Turning Ideas into Reality

Tomer Mann of 22Miles
(Image credit: 22Miles)

Quick Bio

Name: Tomer Mann

Position: Executive Vice President and Senior Vice President, Sales and Operations

Company: 22Miles

Overtime: Mann enjoys spending time with his wife and 2-year-old daughter and ensuring they are laughing as much as possible.

SCN: What is your position, and what does it entail? What are your responsibilities?

TOMER MANN: As the executive vice president and senior vice president of sales at 22Miles, my role is rooted in innovation and continuous improvement across all our technologies and offerings, as well as driving awareness of the many diverse solutions that 22Miles can provide. My team and I are responsible for turning ideas into well-designed, feature-rich, all-in-one digital signage, wayfinding, and digital communications solutions.

SCN: How long have you been in this position?

TM: I joined the 22Miles team in 2014, so I’ve had the privilege to see us really grow and expand in our offerings as the market has changed.

SCN: How has your background prepared you for your role?

TM: I’ve worked in the digital signage industry for over a decade now, so I’ve been immersed in 22Miles’ market for quite some time. I’ve worked with several brands to enhance visual communication services across a variety of industries, including higher education, hospitality, retail, transportation, government, corporate, healthcare, and more. Across my different experiences I’ve been a liaison between the manufacturers, installers, and end users to ensure that the best solutions are implemented to achieve business goals. This relationship remains foundational at 22Miles. Now I’m in the business of providing easy, seamless, and secure customizable experiences for organizations across an array of markets and applications.

[The Digital Signage Best Practices Guide]

SCN: What are your short- and long-term goals?

TM: In the short term, we’re looking to be a catalyst in the successful return to normalcy post-pandemic, but with an added level of innovation. The 22Miles platform is robust enough to help businesses achieve a wide range of goals as they relate to public health, productivity, communications, wayfinding, and scheduling, with options for hotdesking and hoteling within facilities and integrations for voice and touch commands. The role of digital displays in communication and wayfinding post-COVID is massive, and we’re looking to support as much of that journey as we can with our solutions.

Looking long term, we want to continue to provide these solutions and others in the most cost-effective manner possible, with the highest level of quality, customization, and flexibility. We already partner with technology innovators like Intel, Microsoft, LG, Samsung, BrightSign, and others—as well as third-party API partnerships and integrations with some of the most commonly used platforms and software on the market. We want to continue building new relationships and partnerships to advance our mission of making it easy for anyone to add experiential, interactive technology to their facility.

[The State of Digital Signage in 2021]

SCN: What is the greatest challenge you face?

TM: Digital signage and content management are high growth areas, and a lot of people are just starting to scratch the surface on what they can do with the new technology. It’s no longer just for decoration or simple instructions; the role of digital signage and its software has developed into an immersive, interactive, and integral pillar that supports the way people receive information, navigate facilities across all industries, and stay connected.

As more AV and facility managers begin implementing new technologies, the greatest challenge is communicating the endless opportunities for tailoring the digital signage experience to the unique needs of visitors and employees alike, such as wayfinding that goes with the user via mobile control to easy-to-program push notification systems. We’re looking forward to keeping up with the demand and helping reveal new opportunities to transform enterprises, venues, medical facilities, schools, and other environments.

SCN: Where do you see the digital signage market heading?

TM: Touchless technology and interactive wayfinding will certainly see growth moving forward. Voice, gesture, and mobile controls are becoming commonplace as we look to reduce touchpoints and promote accessibility. We’ll also see digital signage and content management software break through the mold stagnation to promote interaction, two-way communication, and seamless interoperability.

[Touchless Systems: Manufacturers Discuss AV's Latest Trend]

Interactive wayfinding via embedded QR codes and mobile control will become more standardized to support organizations of all sizes, especially as we head back to work. On the software front, room booking, hoteling, and hotdesking will give managers new ways to manage efficiency and safety alike. Even post-COVID, digital signage is on the rise to become a key, and necessary, technology in the most high-traffic industries, including retail, healthcare, and education.

SCN: Are there new initiatives we are likely to see from 22Miles?

TM: We’re working on many new and exciting integrations for 22Miles software with leading companies in AV, digital signage, communications, and more. A lot of our solutions are already supporting enterprises and organizations in creating amazing immersive experience centers, video walls, mobile controlled technology, and multi-device robust wayfinding applications.

One interesting project we did recently was for the new Moynihan Train Hall in New York’s Penn Station. The facility’s fast-paced nature required a content management system that would deliver smooth interoperability across signage technology and an easy-to-update interface for keeping always-changing NYC travel information up to date while also addressing COVID-19 related restrictions. The development team chose 22Miles’ Interactive 3D Wayfinding, Secure Mobile Control, and Touchless Touch solutions to check all the boxes. The combination of these solutions provides visitors and travelers from all over the world a rich, intuitive, and multilingual digital experience that simultaneously enhances the robust architectural and operational allure of the new facility.

Coming up, we’re expecting high growth in the adoption of these applications as more companies look to enhance visitor and employee experiences.

SCN: How can systems contractors better position themselves to profit from products and/or services you have to offer?

TM: We’re proud to offer a variety of flexible, customizable solutions that integrate with nearly all third-party API solutions, so our software can support virtually any signage technology installers are already working with. Systems contractors also benefit from our all-in-one platform, which goes beyond just the digital signage software component and into customizable visual features, enhanced workflow of property settings, and seamless API integrations. They don’t have to worry about sourcing new displays or configuring new systems; they can simply install 22Miles and get started, saving them time and resources while enabling them to offer solutions that end users love.

Click here to read more stories from the June 2021 issue of SCN.

Megan A. Dutta

Megan A. Dutta is a pro AV industry journalist, and the former content director for Systems Contractor News (SCN) and Digital Signage Magazine, both Future U.S. publications. Dutta previously served as the marketing communications manager at Peerless-AV, where she led the company’s marketing and communications department. Dutta is the recipient of AVIXA's 2017 Young AV Professional Award and Women in Consumer Technology's 2018 Woman to Watch Award. Dutta is co-founder of Women of Digital Signage, an organization designed to provide a pathway to promote networking, mentoring, and personal growth.