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.

 Feb. 21, 2008 Jagadeesh Krishnamurthy

exchange4media- Digital Signage Networks (DSN), an outdoor digital poster company, has brought some interactivity element to its digital screens on their networks by allowing consumers to communicate with the screens through their mobile phones.

Gaurang Shah, Founder & CEO, DSN, believes that convergence with mobile phones is the way forward for the medium, which according to him, would be around Rs 1,000 crore in the next 4-5 years.

Shah stressed that they were “very different from the general OOH players who position themselves as OOH television companies. We are a digital poster company that allows advertisers to use the medium with dynamic digital adverts. We go to a mall or restaurant with a specific purpose in our minds and do not wish to watch television there.”

Talking about the growth of the company since its launch in late 2006, Shah said, “In the initial stages, we targeted youth-centric spots like Café Coffee Day and McDonalds, but now we have broadened it to include more consumption spaces like Lifestyle, Vishal Mega Marts and even railway stations, where people are spending money.”

Noting the possibilities of changing the creatives and communication in real time, Shah believes that another key differentiator with DSN is that they “install screens to enhance the consumer experience”.

Speaking on the interactivity that DSN is bringing on to the medium, Shah cited the activity they had undertaken for a brand at Café Coffee Day outlets where customers could download content displayed on the screens via Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones. DSN also had an activity during Valentine’s Day, wherein the customer could send any picture and have it displayed on the screens installed at the store along with branded content.

Now, DSN is seeking to expand its horizon by converting static ‘street furniture’ to dynamic display mediums.

20. Feb, 2008 By Bill Yackey
Virgin Megastores are hip, trendy and two steps ahead of pop culture. In developing its new wave of in-store promotions, the music retailer has kept up that tradition.
Virgin has been using gesture-based digital signage in-store as a new and different way to attract customers since 2005.
One of the company’s first applications was to promote an album re-release for grunge-rock band Nirvana. The signage featured a projected image of the band’s “Nevermind” album cover on the floor of the store, which showed a baby swimming underwater. As customers walked over the image, the water rippled out from under their feet.
Three years later, the entrance to the tri-level Virgin Megastore in New York City serves as a gateway to thousands of customers daily. Most of them are drawn in by Virgin’s music videos playing on screens or the racks of marked-down Top 40 CDs that seem to spill out of the entranceway.Read Full Article 

Breakthrough retail concept incorporates digital and Internet features to create a uniquely satisfying and interactive customer experience

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Feb. 14, 2008 / PRNewswire / – After more than 18 months of development and testing, Borders will unveil the first of its highly anticipated new concept stores when grand opening festivities kick off Feb. 22 at its new store on Lohr Rd. in Ann Arbor, Mich., the company’s hometown. The 28,900-square-foot concept store—the first of 14 the company expects to open nationwide this year—represents a significant enhancement over existing Borders stores inside and out and fulfills the company’s mission to be a headquarters for knowledge and entertainment.”This is a completely new shopping experience that sets Borders apart from every other store,” said Borders Group Chief Executive Officer George Jones. “We’ve stayed true to what our customers have always loved about Borders—deep and intelligent selection, knowledgeable staff, and a comfortable, welcoming atmosphere. Yet, we’ve brought a fresh new look and an exciting interactive dimension to the store with a Digital Center where customers can do everything from mix and make their own custom CDs, download books and music, publish their own books, explore their family history, and create photo books—all without being computer experts because we have trained people there to help every step of the way,” he said. (more…)

February 14, 2008 NEW YORK - The Sports Museum of America (SmA) today announced that Cisco® has been selected as the exclusive technology-solutions provider for the nation’s first-ever all-sports experience, set to open in New York City in May 2008. This state-of-the-art facility will provide sports fans with a chance to interact with exhibits, memorabilia and artifacts donated by individual athletes, more than 50 partner associations, including Halls of Fame and museums, and private collectors. SmA will also give visitors a glimpse into how the “stadiums of the future” will improve the fan experience through the use of technology and the delivery of exciting new fan services.

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15 Feb 2008 Mass High Tech: Touchscreen maker 3M Touch Systems Inc. reports that it has cut a new deal with Illinois-based Kristel Displays Inc., incorporating its touchscreen technology into Kristel’s interactive digital signs. 3M’s touch technology recognizes touch by interpreting bending waves within the glass substrate created by the contact of a finger or stylus on glass. The company uses the platform in high-traffic applications, such as interactive digital signage, retail point of sale, food-service, hospitality, self-service and mobile handheld environments.

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