This is the first Prysm Video wall installation in Kuwait.

The new store is located in the Al Hamra Tower Mall, the world’s tallest sculpted tower and now the tallest building in Kuwait. The 2m x 1.2m Prysm wall is located within the 500 sq. meters store, which is adorned with watches and jewellery from prestigious brands Cartier, Breguet, Blancpain, Hublot, Roger Dubuis, Omega, Baume et Mercier and many others.

Mahesh Nallaperumal, managing partner, Elite International, Behbehani’s audiovisual consultant engineer, proposed and supplied the Prysm display solution, to complement the boutique’s environment and decor with a seamless display with brilliant image quality.

Prysm and Elite International worked with Behbehani Group, owner of MYB Watches, to install the videowall, which is a flagship element of the new store.

“We wanted the latest technology for this store, and the Prysm videowall allows us to create a seamless display, to showcase the brands on a large screen which blends in with the luxurious environment of the store,” says Shahzad Gidwani, general manager – Trading Division at M.Y. Behbehani Group. “The opening of the Al Hamra Tower Mall is a very prestigious moment for Kuwait and MYB Watches is right at the heart of that.”

The retail mall is 250,000 square feet spread over five-stories with 77 stores, an integrated 10-screen cinema complex and IMAX theatres, an 11- floor car park, a health club and a food court.

“We witnessed Prysm display at InfoComm and what instantly stood out was the quality of the picture, which is essential when representing such high end brands,” says Eric Rodricks, sales manager for the Projects Department, Behbehani Group. “The power consumption was also very desirable, with the whole wall only using 360 watts of power. The display really captures attention and reflects the MYB watch brand and its premium image.”

“Choosing the best solution for such a niche requirement was indeed a challenge due to the limited installation space availability,” says Nallaperumal. “Looking at the technical advantages that Prysm furnished compared to other display wall technologies, the decision to propose LPD technology was quite easy. Low power consumption, lesser heat dissipation, lifelong uniformity, 0.25mm seam gap, easy maintenance accessibility, etc., were the prime factors that helped to convince the client. We are proud to provide the first Prysm display wall solution in Kuwait.”

“Laser Phosphor Display is the ideal platform for retail applications with its low power consumption, ultra wide viewing angle and minimal seam gap,” says Tanvir Osama, director of sales in the Middle East and India for Prysm. “The displays also emit no heat which means that no additional cooling infrastructure is required. Over time, the Prysm installation will also reduce the total cost of ownership of the display in comparison to using another technology. As part of our commitment to the installation, we also provided training for Elite International’s engineers, who are now very familiar with the technology.”

Prysm is a privately held company based in San Jose, California, with sales offices in New York, San Jose, London and Dubai.

If you are purchasing a Coca-Cola or beer at the stadium – you are probably going to be greeted by a COMMcaddy. While the normal Caddy color is black, the company produced custom made Coca-Cola red Caddies for this installation.

Currently, COMMADDY Network has over 40 screens deployed at Turner Field, and the Braves are anticipating to draw over 3 million fans this year.

The integration of Polycom and Scala software platforms provides a powerful combination which benefits companies of all sizes looking to deliver personalized experiences that communicate the right message at the right time.

The platform integration delivers video files from the Polycom enterprise video content management system to the Scala Content Manager based on user-defined rules and decisions, made within Polycom RealPresence Media Manager. The combination transmits metadata from Polycom to Scala Content Manager, enabling the Scala system to control content distribution and management across a digital signage network.

“We are privileged to partner with Polycom and have our best-in-class Content Manager platform for digital signage become Polycom-ready,” says Oscar Elizaga, Scala senior vice-president, Americas. “We believe the integration of Scala with Polycom’s enterprise video content management system will bring unparalleled benefits to our clients and reinforce the leadership position of both companies in delivering innovative solutions that help companies command attention.”

The Scala software platform drives content creation, management and distribution in digital signage networks. The software helps organizations reach large audiences in very targeted ways – at critical places such as points of decision and points of sale. With Scala software, organizations can transform markets by delivering personalized, memorable encounters with digital signage wherever consumers or employees are located.

Polycom RealPresence Media Manager streamlines the processes, devices and technology required to distribute media effectively over existing IT infrastructures. The automated, end-to-end solution supports the complete content lifecycle of all video meeting assets – from video capture to content management to viewer access to delivery across networks – regardless of source or format.

City 24×7’s SmartScreen Kiosk Project is replacing old NYC phone boxes with 32-inch internet-connected touchscreens across the city’s five boroughs.

The hope is (and it sounds a little like a pipe dream) is that SmartScreens could eventually replace all of NYC’s 12,800 aging and little used outdoor pay phones as contracts expire over the next two years.

Pickering’s Design Science Corp partnered with City 24×7 in designing and manufacturing the rugged, weather-sealed (but aesthetically-pleasing we are told) smart screen units.

Ralph Idems, Director of Technology of Design Science Corp (yes, that’s Ralph of previous Vertigo fame) told us “We understand all the challenges of weather, daylight glare and public usage, and are confident that the integrated system we’ve developed are not only up to the task, but will be embraced by New Yorkers,”.

The most recent press release went on to say that the free-to-use touch-screen technology is fully interactive and will display local neighborhood information, including lists of nearby restaurants, store sales in the area, traffic updates, landmark information and safety alerts — in multiple languages.

The network, supported by advertising and partnership, is intended to give New Yorkers and visitors quick access to whatever information they need, and is tied to a related mobile program.

About Design Science

Design Science is a full service product design and development company with specialized experience in deployment of experiential displays including battery powered displays and intelligent kiosks. The Design Science team has over 25 years experience in display design, manufacturing and program management.

Intel’s panel of experts this evening in London was a guy from WPP, a guy from Sapient Nitro, a guy from a university and an actual ‘Guy’ in the shape of Guy Cheston from Harrods – oh and Intel’s very own Jose Avalos who never manages to say one word when ten will do!

The panel was very ably moderated by British journalist and newsreader Emily Maitlis in front of approximately 90 people sitting in clusters at round tables.

We’ve no idea why all of this was supposedly under NDA – nothing of import was actually discussed and all those who dared speak to us about the event all said it was very good.

This sector is a notoriously difficult one for organisers to get any sort of traction (media people seem loathe to leave their offices and with the exception of FEPE and TAB/OAAA rarely travel to other countries for conferences or exhibitions) so it will be interesting to see whether this actually ever gets off the ground.

The email said …

Hello Boys! and Girls!

There’s a wonderful, brand new event on the horizon. Totally dedicated to OOH, DOOH, Urban and Screen Media; with an exclusive audience of marketers and end-users; it’s the event the sector has been waiting for.

Showcasing the latest technology and celebrating the power of outdoor, the Out of Home Media Show has several exciting announcements to come in the following weeks.

Drop us a line at info@oohmediashow.com for more info or follow our twitter account @oohmediashow to keep up to date with announcements.

Watch this space -we’ll keep you posted.

No doubt the event will be discussed again over the next few days at #ScreenmediaExpo but I wouldn’t go getting too excited about it yet (just in case you were excited in the first place) until firmer details and some proper exhibitors are lined up.

Like some of the award programmes for the sector that we have seen and never materialise it could all be pie in the sky.

We have on our stand F45 one of the first OpenSplash players to be connected to a whole bunch of MicroTiles (some of those are ours, some have kindly been loaned to us by Christie).

There will be eight 42” HD screens and six double-sided digital wafers that will simultaneously show content from all three partners. All of the hardware has Acquire Digital software installed to manage the content, which will be a mixture of videos, stills and animations. Acquire Digital will be demonstrating its new digital signage solution Signage2Go and will be offering an exclusive promotion to Screenmedia expo visitors. Visit the bar for more details.

Esprit Digital will be showing its History of Digital Video, which takes viewers on a journey through Esprit’s ‘world firsts’ in the industry, including the Digital Lift Panels at Heathrow Airport, the thinnest Double-Sided 55” Wafer screens and the Digital Baggage Pods at Gatwick, Stansted and Manchester Airports. It also shows the evolution from the creation of Esprit’s Digital Escalator Panels through to the company’s Award Winning installation at Westfield London’s Stratford City Mall.

Digital development experts, FTP Concepts will be demonstrating new Digital Signage integrated NFC systems and Android hardware. The team will also be at hand to offer their international experience of specifying, building and running scaling digital signage networks.

Pixels, the established BrightSign UK distributor, is adding the new BrightSign HD220 to its products list and will be offering:

• 1 x BrightSign HD220 networked media player and power supply
• Signagelive BrightSign Standard 3 year licence
• 8GB SDHC memory card
• 1m HDMI cable
• Delivery by UPS to a UK mainland address

The end user price for this bundle is GBP 500.00 + VAT and will be demonstrated on Signagelive stand E33 at #ScreenmediaExpo this week.

Jason Cremins, Signagelive CEO told “This offer includes everything except the screen. Any company wanting to use digital signage, can have a powerful and fully supported cloud-based HD digital signage system at an affordable price. This bundle offers an unbeatable solution in the current market and is less than half the price of most PC based solutions.”

Norman Garland, Pixels’ MD added “We are delighted to be working with Signagelive on this exciting deal for all new and established digital signage users. The combination of the brand new BrightSign HD220 networked HD media player and Signagelive’s world-class cloud-based software makes this package a truly stunning, cost-effective solution.”

An accompanying technology showcase will present live demos of the AIM/Scala integration, examples of POS/Digital Signage integration as well as cross-platform point of sale check-out experience.

For details and RSVP, interested parties should contact their HP Account Representative or Dmitry Sokolov (me) directly at dsokolov@hp.com.