Nippon Telegraph and Telephone and NTT Communications have begun to jointly field test a system for controlling the distribution of advertising content to the digital signage systems of different manufacturers and then evaluate the effectiveness of the ads by electronically estimating the number of viewers.
The test began in four locations in Greater Tokyo and is scheduled to end in March 2009. The two technologies developed by NTT’s Cyber Communications Laboratory Group are incorporated into the system. One, distribution management integration, uses metadata and a common interface to uniformly manage signage systems of different manufacturers and distribute content to the digital signs. The other, advertising effectiveness measurement, utilizes video image processing to estimate the number of people who view ads displayed on digital signs.
The field tests are expected to help determine the overall viability and practicality of a working system involving multiple locations and public networks. System connection has been achieved through existing networks, including the public wireless LAN network operated by NTT Broadband Platform.
Testing at the center is expected to examine technical aspects of NTT’s content distribution control server and the viability of distributing ads managed with common-frame metadata to determine when and where specific content is to be distributed.
NTT’s Cyber Communications Laboratory Group is expected to apply the results of the tests in continuing R&D targeting the commercialization of digital signage systems, convenience of which NTT Com expects to enhance through the use of its own network infrastructure and technology.
NTT also plans to conduct demonstrations that promote digital-signage services as part of encouraging railway companies, commercial facilities, advertisers and distribution system developers to develop comprehensive systems for this emerging advertising medium.
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