New Kiosk Partner Program Enables Easy Component Selection from Leading Manufacturers

Peerless-AV^® today announced KioskBuilder™, an online service that cuts the time it takes to design and build a fully integrated kiosk from weeks to days by enabling point-and-click configuration and delivering a pre-tested, ready-to-install kiosk to the customer’s door. The new program eliminates the need to source components from multiple vendors, enables custom kiosk design without custom project cost, and reduces the time and expense of on-site systems integration for installers and end customers alike.

KioskBuilder will be demonstrated in Booth #100 at Digital Signage Expo 2013, which opens today in Las Vegas.

Self-Service Configuration

Now available at kiosks.peerless-av.com, the KioskBuilder application guides customers through a series of questions and options for designing a solution customized to their needs. Beginning with questions such as whether the kiosk will be indoors or outdoors, portrait or landscape, or free-standing or wall-mounted, the configuration menu also provides a choice of displays, touch technology, media players, cameras, content management software and more from industry-leading vendors. Customers also have the option to use their own components or request a specific product or service provider not on the list.

Turnkey Installation

Peerless-AV’s dedicated team of kiosk specialists then reviews the request, delivers a quote, purchases the components on the customer’s behalf, integrates and tests the system to ensure component compatibility, and ships the finished kiosk– completely eliminating individual component boxes and time-consuming on-site setup. Simply plug in the power, connect to the network, load the content, and the kiosk is up and running – all in the same day.

New Kiosk Partner Program

As part of the new service, Peerless-AV launched a Kiosk Partner Program in late 2012 to establish an ecosystem of top-tier manufacturers whose products would be used to populate the KioskBuilder online application. Early partners include NEC Display Solutions, Samsung, Sharp, Panasonic, Philips MMD, LG, AOpen, Actineon, Tech Global, Touch Systems, Avnet Services, Legacy Retail Systems, Christie Digital Manager Services, Rise Display, Dynasign, Scala, SaddleRanch, NextNow and others.

“One of the key benefits of the Peerless-AV Kiosk Partner Program is the interoperability of the partners’ products, which in turn will offer end clients the assurance that their integrated solutions will operate flawlessly for years to come,” said Jeff Blankensop , Director of Business Development. “This is also a valuable plus for partners, and that’s why the early response has been so strong.”

Display manufacturers, media player providers, peripheral device suppliers, content management software/service vendors, after-market touch screens providers, content creators and installers interested in participating in the program can e-mail kiosks [at] peerless-av.com for more information.

About Peerless-AV

Peerless-AV, a Peerless Industries, Inc. company, is a leading designer, manufacturer and distributor of Made-in-the-USA audiovisual mounting, accessory and digital content delivery solutions for commercial and residential applications. The company’s innovative AV products span off-the-shelf, commercial and custom flat panel, projector and tablet mounts as well as cables, AV carts and stands, medical carts and stands, AV racks, AV furniture and a wide range of other accessories. The Peerless Technology Division specializes in wireless, kiosk, touch, digital audio and connectivity technologies that simplify today’s complex digital equipment installations. Peerless-AV manufactures over 3,600 products that serve original equipment manufacturers, commercial integrators and consumer retailers in 22 vertical markets through direct sales representatives and authorized distribution. For more information, visit www.peerless-av.com.

Source: Peerless-AV

Customer Overview

FIU’s colleges and schools offer more than 200 bachelor, master and doctoral programs in fields such as engineering, international relations and law. As one of South Florida’s anchor institutions, FIU has been locally and globally engaged for more than four decades finding solutions to the most challenging problems of our time.

FIU is also South Florida’s leading business school, with unique expertise in international business, entrepreneurship and a range of financial services from accounting to banking to real estate. U.S. News & World Report ranks FIU among the top international business schools in the U.S. for international business. BusinessWeek reports them among the best accredited business schools in the U.S.

Project Summary
Helen K. Simon, CFP, is a finance faculty member at FIU’s College of Business Administration. She is also the academic director of the School’s Capital Markets Lab.

“The Capital Markets Lab is a 2,200 square foot, state- of-the-art trading, research and teaching facility,” she explains. “The purpose of this facility is to provide hands- on learning experiences for our students in professional software applications and tools using electronic sources of financial, marketing, and investment data.”

One prominent conveyor of that financial information is a new Rise ticker that shows real-time data from fixed income, equity and foreign exchange markets. It’s a striking LED Ticker that stretches a total of 78 feet in length around the lab, with a 90 degree curve that lets it span multiple walls, effectively surrounding the students with a continuous stream of data.

Dr. Simon says the College is very pleased with their digital sign choice. “We’ve received lots of positive feedback. The ticker just creates the right atmosphere in the room — an authentic environment. It draws attention to our facility and starts many conversations.”

Why did they decide on a Rise ticker? “We wanted to communicate an authentic atmosphere to our students, faculty, the business community and potential donors,” says Dr. Simon. “This facility provides data and information technology resources not only for finance courses, but also for a variety of disciplines, including accounting, marketing, decision sciences, international business and IT.”

Dr. Simon has also seen evidence of the educational value of installing the ticker. “Students and staff are beginning to ask very specific questions about security prices and what the trade data means, bringing to light the fact that this adds to their real world education. With equipment like the Rise ticker in our Capital Markets Lab, the College is better able to prepare students for the strong job market in financial services and the ever-changing technological landscape in today’s corporate world.”

The success of their ticker purchase has led FIU to acquire other Rise digital signage as well, including a Rise Engine, content services to run three large 65-inch LCDs, and another 9-foot ticker for their main lobby.

“We knew little about tickers before we started this process, and we have Rise to thank for an education. We purchased our ticker through the competitive bidding process, and no other company came close to Rise in terms of customer service, and value.”

Source: Rise Display

Customer Overview

Project Summary
Gary Huether, president of Arooga’s, knew from the onset that he wanted to include high-tech digital signage in his restaurants. “With being a sports bar, being able to incorporate real-time sports scores was very important,” Mr. Huether explains. He also aimed to use the digital signage for advertising daily and weekly specials and special events.

Mr. Huether first came in contact with Rise Display at the Las Vegas Nightclub and Bar Convention and Trade Show. Among Rise’s wares was a vertical display that caught Mr. Huether’s interest. “With so many TVs in our places, some of the horizontal displays can blend in,” he says. “But the verticals really draw people’s attention.”

Additionally, “We were finding that not too many [companies] offered the live sports feed, which was one of our biggest needs,” he says. “But Rise did.”

Rise Display worked with Mr. Huether to design and install four 42” vertical boards, and many horizontal displays ranging from 37” to 50”, at each Arooga’s location. At least one vertical board is located in each lobby and is used to display rotating specials and advertisements for special events. “While guests are waiting for tables, I think [the vertical displays] get more of their attention than a stand-alone billboard,” says Mr. Huether. “And once we have their attention and are rotating the ads, I think they’re retaining more about our specials because it is something neat and unique.”

Because the flexibility to make content changes himself was important to Mr. Huether, he was provided access to web-based software that allows for changes to be made within minutes. “It’s as easy as uploading a .jpeg to an e- mail,” Mr. Huether enthuses.

Among the 100-plus televisions in each Arooga’s location, the electronic displays keep customers updated with real-time sports scores and game time information. Arooga’s also uses the digital displays for direct marketing and co-op marketing, which was an additional benefit, says Mr. Huether.

“I think the [displays] are great,” he says. “They’re building advertising in-house, and we can upload content by ourselves in a minute. They’re also doing the wow factor. When people walk into the lobby and see a vertical board with our name and brand on it, I think they see that we’re up with technology. It’s something new.”

Source: Rise Display

With the NCAA basketball tournament, or “March Madness” as it has come to be known, occupying the minds of sports fans this month, Rise Display created a free tournament template for its digital signage  software customers.

According to the Shawnee, Kan.-based company, the template incorporates the brackets for each round, the latest scores and basketball news at a variety of resolutions. It also can include an advertisement and/or TV news feed.

“Have you considered running the latest scores and news on your displays to keep your employees, students and visitors posted on the tournament action?” the company asked in its March Madness template promotion. “Whether you are a university, hotel, hospital or sports bar, … all of your customers and visitors will be looking for a TV to watch the NCAA tournament.”

As several of its clients took advantage of its free March Madness content templates, Rise Display is now soliciting suggestions for other template the company could provide to help its digital signage customers energize and entertain students or employees.

To view the template in action, click here.?

Source: Rise Display