REDMOND, Wash. — Nov. 11, 2010 — In January 2010, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), developers, and retail and hospitality organizations got a look at the future of digital signage during the National Retail Federation Annual Convention and Expo. At the show, Windows Embedded announced a collaboration with Intel to help enhance the customer experience by giving OEMs the tools and technologies needed to build the next generation of digital signage applications, including those featuring rich, immersive user experiences and connectivity to online services and existing IT infrastructures.
To further expand this collaboration and deliver the latest technologies, Microsoft, Intel and NEC recently announced they have entered into a relationship to provide an integrated digital signage offering for the global market. The result is an optimized digital signage platform that addresses the retail and digital signage market’s need for a more streamlined, high-performance and dependable solution that supports digital content, interactivity, intelligence and life-cycle management.
Having NEC as part of the alliance with Microsoft and Intel will further promote the concept of intelligent digital signage and represent next generation digital signage products, such as a strategic cloud computing collaboration that is sure to offer some exciting scenarios moving forward.
“Microsoft and industry partners continue to provide solutions that help retailers and hospitality organizations thrive in today’s competitive global marketplace by meeting the demands for a highly personalized and connected shopper experience,” said John Boladian, group marketing manager, Windows Embedded Business Marketing, Microsoft.
At a press briefing this week in Tokyo, Masaru Takaishi, general manager, Carrier and Media Service Solutions Division, NEC, said that the purpose of this collaboration is to achieve the technologies needed for next-generation digital signage — key aspects of this include digital content, interactive capabilities, intelligent features and life-cycle management.
The collaboration also integrates intelligent features to provide high-level visual effect measurement and digital signage systems with a single control module, by using Windows Embedded Standard 7 and Intel Core i5/i7. These features can benefit customers and retailers alike — customers can leverage a newly developed controller module and display specialized for digital signage based on the Open Pluggable Specification (OPS), Intel’s initiative to standardize the design and development of digital signs. In addition, Windows 7 technologies can be leveraged through Windows Embedded Standard 7, including features like Windows Presentation Foundation, Windows Touch and Windows Flip 3D navigation for multigesture touch interfaces and context-aware applications.
Looking to see this digital signage platform from Microsoft, Intel and NEC in action? More details will be unveiled at the National Retail Federation (NRF) Annual Convention and Expo Jan. 9–12, 2011, in New York. Be sure to stay tuned for additional information as the date draws near.
Check out more information on the Windows Embedded portfolio of platforms and technologies for retail, including Windows Embedded Standard 7 and the optimized digital signage platform, at http://www.windowsembedded.com/retail.
