Digital Signage Controllers and SMS Video Interactivity

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Neil O'Sullivan spoke to Jeff Hastings, CEO, BrightSign.
 
DSE: What do you see as being the true purpose of digital signage?
 
JEFF HASTINGS: We see digital signage as the best way for businesses, brands, agencies and organisations to communicate with their target audiences effectively and efficiently. From retail communicating promotions to museums educating and inspiring visitors, digital signage supports it all and keeps the content/messaging fresh and relevant with ease. Where once printed signs communicated to us, we now see digital signs not only taking their place but also reaching beyond in ways not possible before – such as setting a mood or atmosphere to encouraging interactivity and engaging the audience.
 


DSE: Have digital signage manufacturers been effective in communicating this message to end users?
 

JH: In retail and many other sectors the discussion has moved from whether to use digital signage to how to implement it affordably, reliably and with ease. The potential of digital signage applications and our business is continuing to ramp up and we expect to see this for many years to come. We have seen that our customers are growing with us – moving from simple looping video playback to implementing more advanced digital sign applications. These include interactivity, using RFID, touchscreens, motion sensors, etc. to engage, educate and gather feedback from audiences. They also include controls; control features can be used to trigger lighting, audio playback and initiate operation of other devices. And there is synchronization; building multi-screen video walls to create unique and eye-catching displays is a continuing trend in all industries.
 
DSE: What are the limitations of digital signage?
 
JH: Portability or signage on the go has probably been the biggest limitation. The ability to place digital signage where it is most needed today and then place it somewhere else tomorrow. However, we are addressing this with our new portable tabletop digital signage solution. This requires no wiring or plugs so that it can be placed directly next to merchandise for targeted promotions. It runs for over 12 hours on rechargeable batteries and content can be updated over a wireless network.
 
DSE: To date, have people really been thinking creatively enough about digital signage applications?
 
JH: We see new and creative applications on all the time. A customer recently developed an iPad application to control content playback and remotely interact with digital signs. Another customer who runs a nightclub implemented a solution that allows digital signs to accept text messages which allows management to post welcome messages to arriving patrons (see the case study).
 
DSE: What are your thoughts on interactivity via mobile phones?
 
JH: We have already seen this as an application for our products, such as in the nightclub case study. We also expect to see our customers implementing this technology in retail where a digital sign gives discounts to customers who text them.
 
DSE: Do you think 3D will become a realistic prospect for digital signage?
 
JH: Yes we do think this is becoming an interesting application for customers to grab attention and impress their audiences with stunning, realistic content. To enable this, we are looking for glasses-free large format 3D displays. They aren’t here yet, but they will come. I think the recently released Nintendo 3DS will establish the viability of this technology on a small screen, and it will then scale rapidly to the point where it can be used for digital signage.
 

 
 
Case Study
 
BrightSign digital signage controllers have been installed in the VIP Room Theatre, one of the most famous Paris nightclubs. The installation features coffee tables with 32” screens set horizontally into the table top. Video clips and playlists are updated remotely over the Internet using the BrightSign Network Manager and users can send messages in real time to each table using standard SMS text messaging.
 
One of France’s leading digital agencies, L’île des Médias, was commissioned by a major champagne company to design the six video tables, adapted to the nightclub environment. The goal was to reinforce the champagne’s exclusive image by showing advertising clips, video from its elite nightclub events and presentations of its VIP suites in Cannes, St Tropez and Paris. To add a further personal touch, the client wanted to show welcome messages alongside the main video zone.
 
L’île des Médias sought a solution which emphasised simplicity. According to managing director Jérôme Hérard: “The simplicity and ease of use of their Network Manager application was behind our decision to select BrightSign. It’s the best merge I know between internet technologies and digital signage.”
 
The resulting implementation of the six table displays consists of a dual zone display, in which video takes up most of the table area, whilst text content is displayed above it. This was achieved using software which allows users to customise their display into zones, and create and run a separate playlist for each zone. In this case a video and image looping playlist was created for one zone and an RSS ticker feed provided the text playlist content for the other zone.
 
As well as table-to-table texting, the solution offers a wealth of future enhancements, such as voting, for example, on which video to show next. Hérard concluded: “The ability to send text messages through a mobile phone and to display them using a BrightSign offers a really cool, simple and smart way to update text content.”