Digital Signage Central

On 25th June, a selected group of senior managers from industry, public sector and Higher Education gathered at the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology in London for a seminar run by AV specialists Reflex Limited. They were to spend the morning learning about one the fastest growing areas of audio visual – digital signage systems.

The seminar was the latest in Reflex’s series of technology events, designed to educate end user markets about new technologies that are developing and the practical application of these within corporate and educational establishments.

Reflex’s technology events are somewhat different to many available, as they bring together the main suppliers of each technology – in this case Omnivex, OneLan and CISCO – so that the potential customers can compare directly the benefits of different systems.

According to Roland Dreesden, Reflex MD, they found the suppliers very open to presenting alongside their competitors. “Digital Signage is a young but fast growing sector. We find the suppliers take the view that there is plenty of business for everyone. Some systems are better suited to certain applications and it makes sense strategically to ensure the customer is aware of competitive products and has the information to make the right choices for their particular environment. That way, the whole concept of Digital Signage gets a positive response which benefits the market as a whole.”

Reflex was quick to recognise the potential for Digital Signage and was promoting the technology as far back as 2002 when it really was in its infancy. Since the beginning they have had a dedicated product expert for the technology who has developed a true expertise. “Customers need a high level of support when considering Digital Signage” believes Dreesden. “It’s often part of a larger review of communication systems and they need an expert who can advise them properly about what it can and can’t achieve.”

The technology also fits with Reflex’s green credentials – they are one of very few AV integration companies who have achieved the ISO14001 Environmental Management Standard. “One of the benefits of Digital Signage is that it is an environmentally friendly technology. It reduces significantly the need to produce and distribute information, resulting in huge savings in resources such as paper and toners” says Dreesden.

Reflex has had particular success in the Higher Education market, with Digital Signage featuring in prestigious installations for many universities, including the Imperial College London and Henley Management College.

Financial services is another market that has rapidly adopted the technology and Reflex recently completed a £600k installation for Pictet & Cie’s new London HQ, one of Switzerland’s largest private banks, part of which was the installation of Digital Signage onto their dealer floor.

The technology also has applications in any corporate environment, public venues, retail environments, call centres and within the transport and hospitality sectors.