Originally founded as a media agency in Switzerland in 2002, Wondersign has evolved from its roots into a full-service solutions provider of digital signage, catalog kiosks, digital poster boards, and ambient television. Separately, the company also offers the Public Safety Information Network (PSIN) that uses connected screens to display mission-critical information for first responders. A key to the company’s business strategy has been the selection of Digi TransPort® routers that provide turnkey connectivity for easy deployment and simplified manageability.
Business Challenge
As Stacy Fenwick shops for furniture in a popular retailer, she has the option of scanning an “endless aisle” of couches, chairs, and tables, thanks to an interactive kiosk that displays up-to-date choices and takes orders on the spot. When Colin Miller enters the lobby of his local hospital, digital signs point out directions to various clinics and share video reminders about that afternoon’s blood drive. And as Amy Underhill walks through her college’s student union, she catches highlights of last night’s basketball game, scans the signup schedule for the next semester’s classes, and sees a rotation of digital posters promoting upcoming events.
It all happens thanks to smart digital signage – tablets and plasma displays connected to the cloud, enabling organizations to centrally update, manage, and maintain these displays. Wondersign, a full-service provider of digital signage, has carved out a leading position in this market, which it has served for more than 10 years.
“Whether it’s in-store or on-campus, digital signage can dramatically improve an organization’s communications, marketing, and sales,” said Andy Reinhard, chief executive officer of Wondersign. “For instance, a pharmacy’s ability to install digital signage in hundreds of retail stores and change their promotions and pricing at all locations with a single click of the mouse is a powerful way to increase customer engagement and revenue. But we also learned very quickly, you can’t just deliver components. Companies want turnkey solutions that are easy to install and maintain, and that became our focus.”
Solution
Perhaps the greatest barrier to smooth installation and operation of Wondersign’s solutions: connectivity. Initially, Wondersign relied on its customers for connections to the cloud. “It wasn’t an ideal scenario,” said Casper Fopp, executive vice president of business development. “We had sophisticated panels and displays and software – but we relied on a mixture of hardwired connections and Wi-Fi supplied by the customer. That meant unreliable bandwidth, restrictive firewalls, IT audits, and policy exceptions. As a result, our deployments could get delayed by months – if we were even approved. We were losing sales because we were completely dependent on someone else for our cloud connection.”
Reinhard and Fopp determined the answer was to bring their own independent connectivity to the customer site, leading them to evaluate solutions from Digi and other vendors. Their choice: the Digi® TransPort® WR11 cellular router. Digi TransPort WR11 delivers a reliable, cost-effective cellular 4G LTE connection that connects Wondersign’s displays to the cloud. This drop-in connectivity translates into faster deployments, less downtime, fewer service calls, and increased revenue by bringing distributed sites online faster.
Results
Wondersign purchases its preconfigured Digi routers from USAT, a prominent Digi reseller, and each unit includes a simple 3GB monthly data plan. “By operating securely outside of the customer’s infrastructure, we bypass all of the delays and obstacles to our deployments,” Reinhard said. “With the preloaded Digi routers, we don’t need to be on the customer’s network. We just plug it in, check the antennas, and are literally up and running in a day.”
For Wondersign, the connectivity that Digi supplies is translating into more revenue. “When our solutions don’t have built-in Internet access, we lose business,” Reinhard said. “But with Digi, we have a solution that is solid and less gimmicky – from a company that has a strong record and excellent customer references. It’s been a perfect solution for our business.”