| The access control market has been dominated | | | | can be added further increasing the capabilities of |
| by the traditional "black box" proximity and RFID | | | | the system. Potential uses of digital signage in this |
| card reader systems. Although these units have | | | | environment include: advertising for businesses |
| recently improved in technology to add Power | | | | within the facility or nearby, emergency |
| over Ethernet capability (EDGE or IP Readers), | | | | messaging with visual and audio alerts, display |
| they still leave much to be desired in terms of | | | | class or room schedules, provide web access, |
| look and feel. With the recent trends of low | | | | corporate branding, and much more. |
| power displays and high performance single board | | | | What about Power over Ethernet? |
| computers, it has made it possible add a display | | | | Power over Ethernet provides a variety of |
| and video processing to these traditional access | | | | advantages over traditional AC power. Typically, a |
| control systems in order to open a whole new | | | | gang of 4 to 8 doors are connected to a single |
| market - Digital Signage. | | | | power source, so if a single door needs to be |
| Digital Signage and Access Control | | | | serviced, the entire bank needs to be shutdown. |
| Digital Signage is a multi-billion dollar market that | | | | If power is lost at the power supply, all 4-8 units |
| has exploded in the past few years and continues | | | | go down. With POE, each door is individually |
| to be a rapidly growing industry. It allows | | | | controlled and has a single link back to the |
| advertisers to reach customers in more strategic | | | | network. With advanced POE routers/midspans, |
| locations as well as provide targeted | | | | customers have the ability to shut off the power |
| advertisements to a specific audience. Digital | | | | to any single door remotely from any |
| signage also allows for corporate branding, | | | | web-enabled computer. Power over Ethernet |
| enhancing the customer experience, messaging | | | | provides a potentially significant cost savings by |
| systems, and a host of other extremely useful | | | | eliminating the need for high voltage wiring to |
| applications. By interfacing a single board computer | | | | each door. |
| with a LCD display and traditional access control | | | | By combining access control and digital signage, |
| peripherals such as bar code scanners and RFID | | | | customers can get away from the traditional |
| readers, the digital signage and access control | | | | "black box" system while providing significant value |
| worlds can be merged to create a device that | | | | that cannot be obtained from the traditional |
| brings significant value. A user can control access | | | | access control systems. In addition, power over |
| to specific parts of a building while providing all of | | | | Ethernet maintains the labor savings of POE |
| the benefits of a digital signage system. With the | | | | installations. |
| addition of a touch screen, customer interaction | | | | |