Blue Chip Technology and IBlink Collaboration

The 6 sheet is the worlds most common outdoor advertising format. Considered the optimum medium for reaching a population on the move, D6 installations strategically located in high footfall areas, have a track record of delivering the highest audience coverage and frequency. iBlink led a three year project to bring the tradition D6 format into the digital age. Bringing dynamic, high impact digital content to the D6 canvass represents an important milestone on OOH media.

iBlink is an creative brand management team working with bespoke, effective brand experiences combining mobile, out-of-home, retail and experiential communications in the right way, place and time. They hold exclusive media rights in retail environments such as Superdrug and Bluewater, as well operating the Tital D6 network. Working with Titan, the D6 project kicked off In November 2007 with a trial of the D6 at the Birmingham Bullring followed by Charing Cross in January 2008. Following its success, iblink signed a 3 year exclusive contract to design, manufacture and implement a 108 strong network of D6’s across London’s 10 major rail termini,.utilizing state of the art 3g network ensuring 24×7 remote monitoring, content scheduling, email alerts & proof of play reporting.

iBlink first approached BCT in 2008 to discuss a hardware platform for the D6 network. The BCT Vario digital signage player range echoed the iBlink design concept of providing reliable and robust solutions that are fit-for-purpose. With a background in industrial design, BCT design and manufacture its Vario range leveraging over 25 years of expertise in mission critical builds, high MTBF targets and extended life cycles. The Vario E2 proved the most suitable candidate for the D6 roll out – a high-end player supporting 1080p HD content, portrait and landscape screen modes and WiFi connectivity. Combining performance and quality, the Vario E2 chassis is a ruggedised build, housed in a strong sheet-steel enclosure providing both mechanical and EMC protection. However, it’s slim 1U footprint made the E2 ideal for mounting in the slim D6 enclosure.

Additionally the Vario E2s were equipped with Blue Chip Technology’s unique Always On module, offering enhanced protection against content downtime by ensuring the system will power up after an unplanned power cut. The standard industry response to power outages is Auto Power support – a BIOS based facility which can instruct the unit to either power back up, stay off or pick up where it left off in the event of a power outage. This offers a useful level of protection but certain circumstances outmanoeuvre this failsafe.  For example, if the power interruption is intermittent with power re-failing within a few seconds of power up, the normal auto on function may not respond. Also if for some reason you need to remotely power down a system, the auto on function will not kick in, requiring a manual restart. For some customers with high profile installations this presents a problem. Fitted with the Always On Module, you will have to literally pull the plug to stop a Vario player powering up again.

The d6 installation is widely respected by the media world with ad campaigns fully sold for the first 4 months. In 2009 iblink rolled out the network across the top 15 shopping malls in the uk in 2009

Source: Blue Chip