Four Winds Interactive – September 2019

Transforming business through the power of visual communication

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Vision of excellence: when innovation meets enterprisegrade digital signage

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FOUR WINDS INTERACTIVE

Sebastian Gnagnarella, Chief Technology Officer at Four Winds Interactive, explains how the innovative digital signage disruptor is transforming multiple industries

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ook around you. Regardless of location, there’s every chance that in the last 24 hours, you have received information from

visual communications technology. Today, digital signage makes an impact wherever people work, shop, travel and learn – the technology, from high04

impact video walls to innovative wayfinding touchscreens, is at the forefront of the digital-first world.

Few companies are as pioneering in their respective fields as Four Winds Interactive (FWI), the world’s leading software provider for enterprise-grade digital signage networks. The organization’s cloud-based software platform, recognized as the most advanced and flexible digital signage solution available on the market, powers hundreds of thousands of screens worldwide. FWI’s digital signage platform powers the majority of the hotels on the Las Vegas strip; they are behind every deal screen used by Visa and the digital communications on Royal Caribbean Cruise ships; and, last but not least, they are being used to drive the digital workplace transformation of leading businesses worldwide.

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FOUR WINDS INTERACTIVE

“ We have the most powerful digital signage platform available” — Sebastian Gnagnarella, Chief Technology Officer, Four Winds Interactive

“We have the most powerful digital signage platform available,” says Sebastian Gnagnarella, Chief Technology Officer of FWI. Having joined the business a little over a year ago, Gnagnarella has overseen its growth as part of his wider focus on FWI’s overall technology and design strategy.

Since development of the company’s cloud platform began in 2012, Gnagnarella states, “Our focus is on ‘pure cloud’. We use the latest cloud technology to help us scale and to ensure that we offer the very best

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customer user experience, taking

CLICK TO WATCH : ‘WELCOME TO FOUR WINDS INTERACTIVE’ 07 digital signage to the next level. The way in which we use technology really is a huge differentiator in the sector – there’s no other company that’s innovating in the same way.”

FWI Cloud is a collaborative data management solution providing a multi-channel interface, displaying any type of content on any screen within a customer’s digital signage network.

It is, says the company, “Built with an obsession for the user experience and an unyielding passion to make content contribution and management easy”.

For Gnagnarella, this is the overriding w w w.fo ur wi ndsi nte ra c t ive. com

FOUR WINDS INTERACTIVE

08 factor in every decision. “Our UX and product teams are deeply involved with our customers, looking at how they engage with and use software, analyzing trends in digital signage, understanding their feedback and working on several iterations of new features just to be sure they are the very best they can be. In addition, our professional services team is adept at really understanding what the customer needs. And all of that combined gives us a platform that absolutely delivers for our customers, and for our customers’ customers.”

“ The way in which we use technology really is a huge differentiator in the sector – there’s no other company that’s innovating in the same way” — Sebastian Gnagnarella, Chief Technology Officer, Four Winds Interactive

Unlike many competitors, which

the same software to build a specific

tailor bespoke solutions to specific

application for a cruise ship, a flight

customer needs, FWI provides all

information board, a wayfinder or an

customers with every feature of its

employee engagement sign. A quick

software. It is, says Gnagnarella,

search on Google will bring up plenty of

a testament to FWI Cloud. “It’s the

companies that say they provide digital

difference between offering a product

signage, but there are only a few, if any,

and a platform. I believe we have the

that offer a platform like ours that can

most powerful digital signage authoring

be scaled as easily across application

tool available, which allows us to use

types as it is across locations.”

E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE

Sebastian Gnagnarella Sebastian is responsible for developing and implementing Four Winds Interactive’s overall technology and design vision and strategy, overseeing Product and Platform Development as well as Sales Engineering and Digital Experience. His mission is to develop world-class technology through the implementation of state-of-the-art best practices and methodologies, with a clear focus on building applications that drive the business. Sebastian has been passionate about software development since the age of six and has more than 15 years of experience in consulting for Fortune 500 companies, designing and executing complex technology projects as well as leading multi-talented teams. Mr. Gnagnarella also holds positions in Advisory Boards for companies like Salesforce and ViaWest. Prior to joining FWI, he was Inspirato’s Senior Vice President of Technology and IT leading Technology, Product and IT, and he held a variety of technical and management roles at TeleTech Holdings including Chief Architect, Director of Technology and Senior Manager of Client Solutions.

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FOUR WINDS INTERACTIVE

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2005

Year founded

450

Approximate number of employees

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As part of his role, Gnagnarella has

signage to better engage employees,

overseen the growth of FWI’s develop-

increase productivity and decrease

ment team, which has doubled from

common workplace challenges.

around 40 to 80 under his leadership.

Gnagnarella explains that the company

This team takes on everything in house,

is particularly strong in these areas,

he says, working across engineering,

with three solutions available to the

product and UX work. Development is

market. These include FWI® ENGAGE™,

ongoing, with new features “that every

a suite of solutions aimed at employee

customer will benefit from,” released

engagement, digital meeting room

as often as every two weeks. Along-

management solution FWI® BOOKED,

side this, come larger updates and

and FWI® DIRECT, which offers a

launches every quarter.

flexible wayfinding and directory

A recent area of focus for the

solution. “When a workforce is

business is workplace digital transfor-

engaged, companies are more

mation, which involves the use of digital

profitable, people are happier and

CLICK TO WATCH : ‘FWI ENGAGE’

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FOUR WINDS INTERACTIVE

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“ We have a platform that has been tried and tested over 14 years and that absolutely delivers for our customers, and for our customers’ customers” — Sebastian Gnagnarella, Chief Technology Officer, Four Winds Interactive

work is carried out more effectively,” he explains. And FWI practices what it preaches, too. A project commenced in 2010 to create an internal visual communications network for FWI’s employees led to an employee engagement rate 133% higher than the national average.

A further mark of the company’s success was its addition to Vista Equity Partners’ portfolio in early 2019. FWI is the only digital signage provider in the portfolio, which hosts more than 60 of the world’s leading SaaS companies.

Vista only focuses on high-growth,

15 market leading companies and

networks and “evolving with the

Gnagnarella describes the investment

technology ecosystem” that already

as a great differentiator for the

exists. “New technologies such as

business that will allow it to “invest

AI and machine learning are being

even more in our technology develop-

considered for future development,”

ment, but also to continue our upward

he adds. “However, in the meantime,

trajectory of market domination in the

we will continue to ensure that every

fields in which we wish to lead.”

feature we add to the platform goes

To achieve this, Gnagnarella says that the key aim for the coming years

towards ensuring we remain the strongest in the market.”

is to continue developing the FWI Cloud platform, while simultaneously creating tools that are intuitive to use, breaking down barriers for collaboration on enterprise-wide digital signage w w w.fo ur wi ndsi nte ra c t ive. com

Four Winds Interactive 1221 Broadway St, Denver CO www.fourwindsinteractive.com