Cisco Simplifies Content Creation for Digital Signage

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Feb. 24, 2010 – Today, at the Digital Signage Expo, Cisco announced the expansion of the Cisco® Digital Media Creative Services offering to make it easier for customers to develop and display captivating visual content for digital signage. Building on its leading portfolio of digital signage solutions, Cisco is expanding its partner ecosystem of content strategy and production experts to build one of the industry's largest advisory networks for digital signage content. Cisco's unique end-to-end offering addresses all stages of the content lifecycle, from business assessment to strategy formulation and dynamic content design.

While the number of digital signs across the globe continues to grow, sign owners still struggle to find a compelling content strategy to match their business goals and deliver an optimal return on investment (ROI). By expanding its Digital Media Creative Services offering, Cisco will help customers optimize their best-in-class digital signage technology with best-in-class content, with the aim that all digital signage installations achieve powerful visual impact and maximum value.

New Content Strategy Partners

Cisco is joining forces with many of the industry's top content strategy companies, including OgilvyAction, Imperative Group, StoreStream Metrics, Alchemy (part of St. Joseph Communications) and MEDIAmobz. The addition of solutions from these new partners to Cisco's Digital Media Creative Services portfolio will:

Provide customers with enhanced measurement, analysis and recommendations on content strategy and design
Allow customers more options to build content strategy with a specific ROI costing model in mind to focus their digital signs on meeting communication objectives and enhancing the customer experience

New Syndicated Content Channels

New partners, including Blue Pond Media, BlueFox, HeadsAndTails and Virtual Scenery, will bring pre-produced, syndicated digital signage content channels to the Cisco Digital Media Creative Services offering. These channels can:

Allow the simple selection and purchase of digital signage content to run on open playlist slots in any vertical market environment
Save significant time and development costs associated with producing proprietary visual material

Expansion of Cisco Academy of Digital Signage

Since its launch, the Cisco Academy of Digital Signage has trained more than 500 media professionals to create and optimize media content for digital signage. Instructor-led courses have been held in six countries across the globe, including the U.S., Canada, the Netherlands, Belgium, Australia and, most recently, Lebanon. This year, the Cisco Academy of Digital Signage will expand into additional regions, including South America, Asia and the Middle East.

At the Digital Signage Expo, taking place Feb. 23-25 in Las Vegas, Cisco will exhibit its unique content service offering along with new technology innovations for Cisco Digital Signs in booth 1217 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Supporting Quotes:

Thomas Wyatt, vice president and general manager, Digital Media Systems business unit, Cisco

"Cisco understands the critical role that dynamic content plays in the digital signage industry. Therefore, we are excited to bring together such a strong group of content strategists and producers as part of our Digital Media Creative Services offering, to help ensure that our customers always have fast and easy access to high-quality digital signage content for any vertical market."

Hans Hwang, vice president, Cisco Services

"Cisco's Digital Media Creative Services can help accelerate our customers' business transformation, enabling them to achieve the true value of their digital media investments. Digital signage provides exciting new opportunities for our customers, and this expansion of our service offerings will help make this a reality for them."

Gareth Ellen, senior partner, director of digital, OgilvyAction

"Cisco's Digital Media Creative Services and OgilvyAction's new content strategy, design and analytics service for digital signage will deliver a turnkey solution for content playlists and schedules, while also providing the measurement required to deliver program ROI and ongoing optimization."

Chris Heap, managing director, Imperative Group

"Cisco's Digital Media Creative Services and the Imperative Group are collaborating to deliver a range of digital-out-of-home content and network development services in EMEA. With over 11 years of practical experience gained specifically developing out-of-home media networks in this region, Imperative is pleased to join Cisco in providing value to customers as they develop and deploy their digital signage solutions."

James Condon, co-founder, Blue Pond Media

"Cisco's Digital Media Creative Services and Blue Pond Media are positioning distinctive media channels for Cisco Digital Signs. The channels will be associated with HD content that will cover several vertical markets. Blue Pond Media specializes in quality HD video and provides several programs that include ambient content."

Dave Toole, chief executive officer, MEDIAmobz

"Cisco's Digital Media Creative Services and MEDIAmobz content links the creative community, with their specialized digital media creative skills, to clients who are looking for alternative methods to create content without the burden of overhead or augmenting internal resources to deliver affordable media assets."

Guillaume De La Tour, chief executive officer, BlueFox

"Cisco's Digital Media Creative Services and BlueFox are pleased to announce their collaboration in providing content channels for digital signage. The content channels are optimized to play on the Cisco Digital Media Player, which is part of the Cisco Digital Media Suite portfolio. BlueFox has a vast library of media products dedicated to digital signage and will provide global content for Cisco customers."

Tony Loiacono, founder, HeadsAndTails TV

"Cisco's Digital Media Creative Services and HeadsAndTails TV adapt assorted real- and virtual-world media approaches for Cisco Digital Signs. This edutainment, sports and lifestyle HD media content meets the emerging needs in the converging digital signage marketplace."

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