http://www.acquiredigital.com/ Software Solutions for digital signage. Software Solutions for interactive kiosks. http://www.acquiredigital.com/news.php [i:dr58u6ki]Acquire Digital Multimedia has spent the last 12 months adding more features and plug-ins to its Editor suite than in any previous release.[/i:dr58u6ki]Having one of the most feature rich digital signage software packages available obviously is not enough for the in-house programming team at Acquire Digital Multimedia. The team has a policy of continually responding to feedback from users of their software so that what might seem a minor software update, from 3.3 to 3.4, is actually pretty major in terms of ease of use and added functionality.So what can we expect to find in Acquire 3.4? Well, as with every new version there are even more ACQs and Helpers. These are the plug-ins that add an extra dimension to Acquire’s functionality. In fact, the sheer number of ACQs available has led to the addition of a categories section on the ACQ chooser page. The RSS functionality in Acquire has been updated. This has been completely rewritten so that the plug-in will now ‘pull down’ any RSS or Atom feed, for example MRSS (Media RSS) feeds, usually used for podcasts. This is ideal if you want to make your players collect different feeds for their locations. It saves a user from having to make lots of different deployments throughout the day. And, images can be made to change as different RSS text scrolls along the page. According to Wikipedia, the following sites all make use of MRSS :- Bing, Brightcove, blip.tv, Blinkx, Bebo Open Media Platform, Cooliris, deviantArt, Flickr, FriendFeed, Gmail, Kaltura, PicasaAPI, SmugMug, the Platform, Wikipedia, Yahoo! Search, Crackle, YouTube GData API (see <!-- m --><a class=&#34;postlink&#34; href=&#34;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_RSS&#34;>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_RSS</a><!-- m -->). So MRSS is a very powerful way of spicing up content by downloading, not only images and graphics, but videos, vodcasts and podcasts. Another way to spice up RSS feeds is to use the new TextAnimate ACQ plug-in. Instead of just a straight forward scroller, the text is animated into a graphic design but it can also present a seamless tickertape across multiple pages.‘Drag-and-drop’ media control has been added.It’s not exactly a revolutionary idea for Windows users, but it is now available in Acquire for the first time. Media files can be copied from anywhere in Windows Explorer simply by using a mouse e.g. from the Windows desktop into the ‘media selector’ or directly onto a page. Not only is this a time saver when creating content playlists, but it differentiates Acquire even further from browser-based, digital signage programs.A bunch of new system variables are now available.The use of variables in Acquire can be a little confusing if you are not an experienced user. Variables are really just ‘place holders’ but they expand the power of Acquire far beyond just a simple playlist based media player. For example, instead of making a page for each player showing a message such as ‘Welcome to this store in LEICESTER’, your store manager is JULIE SMITH’, and then keeping track of all the pages for each and every player, simply replace the words in capitals with a variable and use just one page which will show something different on each player. Or it can be used so that each player can collect a different RSS feed based upon its location, or to keep a count of how much money has been inserted, or to change animation settings in a Flash graphic...the possibilities are endless. A fully functional support ‘ticketing’ system has also been added to ‘Site Manager’.Site Manager is the remote monitoring and access tool provided with the Acquire suite of products. Acquire users no longer have to worry about buying a support system or integrating with an existing support system because all subscribers to the PLUS! Network will get free access to a fully featured, ticket-based support system. Much more than a simple change of status, this ticketing system provides a full history of tickets raised, SLA timers, and can even integrate with some existing ticketing systems to allow automated status changes. But that’s not the only new feature in Site Manager. Users now have the ability to use Google Maps to pin-point their sites. Players are simply added to physical locations (sites), and information such as the site owner’s telephone number, details of the installation, and the address are then available to the users’ support teams. Another unique feature is ‘reverse access’. This is the one that mobile 3G or Edge connected players have been waiting for. Thanks to this innovative new feature, players can now be remotely accessed even if they don’t have fixed line connectivity. Imagine Acquire being used in a taxi cab, or bus, or any mobile installation – content downloads will work fine using the PLUS! Network, but now remote support can be done too. But that’s not all ‘reverse access’ is capable of. If a player is located on a LAN behind a firewall or a series of routers, and ‘port forwarding’ has proved to be a nightmare to setup ‘reverse access’ can use an outbound port instead (note: needs a signed acceptance form prior to activation) Finally, look out for the new Mini Ad Manager – For customers who purchased Acquire since July last year, a new ‘Mini Ad’ Editor Feature allows them to automatically create playlists by combining ‘adverts’ and ‘filler’. Tue, 03 Jun 2003 09:39:21 GMT http://www.acquiredigital.com/news.php 9th December 2009[i:xam90gd5]Operating in over 10,000 interactive kiosks worldwide, the popular ‘Software plus Services’ remote management solution has been dramatically upgraded.[/i:xam90gd5]Most of us have seen the Windows blue screen or some other error on a kiosk, whether on a check-in kiosk at an airport or a ticket collection machine at the local cinema. Kiosk Monitor Watchdog not only prevents these errors from showing, it also reports information back to the network owner and facilitates remote access so that the problem can be resolved.The solution is comprised of three key components. First the Watchdog, a locally installed program that locks-down the kiosk preventing any local or remote access. It performs automatic remedial actions and continually monitors and logs any pre-configured trigger events or errors. Watchdog is available as a standalone LITE version which can be configured to send email notifications to technicians or engineers. Watchdog PRO is designed for kiosk network owners for whom remote access is essential. It enables remote administration, diagnostics and an optional fully featured support ‘ticketing’ module. It even provides SMS warning functions.The second component is the Remote Service Manager (RSM) which is installed remote from the kiosks and enables support personnel to see a vast array of information about the kiosks in their network. Graphical representations enable kiosk health appraisals to be made instantly, so that secure remote access can be carried out. The final component is the PLUS! Network. It is the ‘glue’ that binds the whole Kiosk Monitor Watchdog solution together. The PLUS! Network is comprised of hosted secure servers which constantly maintain the integrity of a kiosk network, facilitating the back-up and storage of important data, and providing a secure tunnel by which technicians can remotely operate.“Consistent with our strategy of offering both SaaS (Software as a Service) and ‘Software plus Services’ solutions, we are offering customers the choice of either a one-off small licence fee for Watchdog LITE or a complete remote administration solution for a small monthly fee” commented Paul Mayer, Sales &amp; Marketing Manager. Tue, 03 Jun 2003 09:39:21 GMT http://www.acquiredigital.com/news.php 16th November 2009[i:31wppiv7]The popular DivX® MPEG-4 codec is to be used to optimise video playback for the entire range of Acquire digital signage products. The video codec is not often mentioned when talking about digital signage but it is a critical factor to ensure efficient play-out of video files.[/i:31wppiv7]“There is a virtual chasm between the level of knowledge of the digital signage companies and their customers”, commented Neil Farr – MD of Acquire Digital. “Take the video codec for example, how many customers know which codec their software is using? And, more importantly, do they know whether or not the codec is legally licensed? We are delighted to be able to offer such an industry recognised standard codec as DivX, and as far as we are aware, Acquire is the first digital signage company to use DivX.”Acquire already boasts legal compatibility with the most popular file formats for playback of MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4 (DivX), WMV, QuickTime and AVI. It is also compatible with: JPEG, TIFF, BMP, PNG, GIF, RSS, XML, MPEG audio, MP3, HTTP, HTTPS, RSS, ATOM, XML, JavaScript, SWF and FLV. Tue, 03 Jun 2003 09:39:21 GMT http://www.acquiredigital.com/news.php 5th November 2009[i:iixydk5q]Acquire has added Twitter and Atom feed content compatibility to its digital signage players. But has also gone one step further by providing a customisable RSS system for resellers called ‘MyMessage’.[/i:iixydk5q]Providing Twitter compatibility for digital signs so they can pull RSS text into a ‘ticker’ or Flash template is a useful feature for customers who want the ability to make content changes from an external source. But given the limitations of Twitter i.e. 140 characters per message and an inability to provide graphics as an RSS feed, Acquire have decided to develop their own RSS service called MyMessage.MyMessage is a simple to use web service that allows site owners to create their own RSS feeds. These feeds can be displayed as text or images. Because a web browser is used to manage the content, users do not need extensive training to be able to understand how digital signage software works. This is ideal for resellers and network owners who want the ability to offer a small level of local content control for their customers, for example, receptionists can add welcome messages, travel agents can add special holiday offers and schools can add photos and messages for upcoming PTA events etc.In addition to its graphical superiority to Twitter, MyMessage also provides a customizable network control interface so that resellers or network owners can apply their own corporate branding. Administrators can set up multiple user accounts and even set up a manual content approval process so that images and text can be vetted before sending to remote digital signs. Tue, 03 Jun 2003 09:39:21 GMT http://www.acquiredigital.com/news.php 30th October 2009[i:dtwjc42x]Working Solutions have announced the release of the latest version of their award winning, secure internet browser.[/i:dtwjc42x]CyberBrowser started life almost ten years ago as a plug-in for Working Solutions’ Acquire software to facilitate internet access for clients such as Microsoft and the BBC. Now, as a proven, low cost, standalone product it can be purchased from its new-look web site at CyberBrowser.netBecause it concentrates on kiosk requirements and not desktop user functions, CyberBrowser’s streamlined setup makes for a rapid configuration, providing a user friendly interface that is designed exclusively for interactive, touch-screen kiosks. Capable of displaying exactly the same web content as Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, CyberBrowser enables the kiosk owner to decide which features and web sites their users will be allowed to access.In addition to all of the usual features one would expect in a secure kiosk browser e.g. attraction mode, start page, surfing permissions, download management etc. CyberBrowser contains a separate secure lock-down software technology called Sentinel. Sentinel, the security software behind the Acquire Kiosk Developer (KD) solution, locks-down the kiosk and prevents unwanted access from either local or remote agencies.As with all Working Solutions’ products, there is a logical upgrade path from CyberBrowser and/or Sentinel. Whilst CyberBrowser can be upgraded to the fully featured kiosk application builder that is Acquire KD, Sentinel can be upgraded to the Kiosk Monitor Watchdog. Designed to empower engineers and technicians who are responsible for kiosks over large geographical areas, Kiosk Monitor Watchdog enables advanced monitoring of errors and trigger events e.g. printers out of paper, faulty Cashmechs etc, sending email and SMS text messages as alerts so that secure remote access can be administered. Tue, 03 Jun 2003 09:39:21 GMT http://www.acquiredigital.com/news.php 8th October 2009[i:2tbwm1yf]Acquire appoints four key partners in Italy to support sales of its digital signage software and hardware solutions.[/i:2tbwm1yf]Acquire have spent the last few years consolidating their ‘direct to network owners’ strategy with the addition of key partners in various countries throughout the world e.g. Center Parcs in the UK and the i-Contact/Carrefour network in Greece. Over the past twelve months, the company has been developing international reseller channels in key countries.The four companies recently appointed in Italy are:-DSN Technologies - a value added distributor based in Modena, will be the focusing on the development of local resellers and providing local assembly facilities for the Acquire SOLO all-in-one, digital signage mini-PC <!-- m --><a class=&#34;postlink&#34; href=&#34;http://www.dsntechnologies.it&#34;>http://www.dsntechnologies.it</a><!-- m -->.Excogitare – a system integrator based in Milan will be concentrating on the banking and telecommunications market segments <!-- m --><a class=&#34;postlink&#34; href=&#34;http://www.excogitare.it&#34;>http://www.excogitare.it</a><!-- m --> SiSoMo – a system integrator based in Milan will be specialising in the government and healthcare market segments <!-- m --><a class=&#34;postlink&#34; href=&#34;http://www.sisomo.it&#34;>http://www.sisomo.it</a><!-- m --> Star Sign – based in Milan, are one of the largest Signarama franchise companies and will be focusing on providing digital signage options for their existing client base <!-- m --><a class=&#34;postlink&#34; href=&#34;http://www.signarama.it&#34;>http://www.signarama.it</a><!-- m --> “Italy is one of the fastest growing markets for digital signage so it has been important for us to be able to establish a firm footing for both our sales and support functions”, commented Paul Mayer – Sales &amp; Marketing Manager for the Acquire range of products and services. He added, “We still have a long way to go before we have global coverage but we expect to be announcing more partnerships in key countries in the coming months” Tue, 03 Jun 2003 09:39:21 GMT http://www.acquiredigital.com/news.php 1st September 2009[i:3w3f5xis]Acquire’s Kiosk Developer software has been used to create a well received interactive digital wayfinder on large display pods at Gloucester Quays UK shopping centre.[/i:3w3f5xis]Five giant digital six sheet pods running the Acquire KD (Kiosk Developer) software, have been recently installed by ASG Media, at the new Gloucester Quays waterside shopping and leisure centre, adjacent to Gloucester’s historic docks.As part of the ten day opening celebrations, the brand new shopping centre was opened by fashion designer Gok Wan and integrates a designer centre, waterways museum, antiques centre, multi-screen cinemas, bars and restaurants on the quayside. Forty five of the fifty six mall designer shops are now open with the remainder opening soon.At 2000mm(H)x800mm(W) and just 250mm deep, the double-sided, portrait oriented pods, manufactured by Esprit Digital and Operated by ASG Media, are designed to minimize sightlines whilst ensuring impact and media presence. The pods, using Acquire to display their interactive content, show a mix of advertising and other rich media in order to provide shoppers with a touch-screen enabled digital sign. Integrating two 57-inch full HD LCD panels, the pods feature dynamic content designed and developed by the creative team at Working Solutions.The interactive mall guide features a host of content innovations all developed by Working Solutions, to maximize communication of the mall’s products and services. As well as the usual live clock there is a map and store directory wayfinder that allows users to navigate their way around the mall. The Acquire software also interprets and graphically displays the delivery of live internet feeds for weather, traffic and shopping mall news. And, thanks to Acquire, all of this content is able to be configured by the shopping mall personnel themselves. Another very useful feature is the gift card balance reader. In conjunction with VISA, the gift card provider, Working Solutions have developed a secure system which acts in the same way as an ATM, so that Gloucester Quays’ customers can check their remaining balance before shopping simply by using their card at the kiosk. Tue, 03 Jun 2003 09:39:21 GMT http://www.acquiredigital.com/news.php 1st July 2008Acquire is now making its name stateside thanks to a partnership with USA resellers Pantel. The company operates a digital signage network using the award winning Acquire software on behalf of Hospital Media Networks in a number of hospitals in New York and down the Eastern seaboard. Tue, 03 Jun 2003 09:39:21 GMT http://www.acquiredigital.com/news.php 1st June 2008 Making the most of a break at Center Parcs has never been easier thanks to a recent partnership between the holiday company, Working Solutions and kiosk hardware specialists 10 Squared. Center Parcs chose Working Solutions’ Cyberbrowser to provide a secure kiosk browsing facility which enables visitors to the holiday villages in the UK to book activities online and spend less time queuing. Once logged in, visitors can browse activities and events and pre-book anything from windsurfing to a restaurant table or spa treat. Activities can be searched and booked by age, ability, activity, group size and more before printing an itinerary. Designing and pre-configuring a software solution prior to installation of the kiosks, live support and alerts are managed using Working Solutions’ Kioskmonitor service. First trialled at the Sherwood Forest village, the holiday company has been so pleased with the results that it has since been rolled out to all four holiday villages across the UK. Tue, 03 Jun 2003 09:39:21 GMT http://www.acquiredigital.com/news.php 1st May 2008Back in 2005 retail specialists Firebrand Media chose Acquire to power its latest project for Jacksons convenience-store chain. Content was developed for the in store digital signage network, with each screen being split into three zones. A continuous loop typically played back one minute of music video, with live local weather and scrolling news, followed by 30 seconds of advertisements and then ten seconds of retailer messages such as current in-store promotions.Audio was streamed around the store and linked with the video footage which was presented on 17” LCD screens near the checkouts.The system, which is still in use today, uses Acquire’s standard functions for video editing and volume control and is currently installed in 450 branches nationwide. Tue, 03 Jun 2003 09:39:21 GMT