A fully functional Digital Signage management service that provides the user with the ability to manage, enhance, schedule, and design.

AVNUdigital

Leading supplier of commercial LCD displays for the digital signage industry

Axon Digital Design – Cortex

5 Consumer -Generated Trends That Are Shaping Tomorrow’s Shopping have been identified :

- Responsible shopping: consumers want a socially and environmentally responsible retail ecosystem

- Augmented shopping: consumers value rich and interactive shopping experiences

- Informed shopping: consumers look for relevant, personal information about brands and products

- Facilitated shopping: consumers expect technology to help them choose

- Experience shopping: consumers hope that shopping will become more entertaining

Cost Reduction

Simply put, cloud computing is paid in increments in an as-you-use fashion. As a result, the need for up-front cash to purchase expensive servers is eliminated. For most digital signage networks, “the cloud” method has some overwhelming advantages. Using a SaaS (software as a service) model for digital signage simply allows for lower information technology costs, increased economies of scale, and payment is required on an as-used basis only.

In the absence of a SaaS solution, you and you alone are responsible for purchasing and maintaining servers, housing them securely, and installing and maintaining the software. This alone would often require the full-time efforts of reliable IT personnel–a cost that most would rather expend on the “core competencies” of their business. In addition, when service fees are charged on a metered basis, it means you only pay for what you use, saving you valuable resources in the long run. Finally, cloud computing means you benefit from multi-tenancy. Multi-tenancy is the use of many different applications from multiple clients being used on the same unit of software. Accordingly, efficiency is the name of the game when it comes to cloud computing.

Capacity and Scalability

Similarly, cloud computing allows for scalable network growth. For instance, as your network grows your space on “the cloud” can grow accordingly. Scalable network growth can be crucial for smaller advertising networks to grow on an as-needed basis. For smaller “bootstrap” digital sign networks, a SaaS solution is often crucial for slow growth. As hardware is incrementally added to the cloud, the server usage can be readily enlarged so that throughput under an increased load does not slow or otherwise decrease server efficiency.

Signage companies can store and schedule much more data on “the cloud” than most individual server networks could otherwise. This may seem somewhat obvious, but is vastly important when we start talking copious (I love that word) amounts of HD video that could be housed for deployment to your network. With helpful tools such as file-recognition software and role-based administration, you can also more easily ensure that redundant data is avoided. This again increases efficiency and even more server capacity.

Increase in Innovation

When server updates are not a chief concern of network operations personnel, innovation in other areas can become a primary focus. It’s a simple issue of core competency focus that applies to Adam Smith’s theory of the “Invisible Hand”: “If I focus my time on my core competencies and you focus your time on those things you do best, the community as a whole benefits.”  No longer does the organization have to spend time working on a server, scrambling for updates and working on maintenance. That is taken care of by the cloud managers, allowing for more innovation within your own organization. Keep in mind, this not only applies to innovation, but also to the other workings of your enterprise. Freeing time otherwise spent on digital sign server maintenance to focus on what you do best, will increase your productivity and profits across the board.

Ease of Implementation

Without the need to purchase hardware, software licences or implementation services, a company can get its cloud-computing arrangement off the ground in record time — and for a fraction of the cost of an on-premise solution. A majority of the cost of digital signage servers is the initial purchase and implementation fees. Such fees can often be substantial. Servers, cabling, and implementation of a large server

Security

It may be even more obvious to go over how general security of a network is important in digital signage. However, it may be very important to point out how SaaS can be beneficial in such an instance. For starters, having all the information on the cloud reduces the need for annoying redundant security testing at multiple sites, cutting the overall cost of security testing for passwords, and cracking substantially. Second, having all your data in one central location reduces data leaks and losses. Instead of caching data on various smaller devices, where data control and disk encryption standards often aren’t enough, you can rest more easily with the data on the cloud. Boy, does that sound “big brother” or what? But, in reality, it’s very true.

Redundant server farms for hosting large and small digital signage networks, complete with role-based administrative access will truly provide ease of use for huge and minuscule networks alike, giving more opportunities for growth and expansion for others wishing to start their own digital signage advertising network. Otherwise, they will be consigned to purchasing, managing, and monitoring their own servers–a task that can take time away from other important matters, like expanding the size of the network in general. Who wants to be blamed for slowing network expansion?

article from Deploid

1. Continued emphasis on reaching with digital signage the on-the-go consumer and shopper
2. Built-in features like QR readers make interaction with screens more user-friendly
3. Media strategists focus on uniting consumers and shoppers through a completely digital experience will coincide with the acceleration in accountability resulting in escalating advertising budgets for digital out-of-home
4. Rapid rise in the use of more affordable video walls and higher brightness flat panels up to 3,500 nits
5. Autostereoscopic 3-D without glasses will begin a slow but steady increase as the technology improves
6. Interactivity will become the norm, several unique configurations such as the touch table move into the market.
7. Portable devices will also come into their own, with interactivity between installed networks and both cellphones and tablets
8. Audience analytics will become more commonplace to evaluate the performance of a system.
9. Places where people gather or pass by in numbers,  will monetize their displays through various advertising options.
10. Consolidation and partnerships taking shape in 2012 to help mature the industry into more of a mainstream media.
11. Retailers will continue to refine their one-on-one relationships with consumers through kiosks using digital signage.
12. Special deals through Facebook or Twitter — or using a smartphone to scan a digital sign for coupons or other promotions.
13. Use of digital signage to eliminate printing costs related to in-store advertising and sales, and time loss reacting to market pressures in minutes instead of weeks.
14. Advertising and marketing will adopt the medium to see how it fits into their plans for clients. But they will choose what they need, not the industry as a solution. Many organizations simply don’t need all the bells and whistles that the industry can provide.
15. forcing buyers and end users to question the need and seek alternative forms of engagement that may be cheaper and outside the realm of the industry.
16. customers encouraging advertisers to fully utilize the power of digital billboards.
17. more use of conditional content (based on triggers like the weather, sports scores, stock quotes, etc.), ads integrating RSS feeds and campaigns that truly take advantage of the technology.
18. Network deals, particularly large networks, should step up a notch in this year.
19. Many more deals will come together, several of which may be surprising. Some combinations will be strategic, while others will be born of desperation or convenience.
20. Transformation in the media planning/aggregation/DSP arena, as agencies, networks and advertisers sort out how to face off against the DOOH space.
21. Entry of new players into the digital signage space, even as established players are absorbed or simply disappear.
22. Brands and their agencies are beginning to recognize that the last mile of a multichannel promotional campaign might best be relegated to digital signage networks.
23. Scale attracts big players, media companies, private equity, brands and online powerhouses turn some attention to DOOH.
24. Rapid drive of broader-range environments that are finding that they must “bid, compete” for people’s time and attention.Waiting areas, call centres,support organizations, manufacturing operations, offices.
25. The beginning of industry consolidation in every segment including channel partners.  Too many companies — in every segment — losing money because they have poor process control or the signage area is simply a sideline activity and not part of the company’s main business venture.
26. The weak, undernourished, under committed organizations will be displaced or absorbed by the industry’s most refined and focused companies.
27. The digital signage ecosystem will become even more prevalent as a theme for the industry.
28. Signage overall is becoming much more sophisticated and intelligent. It’s tying into the marketing array more closely and delivering better data to allow more intelligent choices for companies when planning their digital marketing.

see the full article by  Christopher Hall

Η Ειδική Γραμματεία Ψηφιακού Σχεδιασμού του Υπουργείου Ανάπτυξης, Ανταγωνιστικότητας και Ναυτιλίας και η εταιρία «Ψηφιακές Ενισχύσεις ΑΕ» ανακοινώνουν την ένταξη 403 νέων επενδυτικών σχεδίων στη δράση «digi-retail», η οποία αφορά στην αξιοποίηση των νέων τεχνολογιών στον τομέα της λιανικής.

Τα 403 νέα επενδυτικά σχέδια που εντάσσονται, έχουν συνολικό προϋπολογισμό 18,93 εκατ. ευρώ και η συνολική επιχορήγηση που εγκρίθηκε (δημόσια δαπάνη) ανέρχεται σε 11,23 εκατ. ευρώ και προέρχεται από πόρους του ΕΣΠΑ 2007-2013. Ο μέσος προϋπολογισμός των επενδύσεων σε νέες τεχνολογίες ανά εγκεκριμένη αίτηση ανέρχεται σε 46.976 ευρώ και η επιχορήγηση αγγίζει το 60% της επένδυσης. Οι εγκεκριμένες επιχειρήσεις, εφ’ όσον το επιθυμούν, μπορούν με την έναρξη του επενδυτικού τους σχεδίου να λαμβάνουν προκαταβολή ύψους 35% της δημόσιας επιχορήγησης που τους αναλογεί, βάσει όσων προβλέπονται στους Οδηγούς της δράσης.

Τα επενδυτικά σχέδια που έχουν ενταχθεί στη δράση «digi-retail» από τις αρχές Ιουλίου έως σήμερα ανέρχονται σε 667 και έχουν συνολικό προϋπολογισμό 30,7 εκατ. ευρώ. H αξιολόγηση των επενδυτικών σχεδίων ξεκίνησε από τις Περιφέρειες του Επιχειρησιακού Προγράμματος «Ψηφιακή Σύγκλιση» (409 εντάξεις έως σήμερα) και συνεχίστηκε με την Περιφέρεια Αττικής (258 εντάξεις). Στο πλαίσιο της δράσης «digi-retail», βρίσκεται σε πλήρη εξέλιξη και η αξιολόγηση επενδυτικών σχεδίων από ολόκληρη την Ελλάδα και ακολουθούν εντός των επόμενων εβδομάδων πρόσθετες εγκρίσεις επενδυτικών σχεδίων από  τις υπόλοιπες Περιφέρειες.

Η δράση «digi-retail» ενισχύει τις «ψηφιακές επενδύσεις» επιχειρήσεων λιανικής με σκοπό: α) τη βελτίωση της εσωτερικής διαχείρισης και τη μείωση του κόστους λειτουργίας, με αυτοματοποίηση των διαδικασιών διαχείρισης αποθήκης, πωλήσεων, αγορών και β) την ενίσχυση της εξωστρέφειας και την πρόσβαση σε νέα καταναλωτικά κοινά, αξιοποιώντας τις δυνατότητες της τεχνολογίας για την ηλεκτρονική τους προβολή και προώθηση.

Στο πλαίσιο της δράσης «digi-retail» διατίθενται συνολικά πόροι του ΕΣΠΑ 2007-2013 ύψους 100 εκατ. ευρώ, προκειμένου να ενισχυθούν κατά 50% τεχνολογικές επενδύσεις συνολικού ύψους &euro200 εκατ. ευρώ από επιχειρήσεις λιανικής. Η δράση εντάσσεται στο πλαίσιο πολιτικών του Επιχειρησιακού Προγράμματος «Ψηφιακή Σύγκλιση», με τη συνδρομή πόρων όλων των ΠΕΠ και συγχρηματοδοτείται σε ποσοστό 85% από το Ευρωπαϊκό Ταμείο Περιφερειακής Ανάπτυξης και 15% από εθνικούς πόρους.

C-nario, a global provider of digital signage software solutions, recently announced that prestigious Swiss watchmaker Hublot selected C-nario’s digital signage platform, C-nario Messenger, to create a multiscreen synchronized solution for large video walls at Hublot’s stores in Paris, France and New York City.

Following a successful implementation, Hublot plans to deploy video walls driven by C-nario’s software at Hublot’s additional 26 stores worldwide.

The project at Hublot’s store in Paris was conducted by APIA Solutions, a French company specializing in digital media and interactivity in point-of-sale environments. The integrator in New York was Media Services Worldwide, a U.S. provider of design, integration and installation services.

Both video walls, in Paris and New York, display Hublot’s Web TV live streaming, high quality synchronized video clips of Hublot’s watches and brand animations. The displays are centrally managed from Geneva, Switzerland, using C-nario Messenger.

Although located inside the store, the video walls are clearly visible to passers-by, attracting visitors to enter the shop.

At the Paris store, C-nario Messenger runs on two HP Z Workstations powered by Intel Xeon processors. In New York, it runs on a player assembled by Media Services Worldwide that is powered by the Intel Core i7 processor. Both systems include AMD graphic cards.

“The new video walls in our stores help us present our watches in a very attractive way,” Ion Schiau, International Retail Manager, Hublot, said in the announcement. “The high-quality display creates a magnificent atmosphere that is felt throughout the shopping experience.”

Tech giant Cisco has reached a significant milestone in its digital signage expansion, and claimed a top slot in the digital signage market.

Cisco earlier this week announced that it has reached 3,000 customer deployments of its digital signage technology. Cisco also announced that a forthcoming digital signage market report from Frost & Sullivan names Cisco as the worldwide market-share leader in digital signage software.

The digital signage market will increasingly play a critical role in Cisco’s broader strategy around the delivery of pervasive video, as signage will be one of the major endpoints capable of transforming the communication and collaboration experience for consumers and enterprises alike, according to a spokeswoman for the company.

Joining the digital signage market in 2007, Cisco was named the new worldwide market-share leader in digital signage software by Frost & Sullivan in the firm’s forthcoming report, “World Digital Signage Systems Market,” according to the announcement from Cisco.

To date, Cisco digital signage solutions are broadly deployed in 85 countries, with customers across a variety of industries including retail, financial services, hospitality, education, health care and sports and entertainment, among others.

Cisco also announced several additional customers to add to their collection: luxury hotel property JW Marriott; West Texas A&M University; France’s largest banking institution, Crédit Agricole Nord de France; Melbourne International Airport; and the leading provider of integrated electronic communications services in Cyprus, Cyprus Telecommunications Authority.

The NanoLumens product, mounted high above the exhibition hall entrance, will greet visitors as they enter the Digital Signage Expo (DSE) at the Las Vegas Convention Centre.

Richard Cope, CEO of NanoLumens, said the screen, which can be used to wrap columns or follow the contours of a bend, was “as thin as a candy bar, used less energy than a coffeemaker and could be hung from the ceiling like a work of art.”

The company’s president, John Wilson said although NanoLumens was launching the 112” product the company could build the screen in practically any shape or size. He told InAVate that NanoLunmens had provided quotes for many custom solutions including a16ft x 60ft screen.

“We will be shipping in the states by the end of Q1,” he continued. “We have already been approached by around 30 companies across the globe wanting to work with us on the distribution of our product and expect to have availability in other regions by the end of the summer.”

He added that the company had been overwhelmed by the demand for the product. “We didn’t appreciate fully the depth of the market that wanted a product that was both lightweight and energy efficient,” he mused.

The display operates at between 500 and 1,000 nits so is suited to shop window applications where daylight would make some other technologies redundant. Wilson says the company is already talking to advertising agencies regarding this application.

Here is some videos for your viewing pleasure !!

“The WID project has been an incredible journey and it’s such a rewarding feeling to see the final results,” says Sévan Dalkian, president, Float4 interactive, Montreal. “When we started, the building was still in construction and I remember having to wear construction goggles and helmet”.

“The area is now simply stunning and the multi megapixels interactive installations are seamlessly blended within the architecture and bring the whole place to life. What we enjoyed the most out of everything was the friendly atmosphere and the amazing collaboration effort where everyone involved were doing their best for the success of this high tech project. “