I. Definition
There's quite a bit going on under the hood when you look at a Digital Signage presentation. As far as the hardware goes, display graphics are generated by mini-computers or 'players' that are either attached to the backs of screens or installed close by transmitting their data via hardwired or HDMI wireless connections. Players receive their data either by connecting to a remote server through the internet or manually with a USB drive. The latter method being used most often for stand-alone installs where updates are not as crucial. Players are typically built on the Micro-ATX computing platform with motherboards smaller than 7"x7". But, don't let this size fool you - these mini-pcs pack quite a punch. Boasting dual-core processors with built in advanced graphics processors, these little systems are capable of generating full HD graphics at 1920x1080. The advancement of the Intel Atom processor and now the AMD E-350 processor has allowed these computers to not have to sacrifice performance for size. As well, they sip electricity - some units as low as 65w as compared to a standard desktop PC running at 400-500w. For reliability, solid-state hard drives or flash memory is utilized along with fan less cooling systems. No moving parts means lower maintenance and less chance of a system failure especially when the need of 24/7 operation is demanded. This solid-state architecture also practically eliminates system noise -- players become an almost invisible appliance in even the quietest of waiting rooms.
Screens are typically LCD or Plasma. Plasma provides great cost savings but at the sacrifice for potential screen burn if displaying static graphic elements for extended periods. For example menu boards or electronic posters. Though one can use any off-the-shelf digital screen from the local big-box store, commercial quality displays are recommended for Digital Signage applications which are designed for long-term operation and often come with standard warranties in the range of 2-3 years compared to most 1year standard consumer-level units. Many commercial displays also have hidden controls to prevent tampering and models are available without speakers when audio presentation is not a factor. For multi-screen displays or video walls, some manufacturers offer commercial displays with bezels as thin as 3mm to create near-seamless images. II. Brief Background/History
Planar Systems is a company offering Digital Signage solutions for most any industry. The company motto is 'Digital Signage for Everyone' which underscores the motivation to make this exciting and powerful advertising medium as accessible as possible to all sizes of business. You see it popping up everywhere. Large format screens displaying dynamic content in restaurants, reception and waiting room areas, gyms, hotels, retail stores, employee lounges, and airports. In retail stores, Digital Signage is quickly taking the place of static printed posters and banners which can be expensive to print and display, and also environmentally costly. Screens can be seen tiled together making giant video walls for cinematic effect or positioned in a row such as in some fast food restaurants – an industry that is quickly adopting Digital Signage in place of traditional menu boards to allow for instant price changes, product updates, and eye-catching dynamic content that compliments up-selling and cross-selling. Some businesses which have chosen Digital Signage choose to enter into partnership advertising with suppliers to offset costs and also provide a new passive revenue stream for the business. This advantage has set Digital Signage apart from other more traditional advertising methods and is quickly becoming the de facto advertising medium of the 21st century not only for this reason but also due to its ability to be instantly customized to match the trends of any given market, display rich HD graphics, videos, and animations, and its superior ability as an advertising vehicle to allow for targeting through scheduled and synchronized content. It's important though to understand that Digital Signage is not TV. It is a medium that combines the power of mass media with the precision of niche marketing: narrow-casting.
Planar Systems, Inc. is a global leader of specialty display technology providing hardware and software solutions for the world’s most demanding environments. Hospitals, space and military programs, utility and transportation hubs, shopping centers, banks, government agencies, businesses, and home theater enthusiasts all depend on Planar to provide superior performance when image experience is of the highest importance. Founded in 1983, Planar is headquartered in Oregon, USA, with offices, manufacturing partners, and customers worldwide. III. Current Business Issues
Business owners are growing tired of the traditional means of advertising and are looking to new ways of reaching their target market. For example, the high accessibility of the internet is challenging the survival of the printed telephone directory. This pervasive trend has been magnified in recent years with the high proliferation of SmartPhone usage which is quickly becoming the base means in how people connect, communicate, and conduct their online research. Ever try and fit a phonebook in your pocket? Other traditional advertising methods of advertising such as mailers and flyers often make it into the recycling bin without ever being read while it can also be considered that radio and television ads are too expensive for the average small business. These traditional means can be a large gamble – and in today’s economy business owners are looking for a more proven Return-on-Investment for their advertising dollar. So what's a business owner to do these days to make that all-important connection with their customer that provides proven, effective results? Digital Signage may be just the answer.
As far as retail goes, it's a fact that 70% of purchase decisions are made within the store. This is the realm of Digital Signage - point-of-purchase or point-of-decision as it is also called. Unlike most other forms of advertising which are typically based on a quantity-over-quality approach, Digital Signage provides efficient, direct communication with consumers where the viewer is either waiting for service or looking for the right product. By this means, it provides a totally different advertising methodology unlike any other. It delivers what marketers are looking for today: fine-grained targeting, consumer attention, accountability and measurable Return-on-Investment. IV. Proposed Solution
So what then are some of the advantages of Digital Signage as an advertising vehicle? Simply put - countless. The driving force behind the rapid growth of Digital Signage is an acute market demand for a means of communication that delivers more accurate targeting and higher efficiency than traditional media. Such factors as the dropping prices of displays and hardware, and emerging standards and measurements are contributing to the growing acceptance of Digital Signage by advertisers. The incredible popularity of SmartPhones such as the Apple iPhone which is entirely visually interactive in operation - speaks to this never before seen "techno-savy" generation that is drawn to dynamic content and most anything visually appealing. The time for Digital Signage is now and can only grow in potential. V. Recommendation
Due to the overwhelming power of Digital Signage to display scheduled, focused advertising to its target markets, unlike any other medium, advertisers are lining up to participate. It's a fact that advertisers will choose to partner in a Digital Signage campaign over any other advertising vehicle. Many businesses which utilize Digital Signage on their premises collaborate with suppliers who pay to advertise on the screens. Where there are multiple brands of similar product represented in a business (eg. beer store, shoe store, salon, cosmetics, etc.) so too will there will be intra-brand competition. Digital Signage provides the upper hand to those suppliers wishing to strengthen their brand over their competitors within that business offering a unique persuading influence at point-of-purchase and decision making. This has created a remarkable situation for the business: advertising that pays! Often is the case the cost of the Digital Signage can be offset in partial or in whole by using this method and in some cases provides a new stream of revenue for the business. With this potential in mind, Digital Signage truly provides a unique opportunity for the business owner: advertising that pays, literally! Restaurants and bars who already display live television for their guests can now share the screen with their own content displaying promotions and specials, paid supplier advertising, and even live weather conditions and forecasts alongside ticker-style news feeds. When there’s nothing during the day worthy of playing, options exist to present what has been coined in the industry as “Infotainment”. These include regularly updated streams of trivia questions decorated with photos and animation to help entice viewership and other topical video feeds including entertainment, sports, and business news. Also segments like ‘Today-in-History’ and ‘Health & Wellness Tips’ add to the long list of available podcasts which speak to a broad spectrum of viewers making them easy to incorporate into most any Digital Signage presentation. Using Digital Signage in this way helps businesses improve customers’ experience which ultimately translates into greater sales.
The graphic elements which make up any Digital Signage presentation such as videos, animations, and static images can be generated by any of the large host of software packages available today - a veritable bottomless toolbox so-to-speak that can be utilized purely at the discretion of the designer who is building the presentation. The software though that marries these elements together is where the real magic happens. Like a conductor of a symphony, in the hands of a good designer, the campaign editing software allows for the compiling of the elements into an efficient, effective presentation that elicits viewership and produces results.
Different campaigns can be built to be displayed for any schedule required based on time-of-day, date or seasonal period -- days, weeks and even months in advance. Though there are platforms available that include a local install on a workstation or desktop PC, the Digital Signage industry like many other software vendors is moving towards a Software-as-a-Service or SaaS platform where the actual software and content purely exists on the internet or 'cloud' as it is also called. This provides many benefits such as allowing the client to access their signage content from any internet-connected computer; not having to worry about losing data or managing backups. Also, forget the hassles and expense of having to implement an in-house server - the SaaS platform does away with the heavy IT overhead. Software updates are also automatic and bug fixes are dealt with efficiently.
The benefits of Digital Signage as a powerful advertising medium are obvious and many, and with the continual shrinking costs of the associated hardware, it has never been easier for even the smallest of businesses to consider Digital Signage as a viable option in their marketing portfolio.

VI. Attachments

References

Planar Systems, http://www.planarsystems.com/