MTI’s ReAct Digital Signage Solution
Gail Chiasson, North American Editor
MTI, an interactive retail merchandising leader, has introduced a purpose-built new solution that blends engaging consumer experiences, operator ease of use and 100,000-hour reliability in one low-cost platform.
Screenshot of ReAct user template
Popular social media tools that influence how people shop are integrated directly into ReAct, a retail-ready solution that layers an engaging, consumer-facing experience on top of technology that’s tailored to real-world store operator needs.
The content-rich, socially-enabled and personal buying experiences that are transforming shopping on PCs and mobile devices also fit easily into retail environments using MTI’s new Intuition ReAct platform. Retailers who use social applications like Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare to communicate and interact with consumers on PCs and phones can now use ReAct to integrate those content feeds into interactive digital displays running right in store aisles.
Simple two-way elements, such as ‘Like’ buttons, can be integrated into touch-enabled screens, helping shoppers make buying decisions and store managers refine selections based on local tastes. The ReAct system also enables the use of emerging technologies like 2D QR codes and digital coupons, and easily plugs into retail back-office systems and retailer websites to mine and potentially react to data.
“ReAct’s ability to leverage social media interaction and emerging web and mobile technologies goes right to the core of what retailers want and need today,” says Thaine Allison, MTI’s vice-president products and systems. “We built an open, future-ready platform that can shift with the marketplace, and we used a technology design that we know, from all of our experience, meets the everyday operating demands of retailers.”
MTI is a leader in the development and delivery of reliable, secure interactive merchandising solutions for retailers in North America and globally. Hundreds of thousands of MTI units, particularly in the consumer electronics sector, keep demonstration products secured and powered – converting the shopping experience from trying items to buying them.
The heart of the MTI-designed and built ReAct platform is the ReAct Player, a small, special-purpose media player that has no moving parts, can be updated over networks or manually, and plays both 2D and 3D HD files – seamlessly, automatically switching between formats.
“Years of experience developing merchandising technology, and listening to our customers, taught us what was ideal for a digital signage solution in-store,” says Chris Remy, CEO of MTI. “Despite the scores of companies out there with products, we didn’t see anything that really met the challenge. So we developed ReAct.”
According to MTI managerment, what sets ReAct apart?
- No buttons or controls on the player itself – true plug-and-play deployment;
- No moving parts – designed for 100,000 hours of constant use in demanding retail environments;
- Auto-detection and adjustment to 2D and 3D signals (no need for human intervention);
- Auto-device recognition detects TV settings and input sources, and ensures monitors are on and off as required;
- Dramatically lower unit costs than less-capable players;
- Easy and friendly, but also sophisticated, management software;
- Multiple connectivity options;
- Content localization;
- Ability to pull real-time web content;
- No expensive infrastructure or IT involvement necessary.
ReAct players operate on MTI’s new ReAct DDS web-based content and player management platform. The user experience for planning, scheduling, distribution, management and monitoring is all a simple, intuitive WYSIWYG (what-you-see-is-what-you-get) toolset, running on any mainstream web browser.
User rights are built in to a secure system, enabling different access and management rights from the corporate level down to individual stores. The platform operates on a Software as a Service model, all but eliminating retail IT group responsibilities, but still providing operators with extensive management tools and deep analytics.
ReAct DDS includes agency-quality customized templates for retailers to enable fast, cost-efficient updating of in-store offers and promotions. The MTI team is also developing platform-specific apps and widgets that will enhance content and make it increasingly dynamic. ReAct DDS makes integration with third-party services such as social media easy and largely automated. MTI’s experience with back-office retail systems also means digital screens in stores can tap into a wealth of data stored in information systems, or located deep into retailer websites.
“A typical retail website has a lot of secondary information about products that can be really valuable in helping shoppers make final buying decisions,” says Helen Stonhill, MTI’s marketing director. “ReAct can be easily set up to pull relevant content and make a touch-screen a perfect tool to not only let a shopper research an item – maybe check for other available colors – but then get them ready to purchase.”
MTI is located at booth 2671 at the 100th Annual NRF Big Show, Jan. 10-11 at the Jacob Javits Center in New York.
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