October 7, 2009 | Press Release – The ng Connect Program today announced a new Proof of Concept (PoC) developed by The MediaTile Company, a world leading provider of cellular digital signage and SaaS

October 7, 2009 | Press Release – The ng Connect Program today announced a new Proof of Concept (PoC) developed by The MediaTile Company, a world leading provider of cellular digital signage and SaaS management solutions, in collaboration with Alcatel-Lucent. The program members have announced the first “HumanKiosk™” prototype – a digital signage solution with integrated 4GVideoPresenceâ„¢ technology . The HumanKiosk is a breakthrough that will enable brands, retailers, and other vendors to influence millions of consumers where and when they shop. It combines out-of-home digital promotions with a simple way to connect personally with consumers purchasing products, in-store, at their point of decision.

The HumanKiosk leverages 4G/LTE technology to deliver a live, 2-way in-store video session between a consumer with a product question, and a representative of that product or service. For example, a customer seeking information about a prescription after their in-store pharmacist has left for the day, can simply tap the touch screen to establish a live visual and audio connection with a pharmacist or product expert at another location . Setting up the fully integrated solution requires nothing more than a standard power outlet. It can be easily deployed into thousands of retail, service and other locations consumers regularly visit. With 4G/LTE technology, no on-site networking infrastructure or IT services for deployment or management are required to set up and use the HumanKiosk, making it ideal for organizations to deploy virtually anywhere.

“With more than an 155 million estimated viewers each month in the U.S. now watching digital signage networks as part of their daily routine, adding 4G/LTE into the equation means these viewers will be able to ‘interact’ directly with the vendors whose products are on screen,” said Simon Wilson, CEO of The MediaTile Company . “4G/LTE and technologies such as 4GVideoPresence will fundamentally change the digital signage market as we know it today, and allow brands to re-engage and interact with consumers in a more personal, face-to-face manner.”

The HumanKiosk, with its 4GVideoPresence capabilities is just one of the many digital signage configurations possible using 4G/LTE technology . With its massive bandwidth, and persistent IP-connection, 4G/LTE-equipped digital signs will support a variety of rich media services including on-demand video requests, live emergency video broadcasts, 1-to-many broadcasts, 1-to-1 broadcasts, rich-media services, and other significant communication enhancements . All of this brings viewers and promoters closer together, and because 4G/LTE services are completely independent of existing on-site terrestrial or Wi-Fi networks, no on-site support and management is required.

“By adding 4G/LTE networking directly into digital signage solutions such as those developed by ng Connect member MediaTile, network operators will be able to provide a new level of experiential content for their customers,” said Derek Kuhn, Vice President, Emerging Technology and Media Group, Alcatel-Lucent, a founding member of the ng Connect Program. “With more and more customers deploying 3G networks today, providing a built-in roadmap to the future with 4G/LTE adds tremendous business value and investment protection to digital signage about which customers are already ecstatic.”

About the ng Connect Program
The ng Connect Program is a multi-industry organization committed to the development and rapid deployment of the next generation of broadband services based on Long Term Evolution (LTE) and other ultra high bandwidth technologies. Founded in 2009, the ng Connect Program is supported by leading network, consumer electronics, application and content providers including  4DK, Alcatel-Lucent, Atlantic Records, BUZZMEDIA, chumby, Connect2Media, Creative Technology Ltd., dimedis, FISHLABS, GameStreamer, Inc., Gemalto, HP, Intamac Systems Ltd., Kabillion, Kyocera Communications Inc., LearningMate, MediaTile, QNX, R360, RebelVox LLC., Samsung, SIGNEXX, Total Immersion, TuneWiki, V-Gate and Words & Numbers. For more information on the ng Connect Program, please visit: www.ngconnect.org

About MediaTile
The MediaTile Company is a worldwide supplier of award-winning, all-in-one cellular digital signage, kiosk, and SaaS solutions that are remarkably easy-to-deploy and operate . Just add power to MediaTile Digital Sign in a Boxâ„¢ or Kiosk in a Boxâ„¢ systems and use the web-based MediaCast SaaS Portal to manage and monitor your advertising, informational or interactive communications network. Backed by our MediaServices team, Return On Messageâ„¢ (ROM) Methodology, a 99.9% uptime guarantee, and end-to-end service and support, your network will be up and running in record time, with record results . www.mediatile.com