extra ... the 21st century billboard
London's Evening Standard and Newsquest Sign Up To Revolutionary Breakthrough In Digital Signage
PRESS RELEASE - 14th December , 2007
A pioneering breakthrough in Wireless Digital Signage that delivers headlines and creates important new advertising revenue opportunities for newspaper publishing groups has been developed by the UK’s leading machine-to-machine technology company.
The ‘extra...’ digital signage system from Comtech M2M is the latest product to be developed as a result of the firm’s intensive, £5 million, five year, research and development programme which has already seen it introduce systems to major organisations including Camelot/National Lottery, BT Redcare, Nintendo, Kraft and Bombardier Transportation.
Heralded as the 21st Century answer to the traditional newspaper billboard, extra… is the only digital signage system to combine LED and LCD displays with wireless mobile technology, meaning both dynamic advertising and ‘ticker’ headlines can be sent instantly to one or many units located in any number of indoor or outdoor locations nationwide.
Two major UK newspaper publishers, The London's Evening Standard and leading regional newspaper group Newsquest have already begun to introduce the units across newspaper sales outlets.
The London Evening Standard has taken delivery of 30 outdoor ‘extra!’ units in the first stage of a roll out across the capital. The wireless, battery operated systems featuring 32” screens have been installed in Evening Standard sales booths at major footfall sites including Euston Station, Fenchurch Street, Farringdon and Waterloo as part of a major programme of improvements to its street presence.
Comtech M2M, headquartered in Bolton, Lancashire has also signed a contract for an indoor version of the ‘extra!’ system with Newsquest, the major regional newspaper publisher to maximise on queue dwell times at newsagents, helping titles within the group to reach new captive audiences.
Units can be updated at any time from advertising sales and news rooms using the system’s ‘Extralive’ management service, without relying on the retailers’ own IT network infrastructure.
The screen media market has experienced huge growth over recent years, with advertising income generated in the UK set to reach £170m by 2010 and £860m across Europe.
Matt Harrison, Sales & Marketing Director for the London Evening Standard
commented:
“As befits our position as London’s quality newspaper we are embracing this technology to not only keep our customers informed but also present an up to date method of marketing our brand in areas of London with fantastic footfall.
“The extra units also provide an important potential opportunity for a new advertising revenue platform in the form of outdoor media directly linking in to advertising within the paper and online.”
Sean Keenan, Managing Director of Comtech M2M, said today:
“ We have used our expertise in machine-to-machine technology to develop systems of interest to a wide range of industries that need to transmit data in real time. The ‘extra...’ system was designed specifically to take the advantages of wireless digital signage to the newspaper and magazine publishing industry and open up important new revenue streams in an industry facing ever changing commercial challenges.”
Mr. Keenan added:
“ We believe that machine-to-machine technology will be one of the growth markets of the 21st century and we are determined that Comtech M2M will be at its forefront.”
Steve Whitehead, Marketing Director at Comtech M2M, added:
“ At a time when newspaper groups are experiencing a shift in advertising spend from print to online, our system offers a valuable new revenue stream. It complements both print and online, allowing newspaper groups to reach new captive audiences at news stands, in newsagents and at convenience stores at the simple click of a button.”
“The fact that we have been able to develop wireless and even battery powered systems also means that our solutions are not geographically limited or dependant on in-store IT networks. By locating screens in busy retail sites, advertisements, news and promotional messages can be put directly in front of large numbers of consumers. The extra… digital signage system increases advertising revenue and circulation and thereby offers tremendous opportunities for growth.”
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Comtech are proud to bring innovative communication technology to everyday business by making it simple and easy to use.
Pictured:
Proud of the past, excited by the future - London Evening Standard vendor of 33 years Stephen Skeet with the new extra… system.
