An economic slowdown can mean fewer workers available to assist shoppers but a growing number of retailers are closing the in-store communication gap by installing widescreen digital monitors to promote sales, inform and even entertain with a joke or two. Now a Rockford-area firm is finding itself right in the picture.
Global Enterprise Technologies Corp. (GET) of Cherry Valley announced today it has become the first U.S. technology provider to achieve “Authorized Digital Media System (DMS) Partner” status from Cisco in the United States. The designation recognizes GET for fulfilling training and other requirements to sell, deploy and support Cisco Digital Media System solutions.
GET serves dozens of area businesses, schools and government offices while specializing in advanced unified communications and voice and data security. The company was formed as a partnership 15 years ago by Tammy Eighmy and David Jacobs.
“Retailers are discovering their targeted marketing and promotions displayed on in-store digital screens improve the overall customer experience and the level of satisfaction customers receive when choosing to shop at a particular store,” says Mr. Jacobs. “The cost of DMS can be lower than traditional signage.”
In northern Illinois and across the nation, use of digital media is big and getting bigger. A March report from ABI Research says total revenue from the U.S. digital signage market is expected to grow by about 33% in 2009 while already factoring in likely declines due to the recession.
Despite the growing popularity of in-store digital messages, Jacobs admits that some retailers have had concerns at first that the signs would become a distraction to shoppers. “But based on what retailers who test digital signs are saying, the opposite happens,” Jacobs notes.
Careful attention to screen size, use of audio, appropriate graphics and animation and the all-important in-store screen location planning between the retailer and GET has resulted in digital messages which are both welcomed by shoppers and viewed as sales generators by store managers.
An example is Davenport, IA-based retailer Von Maur. It took extra care with its deployment of in-store digital signs and called upon the advice of consultants from GET and Cisco. The positioning and everyday use of the screens must be perceived positively by Von Maur’s upscale shoppers who expect their shopping environment to exude taste and elegance, be non-intrusive and convey a feeling of calm. The digital signs now in use have only enhanced Von Maur’s shopping environment, Jacobs says.
The Cisco DMS includes digital signage, enterprise TV, and desktop video applications. Products include Cisco Digital Media encoders, Cisco digital media Manager, Cisco Digital Media Players, Cisco Video Portal, and Cisco LCD Professional Series Displays.
The Cisco Digital Media System enables organizations to create, manage and access compelling digital media to easily connect customers, employees, partners, students and others anywhere, anytime. It is a flexible and comprehensive solution for publishing dynamic content to both on-premises digital signage displays (Cisco Digital Signage) and the desktop (Cisco Desktop Video). Using the network as the platform, the Cisco Digital Media System provides customers across a wide variety of industries with innovative tools for marketing, sales, education and training, communication, and collaboration.
About Global Enterprise Technologies Corporation (GET)
In addition to being a Cisco Authorized Digital Media System Partner, Global Enterprise Technologies is a Cisco Silver Partner with Advanced Unified Communications and Security specializations. (www.getinc.net)
Source: Global Enterprise Technologies Corporation
