PanelDirector Digital Signage Software by NEC
PanelDirector Digital Signage Software by NEC
NEC introduced a new digital signage software solution today called NEC PanelDirector. The integrated software will be directed toward institutions that need to display multimedia content and other information through large flat panel digital signage displays. PanelDirector software has numerous practical applications including use in hotel lobbies and airports as announcement boards, and use in financial intuitions and stock trading offices to display content. The software is compatible with both LCD and plasma displays as well as projectors, and can be used to display content wherever an IP network is available. "The new digital signage solution simplifies the entire process, because it integrates all elements - from the hardware to the software and network," said Toshiharu Iwasa, the NEC Australia managing director. It appears that NEC is working toward offering a turnkey digital signage solution. The PanelDirector software seems to be an addition to the company's Nextep broadband network which is marketed as a business-grade IP network for the distribution of content to geographically distributed displays. Nec is integrating PanelDirector in to the Nextep product by offering a hosted PanelDirector solution. The complete solution is designed to scale down to the sole-trader and small business markets. PanelDirector has been available since 2003 and was implemented at the University of Technology in Austraila and at the Sofitel Hotel in Melbourne. "The professional edition integrates with back-end databases to deliver content to the displays which can be in the form of HTML, Flash, still photography, and video, among others," said Andrew Shearer, NEC's digital signage product manager for Australia. PanelDirector standard edition supports from 20 to 50 displays while the professional edition has the capability to support an unlimited number of displays. The software also includes a scheduling feature that will allow predefined content distribution. Shearer noted that the components of NEC's digital signage solution including the PanelDirector software can be purchased separately. He also indicated that the components are not designed in a proprietary manner, and that the displays can all be managed remotely from any desktop computer that is connected to the internet and running Windows.
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