right here - Canadian Imaging Blog - Vistek

18
location digital signage networks, you
need software that can remotely and
automatically deliver and manage content,
which is what more sophisticated
products from digital signage software
specialists do.
“We offer a solution,” Nalli says of
Samsung’s MagicInfo Pro software. “But
at the same time, we offer customers a
way to work tightly with a third-party [software
provider]. We don’t want to own the
market. We want to offer choice.”
ViewSonic’s Ornstead says the same.
“We want to be agnostic to the marketplace,”
he says. “We want to provide the
best possible solution to the customer.
There are a lot of software solutions on
the market by companies that specialize
in this. We do not want to claim to be
experts in this area. We want to be
experts in the display area.”
Software-Centric
Ecosystems?
“It’s a tricky ecosystem,” Samsung’s Nalli
says when we ask which of the main
players involved, hardware vendors, AV
integrators, software providers, typically
brings in new business and takes the
lead on digital signage projects. “The
answer is, honestly, it can come from all
different directions.”
The reason this is true, to the extent that
it is true, is that digital signage projects can
originate or be sparked in different parts of
an end user organization: IT in some
cases, marketing, advertising, retail, even
HR or facilities management. The type of
vendor they approach first, Nalli says, is
conditioned by the kinds of companies
they already do business with.
Ornstead agrees that the starting
points for digital signage projects vary.
End customers do still approach
ViewSonic directly, though, he says.
“In many cases, they’re confused
about what they should buy, where they
should look. Even though this market has
gotten a lot simpler in the last year and a
half or two years, with cost reductions on
big displays and the software a lot easier
to use. At the same time, we still get a lot
of calls from customers who just don’t
know what the best display is, what software
they need, what media player.”
In projects involving ViewSonic’s
ePoster kiosk products, it’s often advertising
firms that are the prime movers,
Ornstead points out. And hardware distributors
such as Ingram Micro, BlueStar
and Tech Data Corp. are also now building
expertise in digital signage, and offering
consultative sales and even installation
services, he adds.
Still, it seems clear the balance of
power has to a large extent shifted from
hardware to software. Although, they
also want to appear “channel friendly,” as
Adflow’s Ruttle puts it, it’s probably more
important now for panel vendors to cultivate
partnerships with software providers
than the other way around.
And the software vendors are increasingly
claiming a pivotal role. “It’s always
Adflow [who takes the lead],” Ruttle says
categorically. “We very seldom hear from
a partner who has an opportunity. If
you’re a company looking for a digital
signage solution, you start looking first at
digital signage software providers.”
AV integrators, he points out, usually
don’t have the national or international
scope to be able to effectively market the
kind of widely dispersed digital signage
networks that Adflow enables.
Not all software providers claim such a
central role, though. Omnivex says inte-
gration partners still bring in a significant
percentage of its business. Calgary, ABbased
Sharp’s Audio Visual has been
particularly successful on Omnivex’s
behalf, partly because Sharp’s hired a
former Omnivex executive to head up its
digital signage group, Collard says.
Omnivex also brings in customers itself,
often from trade show activity. Hardware
vendors are the third most likely type of
vendor to bring in new business, he adds.
iSign, because it’s still leading edge, is
more apt to ride on the coattails of mature
players in the market. It works closely with
one hardware partner in particular, IBM,
maker of the AnyPlace Kiosk, a specialty
all-in-one digital signage product designed
for self-service applications. iSign also
sells through the distributor BlueStar,
which is now offering digital signage-specific
products and services.
First-Level Support
The ecosystem configures itself differently
again after implementation, but also with
little consistency. When we asked who
looks after first-level support and maintenance,
we heard a few different answers.
“I would say the software provider,”
Nalli says. “[Customers] always start
marketing
IF YOUR Y OUR MARKETING IS NOT MEASURABLE, technology
IT’S NOT WORT WORTH WOR TH IT
Cost-effective, Cost Cost-effective,
but cutting-edge. cutting-
- edge. Modern,
but
not
intimidating
intimidating. . At
iSIGN
–
we’re
always looking for something
innovative that provides the ultimate balance
between consumer convenience and marketing strategy. strategy trategy. .
www.isignmedia.com
iSIGN’s proximity marketing
marketing technology can greatly
improve the customer
experience
by
providing
relevant and targeted content, unique engagement
options as
well
as
advertising
and
promotions
before, during and after the sale. It allows today’s today
’s
savvy and technologically-oriented technologically
technologically-oriented
consumer to
interact and transact transact how, , when and where where they
wish to, while
businesses
can
measure their
marketing’s effectiveness at every step of the way. way way.
there. They’re [software providers] the
ones who are responsible for delivery of
content. The second the screen goes
black, the assumption is there’s something
wrong with the delivery system.
Then it may work down to a hardware
issue and we get involved.”
Ornstead says the exact opposite. “We
get a lot of the calls because of our
brand. So if the screen goes dark, we
would get the call.” Again, he says, if the
initial triage points to other issues,
ViewSonic will refer the problem, usually
first to the integrator.
Omnivex’s Collard offers a third answer:
the first level of support is provided by the
company’s resellers, mostly integrators.
“We provide them with training materials
when we’re supplying our software. They
install the screens and the PCs, so they’re
the first-line support.” Omnivex’s own engineering
staff would be the second line.
Digital signage is a huge, fast-growing
and fast-changing market with a complex
ecosystem that is still evolving.
Understanding it in all or even a few of its
permutations will take more than reading
one article. But we’ve at least scratched
the surface here and provided some
avenues for exploration.
The rest is up to you. MN
Adflow Networks has handled a number of digital signage projects for retailers in Canada; from Canadian Tire and OfficeMax, to Jack
Astor’s and WIND Mobile. The company won the 2011 National Sign Competition by Sign Media in the digital signage category for
this setup, which it calls the Telus Brand Forest.
iSIGN turns hardware into a business
intelligence tool. The IMS 3.1 interactive
marketing solution uses Bluetooth
technology to o connect conn nect businesses busine ines with
consumers, creating the ability to:
Attract
» Consumers within close proximity of a
participating business with Bluetooth-enabled
devices will receive an opt-in request - if
they’re nearby, they’ll hear about it.
Transact
» After opt-in, interactive and contextually
relevant messages are sent directly to
consumers’ handheld devices to be viewed -
at moments of maximum influence, to be
redeemed immediately or at a later date.
Measure
» Measure results to create or refine offers
based on real-time demographics, including
what offers are accepted or rejected - in
real-time.
It’s interactive, it’s everywhere,
and it’s coming to your mobile
phone!
ution
turns hardware re into a b
intelligence tool. The IMS 33.1
interactive
solut uses Bluetooth
businesses with
ooth uet luet
business
interactive
nsac
relevant consumers’
opt After
particip ipat
device ces will
they y’re
n
Trransact
» me Consume »
consumers,
Attract
essag
devic devices to be
of
influence,
s
ey’ll
hear ar abou
ransact
opt-in,
, inte teractive e and nd contextually
messages ar re sent directly
consumers’ handheld
request
wi a -in n
nearby, yy,
, they
o
ting busine ness with Bluetoo
will recei eive an opt
close
creatin abilit abil y to
Consumers within close proximity
ng
sines
to o con nnect bus
consumers, creating the o:
ut i
be
- wed vie be
businesses with
o:
mity y of ath
enabled
equest uest - if
ut it.
contextually
directly to
and it’s
phone!
interactive,
’s It
what offers
real-time.
on based
at moments of maximum mum influence,
redeemed redeemed immediately immediately or or at at a a later later date.
date.
Measure
» Measure results to create or refine
offers
on real-time
demographics,
including
offers are accepted
or rejected
- in
real-time.
interactive, it’s
everywhere,
’s coming to your mobile
be to
influence,
phone!
Find
ind out how iSIGN’s marketing solution can help
your business attract new customers, transact more
frequently and measure your
marketing’s effectiveness.
Visit
www.isignmedia.com
ww www
. isi
i gnmedia.
com
oor
r ccall
all
11-877-664-7446
-877
7 -664-7446
to learn more.