FrameMedia’s SignChannel was mentioned in this article from Digital Signage Expo about both digital signage and digital picture frames:

Digital Signage Display Revenue to Grow at 20 Percent CAGR to 2016 07/11/2009

Despite a slowdown in the worldwide growth of flat panel displays (FPD), digital signage (i.e., public displays) is forecast to grow at a compound average growth rate of 20 percent to 2016 (Table 1), according to the latest results in the “Quarterly Worldwide FPD Forecast Report” from Austin, Texas-based DisplaySearch.

Table 1 & 2 Source: DisplaySearch “Quarterly Worldwide FPD Forecast Report”

In contrast, after rising at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20 percent from 2000 to 2008, total flat panel display (FPD) sales revenues may rise only 1 percent each year from 2008 to 2016, according to the report (Table 2).

Additionally, the Q2 ‘09 forecast indicates FPD revenues will decline 20 percent from 2008 to 2009, as slack demand affects end-product markets in developed countries. Despite this, the outlook for 2010 is more positive, with an annual revenue growth of 13 percent in 2010, Display Search said.

“Despite the overall flat outlook for FPDs, there are some bright spots in the long-term for flat panel displays,” noted David Barnes, vice president of strategic analysis. “Hot applications such as OLED TV, eBook, mini-note PC (netbooks), digital picture frames and public displays (digital signage) are all driving demand.”

“We expect electrophoretic and OLED technologies will experience more growth than other display technologies will over the long term,” he added.

Flat panel revenue for the five FPD applications will provide strong growth opportunities for display manufacturers (Table 1). The “Quarterly Worldwide FPD Forecast Report” forecasts:

• OLED revenues from TV applications will increase at a CAGR of 140 percent from 2008 to 2016.
• Demand for electronic books will lift revenue of electrophoretic and similar display technologies at a 49 percent CAGR.
• Several technologies, TFT LCD in particular, support public display applications such as out-of-home advertising, which is forecast to grow 20 percent a year — reaching almost $3 billion in 2016.
• Mini-notes have become a hot new application, and DisplaySearch expects panel revenue for such products will rise 15 percent a year to more than $2 billion in 2016.
• Digital picture frames became a hot market in 2007, and this application may still support revenue growth of 11 percent per year. (Though the digital picture frame market is dominated by consumer demand, Scala entered into a partnership in March 2009 with Frame Media to provide software support for the company’s SignChannel, a platform designed to supply businesses with content for digital frames used for digital signage applications. — Ed.)

The DisplaySearch “Quarterly Worldwide FPD Forecast Report” details shipments of 23 display technologies for 36 applications by quarter from 2007 through 2016. Pivot tables provide clients with measures of display area, units, prices and revenue for each combination. The summary report evaluates trends from 1998 onwards.

(Crossposted at Wireless Picture Frames)

Newswire Today

NewswireToday – /newswire/ – Exton, PA, United States, 06/12/2009 -Scala, the leading provider of end-to-end solutions for the digital signage and advertising management industries, and some of its technology partners will exhibit Scala 5 Release 5 software and compatible hardware that allows end users to power digital signage networks at virtually any price point (Booth 2354).

Scala’s latest innovations for cost-effective video appliances (MPEG players) will be displayed by IAdea Corporation. IAdea has worked closely with Scala to develop firmware that allows Scala Content Manager and Ad Manager platforms to connect with compatible video appliances, including ViewSonic’s RISC-based media player. These appliances reduce the total cost of ownership of hardware and software per player.

FrameMedia Inc. will present its low-cost and easy-to-use digital signage based on wireless photo frame technology. Small to medium-sized companies can now take advantage of digital display technologies without high service and equipment costs. Through FrameMedia’s new service SignChannel, Scala 5 Release 5 provides template-driven digital signage content and messages that can be automatically delivered to select WiFi-enabled digital photo frames, including devices manufactured by Kodak, Samsung, D-Link, ViewSonic.

Equus Computer Systems Inc. will also exhibit its commercial-grade hardware solutions in Scala’s booth. Together, Scala and Equus Computer Systems support end users seeking to use built-to-order hardware to meet their digital signage needs.

MediaVue will showcase its fanless and solid-state PCs designed to provide a low total cost of ownership to digital signage end users. Built with specialized, industrial-grade storage solutions and specified to operate at cooler operation levels, its SureVue2A digital signage player is able to withstand the most demanding digital signage applications and avoid downtime.

For more information about Scala or its technology partners, or to schedule a booth interview at InfoComm, please contact Lorena Crowley.

About IAdea Corporation
Founded in 2000, IAdea (IAdea.com) is dedicated to the development of leading-edge, industrial-grade digital signage systems. IAdea’s media players feature the XML-based W3C SMIL scripting interface allowing system integrators to quickly customize functionality tailored to project-specific requirements. IAdea is an active member of the Digital Standards Committee of POPAI, the industry’s organization to promote open, standards-based digital signage systems.

About FrameMedia Inc.
FrameMedia (framemedia.com) is the leading platform provider for content delivery to wireless digital picture frames and connected gadgets. Its flagship product, FrameChannel, can be branded and tightly integrated to work with any WiFi- or Internet-enabled photo frame, media player or connected gadget, transforming these devices into dynamic information appliances.

About Equus Computer Systems Inc. Corporation
Equus Computer Systems Inc. (equuscs.com) is a 100% employee-owned company and has over 200 employees. It is one of America’s largest manufacturers of build-to-order desktops, notebooks, servers and workstations. Recognized as a top OEM of industry-leading vendors such as Microsoft® and Intel® and named by Computer Reseller News as one of the top North American systems builders, Equus has delivered more than two million custom computer systems to business, education and government customers.

About MediaVue Systems
MediaVue Systems (Hingham, Mass.) designs and builds fanless, high-performance PCs for digital signage and other demanding applications. Products are designed to operate continuously under heavy load in severe-duty environments. (mediavuesystems.com)

About Scala
Driving more than 300,000 screens worldwide, Scala (scala.com) is a leading global provider of digital signage and advertising management solutions. Scala is the world’s first connected signage company, offering the leading platform for content creation, management and distribution in digital signage networks and the first unified platform for advertising management of both traditional and digital signage networks. The company’s digital signage customers include Rabobank, IKEA, Burger King, T-Mobile, Virgin MegaStore, Warner Brothers, The Life Channel, Rikstoto, Repsol, NorgesGruppen and thousands more. Advertising management customers include CBS Outdoor, Clear Channel Outdoor and Magic Media, among others. Scala is headquartered near Philadelphia, USA, and has subsidiaries in Canada, the Netherlands, France, Norway and Japan, as well as more than 450 partners in more than 60 countries.

NEC Corporation unveils a new LCD display model enhanced by more than 30 advanced features of the Digital Signage Technology Suite that allow it to stand out in heavily-lit environments.

With a brightness measurement at 1500 cd/m² and remarkable contrast ratio of 3500:1, the MultiSync X461HB boasts 110% higher brightness than NEC’s previous-generation displays. The MultiSync X Series display is ideal for environments heavy with ambient light, such as corporate lobbies, atriums and restaurants.

The MultiSync X461HB includes ambient light sensor technology, which automatically adjusts the backlight depending on the ambient lighting brightness and maximizes the power management feature. Its advanced thermal protection begins with an extra thermal layer on the display panel to diffuse heat and follows with a fan-based technology specifically designed to work in both landscape and portrait modes. Internal temperature sensors control self-protective circuits, while special self-diagnostics communicate the status of thermal characteristics. The thermal protection can be monitored and controlled both locally and remotely.

The MultiSync X461HB includes the following features:

* Professional-grade LCD panel and components for the most demanding digital signage industry requirements
* 1360 x 768 WXGA native resolution in true 16:9 aspect ratio
* Brightness of 1500 cd/m2
* Contrast ratio of 3500:1 (typical)
* Built-in expansion slot, which allows for seamless integration of current and future NEC accessories and third-party components
* Sealed panel design, which provides protection against dust, grease and steam in less than optimal environments
* Carbon footprint meter, which informs and motivates responsible use of the display by calculating and tracking carbon savings
* Ethernet Control and Communication technology, which provides the highest level of remote display management and includes such features as automatic email notification for diagnostic purposes
* Diverse input connectors, which allow for maximum compatibility and flexibility during product implementation
* Improved auto-detection scheme, which quickly finds new connections and allows for user customization of input selection
* Optional speakers and stand

The MultiSync X461HB is backed by a 3-year parts and labor warranty including the backlight and will be available for July 2009 shipment with estimated street price of $3,899.

About NEC Display Solutions of America, Inc.

Headquartered in Itasca, Ill., NEC Display Solutions of America, Inc., is a leading designer and provider of innovative desktop LCD displays, professional-grade large-screen LCD displays, a diverse line of projectors, and integrated display solutions. NEC Display Solutions develops leading-edge visual technology and customer-focused solutions for a wide variety of markets, including enterprise, professional, education, medical and digital signage. For additional information about NEC Display Solutions of America, consumers can call (866) NEC-MORE, or visit the Web site at www.necdisplay.com.

Media Contact:
Philip Anast
Tech Image (for NEC Display Solutions)
(847) 279-0022, x238
philip.anast@techimage.com

Cost-efficient customers come one step closer to owning a 103-inch full HD Plasma Display.  Panasonic has lowered the price of its 1080p display device from $69,999.95 to $50,000.  It was the initial price when it first debuted in December 2006.

The company claims that its Plasma displayl is the industry’s leading large-format display.  It can be used for commercial or home theater applications such as digital signage, high-end home theater and higher education.  More than 6,000 of these devices have made its way into the customers’ homes and offices since its release.

The full HD Plasma display makes watching sports, action movies and video games a delight.  It produces smooth and crisp pictures on its 7-1/2 x 4 feet viewing space.  Also known as the TH-103PF10UK, it boasts of superior panel longevity with a 100,000-hour service life.  The display also comes with a 3 year warranty and ProPlasma Concierge Service.

Andrew Nelkin, President of Panasonic Professional Display company, explained, “The combination of advancements in Plasma production technology and the tremendous worldwide success of the Panasonic 103-inch Plasma HD Display over the last two plus years have enabled us to increase range of customers at a lower price point.  When our 103-inch Plasma first debuted, it was a made-to-order product.  It soon became obvious that in ultra-large screen sizes, nothing comes close to the Panasonic 103-inch Plasma in delivering crisp, clear, blur-free images in 1080p High Definition.  D emand for the 103 exceeded our initial expectations, and its popularity continues.”

Along with its other properties, the device is also able to support up to 5 x 5 video wall natively.  The display incorporates new video processing capabilities which help achieve clear and sharp images.  Picture clarity is also observed while displaying low resolution content or zooming images in video wall applications.  With the Portrait Zoom function, a horizontal image can be displayed across three vertically placed 103 inch plasmas.  This gives users wonder visuals of more than 90 square feet.

The 103-inch Plasma display is widely used for high visibility commercial applications in the U.S.  Some of these places include CBS network’s The Early Show set, NBC  network’s Sunday Night Football studio, and 2009 Beijing Summer Olympics studio.  Other places include New York’s City Hall,  Sam’s Town Hotel and Gambling Hall in Las Vegas, and Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula.

(M2 PRESSWIRE via COMTEX) — Stand C45, Screenmedia Expo Europe, 7-8th April 09, National Hall, Olympia, London, UK — Today at Screenmedia Expo Europe, Europe’s biggest digital signage and DOOH media event, Roku announced the availability of Frame Media’s SignChannel content service with its networked high-definition BrightSign digital signage solutions. The newly available combination of BrightSign digital signage control solutions with SignChannel’s content service deliver flexible digital messaging capabilities with streaming content such as news, weather and more.

Workforce Management: At the Heart of the Contact Center Learn more, download free white paper.

The Modern Contact Center and Workforce Management’s Vital Role Learn more, download free white paper.

Realizing the Full Promise of Workforce Management Technology: Avoiding Mistakes That Short-Change Your Investment Learn more, download free white paper.

Convergence in Telecommunication Learn more, download free white paper.

Convergence in Telecommunication Learn more, download free white paper.

SIP Conferencing/Collaboration Learn more, download free white paper.

“We are thrilled to be working with Roku and the BrightSign team,” commented Alan Phillips, Frame Media’s CEO. Mr. Phillips commented further, “the feature-rich BrightSign HD players coupled with SignChannel content service delivers a complete, ready to implement digital signage solution. Users simply select relevant content channels to playback over the networked BrightSign unit and complement it with their own messaging content to reach their audience in a meaningful way.”

According to Anthony Wood, CEO and founder of Roku, “SignChannel provides Roku with an even stronger value proposition for our users who are seeking cost effective digital signage content.”  Mr. Wood also said, “By pairing a ready-made content solution with BrightSign networked digital sign controllers, we’re able to provide users a way to easily implement an affordable, rich media display without the complications of a PC-based solution.”

Streaming Content Resource for Meaningful Digital Signage, SignChannel is a low cost content service that allows a business to display timely messages, products, and services at any Internet-enabled location around the world. The SignChannel user can take advantage of Frame Media’s vast array of timely up-to-the-minute content including weather, news, traffic, finance, and RSS feeds, as well as thousands of other available Internet sources. A user can also develop custom content using simple templates and other standard business software tools. SignChannel is available world-wide in four major languages with content from virtually every country. Users can manage their content for any and all globally located displays from any other Internet location. SignChannel is Frame Media’s commercial version of FrameChannel, its Internet platform for the selection and delivery of personalised content to wireless digital photo frames.

The BrightSign HD2000, HD1010 and HD210 are fully integrated; high-definition digital sign controllers that offer plug-and-play networking to streamline content management for robust, high-impact digital sign and kiosk applications. When combined with SignChannel content service these units allow the user to create powerful and affordable digital signage across a wide range of display platforms, from 22 to over 60 inches. Roku is demonstrating its BrightSign networking solution with SignChannel in Stand C45 at Screen Media Expo Europe in London’s Olympia National Hall, April 7-8th.

Find Solutions for Enterprises, SMBs & Service Providers at the INTERNET TELEPHONY Conference and EXPO West, September 1-3, 2009. Los Angeles, CA.

About Roku: Roku develops products and software for digital media delivery including digital signage in Saratoga, CA. BrightSign solid-state digital sign controllers set new standards for both individual and networked digital signage applications with its superior HD video quality, reliability, price, ease of use and interactivity.

Online information of BrightSign units is available at www.brightsign.biz.

For sales inquiries, please contact sales@brightsign.biz or +44.
For information about our BrightSign partner program, please visit www.brightsign.biz/partners.php.

About Frame Media, Inc.

Frame Media is the leader in content and tools for wireless digital picture frames and connected devices. Both its flagship product, FrameChannel and its new commercial product, SignChannel, can be branded and customized to work with any Wi-Fi enabled photo frame or connected device, transforming them into dynamic information appliances. With SignChannel or FrameChannel, a frame owner can program a unique stream of content that is updated dynamically. The owner can couple their own photos or product/service information with advertising and fresh content from a library of hundreds of channels including news, sports, weather, traffic, stock quotes, horoscopes and imagery from leading photographic collections. The owner selects the channels they are interested in, sets the rules for each channel and the frame updates continually with entertaining and informative content fed directly to their wireless or wired Internet connected media player or wireless picture frame. For more information please visit www.framemedia.com.

CONTACT: Emily Logan, Frame Media Inc.

Tel: +1 781 235 3006 ext: 105Peter van der Sluijs, Neesham Public RelationsTel: +44 (0)1296 628180e-mail: peterv@neesham.co.ukM2 Communications Ltd disclaims all liability for information provided within M2 PressWIRE. Data supplied by named party/parties. Further information on M2 PressWIRE can be obtained at http://www.presswire.net on the world wide web. Inquiries to info@m2.com.

For more information please visit www.framemedia.com or visit any of the Frame Media blogs www.wirelesspictureframe.com, www.informationappliance.com and www.wirelessdigitalsigns.com.

Carnival Cruise Lines has introduced a street-level interactive display called the Carnival Aquarium, designed and installed by Monster Media in partnership with Arnold MPG.  If you live in or near Houston, Dallas, Baltimore, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, or New York, you’ve got easy access to these HUGE interactive animated aquariums.  The aquariums are all located in high traffic pedestrian areas, and are there so passersby can have fun!

Here is what Digital Signage Today has to say about it:

Carnival’s multi-market media campaign features body responsive interaction, oversized vinyl graphics and voice controlled mobile integration. Consumers can dial in a six-digit provided code to create a fish based on the tones of their voice and then see their customized fish appear in the interactive display area. By using their cell phone as a remote control users are able to guide their fish to discover all the program has to offer.

Smart move, Carnival!  People will tell their friends about your digital signage, and those friends will tell THEIR friends, and people will have good things to say about Carnival Cruise Lines.  I would also predict that while people have their cell phones out, interacting with the signage, they will also be much more inclined to use that cell phone to spend some serious money with Carnival Cruise Lines.

Alan Phillips, founder and CEO of FrameMedia, tells us that “Digital wireless picture frames offer a great alternative to high cost, large scale digital signage because a wireless Wi-Fi frame provides targeted content based on the flexibility of its placement, such as restaurant booths and waiting areas, without the need for professional installation. By utilizing SignChannel, All Digital Media has created a win-win situation for both itself and small and mid-sized companies looking to stretch their advertising dollars.”

All Digital Media, Inc. has, in fact, purchased over a hundred wireless digital picture frames and placed them in local businesses with smaller budgets, such as restaurants, gyms, spas, and fitness centers – businesses with a high concentration of clientele/customers – and, by using SignChannel, are able to generate quite a sum, per frame, per month!

“SignChannel has offered us the opportunity to take a practical, grass-roots approach to reaching advertisers in teh local community, right here in the Brainerd Lakes area. Through the innovative use of a Wi-Fi digital frame, we’re generating revenue with a highly customized advertising vehicle and getting in front of an audience at strategic locations where they’ll be most captive, such as waiting rooms in doctors’ offices or on the treadmill at the gym. We are excited to be the first in Central Minnesota to provide this unique service,” says Wes Hughes, owner and principal of All Digital Media, Inc.

The full article about All Digital Media, Inc. and Frame Media’s SignChannel, and their VERY cost-effective digital signage advertising venture, can be found and read at The Nearshore Journal.

The latest, and possibly the most effective new advertising and marketing tool since the Internet, is the new medium of digital signage. Also known as electronic signage, this dynamic media, with its Flash technology, massive and not-so-massive display screens, its sharply focused LCD ad player screens, its motion, sound, and color is clearly the future in mass marketing. Narrowcasting networks, LCD-dominated advertising kiosks, electronic billboards, all offer a solution to your point-of-purchase advertising needs, among many other advantages.

With this emerging new marketing medium, of course, come emerging difficulties, including cost issues, return-on-investment (ROI) questions, the adaptability of the technology to various methods of programming, an as-yet-unproven record of success within the advertising and marketing industry, and a plain lack of understanding of the technology and systems involved. This lack of understanding encompasses not only the hardware and software, but installation and programming parameters, as well. Unfortunately, this lack of understanding was often expressed by venders of digital signage technology, as well as users. A lack of interoperability, as well as what is known as a “ complex value chain”, also complicates, sometimes even compromises, the effectiveness of this innovative technology.

Clearly, digital signage, though beyond its initial teething stage, is still in the midst of its inevitable growing pains. Considering the complex technological and broadcasting standards involved with in-store, narrowcasting networks that are designed to provide out-of-home programming, such problems are not surprising. Fortunately, neither are they unsolvable.

Studies, by Arbitron, among others, show that digital signage is an effective tool in prompting customer appreciation, retention, and recall of the information they see when presented as dynamically, and as vividly as it is via electronic signage. Also, smaller scale investment of, for example, one LCD screen in a particular location would cost only some $3,000-$5,000 dollars. The ROI for such an installation would be returned almost immediately.

The development of more open and compatible standards for digital signage is being actively pursued by industry groups like the Point-Of-Purchase Advertising International (POPAI), and the Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA). Each of these organizations are working feverishly to relax and ease technical standards in order to facilitate interoperability of the equipment and technology of various different venders.

New enterprises are constantly emerging to confront and to solve all the various technical, mechanical, and operating issues common to any new system.   System venders, digital signage service providers (DSSP), and advertising service providers all have lately come into being to help businesses and institutions take full advantage of the marketing potential of digital signage.

Conferences and trade shows are being held more and more frequently, and, in concert with increasingly prevalent Internet-based information, all are instrumental in helping both users and venders better understand and keep abreast of this constantly-evolving digital marketing technology.

Source

The article, edited by Bill Yackey, follows:

LAS VEGAS — The buzzphrase of the first day of Digital Signage Expo seemed to be “small-to-medium businesses,” or customers that have only a small number of screens or deployments. There has always been a segment of the digital signage industry focused on this long-tail market, but the economy has no doubt lead even the big players in the digital signage industry to reconsider their target customers.

That was highly evident when Scala issued a press release this morning, announcing six new initiatives to “lower the barrier to entry to digital signage.” Most notable of the six is a partnership with FASTSIGNS, a traditional signage provider that announced in January that it is offering a packaged digital signage solution using NEC hardware and Scala software. FASTSIGNS CEO Catherine Monson said that in the six weeks since the product announcement, the company has received $2 million in quotes for the system.

Scala’s other initiatives consists of:

• A partnership with Frame Media to launch SignChannel, a new low-cost, self-service, easy to use, entry-level digital signage service based on wireless photo frame technology.

• Scala as a Service, a hosted version of Scala Content Manager that provides an online digital signage network for a monthly fee.

• The “Ultra Low Cost PC” (ULCPC), at approximately half the cost of traditional PCs.

• Support for several all-in-one devices that include a “PC built into the Screen” form factor.

• An initiative to support cost-effective video appliances (aka “MPEG Players”) reducing the total cost of ownership of both the hardware and software per Player.

Although NEC Display Solutions was highlighting its impressive 82-inch LCD and its ultra-thin bezel MultiSync X461UN for video walls, Mike Zmuda, director of business development, made a point to emphasize the release of NEC’s MultiSync 15 Series and the 46-inch LCD4615, designed for entry-level digital signage applications.

“You have to give up the thin bezel for the 15-series, and there is less firmware, but the 15-series easily allows the addition of touch overlays and protective panels at a cheap price,” Zmuda said.

In the sense that time is money, Omnivex’s next release of its Moxie software (due March 1) is engineered to save users time scheduling content using a system similar to iTunes’ Genius, where songs are given attributes and tags and play when those attributes are selected. Here digital signage content is given meta-tags and assigned to play based on the user selecting relevant tags.

Black Box Network Services has had the SMB customer in its mind all along, offering a complete digital signage solution and emphasizing its 24/7 tech support specific to digital signage. Although the company has more than 180,000 SKUs in its catalog, it showed the iCompel, a player designed for small deployments which comes with software already installed in the player. Brian Kutchma, director of marketing, also said that although the software is licensed, customers aren’t charged for future upgrades.

Check back to Digital Signage Today all this week for constant coverage of Digital Signage Expo. For live updates from the show floor, follow us on Twitter.