Digital experience in retail is evolving really fast today. What we starting to see is that the experience is becoming more personalize, a lot more engaging… it’s not just about the technology, it’s the benefit of the consumer. So at Intel we are really focused on solutions for the M2M market, that adresses the needs of the consumer at the edge, and that also adresses the needs of the brands & the retailers in the cloud.

In the highly competitive retail industry, innovative technologies can help improve the coordination of the supply chain, react adequately to market demands, and improve interaction with the customer. System integrators have to support the demand for hardware and software compatibility, multi-channel sources, and interactive user interfaces, all backed up with real-time repairs and upgrades. This is where MSC’s powerful digital signage and vending system solutions including innovative displays and powerful computer-on-modules come in.

In order to fulfill integration demands of processors like Intel IVY-Bridge, MSC has created a highly optimized product development landscape. Using a concurrent approach, Design & Production are tightly coupled together from the first idea until completion of the whole product life cycle.

Analytics and proof of play require a high performance CPU solution for the digital signage & POI markets. Intel’s 4th Gen Core processors, like the Intel Core i5 or Core i7, exceed this requirements and offer in addition state of the art remote managment features.

The new Intel Core i3, Core i5 & Core i7 processors with the powerful integrated Intel HD Graphics are ideally suited for display orientated applications, such as POS, POI and digital signage. MSC COM Express modules with Intel Dual-Core & Quad-Core processors feature triple independent displays, and the integrated multi format codec engine allowes up to 4K videos to be displayed.

In POI & digital signage apllications MSCs new COM Express modules MSC C6B-8S offer highest computing & graphics performance. These products support DisplayPort as well as HDMI & DVI displays. The computing power of up to four processor cores allow real-time audience recognition with high speed USB 3.0 cameras and content placement adapted for the specific viewer in front of the screen.

MSC is using the Intel 4th Gen Core processors for it’s latest COM Express Type 6 MSC C6B-8S module. This COM Express basic module comes with Quad-Core processors like the Intel Core i7, as well as with Daul-Core processors like the Core i5 & Core i3. Using COM Express Type 6 the interface standard gives access to the latest features such as HDMI, DisplayPort & Embedded DisplayPort, LVDS, CRT & high speed serial ports like SATA 3, PCI-E 16x, USB 3.0 & LPC bus as well as HD Audio.

The MSC design flow targets at highest design quality also giving best-in-class testability and producibility. 2D & 3D Design entries, PCB-layout, simulations and validations are tailored to match quick and reliable time-to-market.

To guarantee private and safe shopping experience, MSC Technologies integrates effective security functions into its innovative embedded modules. The features include a Trusted Platform Module, AMIs Aptio UEFI Secure Boot, and McAfee Application Security Software. The Trusted Platform Module (TPM) offers the security functionality in accordance with the Trusted Computing Group (TCG) specification 1.2. The module establishes and manages a chain of trust to ensure that the system is fully integrated into the network from boot-up to start-up of the operating system through to loading of the application software. The TPM controls the BIOS, the Master Boot Record (MBR) of the memory, bootloader as well as security-relevant elements of the operating system and the user software. The TPM generates and manages cryptographic keys to allow clear device identification within the network. Via the Bitlocker® encoding software from Microsoft within Windows® Vista, the TPM can seal the HD or SSD. The TPM ensures the connection of LAN and WLAN devices by only allowing known system components within the network. To enhance the data integrity of its embedded modules, MSC Technologies uses the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) Aptio from American Megatrends Inc. (AMI).  The platform independent UEFI offers a Secure Boot functionality, which ensures that only previously signed, secure software is executed. The Secure Boot implementation is based on the use of the Platform Key (PK) and a Key Exchange Key (KEK).

For digital signage solutions and vending machines, it is important to adapt the suitable hardware for individual requirements in different environments and locations. One of the main features for selecting a display or monitoris the intended operating time. Professional monitors are designed for reliable 24/7 or 18/7 operation. For POS/POI applications, MSC Technologies offers a broad range of compact displays in different sizes. LG Displays’ brand new LB150X03- TL03 and Innolux’ G150XGE-L04 TFT LCDs have a 38.1cm (15 inch) sizes and a brightness of 400cd/m². Both monitors are designed for indoor applications or outdoor systems, MSC Technologies delivers for example the new Litemax DLF1568-ENN-A51. MSC Technologies Ultra High Definition (UHD) monitors from LG Display provide a 4 x higher resolution than the current FHD standard. With 4K (3840 x 2160) pixel resolution and a 213cm (84 inch) length, the XXL panel series is dedicated for innovative digital signage applications. The monitors can replace a 2×2 42 Full HD video wall seamless.

A remote management software based on Intel® Active Management Technology (Intel® AMT) allows the reconfiguration of systems to turn off after work hours and turn back on when access will be required. Devices can be diagnosed and repaired remotely, ultimately lowering support costs and increasing efficiency and effectiveness through reduced downtime. This feature, combined with the power-efficiency of Intel® processors, can generate considerable cost savings and help protect the environment. The out-of-band Intel® AMT management capabilities including Keyboard-Video-Mouse (KVM) Remote Control allows to remotely remediate and recover systems after OS failures. Out-of band alerting and event logging also help to reduce downtime. Ensuring better protection, hardware-based agent presence checking proactively detects when software agents are running. When missing agents are detected, alerts are sent to the management console. The integrated System Defense Manager proactively blocks incoming threats, containing infected clients before they impact the network and alerting when critical software agents are removed.

Intel‘s AIM Suite Web-based software is used for the anonymized detection and analysis of the screen observer’s eye contact. The tool gives retailers and brands the power to know how shoppers are responding to visual messaging, and how they move through retail environments and other consumer spaces. The software provides objective, quantitative measurement and analysis of the consumers in real-time and aggregated reporting.  Using anonymous sensors and highly sophisticated computer algorithms, the AIM Suite accurately counts the potential and actual audiences for visual messages and merchandising. It profiles viewers by variables as broad as gender and age range, to as specific as viewing times and durations. The evaluation of the results makes it possible to determine the best time for the placement of audience-oriented information or advertising content.

www.msc-technologies.eu/products/boards/com-express/msc-c6b-8s.html