In this exclusive interview with Commercial Integrator, Sean Matthews, president and CEO of Visix, shares the company’s exciting InfoComm plans. Visix is, of course, a digital signage specialist boasting 20-plus years of experience.
Attendees of InfoComm 2024 can chat with the Visix team at Booth #C8135. We expect, as always, for showgoers to flock to the Visix booth to check out the company’s latest wares.
Read the entire conversation with Matthews below for insights from the company’s executive leader ahead of a huge industry show.
Commercial Integrator: These days, the word “experience” has become ubiquitous – basically, it’s not about the tech; instead, it’s all about the experience. From the perspective that Visix brings, how can digital signage augment the “people experience” in verticals like education and corporate?
Sean Matthews: Digital signage, once seen as just another bulletin board, was very much a “push” messaging system for years. It now offers a more democratized approach, motivating modern viewers to contribute, act and respond.
Systems have evolved to offer more integration, personalization and feedback channels. Real-time data visualizations that pull from external sources enable quicker decision-making, while personalized content and alerts tailored to specific demographics and contexts deepen connections with and among viewers. Interactive touch, voice and gesture features invite active participation and feedback. And publishing content to personal devices using QR codes, HTML5 playlists and apps lets people interact with communications in the way they prefer. All of this leads to a more engaging (employee, student, customer, audience, viewer) people experience.
Of course, we expect things like IoT and AI to further revolutionize digital signage, providing even better personalized experiences for more meaningful interactions across a broader array of endpoints.
Commercial Integrator: As more and more office environments embrace hybrid as a permanent solution, booking platforms for shared spaces have become indispensable. Can Visix share some insights into what makes booking platforms more flexible and, thus, more functional? We expect to hear a lot about this during InfoComm this month.
Sean Matthews: Today, everyone uses their smartphones to organize their time, and searching through multiple calendars on a small screen just isn’t efficient. It also only shows availability and leaves out all the other information someone might need.
Booking platforms make it easy to see what’s reserved and what’s available, where teammates are sitting, what tech and amenities are provided in each space, and even include virtual tours and wayfinding in some cases – all of it formatted correctly for a smartphone interface.
The main hurdle organizations face is user adoption. Requiring employees to download and manage an app, along with remembering credentials, can be challenging. We think an AR platform that lets people use their phone to scan a QR tag tied to a calendar can change that. There’s a lot more flexibility in being able to walk up and book a space without having to use an app or log in.
Commercial Integrator: Another big buzzword these days is “sustainability.” That relates not only to being green but also to creating long-term solutions that will endure and provide lasting value. What insights can you share about how an ecosystem-centric approach can help facilitate sustainable workspaces?
Sean Matthews: Digital signage is more sustainable than printed notices, and that’s been one of its selling points from the start. But we’ve always developed our technologies with the goal of adding value within a larger ecosystem.
We were one of the first to extend digital signage to meeting rooms. Delivering content to smartphones and desktops is another way we’ve expanded the signage ecosystem to use existing infrastructure and minimize costs and environmental impact. And our space booking platform for smartphones extends workplace connectivity even further without adding more hardware.
Prioritizing systems that emphasize futureproofing and sustainability is essential for eco-conscious workplaces. By integrating visual communications into the workplace ecosystem, organizations not only gain the benefits of more sustainable approaches, but can align messaging to better satisfy audiences, meet goals and promote green practices. By considering the workplace as one interconnected ecosystem, they can optimize resource usage, minimize waste and increase efficiencies.
Commercial Integrator: As the entire industry community gears up for the InfoComm show, what’s the single biggest reason that showgoers should check out the Visix booth? When they arrive, what’s the very first thing they should ask about or see?
Sean Matthews: We’ll show our entire digital signage ecosystem, with our AxisTV Signage Suite CMS, interactive wayfinding and space management solutions.
New for InfoComm, we’ll showcase our sustainable space management offering. This combines our Choros AR space booking platform for smartphones (no app!) with expanded calendar integrations; ultra-low-power LoRaWAN® availability lights that consume less than 0.06 watts of power; and epaper room and desk signs in an array of sizes, including the premiere of a new 2.7-inch desk sign. All of the hardware is recyclable and energy-efficient with a long lifecycle. This is a major step forward for space management because it brings together schedule display, availability lights and booking options in a sustainable package.
We’re also taking hybrid office solutions to a new level with our interactive workplace wayfinding with gesture control. It combines workstation availability mapping, 360°tours of individual workspaces, energy consumption data and space booking right at the screen.
Editor’s Note: Be sure to visit Visix at InfoComm 2024 at Booth #C8135.
