Vol. 61 No.7
July 20, 2015
Commercial Systems
Integration Survey
A V F O R S Y S T E M S I N T E G R AT O R S , C O N T R A C T O R S A N D C O N S U L TA N T S
30th
30th Annual Commercial Systems Integration Survey12-page report on the state of the industry
ZONED OUT INTERACTIVE RETAILVERIZON’S DESTINATION STORE PROVIDES A PERSONALIZED EXPERIENCE
DIVERSIFYING INTO DESIGN/INTEGRATION
AV
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New commercial AV division leads Spye
4
COLUMNS
6 WAVELENGTH By David A. Silverman
12 SIGN AGE By Shonan Noronha, EdD
74 AVENT HORIZON By Pete Putman, CTS, ISF
CONTENTS
Volume 61Number 7
4
30TH COMMERCIAL SYSTEMS
INTEGRATION SURVEY REPORT
CLICK HERE
32 ZONED OUT INTERACTIVE RETAILVerizon’s Destination Store provides a personalized experience.By Jim Stokes
40 DIVERSIFYING INTO
DESIGN/INTEGRATIONNew commercial AV division leads Spye.By Dan Daley
44 INTEGRATING FOR
EMOTIONAL RETAILAnalog, digital and the subconscious.By Laura Davis-Taylor
46 MARKET BRIEFRetail Environments: ROI’s Our BoyBy Matt Van Dyke
9 NEWSLETTER
16 HOUSE OF WORSHIP: BUSINESSA Global View: Opportunities abound worldwide.By David Lee Jr., PhD
18 WHAT WOULD YOU DO?So, It Doesn’t Work...So! SO! SO!?By Douglas Kleeger, CTS-D, DMC-E
22 THE COMMISHScope Of Work: Nail it down before it nails you.By James Maltese, CTS-D, CTS-I, CQT
24 NSCA POVBogged Down In Documentation: Dealing with the necessary.By Chuck Wilson
26 INTEGRATOR’S POVBetter Cabling, Better Business: It can be difficult to get excited about cables.By Brian Morrow
28 INTEGRATOR’S POVWho Guards The Guards? We owe customers a more intelligent solution.By John Mayberry
Sound & Communications July 2015
30 60TH
ANNIVERSARY POVThe Industry Looks Back: VideoSonic SystemsBy Glenn Polly
48 NEWS
53 CALENDAR
55 PEOPLE
58 PRODUCTS
67 LIT/MEDIA
68 CENTERSTAGE
71 MARKETPLACE
Commercial Systems
Integration Survey
A V F O R S Y S T E M S I N T E G R AT O R S , C O N T R A C T O R S A N D C O N S U L TA N T S
30th Co
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Sound & Communications July 201532
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y “Amplify It” is one of the lifestyle zones that feature an HD videowall for signage. The “Wall of Sound” is directly to the right of the videowall.
33July 2015 Sound & Communications
BY JIM STOKES
Verizon Wireless Chicago is not your traditional brick-and-mortar
store. Instead, the glass-enclosed shopping destination on Michigan
Avenue reveals an exciting retail experience from its nearly 35-foot-tall
front atrium display tower through two floors of customer interactive
AV environments. Correspondingly, we’ll guide you through intriguing
zones such as the “Wall of Sound” speaker demo area and the “Device
Walls” comprised of touch-enabled video monitors.
Regarding the Verizon Wireless expansion (verizonwireless.com), Mall
of America (MOA) in Bloomington MN in the Twin Cities metropolitan
region was the first Destination Store; Chicago was the second. The
Boston Destination Store opened in March 2015, while the Houston
location opened in November 2014. A new one will open this summer
in Santa Monica CA. We’ll detail Verizon Wireless Chicago here, as well
as highlight and compare the MOA store and preview the upcoming
Santa Monica facility.
Verizon Wireless lives up to the name of the Magnificent Mile with its
Chicago Destination Store. As part of Verizon’s broader brand redesign 33July 2015 Sound & Communications
The Verizon Wireless Chicago exterior features 10-foot-wide by 35-foot-tall videowall.
The 10'x35' 3mm LED tower at the front of the store.
initiative, the Destination Store introduc-
es new ways of doing business that make
shopping for wireless devices and services
easier, more convenient and more personal-
ized. Designed by longtime design partner
Chute Gerdeman (chutegerdeman.com,
Columbus OH), the actual retail space for
this wireless wonderland is 10,000 square
feet. The Destination Store is packed with
the tools and training to integrate technol-
ogy into any lifestyle. Visitors explore pos-
sibilities through interactive displays and
digital signage engineered and integrated
by McCann Systems (mccannsystems.com,
Edison NJ).
This technology playground is fully
equipped with the digital essentials for
streamlining every way of life. Through-
out the store are several lifestyle zones to
easily locate today’s crucial tech toys. In-
teractive displays provide a self-guided ex-
ploratory experience while digital signage
glows from high-definition videowalls or
large-format displays in each zone.
Designer’s Viewpoint
Our first stop on the tour is with Adam
Limbach, Vice President, Brand Commu-
nications, at Chute Gerdeman, who gave
us a design overview. “Brand Communica-
tions does pretty much anything that has
to do with the brand expression and how
it gets expressed in the retail space,” he
explained. “That includes making it come
to life, whether it’s graphics, signage or
merchandising. We literally design con-
cepts from the ground up.”
For Verizon Wireless Chicago, Chute
Gerdeman took an existing space, stripped
off the veneer and totally created the new
architecture, environment and interior de-
sign. The design task took about a year.
“The way we lay out the space is based
on the customer experience,” he affirmed.
“Our goal was to encourage shoppers to
The Executive Meeting Space, located above the retail space, features a 75-inch
flatscreen with touch overlay at the far end and a 46-inch on the right
The “Get Fit” zone helps the shoppers test equipment. Here, users test fitness trackers while on the treadmill or bike. In this scenario, an HD display provides content for full immersion in the experience. In users’ minds, they aren’t in a store testing equipment with hundreds of eyes watching, they are on their Sunday run.
35July 2015 Sound & Communications
shop and explore. So, when you walk in the
Chicago Verizon front atrium area, there’s
a screen that pulls shoppers in through the
space. From an architectural standpoint,
the glass lets you see into the space. Rather
than small windows, we have a lot of jointed
glass where you can see multiple floors. The
whole store is AV, including the third-floor
Executive Briefing Center. The task was to
get people to think of Verizon in a different
way, not just for telecommunication packages
or new phones. We created a whole different
shopping journey. It’s about lifestyles.”
Limbach noted that you can use your mo-
bile phone in different ways. For example,
you can connect with Bluetooth headsets
or speakers. There are fitness accessories.
There are many more areas where Verizon
Wireless is tied into merchandising (we’ll
cover those later). He explained that Mc-
Cann Systems was hired to specify the AV.
“We do the sizing and make sure the con-
tent is the right scale,” he said. “We have
to do custom screens for certain areas.”
Verizon Perspective
“AV basically allows us to deliver the ex-
perience to the customers in a digital for-
mat,” stated Grady Milhon, senior member
with planning and engineering at Verizon
Wireless (Lincoln NE). “That allows us
to be more engaging and interactive with
customers as they are going through and
experiencing the different lifestyle experi-
ences within our Destination Store format.
The Executive Meeting Space as seen from outside the meeting space. The three 46-inch displays offer
wireless presentation capability.
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Sound & Communications July 201536
In terms of our Destination Store deployment, I represent the
overall IT, planning and engineering effort. If you look at it from
an AV perspective, we would be the interface, with McCann the
integrator, interfacing with our Verizon IT.”
Milhon discussed the similarities and differences among the
MOA, Chicago and upcoming Santa Monica Destination Stores.
“For the most part, the digital experiences stayed the same,” he
said. “We initially deployed a lot of digital content in our first store
at MOA. When we went to deploy the future stores, we scaled
back a little and ended up going back and retrofitting those scale
backs at MOA. So, Chicago and MOA are very similar in terms
of the AV.”
One major difference is that MOA has a front window where
customers can interact with a digital experience from outside
the store via a 3x4 videowall. Access is via Displax multitouch
foils with an overlay in the store window. Content is constantly
being revised and changed throughout the seasons. In contrast,
Chicago has a two-story LED videowall in the front atrium that
presents the story of Chicago, which includes the fire and the
World’s Fair, among other historical features. Custom content
plays at the top of the hour, every hour.
The Santa Monica store will have similar interactive experiences,
but with a slightly different layout. In comparison, MOA is a single
floor, a little bit bigger and more spread out. Chicago is more of a
narrow store and three stories high. Santa Monica will be a two-
story location.
There’s also a difference in videoconferencing. “In Chicago,
we’re just using a software-based WebEx,” said Milhon. “But in
Santa Monica, we will be integrating a Cisco codec and will be
using Cisco’s videoconferencing platform that will tie in with the
Verizon Enterprise Video Telepresence platform. Then we’ll be
able to go online, reserve a room and connect to any other Tele-
presence room within the Verizon organization.”
Verizon’s Interactive AVMcCann Systems worked with Verizon and Verizon’s experience design firm, Chute Gerdeman, for nearly a year, doing tests, mock-ups and refining the experience to develop the fun, engaging media environment for the stores. All of the AV equipment in each store is controlled, monitored and scheduled by Medialon Manager v6 show control software, running on a PC provided by Verizon’s IT depart-ment. Daily equipment startup and shutdown is scheduled locally at each store on the local Medialon system. To get our bearings, here’s a look at some primary AV features in stores (see the main Chicago Destination Store for details). One of the first video features customers see when entering the stores is the Atrium Wall, a video column consisting of Christie LED panels. Further into the store, shoppers can explore features of various phones and tablets on the Device Wall, two long videowalls flanking each side of the store, 14 displays wide by two high. In the center is the “Brand Focal” videowall, consisting of more than 100 Christie MicroTiles with an interactive experience. A couple of videowall features display larger-than-life content to immerse customers. Here is a more in-depth look at “Wall of Sound.” The area features Bluetooth speakers arranged on the wall to give the visual appear-ance of a graphic equalizer. Audio is played via Bluetooth from a phone at the display, and sales associates use a custom iPad app to select which manufacturer’s speakers to listen to. Instead of listen-ing to only one speaker at a time, all speakers from the same manu-facturer play simultaneously, or all speakers on the wall together, creating an immersive effect. McCann connected the audio source phone to a Bluetooth receiver, which feeds the audio to a BSS Soundweb London break-in box. The custom iPad app communicates via WiFi with the Medialon Manager system that, in turn, commands the BSS Soundweb London DSP to route the audio from the Bluetooth receiver to the appropriate outputs, through distribution amplifiers, to the speakers on the wall. The custom iPad app that the store associates use has different levels of access, depending on each user’s login credentials, which are authenticated through Verizon’s servers. Sales associates can change the speaker routing on the “Wall of Sound,” while store man-agers can change the audio routing and volume or lighting levels in each zone in the entire store. McCann’s Josh Navarro developed an API for communication between the Verizon app and the Medialon Manager system. He said that one of the benefits of using a Medialon system is its flexibil-ity. “We knew they wanted to do a lot of unique things,” Navarro said, “Medialon Manager natively controls BSS Soundweb London systems and is flexible with regard to being able to handle as many iPad apps connecting to it as we want. That can be difficult with other control systems.” In addition to the store locations, Verizon has set up a test site in Ohio to try out new technology and media content before it ever goes in front of customers. Stephen Keppler, Vice President/Senior Sales Executive with McCann Systems, explained, “The Ohio test site is the proving ground, so to speak, for Verizon. Any of the technol-ogy and all content must run in the Ohio lab prior to implementation in a store.” Each store uses consistent design standards for each interactive experience. This allows McCann to design the drawings, paperwork and programming for one store and deploy the design in many loca-tions with minimal adjustments to the documentation and program-ming, keeping the systems consistent and easy to troubleshoot remotely.
The “Wireless Workshop” features a 70-inch display to ensure good sightlines in this training area.
Integrator Challenge/Solution
Genise Parker, Director of Operations, McCann Sys-
tems, shared challenge/solution observations as program
manager during the Verizon Wireless store installs. There
was the huge task of installing three stores simultaneously
in the Pacific Northwest, Midwest and South.
“McCann’s national footprint made this fairly seam-
less,” said Parker. “We shared engineering resources
from home base [New Jersey], assigned a site foreman
and install crew to each location, and shared program
manager resources who traveled from site to site. Chi-
cago’s delayed construction schedule challenged us to
forge ahead with the AV install under less-than-optimal
site conditions, which meant we had to completely rework
our installation schedule on the fly each day. We had to
make field adjustments to ensure that our equipment was
protected from construction dirt and debris while still
allowing the software and content providers downstream
from us ample time with the experiences prior to the
grand opening.
Limited Storage Space
“Storage space in Chicago was limited, so we worked with
a local logistics company to stage everything in a warehouse
just outside of the city. Given the flux of our installation
schedule due to construction delays, someone from our lo-
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Sound & Communications July 201538
Equipment1 Aluratek AIS01F Bluetooth audio receiver
2 AMD 100-505859 W9000 video card computers
26 Apple MF004LL/A iPad Air tablets, 32GB
30 Atlas FAP62T 6" coaxial speaker systems w/70.7/100V-32W transformer, 8Ω bypass
Belden BEL6200FE877500 16/2 plenum speaker wire
Belden BEL6502FE877500 22/4 plenum audio/control wire
2 BSS BLU-120 networked I/O expanders
1 BSS BLU-800 networked signal processor w/CobraNet
1 BSS BLUAEC-IN 4 analog input mic/line card for Soundweb London chassis
5 BSS BLUCARD-IN 4 analog input mic/line cards for Soundweb London chassis
5 BSS BLUCARD-OUT 4 analog output cards for Soundweb London chassis
C2G stereo audio premade stereo cables
C2G USB 2.0 premade USB cables
6 Chief LSMVPU pullout video display array mounts, portrait, large Fusion
micro-adjustable, portrait
41 Chief LSMVU-ATC pullout video display array mounts, Fusion pull-out, large
1 Chief MPW6000B medium flatpanel swing-arm wall mount, 8" (without interface)
1 Christie back focal wall MicroTile system (107 tiles)
1 Crown Dci 8/300N 8-channel audio amp, 300W, Blulink interface
2 Dakota FA-602W 24"-square overhead directional speakers
8 Datamation DS-CH-32-500 standalone USB charging stations, 32 ports
14 Displax Touch Foil touch overlay film w/adhesive
1 ELO E027378 7001L 70" HD touchscreen monitor
5 Evertz 2406DVIR+MM fiber transmission receivers, single DVI video only
4 Evertz 2406DVIR-2+MM fiber transmission receivers, dual DVI video only
16 Evertz 2406DVIR-2-USB+85 fiber transmission receivers, dual DVI video
w/single USB
6 Evertz 2406DVIR-USB+85 fiber transmission receivers, single DVI video
w/single USB
2 Extron 60-1234-21 fiber transmission USB extender/receivers
1 HP F0J10UP#ABA Z820 w/W7000 card computer
1 HP F6A87UC#ABA Z820 (w/3 NVIDIA K5000, sync card installed) computer
28 HP G9K57UP#ABA Elite USDT 800 G1 computers
2 HP J5D55UP#ABA Z820 computers
1 Logitech c920 USB HD camera
2 Microsoft 74Z-00001 Kinect for Windows v2 Sensor computers
1 PlayNetwork player (customer supplied background music subscription service)
14 RDL RU-ADA8Dn audio distribution amps, balanced/unbalanced, 2x8, 1x16
5 RDL RU-RA3 19' rackmount for 3 rack-UP Series products
1 Samsung ME32C 32" commercial display w/touch overlay
5 Samsung ME55C-ATC 55" HD monitors
1 Samsung MPW6000B flatpanel portrait mount
3 Samsung TM55LCC-ATC 55" HD monitor overlays
40 Samsung UD46C-ATC narrow-bezel 1920x1080 LED backlit LCD displays
1 Samsung UN75H6350AFXZ 75" residential/consumer display
1 Shure UA850 antenna extension cable
1 Shure ULXP14/150/C lavalier wireless system
1 Tekumi front entrance tower 3mm LED diecast cabinets w/sender, TX/RX
1 Tekumi mounting adapter bracket
300 Misc Bluetooth speaker systems (Jawbone, JBL, Beats, Bose) Head End
6 APC AP9630 UPS network management card w/PowerChute network shutdown
6 APC SMT2200RMUS Smart-UPS 2200VA LCD RM 120V US
C2G wires, cables
Corning fiber head-end system
1 Crestron QM-RMC room media controller
8 Evertz 7700FC+3RU VistaLINK 3RU frame controllers
5 Evertz 7706DVIT+85+3RU transmitters, single DVI video only
4 Evertz 7706DVIT-2+85+3RU transmitters, dual DVI video only
16 Evertz 7706DVIT-2-USB+85+3RU transmitters, dual DVI video w/single USB
6 Evertz 7706DVIT-USB+85+3RU transmitters, single DVI video w/single USB
8 Evertz 7800FR+78P 3RU multiframes w/16 single spot, redundant power supplies
1 Medialon Showmaster Pro Mark II controller
6 Middle Atlantic WRK4432 44-space equipment racks w/accessories
70 Tripp Lite U222-010-R 10 Port USB Hubs
List is edited from information supplied by McCann Systems.
The “Device Wall” features a 14x2 videowall, with 14 of those displays touch-enabled.
cal crew would make the trip to the distribution center to tag
items needed for delivery the next day.”
The LED display tower was a major install challenge.
“Originally, we spec’d that all out with Verizon and were
hoping to have rear access,” related Parker. “We lost that
opportunity, so it was quite challenging installing it. We
ended up working with the general contractor, doing scaf-
folding all the way up. Putting in the last row was a real
challenge because everything is flush around it. But there
still wasn’t any access from the top to have access to the
rear. We found a cross-space on the third floor of the build-
ing where we were able to crawl through to the back of
that last row to get the tower aligned.”
Installation Details
It’s beyond our scope here to include all shopping areas
within the store. Thus, we’re highlighting zones with more
concentrated AV. First, we’ll explore several videowall ar-
eas. Starting at the front of the store, the Christie Digital
Velvet 3mm LED display tower spans the first and second
floor. Standing at almost 35 feet tall and just over 10 feet
wide, four million pixels radiate from the store interior and
out onto Michigan Avenue. Four control units maintain
the high-profile display, while a single custom-built PC is
equipped with X20 software to manage content and syn-
chronicity throughout the towering monument.
Furthermore, a bevy of HP computers is used to control
content throughout the install. “HP is a solid partner of
ours,” said Milhon. “We use the HP 800 product to basi-
cally drive all the digital interactive content. Through the
integration with McCann, we were able to put all those PCs
in the back of the house in a mini server room. So, we put
them in racks and then extended the video and USB out to
the floor using Evertz fiber transmission gear. The HP 800s
operating on Windows 7 or 8 run our MDD (Multimedia
Digital Display Platform).
Our next videowall stop is the “Brand Focal” wall, which
provides animated interactive recreation via a 7'x19' Christie Digi-
tal MicroTile back focal wall system incorporating 107 tiles. Two
Microsoft Kinect devices are set to designated areas on the floor,
prompting the shopper to create a personal avatar and engage with
the software through movement and dance. Dakota directional
speakers are mounted above the user to create a concentrated
dispersion pattern. “When users come in to engage the wall,” said
Parker, “they can do things like throw a football at a target and
it keeps your score. You can play drums and go wind surfing.”
On each side of the MicroTile wall is a “Device Wall” with 28
Samsung 46-inch touchscreen LCDs split into a left 8x2 and a right
6x2 matrix configuration. The device area shows every type of
device Verizon sells, including tablets and accessories. Thus, you
can compare Samsung, Apple, Droid, LG and others.
The “Amplify It” area has a DJ booth and a “Wall of Sound”
display. Customer access is via a 3x3 array of 46-inch Samsung
screens. The customer can interact with Apple iPad air tablets. “The
whole idea is that you’re playing with DJ equipment and testing
out headphones and portable speaker systems, trying to figure out
what’s best for you,” said Limbach. “People are getting engaged
in that experience.” Customers can also sample more than 200
speakers by Bose, Beats by Dre and other manufacturers on the
accompanying “Wall of Sound” display.
The “Get Fit” area has a treadmill and fitness bike where visi-
tors can virtually move through streets around the world using
Google maps aided by Samsung monitors and Apple iPad tablets.
Larger screens are used in two areas. The “Wireless Work-
shop” can function as an instructional area. It has a 70-inch Elmo
touchscreen for showing store reps Verizon demos and other
training presentations. Attendees gather in a wraparound seating
area. The instructor has a Shure wireless microphone. There’s
an override on the audio system so instructors won’t have to
compete with the store’s background audio.
“Home Solutions” is fashioned like a living room. Various home
products are demoed and sold in the area, which has a Samsung
75-inch residential consumer model to match the setting.
Executive Meeting Space
Directly above the retail area on the third floor, the Crestron-
controlled Executive Meeting Space, or briefing/conference cen-
ter, revamped the traditional collaboration area with extensive
Samsung screens. There’s a 75-inch LED monitor wall with touch
overlays mounted at each end of the room. Because the room is
rather long, four 46-inch HD flatscreens are mounted on one wall
to ensure that all participants can view presentations.
Four HP 800 PCs running Windows 7 are on a traditional desk-
top and integrated with the Crestron, which allows users with a
wireless keyboard and mouse to interface with the room PCs.
One PC is integrated with a Vaddio PTZ camera, so it can be
used for WebEx videoconferencing or any other conferencing
application that supports USB video. Audio equipment includes
(continued on page 70)
70 Sound & Communications July 2015
DIVERSIFYING INTO DESIGN/INTEGRATION
(continued from page 43)
NSCA POV: BOGGED DOWN IN DOCUMENTATION
(continued from page 24)
n
entity with a number of aspects, most of
which can be demonstrated in Spye’s offices,
in a recently renovated industrial building in
Minneapolis’ Seward neighborhood. Those
offices double as showrooms and display the
integration of much of the technology they
recommend to their clients. “Our best sales
tool now is our building, and the fact that we
did 95% of the [renovation work] ourselves,”
said Krumrich.
The BMW of Minnetonka showroom is
an example of where all of that comes to-
gether. Even though the installation itself is
modest (five 47-inch LG flatpanel displays,
two of which are soffited in columns in a
lounge area and others in customer-inter-
action areas like a coffee bar, with 124 So-
nance CM660 ceiling speakers comprising
a distributed audio system powered by a
pair of Crown CTS 4200A amplifiers and
managed by a dbx ZonePRO 1260 proces-
sor and connected by a few miles’ worth
of Liberty cabling) the system also adds
three Spyeworks players and supporting
software, as well as Spyeworks network
manager software, which routes the con-
tent between screens and integrates out-
side feeds such as DirecTV and weather
inputs. These are loaded into a Middle At-
lantic rack located in an equipment closet
on one of the floors.
Fry said that the Spyeworks system
acts as the routing matrix as well as the
media player, sending preselected content
streams to dif ferent zones in the expan-
sive showroom. “We did the Spye-branded
• Video Training: A new technology
tool for documentation involves using
video for training and learning. Creating
a series of short videos with “how-to”
info about completing certain technology
system tasks is an innovative way to edu-
cate customers without fielding as many
calls. These videos can be accessed on a
private page, or even on YouTube.
Between this and the reference FAQs,
it’s possible to avoid a lot of the small
calls made by confused users, while pro-
viding real value to clients (and providing
content that can be used in other situa-
tions, if generic enough).
Of course, there are many other ways
to store, track and manage documenta-
tion. However, these four ways have
proven to be successful for many integra-
tors looking to improve the documenta-
tion management process.
Sometimes the elegance in simplicity
is far from simple, but that doesn’t mean
that we can’t do better for ourselves and
our clients by focusing on what’s possible
with the tools, resources and technology
available today.
season’s lineup instead.
“Window displays are one of the most
important marketing points for any
store; therefore, digital displays for this
space must be carefully selected,” said
Eric Donnelly, Vice President of Opera-
tions at MagicInk Interactive. “Bright-
ness and surface area of the LCD, as
well as proper setup, are keys to suc-
cess,” Donnelly said. He noted, “Combat-
ing glare is critical, and the size of the
display will add visual impact. Clients
need to understand selection criteria,
such as the bare minimum acceptable
700 nits brightness [which he does not
recommend] and display size of 65-inch
or larger, if possible.” MagicInk also ex-
pands its clients’ understanding of tech
design considerations by blogging on
digital display specifications, branding
essentials and other topics of interest.
Mobile, sensor, data analytics and
other tech solutions are now in wide-
spread use in retail, but which ones will
help meet your client’s marketing and
sales objectives? The Journal of Retail
Analytics from Platt Retail Institute is an
excellent source of information about
the available technologies and success-
ful applications.
SIGN AGE: A WINDOW ON RETAIL
(continued from page 14)
n
ZONED OUT INTERACTIVE RETAIL
(continued from page 39)
ClearOne microphones, Biamp DSP and a
Crown amplifier driving four JBL Control
26CT ceiling speakers. Access to all sys-
tems is via a Crestron 10-inch touchpanel
on the conference table. The rack room is
located behind the conference center.
Sound is key in completing this technolo-
gy-rich retail and collaboration experience.
BSS controls the DSP processing for the
wireless microphones, the ambient sound
and the individual audio zones. There’s a
Crown eight-channel amplifier. Background
music is provided by Atlas speakers. Con-
trol of the audio system is accomplished
using a Medialon system that recognizes
spoken commands from a Verizon-supplied
audio app installed on various tablet de-
vices. The Medialon system also handles
the task of powering the system on and off
each day. Main Middle Atlantic equipment
racks are located on the fourth floor.
Keeping The Clock
We’ve come full circle. We started with
an outside view of the atrium display tower,
toured the inside AV zones and now we’re
looking at the clock on the outside of the
building. “There was an existing analog
clock at the very top that the landlord and
the city liked a lot,” explained Limbach.
“Part of our charge with the landlord in
taking this space was that they still wanted
to have the clock there. Verizon wanted to
make sure it was modernized and reflected
their new location on the Magnificent Mile.
So we have an LED digital clock that looks
like an analog clock. We designed a red
clock, which tied in with the branding.”
This writer wishes to extend special thanks
to the individuals who supplied background
information and coordinated the interviews:
JoAnn Arcenal, CTS, Marketing & Corporate
Resources, McCann Systems; and Amanda
Seevers, Chute Gerdeman. Well done, folks.
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