When I say InfoSignz is out to revolutionize the way the people look at the digital signage, it is not something that is without substance. I would like to fortify my point in four posts, the first of which appears today.
While many solutions allow data from real time enterprise data sources to be displayed, I wonder how many actually allow the displays to really react to the data coming from these displays. What use is it to keep on selling something that is not in stock? I am frustrated when there is a display in a store selling a 27” TV for $149.99 but when I make up my mind to buy (after much haggling with my wife) the item is out of stock. The marketer was successful in capturing the moment of truth, but the supply chain guy missed out because the two of them did not talk after every piece was sold. The marketer not only lost out on selling something that is not even available, he could have shown something else and lost out on selling something which was readily available. Double whammy!!
InfoSignz wants systems to talk and not allow them to live alone in a silo. The above frustration, forced me to think about what could be done to make use of the data available within the enterprise to allow the marketer also to make the most of the information available with the supply chain person.
How nice would it be if the display stopped showing the promotion related to the television when the TV went out of stock? Wouldn’t it be even better if the display started promoting something that was in stock?
When all the other systems are interconnected and act intelligently, why should the digital display network be treated poorly? InfoSignz is the first to recognize this problem. The InfoSignz platform readily allows you to schedule your screens not only on time events, but also data events. We are building a data notification engine inside InfoSignz that would allow you to ask your displays to stop showing a promotion when you do not have any inventory.
For a marketer, a dream comes true. For a consumer, no more fights with their spouses. For the retailer, happy customers and more revenue!
More on this topic in a later post.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Technology Overview of InfoSignz
InfoSignz is a web based solution, no platform, for creating a robust, scalable and extremely reliable digital signage network.
Why did we choose the web platform, when almost all our competitors like Scala, Ryarc have used the n tier application format? Well, several reasons.
The web architecture is built from the ground up for extreme scalability. Consider any of the email applications that you use, even this blogging website. Thousands of users, millions of visitors at any given time. And it all runs smoothly. So why not go the web route?
Nothing but the browser. Why install anything anywhere? Did you install this application (WordPress) on your computer to use it? Would you have used it if you were required to install it? It is not a difficult question to answer. Probably no. So we have gone the same route. Our digital signage network should not require any software to be installed - anywhere. Except of course the server. After that all you need is a browser - yes the browser that you are using right now would suffice.
Accessible anywhere, from any device - The InfoSignz digital signage management suite should be available anytime through any device, including your mobile phone.
Extreme interoperability - this is a feature that is the heart of the InfoSignz architcture. More on this in a later post.
Maintenance - upgrades and fixes are extremely easy in this architecture. Just the server needs to be updated.
The web architecture allows us to add cutting edge features in no time.
Why did we choose the web platform, when almost all our competitors like Scala, Ryarc have used the n tier application format? Well, several reasons.
The web architecture is built from the ground up for extreme scalability. Consider any of the email applications that you use, even this blogging website. Thousands of users, millions of visitors at any given time. And it all runs smoothly. So why not go the web route?
Nothing but the browser. Why install anything anywhere? Did you install this application (WordPress) on your computer to use it? Would you have used it if you were required to install it? It is not a difficult question to answer. Probably no. So we have gone the same route. Our digital signage network should not require any software to be installed - anywhere. Except of course the server. After that all you need is a browser - yes the browser that you are using right now would suffice.
Accessible anywhere, from any device - The InfoSignz digital signage management suite should be available anytime through any device, including your mobile phone.
Extreme interoperability - this is a feature that is the heart of the InfoSignz architcture. More on this in a later post.
Maintenance - upgrades and fixes are extremely easy in this architecture. Just the server needs to be updated.
The web architecture allows us to add cutting edge features in no time.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
How did it all start?
We have been thinking about digital signage for the past three and a half years. I was sitting in a mall in London, sometime in August 2004. The mall used to be a common meeting place for my Dad and me where he would come and pick me up after attending his surgery (he is a doctor). I used to spend about an hour everyday sipping tea and working on my laptop.
Sitting in the mall and sipping tea, I used to see wooden displays that would help hapless shopaholics navigate through the maze of shops. I started wondering, what if these displays could be a little more than directions?
This was when the first thoughts of InfoSignz germinated.
LCD displays were just about picking up speed in the market. Costs were still prohibitive at that time, but I was pretty sure such dynamic displays were to come, sooner than later.
Upon coming back from India, I discussed this idea with my business partners and friends. Met with quite an enthusiastic response. However, we were not able to immediately start working on this concept as we had some other priorities to take care - InfoBeans had just about to grow and spread its wings, and we did not see it fit at that time to start worrying about something else.
I started my MBA at IIM Indore that fall. As an assignment for a communication and presentation class, I thought of preparing a presentation on this idea. It was at that time when the drops started to crystalize into something more concrete. I was able to clearly see what the future was coming to. Digital displays will all kinds of possibilities.
Enough on the history.
Will get back soon with more on the meat of the product. No, the platform!
In the meantime, check out my profile on a favorite website of mine - linkedin.com. If you are there and would like to be linkedin with me, feel free - ssethi@gmail.com is my email address.
Sitting in the mall and sipping tea, I used to see wooden displays that would help hapless shopaholics navigate through the maze of shops. I started wondering, what if these displays could be a little more than directions?
This was when the first thoughts of InfoSignz germinated.
LCD displays were just about picking up speed in the market. Costs were still prohibitive at that time, but I was pretty sure such dynamic displays were to come, sooner than later.
Upon coming back from India, I discussed this idea with my business partners and friends. Met with quite an enthusiastic response. However, we were not able to immediately start working on this concept as we had some other priorities to take care - InfoBeans had just about to grow and spread its wings, and we did not see it fit at that time to start worrying about something else.
I started my MBA at IIM Indore that fall. As an assignment for a communication and presentation class, I thought of preparing a presentation on this idea. It was at that time when the drops started to crystalize into something more concrete. I was able to clearly see what the future was coming to. Digital displays will all kinds of possibilities.
Enough on the history.
Will get back soon with more on the meat of the product. No, the platform!
In the meantime, check out my profile on a favorite website of mine - linkedin.com. If you are there and would like to be linkedin with me, feel free - ssethi@gmail.com is my email address.
Monday, August 6, 2007
The beginning of a revolution
Friends
I believe that my team and I have have stumbled upon something that will change the way people think about digital signage. We have come up with certain ideas that will make the digital signage industry, the way it is now, look obsolete pretty soon.
I present to you InfoSignz. For a look at what it is, please visit http://www.infosignz.com/
InfoSignz promises to bring a sea change in the way digital display or digital signage networks operate.
The way these networks are used have many shortcomings, including but not limited to no targeting of advertisment messages to the consumer. Basically visually spamming the consumer.
The consumer of today is savier than ever, to use a cliche, and demands up-to-date and precise information, even if it is free advertising. Blame google for this, but they have really changed the world of online advertising.
I honestly believe that the next target for a google like service would be the OOH displays that currenly just randomly show something and you as a consumer would rather avoid the advertisement altogether. At home, you would zap the advertisement, but OOH (Out of home), you do not have a choice. What marketers probably ignore (because it is hard to believe that they do not realize that), is that these messages increasingly frustrate the consumer. Consumers want advertising, but that advertising needs to be relevant.
Watch this spot for more updates on InfoSignz and the future of digital displays.
In the meantime, check out my company website - http://www.infosignz.com/.
And no, what is there on the website, isn't the full story yet. It is not even the proverbial tip of the iceberg.
I believe that my team and I have have stumbled upon something that will change the way people think about digital signage. We have come up with certain ideas that will make the digital signage industry, the way it is now, look obsolete pretty soon.
I present to you InfoSignz. For a look at what it is, please visit http://www.infosignz.com/
InfoSignz promises to bring a sea change in the way digital display or digital signage networks operate.
The way these networks are used have many shortcomings, including but not limited to no targeting of advertisment messages to the consumer. Basically visually spamming the consumer.
The consumer of today is savier than ever, to use a cliche, and demands up-to-date and precise information, even if it is free advertising. Blame google for this, but they have really changed the world of online advertising.
I honestly believe that the next target for a google like service would be the OOH displays that currenly just randomly show something and you as a consumer would rather avoid the advertisement altogether. At home, you would zap the advertisement, but OOH (Out of home), you do not have a choice. What marketers probably ignore (because it is hard to believe that they do not realize that), is that these messages increasingly frustrate the consumer. Consumers want advertising, but that advertising needs to be relevant.
Watch this spot for more updates on InfoSignz and the future of digital displays.
In the meantime, check out my company website - http://www.infosignz.com/.
And no, what is there on the website, isn't the full story yet. It is not even the proverbial tip of the iceberg.
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