Cinema Scene Marketing, one of the nation’s leading providers of in-lobby media and promotions, announced today it is extending its strategic partnership with Popstar Networks to provide digital signage software and digital media services in support of the company’s growing Digital Media Network, now exceeding 350 displays within more than 120 theater locations nationwide.

Leveraging the Popstar Networks Software as a Service (SaaS) delivery of digital media products, along with extensive network services understanding, Cinema Scene is effectively distributing eight terabytes of media-rich data annually from one central location.

“Major Hollywood studios and corporations of all types rely on us to reach and interact with consumers every day through our digital signage network,” said Joe Ross, Managing Principal of Cinema Scene Marketing. “Our relationship with Popstar Networks allows us to meet this need by speeding content development and effectively delivering bandwidth-intensive media to specific locations across the country. Ongoing use of Popstar Networks digital signage software and digital media services gives us confidence to know we can continue our growth by delivering highly relevant content to even more theaters and theater-goers.”

Through the partnership, Popstar Networks combines SaaS based digital signage software, networking services, hardware design, and overall technical support for the Cinema Scene Digital Media Network.  Using the Popstar FrontStage^TM content management solutions suite, the Cinema Scene Digital Media Network delivers a variety of digital signage solutions, including Cinema Scene’s TrailerVision^TM product playing enhanced studio movie trailers, living posters and corporate advertising.

“Cinema Scene Marketing continues to demonstrate a solid understanding of how to effectively reach movie-going consumers using an extensive digital signage network, and we are certainly very pleased to play such a strategic role in their success”, said Tom Reed, President and CEO of Popstar Networks.   “We believe the expertise and energy of our collective team will continue to push the boundaries of powerful in-theater marketing,” he said.

Cinema Scene Marketing, headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas, is an industry leader in driving theatrical promotions for major studios and corporate sponsors.  Cinema Scene’s in-lobby promotions generate memorable brand exchanges with highly desirable entertainment consumers.  The Cinema Scene Digital Media Network provides advertisers the opportunity to entertain movie audiences via next generation media platforms in an organized network of cinemas covering key U.S. markets.  More information can be obtained at www.cinemascenemarketing.com.

Download the PDF version of this release.

OLATHE, KAN. (May 18, 2010) — Popstar Networks and Avnet Technology Solutions, the solutions distribution leader and an operating group of Avnet, Inc. (NYSE: AVT), announced today that they have reached an agreement to closely collaborate to provide a complete solution for digital signage network deployments.

As part of this alliance, Avnet’s Embedded Solutions group will distribute Popstar’s Frontstage™ software solutions suite of products and services, which seamlessly delivers and manages highly engaging passive and interactive digital media content across a variety of networks in the U.S. and Canada. Popstar will recommend Avnet’s extensive display and player hardware line, along with its world-class integration, installation and maintenance support services. Both companies bring formidable expertise to consult and work closely with partners and their end customers in the design and deployment of extensive digital media networks.

“Popstar’s growing reputation and the technical sophistication of its signage deployments became apparent as we searched for the right digital signage software company to align with Avnet. The demand for interactive digital signage is growing rapidly, and Popstar understands how to deliver a unique, intuitive and powerful interactive experience utilizing a wide variety of digital media assets,” said Mike Gaeta, Vice President, Supplier Marketing, Embedded Solutions, for Avnet Technology Solutions, Americas. “Popstar’s commitment to excellence complements Avnet’s culture. They embrace and understand the importance of the content message, plus possess the knowledge and software technology platform to team effectively with Avnet to engineer and deploy the right experience for the customer.”

“Avnet is a well-respected, global solutions distribution and integration company with impressive technical and financial resources,” said Don Selmon, Popstar’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “The breadth and depth of Avnet’s digital signage product and services offerings, along with the dedicated professionalism and resources of the Avnet team, certainly have us convinced that our alliance will deliver an outstanding result and value for our clients.”

Popstar Networks, Inc., headquartered in Olathe, Kansas, is the developer of the Popstar Frontstage™ Digital Signage Platform, combining digital media technology and creative content development experience with a steadfast commitment to customer service. Popstar works with clients to develop the right digital signage strategy and solution for their “point-of-presence” (POP). Popstar’s digital media products and services, including passive, interactive, creative and mobile solutions are engaging audiences in a variety of market applications, including healthcare, QSR/Fast Casual, entertainment and retail markets across the U.S. and Canada. For more information, please visit us at www.popstarnetworks.com.

Media contact:
Stacey Morse
Popstar Networks, Inc.
Phone: 913-747-6300
Fax: 913-747-0440
staceym@popstarnetworks.com
www.popstarnetworks.com

Global Spectrum, the management company of the Miami Beach Convention Center (MBCC), engaged Popstar Networks, a leader in the digital media industry, to design and install a state-of-the-art digital signage network. The Miami Beach Convention Center is one of three properties in southern Florida managed by Global Spectrum and is centrally located in the heart of the historic South Beach/Art Deco District. The facility spans four city blocks of palm tree lined streets and boasts over 1,000,000 square feet of flexible space including 70 meeting rooms that comprise 127,000 sq. ft. It hosts some of the nation’s most premiere public events, including the Miami International Boat Show, the South Florida International Auto Show, and North America’s most important contemporary art fair, Art Basel Miami Beach. Digital signage has provided MBCC a compelling and innovative way to communicate with its thousands of annual visitors. In addition, by offering unique advertising space to existing and new sponsors, it has also provided a supplemental revenue opportunity to MBCC.

Read the Miami Beach Convention Center Case Study

The new digital signage solution enhances the visitor experience by providing up-to-date information on event activities and local sponsors and attractions

KANSAS CITY, MO (February 8, 2010) — Popstar Networks, a leader in the digital media industry, and Global Spectrum,  the world’s fastest growing facility management firm, recently partnered in designing and installing a state-of-the-art digital signage solution in the Miami Beach Convention Center (MBCC).   The complex project, which includes fourteen Samsung 63’ and three Samsung 50’ plasma screens strategically placed in high traffic locations throughout the convention center, was commissioned to enhance the visitor experience by making information easily available to visitors.  Popstar’s FrontStage™ software solution provides information on MBCC and its surrounding attractions, center sponsors, current and upcoming events, and has been very well received.  However, the most salient benefit has been the supplemental revenue generation resulting from the sales of advertising space on the venue’s screens. “We are very pleased with the interest and additional revenue that the digital signage has brought from our sponsors, and expect to achieve a solid ROI with the increased sales of signage advertising that we are experiencing,” states Bob Balsam, General Manager.

With the vast size of the MBCC (1.3 Million Total Gross Sq. Ft.) and the large number (over 750,000) and diversity of the people who visit annually, it was imperative that the parties collaborated in developing an overall strategy and identifying all project requirements before developing a prototype for MBCC to review.  This process allowed the installation to be developed to specifically meet MBCC’s requirements.  Bob adds: “Popstar provided a total solution and the project was an effortless deployment.  Popstar listened when we talked about our needs, realized our goals and exceeded our expectations.  We are overly pleased with how the project came together and the follow-up provided by the Popstar team.”    “Working with the Global Spectrum team and the MBCC staff was a pleasure and we are thrilled that the solution has not only met their goals, but offered them a way to quickly create a significant new revenue stream for the venue,” says Don Selmon, Sr. Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Popstar.   “We look forward to continuing to work with the Global Spectrum team on rolling out additional implementations in the coming year”.

ABOUT GLOBAL SPECTRUM

Global Spectrum (http://www.global-spectrum.com) is the fastest growing firm in the public assembly facility management field with more than 75 facilities throughout the United States and Canada. The Philadelphia-based company is part of one of the world’s largest sports and entertainment companies, Comcast-Spectacor, which also owns the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League, the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association, the Philadelphia Phantoms of the American Hockey League, Flyers Skate Zone, a series of community ice skating rinks, Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia, a regional sports programming network, Ovations Food Services, a food and beverage services provider, New Era Tickets, a full-service ticketing and marketing product for public assembly facilities, and Front Row Marketing Services, a commercial rights sales company and 3601 Creative Group, a full-service in-house advertising agency. In a partnership with Disson Skating, Comcast-Spectacor annually produces 10 nationally televised figure skating spectaculars on NBC- TV. For more information, visit http://www.global-spectrum.com/ or call 215-389-9587.

ABOUT MIAMI BEACH CONVENTION CENTER

Located in the heart of the art deco district of South Beach, the Miami Beach Convention Center (MBCC) boasts over 1,000,000 square feet of flexible space, including; over 500,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space, over 100,000 sq. ft. of versatile pre-function area space and 70 meeting rooms comprised of 127,000 sq. ft. Major annual trade shows include the Jewelers International Showcase (three times annually) and the Seatrade Cruise Shipping Conference/Expo. The MBCC annual calendar also boasts some of the nation’s premiere public events, including America’s largest consumer show, the Miami International Boat Show, the South Florida International Auto Show, currently the third largest in the United States, and North America’s most important contemporary art fair, Art Basel Miami Beach. For more information, visit http://www.miamibeachconvention.com or call 305-673-7311.

ABOUT POPSTAR NETWORKS

Popstar Networks, Inc., headquartered in Olathe, Kansas, is a leader in designing and implementing customized digital media solutions – enabling clients to communicate their unique messages and incorporate digital signage into overall marketing and communications strategies. Since its founding in 2003, Popstar has revolutionized the digital media industry with its customer-first process for developing dynamic and interactive digital signage networks. Popstar has also set a new standard for engaging audiences with exciting interactive media applications. Its flexible technology, software development, and creative visual designs have set the trend for the industry, led by the FrontStage™ Player, FrontStage™ Server, and SmartContent™ products and complemented by BackStage℠ – their comprehensive strategic consulting process. For more information, please visit us at http://www.popstarnetworks.com.

Media contact:
Stacey Morse
Popstar Networks, Inc.
Phone: 913-747-6300
Fax: 913-747-0440
staceym@popstarnetworks.com
http://www.popstarnetworks.com

Download release as PDF.

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI (January 18, 2010) — Samsung and Popstar Networks announced today that they will endeavor to closely collaborate on future interactive digital signage media networks.

“We have been following Popstar’s digital signage deployments, particularly several recent interactive deployments utilizing Samsung displays, for quite some time. Popstar truly understands how to deliver a unique, intuitive and powerful interactive experience utilizing a wide variety of digital media assets,” said Russell Young, Samsung’s Senior Manager of Strategic Alliances. “We believe Popstar is one of the emerging digital signage software companies to keep an eye on. They really embrace and understand the importance of well-delivered content and they definitely possess the knowledge and the software platform to engineer and deploy the right interactive experience for the client.”

“We are very pleased to enter into an even stronger relationship with Samsung,” said Jeff Dahlstrom, Popstar’s VP of Business Development. “We believe Samsung has distanced themselves from the rest of the digital display field with the depth and innovation that their line-up of display technology represents today. We always receive consistent and reliable performance when our clients choose Samsung. They help us provide the most cost-effective and engaging interactive experience,” he said.

About Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2008 consolidated sales of US$96 billion. Employing approximately 164,600 people in 179 offices across 61 countries, the company consists of two business units: Digital Media & Communications and Device Solutions. Recognized as one of the fastest growing global brands, Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, memory chips, mobile phones and TFT-LCDs. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.

Popstar Networks, Inc., headquartered in Olathe, Kansas, is the developer of the Popstar Frontstage™ Digital Signage Platform, combining digital media technology and creative content development experience with a steadfast commitment to customer service. Popstar works with clients to develop the right digital signage strategy and solution for their “point-of-presence” (POP). Popstar’s browser-based digital signage, interactive kiosk and creative solutions are engaging audiences in a variety of market applications, including healthcare, QSR/Fast Casual, entertainment and retail and markets across the U.S. and Canada. For more information, please visit us at http://www.popstarnetworks.com.

Media contact:
Stacey Morse
Popstar Networks, Inc.
Phone: 913-747-6300
Fax: 913-747-0440
staceym@popstarnetworks.com
http://www.popstarnetworks.com

Download release as PDF.

This is a good article from Alan C. Brawn on needs analysis and determining the objective for your digital signage.

Read how Crown Center enhanced their visitor and customer experiences by integrating state-of-the-art wayfinding and event promotion kiosks that allow users to browse retailers, view restaurant menus, learn about events and activities, and even preview video clips of live theater events being held in this unique mall.

Crown Center Case Study

See below the  interactive solution that was developed for the project. To play, right click on the demo and click play.

Product Review Part 3:
Archos Internet Media Tablet: Pros / Cons & Development

4.5 out of 5 Popstars

Summary: I give the Archos Internet Media Tablet 4.5 out of 5 Popstars for an innovative, unique and feature-rich approach to portable media players that approach the capabilities of a full-blown laptop.

Working for a company like Popstar, one of my biggest allies is innovation. The new, the experimental, these things help re-define limits and boundaries of existing technology and takes us as software developers further by leveraging new technologies. It’s not enough to understand how the technology works and what it was designed to do, often the goal is to discover what else it can do, as well as how to combine it with new technology (such as mobile technology) in unique and helpful ways.

As a software company architecting complete digital signage and interactive systems , it becomes common place to challenge our software and its design to bend and contort itself around new functionality and different workflows. It’s not enough to have a product that works, it needs to be flexible and scalable in ways that can grow with the customer. If I’ve learned one thing from good software it’s this – the better it is, the more the clients will want (and expect) it to do. No client requests changes from a software that’s rigid and lacking in innovation, because they’re not using it!

Archos’ Internet Media Tablets could benefit greatly from open-source development. An open development platform means 3rd party companies and individuals can begin developing not only applications, widgets & games, but low-level plug-ins and alternatives to the stock operating system itself. It would open up doors for Archos’ customers and position Archos as a leader in open-source technologies.

This kind of thinking can sometimes scare short-sighted executive types – this is where innovation comes into play. Innovating, researching, plotting, strategizing, companies who embrace these ways of thinking help bring new features to the market when customers need them most – and perhaps more importantly to the business, faster than the “other guys”. If a Popstar client needs around-the-clock notifications of their network, then building an automated monitoring system so it can notify them via mobile device becomes a very practical use for innovation (and we run circles around the “big boys” doing it, too – plug plug).

It’s commonplace for companies to re-produce products that already exist, packaging them up differently or offering incentives & discounts to buy theirs as opposed to someone else’s, but the companies I get behind are those innovative companies who conceive and deliver new features to the market. So far, Archos seems to be a company who’s not afraid of change.

The term portable media player (or PMP) encompasses more than media playback nowadays. Internet & wifi are now standard options. Compatibility with the latest and greatest software (like Flash) becomes a race to bring to market. Hardware compatibility is key as well – wireless & bluetooth keyboard and mice, GPS devices, even HSDPA 3G capabilities are in demand for these little PMPs that are sharing a lot of the same capabilities as netbooks, perhaps even laptops. The winners in this market are not going to be the companies who sit on their butt and stick to old tradition!

Flash Apps

The Internet Media Tablet has the capability of playing flash apps using Flash Lite. Flash lite at the time of this writing only supports Flash 9 authored in actionscript 2. You’ll likely see users out there frustrated that “some” websites don’t work, even if they’re using flash 9. This is because of the way those flash files were authored is slightly different than what Flash Lite supports. A flash file authored as flash 9 AS2 is compatible, while the same flash composition authored in Flash 9 AS3 is incompatible. This is an Adobe limitation and not one of Archos (although Archos is often blamed for it). Hopefully Adobe will get their act together and update flash lite to their latest player and actionscripting versions.

Having said that, there are a lot of flash apps and games out there that are compatible on the Archos. In addition, Archos’ embedded, open-source browser called Opera is capable of playing compatible flash content within the browser itself, allowing the user to see websites the iTouch and similar devices simply can’t load. Because the Opera browser is open-source and therefore a lot of widgets are made for it, the Archos can take advantage of this feature. The catch is, not all opera widgets work on the Archos – they make take some authoring work to convert them into a more Archos-friendly widget. In addition, opera widgets (and flash apps) won’t start up Archos’ wifi, so apps and plugs that use the wifi capabilities will be dependent on another process starting it for them. For example, I have a weather app I use that I’ve made a shortcut for on my Archos homepage. It’s simple but works great and cators the weather forecasts to my specific area. However, because it relies on the Internet and it can’t have the capability of starting up wifi itself, I have to “activate” the wifi by starting up my Internet browser and then hitting the widget. Again, opening up the Archos will speed development of flash apps / games as well as opera-based widgets by putting the fixes (for the Widgets as well as the Archos device itself) into the hands of its users and 3rd-party developers.

The MKV Format

A new & open-source container format (also called a wrapper) emerging in the market today is called Matroska (Matroska files have a file extension of .mkv). The term “container file” (or wrapper) is important to this discussion, as this isn’t referring to the type of codec used to compress your movie for example, it’s referring to the container file that envelops that movie. A container file is used to hold information about the way that compressed file is stored.

For example, say you have a DVD disc with 10 television episodes that you’d like your Archos to play. You have a buffet of codecs in which to choose from. At the time of this writing, one of my favorite codecs is H.264. So you download a program that allows you to encode to H.264. The next question is, what container format do you want to use? The options are varied and some container formats aren’t compatible with some codecs. Examples of some popular container formats would be AVI, ASF,MOV,RM,MP4,MPG, even MKV.

But wait, there’s a catch! Even though the Archos can play H.264 files (with the required H.264 plug-in anyway), it won’t necessarily play just any container format, such as MKV. The reason for this is container formats hold information about how to play the file, and similar to codecs, each device needs to know how to handle and understand the container format to play it. So in essence, any device you own, including hand-held portable media players on up to personal computers, have to know and understand both the codec that was used to compress your content as well as how to play the container format. If you’ve ever had issues playing an .avi file for example, while other .avi files play fine, you’ve run into a codec your system didn’t understand – you can play .avi files because your system understands how to play the .avi container file, but that .avi contains a file compressed with a codec you probably don’t have installed. Similarly, compressed files (such as H.264) that have played just fine previously as .avi files may not play well using a different container format (such as MKV) if your device doesn’t support that container format.

Well, the Archos IMT doesn’t play MKV files (at the time of this writing), but let’s suppose for a moment that it did. What added value does that give you? Why is playing MKV files any more desirable than … say avi, vob or mp4?

Remember our television scenario mentioned above? With the MKV format, you can place all ten television episodes into one MKV file and arrange them to play in any order you’d like. In addition, you can arrange to play only portions of each episode as well as control in which order segments of each episode you’d like it to play. Essentially what you have then is one container file with ten television episodes “wrapped” up inside of it – to you, they play as one long video file. You can even add MKV files within other MKV files for a more complicated and powerful playlist. MKV offers some other features such as custom meta-data tagging, file attachments (such as album cover art), mixture of file types, even the ability to design DVD-like interactive menus (although I don’t think this last option is quite there yet).  You can even add or modify the contents after the fact. Clearly, the potential for this technology has not been fully explored, especially as in how it can relate to the Archos, the fact that they’re an open-source format should (in theory) make it all the more easier for Archos to wrap it (sorry for the pun) into its feature set.

Some devices like the netgear digital entertainer elite are supporting mkv. In addition, players you can install on your computer support it, like:

• Media Player classic
• The Core Media Player
• VLC
• Zoom Player
• CorePlayer Pro and mobile
• Mplayer
• BSPlayer
• SMPlayer
• FantasyDVD Player
• TCPMP
• Windows Media Player (with playback pack)
• Nero Show Time (with K-Lite Codec Pack)
• ALShow Free Media Player
• Avidemux

Conclusion

Clearly there are multiple ways in which Archos may benefit from opening up its system, providing a comprehensive SDK, so other developers may unlock more of its potential. In my case, multiple Popstar products may be controlled from multiple Internet-capable devices or computers. With the Archos, I could walk around the office, convention center or hotel and control numerous signage screens with one mobile device.

Technology moves fast – if mobile device control was innovative last month, next month it will be a required feature. If I’m to invest in Archos’ technology, I need them to be as swift and innovative as I have to be!

Below I’ve compiled a list of pros and cons for this device. This list is somewhat catered to my own experiences and may omit other pros or cons.

Pros:

• smooth video, decent blacks = good screen for a 4.8″ portable media player
• flash-enabled opera browser. Flash video adjusts to the screen.
• Wifi (802.11 b/g)
• WebTV & Internet Radio plugs included
• DVR Station adds significant features for the price
• Surf web, check email, watch photos, videos and listen to music
• Built-in hard drive = higher storage capacity than flash memory
• Many supported audio formats: Stereo MP3, WMA, Protected WMA, WMA pro 5.1, WAV. AC3 stereo audio and 5.1 sound files (via SPDIF output of DVR Station). Flac and OGG Vorbis audio files supported.
• Many supported video formats: MPEG-4 (ASP@L5 AVI, up to DVD resolution), WMV (MP@ML, up to DVD resolution) included WMV protected files, M-JPEG (in QVGA resolution).With optional software plug-in:HD video playback support: MPEG-4 (ASP 720p) & WMV HD (MP 720p), MPEG-2 MP@ML up to 10 Mbps (up to DVD resolution) and AC3 stereo sound (5.1) H.264 up to DVD resolution with AAC )
• Supported image file types: JPEG, BMP, PNG, GIF
• Built-in kickstand
• Size fits in a coat or pants pockets (I wear cargo pants and it fits fine)
• Surf your local network, including copying files, watching streaming videos and listening to streaming music, etc. This is a feature I’m very surprised hasn’t made it into the touch yet, considering their storage size is dwarfed by the Archos.
• Opera widgets compatibility
• PDF (doesn’t implement all PDF features)and doc viewing
• Keyboard and mice supported
• Jumpdrives / Flash drives, cameras and external hard drives and other devices supported (through an add-on with USB connection).
• Organize files the way you want to organize them, not how the device requires you to.

Cons:

• Flash Lite – meaning not all flash 9 content can play, no flash 10 content will play – not Archos’ fault but still a con
• UI weak, especially in the touchscreen regions where the UI is expecting you to press.
• Zooming in and out isn’t as smooth and refined as itouch – no 2 finger zooming
• No built-in mic
• Nickel and dime you on the extras
• Proprietary usb cable – no need for a “special” one, other than to gouge the user for more add-on expenses.
• Buttons pointing at extras (adware) that can’t be removed
• H.264 isn’t completely supported – indexing and lip sync are sometimes an issue depending on the settings of the encode.
• No case included – should be for the price. I’ve found a lot of Nintendo DS cases work for the Archos. I purchased this one, both protective and has a pocket for earbuds and proprietary USB cable – http://store.videogamecentral.com/nintendo-ds-als-game-traveler.html

Thanks for reading!

John Dave Hutton
Senior Technician & 3D Artist

John Dave Hutton is the Senior Technician & 3D Artist for Popstar Networks. In this position he is responsible for training and documentation as well as 3D & general technical work. Dave enjoys working with people and has a technical background building systems, programming scripts and automation tools, video editing & motion graphics as well as 3D modeling and animation. Dave spent over ten years in the advertising and computer industries and loves all things graphics & technical. A Missouri native, Dave is a self-professed computer junkie and loves gadgets, new technology, biking and frisbee.

KANSAS CITY, MO (May 6, 2009) —  Popstar Networks, Inc., a leader in the digital media industry, and Digital Evolution Group, a full-service e-consultancy firm, recently partnered to develop and install interactive event and wayfinding kiosks at Crown Center.   Crown Center, located in the heart of downtown Kansas City and owned by Hallmark Cards, Inc., is a multi-use 40-acre complex including a retail shopping mall, two luxury hotels, an exhibit hall and other office and residential buildings.  The kiosk project was commissioned to enhance the visitor experience in navigating and obtaining detailed information on retailers, dining establishments, and entertainment venues located within the complex.  The state-of-the-art kiosks allow visitors to locate stores based upon the category or name of the store and provide a description of the retailer, store hours and any current sales or promotions.  Additionally, they offer guided direction to the store through Digital Evolution Group’s interactive property map solution.  These advanced interactive kiosks also provide information on the Crown Center campus and surrounding attractions, display restaurant menus, play video clips of currently running theater productions and promote other upcoming events at the Center. 

 Digital Evolution Group who designed and developed Crown Center’s website, partnered with Popstar to provide Popstar’s Frontstage™ interactive digital signage solution because of its ability to integrate directly with their powerful Site Management System.  The integration with Digital Evolution Group’s Site Management System provides Crown Center the ability to centrally control the updating of content, event listings, store and digital map information, and video and graphic files on both the website and the four installed kiosks via the Frontstage™ Server. As part of Popstar’s BackStage℠ strategic consulting process, the parties collaborated to identify all project goals and content requirements before developing wireframes and prototypes for Crown Center to review.  A field and user interaction study conducted early in the process resulted in the solution being clearly defined to meet Crown Center’s unique requirements and allowed for efficient interactive development within Popstar’s FrontStage™ Digital Signage Network software.  The project was completed in 90 days, just prior to the holiday season – one of Crown Center’s most highly trafficked periods.

 ”The field and user studies were a very important part to the success of the project, allowing us to confirm assumptions and verify requirements before the application development began. Utilizing the Popstar BackStage℠ process and clearly defining goals and further refining them gave us a clear roadmap for development and final deployment”, said Maria Scarpello, Sales Solutions Manager at Popstar, “this resulted in a solution that ideally suited the needs of Crown Center” she added.

 “Empowering our client partners to command and control digital content from a centralized web-based interface and push it to any platform, screen or device has been the cornerstone of our success for past nine years” says Jeff Eden, Principal at Digital Evolution Group.“ Popstar’s FrontStage™ software now allows us to efficiently deploy cost effective and centrally managed digital signage solutions for our national and global client base.”

 Chris Ronan, Communications Manager for Crown Center adds: “The kiosks have been a big hit. They help our customers get where they want to go, but they also showcase our events, sales and specials and other important information”, he further states. “Crown Center has a lot to offer and the kiosks are great vehicles for getting the word out.“

 About Popstar Networks

Popstar Networks, Inc., headquartered in Olathe, Kansas, is a leader in designing and implementing customized digital media solutions – enabling clients to communicate their unique messages and incorporate digital signage into overall marketing and communications strategies.  Since its founding in 2003, Popstar has revolutionized the digital media industry with its customer-first process for developing dynamic and interactive digital signage networks.  Popstar has also set a new standard for engaging audiences with exciting interactive media applications. Its flexible technology, software development, and creative visual designs have set the trend for the industry, led by the FrontStage™ Player, FrontStage™ Server, and SmartContent™ products and complemented by BackStage℠ – their comprehensive strategic consulting process. For more information, please visit us at http://www.popstarnetworks.com.

 About Digital Evolution Group

Digital Evolution Group is a full-service e-consultancy dedicated to helping its clients achieve success with creative, integrated and intelligent Internet-centric solutions.  Digital Evolution Group fuses design talent and engineering skill and with the rare ability to translate business objectives into ingenious online strategies. Strategies that deliver break-through value, empower clients and partners to advance strategic initiatives and put new opportunities within their reach.

 Since its inception in 1999, Digital Evolution Group has been leading the strategic initiatives and development of superbly designed, highly dynamic, tightly integrated, easily administered and highly scalable Internet toolsets and platforms currently being leveraged by organizations such as Hallmark Cards Inc, Cerner Corporation, MGM Grand, Pizza Hut Franchisees, Developers Diversified Realty, RED Development, Inland Group, New Balance Shoe Company, The Timberland Company, Kansas City Steak Company, Orscheln Farm and Home, Seaboard Foods, University of Kansas, Country Club Plaza, Challenger Sports, FerrellGas and the State of Missouri to name a few. For more information, visit http://www.digitalev.com or call 1-913-498-9988.

 About Crown Center

Located on the southern edge of downtown Kansas City, Crown Center offers fine hotels, entertainment, dining, shopping, offices and residential living.  Home to the international headquarters of Hallmark Cards, Inc., the complex attracts more than five million annual visitors. For more information, visit http://www.crowncenter.com or call 816-274-8444.

Media contact:
Stacey Morse
Popstar Networks, Inc.
Phone: 913-747-6300  
Email: staceym@popstarnetworks.com
http://www.popstarnetworks.com