Goethe University is one of the largest institutions in Germany and spans 5 campuses in the modern metropolis of Frankfurt. SpinetiX was chosen to grow the university’s digital signage network of screens in order to easily dish out communication to more than 40,000 students daily.
Challenges
The primary requirement of the solution was for a centralised and scalable solution, robust enough to require minimal maintenance and be managed by a small team. In particular, the digital signage solution installed at Goethe University Frankfurt has to answer to the following challenges:
- Meet varied communication needs including departmental information from 16 faculties and administration, events information, practical and health info, and third-party advertising
- Content and maintenance should be managed centrally while deployed across multiple remote campuses
- Allow for minimum investment during future expansions of the system
- Features reliable professional-grade technology that runs for at least 10 hours a day, 7 days a week and requires minimum maintenance
- Deliver content securely from multiple sources of data including social media accounts, calendars and local city info
- Distribute content across multiple display types – including ones that are part of an older installation, as well as the newest screen models
Solution
To answer the challenge, the university service company, CampuService sought the assistance of German-based SpinetiX dealer Vidco Studios. They offered the SpinetiX complete digital signage solution comprising of HMP300 digital signage player along with SpinetiX Elementi digital signage software to meet the end-customer requirements.
SpinetiX HMP players are ideal for professional use and provide robust around-the- clock operation in public areas, compact design, and no moving parts. The installation was completed solely by the CampuService staff and a network administrator from the university.
The players installed throughout the Goethe University campuses deliver content to multiple screens of varying brands, sizes, and age that the university acquired at different times and some of which were part of an older, now obsolete, signage system. The versatility of SpinetiX HMP players, combined with a stellar reliability track record and ease of use when distributing content from a centralised location won over the end-client.
“We love the scalability of the solution. We grow our network little by little, starting initially with a few screen locations. This has now grown to 40. In the future we are considering expanding the network to even more locations.”- Jessica Kuch Multimedia content manager, CampuService
Centralized content management with Elementi
A single staff member equipped with Elementi M digital signage software, installed on a PC at the CampuService office is able to create, manage, update, and distribute content across all 40 locations across the five university campuses.
Elementi is part of the SpinetiX complete digital signage solution used to create, schedule, and publish content to a single or a network of SpinetiX HMP players.
All screen content at Goethe University Frankfurt is created or fed into the Elementi digital signage software and then onto the screens.
It includes the widest array of content: from practical information for staff and students of various departments – Biology, Mathematics, Business, Sports, university cafeterias – to information about campus events, and emergency alerts.
The primary goal of the digital signage installation at Goethe University Frankfurt is to serve its students and staff as a free-for-all communications channel for university news and events’ information.
In line with the mission of the university, the system is also used to offer paid advertising opportunities for third-party organisations who wish to recruit future graduates, or offer their services; for example, public-transportation or telecom discount offers for students.
Data-driven content with digital signage widgets
Elementi includes a set of 250+ customisable data-driven widgets that bring information securely on display from accounts that the university staff uses daily. Screen content on Goethe University grounds is enhanced with the university’s live Twitter feed, Instagram account and information about on-site weather.
A system that genuinely grew on students and staff
The digital signage installation at Goethe University Frankfurt started off as an alternative and complimentary medium of communication with a single display more than 15 years ago. “It was frowned upon at the beginning as people thought we were installing a TV in an area reserved for students,” says Jessica Kuch from CampuService, “however, things caught on quickly after that and people started grasping the idea behind it.”
Nowadays, students and staff alike appreciate the depth of information that the system brings on the go. Digital signage has become an essential channel of communication for the university. Locations where screens are installed have become self-made social hot spots where students and staff come to seek for information and interact with each other.
A centralised solution that is easy to use
The SpinetiX digital signage solution installed on site allows for a single person to manage and distribute screen content at a click of a button to all screens part of the installation. No matter how remote, each player is connected in real time to the Elementi digital signage software. In addition, maintenance is minimal due to the dedicated robust design of SpinetiX digital signage players. Any issue is spotted directly at the centralised PC where Elementi is installed as the players report their status in real time.
A future-facing installation that evolves and grows with the end-client’s needs
The nature of the SpinetiX digital signage solution behind the university’s installation is such that the system can be grown at a pace the end customer chooses. The same centralised content management technology is used regardless of the number of new displays the installation is extended with. CampuService grows the network regularly adding new locations, new screens, and new players.
SpinetiX: www.spinetix.com
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