Coolsign’s Gaming Portion Goes To Bally Technologies
Here’s the press release from, literally a few minutes ago on Bally Technologies acquisition of Planar’s gaming portion of Coolsign…
BALLY TECHNOLOGIES ACQUIRES PLANAR’S COOLSIGN® DIGITAL SIGNAGE SOLUTIONS BUSINESS FOR THE GAMING INDUSTRY
Company integrates CoolSign media-management system into Networked Floor of the Future™ technology suite
LAS VEGAS, November 17, 2008 – Bally Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: BYI), a leader in slots, video machines, casino management systems, and networked solutions for the global gaming industry, today announced that it has acquired Planar Systems, Inc.’s CoolSign digital signage business for the gaming industry, including software, networked digital displays, and content services.
CoolSign is a strategic addition to Bally’s Networked Floor of the Future technology systems. The acquisition extends Bally’s technology offerings to include marketing and media communications to the player in the form of CoolSign networked or standalone digital displays, available in a multitude of sizes, that allow casinos to quickly and effectively communicate gaming and non-gaming messages to customers.
In particular, CoolSign networked displays will integrate with Bally’s iVIEW™ Display Manager™, an intelligent controller that allows casinos to present system content or marketing messages on the main game screen, the top game display, and overhead displays with picture-in-picture capability. iVIEW Display Manager recently won first place in the “Best Consumer Technology” category of the 2009 Gaming & Technology awards.
Planar’s CoolSign digital signage software and display solutions have been chosen by more than 160 casinos around the world. Based in Beaverton, Ore., Planar has over two decades of experience providing scalable, robust specialty display solutions for every size customer. Under this agreement, Planar retains the ownership of the Coolsign business and products for all fields of use other than the gaming industry.
“The addition of CoolSign to our portfolio of games, systems, and networked gaming solutions advances Bally’s strategy to offer an array of high-performing products for the entire casino floor,” said Richard M. Haddrill, Bally’s Chief Executive Officer. “We have worked with CoolSign for over five years as a customer and manufacturing partner. CoolSign’s proven solutions and well-respected brand complement our business and extend our ability to deliver cutting-edge marketing solutions to our customers.”
“Our customers have consistently asked to have one tool for creating media that can be displayed anywhere in their businesses,” said Bruce Rowe, Bally’s Senior Vice President of Strategy and Business Development. “This product has an elegant user interface and content creation tool that will allow media to quickly and efficiently be displayed on a large variety of traditional displays and most important, via Bally’s iVIEW Display Manager at the point of play. This product will create the capability to link customized marketing and promotional messages throughout the casino enterprise in a way envisioned, but never done before.”
“The CoolSign product portfolio and gaming capabilities are a natural fit for Bally’s strategic direction,” said Brad Gleeson, Vice President of Business Development for Planar. “With CoolSign’s long-standing success in the gaming vertical market, Bally and Planar have numerous customers in common, so Bally’s acquisition of the gaming portion of Planar’s Coolsign business is of tremendous strategic benefit to both companies, our mutual customers, and the gaming industry.”
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