Digicom Technology News

Irish Whiskey Collection Store

The Retail Excellence Awards are about celebrating retail stores and promoting best practice in the Irish retail industry. This awards ceremony has become one of the most anticipated and prestigious events on the retail calendar. It has become the benchmark by which the best in retail are judged.

The winners of the National Company of the Year/Industry Leader and Retail Store of the Year were The Loop, Dublin Airport and The Irish Whiskey Collection, Terminal 2 respectively. Within these retail spaces, Digicom were nominated to design and install a digital signage system which comprised of both hardware and software.

David Fitzsimons, Chief Executive of Retail Excellence commented "What Aer Rianta International and specifically The Loop have been doing at Dublin Airport is inspirational. They have reinvented airport shopping not just in Ireland but across the world". Part of their success was the meticulous research they carried out. The DAA do very little without speaking to the customer first. The ideas that they have are researched with their customers after talking to them one on one or in focus groups. Outcomes of the research included installing flat panel screens with digital signage.

There are many features and benefits not offered by static displays and signage that the retail space in Terminal 2 in now experiencing. The dynamic digital signage is grabbing customer's attention and is influencing their purchasing decision right at the point of purchase. It is also eliminating the high cost of creating and distributing print ad campaigns. The digital signage system in place is instant and offers the ability to change promotions immediately for various products or particular customers. Another advantage of the digital displays over static is that the retailers have the potential to earn money with their digital signage network by selling advertising space to their suppliers.

The big challenge to the DAA was how to engage with a new breed of customer that views the airport as a bus stop. Impressively the DAA have delivered on this front having experienced a 30% increase in Irish whiskey sales since the opening of the Irish Whiskey Collection store in T2. Their digital signage system has played a significant role in achieving engagement with customers.

Whether it is intended to build a brand, influence customer behaviour or simply provide information, the dynamic visual experience created by digital signage will ultimately increase sales.

Please click here for more information on the Retail Excellence Awards.

NEC’s Digital Signage Solutions provide a complete bundled product for customers that need a commercial-grade display and computer to source basic content. The V422-PC bundle includes a 42” V422 display and NET-SBC-04 single board computer seamlessly integrated utilizing the expansion slot of the display. This built-in functionality allows for a clean, hidden integration while reducing the bill of materials needed for installation.

• Bundled solution includes 42” NEC V422 and NET-SBC-04 single board computer for simple digital signage
• Full 1080p high-definition resolution provides stunning detail
• Commercial-grade LCD panel and components
• Expanded connectivity with digital loop through
• TileMatrix™ allows you to create video walls up 10 x10
• Ethernet and RS-232 Control and Communication allows for ease in remote monitoring
• NEC’s Content Management Software (CMS), a SaaS web-based digital signage software, is available at no charge

In many cases, digital signage is used as a more dynamic and engaging replacement for traditional printed media. Near Field Communications (NFC), however, stands to level the playing field between the newer, more sophisticated digital signage and the older, more staid print media.

Passive NFC chips can be integrated into printed posters, thereby producing a new form of content called smart media. A simple tap of an NFC-equipped smartphone on any form of smart media can provide the viewer with wireless access to dynamic, interactive and in some cases personalized content. In addition, NFC-enabled smart media can provide the content owner with extensive viewer engagement metrics.

NFC tags also can be used to augment the value of digital signage displays. A tag can be placed next to a digital display. Viewers can get more information about the screen’s content just by tapping on the tag.
NFC represents a big step forward in bridging the gap between traditional and new media. NFC breathes new life into static content and extends the value of new content.

If you require more information on digital signage, please contact Digicom today.

The AvediaPlayer r9200 and AvediaPlayer r9220 feature smaller footprints than previous Exterity HD receivers, with the AvediaPlayer r9200 measuring just 140mm wide by 35mm tall, making it ideal for concealed, behind-screen mounting.

The AvediaPlayer r9220 also features TriplePlay functionality, with a built-in hub providing three additional Ethernet ports that can be used to provide internet access to PCs and VoIP telephone services from a single Ethernet network connection.

Both IPTV receivers have an external USB port that can be used to connect a keyboard and mouse for easier user interaction.

The receivers are compatible with the new Exterity iPhone app that gives users control of channel, volume, language and more using their Apple iPhone or iPad over their organisation’s Wi-Fi Network. Administrators can enjoy fine-grained control over channel display and user access using Exterity’s centralised management applications, as well as standard network access controls and directory services.

Both units include support for a Kensington lock and are compatible with three other optional mounting brackets: an under-desk mount and two behind-screen VESA mounts with a cage that offer additional protection to the units and associated cables for installation in secure accommodation such as hospitals and prisons.

Article from Inavate. More info at Exterity.

Panasonic has launched its 85in professional plasma display, which is brighter, lighter and thinner than previous models, writes Paddy Baker. It also fills a gap in the Panasonic plasma range - between the 103in and 65in models.

As European senior marketing manager Enrique Robledo pointed out, the 65in plasma is becoming a commodity product, while budget restrictions will limit the uptake of the 103in model.

The 85in model, named the TH-85PF12, is the first professional display to feature Panansonic's NeoPDP technology, which will be rolled out across the company's plasma range. This is the result of new material and process technology, as well as refinements to circuit and drive technology.

The Full HD display provides a brighter image with a contrast ratio of 40,000:1 - which cannot be matched by LCD, says Panasonic. The brighter image is said to come from improved phosphor gas purity and a reduced gap between pixels. Colour gradation is also smoother.

Read the full story here

Ever since blue LEDs appeared in the 1990’s, a cascade of development and system evolution has advanced solid state lighting to become a viable and prosperous technology foundation. Today, LED technology is used for general lighting in small and large venues, in the automotive market, and in video displays, roadside signs, and digital signage.

According to Kevin Dowling, Vice President of Innovation for Philips Color Kinetics, the hospitality and retail markets are primary drivers for white light sources, and the broadcast market favors the technology for quality and long-lasting light sources. “Cove and under shelf lighting is driving LED usage because it’s a natural fit for that application,” he adds.

LEDs have come a long way in a short time. Dowling notes that the development of blue LEDs, and the subsequent creation of broadband white light by adding a phosphor coating, occurred in less than 20 years. “The first white LEDs were gray and dismal and there were technology hurdles in how they were driven and controlled,” he says. “In 2000-2004, there was development in improving phosphors and the efficacy of blue LEDs, as well as packages for high power light output. Since 2004, LEDs continue to improve at pace that the industry is astonished by. Efficacy, light output and quality are improving faster than we projected.”

Read the full story here

According to reports released on June 18, 2009 by DisplaySearch, Samsung is currently ranked as the number one supplier in the world digital signage market, with 13 percent and 14.2 percent of total volumes and revenues, respectively.

Samsung demonstrated its growth both in developed and developing countries, with its market share of 17.9 percent in Europe, Middle East, and Africa (in revenues), 12.2 percent in North America, and 17.4 percent in China, 23.6 percent in Asia Pacific, and 28.3 percent in South America. Furthermore, Samsung has positioned itself as a true premium brand in high-tech flat panel display market and also ranked first in average street prices (ASPs) with USD 1,282, around USD100 higher than competitors.

Targeting the global video wall market, Samsung recently released the 460UTn super-thin LCD display with a bezel of just 6.7mm. The company also launched an innovative advertising display solution which, with its use audience measurement technology, can automatically recognise the gender and age of the audience and deliver tailored advertising.

Jinhwan Kim, Vice President of Visual Display Division at Samsung Electronics, said: “Samsung Electronics has become the number one brand in visual displays including displays, TV sets, and digital signage.”

"In particular, becoming number one in digital signage is an historical event, because this proves that Samsung is successfully moving from hardware manufacturer to a value-added solution provider,” he added.