√ Digital Signage
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Television: The Power Tool of Communications

Television is the most powerful method of mass communication. The combination of sight, sound, color and motion captures the attention, holds the interest and can create lasting memory with emotional impact.

Digital Signage combines television and computer technology in a way that can produce objective, measurable results; results in sales patterns, decision patterns and consumer response patterns.

Digital Signage combines media that is easily created on a computer (text documents, image files, animated graphics, movie files, database input) and with live (or recorded) television programs. This means that any business, church, school or government agency can have a "live" video display that captures the look and credibility of contemporary broadcast television.

Television is THE powerful, effective and contemporary communication tool. This explains why digital signage is the second fastest growing marketing tool (after the Internet). Digital Signage is working today in clothing stores, church lobbies, company cafeterias, airports, cable systems, drug stores, college campuses, hospital lobbies and school districts. Digital Signage is working where organizations want to communicate with the maximum impact, effectiveness and flexibility.

Affordable Digital Signage System Components
Digital signage is taking off because the components have become affordable.

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The purchase and search for IT products and services to make the business operate more efficiently can be a daunting task. While Preferred is pleased to be able to help our clients with this “search”, there are questions that need to be asked when looking at a replacement or even a new technology. The main question: What is the strategy of the business from an IT perspective? I have selected a few products that have recently been upgraded or purchased new by some of our clients. In each of these cases I have given a few strategic questions that should be asked before the solution is selected.

Firewall/Security Appliance: This device is used to protect your network resources from outside threats. Its primary purpose is perimeter security but can also be used to provide deeper levels of security depending on the business acceptable use policy for Internet browsing.

• Does this appliance provide a deeper inspection of data other than what I get with a router or low end firewall appliance? (This is sometimes referred to as deep packet inspection.)

• Can I block specific content I do not want end users browsing during business hours?

• Can I scan all emails for viruses before they get to my mail server and onto my network?

• Can I limit the ability for end users to download and install music or other non-business related content? (On some sites content filtering is not enough, and the firewall needs the ability to look at the application level.)

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