Eyeing a standards-based, interactive digital signage future, Intel demonstrated a new 7-foot-6-inch multi-user, multi-touch Intel Intelligent Digital Signage Concept at the National Retail Federation Convention (NRF) in New York.
Intel said the prototype device could change the way people interact with digital signage technology in environments such as stores, airports, banks and hotels.
First revealed by Intel President and CEO Paul Otellini at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last week, the demonstration emulates a virtual brick-and-mortar store setting where customers may use the multi-touch holographic screen to explore merchandise, find out about promotions, submit feedback on products, read customer reviews, view past purchasing histories and share what they have discovered with their friends via social media and mobile phone integration.
Multiple consumers can use this side-by-side window display simultaneously to explore augmented reality-enabled maps of each floor of the store, on which retailers can superimpose images such as coupons and sales promotions next to the product visualizations on the glass, improving the customer's shopping experience.
"As stores seek more competitive advantages over online retailers, digital signage has become a valuable technology for dispersing targeted and interactive content to shoppers," said Joe Jensen, general manager, Intel Embedded Computing Division. "We therefore designed the Intel Intelligent Digital Signage Concept to show that retailers can engage and interact with consumers in a more personal and compelling manner through new usage models such as augmented reality and interactive product explorations, which in turn could yield an increase in revenue and customer loyalty."
Intel's digital signage concept also brings a new opportunity for advertisers through the use of anonymous video analytics. As a viewer looks at the system screen, the built-in camera technology analyzes data such as gender and age, audience composition, time-of-day and other criteria, which enable the system to display tailored content and graphics based on estimated demographics. The system anonymously sends audience information to advertisers who can use that information to understand the type of content and messages that are most popular with viewers. This, in turn, helps advertisers target their advertising to maximize the impact on the audience
Traditionally, retail and digital signage application development has been fraught with difficulty as system development requires the use of many different platforms. To address the need for a more streamlined solution, Intel also announced today a strategic relationship with Microsoft to develop an open-standards validated platform for digital signage applications.
"With the Windows Embedded and Intel platform, we will provide industries such as the digital signage market with scalable and interoperable solutions that enable applications with rich graphics and interactive capabilities," said Kevin Dallas, general manager, Windows Embedded Business Unit Microsoft.
The media player platform, integrated in Intel's concept, is running on the recently released Intel Core i7 processor with Microsoft Windows Embedded Standard 2011 platform optimized for digital signage applications. The jointly developed platform is expected to be available in the second quarter of 2010.
Digital signage systems based on 2010 Intel Core processors would also include Intel vPro Technology with Intel Active Management Technology, allowing administrators to manage systems remotely even when powered down, which reduces operational costs and increases energy savings.