Sharp NEC Display Solutions

CHICAGO - January 14, 2010 - ? NEC Display Solutions of America, a leading provider of commercial LCD display and projector solutions, announced today that channel partners will receive a recurring revenue stream from advertising if their customers register their digital signage networks on the VUKUNET platform.  VUKUNET is NEC's new initiative that connects network owners and operators of digital signage with advertising revenue, by giving advertisers and agencies an easier way to buy place-based, digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising. 

"VUKUNET is going to help our end-user customers see a return on their digital signage investments via advertising revenue, but we wanted to offer our value-added resellers (VARs) an opportunity to enjoy the benefits of entering a new market with explosive growth," said Ashley Flaska, Vice President of Marketing of NEC Display Solutions.  "We are a channel company, and we wanted to ensure that our channel partners could benefit and grow through this new business. Everyone is looking for recurring revenue streams, and our VUKUNET platform is the first to get the channel involved in the advertising space with little or no overhead."

VUKUNET combines free content management software (CMS) that runs on a PC driving the screen content, with a Web-based advertising platform that connects all digital signage networks so that ad placement, proof-of-performance and payment are centrally managed and automated. 

VUKUNET provides a way for channel partners to participate in a recurring revenue stream.  Resellers that are VUKUNET Authorized will get a share of the advertising revenue from the networks that select them as their VUKUNET reseller.  To enroll in the program, VARs need to be a part of NEC's Partner Net site, participate in the VUKUNET training and sign a VUKUNET reseller agreement.  Details are available at www.necdisplay.com/partners.

"The advertising revenue for these DOOH networks is approximately 10 times the size of the hardware, software and installation of these systems according to various analysts," said Flaska.  "We want resellers to participate in this larger, ongoing advertising revenue stream, which continues as long as the network is running ads through VUKUNET."

Digital signage networks can be comprised of any vendor's products, not just NEC's, and existing CMS systems can remain in use alongside VUKUNET.  This compatibility allows networks that have already invested in hardware and software to use the NEC Display platform without any additional expenses.

Operators and owners of the signage networks can approve offers and advertising content, and then rely on the VUKUNET platform to get advertising to run on their networks with minimal ongoing effort.  VARs can collect a regular payment once the networks are signed up and start accepting offers from agencies or advertisers.  Growth markets for digital signage ad networks include hotels, hospitals, restaurants, university campuses, convention centers, airports and transit hubs, and all retail businesses.  Networks that will deliver the most advertising revenue are the ones with the most foot traffic and the longest dwell-time.

NEC Display Solutions ranks No. 1 in Digital Signage, according to Frost and Sullivan.  According to DisplaySearch, NEC has been No. 1 for LCD displays for commercial/public display usage for three years running (2006-2008).  VUKUNET draws strength from NEC, a $47-billion global corporation.

Learn more about VUKUNET and sign up at www.necdisplay.com/partners or contact your NEC sales representative.