MTR JCDecaux Phase 1

The Hong Kong MTR is regarded as one of the world’s leading metro systems with an average passenger capacity of 3.4 million per weekday. The rail network MTR operates comprises of nine railway lines serving both urban and suburb areas in Hong Kong. In addition to the railway operation, MTR Corporation also involved in property development projects, property leasing, and revenue from advertising, telecommunication services and international consultancy services. The scope of the Corporation’s business has expanded into the Mainland of China, Asia, Australia, the Middle East and Europe.

MTR Digital Escalator Crown is the first digital and animated escalator advertising platform in Asia’s metro system. Passengers can enjoy a story-telling advertising experience when travelling along the escalator. The high-definition screens and high-impact content impresses every pair of eyes passing by.

Five pairs of escalator banks in 3 busiest MTR stations, with a total of more than 130 screens were in this first phase of the development plan. The project requires all screens to be managed and monitored from a couple of editor sites through the corporate media network. The screens in each escalator bank have to run in synchronized mode such that all the content in the screens are playing coherently.

Suggested solution

DISE solution offers a central content management and distribution mechanism. The corporate administration and design office can manage the complete advertising network from a single access location. The player stations running on “Replay” are always playing synchronously across the series of screens alongside the escalator bank. The powerful and yet easy-to-use “Composer” enable content designer to develop creative advertising on a huge virtual ‘canvas’ covering the entire screen group. Staging and movement of both graphical and audio materials are arranged in the project definition and rendered on-the-fly - Last minute adjustment is possible as designer no longer rely on lengthily pre-produced video for each final screens.

Installation /Rollout

Sure Well Consultants Ltd in Hong Kong proposed the DISE solution and is in-charged for the complete software consultation and installation. The project team has gone through a careful system design based on the DISE building blocks. Thanks for the flexible software design, most of the design challenges can be tackled by simply a tweak in the software configuration. On top of the DISE software architecture, the system has to interface with a few external sub-systems like escalator operation mode sensor and screen remote management port. Long system operation hours are also expected throughout the station daily operation. And the system is required to operate in a harsh public environment exposing to heat and dust.

The first pair of escalator bank has launched on Aug 13, 2008 at Causeway Bay MTR Station. DISE key management members were invited to the opening ceremony. Press and media across regions also witnessed the launch. Please refer to the following link for detail information about the ceremony:

http://www.jcdecaux.com.hk/documents/news/ Digital_Escalator_Crown_Bank_Launch_Ceremony_Summary.pdf

The other 4 pairs of escalator banks are in schedule and the whole project is targeted to complete by end of October 2008.

Surewell / Dise Asia group gathered at the installation ceremony

Quotes

“It is innovative, encouraging advertisers to be even more creative and sure to stir the imagination of our passengers,”
Ms Stella Kwan, Senior Manager -
Media Business of the MTR Corporation

“DISE has been the most reliable and flexible digital signage software for enterprise-class solution. Their responsive and reliable support is the key to every project’s success!”
Mr Falcon Tam, Technical Director –
Sure Well Consultants Limited

see the system in operation on youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVy3KwTwhb4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6bhbHnx0jQ

Telia network

Telia, Sweden largest tele-communications company, is an experienced digital signage user. They’ve been using in-store digital signage since 1999, internally called Kuben. In 2005 they needed to replace their existing system and turned to Dise distributor Specialelektronik AB.

Airport advertising

Screen Com-munication AS have been working with digital signage since 1988. Today Screen Communication have 500 screens (50” Plasma-screens) placed at strategic locations throughout Norway.

Escalator advertising

Retail TV

R-TV is a Swedish ompany that run a digital network of connected creens in retail stores in Sweden. Each store is divided into zones where different content is displayed. Each zone is run by a computer running Windows XP and Dise DSM Replay.

PS Media Group

PS Media Group is a Swedish company that run a digital network of connected screens in public locations and shopping malls. The content is handled from a central editing site and delivered using FTP and broadband connections to all player sites. The content is a mix of news, weather, local information and advertising

Öckerö

Öckerö is a Swedish town situated on an island in the beautiful Gothenburg archipelago. When they needed to present information to the visitors of the community center they turned to Dise reseller, Zander & Bringolm..

Luleå Culture House

High up in the Northern parts of Sweden lies the town of Lulea. One of the new services to the citizens and visitors of Luleå is the newly built Luleå House of Culture. The house is equiped with a information solution based on a Dise DS system.

Channel Bergum

Bergum is an elementary school that had a problem with information on the school. To solve the situation they settled for a Dise DS information system with three players and a number of LCD screens placed at strategic locations around the school house.

Express yourself

Express yourself is a Swedisih company working with digital media and digital advertising in resturants and public places. Expressyourself started in 2007 and will be expanding their network of connected screens to 4 cities at the end of 2008.

Lindholmen

Lindholmen Sciend Park is the most dynamic development area in Göteborg, Swedens second largest city. It is a part of the north riverbank in Göteborg, where a new city district is being built up in the old harbour areas. Within the next few years, 10,000 people will be working in Lindholmen and just as many will be studying here.

Järfälla

Järfälla is a modern municipality with deep roots in the past. It has a great deal to offer: good public services and transport, a flourishing business community and beautiful scenery, with Lake Mälaren on its doorstep. Järfälla has a population of 60 000 people.

Bradford Academy

The Bradford Academy is the latest addition to the concept of academys in United Kingdom. The concept has been created to enable private funding of schools in troubled areas. The newly built Bradford Academy, which costed £25 million, received it first pupils in fall 2007.