has to say about the show:
The Digital Signage Show offers an in-depth look at how digital signage/OOH/Place based media – from one location to thousands, both interactive and non-interactive – can bring increased brand impact and sales, as well as improved customer experiences and revenue for organizations. Discuss and plan for all phases of your deployment from pre-launch to budgeting and measuring ROI, and find all your technology solutions under one roof!
Digital Signage, FrameMedia, Scala
Digital Signage, Digital Signage Show, FrameMedia, Las Vegas, Mandalay Bay, Netkey, Scala, Symon, Twitter
Posted on May 6, 2009 by Jane Goodwin at 12:05 am
PRWeb has posted yet another interesting press release about some of the many, many practical and creative uses of digital signage:
Chippewa Falls, Wisc. (PRWEB) May 1, 2009 — TTM Technologies is meeting the challenge of keeping employees informed around the clock with a digital signage system from StrandVision LLC of Menomonie, Wis.
TTM, which manufactures printed circuit boards for computers and networks, as well as for medical, aerospace and defense, sought to effectively reach all of its 1,200 employees on five shifts regarding company activities such as customer visits, employee activities and recognition, production/quality metrics, safety information, energy usage, on-site medical clinic updates and credit union special offers.
Company staff turned to StrandVision for its Internet-based system that delivers constantly refreshed digital signage pages to television displays. TTM staff installed 50″ plasma television screens in the two largest cafeterias at the Chippewa Falls plant. Now, employees on break can catch up with company news. They also have access to constantly updated local and national news and weather, including animated Doppler radar, as well as the latest on the Green Bay Packers.
TTM is also using an innovative StrandVision “Estimator” page that automatically estimates values over time (world populations counter, for instance). TTM uses the utility to constantly update energy usage estimates for employees in order to encourage conservation. The Estimator page is part of the normal digital signage rotation.
TTM-sourced information, including both text and graphics, is updated by Senior Administrative Assistant Brandi Hunt with information that she receives from several departments. She visits the StrandVision Web site to insert the new information into the StrandVision page mix.
Featured items include employee photos from the annual golf outing, the United Way Campaign and Chippewa Falls community events over the holidays. The company’s credit union, Quorum, also advertises on the signage.
“StrandVision had what we wanted, they were easy to work with and we were happy to do business with a local company,” said Hunt. “Employees really enjoy knowing what’s going on. They like seeing people being recognized for their anniversaries and accomplishments. The signage also helps us announce the dates for customer visits and benefit/insurance deadlines, so everyone is better informed.”
“TTM can more effectively communicate with first, second, third, and weekend shift employees to ensure that they all have access to the same information no matter when or where they work,” commented StrandVision Founder and CEO Mike Strand. Once they realized StrandVision’s potential to reach all employees, they asked us for the Estimator capability. Knowing the importance of energy conservation, we developed it and it is now available to all of our customers for free. TTM is making excellent use of StrandVision digital signage technology.”
About StrandVision
StrandVision LLC delivers low-cost, Web-based Software as a Service (SaaS) digital signage through a patent-pending approach that delivers content to subscribers’ LCD and plasma displays, as well as computer screens and Web sites. StrandVision’s service distributes text and graphics pages, including advertisements, video content, and national and local weather and news. It is ideal for medical and dental offices (patient education), libraries, banks, retailers and industrial distributors (video merchandising), employee break rooms (events and benefits), non-profit and religious organizations (member and supporter communications), and other applications.
StrandVision also offers PC-2-TV.net, a fully digital, high-definition (HD) personal computer-to-television adapter for use with digital signage and many other applications.
StrandVision Digital Signage services and PC-2-TV.net are available directly from StrandVision and through registered affiliates and system integrators (http://www.strandvision.com/?installers).
Additional information about StrandVision is available at http://www.strandvision.com, by calling 715-235-7446 or emailing sales (at) strandvision.com.
All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
EDITORS – For further information:
Mike Strand
StrandVision
715-235-7446
mjstrand (at) strandvision.com
Sandy McLaughlin
Soucy Communications Group
781-898-7305
smclaughlin (at) scg-pr.com
High resolution photo available – contact Sandy McLaughlin.
Posted on May 4, 2009 by Jane Goodwin at 12:05 am
From Digital Signage Today comes this press release about The Digital Signage Show in Las Vegas on May 6:
PITTSBURGH, Penn. — Black Box Corporation, a provider of voice communications, data infrastructure and product solutions, announced today that George Borden, Digital Signage National Sales Manager, will speak at The Digital Signage Show in Las Vegas on May 6. The title of his talk is “Digital Signage 101: 7 Key Considerations to Identify Where and How to Start.”
Digital signage is a rapidly growing market, and businesses of all sizes are benefiting from it. Whether they are a small business selling hand-made goods, a fast-food restaurant, or a public service agency, digital signage provides an affordable and effective method to deliver communications in real time.
Among other topics, Digital Signage 101 will address:
-Strategic Planning: Defining goals, objectives, applications, and action plans.
-Content creation, management, maintenance — who is responsible for what?
-Identifying and educating stakeholders on the value of digital signage for the organization and to the individual stakeholder.
-Demonstrating the value proposition of digital signage, including examples of the most commonly used applications and the problems they solve.
-Common pitfalls and problems, and ways to avoid them at the start.
-Interactive technology: Should I be using it? Best practices on implementing it.
The full line of Black Box’s digital signage solutions will also be featured at the trade show, including the latest addition to digital signage technology: iCOMPEL. Featured in the USA Today digital signage pullout special section, iCOMPEL is a complete, “out-of-the-box” solution that can boost sales and improve communications for any size organization.
Black Box, DOOH, Digital Signage, Digital Signage Expo, FrameMedia, The Digital Signage Show, Video, Wireless Digital Signage
Black Box Corporation, Black Box Network Services, content creation, content maintenance, content management, Digital Signage, Digital Signage 101, digital signage applications, Digital Signage Show, digital signage stakeholders, FrameMedia, George Borden, iCOMPEL
Posted on May 1, 2009 by Jane Goodwin at 12:05 am
Central Penn Business Journal, in a press release dated April 16, 2009, reports that ConnectedSign has opened their Solutions Showroom for Digital Signage and Interactive Kiosks:
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, U.S.A, April 16, 2009:
ConnectedSign, a leading integrator of Digital Signage systems announced today the opening of their Solutions Showroom for Digital Signage and Interactive Kiosks.
Loren Bucklin, ConnectedSign President says: “The purpose of the showroom is to display all types of equipment and software solutions in a real-world environment. We have standard displays, projection and touch screens running in all orientations and displaying every kind of content. Content is displayed for all types of markets so visitors can see what is possible within their market or industry. The database driven content is dynamic and helps visitors understand the full scope of usage.”
Hardware and software vendors are invited to display their latest products and use the showroom to demonstrate to customers instead of trying to arrange inconvenient site visits of live installations. Connectedsign’s Solution Showroom is centrally located and served by several major Airports and Amtrak.
Included as part of the floor plan are working office spaces for customers and 
travelling vendors. Vendors can arrange visits with their customers and use the office space while on the road. Digital Signage customers can visit the showroom to view all the possibilities and attend an educational seminar that explains not just the parts and pieces, but the actual deployment scenario that may be right for them.
“We have long had the need for a location that functions as a showroom/meeting facility and even training for small groups said Roger Starkweather, Connectedsign Business Development Manager. “Whether it’s a single customer or a team looking at a large deployment, nothing beats actually seeing a live installation, being able to comfortably go behind the scenes, touch the wiring and hardware and watch the process of content input and updating.”
About ConnectedSign
ConnectedSign has over sixteen years of experience planning, deploying and managing digital sign systems and kiosk networks. ConnectedSign provides an end-to-end solution for businesses that are serious about using Digital Signage in their operations.
Contact:
USA
Loren Bucklin
e.Mail : lbucklin@connectedsign.com
Phone: 866-833-2723
Fax: 866-833-2723
120-A West Airport Road
Lititz, PA 17543
Canada
Loren Bucklin
e.Mail: lbucklin@connectedsign.com
Phone: 866-833-2723
Fax: 866-833-2723
120-A West Airport Road
Lititz, PA 17543
www.connectedsign.com
