One of the problems/excuses we hear for not seeing more digital displays outdoors is extreme weather: too hot, too cold, high winds, rain, snow. That may not be so much of a problem in the future, with development of a new, possibly unique, product being showcased in New York City this week by Vertigo Digital Displays, Toronto. If it works as well as the company says it will, it could also mean a major growth opportunity for the company. Ed.
Vertigo Digital Displays [1], Toronto, is bringing a new modular digital signage display unit, tailored to the demanding needs of outdoor advertising, to the heart of that sector for a special technology showcase this week in Manhattan.
The by-invitation 
[2]showcase Jan. 20-21 is targeted to Vertigo’s large existing client base in the out-of- home ad industry, as well as new customers looking for a digital ad display solution carefully engineered and ruggedized to deal with harsh climates and allow for easy servicing and upgrades.
“The Universal Outdoor Display unit we’ll be showing in New York is really indicative of our new strategy to leverage our best-in-class designs for a broader range of clients,” says Brad Gleeson, president and CEO, Vertigo Digital Displays. “We’re creating something of an industry standard for digital out-of-home displays, and reducing the costs for our customers to make the transition from print to digital.”
Vertigo has more than 10,000 advertising displays installed around the world, with more than 1,000 of those using digital displays. Clients include many of the biggest names in the outdoor ad sector, such as Titan Outdoor [3], CBS Outdoor [4], Clear Channel Outdoor [5], Lamar Advertising Company [6], Astral Media Outdoor [7] and Pattison Outdoor Advertising [8]. New investment and additions to Vertigo’s management team in late 2009 have injected new energy and capital into the company and activated Vertigo’s expansion of business activity in North America and globally in 2010.
[9]A sample 52″ version of the Universal Outdoor Display unit will be available for viewing Wednesday and Thursday in New York, in conjunction with partner Jaco Electronics [10]. The demonstration showcase is at the Doubletree Hotel [11], 569 Lexington Avenue.
Designed for easy servicing, the Vertigo Universal Outdoor Display units come in a variety of sizes and include all the media components, as well as an environmental control unit that allows the display to operate reliably in a broad temperature range, from minus 40 Celsius (-22 F) to plus 40 Celsius (104 F). The unit’s enclosure system is designed to a high IP65 technical standard, meaning tight seals withstand rain, snow and high winds.
The unit’s modular enclosure design enables technicians, in the event of outages or damage, to swap components right on site, which greatly minimizes downtimes and lowers maintenance costs. The Vertigo Universal Outdoor Display is the first digital signage solution of its type to offer this modular configuration.
While the New York event will showcase a landscape-mode 52″ LCD with 700 nits brightness, the modular system design offers broad flexibility in screen sizes (32”-82”) and orientation, as well as options for ultra-bright displays intended for direct sunlight applications.
Those interested in attending the showcase should arrange appointments with Vertigo by contacting Ralph Idems (Ralph.idems@vertigodisplays.com) or Tom Sinnott (tom.sinnott@vertigodisplays.com).
Vertigo Digital Displays LLC designs, engineers and manufactures integrated media systems, including advanced display enclosures and digital display solutions, as well as world-class street furniture, transit shelters and digital information kiosks. Based in Toronto, Canada, Vertigo is one of the world’s largest providers of innovative media display solutions to outdoor media companies.