Baricentro Barcelona, a state-of-the-art shopping center, has now chosento integrate Digital Signage into its retail concept, using the expertise ofDigital Out of Home system integrator ALOOHA, who is a valued partnerof AOpen.
Baricentro was the first shopping center built in Spain. As visionaryentrepreneurs in the 1980’s the founders of Baricentro set out torevolutionize the shopping experience by building an enormous shoppingcenter nearby the heart of Barcelona, with an ample offering of stores andentertainment.
Today, over 25 years later, Baricentro continues to be an innovator. Withover 140 highly acclaimed establishments, spread out across 65,000m² ofcommercial space, Baricentro now holds an unparalleled offering of value-orientedstores, capable of tending to all the needs and expectations ofbuyers.
The Challenge
Being one of the first companies in Spain to have built a shoppingcenter, Baricentro ischallenged to stay ahead of the game. Theirstrategy is to keep integrating new technologies, to enhance theshopping experience and attract new visitors. With their extensivebackground in retail, Baricentro now seeks to heighten the shoppingexperience by using forms of digital signage and wayfinding. Theshopping center needed a system that would guide customers to theirdestination, to make shopping more convenient. Besides theinformative aspect, store owners in the shopping center were alsolooking for a way to promote sales and increase profitability in anefficient and cost effective manner and the management of Baricentrogladly supports that need.
The management of Baricentro notes: “We are very pleased to have adigital circuit forinformation and publicity. It gives us the opportunity toprovide better service to our retailers with an attractive, fast andinteractive environment for visitors and an excellent cost/benefit ratio.”
The Solution
In 2011 the management of the shopping center chose to install aninnovative digital information and advertising 
system. They trusted thecompany ALOOHA, a Spanish Digital Signage solution provider andDigital Out Of Home operator, to supply, install and oversee thecommercial operation of the project.
ALOOHA designed, integrated and installed an interactive digitaltouchscreen directory at each of the 6 entrances of the shopping center,replacing the obsolete static and paper directories. The directories wereequipped with monotouch technology, using the AOpen Digital EngineDE2700 fanless systems as media player of choice. Thanks to theaccurate design of the graphics, texts and menus created by ALOOHAfor Baricentro; customers can now navigate through the directory in anintuitive and effortless manner, making it incredibly easy to find thestore or service that they are looking for. The system is able to provide allinformation in three languages: Spanish, Catalan or English.
Besides the directories, ALOOHA also added 11 digital advertisingscreens (dPoP®) to the DOOH circuit, placed strategically across the twofloors of the shopping center. Every one of these advertising panels ordPoP® is enforced by the powerful AOpen Digital Engine DE7000, making it possible to offer signage with thehighest quality images at Full HD. The set-up has the ability to directionally and conditionally aim soundtowards the shopper viewing the images, avoiding any acoustic noise. ALOOHA also developed a cutting edgeapplication to incorporate facial recognition technology into the system. Based on non-intrusive andanonymous recognition, the system can make an extensive analysis of the direct impact on those viewing theprojected content. The analysis is important for the creators of the content: to measure customer behavior inresponse to the content that was shown on the displays each day and to find out the number of people directlywatching the content and the average watching time. This information can help to create better targetedcontent to increase sales and brand awareness.
PLC technology
For the installation of the entire circuit the integratorrelied on ground breaking PLC broadband technology.Power Line Communication allows digital content totravel through the cables of the electrical grid. Powerwire circuits have the ability to carry differentfrequencies, so they can also be used to transmit digitalinformation to all the elements of the DOOH circuit,therefore eliminating the need for installation ofdedicated data network cabling. Using PLC technologyfor this type of application, allows for significant savingsconcerning costs and installation time without losingcapacity in terms of bandwidth and keeping a very highreliability ofcommunications.
Since the implementation in December 2011, the concept has received very positive feedback from shoppers,advertisers and store owners alike. The system integrator and DOOH operator ALOOHA is now focused onimplementing new and advanced services that promote sales thus to increase profitability for the retailers housed in Baricentro as well as brands and advertisers outside.
About ALOOHA
ALOOHA is a company dedicated to providing Interactive Digital Audiovisual Communication, pioneering thetransformation of OOH media into the digital era in Spain since 2008. It is their mission to integrate variousinformative technologies and marketing into a new form of out-of-home communication, to become one of theprimary DOOH operators in Europe. ALOOHA deploys digital communication circuits; they call dPoP®, whichallow advertisers to promote their products and services through means that are more flexible, powerful,accessible and affordable than traditional media. ALOOHA is responsible for the design, manufacturing,installation and operation of the DOOH circuits in shopping malls, corporate and retail environments. ALOOHAcontinues to innovate day by day in digital signage, to provide new and improved services to its customers.
About AOpen
AOpen, Inc. has more than 15 years of IT hardware manufacturing experience along with keen insights into ITindustry trends that help drive the continuous development of high-end IT solutions.
As the leading manufacturer of reliable, powerful and green hardware solutions world-wide, combined with theunique small form factor of the specially designed media player called AOpen Digital Engine, AOpen is able toprovide an outstanding platform for 24/7 operability in applied computing. The range of players, from low-endto high-end with fan or fanless, are designed for excellence: from basic bare systems to state-of-the-artmultimedia solutions built to fit customers’ needs. The WarmTouch series complements the AOpen productline with small and extremely sleek displays with or without touch. With in-depth market knowledge AOpen canoffer advice for complete digital signage platform solutions. AOpen cooperates with its global value addedchannel network to go to market.
Source: AOpen
