Digital Signage at Work - Part II

For those who remember;

http://ctiimpact.blogspot.com/2010/01/digital-signage-at-work.html

Well - Here it is again - Digital Signage at Work - Part II

At an event with the family this weekend - and came across a family complete digital signage install at a Convention Center. Rear projecting film for an impact visual for general information, flat screens displays related to the specific events occurring in the different halls and of course one of my favorites - Digital Menu Board.

The first picture here is a sheet of rear projection glass - suspended from the ceiling with cables - and about 12 feet behind is the projector - I circled it the first photo. The way the deployment is it was not apparent how the glass was light. Very Cool!

The second picture shows it more in context - the 4x8 sheet is just hanging there and it provides different content related to events at the convention center, ads for local businesses, and ads for the co-located hotel.

Now the convention center has two levels with about 4 very large conference rooms/exhibit halls per level. Each room can be broken down into smaller rooms if need be. So the large Rear Projection Film welcomed every one to the multiple events going on and provided direction. In addition to the ads (product placement) the content was designed to improve the attendees' experience at the convention center.

The second install I would like to talk about were the 50" screens that not only had information about the exhibit halls nearby, but product placement as well. The event information helped me out - so not a bad thing. But the product videos were great from a visual standpoint. I believe this reduced/replaced convention center staff by providing information to attendees so they did not have to ask anyone. (Which is always a good thing.)


The last install I want to talk about is the Digital Menu Board. The lower banner was customized to the events occurring. "Welcome Dancers - Try an Energy Bar" with the logo the host of the event. (It was a dance event for my 12 year old daughter.)

I just believe if you have multiple location restaurant you need digital menu boards. Change prices - customize it for local events and remove the cost of Print and Distribution of menus. Keep the content fresh and current. Remember when Tomatoes were in short supply - with Digital Menu Boards you can adjust for emergency changes.

It is amazing what you can find when you look for it. Digital Signage at Work - I wonder when Part III will come along.

www.cti-kc.com - Contact Us for More Information.

Leaning on Partners

Oh Boy!

I am working with a marketing company right now. Their efforts are being funded by IBM.
The CTI Solutions sales rep has marketing going on in the Oakland area - funded by Toshiba.
CTI attended 4 trade shows in February - Scala funded a lot of the effort.
Microsoft is funding an effort for KC and Oakland.
.....getting the picture yet.

Why?

IBM, Microsoft, Toshiba, and Scala are all providing dollars to CTI Solutions. They do this because of business. CTI Solutions works with our clients to provide the solutions that work for the client - not our partners. As a result we sell a lot of our partner's products and services.

Why?

Our clients know we are partner neutral. Our vendor list is all the manufactures of laptops and PC based software tools. Our vendor list is a who's who of the Digital Signage industry.

Big Deal Right?

Well the money for marketing is excellent - but when your partners dedicate time as well you CTI Solutions must be delivering. Toshiba is regularly at the CTI offices in Denver, Dallas and KC. Ingram Micro (have not mentioned them yet) is on the conference calls with our team and our clients. Citrix (another one not mentioned yet) assists us with client needs and designing solutions. Magenta Research provides hardware and support for our Digital Signage showroom.

Our sales reps lean on Samsung, HP, Scala, Dell, Harris and especially Toshiba.

Why?

Simple - to know what the best solution is for our client's budget. Our clients our more important than our partners. After all who "Leans on their clients?"

So?

Learn more about CTI Solutions and what we can do for you. www.cti-kc.com

After all - these companies don't just give us money and time just because we are nice.

New Re-Launches - 30 Years in the Making

Wow - 1st Quarter In the Books.

1. Digital Signage - Sales and Consulting
2. Laptops - Sales and Service
3. Desktops - Sales and Service
4. Desktop Virtualization
5. .....

There is a lot going on at CTI Solutions. Within the Current 4 our verticals are education, insurance, retail, government and medical facilities. - Wait a minute? Where is healthcare? Is not everyone in the healthcare or support of healthcare business?

The "medical facilites" is our healthcare vertical. We are not in healthcare - we do not know a stint from a brace - But our clients are the IT and Business Development offices within the medical facilites. IT for the Laptops, Desktops and Virtualizations projects. Business Development offices talk to CTI Solutions due to our Digital Signage expertese. After all it is a special school they send you to to learn how to design a hospital. (If you believe that one......)

The difference with CTI Solutions is we deliver. The 1st Qtr of 2010 was an interesting one. We went to 4 large trade shows in 4 different states. The difference was we Re-Launched into medical facilities. Our education vertical improved, Retail keeps getting better for us and Hospitality will be our 2nd QTR re-launch. The benefit is with 30 Years of Experience - we have been their before - and we are there again.

Find out how we can help you. Contact Us.

www.cti-kc.com

Not all Technology is Good Technology (or Omission Sales Force)

Bear with me on this one.

Had a client come to me because the previous vendor was not honest with them. (Omission Sales Force)

If I need to manage arrival times of airplanes with aircrews at a busy airport – a basic accounting program cannot help me. If I need to run a home based business – a SCADA program cannot help me. Software needs to be applied correctly. How important is the right tool for the right job. Well….

There is an article about software in Baseline Magazine about the issue. “‘We Really Did Screw Up’ - Kaiser Permanente Kidney Transplant Program” is the article. (Google it) It shows how the greatest intentions, the best of systems – if applied wrong can have dire consequences.

Technology (Software and/or Hardware) used for the wrong reason will fail. Our lead products assist companies with their technology infrastructure (See last post) and Digital Signage needs – but don’t ask it to manage an airport, or logistics.

At CTI Solutions we focus on what we do well. Hertz does not do oil changes in the aftermarket and Jiffy Lube doesn’t rent cars. We focus on what we do well. The issue isn’t companies that engage large houses for IT projects get it wrong – the sales force of the large technology companies and digital signage companies are effective. They don’t tell you what you want to hear – they let you believe what you want and don’t correct you. They don’t commit anything wrong – their level of omission is exceptional. This is the “Omission Sales Force”. If you are a potential client – ASK QUESTIONS! Don’t assume. The "Large Well Known" sales team will let you believe what you want – so ask the questions…….

At CTI Solutions our solutions performs. Am I sold on CTI? You bet. I didn’t CTI Solutions because “it is a job” – this is a company that is looking to grow and everybody wears multiple hats. I took it because I believed in the ownership and company.

Is our technology products and service all things to all people – no. But when our sales team tells you something - believe it. 30 Years of Success - Making Technology Your Advantage.

www.cti-kc.com

Digital Signage + Laptops + VDI = More Money for You

Digital Signage is an important componet to any new construction
Laptops are important to individuals who work with clients at client sites
VDI is important to lower costs for employees who never work at the client site

To say what we do is important is a stretch. What are clients do is important. Hospitals, Visiting Nurses, Engineers and Lawyers are some of the professionals that come through our doors. Why? Because they use laptops and tablet PCs. Something we not only sell but we service as well. Allowing them to work - save people and help people, projects and the public. (Did I mention how many schools we work with?)

Retail Also - Important? Well if they are publicly traded - Yes! Performance matters - and we provide the support so they can perform. If you are a large retail outfit and you have a lift in Same Store Sales - Does the "Street" care? Yes. The uptick on the stock provides leverage to hire, expand and grow. Digital Signage can provide a mechinism to lift sales.

Insurance Also - Important? Well if they are spending too much money on infrastructure - It kills their performance. With VDI we can lower that cost - again providing leverage.

Business are in the business to provide service - we are no difference. We provide a service. We provide products. And just like your business - we charge for these products and services. We know that an interruption in business (cash flow) will impact the business. You need partners you can trust to deliver every time you call them.

For 30 Years CTI Solutions has been saving our clients money. Yes I know you have to spend money with us to save money. But at the end of the day you will have to buy what we are selling. Why wait?

www.cti-kc.com

What Did He Do Different?

In 1950 in the small town of Bentonville AR Sam Walton opened a store - a Five and Dime. I was there last week. This store - about 3000 SqFt - is the beginning of Walmart. Now Bentonville is a small town today - in 1950 - I sure the entire town did not have phones or TVs. Not to insult Bentonville - which looks like a great small town today - but Northwest Arkansas is rural.



So what did he do different? Great question. Very complex answer.


He used information - he collected the data on what he sold - and promoted those items. (According to a CNBC show done about Walmart they sell Strawberry Pop-Tarts in larger than expected quanities prior to a tropical storm or hurricane showing up - Why? who knows why but Walmart tracks that.)


On the way from this Retail Giant Birthplace to Kansas City (check the map - not metro) I stopped for gas. The gas pumps had touch screen digital screens promoting products for sale in the convience store. One could go back or forth to view a particular ad of a product of interest.


Digital Signage is all about promotion. Promote employee education along with retail pushes to lift sales. Find out how we can promote what you have.

www.cti-kc.com

Location, Location, Location

Went to a Fast Food (or Fast Casual) Restaurant over the weekend. They had a Digital Signage deployment. My clue was video on the drive thru.

Yes - Video on the Drive Thru! The Digital Menu Board had dynamic content and was upselling items. (Question: Do you think they were low margin or high margin items?)

We went in there - My wife and my two kids and I was the most excited going into fast food restaurant - and was I disappointed. Yes - let down.

Video on the drive thru is high end. No question about it. A Digital Menu Board not only has the ability to upsell and cross sell - but changes in the menu can be done quickly - and pricing can be adjusted daily. And if you are a franchise operator you can control all your Digital Menu Boards from one location. Imagine that - 10 locations - all the same menu - or all different - but under one control - no worry about print and distribution or errors. Great forethought by the leadership of this operator who installed this DMB outside.

Then I had to go inside. A flat screen promoting the latest product mix right inside the door, and a flat screen in the sitting area promoting as well. When it came time to order - the menu board was the same-old same-old. You could see the plastic channels and the print ads.

Nothing at the point of sale to sell me. Product promotion in the the dinning room is too late, at the front door it is too early - need to get me at the Point of Purchase.

If you need to get information about this - contact CTI Solutions today.

http://www.cti-kc.com/