We hardly hear about the smaller companies launching their unique and innovative digital signage solutions and this year we want to recognise the quiet achievers. So if you’re a small business, let us know about your digital signage project so we can share this with the rest of the digital signage industry.

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 2 comments |
Post tags: Developers, digital signage network, Digital Signage Solutions, Digital Solutions, Quiet Achievers, Signage Industry, Signage Project, Small Business, Smaller Companies

Already, it is a bit strange to think back just a few years to when digital signage was a far smaller industry. Billboards used to always be solid, painted, and unchanging, and television screens in public areas (such as airports or the hallways at large stadiums) could sometimes only display one message. Now, it is extremely common to see billboards that can change their messages several times per minute (vastly expanding the number of advertisements they can display in a given amount of time), or screens scrolling messages that used to have to be posted one at a time, or one per screen. This is how far the digital signage industry has come just in the last few years, and, again, with the spread of wireless Internet, the industry will continue to grow.

Just like anything else that can use a wireless connection, the absence of cables and physical connections essentially signals a massive increase in speed and convenience. Not so long ago, you had to connect your computer by a cable reaching to a phone jack in the wall in order to access the Internet; now, you need only connect wirelessly to the nearest available network to enjoy high-speed, reliable Internet access. It is the same with the digital signage industry. Advertisers and entertainers are now able to mount television screens and other media display mechanisms just about anywhere they want, and can remotely, wirelessly cause messages to run across them. This is just another way that wireless Internet has improved the clarity, scope, and efficiency with which we do things – and the networks and speeds involved are only getting bigger and faster.

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2011. | Permalink | One comment |
Post tags: Advertisements, Airports, Amount Of Time, Ballgames, Balmat, billboard, Billboards, Cables, digital signage, Ginger, Hallways, Heather, Internet Digital, Massive Increase, Mcdaniels, Physical Connections, Public Areas, Scoreboards, Several Times, Signage Industry, Stadiums, Television Screens, Video Advertisement, Wireless Internet

Advertise Me was one of the many exhibitors at the event which included large companies such as Sharp, Fujitsu and Netcomm. During this exhibition, Advertise Me stood out from their competitors by demonstrating the use of Social Networking tools such as Twitter and Foursquare to communicate real time information on the screen. The setup of their stand was also unique which incorporated the use of a video wall(2×2 47″ FULL High Definition LCD Panasonic screens) to demonstate different applications for digital signage. Here’s the setup:

The digital signage software that was used for delivering and distributing the content to the screens was PADS Professional developed  by a Netherlands based company called Net Display Systems. Net Display Systems has thousands of installations in multiple market sectors from transportation, corporate and government to hospitality and retail.

The PADS Professional software was installed on the Shuttle XS35 – one of the smallest and powerful PC we’ve seen on the market. The unit has an atom processor with an NVIDIA ION graphics chip set and is able to play Full HD videos without any issues. In actual fact,  we played a number of Full HD Videos at the same time and didn’t notice any lag. For convenience, the unit can be mounted on the back of a screen with a Shuttle VESA mounting kit.

The top left hand screen demonstrated the use of Twitter, Foursquare, News and Weather feeds, and the ability to show real time video (USB Camera) as an input source.

The top right hand screen demonstrated the use of Advertise Me’s custom built SMS solution. This digital signage solution enabled visitors to select a music video clip from a list by texting a code to a mobile number. According to the company, this application can be used with any digital signage software that can be connected to the Internet and it’s use can be applied in any industry. Advertise Me also used this solution to distribute the PADS demo key via SMS.

The bottom left hand screen played marketing videos and was also used to demonstrate the PADS software. This allowed Advertise Me to answer and show the user how easy the system is to use.

The bottom right hand screen played an image slideshow demonstrating the use of digital signage in different industries such as hospitality, education, retail and the corporate sector.

Facial recognition, hand and SMS interactivity were some of the innovative technologies being showcase at the exhibition and it is anticipated that businesses will soon adapt to these new technologies in Australia.

Advertise Me would like to thank their sponsors for their help and assistance:

• Net Display Systems
• Shuttle/Altech
• Panasonic
• Visual Sounds
• Squeak.com.au

Here’s a few more photos of the expo:

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Post tags: Chip Set, Darling Harbour Exhibition Center, Darling Harbour Exhibition Centre, Definition Lcd, Digital Signage Software, Digital Signage Solutions, Exhibition Centre Sydney, Exhibitors, Facial Recognition, Fujitsu, Input Source, Interactive Solution, Interactivity, Ion Graphics, Key Technologies, Market Sectors, Mobile Number, Music Video Clip, Netcomm, Networking Tools, Nvidia, Pc Hardware, Possibilities, Professional Software, Signage Industry, Signage Solution, social networking, Social Networks, Sydney Australia, Tradeshow, twitter, Video Usb, video wall, weather

Let me explain. The Beauty are those devices that look very expensive and pleasing to the eye but functionally, the system behind it is useless. It may catch your attention at first but then when you get to know the ins and outs of the device, you’ll just put it to the side and wished you never purchased it. Then you have the Beast, which I classify as devices that look weird, ugly and cheap but is sturdy and the overall system is exactly what you want. So which one are you currently using at the moment?

In the years that I’ve been in the digital signage industry, I’ve seen so many Beauties and Beasts. We constantly receive emails from overseas businesses showcasing their products and to be honest there’s never been one that just stood out. Maybe it could be time for us to start developing our own system.

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2011. | Permalink | No comment |
Post tags: Beasts, Beauties, Beauty And The Beast, Beauty Beast, Beauty Or The Beast, Current Market, Digital Beauty, digital signage, hardware, Ins And Outs, Overseas Businesses, screens, Signage Industry

Selling Hardware/Software

I believe this is an area that the majority of the IT and AV companies are getting into which has now become over saturated and too competitive. With the growing number of digital signage manufacturers and developers, choosing the right solution is also now becoming more difficult. There are too many options available on the market. Each system has it’s own features and issues so choosing the most suitable solution has now become more difficult. I don’t believe there is a one size fits all solution on the market and please don’t try to convince me. I’ve seen and tested quite a number of products, both hardware and software packages and they seem to be either too limited in it’s capabilities or too comprehensive which equates to being too expensive. If you’re starting a business in the digital signage industry, selling hardware and software packages is not where the bulk of the money is unless you started at the early stages of the digital signage boom, or if you became a distributor of a well know digital signage company in your country. I don’t believe resellers make a lot of money just by selling another company’s equipment or software.

Now if you’re thinking of developing your own player then that’s worse. You’re going to struggle selling and and penetrating the market unless your solution is innovative and different from the others.

Maintenance

This is an area or service you would generally offer to clients who are purchasing hardware and software. The only drama is that a large percentage of clients do not think or budget for this particular service. It’s pretty much like selling life insurance to someone who doesn’t want it so if you have a good sales pitch and provide your client with this service then you may be able to earn some yearly revenue. The only catch is to make sure your hardware is reliable so that you don’t have to spend the time, money and resources to replace failed equipment. If its software, you may be able to charge an additional fee for upgrades and maintaining patches etc. I don’t believe there’s much money to earn from this aspect of the digital signage business.

Installations

This involves anything from installing the screen, digital signage player, configuring the software, network, cabling etc. These are one off costs and generally its for paying the labour costs – either charged per hour or per screen. So if your an installer you can make a bit of money from this but it’s not where the big $$$ are.

Content

There’s no point in installing a digital signage system if there’s no content. The saying “Content is KING” can be misinterpreted but in in the digital signage world content is important. There are different types of content e.g video, images, text, RSS feeds, MRSS feeds, news, TV and if you’re a designer, content producer or provider you can make quite a bit of money especially when content needs to be refreshed on a daily or weekly basis.  

Advertising Network

I strongly believe this is where the “secret treasure chest” is. Simply put, an advertising network is a collection of screens and an operator manages the contents on all of these screens. I know most advertising networks struggle in the first few years to make a reasonable profit but once they expand their screen and viewer coverage then they will be able to make a considerable amount of money. Advertisers are always looking at ways of marketing their new products and services and digital out of home advertising is an area that most advertisers are looking at spending their marketing dollars.

Building a advertising network can become costly at first (the operator covers the costs of all of the above areas) but the ROI is high if done well. It will be the most difficult and the most challenging but at the same time it will be the most rewarding.

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2010. | Permalink | No comment |
Post tags: Advertising Network, Boom, Budget, Business Selling, Capabilities, Design Content, Developers, digital signage, Hardware And Software, Hardware Software, Insurance, Maintenance, Maintenance Costs, Marketing Your Product, Options, Product Maintenance, Resellers, Right Solution, Sales Pitch, Selling Life Insurance, Show Me The Money, Signage Company, Signage Industry, Software Packages, Suitable Solution

Harris Digital Signage is looking for an experienced and technical Senior Product Line Manager to manage Harris? Digital Signage solution and products. In this role, you will be a member of a dynamic team with a start-up mentality to innovate and drive the direction of the Harris Digital Signage Solution for Digital-Out-of-Home networks. If you are a highly motivated individual with a proven track record and looking to bring innovative solutions to the market, you don?t want to miss this great opportunity. 

While managing a team of two product managers, gather, prioritize, and document solution requirements and validate value proposition 
Lead cross-functional team in concept development, new product introduction and lifecycle management for Harris? Digital Signage solution 
Communicate and refine solution requirements with development team, and successfully guide product design, implementation, testing, and maintenance. 
Analyze market and business trends, and develop solution requirements and roadmap plans to deliver to future market needs across a variable set of target verticals 
Manage cross-functional relationships for the development of new products – including working with engineering, manufacturing, finance, and operations. 
Participate on relevant standards committees and help to ensure product compliance with industry standards and regulatory requirements 
Accountable for program metrics, including roadmap development, schedule, cost analysis, pricing analysis, product forecasting, product quality, and customer satisfaction 
Present technology, product, and roadmap to key audiences, including customers, partners, and internal groups. 

Qualifications: 
* Undergraduate degree in Business, Computer Science, Engineering, or related technical field. 
* 5+ years of technical Product Management and/or technology marketing experience with 2+ years in a supervisory capacity 
* 5+ years of expereince hiring, managing and developing a great team 
* 5+ years of expereince in delivering products and services in a high growth environment 
* 5+ years of expereince with technical concepts, managing tradeoffs and evaluating opportunistic new ideas with internal and external partners 

Preferred Additional Skills: 
* MBA and/or advanced degree highly desirable 
* Proven analytical and quantitative skills; ability to use hard data and metrics to back up assumptions, recommendations, and drive actions 
* Strengths in problem solving, issue-resolution, ability to work in a deadline-driven work environment, attention to detail, and ability to multitask 
* Ability to work cross-functionally across many internal teams 
* Prior experience in Digital Signage, DOOH is preferred

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 2 comments |
Post tags: Design Implementation, digital signage, Document Solution, Dynamic Team, Functional Relationships, Functional Team, Future Market, Managing A Team, New Product Introduction, Present Technology, Product Compliance, Product Managers, Program Metrics, Proven Track Record, Relevant Standards, Roadmap Plans, Signage Industry, Signage Solution, Solution Requirements, Target

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2010. | Permalink | No comment |
Post tags: Advertising Job, digital signage, good luck, Job Posting, Post Job, Regional Sales Manager, Second Job, Signage Industry

It’s official, after many years of blogging we have decided to open our doors and accept guest bloggers. After some discussions we decided to invite digital signage industry experts from all over the world to help us share their industry experiences and insights with the rest of the digital signage community.
It is an open invitation, however, we are selective on the content.

There are some guidelines that need to be taken into thought when producing each post.
We will NOT be accepting:

• Advertisements about your company
  We will include a short description about who you are and your company but we will not accept a post that is solely focused on advertising your company or your products.
• PRs that get splatted across the internet
  We want unique content so if it’s a PR that has already been submitted on the internet we will not accept it.
• Duplicate blog posts
  Please do not copy and paste content from your current blog, Unique content is what makes the digital signage blog different and we would like to keep it this way
• Posts that indemnify or scrutinise other people or companies
  As the title suggests, this part is pretty much self-explanatory.  Please keep your content professional.

We will be limiting to publish 1 post per guest blogger a week.
We are looking for guest bloggers that have a passion about digital signage and are not purely looking for an avenue to advertise their company – we have a paid advertising section for this! So if you think you fit in this criteria and are interested to become a guest blogger for the digital signage blog then send us an email at info@digitalsignageblog.com with a short description on what you can offer to this blog and we’ll get back to you.

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 11 comments |
Post tags: Advertisements, Advertising Company, Amount Of People, blog, Blogger, Bloggers, Blogging, Copy And Paste, Current, digital signage, Doors, email, Golden Rule, Industry Experience, Industry Experiences, Industry Experts, Industry News, Insights, Internet World, Main Goals, Nbsp, Open Invitation, Passion, Paste Content, Peace And Harmony, Prs, Rule Of Thumb, Share Industry, Short Description, Signage Industry, Spam

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2010. | Permalink | One comment |
Post tags: Challenges, digital signage, Signage Industry

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2010. | Permalink | One comment |
Post tags: Business Signage, Business Solution, Clients Requirements, Digital Proof, digital signage, Happy Customer, Hardware Software, Period Of Time, Professional Services, Proof Of Concept, Select Products, Signage Industry, Signage Solution, Solution Provider

I’m pretty sure that this digital signage TAX will flow through many of our countries and operator or the owners of the screens will be expected to pay the government for having a screen at the front of their store facing the public areas.

So let’s start a poll to see what your responses are.

Are there any countries that are currently paying for digital signage Tax?

Feel free to submit your answer as a comment.

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2010. | Permalink | No comment |
Post tags: advertising, digital signage, Implementations, Italy, Network Operators, poll, Poll Id, Public Areas, Screen Location, Signage Industry

Whichever way you look at it, spending the time and money to develop a great digital signage proposal is one of the best ROI outcomes that your business will see. So were do you start with creating a proposal if you haven’t done one before. Putting together the first digital signage proposal will always be the most difficult but if it’s done right you can re-use this and develop a template to suit your business and your clients. Now, you have to remember that creating a great digital signage sales proposal can be a major difference between your company’s success or failure and this depends on how well you delivered and prepared for the proposal.

When I think about the term proposal, I always think about a document that is supplied to the potential client. However, a video or a sales presentation can also be a proposal so use your imagination and determine the best way to deliver your proposal.

Here are a few tips to get you started with developing your digital signage proposal:

Why Your Business?

You need to distinguish your digital signage business from all other digital signage companies out there. Let your potential client know why your digital signage products or services will be vital to them achieving future goals. Keep in mind that the digital signage industry is growing so there are more companies jumping into this market so you need to be able to provide your clients with something “new” or “different”.

Educate

For those clients who are new to digital signage, you need to educate them about digital signage  and what they can achieve by using this technology. The best way to do this is pretend that you’re talking to a little kid and avoid talking in techie terms unless you’re audience has a techie background. The use of flowcharts, diagrams, tables and figures are always helpful with helping people to understand what you’re talking about.

Persuade

Use key words to persuade your client to purchase or take up your services and at the same time be genuine. Avoid using words to force your client to make a decision on the spot and as they may potentially walk out the door. Give them enough time to go through the entire proposal and then follow up.

ROI

Make it clear how your digital signage proposal is going to make their investment worthwhile, and when they should start to see results. Charts and graphs are very useful ways to help convey this, and the more colorful and easily understood, the better. If you do have case studies then talk about these in your proposal and keep highlighting the fact that digital signage is able to increase sales and revenue.

Also detail and breakdown all the associated costs the client will need to pay. There are many other pointers and we would love to hear from most of you.

What information should you include in your proposal?

Feel free to submit your answer as a comment.

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 2 comments |
Post tags: Audience, Background, Charts And Graphs, Current Situation, digital signage, Failure, Goals, Helping People, Imagination, Intents And Purposes, Investment, Key Words, Lead, Leads, Little Kid, New Projects, Proposal, Proposals, Prospects, Reason, Sales Presentation, Sales Presentations, Sales Proposal, Sales Proposals, Signage Business, Signage Companies, Signage Industry, Signage Products, Techie Terms, Theme And Introduction, Time And Money, Video Sales

We recently had the pleasure of working with ArtDuck.com who was able to produce a 3D logo for advertise me. Our typical 2D logo looks like this:

The professional team at ArtDuck.com was able to use their creative juices and delivered the following 3D logo (what a transformation):

About ArtDucks.com

ArtDuck Studios is at the heart and centrally located for European excellence in creative services and a leader in 3D animation and visual effects production services. The company was founded in 2003 in Warsaw, Poland by Wojciech Chylinski with a passion for visualizing designs in 3D. The focus of the company has been high-quality with reliable and accurate production and delivery of 3D renderings and animation for TV and film, cinema movies, architects, real estate development, advertising agencies, aviation and commercials. ArtDuck Studios also produces 3D special effects for TV and cinema movies, post production and photorealistic product visualization.

ArtDuck Studios work and production methods can be described as cutting-edge. The constant dedication of ArtDuck Studios’s highly trained specialists is to provide the most detailed and photorealistic virtual environments possible with the latest technologies. 3D animation, visualization and simulation are an exciting frontier with applications and opportunities in every industry imaginable. ArtDuck Studios has the outstanding ability to bring to life your ideas, concepts and projects that will stun your audience with excellent imagery that will make a lasting impression. Further value is added by professional project management. ArtDuck Studios understands the intricacies of design and the full development process. They guarantee a no-nonsense and efficient project delivery on time and within budget. ArtDuck Studios dedication to top notch quality of work and customer satisfaction has earned our studio a place among the premiere studios in Europe and North America.

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 2 comments |
Post tags: 3d Animation, 3d Glasses, 3d Logo, 3d Modelling, 3d Renderings, 3d Screens, 3d Technology, Accurate Production, advertise, advertising agencies, Animation Movies, Creative Juices, Creative Services, digital signage, European Excellence, Film Cinema, Logos, Pleasure, Poll Id, Product Visualization, Professional Team, screens, Signage Industry, Special Effects, Transformation, Virtual Environments, Visual Effects Production, Warsaw Poland

What are the main reasons behind this and which industry does digital signage fit in?

In this particular post I will attempt to explore these areas and hopefully others can follow and join me with sharing their thoughts and ideas on this particular topic.

Let’s firstly look at the roles and responsibilities of both industries:

The IT industry

Generally speaking, when someone uses the term IT (Information Technology), the first thing that comes to their mind is computers – basically this is what the majority of digital signage players are (embedded computers, laptops, desktops, Macs etc). One thing that needs to be clarified is that IT encompasses much more than computers, it covers broader areas such as software development, desktop management, server management (Windows, Linux, Mac, etc), network infrastructure, security and helpdesk support. All of these areas form the basic foundation of the IT backbone and digital signage is one of those technologies which have a great dependency on the IT framework. The design, stability of the overall IT infrastructure needs to work in order for the digital signage network to also be reliable and efficient.

Let’s look at a few of these areas starting with Network infrastructure. The network infrastructure covers equipment such as Routers, Switchers and Firewalls which allows information to transverse between computers and devices. From my shallow understanding and for simplicity purposes, switches are used to connect Local Area Networks and routers are devices which connect Wide Area Networks together or allow connectivity to the Internet. In most cases, digital signage networks will span across multiple WANs and LANs and is used to monitor, manage and schedule content to disperse sites. Firewalls are used to prevent unauthorized access to the network. These devices have access control lists which define who can connect to the network and what they can connect to.

Here’s a quick example of a typical digital signage network:

One of the most critical factors for having an efficient network is speed and bandwidth between end to end devices. This means that when deploying your digital signage solution you must analyse the requirements and determine what the minimum speed your network must support. If you’re looking at streaming your high resolution content to the digital signage players from your head office, I would suggest that you subscribe to the fastest speed available in your country – obviously all this comes with a price but you can leverage this by using additional services like VoIP, CCTV, wireless hotspots etc. If you’re a techie, you may consider implementing Quality of Service on your network especially if you’re streaming your content. This will allow you to prioritise and reserve enough bandwidth on your network so there are no streaming delays.

Let’s move on and talk about the Software component. No matter which type of solution you’re using, you’re definitely going to use a piece of software that a company has developed. The programming language and technology used to develop this software will vary but what is common between all the digital signage software tools is the ability for someone to manage and schedule content. From experience, there are quite a number of software tools out in the market and when determining which piece of software is best suited to your requirements ask yourself these questions:

1. What operating system will I be using? (Windows XP, Windows Embedded, Linux, Mac OS)
2. What are the minimum hardware requirements? (Memory, CPU, Video Card)
3. What features do I need e.g ability to support RSS feeds, Live TV, streaming video, display websites etc?
4. How much budget do I have?
5. Is there a cost for additional support and maintenance?
6. What is the frequency of software patches?
7. Can I easily obtain support from the company?
8. How intuitive is the system?

When dealing with the software company, make sure that they are able to provide you with the necessary support in the event a bug is found. You don’t want to wait around for a year for the software company to resolve the issue.

Let’s keep moving forward and talk about the digital signage hardware -indeed these can range from computers to laptops or from small embedded devices to high end servers. The current trend that I’ve seen when using digital signage players is that they are becoming smaller and more environmentally friendly. Here’s another set of questions you should ask yourself before making that final purchasing decision:

1. What technical specs do I require in order to run the digital signage software? (Operating System, Hardware requirements)
2. What types of video ports do I need to connect to my screen? (e.g S-Video, VGA, DVI, HDMI, Composite, Component)
3. What screen resolution will I be outputting to the screen?
4. How long is the warranty and what does it cover?
5. Does the hardware need to be mounted behind the screens or are they going into a rack?

So there you have it, that’s a brief summary of the IT industry.

The Audio Visual Industry

This industry has been around longer than the IT industry. Since the early days of the black and white televisions, the industry has grown exponentially. This industry is all about what we see and what we hear – its about tweaking and refining two of our sense (visual and audio). The visual component has now evolved to also provide the viewer with a means to interact with the medium by using technology such as touch screens.

Typically, the audio equipment consists of speakers, audio input devices (CD player, audio from a DVD player, digital signage, mobile phones) and an AMP (to amplify the audio). When installing any audio system you should consider the following:

• What will be the audio input device?
• What are the speaker requirements? 1 or 2 channels?
• How will the speakers be connected to the audio input device?
• Is an amplifier required?
• Is a zone control device required? (this is a device to switch audio to speakers located in different zones/areas).
• What type of wiring will be used? Avoid installing power cabling, audio and network cabling together as this may introduce noise
• Speaker layout – determine the best locations for installing speakers whether on the ceiling or against the wall

It is human nature to be attracted to beautiful and appealing images and the medium which presents these images must be able to leverage this requirement. There are various types of screen technologies in the current market and this includes, LCD, Plasma, LED, DID, projectors, touch screens and even steam. Generally the bigger the screens and the better the quality, the more expensive it gets. The only limitation we’ve come across is that the screen is only capable of display the resolution the player or connected device is outputting. This was talked about in a previous post called Screen Dilemma. When thinking about installing the screen, location is very important. We talked about this in previous post called Digital Signage: Location, Location, Location. Basically, the screen is more profitable when there are more people looking at the screen.

Before purchasing a display screen, you should consider the following:

• What types of video connectors does the digital signage support and does the screen support this? (e.g S-Video, VGA, DVI, HDMI, Composite, Component)
• What screen orientation do I need? (landscape or portrait)
• What screen resolution will I be outputting from the player and will the screen support this? NOTE: We have noticed that some residential screens do not support some of the screen resolutions we needed.
• What is the warranty period?
• Do I require speakers? (Some commercial screens do not come with speakers)
• Do I require the user to interact with the screen? (Touchscreen, sensors)
• Do I require power management features?
• Will the screen be installed in outdoor or indoor purposes?
• Will I need enclosures to protect the screen?

Avoid using residential screens and purchase commercial grade screens as these are designed for retail and commercial environments.

There are probably more points to consider and I look forward to hearing from all the visual and audio experts out there.

Digital Content

The majority of content that is produced will be created and edited by a computer. Also the application used to create or edit the content must have been developed by a computer to digitise the little bits (1’s and 0’s). In this day and age, everything is heading toward the digital world. Images, audio and video are now all in a digital format and this makes it easy for the content to be used for any digital signage installation. Having grown and seen these technological changes has been amazing. I still recall the days when scanners were first introduced in the market, and converting an image or document to a digital format was like pulling a rabbit out a hat – it was magic. And now, digital signage is riding this wave. The benefits of using digital signage are obvious and when the content can be easily supplied, created and moved across to different mediums.

There are several common tools used in the industry to create the digital content and these are:

• ASV4You – very affordable and easy to use tools for video, audio and image editing and for converting to different formats. We’ve actually used this software for most of our video and image editing.
  “Register once and work with AVS4YOU Package which includes 28 audio& video software. AVS4YOU Software are designed to meet your most various tasks: Convert between all key audio and video formats; Rip DVDs and videos; Edit home video and audio quickly; Apply effects, text and transitions to video and audio; Create video-DVDs with menus; Burn DVD/CD/Blu Ray; Copy videos to portables like iPod, iPhone, PSP, Zen, PS3, Xbox, Archos, phones, DVD/MPEG-4 players and portable media playes. All key video and audio formats are supported: HD Video (inc. AVCHD, MPEG-2 HD and WMV-HD), TOD, MOD, M2TS, AVI (DivX, XviD, etc.), MP4 (inc. Sony PSP and Apple iPod), WMV, 3GP, QuickTime (MOV, QT), SWF, DVD, VOB, VRO, MPEG 1, 2, 4, H.263, H.264, Real Video, DVR-MS, MKV, FLV; MP3, WAV, WMA, OGG, AAC, Vorbis, MP2, VOX, AAC, M4A, AMR and others. Subscribe to AVS4YOU Package for $59/lifetime and get All-In-One Software Bundle.”
  It’s actually very affordable and they currently having a special on the Unlimited Subscription which you’ll be entitled to install all of their software package. Awesome bargain- order the Unlimited Subscription here: AVS4You Software

• Adobe Flash – create fancy animations
• Adobe Photoshop – create professional images
• 3D Max – create 3D animations
• Adobe Premier – used for video editing and productions

There’s quite a number of image and video editing application on the market and there are also some which may be open source as well – so before spending your hard earn dollars, I would recommend you test the open source applications first.

Project management

Both of these industries require the professional to be skilled in project management. To ensure the successful completion of either an IT or Audio Visual project, there are several tasks that is required from the professional. One of them is to have strong communication and writing skills but most importantly is being able to plan and assign tasks to your relevant resources. If the install is not planned correctly, it could potentially lead to scope creep.

Digital Signage

So after all that, which category should or does Digital Signage fall under… actually the way I see it, it covers both the IT and AV Industry. I don’t believe there is clear answer to this question but I’m more than happy to listen to your comments and maybe there is an answer out there.

The digital signage industry is a cut throat industry and people getting into the industry needs to be aware of all the areas that were covered above. Because of the scope and complexity of the digital signage industry, it is often best to partner with reliable and professional businesses – this is crucial if you want your business to survive and succeed. Good luck to those who are just starting out in this industry.

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 2 comments |
Post tags: Audio Visual Equipment, Backbone, Basic Foundation, Convergence, Convergence Technology, Desktop Management, Development Desktop, digital signage network, digital signage networks, Etc Network, Firewalls, Infancy, Information technology, Information Technology Network, Infrastructure Security, Local Area Networks, Management Server, Network Infrastructure, Roles And Responsibilities, Server Management, Signage Industry, Simplicity, Software Development, Switchers, Thoughts And Ideas, Transverse, Wide Area Networks

advertise me has used, tested and rolled out quite a number of players and so far each of them has their own pros and cons. I personally don’t believe there is one player that is much better than the other as it all depends on the requirements we have. For example, patching a digital signage player should be something that the end user or the integrator should be able to easily perform but for one vendor this is not the case. The vendor will actually need to remotely login to the system and perform the changes themselves. Now if you have 100 different clients how can you manage this process? Other players we’ve tested allows you to easily install a firmware patch which the end user can perform,  this way it eliminates the need for the vendor or even the integrator to be involved.

As another example, why would companies still manufacturer players with S-Video or RCA connectors when you know that the quality is poor? Could it all come down to cost rather than quality?

Also, each player was uniquely designed to be different and these features makes the player stand out from the others. Whether it’s hardware or software, designing the perfect player would take forever. No company out there would have the R&D budget to do this.

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Post tags: Amp, Budget, digital signage player, Integrator, Perception, Professional Career, Pros And Cons, Rca Connectors, Signage Industry, Word Perfect

	High Definition Set Top Box and DVD player. Both were connected to a rear projector screen.
	S-video cable – this is becoming almost obsolete but you’ll be surprised on how many digital signage players are actually using this type of connectors
	Short VGA cable – at Advertise Me, we like to make sure all cables are to the correct lengths

I also took several photos of a vegetarian place I went to called Zen Oasis in Berrima Australia. We have a strong belief in our company that “a healthy body and mind allows one to achieve higher levels of growth”. The food was awesome and the environment was tranquil and peaceful. If you’re around that area, I highly recommend that you visit this place (make sure you book in advance as it’s always busy). Here’s a few photos that I took:  (by the way, I’ve had no lessons on photography so apologies if they look amateur).

	As soon as you walk into the restaurant you are greeted by this statue. For this particular photo I thought it would look good if the focus was on the flowers and this was the result.
	This is an all you can eat (just make sure you don’t waste the food) and there was so much variety. Yum… can’t wait to go there again.
	I think this is an “Awesome” shot. There is a stage with a piano surrounded by an aura of stillness.
	This picture was outside the Zen oasis restaurant that showcases a big tree with a wishing well.

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Post tags: Apologies, Berrima, Cables, digital signage, Digital Slr Camera, Dvd Player, High Definition Set Top Box, Nikon Camera, Nikon D60, Nikon Digital, Nikon Slr, Oasis, Oasis Restaurant, Rear Projector Screen, S Video Cable, Showcases, Signage Industry, Stillness, Strong Belief, Surroundings, Vegetarian Place, Vga Cable, Yum, Zen

To read more interviews click here: http://www.digitalsignageblog.com/category/digital-signage-interview/

About Blue Pony?

Blue Pony is a premier digital content provider for limitless applications who produces custom as well as stock content.

About Advertise Me:

Advertise Me is a privately owned Australian company specialising in all aspects of digital signage solutions.

Our team of highly skilled professionals is able to introduce innovative ways for businesses to communicate with their intended audiences for a variety of purposes including informing, educating, entertaining and selling.

You can expect us to:

• offer the most affordable and cost effective solutions tailored to your specific business needs.
• provide you with concise and accurate information and will ensure that you understand and are comfortable with our proposals.
• strive to make our clients happy and successful.

We have partnered with a number of key reputable organisations and will continue to build further partnerships to deliver the most effective solutions for our customers.

Visit our website at www.advertiseme.com.au for more information.

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Post tags: advertise, Alvin And The Chimpmunks, America S Got Talent, American Idol, Apollo Design, Beloved Horse, Blue Pony, Content Creation Company, Custom Content, digital signage, Digital Trend, Gobo, Greatest Technology, Interviews, Lighting Accessories, Lighting Entertainment, Logo Animation, Natural Fit, Sara Mclachlan, Signage Industries, Signage Industry, Sister Company

Source of the image: http://www.jsonline.com/comics/32402404.html?feature_id=Blondie&feature_date=2009-08-25

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Post tags: Amp, Comic Industry, Comic Series, Comics, Couple Of Days, Dean, Dean Young, digital signage, Html Feature, John Marshall, Jsonline, Signage Industry

This week we had the opportunity to turn the tables around and interview Ronni, the CEO of the Minicom Digital Signage Division:

To read more interviews click here: http://www.digitalsignageblog.com/category/digital-signage-interview/

About Minicom

World leader in “last mile” connectivity – Flawless transmission of audio, video and serial signals has enabled Minicom Digital Signage to become the leader in the production of advanced multimedia distribution and extension solutions for the digital signage marketplace. The digital signage industry has come to rely on Minicom‘s CAT5 and optical fiber-based hardware systems to deliver high resolution, high performance multimedia content. Today over 50% of all “last mile” deployments worldwide depend on Minicom technology.

About Advertise Me:

Advertise Me is a privately owned Australian company specialising in all aspects of digital signage solutions.

Our team of highly skilled professionals is able to introduce innovative ways for businesses to communicate with their intended audiences for a variety of purposes including informing, educating, entertaining and selling.

You can expect us to:

• offer the most affordable and cost effective solutions tailored to your specific business needs.
• provide you with concise and accurate information and will ensure that you understand and are comfortable with our proposals.
• strive to make our clients happy and successful.

We have partnered with a number of key reputable organisations and will continue to build further partnerships to deliver the most effective solutions for our customers.

Visit our website at www.advertiseme.com.au for more information.

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Post tags: Busy Schedule, Caption, Ceo, Communication Solutions, Content Distribution, digital signage, ds vision, Educational Solutions, Elevator Pitch, environmentally friendly, Format Plotter, Google, Google Google, Half Year, Hard Man, Innovative Technology, Inspiration, Integrators, Interviews, Minicom, Signage Industry, Start Something, Video Signals

We are a group of technology enthusiasts who are passionate with the uses of gadgets and nifty pieces of equipment.
When digital signage came into our picture, we got excited and decided to take it for a ride. In fact, with the tremendous popular rise of digital signage and its applications everyday, it has now become part of our profession.

Our first success was Advertise Me, an established digital signage company in Australia.
Through establishing many clients and partners, we created the Digital Signage Portal.
And if that wasn’t enough, we decided what the heck – let’s blog about it!

So what is this Blog about?

We have been operating in the digital signage industry since its birth in Australia, and have come across many experiences in this line of business.

Apart from working, we also obtain many useful sources of news and information that we think would be beneficial to the digital signage community.

So where else would we collaborate all our experiences and news? Right here of course!

Contributors

There are currently several contributors to the digital signage blog.

From time to time we like to invite others to write something or submit a topic to us, and we will post it on the blog.
Having said that, if you would like to share a post with us, feel free to send it to info@digitalsignageblog.com.

Don’t forget …

To visit our Digital Signage Portal to interact with the digital signage community from around the world or visit the Digital Signage Articles for a mix of different digital signage articles from around the world.

Now if you’re looking to exchange links visit the Digital Signage Experts.

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Post tags: australia, blog, digital signage, Experiences, Gadgets, Line Of Business, Profession, Signage Company, Signage Industry, Technology Enthusiasts, What The Heck

This new product is being called “Project Natal” and is basically a sensor for the Xbox 360 which tracks movement, listens and executes commands from the console… don’t know what I’m refeering to? then watch this trailer from Youtube:

If you’re from the digital signage industry you’re thinking to yourself “The future of Digital Signage interaction?”. If you’re like me, when something catches your attention you start brainstorming on how this can be applied to the digital signage industry.  If I was working for Microsoft I would recommend and provide directions to the management team to push this product out to businesses to use as a digital signage console…. and not just a gaming console. Let’s think about this, most digital signage players out there in the market are using desktop PC’s, embedded PCs or some form of a PC – fundamentally that’s what the Xbox 360 is – and soon it will have a sensor. In my eyes,  I can potentially see this used as a digital signage player and not just a gaming console.

In the past, many top digital signage gurus predicted that the next “big thing” in digital signage was going to be interaction and guess what…. they were right.

Lets imagine this scenario:

• You walk into a clothing store and you’re having trouble picking a dress for the night out with the girls.
• Now like in the example in the trailer, you walk up to the dsx (digital signage xbox) and you contact your best friend to get advice on which dress you should wear.
• In the application, you have the virtual product catalog of all the dresses available in the store.
• The application takes a picture of you (measuring your body size, height etc) and you start trying out the different dresses (virtually).
• Along the way you and your friend discuss whether the dress is suitable or not.
• When you found some of the dresses both of you like  you add it to you’re favourite list.
• You then press the “TRY” button or say “Let me try these” and the shop assistant brings in the dresses for you to try.
• All the transactions and  information end up being recorded online so that the next time you visit a store that has the dsx you can retrieve this previous information.

This is one of the many applications I can see working for the digital signage industry and I can’t wait till we trial one of these units.

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 3 comments |
Post tags: Best Friend, Clothing Store, Desktop Pc, Different Dress, digital signage player, Directions, Dresses, Dsx, Gurus, interaction, Management Team, microsoft, Microsoft Xbox, Motion Sensor, Night Girls, Signage Industry, Virtual Product Catalog, Wii, Xbox, Xbox 360, Youtube

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 2 comments |
Post tags: blog, digital signage, Poll Id, Signage Industry