LCD Enclosures

Though none of them really wanted to ever have to think about such a thing, the need for effective crisis communication on college campuses has become pressing, especially in the wake of tragedies such as the numerous shooting incidents that have occurred on US university campuses over the past few years. A growing number of universities and community colleges are turning to digital signage system to effectively communicate emergency and crisis information to students all over campus.

These colleges are installing a number of digital signage displays at numerous strategic locations across the campuses. In the event of a crisis these monitors can all be updated with messages very quickly, from one central location. Although communicating emergency information was the primary driving force for many colleges to install digital signage systems on campus, they are also finding out that digital signage is just very effective for communicating all kinds of information, not just emergency communications.

Colleges can display class schedules, timetables and all kinds of information that is useful to students via digital signage in an efficient manner that has never really been possible before. These digital signage systems can communicate information to a huge percentage of the student body at one time, all over the campus. This information can be constantly updated from the central location to keep it completely up to date and relevant. They can even add relevant, informative and entertaining video programming to their digital signage systems.

Some savvy colleges have begun to use their digital signage systems to sell limited advertising space, generating revenue that is much needed by many cash strapped colleges. Advertising to students on campus is not a new concept, it has been a common practice for years, but digital signage makes it far easier and effective than ever before.

Many community colleges have expanded the concept to popular off campus meeting places such as coffee shops, in order to reach as much of the student body as possible, especially useful since the majority of community colleges do not provide student housing and the majority of students live off campus.

Whether it is to warn students in an emergency, or just to remind them what time they are supposed to be in class, there is little doubt that more and more colleges and universities will be turning to digital signage systems in the future to solve their college campus communications needs.

Walk through Time Square at any hour of the day, on any day of the week, whatever the weather and there is no doubt that the huge electronic billboards, also known as digital signage will not only catch your attention but hold it for more than a few minutes as well. All kinds of companies, services and businesses are advertised at the mecca of digital signage. But digital signage is popping up everywhere, and it certainly seems to be emerging as the future of advertising.

Digital signage can be particularly effective in situations where there may be a line of customers waiting. Restaurants are utilizing the technology particularly well. Many restaurants have embraced the idea of mounting a digital signage display in the areas where customers wait for their tables, be it in the lobby or a bar. Sure, the customers are already there, but displaying enticing and mouth watering dishes and specials available, as well as the always very profitable extras such as alcoholic cocktails and dessert that some customers might not have usually ordered. Although eateries have employed these techniques in table displays but by “amusing” waiting clientele with such enticing in house commercials while they wait, hungry and thirsty, to be seated the results in increased revenue make the investment in digital signage well worth making.

Some larger restaurant chains have even embraced the idea of creating an in house TV channel for display on the crystal clear monitors that are utilized in digital signage with specially made programming that is geared around the restaurants basic themes and menu styles. This reinforces the “brand” in the diner’s minds, as well as encouraging the purchase of the “extra” menu items they may have not been intending to purchase. The fact is that however well a server describes the food on offer, or how well it is photographed on the menu, real moving crisp and clear images of other diners enjoying the food that is available right there where they are currently waiting to be seated.

Digital signage, while still a relatively new concept is becoming more and more affordable all the time. It is safe to assume that even the smaller family restaurant will soon be able to take advantage of the great on site revenue boost that digital signage offers. If nothing else, by engaging the waiting diners with great imagery, you will be making sure that they do not leave for a less crowded eatery!

Digital signage, which is also sometimes called dynamic signage, is a form of slivercasting. Slivercasting is basically the transmission of visual (and often audio visual) advertising or informational content to a specific niche audience or demographic. A digital sign usually consists of a computer or playback device connected to a bright LCD or plasma display.

Digital signage is not just used for promotional and advertising purposes, although it is particularly effective advertising medium. Schools, libraries, hospitals and many other public venues have begun to take advantage of the power of digital signage. Interactive kiosks have in many instances replaced those “you are here” maps that used to be found in malls and other large shopping venues. Now the directionally challenged can not only get guided audio visual directions that they might possibly understand, but advertisers can subject them to a couple of quick commercials in the hope that the lost can be redirected right to their store instead. Similar kiosks are also found increasingly in train stations, airports and bus stations.

Digital signage is such a great way to display any kind of information, for advertising purposes or not, because the information it displays can be updated in a matter of seconds, no ladder climbing, no site visits. An entire hospital directory to be displayed on a digital signage system can be kept up to date 24 hours a day, seven days a week by just one or two people. The average digital signage system just needs to be connected to a reliable ISP to be updated at any time.

The initial set up costs associated with a digital signage system vary wildly depending on the type of system that is being installed. Such a system can be as simple as a small LCD screen display in the local restaurant displaying tonight’s specials and mouth watering images of the food within the establishment. This kind of digital signage system is relatively inexpensive, and usually pays for itself in the form of increased “foot traffic” coming in from the cold within a short period of time. Or digital signage systems can be huge and complicated. If you have been to a major music concert recently you may have noticed how many artists are not only using big screens to broadcast images of the live action on the stage, but also multiple adverts for their latest album or merchandise that is conveniently available in the lobby.

Digital Signage is being used more and more by all kinds of businesses for advertising purposes. But that isn’t the only good use this kind of technology is being put to.

Many industrial factories and facilities are making use of digital signage to keep their factory floors and operations running smoothly and efficiently. Messages can be updated instantly, and available for every employee to see immediately, in easy to view real time.  Dynamic digital signage can be used as a great way to communicate and share information with everybody who works in a facility all at the same time.

However, any industrial workplace can be a messy, dusty and wet, hostile place. An LCD enclosure is a great way to
protect all the delicate and costly technology that makes up a digital signage system. These LCD enclosures are designed to be dust, dirt and waterproof. In fact, they are even bullet proof. These units conform to the European Ingress Protection standard IP65, this is also equivalent to the USA standard NEMA4x.  By investing in a well designed and manufactured LCD enclosure, a company can place digital signage anywhere, whether it is a hot factory floor, or a cold storage unit. Digital signage can be installed in the most challenging industrial environments if they are protected by IP65 LCD enclosures.

For the company who uses digital signage in a public place, such as a hospital or a railway station, where they can impart valuable, easy to update real time information quickly and efficiently, an LCD enclosure can prove invaluable. As well as protecting the equipment from the elements, a well made LCD enclosure is also designed and built to be completely tamper and vandal proof.

HTML clipboard <!– p.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:”"; margin-top:0cm; margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:10.0pt; margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:Calibri; } –> Making the investment in digital signage, whether indoors or out can be a real boon for many different types of businesses. However, in order to make that time money and effort worthwhile, investing in good LCD enclosures for the equipment should be seen as an essential, not just an optional extra.

According to some in the advertising industry they view the advent of digital signage as people did after Gutenberg invented his press, as a true industrial revolution. Digital advertising allows a company’s message to be targeted more efficiently and precisely than ever before, and provides a flexibility that is hard for other mediums to match.

The rapid growth in the use of digital signage is due in large part to a recent fall in the price of the plasma and LCD screens that are needed to act as the heart of a digital signage system.

As long as you make use of a good LCD enclosure, which can protect the screen from both adverse weather conditions and vandalism effectively, a digital signage system can be placed almost anywhere outdoors.

When it comes to installing digital signage often the biggest choice to be addressed is whether to use an LCD or plasma screen. The differences can be examined to make the choice a little easier;

Size: Plasmas can be built to be larger than LCDs, some up to 150”.This of course does make them far heavier, which needs to be taken into account when choosing a mounting location. LCDs usually stop at 52”, but they are being built bigger all the time.

Picture Quality: They both have excellent image quality compared to the old cathode ray TVs, but LCDs tend to have a clearer picture in smaller models, and a higher image resolution. Plasma TVs usually win when it comes to picture contrast however.

Brightness: In a darkened setting, plasma TVs tend to have a better capacity for good contrast and brightness than a LCD. LCDs do reflect less light though, which may be a deciding factor when placing digital signage in a very well lit area.

Useful Life: Both formats usually run 60,000 hours before any dimming becomes a noticeable problem.
Energy consumption: An LCD TV uses less energy than plasma, although newer plasma models do consume considerably less power than their older ancestors. Both LCD and plasmas TVs do use 50% less power than traditional cathode ray televisions.

As it is advisable that any digital signage display be protected by an enclosure, how well LCD stands up outside versus plasma should not be a consideration. Without the protection of such an enclosure, it would be just like placing the TV from your living room outside your house in a rain storm, disastrous.

Digital signage is targeted and effective advertising. As a medium, dynamic digital advertising is about efficiency and effectiveness. A number of companies that have not taken up any type of outdoor digital advertising have realized that their conventional advertising had not provided them customers but only leads – and those are costly mistakes as well as using valuable resources. Most advertisers had not realized that untargeted advertising is a waste of resources. Not knowing the number of people who may read a print ad, a company goes into closing a print deal blindly. In the advent of video advertisements, companies had ridden the wave towards this advancement. And digital signage had taken this type of advertising to the forefront of technology and had let companies realize the real worth of a paid-for advertising.

The benefits of dynamic advertising emphasizes the instant nature of delivering information or a commercial. When you compare any Digital Out Of Home advertising (DOOH) to a traditional advertising medium such as print with the innovation that is digital advertising. Imagine the cost associated with, say, billboard advertising. Production cost includes brainstorming, rendering in graphics, printing, and pot-production processes such as the actual placing of the ad material in the billboard. Now, imagine that there had been a re-positioning or even a simple update that is crucial for the new product launch to the general public, informing them of your product. Having to integrate this with your billboard ad requires the tedious duplication of everything that had been done – that is, duplicate the effort and the monstrous cost. With digital advertising you eliminate the probability of duplicating the same cost and the effort. With computer designing and remote maintenance of an all-weather digital sign, this type of advertising method is definitely one of the biggest cost-management channel of bringing relevant and timely information. The ability to have the control of changing advertisements and information at the lowest cost possible is one of the reasons why digital signage had greatly altered how companies advertise today and even in the future.

Having a number of products and business units requires a business owner to employ the right method to get across the benefits and features of the products or services, to one’s customers. Digital signage is that method, it allows a business owner to control the frequency and the products that are shown at the right time, targeting the right people. With the ability of an electronic billboard to be programmed with the advertisement, so that it is played at a preset time, the business owner greatly benefits using this technology. The frequency and timing of an advertisement is everything in marketing and promotion strategies. With no exception, digital signage is the best investment decision a business owner can make.

With the evolution of digital signage in the past 3 years, we have seen an increasing number of digital signage solutions being placed outdoors, this is due to the high demand in capturing the Out Of Home advertising audience, now the obvious problem is that a standard LCD or plasma display, were never designed to go any where except in a protected environment such as in an office or home.

The outdoor digital signage market is one of the un-effected markets from the recession, with even more businesses realizing that the need to capture audiences attention is paramount to the success of their business. Without sales, the business will have to close.

So from restaurants, wedding stores, down to mom and pop stores are realizing that their business success is going to be decided if they use digital signage or not. Now some people think that dynamic advertising or Digital Out Of Home (DOOH) advertising is going to be expensive, however the truth is that an indoor digital signage solution can be installed and working for less than $700 with a single outdoor solution costing from $1500, now imagine if you got 4 other stores to share the cost, it would become even more cost effective. This would make the sign very popular in towns were little if any digital signage is being used.

Now, the all-weather LCD enclosure offers total protection from the elements, so the media player and display are protected from high humidity, rain, sleet, snow and direct sunlight. Now the restrictions have been removed where you can place outdoor LCD’s, this is your opportunity to maximise on it and be ahead of the game with your competitors.

With over 20 years manufacturing protective solutions for the electronics industry, LCD Enclosures Global have the solution for you, at the right price, contact them on US office 1-888-460-3573 or their European office on +44 (0) 844 3578687.

You have read about digital signage and even have seen one. On your way to work, while taing a ride in a taxi, and even while savoring your lunch – not once but even twice have you stop over a digital signage and even took time to finish one fast advertisement. One cannot even deny the power of this type of medium – it is efficient and effective in every way. Perhaps you are contemplating why you don’t have this at your own office. You know that digital signage is the way to go so why are you being left behind. Because of the sophistication of this type of medium one might immediately think of the cost of the installation and even maintaining it. In fact, those who had used digital signage have proven and are ready to testify that compared to the benefits that they experience the cost of putting up one is trivial and insignificant.

First, let’s face it, dynamic advertising is an innovation in advertising and promotion strategies. A company operating in a dynamic industry requires, in order to stay ahead of competition, a medium to keep one’s customers informed and their employees motivated. Doing both would be tedious and costly. A department store that launches everyday product discounts, bonuses, and on-the-spot promotions would require the fastest medium that could accommodate these changes. A real estate company who keeps tab of their sales force and those who had managed to foster a friendly competition within that sales force is required to maintain a dynamic and efficient medium to have the latest development in their sales posted. A dynamic company definitely requires a dynamic medium that is able to accommodate these changes and digital signage is one’s best bet on that.

Second, ever think of a cost-saving medium to keep your employees posted and at the same time would enable you to increase revenues? Digital signage is the most efficient information-dissemination medium that could always keep your employees posted on announcements and memos that requires their immediate attention. No more printing and paper expense – just by providing your maintenance guy with the latest material one could immediately disseminate news and information among your employees. One of the best things about digital signage is that you could lease an advertising time to complementary businesses that you think your employees could take interest on. With having to show a local product or service that your employees may benefit from, you could actually realize revenues from digital advertising. From this alone, you will save on paper and printing expenses and at the same time generate revenue from complementary businesses in your local community.

LCD Enclosures Global are Europe’s leading manufacturer of LCD and plasma TV enclosures, their range of HDTV enclosures are the most cost effective in the market, whilst offering all-weather LCD enclosures as well as vandal proof lcd enclosures, so they are ideal for protecting your valuable digital signage projects in any location.

Digital out of home advertising (DOOH), is predominatly used in the advertising and marketing of company products and services.

Now some businesses who are working smarter, rather than harder have decided to use digital signage to inform staff of stock levels, training aids and even to eliminate production issues, such as burnt drawings.  Now businesses are using industrial digital signageon the factory floor, this allows them to send information such as engineering drawings down to the factory floor and they are displayed on 50″ screens, thus eliminating burnt drawings and missing information, that is vital to the manufacturing process.

The most cost effective way to protect an industrial digital sign, is to put it into an industrial LCD enclosure, this protects the LCD or the plasma display from dust, fluids and the odd fork truck.

These industrial LCD enclosures are to either the European standard IP54, IP56, IP65 or IP66 (a waterproof LCD enclosure).

The units can be cooled in various ways, depending upon location and possible hazards and budget of couse. LCD enclosures offer both industrial and weatherproof protection for any digital signage solution that may be in a hazardous area.

We are the US arm of LCD Enclosures Global, from our location in New York State, this allows us to service our customer needs quickly and more efficiently than before, even though we have been winning many International contracts from America, Australia, Singapore, Europe and not forgetting the UK, where we are the UK’s leading manufacturer of LCD enclosures.

Our LCD enclosure range is the only product line we manufacture, unlike some competitors who offer it as “another solution”, they unfortunately do not have the experience or technical knowledge to support their products in the market place, as they do not specialise in the digital signage market.

Our solutions are available from stock in the UK, (until our stock arrives in our distribution centre in the USA.) Once in stock we will be able to ship our range of products on a 2 or 3 day lead time. Giving the customers what they want…service!

Our digital signage solutions complete with outdoor plasma enclosures will be available, as well as some new products that are currently under development. Watch this space!