Digital Signage

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.

Digital Signage Contributes to the Public Good

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