State-of-the-Art Client Solution Showcase Centres

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To provide a more integrated view of its portfolio to clients in an engaging environment, Unisys, an information technologies services and solutions provider, invested in a state-of-the-art client solution showcase centre and cutting edge conference rooms, complete with interactive digital signs, for its Brussels and London satellite offices.
 
To develop and install the one-of-a-kind system, Unisys called upon AVI-SPL, a provider of complete AV systems and equipment, collaboration, and presentation solutions. AVI-SPL Systems Engineer/Project Manager Nathan Ackerman relied on a combination of Crestron solutions for system control and the Xpresenter digital signage platform from X2O Media to run and manage content on the display screens.
 
When clients enter the Unisys’ Brussels or London offices, they are presented with a message or video about the company on a large flat-screen display (103” plasma in Brussels and 65” LCD in London) in the reception area. As they make their way toward the conference rooms, a glass wall allows a glimpse at a series of product information ‘pods’ (six in the Brussels office, four in London) displaying a variety of videos in the solution showcase room, encouraging the client to come in and learn more.
 
When the door to the showcase room is opened, Honeywell motion sensors detect the presence of clients and the sensors communicate with a Crestron control processor, triggering a lighting system to raise the lighting slightly throughout the entire space. As the client approaches a specific pod, a Vaddio in-ceiling IR presence sensor is activated. This intensifies the lighting around the pod and brings a 57” horizontal interactive touch screen display to life. The horizontal screen allows clients to select and play videos, while an adjoining 40” vertical screen displays messages and electronic advertising that can be changed as the client moves through the space, and selects different videos and content to view. A single, directional SoundTube dome speaker is hung above each kiosk to provide audio.
 
 
After a certain period of inactivity at a kiosk, it will automatically be triggered by the Crestron system to go back into a ‘ready’ mode, and the lights will be lowered. The kiosk can be activated again by simply walking up to it. After a second period of inactivity throughout the entire room, the system will go back to ‘sleep’ mode, lowering the lights and resetting itself for the next users.
 
The entire Unisys showcase centre is controlled by two Crestron RACK2 control processors. Interfacing with the control processors is accomplished through one of two Crestron touch panels. The first is a wall-mounted, 6” touch panel in the showcase space itself. This screen is primarily used for turning the system on and off, and for adjusting volume at the individual kiosks. The second touch panel is a much larger, rack-mounted version that allows the user full access to the Crestron system.
 
In Conference
 
Unisys offers three conference rooms in each office: the executive conference room, video conference room, and the client design space. Each room offers two digital signage monitors; the first is a 15” display outside each meeting room that functions as an ‘agenda display,’ showing the meeting title, times, and if desired, the logo of the client. Inside each meeting room is a 40” LCD that plays a branding video, using motion and audio to invite clients inside.
 
Each room is controlled via Crestron control systems and control panels. Once the control panel in a room has been activated, the content on the screen is automatically switched to ‘factoids’, which are designed to generate ideas during meetings and encourage the continuation of brainstorming, while at the same time informing clients as to the other areas where Unisys can be of service.
 
The executive and video conference rooms feature Sure microphones installed in their tables and Sennheiser 16” gooseneck microphones at their podiums for voice lift. ClearOne systems are used for DSP, as well as audio conferencing, with Ashley 70-V audio amplifiers featured in the equipment racks. Window treatments and lighting are both automated through the Crestron system, while distributed audio is achieved through a series of Atlas speakers. Extron pop-ups are installed in the conference tables for data, telephone, audio, and VGA connectivity.
 
The executive conference room features an NEC projector and a Da-Lite tensioned 16:9 motorized screen installed in the ceiling. Instead of a projector, the video conference room offers a 65” LCD monitor for its primary display. Both conference rooms feature a wireless eight-inch Crestron touch panel for control. The client design space is a more simple room with an easily reconfigurable furniture layout. It offers a Sennheiser 16-inch gooseneck microphone for voice lift, NEC smartboard setup, and is controlled via a Crestron wired table-top control panel.
 
The DS Platform
 
The Unisys system required a digital signage platform that could handle interactivity, render dazzling graphics and video, and be easy to update. With these criteria in mind, AVI-SPL based the network on X2O Media’s Xpresenter. Xpresenter is an end-to-end platform designed to streamline the process of creating and managing digital signage content, while delivering good graphics and videos.
 
X2O Media pioneered the concept of ‘smart’ templates while working with some of the biggest names in broadcast television. With smart templates, content on screens can dynamically change based on data changes, such as weather conditions or a specific action, without manual intervention. This cuts the time required to create fresh content and dramatically reduces content management costs.
 
A key challenge of the project was integrating motion sensing so that the targeted content would simultaneously appear on all the interactive screens. Using its RS-232 interface, Xpresenter was able to receive real-time input from the motion sensors, and providefeedback to other interfaces when motion commands were received. This ability to connect to other devices and provide real-time feedback creates a complete, immersive experience.
 
The Brussels and London offices do not have graphic departments on site, so all video and other content had to be created in the company’s U.S. headquarters and managed using Xpresenter on the local players. This was accomplished through custom-built Web control pages, which simplified the company’s requirement to update videos for specific content areas by automating the repetitive steps associated with dayto- day content management. Content is updated both in the US and in the UK via a designated content manager who transfers the content to the X2O servers using the Web control interface, which in turn ‘pushes’ the content to the players selected by the content manager.
 
To develop the graphical interfaces for the digital displays, X2O’s awardwinning creative services team repurposed Unisys’ existing branding elements and original content. One main objective of this project was to allow presentations of Unisys promotional videos for their different business units. The challenge was to create a user interface which would allow a straightforward organisation of this material and an easy way to access it. Based on the layouts provided by Unisys, X2O creative services team and integration team created templates that embodied these graphics, yet provided an interactive interface where users could easily pull up videos from the different business units.
 
Completed in January 2009, Unisys’ digital signage network has proven to be an invaluable tool in educating clients about its solutions. By engaging clients in this interactive experience, the company has seen an increase in understanding and interest in its broader portfolio. Currently, Unisys is looking to expand the network to its corporate headquarters in the U.S.