AV distributor Steljes enters digital signage sector by adding MediaTile products

Posted on Sep 23, 2009 by Jane Goodwin at 12:05 am

Over at AVInteractive.co.uk, Paul Milligan tells us that Steljes has added digital signage to its product portfolio:

Steljes has added digital signage to its product portfolio with the announcement of a deal to distribute products from MediaTile. In line with ongoing Steljes strategy the products will be aimed at digital signage within the education sector.

MediaTile provides 3G digital signage products such as Digital-Sign-in-a-Box and Mediacast. The Digital-Sign-in-a-Box system integrates the three main components of a digital signage network including: a commercial-grade display with embedded media player, network connectivity using mobile 3G broadband services, and a web-based broadcast portal for content management.

Graham Wylie, group product marketing director, commented ‘We have been monitoring the digital signage market for some time. Many of the systems we looked at were designed and developed for the retail sector and had limited potential for updating on a screen to screen basis. In addition we wanted a solution that could be deployed in large scale installations such as those associated with Building Schools for the Future programme and Further Education and Higher Education establishments. MediaTile offers something different – scalable out of the box solutions that are easy to implement and maintain and can be deployed virtually anywhere using 3G connectivity.

Products

Digital signage in a box

• A commercial grade, HD LCD display available in 19, 32, 42 and 47in configurations; also available in touch screen versions

• A built-in embedded computer with a media player that supports media formats including: mpeg, vob, wmv, swf, jpeg, and ppt

• Built-in and activated internet connection

• A web-based Broadcast Portal that eliminates the need to download and install software ; network control from any internet browser

Pricing and availability

Non-touch solutions

19in Digital Signage Box – SRP £1,699

32in Digital Signage Box – SRP £1,999

42in Digital Signage Box – SRP £2,649

47in Digital Signage Box – SRP £3,199

Touch solutions

19in Digital Signage Box – SRP £1,799

32in Digital Signage Box – SRP £2,649

42in Digital Signage Box – SRP £4,999

47in Digital Signage Box – SRP £6,999

Digital Signage – Portal

Broadcast Portal Service – 24 months SRP £999

Black Box’s iCompel boosts potential of digital signage

Posted on Sep 21, 2009 by Jane Goodwin at 12:05 am

Pittsburgh Post Gazette’s Erich Schwartzel posts about Black Box Network Service’s new product:

Lawrence-based digital communications company Black Box Network Services has rolled out a new product meant to improve on how people view information in the airport. Or the doctor’s office. Or the bar. Basically, everywhere.

The iCompel arrives at a time when the digital sign industry is evolving rapidly. Digital signs are already used to tell people when the movie is seating, or when the plane is landing — any evolving screen of information.

But the iCompel creates signs that look like those boring boards on steroids.

Like Apple’s iPhone, this technology can handle multiple media forms. On one screen, the iCompel — a small box that transmits displays designed through a Web site — can simultaneously display text, live television or video, photos, HTML and constantly updated RSS feeds such as scrolling headlines or weather reports.

When the box is attached to a screen, it transmits what looks like a tricked-out Power Point presentation.

Online controls allow users to manipulate what the iCompel screens look like from anywhere in the world with an Internet connection.

The iCompel starts at around $1,700 and costs up to nearly $3,500 as features are added.

With a presence in 142 countries, Black Box specializes in data and voice infrastructure systems. The public company employs about 5,000, with 500 employees at the Lawrence site in Washington County.

The company reported revenues of approximately $1 billion in fiscal 2009, with a net income of $45 million. The government comprises the largest portion of the client base, at 23 percent. Black Box has more than 175,000 customers.

The new product launch comes at a good moment in the digital signage world. A 2009 study by Arbitron found digital video displays reached 67 percent of U.S. resident age 18 or older.

Most reported remembering signage in airports, bars, convenience stores and even elevators.

Black Box wanted to create a product that would work for businesses that don’t have a creative staff but want expensive-looking signs, said regional sales manager George Borden.

“Anyone half-dangerous with Photoshop can run this product,” he said.

The iCompel is designed to make digital signs more financially and logistically accessible for smaller companies. Mr. Borden said he could envision the signs in venues such as a bowling alley — clearly a departure from such places as PNC Park that typically use such technology.

Black Box already has seen some more unorthodox settings for iCompel-created signs.

It’s been used to replace archaic displays that highlight which bingo numbers have been picked (replete with a live video feed of the announcer’s hand choosing a ball).

The iCompel even has been set up in funeral homes, where directors can run a slide show of memorial photos alongside a movie, or a quote, or some music.

Of course, there are advertising implications. Director of Marketing Brian Kutchma said companies with iCompel screens could sell space to advertisers looking for a targeted audience.

Erich Schwartzel can be reached at eschwartzel@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1455.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09259/998243-96.stm#ixzz0RPv5i4Vl

Digital Signage Plays Key Role in Educational Institutions

Posted on Aug 10, 2009 by Jane Goodwin at 12:05 am

Amy Tierney, TMCnet Web Editor, has written an excellent post about the role digital signage is playing in the areas of schools and other educational institutions:

As more students embrace a technology-filled lifestyle filled cell phones, smartphones and other wireless devices, the days of reaching that audience with flyers and bulletin board posting are waning.

As a result, digital signage on campus is emerging as the hot new tool to deliver messages to students. Digital signs let schools display information in a way designed to grab people’s attention. The technology operates on a network of plasma or LCD TVs and users on the back end manage content using specialized software from the provider.

Digital signage is typically used to display upcoming events, news headlines, sporting events or scores, class schedules, and student and faculty achievements. The solution is also useful for publicizing menu board information and dynamic wayfinding.

And location is everything. Most digital signs are placed in locations where students typically congregate, such as student centers, libraries, cafeterias and administrative buildings.

For example, company officials from Omnivex, a Toronto, Ontario-based provider of software development for digital signage networks and electronic displays, said its software is used to display information in buildings and public areas at colleges including the Harvard School of Public Health, Texas A&M University and the University of Michigan, among other universities.

And the use of the technology appears to be growing.

“We are seeing an increase in digital signage deployments at educational institutions because it is a visual communications medium suited to the young audience on campuses,” Jeff Collard Omnivex president said in a statement. “Real-time content is more memorable and impactful than static or pre-recorded messages, particularly for students who have grown-up in the world of Internet, smart phones and video games.”

Yet a growing number of providers are offering services that feature an emergency alert system within the solution.

Officials with Black Box Network Services, a Lawrence, Pa.-based provider of voice communications, data infrastructure, and product solutions, for instance, said the company’s iCOMPEL digital signage solution offers an emergency override notification feature. The tool is part of the company’s all-in-one tool iCOMPEL offering, a set of browser-based, networked digital signage media players and appliances.

“With a click of button, a screen can have a message displayed immediately to allow people to get information in a timely manner,” George A. Borden, digital signage national sales manager, forBlack Box ( News – Alert) Network Services, told TMCnet in an interview.
“For campuses, it’s a great way to get messages out there in the event of an emergency. You can capture the attention of people quickly.”

For example, users can upload a wayfinding map highlighting directions to the nearest exit in the event of a fire. Or if severe weather strikes, Black Box’s iCOMPEL service can filter in an RSS feed with weather alerts, Borden said.

One of the unique features of iCOMPEL is that users can change content on the spot. Users can access the system’s backend administration panel to make changes through wireless devices, such as theApple ( News – Alert) iPhone or other smartphone devices.

And already, Black Box is reporting an increase in adoption of its iCOMPEL solution.

“We have been seeing an uptick at colleges,” Borden said of company sales. “It’s definitely more than it was three months ago.”

Recently, New Mexico State University adopted Black Box’s iCOMPEL system to replace its previous digital signage network. The school wanted to upgrade existing monitors with LCD screens and implement a solution with the override notification feature, Borden said. The new network is slated to be in place this fall, he said.

Amy Tierney is a Web editor for TMCnet, covering unified communications, telepresence, IP communications industry trends and mobile technologies. To read more of Amy’s articles, please visit her columnist page.

Black Box sales manager to teach Digital Signage 101 at The Digital Signage Show

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.