Print DSE 2010 APEX Gold Award: The Unisys Solution Showcase
OVERVIEW
For its corporate offices in Brussels and London, Unisys, a worldwide, world-class IT services and solutions provider, unveiled a dynamic digital signage system in February 2009. The Unisys network, which spans from a screen greeting guests in the reception area to multiple screens in the Unisys Solution Showcase to meeting rooms, the boardroom and beyond, offers broadcast-quality content that is dynamic, eye-catching, and keeps visitors informed and continuously engaged. The main attraction, dubbed the Unisys Solution Showcase, offers an interactive visitor experience that tells the Unisys story.
OBJECTIVES
In the world of technology, it takes
more than paper signs to leave a positive impression on prospective
clients. For Unisys, this meant providing a more integrated view of its
portfolio to clients in an engaging environment, while at the same time
demonstrating that the company is on the cutting edge of technology. To
achieve this goal, Unisys invested in the state-of-the-art Solution
Showcase and called upon AVI-SPL,
Tampa, Fla. To run and manage content on the display screens, AVI-SPL
selected X2O Media’s award-winning Xpresenter digital signage platform,
providing Unisys with a uniquely hands-on interactive experience.
CHALLENGES
Challenges involved for this project included integrating motion
sensing so that the targeted content would simultaneously appear on all
the interactive screens. Another challenge was that the Brussels and
London offices didn’t have graphic departments on site. This meant that
all video and other content had to be created in the company’s U.S.
headquarters and managed on local players. A user interface also needed
to be created that would allow a straight-forward organization of
material and an easy way to access it. In addition, 3-D content had to
be implemented in 2-D without any compromise on quality of the original
concept.
SOLUTIONS
All of the project’s challenges were met with Xpresenter. Using its
RS-232 interface, Xpresenter was able to easily receive real-time input
from the motion sensors and provide feedback to other interfaces when
motion commands were received. Custom-built Web control pages allow
content to be updated in the U.S. and in the U.K. via a designated Web
control manager. X2O’s award-winning creative services team developed
the graphical interfaces by repurposing Unisys’ existing branding
elements and original content for the digital displays. In addition,
the creative team implemented 3-D content in 2-D without any loss of
features.
RESULTS
According to Unisys, since the implementation of the digital signage
network and Solution Showcase, the company has seen an increase in
understanding and interest from its clients in the company’s broader
portfolio. In addition, clients rave about the interactive experience.
Currently, Unisys is looking to expand the network to its corporate
headquarters in the U.S. As an added bonus, the network brings a
“green” element to Unisys. By using lighting and motion sensor
controls, the system saves energy by going into sleep mode, or
completely turning off, when clients aren’t present.
