Learning everything about digital signage

There’s a great solution for integrators wanting to learn a lot more about all aspects of Digital Signage. The Digital Signage Federation(DSF) has worked with subject matter experts from around the industry to create over two dozen online classes as part of a micro-credentialing program.  Training covers everything from the basics, to specific topics for hardware, software, scheduling, project planning and content. Courses were developed by Digital Signage Federation members working as volunteers to deliver educational content to industry peers.

Courses are about 30 minutes so they are perfect for learning a topic at whatever pace makes sense. Courses include a short quiz at the end and return a certificate of completion when done. Courses area always being added throughout the year as more contributors add to the growing library.

These courses are limited to DSF members, so you do need to first register yourself or your company to gain access. Once in, there’s hours of courseware available.

Ryan Cahoy, DSF Board Member and Managing Director of Rise Display provides some clarity about how these courses were developed.

“The Digital Signage Federation’s mission is to help our industry grow through ongoing education.  We have a very diverse membership so our approach has been From Members – By Members.  This approach has allowed experts in each field to share their expertise, such as the 2 courses contributed by Almo on interactive content design.  Today we have over 30 active courses with new releases each month.  We would encourage Almo reseller partners to join the DSF to get access to the entire library to and expand their digital signage knowledge.”

Learning about content

As Ryan mentions, I contributed two courses, a basic overview of content and a more advanced course on experiential content. The basic overview provides a good introduction to content creation, content strategy and workflows. The experiential course goes over interactive and dynamic content, both for close up touch screens and more complex at a distance experiences.

Getting involved

The great thing about this program is the DSF is always looking for more content, and they accept multiple contributions on similar topics. If you’re interested in contributing a course, reach out to me and I’ll connect you with the right people at the DSF.

Jim Nista
Senior Director of Content Creation

jnista@almo.com
888-420-2566 x6572

I thought I would share with you what it has been like working from home with a full house. No schools or pre-schools open. Inside playgrounds, restaurants etc. all shut down and it’s been raining all morning here in Utah.

I have 3 kids here today, 2 of them under the age of 5, To keep from going crazy and to have a bit of fun I thought I’d share a log of activities, but instead of referring to them as kids or by their names I just substituted co-worker since this is our place of business. True Story. Read On…

Co-worker activity log

6:45 am – co-worker barges in as I am preparing for the day loudly quotes Olaf from Frozen 2 – “Turtles can breathe through their butts”

7:21 am – co-worker has me put movie Frozen on TV in common area, loudly sings “let it go”

7:30 am – 5.7 earthquake hits SLC, building shakes, co-worker yells from other room “can you bring me some milk”

9:30 am – second co-worker finally shows up interrupts zoom call and argues with me about having Cheetos for breakfast

10:22 am – co-worker pees all over the toilet seat in bathroom and yells from bathroom for someone to come clean it up

11:15 am – co-workers run into my office yelling excitedly for me to come see the farm they made in the common area with Jenga blocks and stuffed animals. Left mess for someone else to clean up – Jenga pieces everywhere.

11:49 pm – co-workers playing “pretend” co-worker 1 yells at co-worker 2 for not playing pretend correctly, fight breaks out – both co-workers hysterically crying

11:52 other co-worker finally shows up interrupts asking for wifi password, so they can hook up their Xbox

11:54 pm – other co-workers back to playing pretend as if nothing happened

12:13 pm – co-worker yells at me to come open bathroom door cause their hands are messy

1:09 pm – fight breaks out between co-workers over possession of item, co-worker frantically crying yells for their momma

1:17 pm – co-workers play pretend again as if nothing happened moments before

1:25 pm – co-worker takes a break from Xbox demands I make them something to eat

How’s your new normal going?

With the uncertainty of the current times, most businesses are looking for a way to “bridge the gap”, and AV integration firms are no different.  While some have already made the difficult decision to lay employees off, others are doing what they can to maintain their employee base, and keep them busy with any project to generate revenue.

Because of the previous growth, many AV integration firms focused on low hanging fruit, because it was all they could do to keep up with demand. If nothing else, companies have now been forced to review their current portfolio to determine how they can branch out, or go deeper with their current client base.

Below are a few ideas on how integrators can utilize their current sales staff to engage on selling services that were previously overlooked.  This may provide a way to get them over any current hurdles, as well as build toward the future.

Because of the fluidity of the COVID-19 pandemic, communication has become even more of a key factor than before.  With the need to get a message out quickly, digital communication has proven most vital.  Clients that hadn’t previously invested in digital signage for internal communication may now see the great value that instant communication provides.  

Adding a few screens around an office where information can be easily and quickly disseminated is now viewed by most as a necessity.  A simple message about upcoming business hours, or even proper hand washing seemingly an afterthought previously is now seen as vitally important.

With many employees now working from home, increased network bandwidth has proven a necessity for business.  The importance of allowing employees to access servers and other assets on the network for a seamless virtual workplace, is now a reality for many.   

The additional benefit digital signage and internet service can provide to the integrator is the ability to build a portfolio that provides a steady stream of recurring revenue.  This is especially beneficial when business isn’t growing as expected, or something as simple as a slow playing client makes cash flow tight.

Most integrators have thought about investing the time and personnel on additional divisions, but because of the lack of experts available, or the consistent growth, they just haven’t.  Now with the market slowdown, adding additional personnel is most likely furthest from their mind. Now for the “antidote” – With numerous services available, Almo is here to help our clients looking to diversify, and find a way to add revenue without adding the expense of additional employees.  

Our expert staff, who help clients navigate a new offering by participating, or even leading a call with the end user, allows our clients to branch out without the hassle and expense of finding their own expert staff.  Contact your Almo rep for additional information on how we can help go deeper with your client and find untapped sources of revenue.

ALMO is here to help.