Installation Digital Signage Supplement August 2015 by Future PLC

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WELCOME & CONTENTS

Installation Technology Guide - Digital Signage - August 2015

Time of the signs Editor: Paddy Baker pbaker@nbmedia.com Managing editor: Joanne Ruddock jruddock@nbmedia.com Staff writer: Duncan Proctor dproctor@nbmedia.com Contributor: Ian McMurray Head of Design: Jat Garcha jgarcha@nbmedia.com Designer: Tom Carpenter tcarpenter@nbmedia.com Sales manager: Gurpreet Purewal

The occasion of the OVAB Digital Signage Summit Europe on 10-11 September – organised by invidis consulting and joint venture partner Integrated Systems Events, producer of Integrated Systems Europe – provides the ideal backdrop for this latest Installation Technology Guide, on Digital Signage. From an AV installation point of view, digital signage is a fascinating area to work in. Partly it’s the sheer scale of the undertaking – signage networks can be widely dispersed, and simply setting up the displays and the infrastructure is a significant undertaking. But that’s only part of the story. The content needs to be created, scheduled and delivered – and increasingly it’s necessary to be able to prove that the schedule was adhered to. Also, because of its close connection to the world of consumer advertising, clients are always interested in new technologies that provide a different way for content to be created, displayed or interacted with. In our Technology Overview on page 4, we look at some key digital signage technologies and try to rank their importance to the industry.

‘Clients are always interested in new technologies that provide a different way for content to be created, displayed or interacted with’

gpurewal@nbmedia.com Account manager: Peter McCarthy pmccarthy@nbmedia.com Production manager: Jason Dowie jdowie@nbmedia.com Cover image: The Social Tree at Changi Airport, China – courtesy of LG

Installation is published by NewBay Media London, 1st Floor, Suncourt House, 18-26 Essex Road, London N1 8LN, UK Telephone: +44 (0)20 7354 6001 The contents of this publication are subject to worldwide copyright protection and reproduction in whole or in part, whether mechanical or electronic, is expressly forbidden without the prior written consent of the Publishers. Great care is taken to ensure accuracy in the preparation of this publication but neither NewBay Media nor the Editor can be held responsible for its contents or any omissions. The views expressed are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of the Publishers or Editor. The Publishers accept no responsibility for the return of unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, or artwork. © 2015 NewBay Media. All rights reserved.

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Having all these technologies to play with is one thing – selecting the right ones and pulling them together into a solution that meets the client brief is another. Our Market Insight on page 6 looks at the role of the integrator in creating and maintaining digital signage solutions. Next, we look ahead to the Summit itself – highlighting the key industry topics that will be presented and debated. This is followed by an interview with invidis consulting managing director Florian Rotberg, which provides more insight into the event as well as discussing its early origins and its future direction. And finally, some commercial partners outline their offerings in the digital signage arena. Whether you’re an experienced digital signage professional or someone looking to move into this dynamic and exciting marketplace, I do hope you will enjoy reading this publication.

Paddy Baker Editor, Installation pbaker@nbmedia.com @install8ion

CONTENTS Technology Overview............... 04 Which technologies will be the most important in driving growth in the digital signage market? Market Insight......................... 06 We spotlight the contribution of the integrators who turn advanced products and cool technologies into solutions OVAB Digital Signage Summit Europe........................ 08 We highlight the top ten topics on the conference agenda, alongside the full programme Interview.................................. Florian Rotberg, managing director of digital signage specialist invidis consulting

Directory ................................

PROMOTIONAL ARTICLES Tripleplay.....................................12 A next-generation IPTV and digital signage system must be able to provide capabilities that include compliance with network and IT security requirements, flexible delivery and integration with third-party tools. Tripleplay explains how this can be achieved Peerless-AV................................. 14 With an expanding portfolio that includes mounts, digital signage and video wall solutions, trolleys and stands, interactive kiosks, and outdoor displays, Peerless-AV is fast becoming a true solutions provider Unicol.......................................... 16 With 50 years of experience, Unicol has a mount for every application, from standard digital signage to custom design for less straightforward projects. The company is active in the transport, retail and corporate sectors, among others

07/08/2015 17:45

TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW

Installation Technology Guide - Digital Signage - August 2015

Winners and losers Which technologies will be the most important in continuing to drive the digital signage market upwards from its estimated $14 billion value? Ian McMurray finds out

Dave Haynes: “NFC is significant more from the perspective of payments than digital signage, though a relatively new technology called Dynamic NFC can tie taps of the phone to individual messages on screens.” 6/10 Florian Rotberg: “NFC is a great and innovative technology, and could be a fantastic asset to digital signage. But as long as the installed base is so small (NFC penetration is way too small without complete iOS support) it is just a nice add-on and not a broad solution with relevant reach.” 2/10

QR codes Getting a consumer to visit your website to be exposed to your brand, special offers and so on is the goal of not just digital signage screens, but traditional billboards and on-pack promotions among others. How to facilitate that by acknowledging the short attention span of the average consumer and eliminating timeconsuming key presses? The answer is, of course, the QR Code. Dave Haynes: “QR Codes are not dead, but they’re no big deal. It’s a bar code.” 1/10 Florian Rotberg: “Its biggest advantage is that no local technology is needed. It’s one of the cheapest solutions to integrate – much better than text messaging. But the operator does not have full control over the user experience as mobile operating systems, browsers and individual settings differ from user to user.” 3/10

Swedish cruise operator Viking Line recently installed 120 NEC displays to aid with passenger communication and event promotion

With the digital signage market looking set to continue to grow, we take a look at 10 technologies that could help drive this increase. The list was chosen at random and could equally have included HTML5, the cloud, machine-tomachine communications and so on. We asked two digital signage experts – Dave Haynes, a partner in US consultancy The Preset Group, and Florian Rotberg, managing director of invidis consulting – to rate (in a wholly unscientific way) the likelihood of them having a positive impact on the industry.

Touch interactivity A generation is growing up that expects to be able to interact with information by touching it. The question is whether touch still has the power to create a more powerful interaction – or whether it merely meets a minimum expectation.

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Dave Haynes: “It’s nothing new – just better than what we had in the past.” 5/10 Florian Rotberg: “Touch is essential for in-store and many information-based digital signage solutions. It needs to offer joy of use comparable with smartphones. On the other hand, interactivity blocks displays for a wider audience when in use. It is recommendable to combine passive digital signage and interactive displays at touchpoints.” 8/10

NFC Near-field communications can be likened to Bluetooth in that it enables wireless communication between two devices. NFC operates over much shorter distances, which has both advantages and disadvantages; communication is, however, instantaneous with no need for user set-up.

Autostereoscopic 3D Few would disagree that 3D has not been the runaway consumer success that either cinemas or TV manufacturers hoped it would be. Whether that’s a function of some often poorly chosen content or the need to wear glasses – or just because viewers get all the entertainment they need with 2D images – is debatable. However, the AV and TV industries see autostereoscopic 3D – that is, 3D without glasses – as a holy grail that will put 3D back on the map and allow it to achieve its alleged potential. Dave Haynes: “I just roll my eyes. It’s a no-hoper. No one cares about a Coke bottle spinning in mid-air. Yes, visual quality is getting better, but it is just a gimmick. There’s more hope for 3D in commercial and medical uses.” 1/10 Florian Rotberg: “Not relevant for digital signage. 3D is a nice technology and works only for a

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TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW

Installation Technology Guide - Digital Signage - August 2015

The Final Ranking

Total

1 2 3 4= 4= 6 7 8= 8= 10

10 10 10 8 5 5 6 1 0 1

10 9 7 5 8 5 2 3 4 1

20 19 17 13 13 10 8 4 4 2

Analytics/measurement Content triggered by external data source Integrated ‘system on chip’ players Interactivity/integration with social media Touch interactivity Live video NFC QR codes Targeting content based on perceived age and gender of viewer Autostereoscopic 3D

defined setting (couch in front of TV). Pedestrian traffic usually just passes by a digital signage display and the 3D effect doesn’t work.” 1/10

detailed information. Both are must-haves for brick and mortar retail business as consumer as used to it from online shops.” 9/10

Interactivity/integration with social media

Targeting content based on perceived age and gender of viewer

There are over 1.4 billion Facebook users. Almost half visit at least one of the 54 million pages every day. 9,100 tweets are made every second by a Twitter community which, at 645 million, is about half that of the Facebook community. According to Statistics Brain, 40% of Twitter users don’t tweet, but watch others do so. That makes it officially a spectator sport… Advertisers ignore the Facebook and Twitter (and LinkedIn and Tumblr and…) phenomena at their peril. Dave Haynes: “The caveat is that it has to be handled with care. Any social feeds need moderation – but the content is valuable. People care what their peers say and do.” 8/10 Florian Rotberg: “Great and must-have, but the operator needs to monitor/edit messages for legal purposes. It enables digital solutions to move from a one-to-many to a one-to-one communication solution.” 5/10

When does targeted advertising become an invasion of privacy? That was a question debated at length in October 2013, when Amscreen announced that it had signed a deal for 450 Tesco petrol stations to use its digital signage solution – which included Amscreen’s OptimEyes technology, a system that is able to determine basic demographics such as gender and age as well as date, time and volume of engagement. The planned deployment was far from unique in its attempt to make digital signage more ‘personal’. Dave Haynes: “It’s not how media is bought and sold.” 0/10 Florian Rotberg: “Technology-wise, simple and easy to integrate. The limit is not technology but society. If the content is well made than it works quite well, but if it is too obvious, then it could even hinder business.” 4/10

Content triggered by external data source

Analytics/measurement

For six weeks at the end of 2013, the 200 or so British Airways planes flying over two sites in London each day caused a child on a large digital signage screen to point up to the sky, with live flight data being shown. The plane’s destination or departure point determined the creative content that was shown on the display, with the aim of the campaign being to remind people how magical flying can be. So cloudy, the plane can’t be seen? No problem: technology ensures the content doesn’t run. Dave Haynes: “Big Data and data coming from devices will be a big part of digital signage, and quickly.” 10/10 Florian Rotberg: “This is a must-have for in-store digital signage in the retail environment. It’s nice for Digital out of Home (DOOH) as in the BA case, but it’s not necessary. Digital signage convinces operators as well as target groups such as consumers when it’s dynamic and interacts with other IT systems (CRM, inventory management systems or ERP). It enables the consumer to compare product features more easily and enables the retailer to offer a broad set of

If digital signage has been held back as an advertising medium – and it is by no means a given that it has – many commentators believe that that is a function of advertisers not understanding how to measure its reach or success. Traditionally, advertisers thought in terms of ‘opportunities to see’ or ‘page impressions’, and relied on simple techniques such as coupons with embedded source references. Much effort has been applied by the digital signage industry to providing new, meaningful metrics. Dave Haynes: “Anything that better quantifies and characterises audiences is valuable. New technology, such as that from Aislelabs, is even using WiFi to provide data on consumer behaviour in retail.” 10/10 Florian Rotberg: “Absolutely essential. Customers expect similar analytics as in the online world. Successful adapting of content is only possible with hard facts collected through analytics and measurement.” 10/10

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Live video Digital signage that doesn’t provide moving

images is just an expensive alternative to a traditional static billboard. But what if the content is inherently static – how then does signage attract eyeballs and attention? Increasingly, the answer is the insertion of live video feeds – news, weather, sport and traffic information are particularly popular, largely because they deliver ‘value’ to passers-by. Dave Haynes: “Live video has high potential but only when the stream is well done and interesting. Garbage in, garbage out.” 5/10 Florian Rotberg: “Live video technology (comparable with Skype, only more professional) can be a great asset to offer a more personalised service to customers. Interactive digital signage installations or kiosk systems with live video are popular with silver agers and first-time buyers as the agent can walk the consumer through the transaction. It also enables operators to offer specialised services at all touch points.” 6/10

Integrated ‘system on chip’ players “Your digital watch/calculator/mobile phone/ laptop/other (delete as applicable) has more computing power than NASA did when it first put a man on the moon.” It’s an old adage, designed to describe the fantastic advances made in computing over the past half-century. Moore’s Law is key, of course, as is the trend towards denser and denser integration. That has led to the concept of the ‘System on a Chip’ (SoC) – and SoC technology is beginning to mount what looks like a real threat to traditional digital signage players. Dave Haynes: “It’s not really so much about SoC but about very low-cost, crazily powerful ARM processors and embedded graphics processors that will make little micro PCs capable of running the sort of graphics-intensive computer gaming previously done on big desktop tower PCs with water cooling.” 10/10 Florian Rotberg: “It definitely takes complexity out of digital signage as it reduces components, cables, etc at each installation. It drives down initial investments, lowers installation costs and makes it much easier to swap devices in the field. On the other hand, existing SoC solutions are still lacking CPU and graphics power – so it is more recommended for easier content solutions. But eventually, SoC will be the dominating architecture in digital signage.” 7/10 The winners are clear. The ability to measure success; triggering content from external data; and system on chip will be the three technologies most important to the continuing success of digital signage. n

www.invidis.de www.presetgroup.com

07/08/2015 17:08

MARKET INSIGHT

Installation Technology Guide - Digital Signage - August 2015

Playing nicely Much of the discussion of the digital signage market revolves around the hardware and software vendors who supply it with advanced products and cool technologies. It’s all too easy to overlook what it takes to turn those products and technologies into solutions. Ian McMurray attempts to redress the balance National Grid and Costain commissioned a digital signage solution from Eclipse Digital Media to track tunnelling under London

According to consulting company MarketsandMarkets, the worldwide digital signage market will grow by just under 9% between 2014 and 2020. If they’re right, that’s an awful lot of screens to hang, cables to lay and players to install. Which is where integrators will continue to play a vital role. For sure, they’re seeing the kind of growth predicted by the research. “Yes, the market is growing,” nods Roland Dreesden, managing director of Reflex. “So much so that we’ve invested in a trained digital signage specialist. And the projects we’re seeing are becoming much more strategic, where digital signage is one element within an overall communications plan. It’s those complex projects that are driving the growth we’re seeing.”

Exciting developments Reflex may have hired a specialist – but

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networking and electrical infrastructure company Smart created a new digital signage company to respond to the demand it saw. “Smart Media on Demand was established a year ago,” notes the company’s digital media specialist Paul Jordan, “specifically to focus on the exciting developments we saw in the digital signage market, and to develop tailored solutions for specific applications.” Like Smart Media on Demand, Eclipse Digital is also exclusively focused on digital signage. “We’ve noticed definite growth in our business across the board – corporate, education and retail,” notes the company’s director of new business development, Colin Thody. Much of the focus in the digital signage market is, inevitably, on the manufacturers serving it – and there are certainly plenty of them. How, then, do integrators choose who they will work with? “We chose to work with Onelan because

we saw them as a major player in the market, with a long history in digital signage and a very scalable, robust offering,” says Thody. “But, based on customer feedback, we have now developed a second solution called embedsignage.com. It can publish channels of content to many types of devices including Android, iOS, Samsung SoC and Onelan media players to name but a few. This ultimately gives the customer a very cost-effective digital signage solution that can publish to many devices all from one central cloud-based portal.” “We believe it’s a big advantage for us that we’re vendor agnostic,” adds Jordan. “It’s about choosing the right product for the right vertical market. We find vendor case studies are a good resource – and we especially look at how well they integrate with other manufacturers – like the relationship between Samsung and Signagelive, for example.” He notes that the benefit of that closeness is quicker installation and set-up on site. “It’s also vital,” he continues, “that in a market that’s evolving so quickly, the integrator stays up to date with technology changes. We need to be in a position to offer the best solution for the application.”

Strategic relationships For Dreesden, supplier choice is all about trust. “Strategic relationships with vendors are important. We work with a number of suppliers, based mainly on historical relationships,” he notes. “Those are organisations that have delivered in the past, and have proven success stories in the vertical markets in which we operate.” “But,” he goes on, “we conduct regular supplier reviews with all our suppliers on a regular basis, and we’re always open to approaches from new players. We are brand-agnostic, and we do partner with multiple brands. We look for those with the correct qualifications and processes for each specific project.” Jordan agrees on the subject of working closely with vendors: Smart Media on Demand has 13 manufacturers with whom it works

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MARKET INSIGHT

Installation Technology Guide - Digital Signage - August 2015

closely, including four screen suppliers. “While a particular vendor may have the best integrated chip solution, for example,” he says, “it doesn’t mean that the same manufacturer has the best videowall offering.” “The content management element of digital signage is particularly interesting at the moment as the debate between ‘cloud based’ and ‘location based’ servers continues,” he adds. “It’s important to be able to offer the most appropriate vendor based around individual client preferences.” “Niche vendors can, however, represent specific opportunities,” he goes on. “Captive Media, for example, has a washroom gaming and advertising solution that is completely unique to this specific location. In this instance, the vendor has developed a complete system that can be supplied and installed by the approved integrator.” Smart Media on Demand has also developed its own vertical solutions specifically for accountants and the legal sector. Being familiar with the strengths of each vendor’s offering, and staying up to date with relevant technologies both represent the value that integrators bring. It’s not all the value, however.

The value of focus “We think there’s real value to customers in our exclusive focus on digital signage,” says Thody. “We consult with customers to uncover their needs, carry out site visits, supply all the hardware and software needed, carry out the installation and configuration and commissioning, training, template design and build, and offer ongoing support and monitoring services.” Jordan picks up on the theme of continuing customer care. “Another major advantage that good integrators offer is a comprehensive maintenance and support package,” he believes. “While vendors may offer a ‘best endeavour’ next day product swap, this doesn’t include the de-installation and re-installation of the faulty product. If the broken screen is in the middle of a videowall in retail premises at high level, how is the end user expected to get the screen down?” Jordan also notes his company’s focus on the aesthetics of an installation – ensuring, for example, that cabling is hidden. For Dreesden, it’s all about experience. “Experience is the best sales tool an integrator can have,” he claims. “A wealth of knowledge built up across different market places gives you the skills to understand what is needed in different scenarios. That experience allows you to understand the brief better and know what questions to ask.” “It’s also vital to approach projects with an open mind as to how they will be achieved,” he

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goes on. “An unbiased approach ensures that the requirements are fully understood before the product/solution is even considered.” “It’s also important that integrators understand the process from specification to deployment,” adds Dreesden. “You need to ensure you’ve correctly understood and interpreted what the client is really trying to achieve. The danger is that if the system doesn’t deliver to expectation, clients may revert to what they know and are comfortable with – which is usually PowerPoint. And this leads onto training: good training and support back up is essential to help the client adopt the new system and get best value from it.” Dreesden also notes that the digital signage element is often only a part of a customer’s communication strategy, providing an opportunity for the integrator to advise on other audiovisual solutions that will complement and support it.

vendors doing more of, or better? Thody is clear that providers need to offer greater flexibility for publishing to different hardware in a more cost-effective manner. “That’s why we developed embedsignage. com,” he says. “But beyond that, it provides the ability to develop bespoke plug-ins for customers for integration with existing systems such as building management, telephone, sales and so on to display realtime data in a useful yet attractive way for end users. The ease of managing devices and channels of information is also key; making this content dynamic based on things like location, weather, store size and the like was also a key design goal for the system.” “Suppliers need to be mindful that the end user needs to see clear business benefits from their systems,” believes Dreesden. “Solutions need to be more intuitive and more appealing to non-technical people as content is king and needs to be changed frequently.”

More challenging As an integrator operating across the audiovisual spectrum, Dreesden is also well placed to compare the challenges of operating in the digital signage market with providing AV solutions for conference rooms and boardrooms, hotels and schools.

‘It’s vital that in a market that’s evolving so quickly, the integrator stays up to date with technology changes. We need to be in a position to offer the best solution for the application’ Paul Jordan, Smart

“It’s absolutely a more challenging market,” he says, “because of the historical limited knowledge within integrators of the IT networks that the digital signage systems sit on. The situation is improving thanks to the continued convergence of IT/AV, and knowledge is growing. But as with any IP-based system, there are sometimes internal barriers to break down; the IT team don’t always want the AV side interfering in their domain.” “We also know that, with digital signage, it’s vital that we work with numerous other functions within an organisation such as marketing, communications, reception and administration staff,” he continues. “It’s key to ensure all these areas are involved and listened to.” And speaking of listening to people… What would integrators like to see digital signage

Nimble, flexible, responsive Jordan sees a real advantage in the ability of small and medium-sized integrators to be nimble, flexible and responsive. “We’d really like more help and support from vendors from a sales and marketing perspective for the SME market,” he says. “It is these installers that are best placed to respond to technology changes and implement new products quickly and efficiently. Despite this, price support and end user leads are often given to the more cumbersome and less flexible larger organisations.” “Many of the failings that vendors have, such as inadequate support contracts and a ‘product’ rather than ‘solution’ approach are the opportunities for the integrator to add value,” he goes on. Jordan smiles. “With this in mind,” he says, “it’s perhaps best that they leave the integration element to the specialist installer.” There are many ways in which the digital signage market is unique – and perhaps, as Dreesden avers, more challenging than other AV markets. But whether it’s providing interactive whiteboards for classrooms or entertainment systems in the leisure industry, projectors for boardrooms or audio systems for conference suites or networks of screens for retailers, the skills and expertise that integrators bring in turning products and technology into usable solutions should not be under-estimated. It’s a wise vendor who realises that – and takes advantage of it. n

www.eclipsedigitalmedia.co.uk www.reflex.co.uk www.smartmediaondemand.com

07/08/2015 17:13

OVAB DIGITAL SIGNAGE SUMMIT EUROPE

Installation Technology Guide - Digital Signage - August 2015

Hot topics at the Summit The OVAB Digital Signage Summit Europe takes place on 10-11 September in Munich. Here’s a summary of the key topics on the agenda, as well as a complete programme

There will be plenty of time between sessions to visit the exhibition area

The Summit is unique in covering digital signage technology and DOOH media issues

Organised by invidis consulting and Integrated System Events, producer of the ISE exhibition, the OVAB Digital Signage Summit is the only conference in the industry that addresses technology (digital signage) as well as media matters (DOOH). In the interview over the page, Florian Rotberg, managing director of invidis consulting, talks about how the event has developed since its inception; meanwhile, here are some of the key topics that will be addressed at this year’s Summit.

Standardisation of RFPs and tenders Most digital signage tenders are missing essential elements, which makes it very difficult for integrators to offer the best solution in a request for proposal (RFP). Industry body OVAB (Out-of home Video Advertising Bureau) and the industry are currently developing new standards and blueprints for end-customer RFPs to address this issue. The first results will be presented and discussed at the conference.

The programme will consist of panel sessions as well as presentations

DOOH metrics and measurements Almost anything that is digital can be measured – but what are the best metrics and measurements to use for DOOH campaigns? The Summit will discuss establishing standards for DOOH.

Programmatic buying Greater flexibility, cost saving and increased revenues are three of the advantages of using automated techniques to buy advertising. Is it the future of digital advertising? The conference will address the role of DOOH in the media mix.

Modern retail concepts use digital signage to present a structured series of messages at different stages of the customer journey. Best-practice examples will be presented.

Omnichannel Digital signage is a key weapon for bricks-andmortar retailers to outperform online-only competitors – as part of a user experience that integrates online and real-world elements.

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More than 40 top-level speakers More than 30 international presentations and panels on digital signage and digitalout-of-home More than 20 exhibitors in the exhibition zone Special events and workshops Networking and business matchmaking

Smart signage Multiscreen video advertising Perhaps the key USP of DOOH is that it can display moving pictures in public spaces. Additionally, DOOH can form part of a multiscreen scenario that also includes reaching the user at home (via online) and on the move (via mobile).

Digital transformation – customers Customer journey

Five reasons not to miss the conference

As communication strategies become fully digital, how will the role of digital signage in enterprise communication be affected?

How to create and manage digital signage across multiple visual platforms: small, largeformat and lifesize displays, plus projections and LED screens

Digital signage and media asset management Digital signage is becoming fully integrated into digital media asset management platforms. This implies a change in the role of digital signage content management systems (CMS), as it becomes necessary to manage interfaces to various enterprise applications. n

Market consolidation (industry) The digital signage industry has traditionally been very heterogeneous, with integrators specialising in specific verticals. However, consolidation is underway within the industry – so what are the implications of this for integrators?

Register now at the link below. InfoComm and CEDIA members are eligible for a 40% discount; early-bird discount is available until 14 August.

www.digitalsignagesummit.org

07/08/2015 17:36

OVAB DIGITAL SIGNAGE SUMMIT EUROPE

Installation Technology Guide - Digital Signage - August 2015

12:00 Lunch

10 September 2015

13:30 - 17:00 Parallel sessions in Rooms Munich I, Munich II and Bangkok (see table below)

for Today’s Digital Signage Projects Christopher Parker, Sharp Jeff Hastings, BrightSign Stefan Knoke, Seen Media

17:00 - 17:30 Panel - 4k in Digital Signage - Chances and Challenges

17:30 - 18:00 OVAB Europe Digital Signage & DOOH Panel - Wordwide

18:00 - 21:00 Open Bar

Industry Outlook 2016/17 Ger O’Keeffe, Intel, Jeff Hastings, BrightSign Simon Jackson, NEC Tom Nix, Scala Vladimir Kozlov, DigiSky

14:00 - Bus Transfer: Munich Airport to Munich City

Digital Signage Track 1 Room: Munich I

Digital Signage Track 2 Room: Bangkok

Digital-out-of-Home Room: Munich II

14:30 - 18:00 An Introduction to Digital Signage Munich City Daniel Russell, invidis consulting - Market Briefing - Digital Signage Basics - Installation Tour Munich City

13:30 - 13:55 Deutsche Post DHL Innovation Center Relaunch Nevena Rupp, DHL Roland Grassberger, Grassfish

13:30 - 13:55 Digital Transformation at the PoS Using Innovative Web Technologies Frank Zahn, Exozet

13:30 - 14:00 The Future of Multi-Screen Advertising Peter Christmann, Goldbach

14:30 - 16:00 OVAB Europe Annual Membership Meeting Hilton Hotel Airport Munich Dirk Hülsermann, OVAB Europe

13:55 - 14:20 Razorshop: An Innovative Connected Retail Experience John Bache, Razorfish

13:55 - 14:20 Multimedia Concept and Digital Signage in ROSE Biketown Shops Thorsten Heckrath-Rose, ROSE Bikes

14:20 - 14:45 The Future of Retail Marketing Claus Adams, Cheil

14:20 - 14:45 Enhanced Customer Services: Indoor Navigation through 3D Mapping Felix Reinshagen, NavVis Thomas Kallmayer, Airport Munich

14:45 - 15:10 Creating Never-Ending Customer Experiences in Retail Joachim Bader, SapientNitro

14:45 - 15:10 Sports Venues of the Future: From Fan Interaction to Live Engagement Dimitri Hguyen, EURO 2020, ESSMA

15:10 - 15:35 Travel Retail at the Crossroads of the World: Creating Airport Retail Experiences Hendrik Bruning, Interbrand

15:10 - 15:35 Interactive Experiences at the FCBarcelona Digital Megastore Daniel Urruchua, tmtfactory

16:00 - 18:00 OVAB Symposium - The Future of Digital Signage RFPs Oliver Schwede, invidis consulting 18:00 - 23:00 Digital Signage Europe Burn-in Weihenstephan (transportation provided) Integrated Systems Events, invidis consulting - Networking - Digital Signage Awards - DOOH Awards - Yearbook Release

11 September 2015 EXHIBITION AREA OPEN 9:00 - 18:00

Room: Munich I 09:30 - 10:15 Keynote Florian Rotberg, invidis consulting Oliver Schwede, invidis consulting 10:15 - 10:45 Keynote - Benetton: The Store as the Place for a Limitless Experience Giovanni Flore, Benetton Group 10:45 - 11:30 Panel - The Evolution of Digital Signage: From Instore TV to Customer Engagement Claus Adams, Cheil Damian Rodgett, Pilot Screentime Giovanni Flore, Benetton Group Joachim Bader, SapientNitro

14:00 - 14:30 Panel - How Much More Digital Does Out Of Home Need – The Role of DOOH in Multiscreen Advertising Kai-Marcus Thäsler, Posterscope, Stefan Kuhlow, Weischer Winfried Karst, Goldbach

14:30 - 15:00 Panel - DOOH Metrics and Measurements: Establishing international standards for DOOH – on the Search for the Multiscreen Cookie Frank Goldberg, Digital Media Institute Benjamin Wey, IG DooH Dietmar Birkner, Kinetic

15:00 - 15:30 Panel - Programmatic Buying: The Future of Digital Advertising Andreas Soupliotis, Ayuda Dirk Hülsermann, Vukunet Elias Bauguil, mereo Radjen van Wilsem, MyAdBooker

15:45 - 16:15 Networking & Coffee 16:15 - 16:45 To be announced

16:15 - 17:00 Panel - Which Digital Signage Technologies Will Impact DOOH in the Future Daniel Gasser, Relevance Analytics Maarten Dollevoet, Broadsign Markus Deserno, Seen Media

11:30 - 13:30 Networking & Matchmaking

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07/08/2015 17:36

INTERVIEW: FLORIAN ROTBERG

Installation Technology Guide - Digital Signage - August 2015

Summit for success An important aspect of this, he says, is winning tenders and RFPs; these are becoming increasingly important as projects become larger and more valuable. However, because formulating successful digital signage RFPs requires the input of IT and marketing disciplines, companies often fall down on this if they entrust the work to just one of these two functions. Rotberg reports that, following strong demand from systems integrators and end-users, and with support from OVAB, invidis has drawn up a basic ‘blueprint’ for completing digital signage RFPs. “We will present the blueprint for the first time at the conference, discuss it in an open forum and optimise it, then publish it in the fall of this year.”

Next level

Paddy Baker talks to the managing director of invidis consulting about what to expect at the OVAB Digital Signage Summit Europe The OVAB Digital Signage Summit Europe (previously the OVAB Digital Signage Conference Europe) takes place on 10-11 September 2015. Organised by invidis consulting with JV partner Integrated Systems Events, the producer of the ISE exhibition, the Summit has been going for nine years – the same length of time as invidis consulting. “The conference was about the first thing we did – it was how the company started,” explains managing director Florian Rotberg. The first Digital Signage Conference attracted 50 people to talk about the state of the industry. The event has grown steadily since, attracting a larger and much more diverse list of attendees than its original German-only audience. “We now get visitors from EMEA and beyond,” he says. “Nine years ago it was just vendors and system integrators, but now it’s one-third end-users.” The Summit is now held entirely in English, and for the past few years has been held at the Hilton hotel at Munich airport. “It’s a great location because it’s three minutes’ walk from the terminal and you can fly straight back home afterwards – you don’t need to incur hotel costs.”

Unique profile The conference, he says, is unique within the EMEA region for bridging the gap between media (digital out of home) and technology (digital signage). The visitor profile is broad – not only vendors, integrators and end-users but also network operators, software suppliers, agencies

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and content providers. Accordingly, much of the programme is split into parallel sessions to accommodate the needs of these different audience members. So, why should AV specialists attend the conference? Firstly, says Rotberg, digital signage is one of the few strongly growing markets within the AV world: “It’s showing 25% growth across Europe – something no AV integrator should miss out on.”

‘Digital signage is showing 25% growth across Europe – something no AV integrator should miss out on’

A few years ago, he says, many within the AV world were resistant to signage technology because they saw it as an IT solution; but now that the whole industry has migrated towards IP-based solutions, that objection has disappeared. He lists a number of things that AV integrators can expect to achieve at the Summit: “Understand what the trends are; learn from best practice; get a better understanding of who the main players are, and what their strategies are for the future; and become fit to bring this to their own customers – and make money from it.”

This year’s Summit is, for the first time, a joint venture with Integrated Systems Events, following a co-operation announcement made at Integrated Systems Europe in February of this year. Rotberg sees the involvement of ISE as helping to “bring the conference to the next level. Leveraging the events expertise of ISE and our content expertise is a perfect joint venture”. The co-operation is manifesting itself in a new Digital Signage Conference in Dubai in November, as well as continuing a similar series of conferences in Moscow. “Russia is still a huge market, even under current circumstances – there are big RFPs out there,” he observes. “It would be foolish not to look at it.” Additionally, he expects ISE’s involvement to strengthen the flagship Munich Summit, making it bigger and more international in scope. “We expect more visitors from overseas – we have always had a few, but with the involvement of InfoComm and CEDIA we are also expecting visitors from the US who are interested in the European market.” Finally, Rotberg stresses the opportunities for networking that the Summit provides. “Networking at conferences is essential – something that’s not always possible at trade shows as you hurry from booth to booth. Networking at evening events is important for understanding the industry and also building up your own ecosystem. That’s not just meeting suppliers, but also fellow integrators that you can partner with for pan-European system rollouts.” n

digitalsignagesummit.org

07/08/2015 17:23

M U LT I AWA R D W I N N I N G 4 K + D I S P L A Y S O L U T I O N

Par4Keet is the first display solution to combine class-leading video playback at 4K resolution and beyond along with true realtime media manipulation and multi-screen configurability in a robust rackmount casing. The flagship player of the AViary Video Tools range can deliver media at arbitrary resolutions, untying AV professionals from the restrictions of standard aspect ratios and opening the doors on unrestricted and creative display configurations. Fly Higher! Green Hippo Ltd Unit 305-307, Parma House, Clarendon Road, London N22 6UL Tel: +44 (0)203 301 4561 | Fax: +44 (0)208 889 9826

www.aviary-videotools.com

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10/08/2015 09:37

TRIPLEPLAY

Installation Technology Guide - Digital Signage - August 2015

The Next Generation of Digital Signage and IPTV In recent years many organisations have successfully deployed an IP television (IPTV) and digital signage platform within their network using dedicated VLAN and overlay networks. The systems have usually consisted of capturing a range of satellite, terrestrial and local broadcasts and delivering them to employee desktops or flat screens, sometimes as part of a digital signage layout, sometimes as a pure TV feed Delivery Both IPTV and Digital Signage should be flexible in how they can be delivered, offering support for thin PC clients as well as desktops, flat screens via set top box or PC player and IP-enabled Smart TVs. It should also offer the option to deliver to IP-enabled mobile devices with access restrictions in place to ensure content is only seen when, where and by whom you choose. An IPTV and Digital Signage platform should also offer the chance to deliver multicast via Flat IGMP, PIM-SM, as well as isolated VLANS, support unicast and mobile network delivery, allowing a reduction in bandwidth usage whilst maintaining video and image quality. Security is of significant importance in banking and finance

3rd Party Integration Tripleplay has been delivering IPTV, digital signage and video streaming solutions for well over a decade, and we have seen a shift in approach in recent times not just in features needed and in technical requirements but also a change in the key stakeholders involved in an IPTV and Digital Signage deployment.

Changing Technology, New Requirements, Expanding Networks, New Content Requirements and interested parties are changing what an IPTV and Digital Signage system needs to support. Rather than being seen as an Audio Visual (AV) solution, IPTV and Digital Signage now also fall into the IT department, bringing with it new technical requirements to adhere to. Communicating with and engaging to all employees at any location are seen as key requirements, as is support for mobile and remote staff. Distributed offices must be able to gain simple access to content whilst keeping costs down and not only offer IPTV services to desktop and flat screens but also to thin PCs and tablets and signage to other areas of

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the business. Controlling access to television channels and video content based on a userâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s profile and time of day must be provided in any solution that is considered. So in a saturated Digital Signage and IPTV market is it time to ask the question, does my IPTV and Digital Signage solution meet all of these requirements? Any next-generation IPTV and digital signage solution must be able to provide a variety of capabilities, including;

Security The solution should be compliant with network and IT security requirements, meaning an IPTV system should offer support for single user login through LDAP/Active Director and SAML, as well as the ability to restrict and manipulate a userâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s profile to control access to channel line ups and content based on a centrally managed authentication and authorisation system. A modern AV/IT solution for IPTV and Digital Signage should also offer redundancy and resilience, ensuring system down time is minimal and unlikely, achieved through clustering of the head end server.

Integration into 3rd party business tools like Microsoft SharePoint and Lync, or Educational solutions such as Moodle and Blackboard is becoming much more important within a business IPTV solution as it allows the employee control over where, when and how they access the content they need; it also leverages existing investment. Digital Signage should also offer integration into Electronic Point of Sale systems such as the Agilysys InfoGenesis solution, allowing live stock and pricing data to be amended during service for food retailers, concessions stands and restaurants. We have formed key relationships with technology manufacturers to ensure we can deliver the best possible performance and results for our clients. This includes hardware manufacturers such as Samsung, LG, NEC, HP, Amino, Intel, Epiphan, Arris and Daktronics, software developers including Agilysys, Opta, ProZone, Microsoft and Micros.

Single Platform Control Digital Signage has become synonymous with

07/08/2015 17:25

TRIPLEPLAY

Installation Technology Guide - Digital Signage - August 2015

a wide variety of supported IP devices, Set Top Boxes and Smart TVs; including Samsung’s Smart Signage Platform (SSSP). Having this approach to technology strategy ensures confidence that you are investing in a platform where the hardware won’t become obsolete and unsupported any time soon; whilst by being flexible and scalable the software can be enhanced to meet all your changing requirements, serving any need from a few screens to thousands. Does your current system offer that sort of guarantee?

Live and recorded IPTV delivered via PC to the TripleChoice Media Portal

About Tripleplay

IPTV, outside of retail environments it is very rare to see one without the other. Native integration of digital signage and content management into a single centralised platform reduces the amount of work needed during the implementation stage as well as reducing the burden of ongoing control and management; one platform, one user interface. IPTV ensures that on-screen digital signage content is fresh and relevant, making it a vital component in organisations without the skill set or time to constantly create new content, whilst being a great addition for businesses looking to keep guests entertained in waiting areas, reception or gathering spaces. Digital Signage and IPTV are almost one and the same technology, so why would you want to manage two separate products?

Quality Media and digital quality is often in the eyes of the beholder in the modern day. Owing to sites such as YouTube and Vimeo ‘broadcast’ quality is whatever the user is happy to view. In a business environment however quality is still important and being able to offer a variety of standards, resolutions and delivery methods cannot be overlooked. The Tripleplay platform can deliver in SD, HD to set top boxes, 4k to PC players while to PCs and mobile devices it can also downgrade, allowing video to be delivered at the most appropriate quality for the network being used and for the device being delivered to, ensuring the best user experience possible.

a matter of hours. Because we use standardsbased hardware from some of the world’s leading manufacturers we can offer great global hardware support. As our platform is software based we can also offer peace of mind that as and when new features and product advancements are released our users can benefit from them with a simple software update in most cases as everything is optimised for existing hardware technologies.

Standards Based Owing to the increasingly global nature of business it is more important than ever to use standard browser based system management; the adoption of proprietary tools can be a major hindrance in the management or operation of the platform. Tripleplay is a software platform that uses standard server hardware from HP primarily and other recognised manufacturers, with delivery to

Needless to say, our IPTV and Digital Signage platform offers all of this, designed for exactly this purpose to help answer the queries and concerns of global banks, enterprises, sports teams, government organisations, hospitals, hotels, military naval vessels, universities and many others. Tripleplay, TripleNGenTV system supports all these features, and having already been deployed into a number of organisations around the globe Tripleplay can provide a proven solution and support with strong customer references. We address the security, resilience and delivery concerns that IT have whilst also providing the quality, flexibility, scalability and ease-of-management that the AV department requires; Tripleplay has a true AV/IT solution for TV and digital content delivery. We have regional headquarters in the UK, Spain, USA, Singapore and Australia, representatives in Germany, Turkey, South Africa, France and Saudi Arabia and a network of Tripleplay Authorised Partners in more than fifty countries globally. Read case studies from Manchester City FC, Chelsea FC, Sheffield Hallam University, University Hospital Antwerp, Edgbaston Stadium, Virgin Holidays amongst others at www.tripleplay-services.com n

Tripleplay’s platform can integrate into 3rd party environments, such as Sharepoint

Support 24x7 support with hardware assurance that can be replaced at any location in the world in

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07/08/2015 17:25

PEERLESS-AV

Installation Technology Guide - Digital Signage - August 2015

Supporting Your Vision A Digital Signage ‘Peerspective’, by Gordon Dutch, Managing Director, Peerless-AV Europe form and function required for every digital signage project. Installers and integrators trust Peerless-AV products for their ability to save time, money and increase the overall success of any installation. All products are manufactured to be easy to configure, packed with installerfriendly features, offering the highest levels of testing for safety and quality assurance, and guaranteeing the highest levels of compatibility in terms of screen size, maximum weight capacity and VESA patterns. Anticipating new market requirements and devising appropriate solutions at an early stage is vital in such a fast-moving industry. PeerlessAV is fast becoming a true solutions provider with a vast and expanding portfolio that includes mounts, digital signage and video wall solutions, trolleys and stands, interactive kiosks, outdoor displays, wireless streaming devices and accessories.

Modular appeal

DS-VW765-PQR Quick Release Mount 3x3 video wall configuration

The Digital Signage market is evolving at a rapid pace. New generation displays are becoming increasingly effective, engaging, interactive, targeted and common place in a wide variety of every day locations and vertical markets. In the corporate, transportation, retail, hospitality and leisure markets, digital signage is popping up everywhere – in reception areas and atriums, in-stores and in shopping centres, in conference and hospitality venues, in airports and train stations – dramatically impacting and improving the customer experience. Similarly, digital menu boards (DMBs) for outdoor quickservice restaurants (QSRs), car wash businesses, retail drive-through’s and construction sites, are predicted to boom in the next year and a half for their ability to take services to a whole new level, increasing sales and maximising investment.

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Maximisation of digital signage is high on the agenda and adopters are looking beyond the initial investment to ways of generating ongoing revenue, reducing maintenance costs and ensuring quality and consistency. Many are starting to plan for outdoor in their budgets. Designed for safe operation in permanent outdoor environments, new fully-sealed outdoor displays eliminate the need for the constant maintenance and replacement needed by indoor displays, making them the perfect fit for stadium and arena environments, as well as attraction venues and transportation settings.

Peerless-AV – ‘one-stop-shop’ for installers With 50 years’ experience in the design and manufacture of innovative AV solutions, Peerless-AV has the expertise to deliver the

As new generation LFDs and video walls enter the market, so too do a new generation of mounting solutions specifically developed to support them in the end application. PeerlessAV’s Twin Pole Modular Series product range (awarded ISE Best of Show 2015) can be configured from its component parts in four simple and easy to follow stages to ensure the very best installer experience. Designed around a standard 50mm diameter twin column the components can be combined to fulfil multiple requirements, from a single ceiling mounted display to an unlimited floor-to-ceiling video wall array. The ability to mount multiple displays onto this system can very quickly create a floor to ceiling stack of screens that are all perfectly aligned. Equally back-to-back adaptors effectively double the screen presence from the same amount of space – ideal for corporate and retail applications to present one message to passing traffic and another to those inside the store or reception area.

Bigger is better Addressing the trend towards ever bigger displays and video wall arrays, Peerless-AV offers the DS-VW795-QR Full-service Video Wall Mount with Quick Release and the SR598 Flat Panel Mobile Display Trolley. Peerless-AV believe

07/08/2015 17:37

PEERLESS-AV

Installation Technology Guide - Digital Signage - August 2015

Twin Pole Modular – Free Standing 2x2 video wall configuration

advertising space. When all static graphics are used, the kiosks offer a total of 44 square feet of advertising area – an unheard of amount of ad space for this type of product in the industry. Companies are able to maximise their space and draw further attention to advertisements, resulting in increased sales. Installing the digital menu board kiosks is a quick and easy two-man job without the need for forklifts or cranes. Replacing monitors is just as simple ensuring the displays in adjacent cabinets will not be disturbed. Available with the 47” Xtreme display in a one, two or three monitor configurations, the kiosk can be rearranged by changing the horizontal beam to increase screen area as required.

Video Wall – without the wall that bigger should not mean more complicated or time consuming to install, so these solutions are packed with innovative features to ensure the very best installer experience. Both products are fully UL safety tested to support display sizes up to a massive 98”, with a weight capacity of 102kg. Manual handling is minimised with post installation adjustment capabilities. The SR598 can be adjusted vertically and 5˚ of negative adjustment keeps even the heaviest of displays level. The DS-VW795-QR’s intuitive 8-point

DS-VW795-QR

new and exciting areas. These fully-sealed, all-weatherproof displays are changing the face of outdoor AV integration by making all the traditional limitations a thing of the past. Earning a coveted IP68 rating, Xtreme displays offer the highest particle and liquid protection in the industry, provide the widest operating temperature range and their NEMA 6 rating means they function without any issues under hose-directed water and temporary submersion. All this, combined with a unique ventless design, without filters or exhaust fans, means digital signage can now go anywhere. For installers looking for a digital menu board solution, Peerless-AV’s Xtreme Outdoor Digital Menu Board Kiosks offer all of the above benefits and more. The systems are more cost-effective to operate as they deliver 70% savings in energy consumption compared to other digital menu boards on the market. Peerless-AV Xtreme Outdoor Digital Menu Board Kiosks also offer customers the ability to customise with optional static toppers and sidekicks – an inexpensive way to increase

For installers that want to create the visual impact of a multi display video wall but do not have a wall, Peerless-AV provides a range of trolleys and pedestal stands for configurations up to 3x3 and 4x2. Designed for quick set-up and tear-down, the trolleys and stands are ideal for Rental and Staging applications, temporary signage and back-drops at exhibitions, meetings and presentations. Their sturdy aluminium frame is capable of supporting over 400kg (3x3 model), while simple, tool-less micro adjustment at 8 points offers precise and effortless alignment of the displays. Built-in cable management and media storage help create a clean, professional appearance and provide a safe central location to house components. Peerless-AV is leading the way with innovative Digital Signage solutions that support installers and integrators every step of the way. To find out more, visit www.peerless-av-com, e-mail: sales@ peerless-av.eu.com or call +44 (0) 1923 200 100. n

www.peerless-av.com

micro-adjustment ensures that any display can be quickly aligned and levelled, whether in landscape or portrait orientation. The DS-VW795-QR is part of Peerless-AV’s award-winning sleek, stylish and serviceable Quick Release Video Wall Mount range that enables unlimited display configurations. Equipped with a simple push release feature, these mounts are ideal for recessed applications in a wide range of vertical markets. Reusable custom wall plate spacers eliminate all the guesswork and calculations from mount positioning.

Let’s take this outside Peerless-AV’s Xtreme Outdoor Displays are enabling installers to take their business into

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KOP547-XTR-3-EUK Triple display outdoor kiosk

07/08/2015 17:37

UNICOL

Installation Technology Guide - Digital Signage - August 2015

Supporting You

UNICOL looks at Digital Signage behind the screens LED modules to overtake LCD video walls

Unicol’s future retail store concept

It has been more than 10 years since the first large-scale UK digital signage deployment was installed into over 100 Tesco stores. A mixture of 42” and 22” screens were used with an ROI model through advertising revenue. Panasonic supplied the screens and Unicol the mounting structures. Tesco TV was formed in order to broadcast via satellite advertising content to all stores. Unfortunately advertisers did not share Tesco’s expectations and within 5 years the whole installation had been removed. Other stores such as Asda and Woolworth also shelved their plans for deployment. What has happened in the interim is a mixture of good and bad installations, which can be reclassified as ‘well specified and properly budgeted’ against ‘poorly specified and cheap’. Even now you can walk along the high street and see black screens in windows, many are consumer screens positioned in direct sunlight having no chance of success. On a more positive note there are many more displays deployed than ever before in different sizes, orientations and as video walls.

mounting solutions. From its 45,000sq ft factory in Oxford, Unicol imports nothing: it manufactures everything in England. Essentially, its production lines take in sheet metal at one end, processes it by cutting, bending, welding, powder coating, assembling and dispatching: a veritable metal origami, all to BS8590 with the essential trimmings of in-house design and R&D. Geared up for mass production, standard product is manufactured on a just in time basis, with ample stock of popular items ready for dispatch. With flexibility in its modular parts manufacturing, Unicol can readily resolve special requirements for installers with some 65,000 products on the design database. Standard product turnaround sees same day dispatch to 2/4 days delivery, depending on manufacturing needs. For custom designs, the company can move fast too, with turnaround in seven to ten days depending on project size.

What We Do With over 50 years of experience Unicol not only produces standard digital signage and other AV mounts for all applications, it also specialises in custom designs for those installations that are not always as straight forward as they may seem. Expert staff guide customers to achieve their goal by understanding their requirements coupled to a vast amount of installation knowledge. The company is the largest AV mount designer and manufacturer in the UK and boasts being the UK industry standard for display and projector

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Back to back 42” screens & printed 6 sheet posters

Transport Sector Mounting Sectors such as transport expect the highest standards and FIDS (Flight Information Display Systems) perform 24/7 with very few failures. Unicol has provided mounting systems for most of the UK airports, the latest being a 25 x 2 screen suspended video wall for London City Airport. Custom made projects include a 100 screen video wall for Oslo Central Railway Station and custom-made trolleys with screens that can be lowered for storage then electrically raised and deployed in a crisis for London Heathrow T5. These WiFi-enabled mobile units have storage for cabling, CCTV cameras and provide FIDS, TV, & customer information on 5 displays to maximise functionality.

Corporate Sector – LED or LCD Trends in the corporate sector show an increase in video wall installations, especially in HQ buildings but with sub-3mm pitch high-resolution LED now set to compete with LCDs on price, Unicol sees LED overtaking back lit LCDs for indoor video walls in the next 5 years or sooner. LEDs are also brighter, easier to install and outdoor capable, and even the price point for higher resolution panels is coming down. When specifying a project there must be a distinction between LED back or edge lit LCD displays and LED panels/modules as this can become very confusing. Whilst collaboration platforms have been around for a while now, especially in the education sector, Unicol has seen more interest of its fully custom Rhobus Huddle collaboration table in design-led businesses such as consultancy and architecture.

07/08/2015 17:35

UNICOL

Installation Technology Guide - Digital Signage - August 2015

Retail Sector – The ever changing digital space One of the most interesting and fastest moving sectors is retail, with store display designs changing constantly. This offers up mounting challenges, not only in the fluidity of change but also in the numerous building types and structural conditions that many retail stores occupy. Multi channel campaign management is now a top priority for more than a quarter of organisations (1). Digital signage acts as a canvas for unlimited marketing content and catches the attention of 63% of people (2). Benefits include flexible low cost with high impact and 84% of UK retailers say that it creates brand awareness (3). 42% of retail viewers prefer stores with video displays (4). Perceived waiting times are reduced by 35% (5). Half of the top 100 retailers in the USA are testing beacons this year (6). Beacon technology allows digital signage to display personalized messages to customers. Over 60% of buying decisions are made at the point of sale (7). Digital signage can trigger an upswing in sales of almost 32% (8). Sources: 1 – The importance of Multichannel Retail Report by Econsultancy 2 – RichMedia Technologies: Outdoor effectiveness 3 – Samsung UK Retail Digital Signage Survey 4 – VAGlobal: 4 emerging trends digital signage 5 – Lavi field study 6 – Business Insider: The Beacons Report 7 – Advisium: Shopper Marketing Excellence 8 – Source: InfoTrends Fuelled by smart phone success, the technology to engage with customers across all platforms to influence their choice is being deployed in cross channel marketing campaigns. Here are a few statistics: Whilst the hype sounds promising, traditionalists would say digital still has a long way to go to overtake printed advertising. Screen cost is reducing but at what point does the cost of printing a standard 6 sheet poster per annum outstrip the cost of installing and maintaining the equivalent screen size (80”)? Of course as competition in the retail sector is so fierce, all ways of gaining an advantage must be considered and keeping up with the latest technology is a position few can ignore. So what can a mount manufacturer bring to this signage party that is more than a wall or ceiling mount? Well Unicol has taken the video wall to a new level by immersing the customer within a room of displays. Instead of the video wall being glanced at by customers as they walk past to do their shopping why not immerse

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Sliding LFD screens will provide 4K content while LED module video walls will provide the ‘Wow’

the customer within the content! This was the centrepiece of NEC’s 2015 Showcase and called The Cube, effectively a 3D video wall with screens mounted on five of the six surfaces, the sixth face being the entrance. The Cube concept was first floated at ISE 2015 with the introduction of a new free-standing video wall product called Rhobus V-wall with a 3x3 screen array. It was just a matter of extending the V-wall to fit the customer requirements says Unicol. The fully immersive sensory experience put viewers right at the centre of the action, says NEC. Unicol’s range of kiosks add another dimension to the customer experience, both passive and interactive.

Retail – The Future It is more than likely that LED modules will become the first choice over LCD displays for video walls to provide a ‘wow factor’. It is also likely that where high resolution and 4K content is required this will be played on 80” to 110” displays. Retailers will increase their engagement with customers across platforms to deliver a seamless shopping experience.

Roller-Trac gives stores the flexibility of change

So how does this relate to mount design? One of the keys to successful retail has been to change store designs, especially shop windows on a regular basis. When lingerie retailer Boux Avenue asked

Unicol to provide a mounting solution for a variable position 65” screen in their shop windows a track system called Roller-Trac was produced that allows screens to be moved from side to side or backwards and forwards, swivelled and rotated within a shop window environment. This provides shop window dressers flexibility with their dynamic content. This same concept was also used by Hugo Boss to move a 1x3 suspended video wall back from a window for cleaning and maintenance. Similar floor mounted versions have been used to move large video walls and LED panel arrays for the same reason. Taking this further Unicol has looked to Japanese interior design for inspiration. Fusuma are vertical rectangular panels which can slide from side to side to redefine spaces within a room. These are traditionally made of wood and paper but there is no reason why this concept could not be used with large format displays mounted to the Unicol Roller-Trac. Businesses want to see a good ROI from the technology they have bought into so when the store interior needs changing or refurbishment why not simply move the displays to a new position? To help architects and consultants to design stores in this fashion, Unicol designs its products using 3D software and is following the UK Government construction strategy involving the generation and management of digital representations of physical and functional characteristics of places. These 3D designs can be exchanged or networked with clients and it has already unlocked more efficient ways of working at all stages of the project life-cycle. Digital signage is all about technology connecting people together to educate or influence their behaviour. What tends to be forgotten, when your future is in the cloud, is that you need quality, well-engineered mounts to support you. Unicol can add value throughout the project cycle. Talk to us first, says Unicol – you will be surprised how a down to earth conversation is vital for success! n

www.unicol.com

07/08/2015 17:35