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Dynamax Technologies Releases Latest Version of Its Industry-Leading Digital Signage Software
Las Vegas, Nevada—Dynamax Technologies Ltd., a global leader in digital signage solutions, has announced the introduction and availability of POVNG3, the latest version of its market-leading digital signage software application. Formerly known as Point of View, POVNG3 offers many new features, enhanced functionality, and increased flexibility and performance for managing the preparation, scheduling, and delivery of content displayed on digital out-of-home media networks.
Dynamax will unveil and demonstrate the upgraded application for the first time at Digital Signage Expo 2008, February 27-28, 2008, at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Digital Signage Expo is the largest international trade show and conference exclusively dedicated to digital signage, interactive solutions, and point-of-consumer media networks in retail, hospitality, financial, and public spaces.
POVNG3 is an adaptable, full-featured, enterprise-level software system that controls the preparation, playback, and distribution of digital content to any display device, or any networked array of screens. The product, offered in both stand-alone and enterprise versions, is available for shipment to customers beginning April 1, 2008, following successful beta trials to ensure quality, performance, and reliability. Prior to its release, the company will thoroughly beta test POVNG3 in diverse out-of-home media network environments operated by current Dynamax customers.
“With the development and introduction of POVNG3, Dynamax extends its expertise and leadership in the digital signage software segment by delivering a rich, full-featured application ideal for managing content on today’s sophisticated digital out-of-home media networks,” said Howard D. Smith, co-founder, director, and chief technology officer (CTO) of Dynamax Technologies Ltd. “Moreover, the release of POVNG3 represents a significant milestone in the ongoing evolution of the company, and a clear indicator of its deep commitment to providing the most effective digital signage solutions on the market today.”
“Titan Outdoor intends to deploy POVNG3 across several prominent digital signage deployments in the U.K., as the application’s enhanced features and functionality are well suited for handling today’s generation of advanced digital out-of-home media networks,” said Jon Slatkin, chief executive officer of Titan Outdoor Advertising Ltd., a current Dynamax customer and a division of Titan Worldwide. “Throughout the development of POVNG3, Dynamax placed tremendous value on Titan’s feedback, much of which will ultimately be incorporated into the software’s final release. The end result is a very solid digital signage software solution that meets our many needs, and exceeds our high expectations.”
New Features
POVNG3 offers media content owners and distributors, advertising agencies, corporations, and other public and private sector entities an array of new features, including:
* Traffic Light Network Monitoring System: POVNG3 now gives digital signage customers unprecedented diagnostic capabilities via its new network monitoring system, which uses recognizable traffic light colors to notify users of the health of system components. Utilizing industry-standard, simple networking monitoring protocol (SNMP) technology, the application communicates with multiple players across the system, and then reports back on their individual status. The feature, bundled with POVNG3’s administrative package, runs in the background, and sends e-mail alerts to the user upon discovering issues. The user can then drill down to each player to determine the source of the problem.
* Layout Designer: The latest version of the software includes a new feature called Layout Designer, which allows the user to easily and quickly create customized layouts for multiple forms of digital media content.
* Content Preview: POVNG3 now enables customers to effortlessly preview specific content on any given player on the network at any designated time. The user simply clicks on the preview button, and the software opens a separate, movable window on the desktop with the desired content.
* Content Customization: The new application can customize content scheduling within certain blocks of time, or loops, to coincide with important periods of the day in specific out-of-home environments. This allows the network operator to schedule specific content within a given loop to start at specific times to ensure it is viewed by the largest audience possible.
Enhanced Functionality
POVNG3 also delivers enhanced functionality, with:
* Fresh User Interface: POVNG3 has a clean, freshly-updated user interface that is easier to use and navigate. The application, which carries a Windows Vista-like look and feel, is richer and more graphical in orientation, and now offers floating, adjustable toolbars and an online, context-sensitive help capability.
* Robust User Access: With previous versions of the software, systems administrators could not set up multiple, detailed user profiles and access protocols. However, with POVNG3, IT professionals can now establish such profiles with much greater granularity, including granting individuals permission to access systems on an individual, group, customer, geographical, and/or network basis.
* Superior Screen Monitoring and Communication: The new application can now diagnose operating issues and communicate with individual screens in a given digital signage network. For example, if an individual screen is inadvertently turned off, an administrator can use POVNG3 to communicate with the display, and turn the unit on. The software can also detect service problems on a per-screen basis, and then feed that information into the application’s traffic-light health monitoring system for further action. With their built-in intelligence capabilities, screens can also report back to POVNG3 after they are queried by the system on their operating status. In addition, the software can create audit trails and performance logs of monitoring activities so administrators may immediately request on-site technical support for a screen or component failure.
* Content Creation with Composer: POV has always had the ability to ingest a variety of media content. POVNG3 has upgraded this capability with Composer, a new tool that allows users to assemble content on a timeline, including scrolling RSS feeds at the bottom of screens.
Increased Flexibility and Performance
POVNG3 gives users unparalleled flexibility and performance in managing digital media content:
* Carousel: With this feature, POVNG3 allows multiple advertisers to share certain time slots and bandwidth on a given network across a specified campaign period, thereby giving them more flexibility. For example, a typical thirty-second slot that would normally go to one advertiser can now be split into two fifteen-second slots, with each slot sold to a different advertiser at a lower rate. This gives the network operator the power and flexibility to sell all available time slots, and meet the budget and campaign length requirements of each brand. Essentially, the network operator can use POVNG3 to create a carousel, or revolving selection of time slots, that meets the marketing and financial demands of its core advertisers.
* Advanced Trigger Scheduling: Earlier iterations of POV possessed a function called trigger scheduling, in which content playlists are organized by specific events, or triggers, instead of time. For example, in a supermarket, an electronic point-of-sale (EPOS) system could direct a media player to display coffee advertisements more times per hour if the store does not record sufficient coffee sales in a given time period. Now, with POVNG3, customers can set up time-scheduled triggers so that a specific playlist, or piece of content, will be broadcast at a certain time of day if a trigger should occur.
* Improved Reporting Engine: POVNG3 offers a wider range of detailed text and graphical reports for improved reporting and system diagnostics.
Availability and Pricing
POVNG3, offered in both stand-alone and enterprise server versions, is available for shipment to customers beginning April 1, 2008.
For the stand-alone edition of POVNG3, the baseline suggested selling price (SSP) begins at $1,550 (£795) for 1-9 software licenses, with the total cost of the installation increasing based on the total number of licenses, and scope of maintenance, and technical support services, required by the customer. Authorized Dynamax VARs are entitled to substantial discounts on all pricing configurations.
For the enterprise server edition of POVNG3, the baseline package SSP begins at $1,940 (£995), which supports up to five players, and includes a single network license, administrative seat, and related manuals and documentation. Subsequent pricing increases from this initial level based on the total number of players supported (e.g., 25, 50, or unlimited), and the scope of maintenance and technical support services required by the customer.
POVNG3 is compatible with Windows Vista and Windows XP operating systems.
For more information, visit www.dynamaxworld.com.
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