DS Channel for Malaysian Restaurants

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Be Digital Sdn Bhd, an MSC-status digital signage provider and network manager, has launched TehTarik.TV Channel (TTTV) in more than 12 chains of popular Mamak restaurants in over 40 locations  across the Klang Valley area of Malaysia. TTTV is deployed as an innovative new medium that aims to attract, engage, entertain, inform and influence viewers in a relaxed and easy social setting.
 
Unlike other restaurants, mamak restaurants are culturally significant in Malaysia and derive their name from the owners or operators who are Indian Muslims. They have evolved from the traditional roadside stalls to modern 24/7 restaurants and café-type outlets that are popular hotspots for Malaysians to hang out for a drink, catch up or watch a late-night football game while enjoying a cup of teh tarik.
 
Taking its name from this local beverage, TehTarik.TV engages audiences with a distinctive flavour, charm and identity.
 
“We wanted a different digital signage network – one that’s engaging, useful and fun to watch,” said Mr. Ahmed Balfaqih, Technology Director of Be Digital. “We did not want it to be like other digital signage networks where the traffic or content comes only from one direction, that is, from the owners to the audience. We wanted TehTarik.TV’s audience to participate and engage in the content creation.”
 
The network is designed with two particularly unique features: the first feature highlights a fusion of web, mobile and digital signage tools into one platform, which allows a free flow of content among them. This combined platform enables designers from Be Digital to create content using Scala and other software, as well as create a base for bloggers and forum members to discuss specific subjects. The dynamic integration also allows audiences to participate through short message services (SMS) in various contests or through advertising of products and services. Tehtarik.TV integrates with a Web portal, which enables viewers to check content shown in the screens or to follow up on their SMS interaction online.
 
The second feature highlights the content aggregation and creation that comes from all sources, including the web, databases and the audience themselves. TehTarik.TV plays diversified rich-media content that ranges from daily news, advertisements, community messages, informative trivia, entertaining video clips, forums and blog submissions to real-time short message services. The content is updated with live daily RSS newsfeeds from The Star, Malaysia’s leading English-language publication. TehTarik.TV also acts as a digital menu board for some mamak restaurants. The flexibility of the system enables restaurant owners to adjust pricing or food offers immediately, driving better sales by adapting the menu content to suit different customer demographics at different times of the day.
 
Be Digital chose Scala as the tool for TehTarik.TV because it was a highly content-driven network, and Scala’s technology provided a solution with extensive built-in scripting capabilities and support for other scripting languages that allowed the programmers to customise it for specific use.
 
The playlist compiles content into a series of diversified categories to provide audiences more interesting information and keep their attention on the screens. The only content repeated is advertisements. Various types of content can be refreshed and updated on an hourly, daily, weekly or monthly basis.
 
“We are running this network in more than 10 different chains of mamak restaurants. We wanted to avoid repeating the process of broadcasting common content, while at the same time we did not want to make mistakes by sending the wrong menu to the wrong chain. Scala Content Manager allows us to create one Master Playlist containing nested sub-playlists with conditions and scheduled parameters attached to each element within a playlist, and this saves us hours of work on a weekly basis,” comments Mr. Balfaqih.
 
TehTarik.TV is owned and managed by Be Digital with support from Click Grafix Sdn Bhd, the authorized distributor and certified partner of Scala for South East Asia.