September 30, 2008 - Scala’s Connected Signage Conference is a Huge Success
September 30, 2008 – Scala, the leading provider of end-to-end solutions for the connected signage market, today announced it convened the annual Scala Connected Signage Conference on September 15 – 16, 2008 in Philadelphia. The conference was held in the days leading up to Digital Signage Expo East.
The conference hosted 139 Scala Certified Partners, customers and industry partners from the 16 countries throughout the Americas and Oceania regions. The conference gave Scala Certified Partners and customers a chance to interact with the 35 Scala employees present, learn about how to optimize the use of Scala’s Ad Manager and InfoChannel products and learn where the industry is headed in 2009.
The conference provided an opportunity for vendor partners to network with partners and other attendees. An exhibition and networking area featured screen providers such as LG, Sharp and Samsung, as well as connectivity and content providers Magenta Research, Minicom, Avocent, Matrox and Accuweather.com, and “whitebox” manufacturers such as Equus Computer, DT Research and MediaVue.
Robert Koolen, Scala’s president, said in his opening remarks “the purpose of the conference was to usher in a new era for digital signage and advertising management. With the acquisition of MISC and its Ad Manager product in April, Scala has been working to expand its digital signage footprint to include managing content for both traditional and print signage. The result is what Scala calls ‘connected signage’, a term that encompasses all forms of signage and dynamic media in the out-of-home environment.”
“For Scala, the numbers tell the story for the past year,” says Gerard Bucas, Scala’s CEO. “Scala saw a 69% sales growth in U.S. sales in 2007. While the digital signage industry sales have been growing at a 20% CAGR over the past year, Scala’s global sales have grown at a 40% CAGR.”
“The integration of Ad Manager and InfoChannel is part of Scala’s 2009 goal to simplify the digital signage ad-buying process for media buyers,” says Jeff Porter, industry pioneer and Scala’s EVP. “The biggest challenge is financing rollouts. The goal is to connect all of the dots for media buyers – they’re screaming for solutions.”
Scala will host its Connected Signage Conference for EMEA and Nordic regions on October 8 – 9, 2008 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
About Scala, Inc.
Founded in 1987, Scala pioneered the Digital Signage industry and today remains the world's largest provider of software for creating digital signage networks, driving more screens than all competitors combined. The company's InfoChannel product line is used for dynamic digital media networks in retail, education, entertainment, government and other industries for diverse applications such as Retail Advertising networks (Retail TV), Corporate Communications (Employee TV), Digital Billboards, Digital Menu Boards, Digital Posters, Community Access channels (Cable TV), Hotel lobby signage and information channels, Gas Pump "toppers", Convention Center Signage, Interactive touch-screens and Kiosks, etc. The Company's cutting-edge InfoChannel software platform powers thousands of digital signs around the world including the digital signage networks of Rabobank, IKEA, Bloomberg, Burger King, T-Mobile, Virgin MegaStore, EuroDisney, Kiwi, McDonalds, Warner Brothers, Santiago Airport, Ericsson, The Life Channel, Rikstoto, FuelCast, Repsol, Shell, NorgesGruppen, The Wall Street Journal Office Network and many more. Scala is today headquartered near Philadelphia, PA and has wholly-owned subsidiaries in The Netherlands, France, Norway, and Japan with a direct presence in a number of other locations and countries. Scala's products are primarily sold through an international network of Scala Certified Partners. More information is available at www.scala.com.
