StrandVision Digital Signs Help Colleges & Universities Inform Students/Build Community

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (PRWEB) June 1, 2006 –- StrandVision LLC (http://www.strandvision.com), a provider of hosted digital signage services, today announced Internet-based digital signs for colleges and universities. The signs, which can be placed virtually anywhere on campuses, are an efficient way to inform students, faculty and the rest of the community of upcoming events and news, as well as academic, sports and club schedules.

Designed to supplement traditional communications, StrandVision digital signs are low-cost, timely and efficient since they use institutions' existing networks and standard televisions, Liquid Crystal Displays (LCD) or plasma screens to deliver text, graphic and video content. StrandVision digital signage is always available to provide students with the latest information any time of the day or night in student centers, lounges, dorm lobbies, food courts, dining areas, etc.

Recommended signage topics include:
•Upcoming social and sporting events or meetings
•Sports and club competition scores
•Special events
•Guest speakers/presentations
•Dining room menus
•Lecture hall topics/presentations
•Student and faculty recognition
•Registration and other administrative information
•Internships/on-campus recruiting schedules
•Community information
•Local weather and weather advisories
•Breaking news

“We’ve found that digital signs are a great way to communicate with students and faculty,” explained Mike Strand, StrandVision founder and CEO. “Digital signs are passive and can be ubiquitous, and students are oriented towards televisions and other electronic media. A side benefit is that digital signs can build community inside and outside of the campus walls with the Web-based distribution option. They’re a great way to reach day and non-traditional students to connect them with the larger community.”

Easy to set up – Simple to administer
StrandVision digital signage takes an innovative approach by delivering information over the Internet. The network is easy to set up and maintain. It requires a personal computer with Internet access to act as a server that distributes information to televisions, LCD or plasma screens over the organization’s existing cable television or local area network. Typically, campus computer or technical support staffs handle the installation in less than an hour if the display technology is already in place.

The day-to-day administration does not require any technical expertise. Administrators simply log onto the password-protected StrandVision server over the Internet to type in the latest announcements or upload photos and graphics. The entire digital signage system or designated location is updated at the next refresh within minutes. Commented Strand, “With our fill-in-the-form entry system, if you know how to browse the Web, you can do the daily updates on a StrandVision digital signage network.”

The college community is presented with a constantly scrolling text and graphics message loop. It enables them to check locations and times of their activities throughout the day. The StrandVision digital signage system can also be configured to send different messages to different locations and at different times of the day. Some institutions are using digital signs to display dining room menus, or to promote the college and encourage ticket sales in athletics/recreation centers, while others send customized information to different student areas, such as law, engineering or education schools.

StrandVision digital signage for colleges and universities is available immediately from StrandVision and through a national network of resellers and installers. Pricing begins at $54.95/month (annual subscription rate). Installations require a high-speed Internet connection and a personal computer with Web access to develop and/or receive content. A free trial is available at: http://www.strandvision.com/?adduser.

About StrandVision
StrandVision LLC uses a Web services model to deliver low-cost, high-availability hosted digital signage services to educational facilities and businesses. It is also ideal for medical and dental offices (patient education), banks (video merchandising), industrial distributors (vendor-sponsored advertising), employee break rooms (events and benefits) and other business applications. StrandVision eliminates the need for complex and expensive onsite hardware since it hosts the digital signage service on its servers and delivers content directly over the Internet via standard Web browser technology to televisions and computer displays in subscribers’ offices and businesses. StrandVision’s easy-to-setup and easy-to-update Web-based service enables administrators to maintain and quickly distribute text messages and graphics, including advertisements and video content. StrandVision enhances each company’s customized content with national and local weather and news, stocks and other information of interest. Additional information about StrandVision and a free trial subscription are available at http://www.strandvision.com or 715-833-9501 x200.

All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

EDITORS - For further information:

Mike Strand
StrandVision
Strand Building
1529 Continental Dr.
Eau Claire, WI 54701
715-833-9501 x100

Sandy McLaughlin
Soucy Communications Group
465 Pine St.
Lowell, MA 01851
781-898-7305

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