Why Digital Signage Is Essential during COVID-19

Posted on: May 4, 2021

commercial monitorsOver the past year and a half, one topic that has been at the forefront of everyone’s minds in one capacity or another is COVID-19. Many businesses have suffered tremendous economic loss due to the economic downturn caused by on and off again lockdowns. To recuperate some of those losses and continue drawing customers in, businesses have had to get a little creative with their marketing techniques.

Incorporating digital signage into your business model during COVID-19 is a smart move that can help your business stay competitive and relevant during these difficult times and as society comes face to face with the new normal.

Digital Signage Is an Indispensable Tool during the Pandemic

Digital signage has always been an indispensable media and marketing tool that could be used to increase target audience outreach, build up brand recognition, and spread important brand messaging on a convenient and manageable series of platforms. We’re living in an age where information spreads at the speed of light. With that great power comes the responsibility to ensure that the information being presented is completely accurate at all times. The prospect of fake news and misinformation has been prevalent over the past few years. Through the use of commercial monitors and industrial LCD displays, you can control the narrative surrounding your brand’s story and the role your organization has to play.

How Digital Signage Can Revolutionize the Spread of Information in the New Normal

Digital signage is a growing and ever-evolving medium that can be used to safely provide information to the general public regarding COVID-19 and other business updates. Here are a few reasons why you should consider integrating state-of-the-art digital signage displays in your marketing strategy, if you haven’t already.

Share Important Information from Government Agencies

Municipal and federal government agencies have been working hard to provide up-to-the-minute accurate information regarding COVID-19 updates. As a business in the public eye, it’s your responsibility to aid in spreading information that could potentially inform and protect your employees and clientele.

Educate Customers and Employees

 Moreover, you can use digital signage and displays to educate your customers and employees about the latest health, safety, and sanitation protocols your organization has in place to ensure their well-being. This will give customers more peace of mind and encourage them to support your business.

Broadcast Information, Updates, and Alerts in Hospitals

As the pandemic continues, hospitals have become overrun with COVID-19 cases. It’s important to keep the public informed as much as possible with the latest developments in terms of required health and safety measures, vaccine availability, and hospital and medical center protocols. In addition to keeping people informed, digital signage in doctor’s offices and medical facilities also provide a source of entertainment as people wait for their appointments. Digital displays can also be remotely updated as new information and data becomes available.

Restaurants Can Share Contactless Digital Menus

Another benefit of digital signage is that it allows restaurants to encourage and enforce some physical distancing through the use of limited contact/contactless digital menus. Restaurants can install digital menu boards that allow customers to read through all menu items from a distance. Alternatively, restaurants can create unique QR codes that allow customers to digitally download the menus directly onto their phones without having to physically touch the device.

LCD Displays and Commercial Monitors in Department Store

Digital signage and content has played a pivotal role in the survival of the retail industry during the pandemic. Retailers have been striving to comply with basic health and safety guidelines that include enforcing physical distancing protocols, providing hand sanitizer, and asking customers to wear masks while shopping. LCD displays are crucial to the success of these efforts because they continually update customers and employees alike about the latest COVID-19 information by presenting local data, protocols, and store capacities.

Display Updates in Bus and Train Stations

Throughout the pandemic, public transit has been deemed an essential service. Part of the commitment to promoting safe travels and commuting for essential workers is to provide the public with up-to-the-minute transit route updates. This helps ensure that travellers are able to maintain a steady schedule, physically distance while using public transit, and it gives them peace of mind that their health and safety is taken into account.

Nauticomp Inc. is one of the leading designers, manufacturers, and distributors of enhanced commercial monitors and LCD displays in North America. Our robust line of products is built to last a long time and endure all kinds of weather and usage conditions. Contact us today to learn more or to place an order.

Obstacles Faced by Engineers when Designing Marine LCD Displays

Posted on: October 29, 2018

The rough and tough marine lifestyle isn’t always conducive to sustaining electronics. Excessively extreme temperature variations, not to mention the severe and constant threat of heavy exposure to sunlight, seawater, snow, and other potentially harmful elements can damage insufficiently protected LCD displays. These are just some of the numerous challenges faced by engineers who are responsible for designing and constructing solid marine LCD displays that could potentially make or break the success of each mission.

Marines need technology that’s dependable even in the worst possible weather and circumstantial conditions. When it comes to developing an LCD marine display, there are a few important factors that engineers need to keep in mind.

Sunlight Readability and Waterproof Features

Since marines spend an immeasurable amount of time at sea or working outdoors, they need to be able to rely on the readability and maintenance of their devices at all times, including when they’re exposed to a great deal of sunlight and water. Working conditions for marines can be vastly unpredictable and therefore they need to be able to make suitable adjustments whenever the moment calls for it. Adjusting the brightness on the screen to suit the specific time of day and the amount of sunlight exposure is essential and so is preventing water or other liquids from penetrating the surface of the device and causing internal damages that could also lead to personal injuries.

Capability to Control Exposure to Thermal Energy

Since these devices are most likely going to spend extended hours being exposed to the strong UV rays of the sun, it’s important that they inhabit features that can help them control their internal thermal energy production and absorption. High ranking marine corps officers should go to great lengths to ensure that all of the displays used by their crew come equipped with strong UV resistant overlays that can protect the devices from the harmful rays of the sun and prevent them from overheating due to overuse. Keep in mind that these devices are constantly in use and therefore, their internal temperatures need to be neutralized at all times.

High-Quality Optical Bonding Materials

Optical bonding is a multilayered protective glass that acts as a shield for devices that are primarily intended to be used in harsh outdoor conditions, which makes them perfect for daily marine operations. After all, one of the greatest challenges engineers must compete against when designing and creating these devices is finding a way to make them last for a long period of time. Strong optical bonding materials and adhesives can prevent damages caused by rough usage, blunt objects coming into contact with the screens, and inclement weather conditions.

As one of the world’s leading marine display technology designers, developers, and distributors, Nauticomp Inc. has built completely customized touchscreen monitors and displays for businesses across numerous industries. From retail, restaurant, construction, and medical companies to the armed forces and marine corps, we have over 20 years of experience producing the highest quality displays. To learn more about our products or place an order, please contact us today.

Why You Need Digital Signage for Transit

Posted on: August 31, 2018

Major technological advancements in the travel industry have made it possible for eager tourists to easily and conveniently plan their trips according to weather conditions, technical delays, distance, as well as overcrowded train stations and airports. While most of these updates are typically available via enhanced mobile apps, sometimes these apps aren’t immediately updated or travelers might have limited Wi-Fi access. Discovering last minute and unexpected changes or delays can make for some very negative travelling experiences and hostile travellers. Digital signage for transit provides a much-needed solution that immediately informs travellers of any potential delays they may experience and can help reduce stress, confusion, and frustration with up-to-the-minute alerts regarding the status of delays and other interruptions.

Accurate Information Displays

Nobody enjoys waiting in line for long periods of time, especially if they’ve just arrived at the airport or train station to commence a long-awaited and highly anticipated vacation. Strategically placing digital signage at the starting and midpoints of long lineups in bus stations, train stations, and airports makes it easy for travellers to determine how long it’ll take them to get to their destination. They might not always be happy with the length of the wait time, but at least they won’t be left in the dark about how long it’ll be since digital signs can be automatically updated as need be.

Enhanced Travel Experience

Knowing exactly what your estimated time of arrival is can help ease your anxieties about travelling and even enhance the experience altogether. Generally speaking, travellers don’t like waiting around the airport without knowing what they’re waiting for or how long their mode of transportation (flight, ride service, or shuttle bus) will take. Digital signs enable travellers to take full control of the circumstances of their trip. If they can anticipate a longer than usual wait time due to an emergency, weather delay, or other situations, at least they can plan ahead rather than waiting around aimlessly.

Improve Operations

Aside from providing valuable updates regarding travel times, weather conditions, and information about technical problems, digital signage also has the added advantage of vastly improving the way facilities operate. Most of these machines are touchscreen operated, which means passengers can easily purchase tickets and find directions as needed if they can’t find an associate or station attendant to assist them. Additionally, these machines are also helpful for airport and train station staff because they help lighten their load when it comes to assisting customers.

Alternate Route Suggestions

In light of the fact that pretty much anything can happen at any point throughout your travels, it’s important that GPS-enabled digital signage also be equipped with the capability of providing alternate route suggestions that’ll guarantee passengers can safely and quickly reach their desired destinations. Recent advancements in this field have made this possible.

Nauticomp Inc. provides state-of-the-art sunlight readable, weather, and dustproof digital display for numerous companies within the travel industry. Our products are ideal for airports, bus stations, train stations, bus depot, and other facilities that serve travellers on a regular basis. We pride ourselves on constructing cutting edge custom-made digital screens that serve multiple purposes depending on the needs of our clients and their specific industries. To learn more about our company and our products, please contact us today.

7 Tips to Clean Your LED or LCD Display’s Monitor

Posted on: December 18, 2017

Keeping your precious rugged LCD monitors or LED screens clean and tidy can be challenging. This is especially true if you happen to have handsy young children who like to touch everything or pets running amuck in your household or even if you happen to work in a particularly messy environment such as a construction site or restaurant. Sometimes, rogue bits of debris can attach themselves to your electronic devices and while this is entirely out of your control for the most part, there are a few effective and harmless cleaning solutions you can put into practice to keep your electronics clean and running smoothly. Continue reading to learn about helpful tips for cleaning your LCD and LED screens without causing internal or external damage.

Prepare the LCD or LED Screen

Before you can get down to the cleaning part, you need to prepare your LCD or LED screen in order to reduce the risk of liquids penetrating the surface and causing internal damage. Keep in mind that modern screens might technically include higher end features than the old school CRT screens from your childhood, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re more durable. In fact, modern LCD and LED screens are actually a lot more fragile and easily susceptible to damage if they’re not cared for properly. To prepare the screen for cleaning, make sure you shut down the system entirely, disconnect it from its power source, and then let it cool down for a few minutes. This will reduce the risk of electrocution and it’ll make it easier to clean the screen without resulting in annoying and unattractive streaks.

Never Press Down on an LCD or LED Screen

Occasionally, you’ll have to contend with a tough spot, streak, or fingerprint marking that takes a little extra effort to clean. If this happens, don’t panic and definitely don’t press down harder with a cloth or try to scrape it off with your fingernails or any other tool as this can cause severe damage to the top layer or anti-gloss coating. The best thing to do is use a non-abrasive cleaning solution such as isopropyl alcohol that’s diluted with either pure or distilled water. Spray the solution onto a microfiber cloth and gently wipe down the area in either an up and down or side to side motion. Applying too much pressure to even the most rugged touchscreen can compromise its limited durability.

Types of Cleaning Cloths to Use

There are a few types of cleaning cloths you can use to wipe down your rugged LCD monitor either at home or at work. The most recommended one is microfiber cloth for a multitude of reasons. First, microfiber is a state-of-the-art technological development that’s a thin and soft, yet strong enough material to thoroughly clean your electronic devices without risking damaging them in any way. Most of the time, computer and flatscreen TV manufacturers provide microfiber cloths with their products along with a specific set of maintenance and cleaning instructions. Microfiber cloths are immune to collecting or spreading lint across your screen, and because of the intricate way in which the minuscule fibers are intertwined these cloths are able to trap larger quantities of dirt and dust without leaving streaks. You can also use a cotton tea towel, a cotton t-shirt, or cotton handkerchief if you’re in a bind and don’t have microfiber cloths on hand.

Never Spray Liquid Cleaners Directly onto the Screen

This point can’t be emphasized enough. Even though it may seem like common sense that electronic devices shouldn’t come into direct contact with any liquids (especially if they’re still plugged in), not everyone seems to think so and many people have made the mistake of spraying cleaning agents onto their devices. The safer and smarter way to clean any rackmount LCD display is by first wiping it down with a dry cloth and then spraying a small amount of the cleaning solution onto a different cloth and wiping it down gently. After you do this, wipe it down with a clean dry cloth to remove any remaining liquid.

Refrain from Using Cleaning Products That Contain Ammonia

Always avoid using ammonia or rubbing alcohol based cleaners on your touchscreen devices. The devices themselves might be constructed with the capability to withstand most types of damages, but certain features they possess aren’t. Ammonia and rubbing alcohol can irreparably strip away or damage the extremely delicate anti-glare coating on the screen, which will not only negatively alter your viewing experience but also make your device a lot harder to use in strong sunlight.

Vacuum Dust from the Edges

Dust that settles between the gaps in the screen where the bezel and the top layer of glass or plastic meet can penetrate deeper and cause internal damage to your device. Regularly using a vacuum with a soft-bristled brush (to prevent scratching) can help you keep your device clean and free of any issues.

Spray the Surface with Compressed Air

For extra measure, you can also spray the surface of your screen, computer keyboard, or even the vent on the back of the device with a can of compressed air to blast away any lingering and stubborn debris or dust. If any of it lands on the surface of the device, make sure to gently wipe it away with a clean cloth to prevent it from making its way back into your device. Implementing this cleaning method on a regular basis will ultimately help to guarantee the longevity and functionality of your device.

Nauticomp Inc. is the proud designer, manufacturer and distributor of countless rugged LCD and LED monitors and displays. We’ve been working in the technological industry for more than 20 years and supply a variety of businesses including marine bases, military bases, restaurants, casinos, retail stores, shopping centers, and healthcare facilities with durable and high-quality LED and LCD displays that serve a wide range of purposes. For more information about our company or our products, please feel free to contact us.

Why Are Marine LCD Monitors So Vital?

Posted on: November 6, 2017

Specialized and ruggedized marine computers are an essential, if not mandatory, aspect of marine navigation systems for the sole reason that they have the ability to withstand all of the immensely harsh environmental and weather conditions that are inherently part of being on a naval vessel. Exposure to a combination of various elements, most notably strong winds and water, is inevitable which means that these machines need to be heavily equipped with adequate protective measures in order to prevent potentially detrimental and costly damages. For that reason, marine LCD displays are usually built with more durable and industry-specific materials and features. Countless potentially harmful elements are constantly lurking around every corner on naval vessels and it’s important to protect your assets adequately by not only being prepared for the worst conditions but also knowing how to navigate them successfully.

Unique Features and Technologies Used in Marine Displays

When it comes time to select high-quality and suitable marine LCD monitors for your naval base or ship, it makes sense to go with a model that’s highly revered within the industry. At the end of the day, system reliability and durability are integral determining factors between completing a successful mission and suffering a debilitating system malfunction. With that in mind, you need to always remain ten steps ahead of the game and plan for the absolute worst case and presumably unpredictable scenarios.

Basically, you need to always expect the unexpected for the safety and proficiency of your crew. Provide them with the appropriate tools so that they’re fully prepared to handle all kinds of potentially dangerous situations without question. This is a strong demonstration of your leadership skills and your crew will respect and look up to you more for implementing these practices. The following is a list of vital and unique features that all marine displays should contain to ensure long-lasting functionality:

Waterproofing and Anodizing

Waterproofing and anodizing all of your electronic equipment either inside or on the outside of your marine vessel is a given because at one point or another, exposure to large amounts of salt water is unavoidable. As salt water rises and becomes heavily concentrated in the air, it makes direct contact with all pieces of machinery on your vessel. On top of that, ships also have a tendency to encounter extremely turbulent water conditions, which means that salt water will eventually make its way on deck and come into direct contact with your machinery. Purchasing and installing anodized equipment is the best way to protect any metal displays from premature corrosion.

Direct Sunlight Screen Readability and Brightness Adjustability

Even the most basic commercial- and industrial-grade monitor models come with controls that allow users to adjust the brightness on their screen by making it either lower or higher. The brighter the sun shines during the day, the brighter your screen needs to be in order to combat the blinding effects and allow for proper readability. Conversely, at night when visibility is at an all-time low, crewmembers should have the ability to lower the backlighting on their displays to the lowest point possible in order to create a sharper and more easily readable image. Marine monitors require are more heightened level of screen readable navigation than other types of computer displays to ascertain that all digital maps and other data are correctly and accurately interpreted and documented at all times. This will in turn reduce the risk of mistakes being made and decrease the chances of your ship or members of your crew going AWOL.

Optical Bonding

Optical bonding works in tandem with direct sunlight readability and screen brightness and contrast adjustability. It’s the process of connecting two lightweight layers of glass screens together using a translucent bonding agent, is the optimal method used to prevent strong reflective glares from occurring and hindering your screen readability. Sunlight readability and colour adjustment options also allow your individual crew members to adjust the screen specifications according to their specific requirements and comfort level to create optimal usability.

Route Planning and Reliable Navigation

Considering the fact that marine computers are specifically designed for consistent and round-the-clock usage, it’s important that they’re equipped with reliable and fail-safe route planning and navigation capabilities. This feature could be the difference between life and death in some high stake on-the-water situations, especially at night when visibility is at an all time low. Naval crews rely completely on their radar monitors to help them navigate carefully planned out routes all throughout the year, regardless of harsh climate conditions. This means that these systems need to be able to withstand and absorb high levels of shock and vibration to which they’ll undoubtedly be subjected.

Dependable Power Sources and Connections

Due to the ever-changing nature of environmental conditions as well as constant usage, the strength of the power connections and sources on naval vessels needs to be at an all-time high. Consider the fact that numerous crew members will be using the power connections simultaneously at any given time for varying purposes, not to mention the fact that external climate conditions aren’t always ideal. Inclement weather conditions coupled with dodgy waves that can cause the vessel to become awash can all contribute to compromising your crew’s power connections which can make for dangerous working conditions. For that reason, you need to take the proper precautions to safely fasten all of your power sources, cords, and connections in order to implement strong shock and vibration absorption and prevent them from loosening under harsh conditions.

Nauticomp Inc. expertly designs, manufactures, and distributes custom high-end and durable industrial marine LCD displays to meet the personalized standards of your crew. Having been in the business for over 20 years, we proudly stand behind the quality and longevity of all of our products which are built with expert craftsmanship, style, and usability. To learn more about our company and products, or to place an order with us, please contact us.