TransWorld Media in the U.S. yesterday said it had started rolling out a screen network to independent convenience stores (C-stores) across the country, aiming for 1200 outlets by the end of 2008.

100 installations are already completed in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, with further rollouts due in urban regions including Atlanta, Chicago, Houston and Los Angeles.

When completed the network is expected to achieve 430m views annually. It is the first of a number of networks planned by the company.

“The content is a combination of news, weather, Amber Alerts, educational, entertainment, etcetera, along with paid advertising both local and national,” TransWorld CEO Shams Merchant told SCREENS.tv.

C-stores offer “high-volume, high-walk-in, and densely-populated locations”, said Merchant, adding that for advertisers they are a route to saturating narrowly-defined geographical markets.

Advertisers will be offered one-minute, 15-second and 30-second slots. Sales will be handled by agencies and aggregators, including SeeSaw Networks, said TransWorld. The stores will receive a rental fee for hosting the screens.

The network is based on Real Digital Media’s Neocast software-as-a-service system.

Digital-signage software pioneer Scala this week said it is to acquire Market Information Services, a provider of management software for outdoor advertisers both digital and non-digital.

The acquisition will allow Scala to bolster its existing InfoChannel product with a suite of tools enabling customers to manage large out-of-home networks.

Market Information Services’ main product is Charting Pro (pictured), which includes modules for functions such as inventory management, inventory mapping, advertisement billing, and site maintenance.

A digital-media module allows users to manage multiple media types in one advertising contract, create playlists, sell ads by day-part, and receive proof-of-play reports, among other features. It can create custom Web portals for accessing the information held in Charting Pro.

Also likely to be of interest to those deploying large digital-signage networks is the maintenance module, used for creating single and grouped work orders; communicating with handheld units, and tracking the revenue-generation, maintenance and profitability history of individual sites.

Existing Market Information Services clients include CBS Outdoor, Clear Channel Outdoor, and Magic Media.

Market Information Services has offices in Canada and the U.S., and Scala will create a new subsidiary Scala Canada to take over its operations.

Terms were not disclosed.

ACCORDING TO A RECENT REPORT from the Carmel Group, digital signage is expected to exceed $2.5 billion in revenue by the end of 2010. And D3 LED is getting in on the action. The company just completed its latest project, the redesign of the ABC Ribbon Super Sign in Times Square, to enhance the network’s out-of-home marketing opportunities.

With a projected reach of 1.3 million people daily, it advertises ABC’s clients as well as promo spots for the network. ABC shows include “Dancing With the Stars,” “Desperate Housewives,” “Ugly Betty” and “GMA.” Various ESPN sports shows and Disney feature films and theatricals are also promoted.

The new LED display can show full-motion HD video, ranging from previews of ABC programming to commercials from advertisers. The 3,200-square-foot sign operates 24/7. In addition to its in-house efforts, the network is also approached by companies that want to advertise in Times Square. Others rent its studio and use the signage to showcase an event.

The 3-year-old D3 also produced digital displays in Atlantic City for Harrah and Caesars, and displays in Washington, D.C.’s Gallery Place. D3 has created additional signage for Fox News, Chase and the U.S. Armed Forces.

LAS VEGAS, Feb. 27 /PRNewswire/ — Digital Signage Expo – I.C.G., a leader in wireless digital signage solutions, today announces the industry’s first end-to-end wireless digital signage solution. Sidelining the high cost of hard wires and cumbersome implementation of traditional digital signage, I.C.G. combines their innovative wireless MobileMedia System(TM) and ViFi Adapter(TM) (video over WiFi) to bring a new standard to the industry.

According to industry research, by the year 2009 there will be over one million digital signs in North America. Traditionally, these digital signs require labor- and time-intensive hard-wire connections that are difficult — if not impossible — to implement. These wired connections are needed for the various parts of the signage solution, such as network connectivity, media player and memory storage device, to function correctly. With the North American market on goal to install about 135 million locations over the next 10 years, I.C.G.’s wireless solution redefines the industry standard by eliminating the costs associated with hard-lines.

“For many years, advertising firms have suffered from the inability to wirelessly transmit high quality audio and video to their venues. Furthermore, these same firms have overpaid for hardware, satellite systems and installation services,” said Kevin Howard, CEO of I.C.G. “We have developed a next-generation solution that is the most cost-effective on the market. With our MobileMedia System(TM) combined with the ViFi Adapter(TM), we are proving how wireless technology can revolutionize sales and marketing efforts for businesses of all sizes.”

I.C.G.’s self-contained, turnkey MobileMedia System(TM) eliminates the need for two, three or more unique and disparate components by bundling a 3G/4G wireless network module, a WiFi router, an integrated media player and hard drive. The MobileMedia System(TM) also enables cached content to be streamed over wireless links. The second element in the solution is the ViFi Adapter(TM), which receives the audio and video content over WiFi from the MobileMedia System(TM) and connects via a variety of video outputs to virtually any type of display. Supporting all media and content formats, as well as any Windows or Linux-based content management software, I.C.G.’s solution allows digital information to be multicast to numerous displays simultaneously.

According to Dean Talley, CEO of PlasMedia Productions, “I.C.G.’s innovative solution is the industry’s first true end-to-end solution for wireless digital signage. With annual digital signage advertising spending estimated by analysts to be $14.6BN by 2011, I.C.G.’s plug-and-play, end-to-end solution uniquely positions them to be at the forefront of expansion in this market.”

For product demonstrations and more information, please visit the I.C.G. booth, #877 at Digital Signage Expo 2008 in Las Vegas

SyncMaster 820DXn is Now Shipping and Available

LAS VEGAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Samsung Electronics America, a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Corporation, a world-leading manufacturer of professional LCD and PDP display products, today announced the availability of its largest and most powerful large format display, the SyncMaster 820DXn, designed for corporate and commercial digital signage applications. A selection of Samsung’s large format display portfolio will be on display during the 2008 Digital Signage Expo at the Samsung booth, #213, in the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center from February 27-28.

The SyncMaster 820DXn display delivers exceptional reliability for high-usage digital signage applications, including airports, retail locations and other indoor venues. Featuring a new Digital Information Display (DID) panel designed to lower the temperature of the display, the SyncMaster 820DXn display can support even the most rigorous of commercial applications. By utilizing built-in fans to keep temperatures low, the DID panel ultimately extends the life of the 820DXn display, making it a no-compromise solution in any market where digital signage is needed.

With a built in computer, the 820DXn creates an all in one solution allowing users to drive content to the display without a separate machine. The built in computer features an AMD Athlon64 X2 3400+, 1.8 GHz dual core processor, 4 GB of flash storage memory, 512 MB DDR2 RAM, ATI Chip set with a Win XPe operating system.
(more…)

25 Feb. 2008 FREMONT, Calif. — Dynasign announced a partnership with BlueFire Digital, provider of mobile marketing technologies. The Dynasign screens integrated with BlueFire Digital’s SMS platform and Bluetooth technologies will enable personalized interaction with the audience for enhanced information dissemination, targeted marketing and response tracking.

“The integrated technologies will change the dynamics of digital signage networks by engaging the audiences with on-the-spot interactivities via the popular mobile text messaging and Bluetooth,” said Alex Wang, president of Dynasign.

Dyansign also announced that it has added Alex Richardson, managing director of Selling Machine Partners, as a member of the Dynasign Advisory Board.

“With over two decades of experience, Alex brings a wealth of innovative ideas to our organization,” Wang said. “His guidance and advice will be valuable as we build on our position as a leader in enterprise-level, digital signage content management software and solutions.”

Dynasign is showcasing the text messaging marketing application at the Digital Signage Expo 2008 in Vegas.

Dynasign will also be announcing the release of its Dynasign Desktop, a screensaver-based digital signage application, which will be available Mach 10, 2008. Dynasign Desktop transforms idling desktop computers into dynamic digital signage displays and enables businesses to deploy or expand the digital signage information displays to corporation offices, class rooms, libraries, hospitals and retail stores for unified communications or promotions.

Built on the foundation of Dynasign’s digital signage platform, Dynasign Desktop provides centralized content management for computer screensavers. Dynasign Desktop caries over many popular Dynasign Player features and supports most content formats, such as WMV, Flash and JPG, and Dynasign Templates including news, weather and RSS/XML feeds, text overlays, ticker display and more.

Emeryville, CA (PRWEB) Feb. 24, 2008 — With touch screens becoming de rigueur for the digital signage industry, one standout company, NextWindow, Ltd., the international leader in optical touch screen technology, will feature its interactive displays in partner booths throughout the Digital Signage Expo held on February 27 and 28, 2008 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The expo will feature NextWindow’s 2400 Series Screen Overlays, and 2100 Touch Screen Kits in many exhibitors’ booths, including NEC (Booth #113), Ingram Micro (Booth #369), Electrograph (Booth #469), Scala (Booth #305), Alive Promo, and others.

“We are proud to have our products so well represented at the show,” said Anthony Uhrick, NextWindow’s VP of Sales for North America. “Not only will this allow people to see our touch technology in actual use, but it speaks volumes about the trust our partners put in our products.”

NextWindow’s proprietary optical touch technology 2400 Series Overlay can turn most large monitors (32″+) into an interactive touch screen without tools and without voiding a manufacturer’s warranty. NextWindow also offers a 2100 Touch Screen Kit, which is designed to be incorporated into a client’s custom enclosure; an example of which can be seen in NEC’s booth from display integrator Horizon Technology.

Distributor’s new Consumer Home and Office Solutions division targets digital convergence in the home and office markets.The new division covers consumer electronics, software, networking, digital signage and security products. It will be led by 15-year Ingram veteran, Jacqueline Bergin, and supported by a team of dedicated staff.

In a statement, the distributor said CHOS recognised increasing ties between IT and CE products, as well as growing demand for digital convergence. Ingram pointed to research from US-based Parks Associates which claims that nearly 145 million households would use a data networking solution by 2010.

The boom in digital signage and security had also created a need for a centralised division catering to resellers in that space, the company said.

“The launch of the CHOS division at Ingram Micro will provide a one-stop shop for resellers, for all their consumer electronics, software, networking, digital signage and security needs,” director of product marketing and management, Matt Sanderson, said.

As well as skilled staff and marketing assistance, the distributor has launched a new CHOS portal for resellers providing market information and specific product bundles for the home and office environment. Resellers and vendors would also be able to make use of Ingram’s national retail fulfilment capabilities to break into new channels, the company said in a statement.

Ingram took its first global steps into the consumer digital convergence market with the acquisition of US-based digital home integrator, Avad, for $US120 million in July 2005. At the time, the distributor’s global CEO, Greg Spierkel, told ARN he expected to launch a consumer electronics division in Australia within two years.

Late last year, Ingram also signalled its intention to create a dedicated digital signage division to address increased focus from its vendor partners on that space. The news followed the launch of a similar division in the US.

Visitors to 51 (and counting) bars, pubs and restaurants in Boston, Massachusetts are using their mobile phones to interact with a text- and picture-message-enabled signage system called BarCast.

Launched by a Boston-based company of the same name, the service uses technology from another local company — Aerva — which has previously supplied a text-message version of its software to Digipub, an Irish company that supplies cellular-interaction signage systems for bars in Ireland.

Sanjay Manandhar, Aerva’s chief technology officer, told SCREENS.tv that the technology behind the Digipub project in Ireland, which started life in 2003, has been enhanced for the BarCast network, which has proven very popular with patrons in Boston. Interactive features include picture uploads and voting by text message.

“The service is popular in the Boston area mainly, I think, because of the number of universities here. BarCast users tend to be young people who are used to using their mobiles to interact with each other, so interacting with a signage system to leave messages for other patrons is a natural evolution,” he said.

Rather than offer a complete signage system to clients, Manandhar said that Aerva is a software supplier providing signage companies with a interactive solution they can offer their customers. “We make money from three sources — as do our intermediaries: firstly from the sale of the software, secondly from the ad revenue and thirdly, and most importantly, from a revenue share on the text messages sent from the patron’s mobile,” he said.

Manandhar added that Aerva does not sell advertising, but leaves that task to intermediaries.

“We’re now looking to expand our interactive signage systems to other cities across the U.S.,” he said, adding that the company is also looking for more partners and will be exhibiting at Digital Signage Expo in Las Vegas on 27 and 28 February.

Canada’s Capital Networks Ltd has entered into a joint marketing agreement with CognoVision Solutions - a provider of real-time audience measurement and targeting solutions.

Capital’s ‘Audience’ software is sold to companies in Digital Signage, Cable TV, Education, Coroporate and Medical applications around the world. The agreement will give both company’s clients preferential access to each others products and services, and create a fully integrated signage and audience measure solution.

CognoVision’s Anonymous Impression Metric (AIM) platform utilizes advanced face-detection and tracking technology to determine audience viewership metrics. Integrating AIM with Audience™ will provide audience viewership metrics, and enable the Audience media content to be customized based on audience characteristics.