ANDROID TV MANAGEMENT: ENHANCED GUEST EXPERIENCE WITH TEAM BENEFITS WILL WEBCHAT GROWTH CONTINUE POST-COVID? BYOD TO EMPOWER YOUR EMPLOYEES, AND INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY AUG/SEPT 2022 ISSUE 38 HOW CAN RETAILERS LEVERAGE TECHNOLOGY TO PROSPER DURING THE FESTIVE PEAK? BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE TO SUPPORT A POST-PANDEMIC MINDSETCONTENTS 2KIOSK AND DIGITAL SIGNAGE MAGAZINE A round up of some of the latest kiosk and digital signage news to hit the editor’s inbox. Nadav Avni, CMO of Radix Technologies looks at Android TV management in hotels, giving an enhanced guest experience PLUS benefits for your whole team. 2KIOSK AND DIGITAL SIGNAGE MAGAZINE 06 NEWS 05 EDITOR’S NOTE 18 ANDROID TV MANAGEMENT: ENHANCED GUEST EXPERIENCE PLUS BENEFITS FOR YOUR WHOLE TEAM 14 HOW CAN RETAILERS LEVERAGE TECHNOLOGY TO PROSPER DURING THE FESTIVE PEAK? Publisher: Abacus Communications Editor: Laura Vallis Advertising: sales@kdseurope.com www.kdseurope.com Surrey Technology Centre, Surrey Research Park, 40 Occam Road, Guildford, GU2 7YG ISSN 2756-1097 The author and publisher, and its officers and employees, do not accept any liability for any errors that may have occurred, or for any reliance on their contents. All trademarks and brand names are respected within our publication. However, the publishers accept no responsibility for any inadvertent misuse that may occur. This publication is protected by copyright © 2022 and accordingly must not be reproduced in any medium. All rights reserved. Jonathan Mauerer, VP Operations at Teamwork Commerce looks at the question - Heading into 2022’s festive season, why is it so important for retailers to push the boundaries of innovation with their technology adoption?Peter Ruffley, CEO of Zizo, discusses how fast analytics projects that deliver rapid business insight are now urgently required to rebuild trust – and not just in data. With some communication, BYOD can improve morale and productivity for staff working from home, argues Sam Roberts, Sector Director at mpro5. CONTENTS 3 KIOSK AND DIGITAL SIGNAGE MAGAZINE 26 BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE TO SUPPORT A POST- PANDEMIC MINDSET 22 BRING YOUR OWN DEVICE CAN EMPOWER YOUR EMPLOYEES, AND INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY TOO Janine Hunt, Client Partnership Director at Kura explores the subject - Webchats: Will Growth Continue in a Post- Pandemic World? Promotions, organisational changes and new recruits across the kiosk and digital signage industry. 30 WEBCHATS: WILL GROWTH CONTINUE IN A POST-PANDEMIC WORLD? 36 MOVERS & SHAKERS Would you like to contribute to KDS? Please submit news stories, articles, press releases and industry expert opinions to Laura Vallis editor@kdseurope.com. Please include high resolution (300dpi+ CMYK) images. We publish all news and articles that adhere to our editorial guidelines free of charge. This ensures our content is unbiased and relevant to our industry. The views expressed in the articles and technical papers are those of the authors and are not endorsed by the publishers. Kiosk Printing Solutions Star Success Customers around the world include: Premier Inn, Sun International, Coop Switzerland, P&O Ferries, Subway, Eurotunnel to name just a few. As a leading installerof packaged and modular specialist kiosk printing solutions, Star offers a wide range of industry-leading products. With over thirty years’ experience in the kiosk industry and an unrivalled reputation for reliability, Star has a highly experienced Hardware Engineering Team that can provide the technical expertise and flexibility required to develop customised products. This wealth of experience pushes the boundaries in POS and tablet POS printing to bring the most advanced kiosk solutions. With customers worldwide across retail and hospitality, Star’s solutions meet the demands of even the most compact kiosk designs, while offering high performance printing that remains unrivalled today. Star Micronics EMEA Star House, Peregrine Business Park, Gomm Road, High Wycombe, Bucks. HP13 7DL, UK Tel: +44 (0) 1494 471111 • Fax: +44 (0) 1494 473333 • Email: Sales@Star-EMEA.com www.Star-EMEA.comIt may feel like Summer is still hanging on and the children have only just gone back to school, but in the retail world Hallowe’en, Black Friday, Cyber Monday and (I’m really sorry to bring this to your attention) Christmas are just around the corner! This quarter is the most important for the retail and hospitality sector. It is also the time that we start to look at ways of easing the customer experience to ensure that the time waiting to be served is reduced (or at least enjoyable) so they will return in quieter times. In this issue we look at the festive peak and why it is imperative for retailers to push the boundaries of innovation with their technology adoption in order to prosper. We also discuss how an enhanced hotel guest experience can be managed using android TV management and how it can pay dividends not just for the guest, but for the hospitality team. Of course, we are still reeling from a post-pandemic world and many of us remain apprehensive about the prospect of autumn and winter with yet another new variant pushing itself into our day-to-day lives. With that in mind, we explore how analytics projects that deliver rapid business insights are urgently required to rebuild trust. We also examine whether webchats and virtual meetings will continue their growth in a post-pandemic world and consider how BYOD options can empower employees, improving morale while increasing productivity. In addition to our feature articles, we have our regular round-up of the latest kiosk and digital signage news and our Movers and Shakers section details the promotions, organisational changes and new recruits across our industry. Do you have news to share? Would you like to see your feature in the next issue of Kiosk and Digital Signage magazine? Why not start by getting in touch with me via editor@kdseurope.com? I look forward to hearing from you. Laura Vallis Editor FOREWORD 5 KIOSK AND DIGITAL SIGNAGE MAGAZINE SEASON OF GOOD TIMESNEWS IN BRIEF 6KIOSK AND DIGITAL SIGNAGE MAGAZINE A MULTITACTION ALTERNATIVE FOR VIDEO WALLS MultiTaction disrupted the market in 2007 with innovative touch displays for building large interactive video walls, combining an offer of both hardware and software. It has been used in museums, executive boardrooms, educational institutions, briefing centres, and sports arenas. Displax Tile is a bezel-less 55in touch display, specially engineered with an ultra-slim bezel for the build-up of seamless and unlimited interactive video walls to empower true collaboration. Tile also supports any operating system, making it possible to select your preferred platform with no strings attached. It has active touch from edge to edge, meaning it can even detect a touch on the bezel, and has incredible, reliable touch performance with 100 simultaneous touch points, operating 24/7. Tile is a robust product already present in hundreds of installations worldwide with proven reliability. To empower Tile hardware, Displax has built a close relationship with Intuiface. Intuiface software is a no-code platform that dramatically simplifies and accelerates a team’s ability to create complex, deeply engaging, interactive digital content. A superset of MultiTaction’s showcase presentation software, Intuiface enables teams to build compelling touch-first experiences for Displax Tile deployments of any size, from a single screen to multi-display walls, and for any platform, including Windows and Android – all without having to write a line of code. In contrast to the high cost of MultiTaction hardware, software and services, the combined Displax and Intuiface solutions are significantly more cost-effective, accommodating a far wider range of budgets. This comes without sacrificing quality as both companies are known for robust product reliability. CREATION IS 29TH FASTEST- GROWING BUSINESS IN UK Full-service event company Creation is celebrating monumental success having ranked 29th in The Sunday Times 100 following a record-breaking financial year and staggering growth. Creation co-founder Tom Whittle commented, “We are thrilled to have earned the growth that we have. We were fortunate that we weren’t a huge company at the start of the pandemic as this allowed us to look inward and reassess how we can most effectively run our business, not only for us but also for our clients. We also managed to remain debt- free throughout the disruption which allowed us to be more dynamic. Remaining as open as possible seemed like a gamble at the time but we have come out of the abnormal period with many new opportunities ahead of us.” Creation works with some of the biggest brands in the world providing design, fabrication, technical production, storage, logistics and brand asset management services. ABSEN POLARIS TAKES CENTRE STAGE AT NWG INNOVATION FESTIVAL Absen’s Polaris series of rental LED displays were supplied for the recent NWG Innovation Festival, which returned to Newcastle Racecourse (UK) after a two-year hiatus. Organised by Northumbrian Water Group (NWG), the 2022 NWG Innovation Festival featured live music, comedy, tech demos and wellbeing events, as well as design sprints, hacks, workshops and activities around topics such as climate change, cyber-security and water scarcity. The theme for this year’s festival was ‘Untapped Potential’. Sam Gordon, director of Big Purple Group (Big Purple Productions/Big Purple Events), specified the Polaris LED panels in two configurations: two PL4.8 displays were used on either side of the (indoor) main stage, while one PL3.9 was deployed outside and displayed rolling social-media coverage of the event. Like the rest of the Polaris range, the PL4.8 and PL3.9, which were configured as 4 × 2m screens, offer high contrast, brightness and colour uniformity, supported by technologies such as HDR10 and UltraBlack, while the PL series’ integrated curve connection block system allows for high levels of alignment accuracy in both flat and curved (from -7.5° convex to +10° convex) configurations. With a panel weight of just 14kg and an automatic vertical locking system, Polaris screens can also be installed by a single person, and the rear maintenance module allows for quick and easy servicing.7 KIOSK AND DIGITAL SIGNAGE MAGAZINE NEWS IN BRIEF Star Micronics has announced the latest addition to its range of Sanei SK1 kiosk printers, the SK1-311SK linerless kiosk printer. This printer enhances Star’s wide selection of highly compact Sanei open frame printers for limited space enclosures. The Sanei SK1-311SK can be built into a kiosk to offer a versatile labelling solution that supports full glue coverage MAXStick media, as well as PlusD diamond pattern, making it ideal for a range of applications in the retail, hospitality and transport sectors. Designed to print repositionable variable length thermal labels, the SK1-311SK eliminates any unused white space on labels, thus reducing paper consumption. With its open chassis design, 200mm/sec print speed and 80mm paper width, the space-saving and lightweight SK1-311SK is perfect for integration into a variety of kiosk terminals for any self-service application. With StarPRNT emulation, Star’s wide range of drivers/SDKs and utilities can be used for various operating systems. In addition, thanks to enhanced firmware, the paper in the SK1-311SK is periodically moved to prevent adhesion inside the unit if it is not used for long periods of time, while a textured sensor bar ensures accidental label adhesion is avoided. Furthermore, all SK1-311 models are available with RS- 232C and USB interfaces which integrate with many current kiosk solutions. The SK1-311SK builds on Star’s existing range of linerless printers that includes the Cloud enabled TSP654IISK printer with paper taken sensor. This printer has been integrated into global retail and hospitality applications for reliable and accurate food and product labelling as well as kitchen order printing. “In response to the growing demand for compact printer mechanisms to meet the current trend for slim, space-saving kiosks, Star has actively expanded its range of Sanei printers,” stated Simon Martin, Director & General Manager, Star Micronics EMEA. “Offering the new Sanei SK1-311SK linerless kiosk printer demonstrates Star’s commitment to providing a variety of kiosk solutions with exceptional functionality and maximum flexibility.” NEW SANEI SK1-311SK LINERLESS PRINTER FROM STAR MICRONICS Publish your news and company announcements here. Contact: editor@kdseurope.com Embedded systems and display solutions provider, Review Display Systems has announced the introduction of a 3.5in subcompact single board computer from AAEON, a manufacturer of advanced industrial and embedded computing platforms. The GENE-TGU6 features the latest 11th Generation Intel Core i7, i5, i3 and Celeron SoC processors and can deliver performance enhancements of up to 20% over previous generations of embedded processors. Additional on-board features are designed to support digital signage, automation, AI processing and Edge IoT applications. Featuring compact mechanical dimensions of just 146mm (l) x 101.7mm (w) and implementing an innovative thermal design, the GENE-TGU6 has been developed to manage harsh industrial and embedded environments with an operating temperature range of -40°C to 85°C and a wide input voltage range of +9V to +36V. The integrated embedded Intel Iris Xe graphics enable support for high- definition video, with the GENE-TGU6 providing five video outputs capable of simultaneously supporting up to four 4K displays. Video output is provided with an HDMI 2.0b, two DisplayPort 1.4a, a DisplayPort 1.4a via Type C, and an on-board LVDS/embedded DisplayPort. EMBEDDED BOARD FROM RDS FOR DIGITAL SIGNAGE AND AUTOMATION APPLICATIONSNEWS IN BRIEF 8KIOSK AND DIGITAL SIGNAGE MAGAZINE To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, its science museum is staging a large-scale dinosaur exhibition called "The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: The Big Eight – Dinosaur Revelation”. Eight of the most iconic prehistoric creatures, original fossil material and fully intact skeletons are illuminated by a whole host of multimedia projection techniques and special lighting effects, blending the worlds of scientific research and unique scenography. Audiences are being offered immersive experiences to appreciate such a unique display. Local system integrator, Cosmovision, was tasked with setting up multiple short- throw projectors – in both landscape and portrait orientation – onto a wave-shaped canvas structure. Jason Yeung, Cosmovision’s Technical Sales Engineer, expressed just how complex this project was, due to the irregularities of the set-up: “The 10m x 7m wave-shaped canvas required a complex placement of equipment; we had to take into account overlapping areas to blend edges and eliminate any projection shadows,” he said. “It was difficult, but using PIXERA’s integrated Vioso camera calibration software, the calculations could easily be done automatically.” Two units of AV Stumpfl’s PIXERA two QUAD media servers, deployed alongside multiple short-throw projectors (with rotating lenses), were Cosmovision’s choice for a highly demanding install like this. The PIXERA media server system is an integral component of cutting-edge workflows that can feature ultra-high definition or Unreal engine content and is available as a hardware-based or software-only solution. “The client was extremely satisfied with the outcome of this install – it is such a pleasure to be part of this fascinating application, bringing quality AV equipment into museum environments takes the visitor experience to a new and exciting level,” added Yeung. “We can’t wait to see what the future will bring as immersive experiences grow in popularity, with AV equipment being pivotal to taking visitors into a whole new world.” AV STUMPFL ADDS TO PROJECTION MAGIC AT DINOSAUR EXHIBITION Publish your news and company announcements here Contact: editor@kdseurope.com BrightSign has unveiled its new XD5 media players, which join the previously announced XC5 players to round out the first wave of Series 5 media players expected to ship in Q4. “Our family of Series 5 media players will represent our most complete and, by far, the most powerful family of media players BrightSign has ever offered,” said BrightSign CEO Jeff Hastings. “As we prepare to ship all four of our XC5 and XD5 models in the near future, we’re confident that these new media players will serve virtually any use case for the most demanding 4K and even 8K content applications.” The new BrightSign XD5 lineup comprises of two models, the XD235 and XD1035. Both have been engineered to deliver inspiring 4K experiences for enterprise-level digital signage application. The players’ upgraded 4K HTML engine is optimised for responsive interactivity and display of real-time dashboards through significant upgrades to HTML rendering, motion graphics and JavaScript performance. Hardware-accelerated 4K content rotation and a dynamic mosaic mode add flexibility to the authoring and playback experience. Power over Ethernet (PoE+), a perfected industrial design and a stable supply chain of components make BrightSign’s new XD5 lineup a highly reliable solution to meet or exceed any enterprise digital signage requirement now and well into the future. BrightSign’s new XD5 models join the XC2055 and XC4055 media players. These models offer the company’s most powerful HTML5/ graphics engine to-date. BRIGHTSIGN EXPANDS WITH NEW XD5 MEDIA PLAYERSNEWS IN BRIEF 9 KIOSK AND DIGITAL SIGNAGE MAGAZINE VITEC, IPTV, video streaming and digital signage solutions provider, will showcase its latest products and initiatives at IBC 2022 on Stand 7.A39. Under the spotlight will be the company’s newest, best-in- class IP video products and services – including its MGW Diamond+ OG Encoder – as well as an increased focus on how these solutions can help enterprises move towards carbon neutrality. Since the last IBC in 2019, VITEC’s IPTV and digital signage product portfolio has been strengthened by the acquisition of Exterity. This deal has opened a new chapter for VITEC and puts the company in a strong position to capitalise on the growth of businesses deploying IP video streaming solutions across their enterprises. Bruno Teissier, SVP of Sales, VITEC, said, “It’s exciting to be able to talk with the industry about some of the significant developments that have been happening at VITEC in the interim. We’re delighted to showcase our MGW Diamond+ OG Encoder at IBC, which will deliver huge benefits in many broadcast applications.” LUFC IMPROVES CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE Leeds United Football Club (LUFC) has improved the customer experience at the turnstiles at its Elland Road Stadium, as part of an upgrade to its existing Allied Telesis high capacity resilient network core. The smooth working of the turnstiles depend on reliable connectivity thanks to a high-capacity Allied Telesis network. Designed, installed, maintained and supported by NETprotocol, the network covers the club’s Elland Road Stadium in Leeds and its training grounds in Wetherby. Peerless-AV has announced that it will be running expert guided ‘Behind the Screens’ Technology Tours at A New AV Experience Showcase and Networking Event, in September at Lord’s Cricket Ground, London. Hosted by Peerless-AV and Absen, the tours will leave from the Nursery Pavilion providing visitors with an inside look at the solutions employed to deliver engaging content throughout the stadium grounds, with a focus on specific areas such as content management, LED screens, challenges of matchday operations and future developments. “Lord’s isn’t just an iconic venue for its sporting prowess, it’s also home to the recently opened Compton and Edrich stands, and state-of-the-art scoreboard technology with Absen LED at its core,” said Keith Dutch, MD – EMEA, Peerless- AV. “New for 2022, we will be offering Showcase visitors the unmissable opportunity to join daily guided Technology Tours around the grounds, with experts offering their valuable insight into the world of stadium signage.” The new Technology Tours will show visitors to the iconic media centre, to the Absen A99 Stadium Perimeter LED Displays, moving on to the two 10mm Absen SR10 LED Screens at the main playing field, explaining why this technology is particularly suited to sports stadium digital signage and insight into the remote management and implementation of live scoring on matchdays. Ross Burling, Industry Development Director OOH & Sports at Absen, commented: “We are delighted to be partnered with Peerless-AV in an event of this prestige. LED tech provides a huge number of opportunities for stadiums to inform, entertain and interact with their spectators. We’re very proud to be showcasing our A99 perimeter displays, while also being able to show the 73sqm of Absen SR10S, located in the new Compton and Edrich stands.” Tour attendees will also visit the iconic Media Centre and will have the unmissable chance to take a photo of their name up on the scoreboard with a century innings at Lord's, The Home of Cricket. PEERLESS-AV ANNOUNCES ‘BEHIND THE SCREENS’ TECHNOLOGY TOURS VITEC TO REVEAL DIAMOND+ OG ENCODERNext >