More vendors are lining up to join the giant of IT distribution as it pushes into AV and digital signage. Scala will now expand its relationship with Ingram Micro Europe (for Scala's digital signage software including SaaS offerings) from just Nordics to all of Europe.

Nathalie Andersen, Director ProAV Digital Signage, Ingram Micro Europe, says, “…We look forward to extending Scala’s reach within the European market whilst offering to our channel partners Scala cutting edge software and recurring revenue streams .” 

“It is great to see the world’s largest technology distributor focusing on delivering a leading digital signage SaaS solution such as Scala Enterprise. Our retail solutions are a key component of the retailer’s omnichannel strategy and our corporate propositions such as the Scala CxO Board and iS solutions are the advanced tools that give business leaders the ability to communicate effectively with insight and real time business stats,” says Harry Horn, VP Marketing, Scala Inc.

Go Scala and Ingram Micro

BroadSign celebrates its 10th anniversary with the release of a new version of its SaaS platform: BroadSign X offers enriched functionality with more simplified workflows and a greater degree of network automation.

OK, you read it “X”. BroadSign would like you to pronounce it as TEN (as the X is in Roman numerals.)

The BroadSign X (TEN) software version follows the introduction of BroadSign Xpress, the company’s first Android media player hardware.

BroadSign Xpress matches the full functionality of PC playback devices at a fraction of the price, reducing the cost of network deployment.

Networks that wish to use the Android player must upgrade to the BroadSign X network management platform, available to existing client networks free of charge.

Among other significant enhancements, advertisers can now spend budgets more efficiently using BroadSign X’s “campaign goal” feature, which allows for a campaign to stop automatically once the desired number of ad runs, impressions or viewer interactions have been achieved.

The new BroadSign X platform also boasts features such as simple screen control, RS 232 device control API, export package check-sum, day part API and TCP triggers, as well as broadcast-like video transitions.

New features and enhancements include:

•     Display unit geopositioning using Google Maps
•     Campaign goals and goal-based targeting
•     Transition animations between videos
•     Simple screen control via DPMS
•     Extra integrity verification on export packages
•     Option to broadcast triggers via TCP instead of UDP
•     RS 232 device control command Player API
•     Day part active query Player API

Go BroadSign X (Ten)

CyberStream showcased fresh features of its digital signage platform, DSplay, along with several user interface enhancements at ISE 2013. DSplay is a software platform that offers extension and customization features to facilitate interactive applications and dynamic content.

The newest addition to DSplay features has been on display, implementing retrieval, processing and presentation from live data feeds. The ability to capture real-time information and create live dashboards can enhance the value of business intelligence infrastructures and create applications in corporate boardrooms, executive offices, operations rooms, and more.

Additionally, DSplay’s newest version now exploits HTML5 technology.

Go DSplay’s New Version

YESCO recently announces a partnership with SmarterSign digital signage software.

Las Vegas-based YESCO, a provider of custom signs to the world, has been creating and building some of the most recognizable signs for over 90 years. YESCO's specific requirements demanded a software solution that was flexible, scalable and easy to use.

"The simplicity of the user interface coupled together with powerful features of SmarterSign have enabled YESCO to open up digital outdoor signage opportunities around the world for companies use to using conventional paper advertising systems," comments Manuel Lynch, General Manager of YESCO Outdoor LCD. "We have seen international acceptance of our SmarterSign software and how much value it can bring to advertising companies".

Go YESCO

Go SmarterSign

Media Frankfurt GmbH, Germany's largest OOH advertising media owner in airports, brings its 161 digital locations onto BroadSign International's digital signage Software-as-a-Service platform.

Media Frankfurt's network includes 238 large-format LCD panels. According to the company, a further number of large LED screens will be added in the near future.

The technical aspects of network operations for Media Frankfurt and managed services are supported by Neo Solutions, a digital signage systems integrator already managing several thousand screens running on BroadSign SaaS.

"Since the switch, we find that the software makes it easy for us to configure the networks as well as schedule and execute campaigns of any complexity," says Christian Brauch, director of operations for Media Frankfurt.

Playing on its popular consumer line of Smart TVs, Samsung is borrowing "smart" for its Smart Signage Platform, an "open-source digital signage platform" built around an embedded media player and software developer kit (SDK).

Samsung’s new SDK for signage software allows software partners to develop customized signage applications suitable for an array of business and user environments. Backed by best-in-breed software developers and solution providers, including Capital Networks, Four Winds Interactive, Scala, Signagelive and Wireless Ronin, customers will have access to signage experts to help create customized solutions.

Powered by a System on Chip (SoC) semiconductor and featuring a dual-core CPU, full codec video processor and either 4GB or 8GB of storage depending on the model, Samsung’s Smart Signage Platform includes an embedded, high-performance media player which allows users to play back content without the need for a separate PC or set-back box.

AOpen releases OpenSign, a web based interactive digital marketing and signage platform for Android devices that allows retailers to install and manage a digital signage network.

OpenSign is an interactive digital marketing and signage platform built for retailers to tackle the frustrations and costs of operating and maintaining a digital signage network. It is built on Ruby on Rails (the same web application framework that powers websites such as Twitter and yellowpages.com) and runs as SaaS.

OpenSign is purpose-built for different screen sizes, such as retail shelf displays and large promotional displays. It lets store owners actively manage digital content, without design experience, from any PC connected to the web.

Being cloud based, OpenSign can be easily integrated across multiple devices and platforms, including mobile devices. It also features local redundancy, meaning that content can still be displayed even if internet connection is lost.

Greg Jeffreys, CEO of Paradigm AV Ltd. lives a dual life. He has one foot in manufacturing and the other in distribution. He has one foot in AV and the other in IT. He has one foot in UK and the other in Europe. He even has one foot in hardware and the other in software.

All that duality puts him straddling the industry’s leading edge and made Paradigm one of the more interesting stands at ISE 2013.

Tidebreak signed a European distribution deal with Paradigm AV just in time for ISE and Paradigm featured their TeamSpot collaboration software on the stand at ISE 2013.

The software lets your customers have a room where you can connect one or more main displays to 10 devices such as laptops, PCs, tablets and smartphones. Participants download the client software from the local network and then can move their own cursors from personal screens onto the displays in the room.