Be Digital launches TehTarik.TV Channel in Popular Mamak Restaurants in Malaysia

Be Digital Sdn Bhd, an MSC-status digital signage provider and network manager, has launched TehTarik.TV Channel (TTTV) in more than 12 chains of popular Mamak restaurants in over 40 locations  across the Klang Valley area of Malaysia. TTTV is deployed as an innovative new medium that aims to attract, engage, entertain, inform and influence viewers in a relaxed and easy social setting.

Unlike other eateries, mamak restaurants are culturally significant in Malaysia and derive their name from the owners or operators who are Indian Muslims. They have evolved from the traditional roadside stalls to modern 24/7 restaurants and café-type outlets that are popular hotspots for Malaysians to hang out for a drink, catch up or watch a late-night football game while enjoying a cup of stimulating teh tarik or polishing off a piece of hot roti canai.

Taking its name after a well-loved local beverage, TehTarik.TV captivates audiences with a distinctive flavor, charm and identity.

“We wanted a different digital signage network – one that’s engaging, useful and fun to watch,” said Mr. Ahmed Balfaqih, Technology Director of Be Digital. “We did not want it to be like other digital signage networks where the traffic or content comes only from one direction, that is, from the owners to the audience. We wanted TehTarik.TV’s audience to participate and engage in the content creation”.

The network is designed with two unique features. The first feature highlights a fusion of Web, mobile and digital signage tools into one platform, which allows a free flow of content among them. This combined platform enables designers from Be Digital to create content using Scala and other software, as well as create a base for bloggers and forum members to discuss specific subjects. The dynamic integration also allows audiences to participate through short message services

(SMS) in various contests or through advertising of products and services. Tehtarik.TV integrates with a Web portal, www.tehtarik.tv, which enables viewers to check content shown in the screens or to follow up on their SMS interaction online.

The second unique feature highlights the content aggregation and creation that comes from all sources, including the Web, databases and the audience themselves. TehTarik.TV plays diversified rich-media content that ranges from daily news, advertisements, community messages and informative trivia, entertaining video clips, forums and blog submissions to real-time short message services. The content is updated with live daily RSS newsfeeds from The Star, Malaysia’s leading English-language publication.

TehTarik.TV also acts as a digital menu board for some mamak restaurants. The flexibility of the system enables restaurant owners to adjust pricing or food offers immediately, driving better sales by adapting the menu content to suit different customer demographics at different times of the day.

Be Digital chose Scala as the tool for TehTarik.TV because it was a highly content-driven network, and Scala’s technology provided the ideal solution with extensive built-in scripting capabilities and support for other scripting languages that allowed the programmers to customize it for specific use.

“We are running this network in more than 10 different chains of mamak restaurants. We wanted to avoid repeating the process of broadcasting common content, while at the same time we did not want to make mistakes by sending the wrong menu to the wrong chain. Scala Content Manager allows us to create one Master Playlist containing nested sub-playlists with conditions and scheduled parameters attached to each element within a playlist, and this saves us hours of work on a weekly basis,” remarked Mr. Balfaqih.

The playlist compiles content into a series of diversified categories to provide audiences more interesting information and keep their attention on the screens. The only content repeated is advertisements. Various types of content can be refreshed and updated on an hourly, daily, weekly or monthly basis.

TehTarik.TV is wholly owned and managed by Be Digital with support from Click Grafix Sdn Bhd, the authorized distributor and certified partner of Scala, Inc. for South East Asia.

For more information on the installation, visit this link.

About Be Digital Sdn Bhd

Be Digital was incorporated in 2001 to spearhead the digital content development division of its parent company, Click Grafix Sdn Bhd. Existing as a primary visual communications company, Be Digital is dedicated to providing satisfying, quality, professional digital content and development services to the various industries in the local and regional market. Be Digital was awarded the MSC-status endorsement in August 2003 and is recognized in the industry for its strength and professional specialization in 3D animation, visual effects, broadcast multimedia, dynamic digital signage and the development of digital content particularly for training and visual communications.

In 2006, another milestone was marked with the collaborative partnership of CR Techmedia and Be Digital, uniting the strengths of both companies into one entity. The expansion of the company further cements its niche in the industry as a competitive player in the discipline of digital content development not just in Malaysia but also in the regional market and the Middle East. www.gotobedigital.com

About Click Grafix Sdn Bhd

Click Grafix has been in the forefront of the digital signage industry with a strong content development background since 1995. The company is firmly established in the South East Asia and Middle Eastern market as a premiere provider and system integrator for digital video, animation and multimedia hardware, software, solutions and services. Click Grafix is the appointed regional distributor and certified partner for NewTek Inc. and Scala Inc, as well as Luxology, TVPaint and 12Inch Design. The company is currently represented in Singapore, Thailand, Philippines and India. www.clickgrafix.com

About Scala, Inc.

Driving more than 300,000 screens worldwide, Scala is a leading global provider of digital signage and advertising management solutions. Scala is the world’s first connected signage company, offering the leading platform for content creation, management and distribution in digital signage networks and the first unified platform for advertising management of both traditional and digital signage networks. The company’s digital signage customers include Rabobank, IKEA, Burger King, T-Mobile, Virgin MegaStore, Warner Brothers, The Life Channel, Rikstoto, Repsol, NorgesGruppen, Audi, ECE Flatmedia, Kaufhof (Metro Group) and thousands more. Advertising management customers include CBS Outdoor, Clear Channel Outdoor and Magic Media, among others. Scala is headquartered near Philadelphia, USA, and has subsidiaries in Canada, The Netherlands, France, Norway, Germany and Japan, as well as more than 450 partners in more than 60 countries. More information is available at www.scala.com.

Source: Scala