D I G I TA L S I G N A G E : Lighting the Way New services are bringing new
vistas to campus. N By Jean Marie Angelo N E E D TO DIRECT NEW STUDENTS TO
UNFAMILIAR buildings on campus? Nothing does the trick like a map. Now
imagine that map presented in color and blown up to fit on a 42-inch
screen. Add to this image descriptive headlines and text and changing
inset graphics that can provide close ups of the section of campus where
the building is located, along with pictures of the destination, and it's
clear just how effective digital signage can be. Digital signs started
appearing on campuses a few years ago, with some promoting sales in
bookstores and other retail outlets and others provid- ing information for
those passing through the student union or dining hall. In this fashion,
higher ed was catching up to hotels, financial insti- tutions, big box
retailers, and other sectors that provide information to the public. Once
these industries began showing how convenient it is to digitally change
information and create a multimedia presentation that can grab attention
much easier than paper posters and bulletin boards The University of
Connecticut crammed with out-dated paper flyers, higher education
administrators added three digital signs in its School of Education. saw
the logic in using this new technology. 62 | October 2006
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of University Business - October 2006