December 16, 2004 -- (BURGER KING®)
has made its product line more attractive and improved
customer service through modern entertainment and
information technology.
Scala Inc. (www.scala.com),
the leading provider of digital signage control software,
today announced the installation of InfoChannel®
as BURGER KING"s digital signage software solution.
BURGER KING® Deutschland
has equipped its restaurants with plasma displays
and interconnected its individual restaurants via
a communications network. With its very own TV channel,
the "King Channel", and a digital menu board,
BURGER KING® has not only made its product line
more attractive but also improved customer service
through modern entertainment and information technology.
Thanks to the new digital menu board,
guests receive product information and prices through
a combination of video, moving product images and
animated texts of unique high-resolution quality.
The digital menu board not only enhances the colored
display panels by changing the information according
to the time or day of the week but also displays the
product line with greater visual impact, intensity
and appeal.
The use of state-of-the-art technology
is also unique. Up-to-date campaigns, daily product
offers, and individual customer loyalty measures from
the individual BURGER KING® restaurants can be
displayed with the benefits of real-time management.
Within minutes, the media-broadcasting center can
update the content throughout Germany.
As it applies to "King Channel",
a BURGER KING® proprietary TV channel, the entertainment
program can be customized in an up-to-date manner
to suit the varied interests of the guests. Guests
are informed of current trends in music and cinema
as well as the latest hot tips for DVDs and video
games. In addition, brand loyalty is reinforced by
the familiar commercials. "The new offer of 'infotainment'
and the attractive menu display are generally well
received by our guests. Young people are especially
enthusiastic", says Heinz-Peter Dickes, development
director at BURGER KING® Deutschland.
Two examples are the advertising campaign
with football star Oliver Kahn, and the charity initiative
for RED NOSE DAY. In conjunction with the BURGER KING®
customer magazine "Immigrating", the result
is a unique campaign for successful branding. BURGER
KING® is completely committed to this new solution,
as shown by the length of the project, which is scheduled
to last three years. BURGER KING® will equip each
new restaurant with the new technology from the outset.
BURGER KING® has opted for a high-quality
complete solution. Plasma Displays, modern, high-performance
hardware, network connections and high-quality software,
combined with attractive content that meets our high
standards, have made their appearance in the restaurants.
BURGER KING® decided to select the full service
provider ict AG Aachen with its multimedia system
solution "ic-vision", the plasma display
maker NEC and the PC manufacturer Fujitsu Siemens
Computers. The plasma displays are described as very
convincing with excellent picture quality and a unique
sharpness of detail. InfoChannel® from Scala Broadcast
Multimedia is employed in the creation of daily menu
content and message distribution throughout the BURGER
KING® network.
In just three months, BURGER KING®
has installed the ic-vision solution with NEC 42VP4
Plasma Displays in over 370 restaurants. The menu
board solution has been combined with the network
of the proprietary TV channel, the "King Channel".
Thus, by the end of June 2004, a total network of
over 660 installations was operating with the ic-vision
solution at 400 sites in Germany. Thanks to the high
quality and flexibility of the system, it can be extended
to other European countries at any time.
ict AG Aachen has assumed the responsibilities of
general contracting, coordinating, operating and servicing
for two of the largest digital networks for the point-of-sale/point-of-information
market throughout Germany. The network bridges the
distances from the media-broadcasting center to the
individual branch restaurants via satellite or DSL.
Central media broadcasting makes it
easier to update the contents of the menu board and
the proprietary TV channel "King Channel",
and also facilitates control and maintenance. Every
morning, all the devices log onto the media-broadcasting
center at ict AG in Aachen. The devices from Fujitsu
Siemens Computers send information indicating the
present contents and the currently displayed data
and system data on the PCs. The media-broadcasting
center can then update and coordinate the contents
when necessary. The menu boards with their plasma
displays employ complete remote control and remote
maintenance support. This guarantees continuous control
of the entire network and makes it possible to forestall
potential disturbances.
"Through joint development of the
system with Scala Broadcast Multimedia, Fujitsu Siemens
Computers and NEC Deutschland, we are able to provide
detailed control and management of the entire network
for BURGER KING®. Such information is essential
for operating networks of this size", explains
Markus J. Deserno, CEO of ict AG Aachen.
Restaurant owners can request more information
by contacting Frank Alvy, Frank@idsmenus.com
For additional information or to contact
IDS Menus, please visit our website at http://www.idsmenus.com
IDS Menus is a Certified Scala
Partner
