- The Digital Signage Experts Group (DSEG), an impartial and agnostic organization working in coordination and cooperation with the manufacturers, distributors, content creators and resellers in the digital signage industry, recently announced the addition of three new programs to round out the full suite of DSEG seminars.
- Adding to the industry standard Digital Signage Certified Experts (DSCE), the group has created the Digital Signage Display Experts (DSDE), Digital Signage Network Experts (DSNE) and Digital Signage Sales Professional (DSSP) courses for its curriculum. As with the DSCE, the new courses will be offered at live events around the country as well as through live webinars and virtual online versions.
- The group’s original course, the DSCE (Digital Signage Certified Expert), is a full immersion into the digital signage market for those wanting an impartial and agnostic approach to understanding the complexities of the industry. It covers the scale and scope of the industry and examines the disparate parts of complex digital signage solutions culminating in the 7 Key Elements of Digital Signage.
- It also provides an understanding of the needs analysis and system design, addresses the fundamentals of displays and digital signage hardware, and introduces networks and digital signage software along with a methodology to help select good “partners” in both hardware and software. An exploration of signal alternatives, infrastructure and integration is followed by revealing the “secrets” of good content and content creation. Business models and return on investment round out the picture. The DSCE concludes with an all-important section called Selling Value in Digital Signage. At the conclusion of the course, there is a certification test administered online. Attendees are awarded the DSCE designation upon passing the test.
- Here are descriptions of the three new courses:
- Digital Signage Display Experts (DSDE) - Understanding the growing need in the digital signage industry for a thorough understanding of displays and how to calibrate them, the Digital Signage Display Experts (DSDE) program teaches display technologies and calibration through an understanding of the art/science of human vision and how display technologies interact with the environment in which the display is installed and viewed. The course begins with the science of light, color and the human eye relating to display specifications and performance, exploring their effect in a system design. It covers signals, compression/scaling and then analyzes each display type for appropriate applications including LCD, Plasma, DLP and LED. Display illumination and lamps are followed by screens and human factors. The calibration section examines the CIE color space and gamut. The DSDE culminates in basic display calibration followed by advanced calibration utilizing state-of-the-art measurement tools. At the conclusion of the course, there is a certification test administered online. Attendees are awarded the DSDE designation upon passing the test.
Digital Signage Network Experts (DSNE) - Recognizing that networks are the “backbone” of a digital signage system, the Digital Signage Network Experts (DSNE) course is a fundamental approach to understanding network structure and operating principals, as well as security. It begins with an introduction to networks from LANs to WANs, network design and topology followed by wired versus wireless, with features, benefits and caveats. Networking hardware is covered to ensure an understanding of the building blocks. From the perspective of network communications, the course addresses network protocols, understanding bandwidth and transfer rates, understanding ports, as well as what really impacts speed with a look at port and bandwidth throttling. The final section is titled Good Network Security and Policies: Beyond Networks for Dummies! It covers advanced network infrastructure, security threats and protection, and good security principles for new networks. The DSNE wraps up with an understanding of user myopia. At the conclusion of the course, there is a certification test administered online. Attendees are awarded the DSNE designation upon passing the test.
Digital Signage Sales Professional (DSSP) - Industry experts agree that one of the main obstacles we face in digital signage sales is conveying to customers and end users what digital signage entails as well as what it can really do for them. It is the process of conveying and translating the value proposition to the customer where the sales process often breaks down. The DSSP focuses on the information and skills necessary to translate value into the reality for the digital signage customer. The course begins with a tutorial on the evolution of signage followed by a look at digital signage markets and applications. The 7 Key Elements of Digital Signage are discussed and shown as a tool for sales success. Keeping in mind the objectives, the needs analysis process is revealed in the form of questions to ask the customer. The course provides a cursory look at digital signage hardware system components such as displays, mounts, and network devices and gives a clear understanding of commercial versus consumer products to reduce risk and fend off future headaches. Digital signage software will be reviewed, followed by what makes up good digital signage content. The DSSP examines business models and services that can and should be sold. The seminar concludes with an all-important exploration of Selling Value in Digital Signage. At the conclusion of the course, there is a certification test administered online. Attendees are awarded the DSSP designation upon passing the test.
