Westinghouse Helps Purdue University Calumet Reach Students With Digital Signage


HAMMOND, IN--Purdue University Calumet, part of the internationally respected Purdue University system, with over 100 fields of study and an enrollment of over 9,600 students, faced a major challenge when attempting to gain the attention of a generation of students that is conditioned to respond to digital images. The dissemination of various communication messages is vital to the success of a thriving campus. How could the campus integrate a digital communications system that is fun, dynamic and effective when nearly every student has at least one eye on a digital screen -- either a smart-phone, iPod, gaming system or laptop computer?

A major step was to replace static communication devices with an easy-to-use, cost effective digital signage solution. Westinghouse Digital Electronics, one of the leading LCD TV manufacturers in the U.S., was able to answer the call of duty and provide an advanced, dynamic digital signage solution that was also simple to operate. The School of Technology at Purdue University Calumet implemented a turnkey digital signage solution from Westinghouse Digital. The system featured Westinghouse’s neonSource digital signage software loaded on its neonPlayer media player and was displayed on a sleek Westinghouse 42-inch 1080p LCD monitor.

David McLees, Technology Administrator at Purdue University Calumet, said, “We needed an effective solution that would command the attention of the students and staff. Westinghouse’s neonSource software provided the flexibility to display video messages and broadcast content while inserting custom communication ads on slim LCD screens. We needed to ensure that students were kept up-to-date on new university programs, courses and advisors names. neonSource, along with a large, eye-catching 42” LCD monitor, proved to be the ideal solution. Additionally, neonSource’s ease-of-use allow us to quickly and effortlessly create weekly updates to keep the information current, guaranteeing that students will constantly check back to see what new information has been displayed.”

As a result of the Westinghouse neonSource digital signage solution, the School of Technology at Purdue University Calumet has successfully transitioned from a static communications system that included disorganized, unsightly out-of-date bulletin boards to a fresh and dynamic digital communications system. Westinghouse’s turnkey solutions provided the tools to quickly institute an efficient, cost effective solution that will lead to a better informed campus.

McLees continues, “Our students are in the building with the Westinghouse digital signage solution on a bi-weekly basis and we update the information weekly with major items updated monthly. Key benefits of the digital signage solution are that it is very intuitive, simple-to-use and only takes minutes to update. Including adding the content, the weekly updates take 10 minutes and the monthly overhaul update only takes about 20 minutes to complete. Developing the graphics can be as simple as text on a PowerPoint slide exported as a .jpg file or custom photography and a couple of hours in Photoshop. What ever your skill and resource level, using neonSource is the easy part!”

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