Article

Traditional sign provider FASTSIGNS getting into digital

Franchisee-based company now offering all-in-one solution using NEC screens, Scala digital signage software.

January 27, 2009

CARROLLTON, Texas — FASTSIGNS International Inc., the worldwide franchisor of FASTSIGNS sign and graphics centers, has announced the addition of a new product to its sign and graphics offerings, Dynamic Digital Signage (DDS). FASTSIGNS digital signage offering is the first mainstream, readily available digital signage system for local installations, whether a customer needs one digital unit or thousands. FASTSIGNS has selected to work with two of the leading innovators in dynamic digital signage, Scala Inc. and NEC Unified Solutions, to implement this program.

FASTSIGNS has been researching dynamic digital signage for the past year and a half and has worked to create a viable and cost effective solution to meet customers' needs. As technology has evolved and businesses look for new, affordable options in signage, DDS has emerged as a viable option for both large and small businesses.

Sometimes described as "retail TV" or "electronic posters," DDS is an electronic display that can present constantly changing computer generated information, including videos, text, images and animation. Essentially, this sign solution allows more impactful messages to be displayed more often.

Larry Lane, president of FASTSIGNS International, Inc., explains that FASTSIGNS new DDS program is flexible and scalable—expanding along with the sign buyer's needs.

"The benefits to DDS are plentiful, and especially in these uncertain economic times, businesses are looking for an impactful way to create attention that is affordable and adaptable to constant changes within their respective business," he said. "Content can be more relevant to viewers since it can be altered based on time of day, weather, audience, or other factors."

FASTSIGNS DDS program addresses two different customers' needs:

• Customers that need simple "plug and play solutions", which do not require a network connection and fills the need for tradeshow displays, counter and shelf displays and many point of purchase types of signage. • Customers who need a robust sign solution with visual messaging that can be changed frequently and easily. The customer can make changes to content and schedules without the need of third party involvement, providing the right message to a targeted person at the right time.

All customers will have access to custom content creation, file storage and content management and scheduling; professional hardware installation and maintenance from industry leading providers, 24/7 system monitoring and affordable financing options.