FEATURE: DIGITAL SIGNAGE
‘SaaS really helps get a client started easily’
Damon Crowhurst, Scala
including AMX Control and Resource Management Suite. They use solid-state storage and the latest hardware architectures to provide technology that exceeds the standard of the marketplace.” The cost of a digital signage
system will often play a major part in the selection process; more so in larger, distributed network-based installations where unattended operation is a requirement. It is essential in these cases to consider total cost of ownership (TCO). Elements outside the core equipment cost play a large factor and can often exceed the initial cost of the player and signage software. Again these are affected by the type of hardware used. Hastings adds: “Windows/
PC systems will very likely require pre-installation configuration, either at source or in the supplier’s workshop prior to despatch to site. They may need configuring to attach them to the in-house network and physically connect them to devices in the actual location in which they will operate. All this requires higher levels of expertise than is normally provided for in basic retail and office AV installations, and incurs additional costs and greater burden on the system integrator. Conversely, dedicated equipment designed for these applications is simpler to install and configure; it often performs auto-connection to servers over networks without human intervention.” Ongoing maintenance is a crucial factor. Two or three site visits to replace defective equipment can easily exceed its original capital cost, even
32 October 2013
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without factoring in loss of confidence and inconvenience to the end user. Repeated system adjustment also eats into profit margins if not highly automated. Any choice of system for a large-scale rollout must consider this, along with installation considerations that do not place undue stress on equipment through poor vibration, location or heat management.
A cost element that is often not considered at the early stage of system design is that of power consumption. “SpinetiX players do not contain any unnecessary components so consume the minimum possible amount of power; about 3W, compared with around 90W for a PC,” explains Serge Konter, marketing manager, SpinetiX. “This has two advantages.
Firstly, reliability is maximised, in fact we offer a product lifetime guarantee for our players: if one fails, return it for a free replacement. Secondly, the lower running cost quickly offsets the slightly higher price of the original player and fully pays back the capital cost of the player in two years.” Application software, content creation, distribution and player management are another story that is equally, if not more, complex than hardware selection. “There are as many models as there
are uses for digital signage,” comments Oades. “Outright purchase is widely preferred on cost grounds; however there are software-as-a- service [SaaS] models which allow customers to rent the software, giving cash-flow benefits in the short term but costing more in the longer term. Sedao offers different models to meet the needs of different markets: one-off outright purchase, unlimited site licences and annual rental. There is no right solution other than it needs to offer value for money.”
SOFTWARE OPTIONS Damon Crowhurst, sales director at Scala, concurs with this observation: “Application software options are SaaS and on-premise. Mature solutions tend to offer both, and users should be cautious if it is only available as a supplier-hosted solution, which in young industries tends to hide a lot of negative surprises. “SaaS really helps get a client started easily, as a Cloud account can be set up within hours and users don’t have to worry about the hassle of back-end databases, back-ups, updates and scalability. On-premise is often easier where data security and confidential information are a concern. That said, there is definitely a shift in the acceptance of Cloud solutions
for digital signage within corporate communications, which was not the case two years ago. The retail industry has embraced the Cloud far more quickly. Financially, comparing the two models, the break-even time frame is around 20 months; thereafter SaaS tends to cost more, but without the hassle and internal costs.” The Cloud is rapidly becoming a highly effective means of distributing content to large, geographically remote systems. Cloud storage and distribution of content provides a cheaper, more flexible and higher bandwidth version of FTP servers and other technology that have been in use in signage systems for many years. The way systems operate is the same but cost savings and speed of delivery make large-scale deployment simpler. The nature of store- and-play content used throughout digital signage (as opposed to streamed display in IPTV systems) is ideally suited to Cloud distribution and it is now possible to make it extremely cheap to distribute content over a wide area to any number of players.
In addition, as Frederik
Vroman, business development manager at dZine, points out: “The Cloud provides automatic facilities to convert content to suitable
formats for multiple devices, providing the ability to mix players across a network.” A further, often ill- considered cost of digital signage is that associated with integration of third-party content. It is, as Vroman points out, “the ease of integrating the technology with third-party systems like the box office in a cinema, timetables for public transport and meeting room schedules. We incorporate this in the dZine through content templates capable of using ODBC, XML and other languages. There is also an extensive API available for very specific scripting for integration with services like fire evacuation and security systems.” It is the system integrator’s job to scope, define and advise end users in the best and most economic solutions open to them. There are many factors to consider and as digital signage systems become more complex and sophisticated, their use and application is growing and this will become even more of a complicated and involved task.
www.amx.com www.anders-kern.co.uk www.brightsign.biz www.dzine.be www.scala.com www.sedao.com www.spinetix.com
Anders+Kern installed a digital signage system for international property company Jones Lang LaSalle
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