AOL Headquarters' In-House Digital Signage Gets IP Linked

America Online (AOL) is a world leader in interactive services, Web brands, Internet technologies, and e-commerce services. Yet, when they wanted to share news and information with employees at their Dulles, VA, campus-style headquarters, they printed up posters, flyers, and banners and distributed them with the hope that the message would get out. Along the way, they recognized the flaws in this process: the high cost of printing, distribution, and time delays in delivering information, the limited impact the messaging apparently was having, and the fact that the company's hallways were cluttered with posters, flyers, and banners.

For an organization whose business revolves around the digital exchange of information with and between millions of customers, AOL themselves recognized the irony in circulating hard copies of interoffice communications. Once the decision was made to develop an internal video network that would reduce most, if not all, of the printed materials used to disseminate news and information, AOL had fully embraced a digital signage solution.

All it took was a call to Professional Products, Inc. (PPI), a full service AV contractor based in Gaithersburg, MD., to put their plan into action.

Spreading the Word

To effectively communicate news and vital information to AOL employees, it was determined by both AOL and PPI that 10 displays (four 42-inch plasmas and six 50-inch plasmas) would be placed at strategic points within the six-building campus. An eleventh 50-inch plasma was also installed at the Reston Tech Center, an off-site AOL facility.

IP Link® and GlobalViewer®

Behind each plasma, PPI installed an audio amplifier, SDI receiver, and the Extron IPL T S2 Two Serial Port IP Link Ethernet Control Interface. The IPL T S2 is used for basic control and monitoring purposes, such as turning the plasmas on and off, as well as adjusting the volume. Rick Winde, Director of the Professional Sales Group at PPI, says the IPL T S2 was selected because it was "cost-effectively, the best solution. We've had success with this product in other installations, such as airports."

Each IPL T S2 on the network was configured to perform the assigned functions via Extron's free GlobalViewer software. As it stands, GlobalViewer software works in concert with the IPL T S2 and allows the AOL Help Desk to manage, monitor, and control all of their plasmas over their IP network.

According to Winde, all AOL's digital signage is on a closed circuit internal video network that draws a majority of its content from a high-end broadcast graphics generator. This, in turn, feeds the plasmas with SDI video and embedded audio over existing fiber-optic cable.

Content consists mostly of graphics and animation featuring AOL products, various corporate communications, internal birthday announcements, live clips from CNN, and a streaming ticker at the bottom of the screen with news items, sports scores, stock quotes, and weather reports.

The lobbies of AOL are no longer dotted with outdated fliers and posters on easels. With the dynamic and clean nature of digital signage, supported by the behind-the-scenes control and management offered by IP Link and GlobalViewer, the expense and aftermath of producing these and related materials have been eliminated. When asked what the response at AOL has been to the colorful and attention-grabbing plasmas, Winde offers up a simple appraisal: "They absolutely love them."

For additional information:

America Online ‑ www.aol.com

Professional Products, Inc. ‑ www.professionalproducts.com