EFI brings tracking technology to the signage market

SmartSign Analytics combines a standard printed sign with a webcam connected to a computer or tablet running a partner facial recognition software and EFI's own software for data organisation, analytics and reporting.

It works by detecting the presence of people within viewing range of the sign and uses eye-tracking tools to determine which of them are actually viewing the sign and for how long.

SmartSign then assigns a gender and age range to each viewer with its proprietary facial recognition pattern algorithms.

Facial pattern data is discarded on the fly via an embedded, failsafe routine in the software, which ensures no images of faces are stored during operation.

EFI Australia told ProPrint that a local release date has yet to be confirmed.

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"The development is all part of the move towards printers becoming more involved in the marketing strategies of their customers," said the regional manager for Australia & New Zealand, Anthony Parnemann

"It’s going to add real value beyond just printing a sign and is part of the move we are seeing to cross-media marketing."

SmartSign has been developed by EFI's Online Print Solutions unit, which it acquired last year.

Online Print Solutions director Mark McGowan told ProPrint's sister title, PrintWeek, that the inspiration for SmartSign came from wanting to measure return on investment in the signs market.

"If you look at things like the web, TV, direct mail – they all have their own analytics," he said.

"Signage was really the only place where advertisers spend money where there was no way to track ROI and unless we solve that problem then more money will just migrate from that."

SmartSign is about to go into beta testing with four or five printers worldwide and is scheduled for commercial launch at Fespa 2013 in London next month.

McGowan said that EFI had "exciting plans" for future iterations of the product, including use of 'big data' to further enhance SmartSign's analytics capability.

"Print can drive relevance, revenue and profit in the age of big data and this technology demonstration can show how that will happen with signage.

"[SmartSign] has the potential to deliver unprecedented insights on the best strategies and execution to drive retail sales."

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This article originally appeared at printweek.com

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