PRESS RELEASE 2014-395
World's first integration of electronic shelf labels in wireless LAN solutions on show at the EuroShop 2014
Strategic partnership: LANCOM Systems and imagotag develop a new digital signage solution for retail
Aachen, February 17, 2014—LANCOM Systems, the leading German manufacturer of professional network solutions, and imagotag (Graz, Austria) have agreed a strategic cooperation for the integration of radio-controlled, battery-powered displays (electronic shelf labels) in wireless LAN solutions.
Electronic price labeling is one of the major fields for the future of retail: Price changes, article names or even bar codes and QR codes on ePaper displays can be individually updated via wireless. This optimizes business processes and opens up completely new business models. For example, price changes can be implemented automatically several times a day.
This system requires electronic shelf labels (ESL) in combination with a suitable wireless infrastructure. Suitable for daylight conditions, the displays based on ePaper technology have graphical displays and communicate on the same frequency band as wireless LAN solutions (2.4 GHz). Unlike wireless LAN, ePaper technology focuses on extremely low power consumption for years of operation without an external power supply. This is achieved with the help of specialized, power-saving wireless technology.
The cooperation has produced LANCOM WLAN access points, which for the first time incorporate the different wireless technologies for WLAN and ESL in a single device. As a result, customers only need to operate one infrastructure, which significantly reduces the costs of installation and operation. At the same time, the joint development from LANCOM and imagotag ensures that both wireless technologies work together without any interferences.
Retail is not the only sector where completely new possibilities and applications are opening up. Other, larger display formats can be used for active room-occupancy displays, and digital signage could be used in the hospitality industry, for example.
LANCOM and imagotag exhibit their joint solution for the first time at the EuroShop 2014 trade fair (Düsseldorf, February 16-20, 2014) on the LANCOM booth stand in Hall 6, booth D70 (and also on the imagotag stand in Hall 6, A79). The integrated wireless display solution is expected to be commercially available in the second half of 2014.
Christian Schallenberg, member of the Management Board at LANCOM Systems: "The benefits of this worldwide unique WLAN/ESL integration are plain to see: No redundant wireless infrastructures, no cross-interference. In the retail sector, graphically-enabled electronic price tags are realizing central control over the price of products on the shelves. What's more, companies, public authorities, hotels, hospitals and medical practices can enhance their offices, meeting rooms and treatment rooms with high-quality room-occupancy displays, direction signs and information displays. There is no end of possibilities for wireless ePaper displays."
Andreas Rössl, CEO of imagotag GmbH: "With LANCOM we have found the ideal infrastructure partner for our innovative wireless ePaper display solutions. This makes it far easier for retail chains to introduce electronic price tags on a broad front. New possibilities for the communication between mobile phones and price tags or information displays will become a reality. Aside from the electronic price tags, we also plan to leverage the LANCOM distribution channels to offer highly innovative and versatile room-occupancy displays."
LANCOM Systems background:
LANCOM Systems GmbH is the leading German manufacturer of reliable, innovative network solutions for business customers. LANCOM's two business units, VPN Network Connectivity and Wireless LAN, offer professional users secure, flexible infrastructure solutions for local-area and multi-site networks. The entire core product range is developed and manufactured in Germany. In addition, LANCOM also provides VPN solutions certified by the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) for the protection of particularly sensitive networks and critical infrastructures (EPCIP) against cyber attacks. LANCOM Systems has its headquarters in Würselen near Aachen, Germany, and other offices are located throughout Europe. Customers include small and medium-sized enterprises, government agencies, institutions, and major corporations from Germany, Europe and increasingly worldwide. The enterprise is a partner in the Alliance for Cyber Security initiated by the BSI.
Background, imagotag:
imagotag stands for innovation and advanced technologies. The company was founded by Dr. Michael Moosburger and Andreas Rössl in 2010 and quickly became the leading company for solutions in electronic shelf labeling (ESL) and digital signage.
With years of experience in the development of software, hardware and wireless, the company also draws on extensive industry expertise in retail and logistics. The use of modern technologies at the point of sale guarantees competitive advantage, improved customer satisfaction, and gains in image and efficiency.
Your editorial staff contact:
Eckhart Traber
LANCOM Systems GmbH
Tel: +49 (0)89 665 61 78 - 67
Fax: +49 (0)89 665 61 78 - 97
presse@lancom.de
www.lancom.eu
Sabine Haimerl
vibrio Kommunikationsmanagement Dr. Kausch GmbH
Tel: +49 (0)89 32151 - 869
Fax: +49 (0)89 32151 - 70
lancom@vibrio.de
www.vibrio.eu
Martina Fuxjäger
Imagotag GmbH
St. Peter Gürtel 10b
A-8042 Graz, Austria
Tel: +43 (0) 5 9809 400
Fax: +43 (0) 5 9809 900