Western Union International Bank GmbH puts BrightSign in prime position in 40 German and Austrian branches
Cambridge, UK, 14 August 2013. The Western Union International Bank GmbH, a leader in payment services, is using 58 BrightSign XD solid state digital signage players in a new installation which automates the display of exchange rates in its forty German and Austrian branches, and schedules advertising content onto the same screens. This is the first European installation of the new top-of-the-line PC-class BrightSign XD1230 player to be announced.
According to Thomas Zraunig, Project Manager at Western Union International Bank GmbH who managed the project, “The primary objective of the BrightSign based digital signage system was to replace manually updated exchange rate signage in our branches. Exchange rates change multiple times per day, and our objective was to provide screens that would show the correct rate instantly and automatically as soon as the rate was changed in the Point of Sale system. Additional objectives were to improve the customer experience in our branches, provide our branches with a more modern and up to date appearance and to use the same screens to promote other services.”
Western Union International Bank GmbH underwent a detailed and thorough evaluation process before selecting the BrightSign players. “We needed to roll out the system fast, within just a few months, so the players needed to be exceptionally easy to set up, configure and program. Our IT department recommended that we specified solid state players to keep support issues to a minimum. Additional requirements were the ability to distribute content via the cloud, and to upload and distribute exchange rates from a text or XML file reliably and quickly. Only a small number of solid state players met all of these requirements, and out of these the BrightSign units stood out as delivering exceptional performance and functionality at a very affordable price. Our evaluation also looked at the amount of Internet bandwidth the updates used, and the BrightSign players led on this metric too.”
The bank took delivery of and configured 58 BrightSign XD1230 players, created the content and rolled them out to all forty branches in just three and a half months. Thomas Zraunig configured and programmed the players personally using BrightAuthor – a free software solution available with all BrightSign players to create, publish and network presentations with ease, and said, “It took me just one day to test the players and arrive at the right configuration. The players check the central server for new exchange rate information every 30s. We use the BrightSign Network to schedule advertisements during the day. In the evening when the branch closes the entire screen is devoted to advertising. Each branch has its own opening hours, and we are able to program the players to react accordingly. The advertising displayed varies according to the region in which the branch is located.”
Thomas Zraunig believes that the return on investment on the system is excellent, taking all the costs into consideration. “Providing exchange rate information that is updated automatically and is always correct and aligned with the point of sale systems has saved our branch staff a huge and time-consuming task, and gives our corporate management the reassurance that we always provide customers with correct information. More importantly, the screens look fantastic, and reaction from our customers has been exceptionally positive.”
Western Union International Bank GmbH is a very forward looking institution and Thomas Zraunig is already looking at harnessing the further capabilities of the BrightSign XD1230 players. “We’d like to offer our customers the opportunity to interact with the signage using touch screens,” he says. “This will allow us to provide new services and improve the customer experience. We are also getting a lot of interest from third parties interested in using the screens to deliver their advertising. Ultimately, we believe that the digital signage system can become self-funding.”
The players were delivered by xplace GmbH and supplied by German distributor COMM-TEC Vertriebsgesellschaft GmbH and drive NEC 40” HD LCD monitors.
About BrightSign XD players
The BrightSign XD series is the industry’s first line of solid-state digital signage media players with PC-class performance. Solid-state players have always been more affordable and much more reliable than PC-based signage solutions, and now BrightSign XD delivers the features and capabilities of PC-based solutions as well. This includes the ability to display Live HDTV content from HDMI sources. A Clear QAM tuner is used to play closed-circuit TV broadcasts, and the HDMI input is used to play any broadcast content – even HDCP-protected content. All models include an advanced video decoding engine with superior scaling technology that delivers pristine 1080p60 video and supports 3D content. The video engine is capable of decoding two 1080p60 videos or several lower-resolution videos simultaneously. All models support HTML5, so content creators can use familiar development tools to create engaging content. In addition, BrightSign’s usual touch-screen interactivity is enhanced with swipe/gesture control.
Western Union International Bank GmbH
Western Union International Bank GmbH was established in 2004 and its headquarters are located in Vienna, Austria. Through its European Union Banking Passport, Western Union International Bank GmbH has the license to operate in all European Union countries and is supervised by both the Austrian Financial Market Authority and the New York state Department of Financial Services. Western Union International Bank GmbH is a fully owned subsidiary of the Western Union International Bank GmbH Company, a leader in global money transfer, providing people and corporations with fast, reliable and convenient ways to move money for better around the world. It connects friends and families, so that wherever and whenever money is needed, it can be sent and received via fast and reliable ways. Western Union International Bank GmbH manages more than 40 dedicated locations in several European Union countries that offer a variety of products and services. In addition to our own bank branches, we also manage agent locations in all classes of trade.
About BrightSign
BrightSign, LLC, is the market leader in digital signage players. Based in Los Gatos, California, the company develops products, software and networking solutions for digital signage. BrightSign solid-state digital sign controllers set new standards for both stand-alone and networked digital signage applications with their superior video quality, reliability, affordability, ease of use and interactivity. Online information about BrightSign units is available at www.brightsign.biz.
For US sales inquiries, please contact sales@brightsign.biz or call +1-408-852-9263. For European sales inquiries, please email Pierre Gillet: pgillet@brightsign.biz or call +44-1223-911842. Follow BrightSign at http://twitter.com/brightsign and https://www.facebook.com/BrightSignLLC.
BrightSign and the BrightSign logo are registered trademarks of BrightSign, LLC in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Specifications subject to change without notice.
Press Contact:
Elaine Hodson
Neesham Public Relations
Tel: +44 (0) 1296 628180
Email: elaineh@neesham.co.uk
Photo caption: BrightSign digital signage players have been installed in 40 branches of Western Union banks in Germany and Austria to automatically display current exchange rates and improve the customer experience. Images are courtesy of Western Union International Bank GmbH and were taken at the Vienna, Austria and Wiesbaden, Germany branches.
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