Digital Signage Connection

Finding the existing economies of scale in your higher education institution will get your digital signage network up and running faster and will provide you with more signage content than you knew existed! But to get to goal, you must first find the answers to several critical questions, including "How do I begin to design and build a network?" "What hardware and software do I need?"" How do I staff the network?" "Where do I get content?" This session will help you answer these questions and more.

In this session, you will…
1. Learn how to manage network design and deployment without crying
2. Learn how to put together the team that will make your network a winner
3. Learn how to get the content you need to display on the digital signs

As a Digital Signage Certified Expert (and digital signage evangelist), Spencer Graham has been integral to the creation of a very large, high-tech digital signage network at West Virginia University that spans four campuses with more than 100 digital signs, four video walls, wayfinding deployments and a 24/7/365 emergency alert feature in addition to standard WVU messaging and marketing on the WVU Information Stations network.
 

Digital signage networks at universities continue to gain momentum and have become a powerful communications tool for educating students and faculty, promoting school activities in order to maximize engagement and serving as emergency alert systems across departments and campuses. This session will examine the University of British Columbia's digital signage deployment, which started as a greener, less wasteful and more engaging replacement for table tents and paper fliers and has grown into a centralized, enterprise-wide digital signage solution.

In this session, you will…
1. Learn how a well-executed digital signage system can transform a large university's ability to deliver timely information to students and faculty in a consistent, effective manner
2. Learn what to look for when selecting your digital signage system: scalability, ease of use, content and remote management, integration with other tools and platfoms, and much more
3. Gain insight into the digital signage workflow and learn the differences in available software and hardware solutions

Wilson Lo, senior programmer analyst in the IT department at the University of British Columbia (UBC), comes from a varied technical background. He started out as a Unix systems administrator and then moved into the area of Java development. He has been involved with the delivery of several enterprise open source-based services at UBC. Most recently, his work has shifted more into the solutions architecting of enterprise services, including the UBC student email and digital signage services.

Bill Taylor has 17 years of experience in digital media technology specializing in digital signage architecture and engineering with extensive media production and integration (video, networking, Internet) experience. Joining Haivision with the acquisition of CoolSign, he served as director of sales engineering for the Americas before taking on the role of global director of digital signage. Prior to CoolSign, Taylor held various roles at Reflect Systems, Convergent Media Systems, NetEffect and RedTree Group. He is a graduate of Georgia College and State University.

The content we display can educate, and even dictate, how viewers act and react to digital signage. Avoiding the pitfall of becoming another shiny object on the wall, your digital signage can display well executed and engaging content. This presentation will cover how to successfully and strategically plan and execute a content database that will make an impact. Important topics include identifying local and national outlets for relevant content, submission and policy guidelines, and best practices with content shelf-life and run times.

In this session, you will…
1. Learn the importance of setting goals for each area of digital signage and how to reach those goals
2. Learn how to successfully use your campus departments and colleges as a resource for relevant content and potential partnerships
3. Learn how to frame policy and procedure guidelines to maintain university standards, while remaining mindful of formatting restrictions and branding consistencies

With a formal education in art and technology, along with design and photography, Neil Hoyng has spent the last four years working with industry leading technology in marketing departments in both educational and private company settings. Upon finishing his education, he moved to Los Angeles to work with TOMS Shoes Inc. in a marketing, communication and research capacity. Hoyng has since moved back to Columbus, Ohio, to work for The Ohio State University, where he is responsible for digital signage at the student union and all recreational sports facilities, which includes managing 95 screens.

Academic venues provide a variety of options for digital signage content. Retail settings, dining facilities, office and classroom locations, libraries and bus stops are among the different locations that can benefit from customized content. Selecting appropriate word count, graphics or video content can be challenging with a myriad of stakeholders. In this session, you will learn how to avoid common pitfalls in developing content appropriate to its location, yet maintaining continuity across your campus.

In this session, you will…
1. Learn about different content types that may be appropriate for specific campus venues
2. Learn best practices for word count, still and motion graphics, and video content
3. Learn about syndication for extending your content across locations and devices

Jared Padgett is the manager of web development & digital media at Pepperdine University School of Law. He has managed digital signage hardware, networks and content for the past five years at the law school, and provided consultation services and support for the university's pilot deployment. Padgett spoke at the DSE 2012 conference and published an article in eCampus News on the topic of integrating mobile devices with digital signage. He holds an MBA in Information Technology and two Digital Signage Experts Group certifications — Digital Signage Certified Expert and Digital Signage Network Expert. He is currently pursuing a doctorate in business administration, specializing in leadership.

This session will explore the convergence of digital out-of-home technologies on campus and the role digital signage plays in a multi-modal communication environment

Dr. De’Arno De’Armond is the Hickman Professor of Marketing at West Texas A&M University and the director of undergraduate business programs. He received a B.B.A. and MBA from West Texas A&M University before completing his Ph.D. at Texas Tech University in 2009. Prior to joining academics full time, Dr. De’Armond worked for both CompUSA and NEC America in corporate support roles.

James Velco, chief technology officer, has been with The John Marshall Law School for over 13 years. During that time, he has garnered a tremendous amount of experience coordinating projects dealing with information technology infrastructure, project management and financial planning. Over the course of his tenure, Velco has managed projects such as a the construction of a state-of-the-art data center; a three-year network infrastructure backbone upgrade; the creation of a campuswide wireless network; a migration of PBX telephone service to VoIP; the installation of proximity card security systems; a digital signage initiative and the creation of multimedia, technology-enabled classrooms.

Velco is responsible for vendor management, purchasing and budget planning and analysis for the Information Technology Services department at the law school. He is also responsible for planning, coordinating and implementing new technologies in the law school, including setting technical priorities for law school and coordinating various departmental projects relating to information technology. He also sets departmental and law school policies relating to the use of law school technology and network resources. Finally, Velco is intimately involved customer service and support, he oversees all IT user services, including the Information Technology Services’ Help Desk; IT training and guidance;  management of all end user network services including the school’s information portals, wireless access and cloud based services.Velco earned B.S. from Illinois State University and is currently finishing his Master of Business and Information Technology degree at DePaul University.

James Webb is the West Texas A&M University chief information officer and part-time instructor for Computer Information Systems. He received a B.B.A and M.B.A from West Texas A&M University. Webb holds active industry certification designations of Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert in Security (CCIE), Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and Certified Information Security Manager (CISM). He was recently named one of Computerworld's Premier 100 IT Leaders for 2012.