Digital signage is increasingly being integrated into every retail device consumers touch from ATMs and point-of-sale terminals to interactive kiosks and vending machines. In order to amplify the power of marketing programs with consistent messages across multiple retail devices, Intel Corporation announced today the availability of the Intel® Retail Client Manager (Intel® RCM). Intel RCM is a simple and cost-effective content management system (CMS) for digital signage solutions.

Industry experts estimate content management systems will reach 35 million units at a cumulative annual growth rate of 40 percent by 2017. However, creating, deploying and managing an effective digital marketing campaign is currently a time-consuming and resource-intensive proposition for marketers and businesses. The result is limited and localized marketing campaigns effectively minimizing the reach and impact on a large scale.

Intel RCM provides a simple interface for marketing professionals, enabling them to create new campaigns and promotions in minutes, customize content instantly and control each screen individually in a secure and manageable environment. Intel RCM also enables marketers to create multiple zones within each digital sign and supports most formats including HD video, Adobe Flash*, static image and web content, maximizing the impact by creating a consistent, powerful impression across multiple points of a consumer's experience.

"Digital signage is rapidly changing the advertising landscape and becoming a preferred channel for marketing professionals looking to reach customers with relevant content near the point-of-sale," said Joe Jensen, general manager of Intel's Retail Solutions Division. "With the addition of Intel RCM to our portfolio of retail solutions, our customers are able to easily create and manage attention-grabbing campaigns while ensuring they are reaching the right customer, at the right time, with the right product."

When paired with Intel® Audience Impression Metrics Suite (Intel® AIM Suite), an anonymous viewer analytics technology, Intel RCM offers retailers a powerful tool for more personalized, meaningful and relevant advertising. This capability anonymously counts the number of viewers, gender and age group and dwell time for each digital sign, enabling brands to tailor advertising content based on audience demographics. Using Intel AIM suite, retailers can also gauge the effectiveness of content by measuring the length of time viewers spend looking at displays and which ads captured the attention of passersby.

Spafax Networks*, a division of WPP's tenthavenue* and a leader in the creation of branded content and advertising sales, believes solutions that address the need for simplified content management and relevant advertising are greatly needed in the industry in order to push digital signage forward as an advertising platform.

"As shoppers take more and more control over their shopping experience, retailers and brands have to provide anytime, anywhere marketing campaigns to make an impact on buying decisions," said Patrick Bonomo, chief operating officer of Spafax Networks. "Standardized and manageable digital place-based signage platforms are a key industry requirement that allows marketers to reach these tech-savvy shoppers. We are working closely with Intel to integrate the Intel Retail Client Manager into our buying platform to offer advertisers an efficient method of reaching on-the-go audiences and delivering experiences that are relevant, effective, managed and secure."

For those inside IT departments tasked with implementing and managing the tool, Intel RCM allows them to manage user access, receive real-time error reports and respond to end-user interactions. The platform is also optimized for Intel® Core™ vPro™ processors with Intel® Active Management Technology (Intel® AMT) enabling remote management and diagnosis of digital signage networks. This reduces costly onsite maintenance visits, allowing centralized IT teams to power-cycle machines, repair software issues, power-down systems and install software updates and security patches.

Digital signage solutions based on Intel RCM are available through Avnet Embedded and Seneca. Subscription base price for Intel RCM is $16.95 per month, per player billed annually.