September 2017 - Exertis Almo Installments Blog

5 Part Series: 5 Ways the Hospitality Market is Evolving (3 of 5)

by Apryl Lamberti | Sep 19, 2017 | Hospitality, Pro Displays

STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS.
Hoteliers realize that they can get more screen size for their money these days, what most ownership groups are starting to realize is that television sets are not nearly as simple as they used to be and they need partnerships with resources to help get the job done right the first time.

Commercial (hospitality) televisions are no longer plug-and-play like their consumer cousins yet we often see that the decision makers like ownership groups and purchasing departments have had little to no regard to implementation and often assumed that TVs could simply be just another line item delegated to the on-site engineering team. However, the reality is that hospitality TV installations can be quite complex and involve integration between the end-device technology (television) and the content providers’ equipment (cable or satellite company) at minimum; they can also involve integration with the hotels’ POS system (point-of-sale) if a property is utilizing the television as an interface for guests to order room service, provide easy check-out or in-room entertainment (pay-per-view) or other services; finally, there are projects where content management solutions like REACH are deployed, and all of this requires programming, certification on a variety of manufacturer’s solutions, detailed project management and extensive experience.

In this case, the hotelier has more leverage when they bundle the purchase of television sets along with installation services, plus bundling stops finger-pointing between multiple trades or staff and vendors.

Although new construction projects can sometimes provide slightly more flexibility, typically by the time televisions are delivered, service providers are working against the clock of an opening date- this is when experience makes all the difference and management groups realize that hiring temporary workers or using the general contractor can mean that TVs get installed but they may be left scrambling with days to the finish line to locate a specialized service provider who can save the day (at premium expense) rather than planning ahead with a reseller partner who has capabilities for specialized hospitality installation services and can handle everything 100%. Renovations are another area where the expertise of an installation partner can help minimize added stress to on-site management and engineering teams with little to no disruption to hotel guests. In these cases, not only is new installation being managed, but the old product that’s being replaced/removed must also be coordinated and a good partner will often provide a complimentary service of recycling and liquidation search. Storage can be another issue, many properties literally have every square foot of the hotel booked for meetings and events and there is no storage space available to hold units until they can be picked up from a liquidation company; all of this must be considered and planned for. Surprisingly, specialized hospitality installation services are more cost effective than most think, but the benefits- peace-of-mind, proven track record in hospitality, no finger-pointing between trades, an engineering staff who can focus on the operations of the hotel and what they do best, finishing on-time and on a fixed-budget without the risk of lost revenues to rooms that can’t be sold- priceless.

INSTALLATION SERVICES

MEET THE TRUCKS INSTALLATION SERVICES

WHITE GLOVE INSTALLATION SERVICES

SERVICES PROVIDED:

Unload and distribute TVs to guest rooms from a centralized area within the property
TVs to be unpacked, assembled and installed using the included base
TVs secured with provided bolts and security nuts (two-sided tape available at an extra exchange)
Provide property with pictures, paperwork for damaged TVs and streamline advance replacement units
Package damaged/DOA TVs for return pick up

SERVICES PROVIDED:

Includes all aspects of MEET THE TRUCKS
Additionally, installation of REACH Server and programming of channel mapping into the head end REACH Server will be provided
Installation will also include setting up each individual TV for receiving the programming from the REACH Server being installed
Provide customer with brief, functional overview of system as well as REACH Server interface

For more information on our hospitality installation services contact Apryl G. Lamberti at [email protected] or at 888.420.2566 x6604.

5 Part Series: 5 Ways the Hospitality Market is Evolving (2 of 5)

by Apryl Lamberti | Sep 18, 2017 | Hospitality, Pro Displays

TECHNOLOGY DRIVEN.
Hoteliers are constantly challenged to keep up with the rapid pace of technology advancements and with the majority of U.S. hotels still running on coax infrastructures, most properties are still playing catch-up with the replacements of first generation flat panels to LED technology with limited or no IP-connectivity for over-the-top content for access to guest-provided media/sources.

Some might ask, “Why is having the latest technology so important in places where people are so transient? Perception is everything and in a business where moments of interactions or scattered impressions can influence loyalty rates or return bookings (a key factor that hotel management is incentivized on by the way) the lasting imprint technology makes on hotel guests is more important than you might think.

What hoteliers are really in competition with is the technology that consumers are using day-in and day-out. Since consumer electronics influence commercial solutions (both in professional A/V and hospitality), it is understandable that hoteliers may always be a few steps behind the latest and greatest consumer gizmo or gadget (and that’s ok) but the reality is that travelers simply expect technology in hotel properties to have a similar look & feel they’ve come to anticipate based on consumer-tech incorporated into their lives. Consider touch screens, automated check-in kiosks or your favorite travel app and this concept comes to life.

Samsung, the leading brand in consumer electronics and professional display solutions has incorporated some of the top features of its award-winning consumer televisions into its commercial line of in-room hospitality solutions making it the most expansive lineup in the market with options ranging from 22-inch to 75-inch options and compatibility with nearly every content provider.

Technologies include: Embedded pro:idiom and non-pro:idiom Digital Rights Management technology (DRM), b-LAN, Smart, UHD (4K resolution) varieties. In addition, Samsung’s 694 Series introduced last year can be deployed to achieve over-the-top (internet accessible (“think smart”)) content via coax vs. IP-protocols typically required; this can be especially useful for historic or luxury properties where new wiring infrastructure is practically out of the question or may be cost prohibitive however the hotelier still wants to deliver a premium in-room entertainment experience for their guests.

Control Content on Hundreds of Digital TVs at Once

Eliminate room-by-room visits to each guest room by using a single-location remote solution. The REACH Server delivers updated firmware and other settings to TVs through RF signals. Updates are simple and simultaneous, so there’s no need to go from room to room to update each display with USB cloning. This way, your staff has more time to focus on other ways of improving the guest experience.

Samsung’s REACH Content Management Solution is another example of behind the scenes product with an interface that instantly modernizes the look and feel of in-room entertainment and the function of how guests engage with their TV, the centralized “hub” of the guestroom. Using REACH, a property can customize the guest experience and welcome guests by name, share useful information like weather or essential news updates and even promote revenue generating amenities such as happy hour in the hotel lounge, weekend SPA services or local tours or nearby attractions creating entertainment opportunities for guests with added revenue-sharing opportunities for hoteliers; plus, including pictures of the hotels’ artwork, logos, images or other content is a cinch- no more generic content! This is just scratching the surface when it comes to REACH- other components include centralized control for channel mapping configurations and labor savings for programming features like volume limiting and other energy savings options.

Add a Residential TV Experience

Bring a residential TV navigation experience to the guest rooms with the Interactive Program Guide (IPG). IPG data is provided through the subscription service by your content provider or system integrator. The REACH device can then pull the necessary metadata from multiple sources in multiple formats. Guests can enjoy picture in picture viewing, detailed program information and a convenient channel grid.

Deliver Information to In-Room Guests Rapidly

Deliver information automatically with a headline-style scrolling ticker. The LYNK REACH ticker feature provides a crawl of data that’s of special interest to guests, such as local weather or event information. In addition, property managers can create and update targeted promotional content or marketing messages, while displaying an interface that seamlessly matches your property’s brand.

Optimize Total Cost of Ownership

This integrated solution uses existing infrastructure assets, lower labor and operating costs and eliminates the need for set-top boxes and other components. For those establishments that have RF infrastructure currently in place, LYNK REACH is an ideal way to provide TV content more efficiently.

TeleAdapt’s Roomcast solution is an innovative technology powered by Google Chromecast that enables guests to stream their own content right from their mobile device (Pandora, Netflix, ESPN, etc.) directly to the guest room TV without having to download an app, enter a password or email address which eliminates any concerns for jeopardizing a guests’ private information or personal area network. RoomCast is better than screen mirroring; it even allows guests to use their applications (like checking emails for example) at the same time as casting content from whatever the source (Netflix, etc.). It’s no wonder live casting has already been named one of the hottest tech trends anticipated to change the hospitality industry over the next 10 years!

LG Introduces LV640S – the New Series of Smart TV Signage

by Guest Blogger | Sep 14, 2017 | Digital Signage, Pro Displays

Author: LG Commercial Display

We’re hearing it more and more. Small and medium-sized businesses are looking for eye-catching, affordable and easy to manage ways to communicate with their customers. And it has to be attention-grabbing—enough to get customers to look up from their smartphones for a while.

That’s why we’ve created a smart new solution—the LV640S Series Smart TV Signage.

Smart TV Signage builds upon the success of our SuperSign^® TVs. Like SuperSign TVs, they have built-in tuners to support a variety of TV broadcast signals. They enable businesses to show live TV programs and deliver customized messaging and advertisements simultaneously. They include pre-installed templates to make it easier than ever to create dazzling content for various types of businesses and use cases.

So what’s the difference? The Smart TV platform. Smart TV Signage offers a number of exciting new capabilities like embedded CMS software for PC-less operation. (But they also have PC-based SuperSign Simple Editor software.)

The new LV640S Series Smart TV Signage is engineered for reliable 16/7 operation in business environments, and is backed by our commercial 3-year warranty.

New Smart TV Signage Features:

Crestron Connected^® Certification – Quickly integrate the LV640S Series as part of a totally automated A/V and IT environment. It will function seamlessly with all other Crestron Connected Certified products.
Content Manager – Without an extra PC, you can easily create content using embedded templates and play it according to scheduled sets.
Group Manager – Smart TV Signage works as a server. Without any extra device, a master TV can distribute content and set data for a selected group within the same network.
YouTube and Web Browser – Access various content via the pre-loaded YouTube app, web browser and live channel.
Smart Share and Screen Share – Use features such as Wi-Fi Direct^®, WiDi and Miracast^® to view content from mobile devices on the TV screen.
Wireless Hotspot – SoftAP (software enabled access point) is a virtual Wi-Fi feature that enables Smart TV Signage to function as a wireless access point for mobile devices in the vicinity.
Wi-Fi / Bluetooth Built-in (Bluetooth Sound Sync) – Distribute content and control the TV through a wireless network. Listen to audio from a Bluetooth-enabled mobile device through the TV speakers.
Full IP control through the network, including WoL (Wake on LAN) to remotely wake the TV from low power mode.

5 Part Series: 5 Ways the Hospitality Market is Evolving

by Apryl Lamberti | Sep 6, 2017 | Hospitality, Uncategorized

SIZE MATTERS.
The United States hotel market is made up of 4 million hotel rooms and the typical life span of guest room televisions ranges between 5-7 years according to recent studies.

Going back just a few years, the most popular size for guest room televisions in economy scale properties like Choice brands for example, typically required a 28 or 32-inch TV although some properties are moving towards a 40-inch in efforts to future-proof investments with trends leaning towards bigger panels.

Midscale brands such as Hilton for example, typically consider a 40-inch guest room TV acceptable however will often make a bigger investment for the next size up (43-inch) as larger screen sizes bare higher rack rates (room rates) and can boost incremental revenues; suites with living rooms or separate seating areas from sleeping rooms frequently specify larger sizes such as 48-inch or 50-inch to provide a more impactful experience for in-room entertainment and we even see trends to 55-inch becoming the most popular future-proof size in this segment.

When it comes to some upscale or luxury chain scales, including some Hyatt brands for example, there are requirements that stretch to a 60-inch and even a 65-inch set- some with mandates for smart features such as those offered by Samsung. Who knew those big and bulky armoires would eventually be sawed in half and re-purposed as dressers to make (visual) room for a slim and sleek flat panel television with built-in swivel capabilities- that we now consider essential for that modern, high-tech, designer look?

Similar implementation can be seen in other luxury brands like JW Marriott, Westin, Ritz Carlton and others, with the combination of larger screen sizes and high-designer appeal of a wall-mounted installation like with the HPF-650 specifically made for hospitality by Peerless-AV, the most widely deployed mount hands-down in the industry.

We will keep tabs on the trends and keep you posted of any new ones we see. We’re in a prime time in the industry with so many of the first generation flat panels now due for replacement. Be sure to check property websites as you’re working with them on any other opportunities so you can easily spot feature listings that may show guest room pictures with outdated models prime for upgrades!

Raspberry Pi Now Being Served

by John Wills | Sep 1, 2017 | Digital Signage

In an earlier blog this year, I reviewed NEC’s recent announcement to incorporate the popular Raspberry Pi (RPi) computer with selected new V-Series and P-Series panels by mid-2017.

The addition of RPi continues NEC’s open platform philosophy utilizing OPS slots that provide the bridge for a variety of computers and digital signage OPS-compliant solutions. Now with the addition of low-cost RPi, software application developers and digital signage content creators have a flexible and scalable platform to choose from.

So, in a sense, NEC created something akin to a Food Network for digital signage content and IoT applications. The vision is for Developer “Chefs” everywhere to take their RPi creations from the kitchen to the marketplace table.

NEC & Raspberry Pi at InfoComm 2017

So, the Developer Chefs are busy with their recipes and I’m looking to get a taste of their RPi creations. Not only are we moving ahead with our Almo Content Service partners busy adapting the current HTML5-based digital signage recipes to RPi but they’re mixing some new ones as well.

By year-end 2017, we plan to have a menu of low-cost, easy to install RPi selections to meet the creative demands of our dealer’s customers.

Another exciting development is how other content “Chef” houses are entering the marketplace with their recipes and creations. We’ve been contacted by numerous content houses who embrace RPi as their platform — a powerful, low-cost platform that allows them to bring their recipes to the digital signage table. They want to know more about NEC’s panels that, in a sense, are the beautiful plates to make their appetizing creations sparkle for wanting customers.

Stay tuned as my next blog will update all of you about our growing menu of RPi selections on the Almo digital signage menu.

In the meantime, you can see the RPi panels up close on the fall leg of the Almo Pro A/V E4 AV Tour, coming to New York on September 19 and October 3 in Irvine, CA.

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E4 AV TOUR

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