eMedia Networks Corp. (EMM.v), a leading provider of music for retail and business environments, is providing an update on its progress and guidance for the current 2009 fiscal year. eMedia manufactures, markets and services its proprietary audio player to customers on two-to-five year contract terms.

Following its recent fiscal 2008 annual general meeting, the Company disclosed a 29% increase in subscribers over the prior year. For the most recent quarter ending June 30, 2008, eMedia Networks reported a total of 3,946 subscribers. Revenues compared to the prior year and the most recent quarter were up 15% and 19%, respectively. The Company delivered strong subscriber growth with no corresponding increase in headcount. The Company’s 2008 fiscal year ended March 31, 2008.

<< Growth through new markets ————————– >>

The Company recently completed a comprehensive strategic review. As a result, the Company expects to introduce two new products to grow and diversify its subscriber base while increasing its average revenue per subscriber (ARPU). eMedia also expects to continue to enter new vertical markets by expanding its sales efforts beyond apparel retailers, a segment with which the Company has had considerable success. During fiscal 2008, the company successfully won contracts in the gaming and entertainment segment as well as shopping malls and restaurants.

“We will be aggressive in exploiting our quality and cost advantage in both the US and Canada,” said Darren Reiter, CEO. “We are completing development on a new audio player as well as a new video player which we believe will be well-received by new and current clients seeking to increase sales and build their in-store brands.”

<< Growth through new products ————————— >>

eMedia intends to double its product portfolio through the introduction of a video player, expected during Q3. The video player will be designed to provide a low-cost solution for those retailers and businesses interested in digital signage. It will complement the Company’s current audio product (The emPlayer) or exist on its own. According to the latest survey from PQ Media’s Alternative Media Forecast, the average annual growth rate for digital signage is forecasted to be 22 percent for the next four years through 2012. Northern Sky Research estimates global digital signage installations to grow to 850,000 sites by 2018 from 210,00 sites in 2007. A 2007 study by OTX suggests that digital signage catches people’s attention better than any other media including billboards, magazines or television. This and other research suggests digital signage may become a preferred alternative to print media such as posters because of the ability to broadcast motion graphics and other custom moving pictures and content over time.

“The market for digital signage is a natural fit for us: it offers attractive growth possibilities and may well generate higher margins than our current audio offering,” said Jasvir (”Bill”) Athwal, CFO. “Once our video product is available, we will have an additional revenue stream to grow ARPU and achieve our desired subscriber levels.”

<< Fiscal 2009 guidance ——————– >>

During the Company’s 2008 annual general meeting, the Company announced it intends to achieve fourteen to sixteen percent revenue growth and fifteen to seventeen percent subscriber growth for the current fiscal year. It also announced that it expects to achieve profitability at 5,500 subscribers (the “break-even subscriber level”).

<< About eMedia Networks International Corp. —————————————– >>

eMedia provides custom music programming for in-store retail brands and other consumer environments. Since 1991, eMedia has provided an end-to-end audio solution for retailers that require music from fully-licensed major label artists to play in their stores. Through its low-cost emPlayer audio product, eMedia serves over 3,900 subscribers in North America. emPlayer is a proprietary audio player capable of playing CD-quality music and custom audio content from playlists controlled on-site or remotely through the internet. The Company trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol EMM. For more information, visit www.emedianetworks.com

<< Forward-Looking Statements Safe Harbor ————————————– >>

This press release contains forward-looking statements that we are establishing our full year 2009 guidance; that we will build on the momentum created in 2008; that we will continue to build on this momentum in 2008 and deliver value to our shareholders; that we have the right strategy, clear operational focus and the financial discipline to achieve eMedia’s eventual profitability; that we are getting more competitive in the marketplace and learning how to better use our scale to our competitive advantage; that in fiscal 2009 we will grow on both the top and bottom lines; that we anticipate new products to result in stronger sales growth and product mix gains, which will lead to improved margin performance in 2009 and beyond; our 2009 guidance, in particular, expected revenue growth and product mix gains will leverage overhead costs and increase operating margins, that the change in our product mix is a key driver in our ability to deliver higher sales at higher margins. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted in any such forward-looking statements. Such factors, include, but are not limited to, continued higher input costs, pricing actions, increased competition, our ability to differentiate our products from our competitors, increased costs of sales, unexpected manufacturing issues, regulatory actions or delays, unanticipated expenses such as litigation or legal settlement expenses, a shift in our product mix to lower margin offerings, risks from operating internationally and tax law changes. For additional information on these and other factors that could affect our forward-looking statements, see our filings with the TSX, including our most recently filed quarterly report at SEDAR.com. We disclaim and do not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement in this press release.

TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept any

responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE: Emedia Networks International Corp.

Media and Investors, Darren Reiter, CEO, (604) 742-3344, reiter@emedianetworks.com, Web site: http://www.emedianetworks.com; Address: Suite 200, 1862 West Broadway, Vancouver, British Columbia V6J 1Y9

written by Kenneth Dukofsky MA Communication Arts, Marcom Manager of Minicom

Maximizing Return On Investment (ROI) from digital signage networks necessitates optimizing screen placement to ensure the largest number of people are exposed to the greatest amount of content. Less understood is the importance of media player positioning. Media players are susceptible to hazards which affect their Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). Situating your players near the screen, in public, makes them difficult to service and exposes them to multiple environmental hazards, thus lowering their “Mean Time Between Failures” (MTBF). Using extension technology to safely store your media players in an environmentally controlled back room protects as well as makes them easily serviced and maintained thereby increasing their MTBF.

Display device Placement

A major factor in the design of any digital signage network is display device placement. According to Dale Smith of Peerless Industries, “All the well intentioned design work, beautiful display devices and high powered content that money can buy are rendered ineffective if placed in a poor location.” A screen which can not be properly seen by the public renders the entire investment useless. To properly place screens in a digital signage network a long list of requirements must first be met.

Media players have their own set of placement requirements that are at least as rigorous as those governing screens. While screen placement mainly affects the effectiveness of your message delivery, player placement, in contrast, is mainly a Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) consideration.

Modern digital signage networks primarily follow two types of installations regarding the placement of the media player – at the screen or in a back room used for storing the company’s IT related devices.

Player at Screen Technology

In “Player at Screen” systems the media player is mounted directly onto the screen. The media players receive their content from a central content server via a standard IP based network and then transmit the content directly to the display device. This method places your IT equipment in the unprotected public areas exposing them to heat, cold, people and dust. All these have repercussions on the TCO of your media players and digital signage network.

Player in Back Room Technology

Multimedia hardware extension systems use broadcaster/transmitter and receiver units to transmit video, audio and control (serial) signals from a remote media player to single or multiple screens over dedicated CAT5 cable. Using this technology, media players can be removed from the screens, up to 600m/2000ft if necessary, and placed in a protected back room environment.

Benefits of Player at Screen

Player at screen topology is suitable for applications where screens are easily accessible, with or without an existing network infrastructure. This infrastructure can be used to transmit content from the central player to the players at screen. Player at screen applications also uses less hardware than the other options. Both these benefits help reduce hardware and installation costs and simplify set up. The initial outlay in a player at screen application is therefore lower than the competing options. However, as will be seen, as time progresses the TCO of a player at screen application becomes more costly than player in back room applications.

Maintaining, Servicing and Upgrading

When you need to maintain, service or upgrade your media players, be prepared for an ordeal. Since the players are attached to the screens they are usually located either high up in the air or sandwiched between the screen and a wall. To reach a ceiling mounted player you will typically need a ladder. To work on the player you will first have to remove the mounts and brackets and then the players themselves. Then you will have to take the players to a table and attach them to a screen, mouse and keyboard. After you have reprogrammed the player you will need to reattach the players to the screens with their brackets and mounts. If you replace the players with newer ones, you may very well have to change the mounts and brackets as well.

High Service Costs

Publicly servicing players at screen is problematic during store hours, you can not simply close nor is it recommended to publicly have a repairman climb a ladder for an hour or two to fix it. The only option is to have a repairman fix it after store hours when service costs are more expensive and can reach double or triple regular rates.

Benefits of Back Room

Placement Media players using content extension technology can be extended from the screens and placed in a secure and environmentally controlled back room with 24 hour accessibility. These factors help maintain the player and keep it from breaking down.
The racks are specially designed for easy access – making maintenance, service and upgrading simple. If you need to upgrade or service multiple players at once, the task takes minutes instead of hours, because all the players are situated in the same location. A single 1×1m server rack can hold 10 media players.

Low Service Costs

Service costs with extension technology are kept low as the players can be easily accessed during regular working hours. If a problem crops up you can fix it immediately. You do not need to wait until after store hours when service costs are double or triple to service your players as you would with player at screen.

You can read more about this when you download Minicom’s free White Paper “Cost Ramifications of Player Placement in Digital Signage Networks”

If you are involved in implementing a digital signage network, you know that the digital signage player is the heart of the system. Before you decide on which digital signage player to use, you need to learn all you can about SSD and HDD.

What are SSD and HDD?

HDD stands for hard disk drive. If you own a computer, and who doesn’t these days, you’ll likely be familiar with HDDs. They consist of two platters with magnetic surfaces. The platters rotate at very high speeds. Read/write heads in the drive mechanism either read or write data to the disk.

SSD stands for solid state disk (or solid state disk drive). The name comes from a term in the electronics industry that refers to circuitry built entirely of semiconductors. In the context of computer drives, the term SSD refers to the fact that storage is done through semiconductors rather than the magnetic media used on a hard drive. Because they do not rely on spinning platters, SSD drives contain no moving parts.

Storagesearch.com describes SSD as follows: “… the storage medium is not magnetic (like a hard disk) or optical (like a CD) but solid state semiconductor such as battery backed RAM, EPROM or other electrically erasable RAM-like chip.”

Now that you understand the differences, you might be wondering what any of this has to do with digital signage players.

Data Storage Methods and Digital Signage Players

The type of memory used in your digital signage player can have a tremendous impact on life span and performance.

Consider the mechanics of a typical HDD and you’ll understand why. With all of those moving parts, wear and tear is inevitable. Some experts estimate

HDD lifespan to be about 3 years.

On the other hand, SSD drives can last up to ten years, an important consideration when you are investing a significant sum in your digital signage player. Typical SSD Flash chips have around 300,000 write cycles (the number of times data can be copied to them), but some have up to one million write cycles. Most chips also include a “wear-leveling” algorithm that balances the data storage across all of the blocks in the drive.

Response time is another area where HDD and SSD differ. When data is retrieved from a hard disk drive, the motor needs to start so the platters can spin and the heads can read the data. All of those mechanics take time, which makes data retrieval from an HDD much slower than from an SSD. Mark Kyrnin, writing about SSD on about.com, cites a study using laptops that showed a 20% speed increase on SSD versus HDD.

With their many tiny moving parts, hard drives are also very fragile. There is a higher risk of mechanical breakdown in digital signage players using HDD, and a small glitch is all it takes to bring down an entire digital signage network.

Although the technology is superior, users of digital signage players may find the cost of SSD something of an issue. SSD drives are more expensive than HDD, even when you factor in the costs of repairing and replacing hard disk drives. Despite costs, according to Digital Signage Today, most experts still prefer SSD for digital signage players, and they certainly see SSD as the way of the future.

As with all computer technology, new efficiencies are being developed to lower the cost of SSD and make it more affordable for retailers of all sizes. When the economics become more manageable, SSD is expected to dominate the market for digital signage players because of its longer life span and better reliability.

Digital Signage Solutions Leader and Major Sailing Content Publisher Team with Apple(TM) Reseller Solutions, Inc. to Design and Implement State-of-the-Art HD Network to Debut in August in Prestigious International Yachting Destination

Last update: 3:01 a.m. EDT Aug. 1, 2008
BLACKBURN, England & COWES, ISLE OF WIGHT, England, Aug 01, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Dynamax Technologies Ltd., a global leader in digital signage solutions, today announced it has teamed with Cowes, Isle of Wight, U.K.-based The Knowledge Zone Ltd. (TKZ), a major publisher and distributor of sailing, yachting, and boating content, and Solutions, Inc., the U.K.’s premier Apple Premium Reseller and wireless network innovator, to design and implement a high-definition (HD) digital signage network, called iZone, to display yachting-oriented content in the world-famous yachting town of Cowes, Isle of Wight.
The iZone system, comprised of 12 screens stationed throughout Cowes, is securely networked by state-of-the-art wireless technology, and powered by Dynamax Technologies’ POV digital signage content management, preparation, and delivery application. Solutions Inc. supervised the network’s design and technical requirements, and physically installed its wireless nodes and screens. The three companies worked collaboratively to ensure the interoperability of all components, perform multiple operational tests, and bring the network online by July 31, 2008.
Cowes, known worldwide for its yachting heritage, typically hosts approximately 200 racing events each season. The major event of the year is the world-famous Cowes Week, first staged in 1826, and the largest and longest-running regatta of its type in the world. Every year, more than 120,000 sailing aficionados converge on the prestigious international yachting destination for the week-long affair, and to enjoy the town’s unique atmosphere and setting. Now, with the availability of the new iZone network, yachting enthusiasts can permanently experience HD content related to each weekday’s competition, and a wide range of related footage and information on the system throughout the remainder of the year.
“This distinctive, specialized digital out-of-home media network deployment truly showcases POV’s world-class flexibility, scalability, and functionality, as well as its penchant for efficiently managing complex architectures across multiple technology platforms,” said Ian McKenzie, chief executive officer at Dynamax Technologies Ltd. “Moreover, this installation also demonstrates POV’s ease of use, seamless integration, and utility in a wide range of diverse indoor and outdoor environments, industries, and market segments.”
“The introduction of iZone is the next logical step for The Knowledge Zone in significantly expanding the reach and distribution of our sailing and boating content to a much broader and more engaged target audience,” said Steve Sleight, managing editor of The Knowledge Zone. “Digital out-of-home media networks, such as iZone, are important components of our content creation and distribution strategy, and offer tremendous opportunities worldwide to deliver rich, compelling, and useful information, as well as powerful advertising from our marketing partners.”
The initial iZone network rollout consists of 12 HD screens stationed throughout Cowes. One screen is placed outdoors at the town’s main marina, Cowes Yacht Haven, while others are deployed in the town’s most popular pubs. Unlike most digital signage installations, which exclusively display advertising messages, the iZone network broadcasts useful editorial content, as well as advertising. Using a multiple-region format for the screens, the network broadcasts live and recorded HD sailing video footage produced by TKZ; current sailing conditions on the Solent, the area of water between southern England and the Isle of Wight made tricky by strong double tides; weather reports and forecasts; tide information; and scrolling news headlines provided by major news sources and TKZ’s Cowes Online web site.
In the future, the new network will enable TKZ to deliver live content directly from the water to the shoreside audience, who, in previous years, has not been able to get close to the action on the race course. Additional plans include extending the network of screens operated by TKZ to other locations throughout the Isle of Wight and onto the U.K. mainland, and the development of a mobile network to provide real-time race updates, live video, and information to mobile devices.
About Dynamax Technologies Ltd.
Headquartered in the United Kingdom, with regional offices in New York, N.Y., Dynamax Technologies Ltd. is a global leader in digital signage software applications, and a leading designer of out-of-home communications networks for media content owners and distributors, retailers, government agencies, universities, and Fortune Global 500 corporations. Dynamax enables its clients to connect with core target audiences by eliminating many of the complexities associated with launching and maintaining digital signage networks. The company’s flagship product, POV, reaches over 30 million consumers around the world each week by delivering customized and highly-targeted news, advertising, and informational content in real time to thousands of networked screens from a single location. Dynamax has strong partnerships with major digital signage, information technology, and audio/visual hardware vendors, and important customer relationships with top-tier retailers, content providers, and corporations. For more information, please visit http://www.dynamaxworld.com.
About The Knowledge Zone Ltd.
Based in Cowes, Isle of Wight, U.K., The Knowledge Zone (TKZ) is one of a new breed of digital publishers focused on delivering high-quality content on specific topics to targeted audiences through whichever media they prefer. The company specializes in the development, production, and distribution of multimedia content aimed at yachting, boating, and leisure sailing enthusiasts. Its print properties include the heavily-illustrated, world best-selling Complete Sailing Manual, published by DK worldwide; the Royal Yachting Association’s flagship book, Start Sailing; and the Cowes Port Handbook, an annual guide to the U.K.’s sailing and boating playground. In the online realm, TKZ publishes Cowes Online ( http://www.cowes.co.uk), the official Web site of Cowes, and its rich media section Cowes TV ( http://www.cowes.tv), which offers live and on-demand video streams of all sailing competitions staged throughout the year in the town. For more information, please visit http://www.theknowledgezone.net, or http://www.cowes.co.uk.
About Solutions Inc.
Headquartered in Brighton & Hove, with four other retail locations across the southeast region of the U.K., Solutions Inc. was founded on one simple ethos: to provide customers with elegant and affordable resolutions to their specific business logic problems. Now, with over 16 years experience in delivering best-of-breed information technology (IT) and communication facilities to the creative and education sectors, few can match the firm’s professionalism and pedigree. Supported by over 60 technical experts, Solutions Inc is the U.K.’s most dynamic and technically-adept Premium Reseller of Apple’s computer and lifestyle products. Through its own Internet services division, the company has an enviable track record in pervasive wireless deployments, including the U.K.’s first commercial metropolitan area wireless Internet service, launched in Brighton in 2002, and the U.K.’s largest metro area wireless network for home learning, launched in Blackpool in 2004. Solutions Inc. specializes in the complete management of all aspects of a deployment, from hardware specification and network design, to software support and round-the-clock maintenance. For more information, please visit http://www.solutions-inc.co.uk.
SOURCE: Dynamax Technologies Ltd.

Abelson Group, Inc.
Keith R. Pillow, 805-389-1815
keith@abelsongroup.com
or
The Knowledge Zone Ltd
Steve Sleight, +44 (0) 1983-245505
steve.sleight@theknowledgezone.net

CaptiveMeetings, an enterprise web conferencing product, has been selected by Xceed Financial CU to be their corporate web conferencing product.

Louisville, KY - July 24, 2008- Captive Indoor Media announced today that Los Angeles based Xceed Financial CU, formerly Xerox FCU, has selected CaptiveMeetingsTM as the platform to be used for their corporate web conferencing tool. Xceed Financial was previously a customer of Webex.

‘We have been working with Captive’s digital signage software product for some time now and recognized their ability to produce and support a quality product,’ said Kathy Walker, Executive Project Coordinator for Xceed Financial CU. ‘When we learned of their web conferencing product, CaptiveMeetings, we were very intrigued. And after we saw how easy it was to use and the quality of the video feeds which accompany the platform, we knew we had found the product we wanted,’ added Walker.

CaptiveMeetings is an enterprise level conferencing tool that includes up to 4 simultaneous, live video feeds with VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol), screen sharing, meeting record, pass the ball, chat and whiteboard functionality. Even still, possibly the most unique trait of the product is the ability for customers to integrate live video, via Captive Meetings, to any digital sign connected to their digital signage platform. Through this feature, executives can address employees or customers at the screen level in a fully interactive and immersive way.

‘The addition of CaptiveMeetings to our product portfolio fills a void in the marketplace that our retail customers have voiced to us over the years,’ said Brian Nutt, President and CEO of Captive Indoor Media. ‘The bottom line is that our customers experience turn-over at the store level and they are continually challenged to solve the issue of training employees at an acceptable cost. CaptiveMeetings helps them to do this. Whether they need to hold a traditional web meeting at the browser level or address an audience of employees at a store via a digital sign, we’ve got the solution for them,’ added Nutt.

‘The next step for us is to integrate CaptiveMeetings with our digital signage network. We are very excited to add this feature to our system,’ added Kathy Walker.
About Captive Indoor Media
Captive Indoor Media is the leading provider of networked digital signage software solutions. Captive Indoor Media manages content creation, equipment procurement and software design and has installations across the United States. Its headquarters are in Louisville, KY. For additional information, call (502) 779-8981.

About Xceed Financial CU
Xceed Financial CU formed in 1964 as a credit union for associates of Scientific Data Systems, later acquired by the Xerox Corporation. Today, Xceed serves not one company, but hundreds of Select Employer Groups nationwide, with a total membership of more than 77,000 members across 50 states.

LENEXA, Kan. — Keywest Technology has unveiled the HD-Video POD, a high-definition digital signage content player offering a professional alternative to the DVD players still being used to drive tens of thousands of digital signs.

“As high-definition television displays begin to dominate the digital signage market, those responsible for the signs face an interesting question,” said Keywest Technology president Nick Nichols. “Specifically, do they invest in the next generation of high-definition DVD player, which can cost several hundred dollars and is not purpose-built for digital signage content playback, or do they look for a more professional alternative? We believe the HD-Video POD offers the HD display support they they can’t find in a DVD player.”

With WiFi and Ethernet support, multiple units can be controlled and updated from a central Keywest Technology InfoZone network. Packaged in a fanless “mini” chassis, the Linux-based unit comes with DVI, HD component, S-video and VGA output. The HD-Video POD player is available with USB memory support as well as with an optional 40GB hard drive for applications requiring greater media storage.

Additionally, the HD-Video POD comes with software that runs on any Windows platform. The software is timeline-based, allowing users to drag and drop video and graphics onto a timeline to sequence playback of media and build schedules. Existing playlists can be modified as they run.

Cisco Systems is enhancing its digital signage product suite with two new product offerings - Enterprise TV and the SMP4400G.

Enterprise TV (ETV) is a new interactive digital media application which provides on-demand video and broadcasts live TV channels over IP, with control through a simple on-screen menu programme guide.

The DMP (Digital Media Player) is a hi-def player that supports MPEG-4/H.264 and Adobe Flash 9 and can combine live playback and on-demand video with upto 4 gigabytes of locally stored media.