Digital Signage Software

Grassfish First at Digital Signage Awards 2016

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Grassfish Version 10

The new Grassfish software Version 10 (a completely revised user interface for the CMS, using the change-over from Flash to HTML5) comes out on the back of other good news for this Austrian software developer.

Grassfish again was able to collect the top honour in the software category at this year’s invidis Digital Signage Awards, presented at Digital Signage Summit Europe 2016.

Alexander Korte, CFO and COO at Grassfish, was there to receive the award and said, “This is a confirmation for us that we have chosen the right way to go in terms of company strategy.”

Both Grassfish and the Digital Signage Summit had a common reason to celebrate: both had 10th anniversaries. In the past ten years, Grassfish has developed from a small digital signage software company to a DACH market leader.

At DSS Europe 2016-- together with NEC-- Grassfish presented an interactive installation which revolved around the dynamic use of large, daylight-suitable screens in shopping windows. The installation was based on various sensors, which are all controlled via the Leaf Engine platform and the Grassfish CMS. Content can be displayed or triggered in one of three different ways: standard content is being played in a regular way. If a customer approaches the screen up to 1,5 metres, the capacity proximity sensors recognize him/her and trigger a new content. In addition, there are tactile sensors, the pressing of which triggers yet a third content.

Also at DSS Europe 2016, Grassfish, as part of an Intel workshop, presented the Project Orange Belgium, which detailed the transformation of 150 country-wide telecom stores. Customer experience was the main focus, with regular stores being turned into an interactive, informative world of customer experience via screens, virtual shelves, electronic price tags, appropriate software and analytics features.

The new Grassfish V10 comes with a whole series of decisive improvements relating to efficiency and usability. By introducing HTML5 a marked improvement in the performance of the entire system was achieved. This is apparent above all in the case of very large networks with lots of screens and spots.

However, HTML5 is not only a focal point of the user interface; it is also becoming the new standard for the media used. The HTML Wizard expands the functional scope of V10 by a framework that also enables users without any HTML knowledge to edit HTML spots and interactive HTML applications, to exchange media and texts and to change the properties of HTML applications.

Also new is the use of a player technology, which thanks to its multi-platform base offers better performance, picture quality and transitions, and in Microsoft Windows and Linux the same functional scope of the Grassfish player.

Go Grassfish V10 Has Arrived


NanoLumens Adds Intelligent Display Platform

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AWARE diagram

NanoLumens' AWARE is a cloud-based digital display platform that combines real-time diagnostics, media playback, and a variety of internal and third party-developed apps into one integrated system-- accessible through a single portal from anywhere in the world.

It’s a software-as-a-service enabled hardware platform that seamlessly combines your diagnostics and support functions with the ability to choose a variety of apps, services, and content source—and it’s accessible through one portal from anywhere in the world by leveraging Qualcomm Snapdragon 820, Google Android OS, and Amazon Web Services.

According to NanoLumens VP Corporate Development Nate Remmes, AWARE addresses the growing industry need for a simpler solution that eliminates hardware within a complex eco-system while allowing third party developers to create the next generation apps that will make displays more engaging, useful, and accountable.

“NanoLumens is doing for digital signage what Apple did for the smartphone,” Remmes says. “AWARE marks the debut of the industry’s first complete eco-system that instantly makes displays a more compelling investment by addressing some of the major challenges we have faced as an industry — accountability, reliability, and simplicity.”

At the same time, AWARE constitutes a strategic move by NanoLumens to differentiate itself from of its LED competitors.

“Our software-enabled hardware creates a path that gives customers and partners a more useful solution for the entire lifecycle of their displays,” Remmes continues. “AWARE is a win-win for the entire industry — customers, developers, marketers, and consumers. Everyone benefits from the development of this platform.”

According to Vishu Rao, NanoLumens Director of Software Services and Platforms, “AWARE has a one-of-kind IoT product design built for the information display world. It brings together high-powered cutting-edge processing, the most popular operating platform, best-in-class cloud services, remote access, mobility sensors, content media services, and a handpicked third party app marketplace into an intelligent visualization portal.”

Rao added, “With AWARE’s architecture, display interfaces across the world can now quickly deploy interactive and connected experiences that were extremely difficult to deploy before, due to the fragmented nature of currently available technology.”

AWARE combines hardware, services, and software into one integrated solution that can be purchased and embedded in a display or as a stand-alone add-on to an existing display. The core applications available at launch include a built-in media, weather, sports, news, HTML 5, social media, and audience measurement.

Although agnostic and continuing to look for premier partners throughout the industry, today’s applications have been developed through NanoLumens’ partnerships with Admobilize, Gimbal, Navori, and Screenfeed.

NanoLumens insists AWARE’s API based remote diagnostic capabilities are the most robust ever developed for the industry. “We built our system on APIs because we want to make sure that we are adaptable to existing AV eco-systems while giving our AV integrator and service providers a wholly useful tool,” Remmes emphasizes.

“We understand that our partners have a greater opportunity for choice in LED and we want to make sure we are providing them with a solution that is easier to manage, easier to deploy, and provides more value to the end user.”

Go NanoLumens AWARE


Signagelive Launches Global Training Programme

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Signagelive

Signagelive announces a formal training programme, with general and specific aspects.

With their questionnaire form, they can ensure every individual training session is tailored to specific needs. What’s more, it will be recorded so you can share internally within the organization-- or re-use for new starters.

The programme includes:

-120 minutes of dedicated time for you and up to 9 individuals in your organisation, carried out on the web.

-Your personal questionnaire to tailor the session specifically to you

-A recording of the training will be sent to all requested individuals

Typical questions that can be asked and answered:

  • How do I create a menu board layout in Signagelive?
  • Can I give access to a store manager for them to change part of the content?
  • How do I set up an IPTV stream to work with Signagelive and my other digital signage content?

This web-based training is now available at MSRP £280 / $400 / €360 for 120 minute tailored session.

Go Signagelive Training

Register Signagelive Training


MEDIA MEA Totems Juggle Art and Ruggedness

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MEDi Digital Totem

Beautiful things aren’t always fragile. (Think WWF’s Stacy Ann-Marie Keible.)

The MEDi Digital Totem looks like a work of art, but has an industrial heart. It’s designed, engineered and manufactured to handle the bumps, knocks and spills that are part of busy public settings like malls, larger retailers, airports, campuses and convention centers.

With a full HD 47-inch or 55-inch interactive display totems in the middle of the action, any public place can help people find their way, look up info information, get directions and learn about promotions and offers.

MEDi totem can be custom-branded and color-keyed to your exacting specifications.

With a Corning Gorilla Glass protective face, IP66 waterproofing, and rugged structural materials, MEDi Digital Totems are sturdy and built to last--and yet-- like “Super Stacey”-- will stay beautiful.

Go MEDi Digital Totem


OVAB Europe Becomes DSF Europe

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Digital Signage Federation

OVAB Europe signs a working relationship with Digital Signage Federation (DSF) and will soon start operating as DSF Europe, an independent affiliate of the Digital Signage Federation.

By unifying efforts in USA with Europe, both organizations hope to benefit from an enlarged sphere of influence.

DSF Europe will maintain its own budget and annual agenda, participate in worldwide event and initiative planning, and have a seat on the DSF Board of Directors. This implicitly means the relationship is not an acquisition or merger but rather a cooperation (hence, the “working relationship” identified in the press release.)

This affiliation acknowledges the global nature of digital signage activity and the need for an industry association on a similar scale. It is expected to help drive DSF membership and participation in both No. America and Europe where many multi-national companies already do business, provide education, professional development and programming support for those organizations seeking to invest in or become more active in the digital signage sector.

Dirk Huelsermann

Dirk Huelsermann, president of OVAB Europe, who has chaired the association since its inception said, “Our Board of Directors believes strongly that working closely with the Digital Signage Federation will allow us to build on a strong foundation to expedite the growth of DSF Europe. This affiliation will allow us to offer members additional educational and professional development opportunities and become a much more inclusive trade organization.”

Ken Goldberg, CEO, Real Digital Media, and immediate past chairman of the Digital Signage Federation said, “Just as DSF filled a void with its inception six years ago, now is the right time to unify industry advocacy and advancement around the world. Establishing DSF Europe is just the start. Our objective is to increase opportunities and visibility for members doing business in the digital signage space, regardless of geographic location.”

Goldberg also said DSF and DSF Europe have no plans to start additional trade shows at the moment, with Digital Signage Expo continuing to serve as the primary trade show of both organizations. DSE 2016 is held in Las Vegas.

The key phrase might be “at the moment.” Obviously ISE serves the European market (as well as many other expos like Viscom, FESPA, Retail Digital Signage Expo etc) and it also has the successful Digital Signage Summit with invidis consulting. (The OVAB is a sponsor of the yearly Digital Signage Summit Europe.)

It’s pretty tough going to launch an event when there is no vacuum… and yet, with a strong show in USA, for how long could a non-profit association resist the siren call to duplicate their most significant USA success? In this case, one stumbling block is the independent nature of the two associations… yet-- for ISE-- two separate associations (three if you count the original third partner, NSCA) managed to come together when there was a big enough common goal.

We’re not expecting a trade show initiative soon, especially as the “working relationship” between Europe and USA needs some time to see if the relationship actually works. But we are indeed commenting on the judicious use by Mr. Goldberg of the phrase, “at this moment.”

Go OVAB Europe

Go Announcement on DSF and OVAB Europe