CASE STUDY

University Esports Program Supports Community and Competition with ViewSonic ViewBoard Interactive Display, Gaming Monitors, and Digital Signage

SCHOOL

Founded in 1910, the University of Southern Mississippi (aka “Southern Miss” or USM) is a public D1 sports and R1 classified research university with a total undergraduate enrollment of 10,258. The university’s main campus is in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, which is supplemented by a complex in Long Beach known as Southern Miss Gulf Coast. Southern Miss offers approximately 189 programs leading to baccalaureate, masters, specialist, and doctorate degrees, serving undergraduates from public schools across the southern United States and around the globe. The university is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and its programs are accredited by 30 state and national agencies.

“The ViewBoard is an outstanding interactive resource for any type of learning because it’s so intuitive to use and it really draws students in. They absolutely love it. They’ll come in wanting to use it the moment we open the doors for the day and the competitive team is constantly scheduling time with it.”

— David Dickert, USM Esports Coordinator

THE CHALLENGE

When USM Esports Coordinator David Dickert began in Spring 2022, the fledgling program operated out of an outdated space that received periodic technology updates, where 15 students valiantly competed from non-esports ready equipment.

“It used to be a big lounge area that hadn’t seen major updates for a long time,” said Dickert. “The university was getting ready to invest in a robust competitive esports program in 2019, but COVID set fire to those plans until the global pandemic was under control. The 15 students involved were piecemealing it the best they could with very little equipment or funding.”

When Dickert came on board it was immediately clear that revamping the space was a top priority. During the summer preceding the 2023-24 school year, Dickert and the Union worked with a local painting company to tear down the wall carpet, refinish the floors, paint, and bring in new furnishings – transforming it into a modern gaming wonderland.

A parallel priority was to outfit the new gaming stations with state-of-the art equipment. When it came to monitors, Dickert wanted to make a clean break from what the team was currently using.

“The specs on the existing monitors were pretty decent, but we had a lot of quality control issues,” he said. “I was having to retire monitors because they had dead pixels, or pixels would pop in and out randomly. I have some horror stories about students being in the middle of a game and the screen dying. I absolutely needed to find a new brand for us to rely on.”

A former educator who had enjoyed using a ViewSonic ViewBoard interactive display in his classroom, Dickert looked at what the company was doing in the esports space, and was impressed.

“My budget was very finite so I was looking to build long-term partnerships with companies that had a similar vision for the ways in which esports can benefit students,” said Dickert. “For me, esports is about more than winning. It’s about building connections between students and contributing to their physical and emotional well-being. It was clear that ViewSonic operated from a similar values standpoint regarding education and esports, so they were a natural fit.”

Before he had a chance to reach out, he was approached by ViewSonic representatives visiting the campus.

“I shared our vision of what we were going to do, how we planned to help students in the space,” said Dickert. “We were very aligned and from there our partnership was born.”

THE SOLUTION

The new esports and gaming facilities consist of two sections separated by a hallway. The Official Southern Miss Esports Arena hosts the University’s National Championship competition teams. The adjacent casual gaming space is open to all students interested in gaming (plus billiards, shuffleboard, and table tennis). Both feature gaming stations equipped with ViewSonic^® XG2431 24” 240Hz gaming monitors.

Distinct areas within the competitive gaming space include the main stage, equipped with five ViewSonic XG2431 gaming monitors; the practice stage, which supports scrimmages and practices with six XG2431 monitors; and a production space equipped with one ViewSonic XG2431 monitor where students learn how to broadcast events, edit video, and more. Another 12 XG2431 monitors are deployed in the casual gaming center, enabling those in the general student population to experience gaming with top-of-the- line equipment.

To further support the program’s mission to develop learning-focused, connected, and healthy individuals through competition, community, and esports experiences, Dickert added a cart-mounted ViewSonic ViewBoard^® IFP7550 75” interactive display to a conference-style setup perpendicular to the main stage.

“The ViewSonic ViewBoard I used as a high school teacher was the best thing ever,” he said. “The ability to display content, click the side of screen to bring up the pen function and draw on the board to enhance the information was incredible and, along with the ability for students to intuitively work at the board, it changed the way I taught. I knew I wanted that for the esports students.”

Finally, to promote the program, Dickert stationed a ViewSonic CDE6512 65” commercial display outside the doorway to the Arena.

RESULTS

It may come as a surprise that both the program lead and the players love the ViewSonic ViewBoard interactive display almost more than the lightning-fast ViewSonic gaming monitors.

“It’s hands down my favorite place in the arena,” said Dickert, “I could gush about this ViewBoard all day.”

For students the 75” interactive display serves a dual purpose, said Dickert, supporting both their competitive and educational goals. Seated together around a conference-table setup facing the ViewBoard display, student athletes can review and mark up gameplay. Similarly, all program participants can use the display to work collaboratively on schoolwork and projects.

“The ViewBoard is an outstanding interactive resource for any type of learning because it’s so intuitive to use and it really draws students in. They absolutely love it. They’ll come in wanting to use it the moment we open the doors for the day and the competitive team is constantly scheduling time with it,” Dickert said, audibly turning to look out his doorway and adding, “Yep, they’re using it right now.”

For Dickert, the ViewBoard interactive display was a game-changer that has helped him meet his core goals as program lead.

“For me this program is about helping students make connections and gain skills that will help them throughout their lives,” he said. “The ViewBoard display absolutely fosters that type of connection, problem solving, and learning.”

Foremost among the many ViewBoard features that Dickert appreciates is the display’s ease of use, whether it’s connected to a PC, or not.

“It’s nice not having to have a PC hooked up to it, that it’s optional. It may be a bit more intuitive when used with PC functionalities, but when it’s alone it still functions incredibly well using Google Chrome and myViewBoard,” he said. “The user interface is very approachable, and everything is easy to navigate. I haven’t had to teach anyone how to use it.”

The ViewSonic XG2431 gaming monitors were equally easy to use, right out of the box – a pleasant surprise that helped get the program up and running more quickly than Dickert anticipated.

“In my experience monitors don’t have good factory settings right out of the box; usually I have to tweak them a bit,” he said. “With these ViewSonic gaming monitors it was a seamless, seamless plug-and-play experience. The images looked great, and we got them set up in a very short amount of time.”

Students of all gaming abilities have been thrilled with the fast response time and refresh rate.

“They care about the snappiness of the tech, and that’s one reason the students really like these monitors,” said Dickert. “They’re very responsive at .5ms – you almost can’t get better than that at an affordable price.”

Most of them, he added are used to playing with screens that max out at a refresh rate of 60Hz to 120Hz, and immediately comment that the gaming with the ViewSonic monitors is a much smoother experience than they’re used to. ViewSonic XG2431 gaming monitors, for example, are capable of achieving a refresh rate of 240Hz.

“ViewSonic is becoming well-known for their gaming monitors and their support for the educational aspects of esports in education,” said Dickert.

“I anticipated that these monitors would be outstanding, and they absolutely are.”

The Fall 2023 season has been the most successful to date for the Southern Miss Esports Program. Participation has grown to a total of 85 competitive players on 15 different teams. Nearly 700 total students – almost seven percent of the total undergraduate enrollment – use the casual gaming stations. All three of the program’s Fortnite teams have qualified for the Fortnite Split 1 NACE National Championship using the ViewSonic monitors. The program has seen similar success from each of its other teams.

“I’m able to get these numbers because our single sign on system tracks who uses the computers, and I’m thrilled with the growth of the program.” said Dickert. “For me, the student experience is the big component of student life at Southern Miss. I celebrate when we win and motivate and encourage harder work when we lose, but I care the most about the connections and that students feel a sense of belonging when they come into the gaming space.”

That goal has been achieved, it is clear, when Dickert notes that the arena and game room have become ‘the living room’ of campus. With no membership fees, and room for all, the program attracts students to all three tiers of the program: signed student athletes who compete in official conferences; Academy Team students who compete in official conferences as developing teams; and Gaming Club participants, a community open for all to experience fun events, conventions, and multi-club collaborations with a gaming twist. Of course, those with an even more casual interest in gaming – or hanging out with gamers – are also welcome in this inviting space.

“When it comes to clubs, we believe in student leadership,” said Dickert. “The gaming club is student-run and includes pretty much everything gaming. They visit conventions together and hold game nights – in fact they had one last night. It’s exactly the type of community activities we had hoped to encourage.”

Next on the agenda for this growing program is a Spring 2024 launch of an Intro to Esports course in partnership with the School of Business.

“It will be a survey-style course where students broadly learn the history and business aspects of esports,” said Dickert. “A core class objective will be to give students hands on experience with esports using the arena space and ViewSonic monitors.”

By then, the ViewSonic CDE6512 65-inch commercial display will be mounted above the doorway to the Arena, drawing in new participants and educating others about the program as they stroll through the USM Student Union and Thad Cochran Center.

“It’s great where it is now,” said Dickert. “But when it’s mounted above the doorway it will deliver an even bigger ‘wow factor.’”

IFP7550 Gen 5 75” 4K ViewBoard Interactive Display

XG2431 - 24" OMNI 1080p 0.5ms 240Hz IPS Gaming Monitor with FreeSync Premium, and HDR400

CDE6512 - 65" Display, 3840 x 2160 Resolution, 290 cd/m2 Brightness, 16/7

CASE STUDY

ViewSonic Elevates Event Experience for Bankstown Sports Group with 135” Mobile Direct View LED Display Solution Kit

COMPANY

Bankstown Sports Group is a leading actor in Sydney’s hospitality industry. With over 100,000 active members and 13 dining and entertainment venues, it recently opened the Lady Banks Rooftop, a new premium rooftop bar with panoramic views over the city’s skyline.

“We wanted something that could be moved in different locations. We had never seen anything like the ViewSonic All-in-One Direct View LED Display Solution Kit before. When we walked past and saw someone folding the screen – we knew it was the right one for us.”

— Joseph Succar, IT Manager at Bankstown Sports Group

THE CHALLENGE

The Lady Banks Rooftop opened in October 2022. In a complex time for the hospitality industry, Bankstown Sports Group was looking to establish its new rooftop as a key venue in the Southwest Sydney area by hosting a public viewing of the Melbourne Cup Race, one of Australia’s biggest sports events.

The Lady Banks Rooftop features an open-plan space with both indoor and outdoor seating. As the bar is bathed with lots of natural light, using a traditional projector or a large TV screen to broadcast the event would provide poor visibility and a negative viewing experience. Moreover, the venue manager didn’t want to disturb the arrangement of the space with a fixed installation as it would only be used on special occasions.

Since it already regularly hosts events, Bankstown Sports Group preferred to avoid expensive rental equipment. It was looking for a display solution that could be installed easily, at will, without requiring external installers, while still providing an outstanding viewing experience.

THE SOLUTION

After careful consideration, Bankstown Sports Group decided to invest in a ViewSonic^® LDS135-151 All-in-One Direct View LED Display Solution Kit. Boasting a 135” display, this ready-to-use solution is designed to provide large audiences with a big-screen experience. With all components integrated into the device, the display can be operated by anyone without requiring extensive training, sparing time and effort. With its foldable screen and omnidirectional wheels, the LDS135-151 can easily be moved within a room. Delivered pre-assembled in a flight case, it is convenient to transport between floors or from one location to another. The 135” frameless screen provides outstanding luminosity and true-to-life colors, enhanced by the greater visibility offered by the array of LEDs. Broadcasting sports games or shows only takes seconds thanks to the built-in OS and Wi-Fi, enabling wireless content sharing without the need for any additional equipment.

THE RESULTS

The LDS135-151 All-in-One Direct View LED Display Solution Kit helped make the Lady Banks Rooftop event a huge success. Unfolding the screen just when the race was about to start elicited surprised gasps from the guests. The huge display enabled all attendees to experience a live broadcast like never before. This exceptional viewing experience helped establish the Lady Banks Rooftop as a premium venue.

After the success of the first public viewing at the Lady Banks Rooftop, Bankstown Sports Group could easily transport the solution kit to other venues and use it while hosting other events, such as the FIFA World Cup games. During sporting downtimes, the marketing team would repurpose the Direct View LED display to promote upcoming events. Considering all the advantages the display provides for both event hosting and marketing efforts, Bankstown Sports Group is currently planning on acquiring more units for its other venues, including larger wall-mounted All-in-One Direct View LED displays.

LDS135-151 - 135" Display, 1920 x 1080 Resolution, 450-nit Brightness, 24/7

Joey Lee
JSL Marketing for ViewSonic [U.S.]
T: 310-592-1712
E: joey@jslcomm.com

Nury Lavandier
JSL Marketing for ViewSonic [Latin America]
T: 305-491-0530
E: nury@jslcomm.com

Caroline McGrath
CMM Communications for ViewSonic [Canada]
T: 416-972-1642
E: caroline@cmm-communications.com

CASE STUDY

Splitsville Delivers a 21st Century Entertainment Experience Using ViewSonic® Large Format Displays and Projectors

PROFILE

Splitsville Entertainment is an expanding Canadian chain of bowling and entertainment centers that provide an innovative, immersive experience for patrons. The Splitsville concept was created in 2006 with a mission to transform bowling into an engaging entertainment-focused experience that would attract the interest of a younger, tech-savvy customer base. The strategy was to acquire, update, and manage bowling venues that had fallen out of favor with the public. Since its inception, Splitsville has opened four locations in Ontario and British Columbia, making it the largest chain of bowling and entertainment centers in Canada. A cornerstone of the revamped entertainment concept has been Splitsville’s significant investment in high-end display and HD projection technologies from ViewSonic.

“ViewSonic digital signage, projection systems, and large format displays are now front and center in every area of every Splitsville facility, serving up music, sports, event reminders and acknowledgements, celebratory notices, advertising, and business presentations.”

— Pat Haggerty, President Splitsville Entertainment Group

THE CHALLENGE

The bowling landscape in Canada has undergone significant changes over the years. During that time, it’s lost its appeal for many sectors of the population.

Many people have images of bowling alleys as throwbacks to a decades-old past, says Pat Haggerty, president, Splitsville Entertainment Center. “The typical impression was a place characterized by smelly shoes, unpleasant noise, and ugly shirts.”

Revenues have taken a hit. From the 1960s to the 1980s, bowling revenues came from four areas: corporate teams, birthday parties, open playing, and leagues. During that period, up to 85% of bowling lane revenue was generated from bowling leagues. With the societal shift to home entertainment, the number of registered bowling leagues has dropped dramatically.

“Once entertainment technology came on the scene, leagues shrunk to one-tenth of their original size and technology started to come into play,” Haggerty says.

Shifting demographics have also played their part. As millennials surpass baby boomers in numbers, interest in bowling as a source of entertainment has declined. For Splitsville, that was a wakeup call, Haggerty says. “Millennials carry the money and are much more tech-savvy. We knew that with that shift, bowling had to do something completely different to survive.”

To attract an entirely new generation, Haggerty says they needed to create an attention-grabbing digital and immersive experience. “The question we needed to answer was: How can we communicate to this large group of consumers and turn bowling into an entertainment experience?”

THE SOLUTION

In 2006, Splitsville embarked on a mission to shatter stereotypes and attract a new generation of bowlers to the scene. This major renovation project included leveraging the latest and greatest display technology to create a multi-faceted entertainment experience. The goal was to create an audio-visual extravaganza throughout each facility, from the bowling lanes to the lounges and party rooms.

To accomplish this, Splitsville invested more than $1 million into each installation project. A key factor in the decision to purchase commercial grade displays was the desire to ensure top picture quality and a longer life.

The ultimate solution included ViewSonic product in the following areas:

• Bowling lanes - Each bowling center features from 16 to 34 bowling lanes. These lanes are divided into zones of six, each of which was outfitted with 10 X 12 foot ViewSonic CDE series (commercial grade) drop-down displays that can be programmed to play different content and music. When not in use, the displays can be raised behind a masking unit via a remote control switch at the front desk.
• Each site was also equipped with a suspended ViewSonic Full HD LED projector system for the walls behind the lane displays. These can be used to create a wallpaper effect showcasing Splitsville branding, or configured to present multiple image panes and messaging tailored for the audienceand/or time of day.
• Party Rooms - LED projector systems were installed in each party room, all of which are connected to the main system and can access the satellite network via HDMI cable or cellular port.
• Bars - The Splitsville bars were adorned with a video wall comprised of multiple 32” to 48” ViewSonic CDE series commercial-grade displays (11 to 14 units depending on the size of the location). Up to three satellite dishes provide customized visual and audio content to the various displays. Screens are connected to the satellite dish or the Bowling Music Network, which runs commercials every 15 minutes.

Additional display synchronization technology was deployed at the Hamilton location to enable increased selection of splitting options based on 16 to 20 inputs. These can be loaded at the head office, which, Haggerty explained enables them to dictate what they want to feed into those lanes at any time.

THE RESULTS

Since its technological evolution, Splitsville has delivered on its promise to bring a state-of-the-art bowling entertainment experience to a new generation of customers.

"ViewSonic digital signage, projection systems, and large format displays are now front and center in every area of every Splitsville facility, serving up music, sports, event reminders and acknowledgements, celebratory notices, advertising, and business presentations," said Haggerty.

“The instant gratification of digital has been a big tool for getting people out,” said Haggerty. “Also, adding more visual richness to our ads has moved people to buy more food, more quickly.”

The first location to undergo an overhaul quadrupled its earnings within two-and-a-half years, said Haggerty. “It took about eight months for it to get its sea legs, but after that, everything came together.”

The sites have become a popular draw for activities outside of bowling, from party bookings to business meetings. “People can even do PowerPoint presentations over the lanes if they like. With one push of the button they can have all screens showing the same input,” said Haggerty.

Plans are in the works to add interactive touchscreen capabilities to displays at the individual bowling lanes to enable sign up, scorekeeping, points collection, and messaging.

Now armed with a proven concept with definitive results, Haggerty has his eyes on expansion into the U.S.

ViewSonic CDE Series Commercial Displays

CASE STUDY

University Adds Esports Impact with ViewSonic ELITE™ Gaming Monitors and LAN Center Partnership

SCHOOL

Harrisburg University of Science and Technology (HU) is a private non-profit university accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Located in Harrisburg, PA, the university serves a student body of nearly 7,000 students from over 100 countries, offering bachelor and graduate degree programs in science, technology, and math fields. Every undergraduate major requires an internship, giving students real-world experiences that are valued by employers.

“In a rapidly evolving digital world, it’s essential for academic institutions to embrace emerging technologies and provide students with opportunities to learn and explore their passions through experiential learning. This stateof-the-art equipment will bring a wide range of possibilities for growth and learning to our students.”

— Charles Palmer, Program Lead and Associate Professor of Interactive Media

THE CHALLENGE

With a STEM curriculum that prepares students for in-demand careers, it’s no surprise that HU has become an esports powerhouse. A growing billion-dollar industry, esports relies on employees with a range of creative and technical skills, and HU is distinguished as a trailblazer in developing programs that connect students to these careers. The university’s esports focus began by blazing trails in esports participation.

In 2017, the university launched its fi rst (and only) varsity sports team, the HU Storm, which went on to win the Collegiate Overwatch National Championship in its fi rst two seasons. The university invested in state-of-the-art arena space, full scholarships for team members, and hosting an annual competition, the HUE invitational, the largest esports invitational competition in North America. Continuing its pioneering ways, the HU Storm was the fi rst collegiate team to employ former professional esports players as coaches. For those interested in more casual competition, HU offers an esports club open to all students.

Shortly thereafter, the university introduced a Bachelor of Science degree designed to prepare students for careers in the burgeoning esports industry. One of only a handful of schools offering a degree in this area, HU Esports Management, Production and Performance courses develop the skills needed to become a media content creator, event manager, specialized coach, organizational/team manager, marketing manager, analyst, and more. According to HU materials, this program combines three of the university’s strengths – business administration, interactive media, and technology integration – to build an industry pipeline for the next generation of esports decision-makers in management, production entrepreneurship and innovation.

Finally, in 2019, HU President Dr. Eric Darr and Professor Charles Palmer provided strategic direction and support for the launch of the Harrisburg, PA-based Soniqs professional esports team. From this winning partnership came a shared vision for the development of a LAN Center that would be the official competitive home of the Soniqs, while also providing space to support students, the HU Storm, and the surrounding community.

“We wanted to build on our successes in a way that would support the need for a growing number of esports professionals,” said Palmer, whose roles at the university include Program Lead & Associate Professor of Interactive Media, and Executive Director of the Center for Advanced Entertainment & Learning Technologies. “Our vision was to expand the ways in which we could position our students to become those professionals, and we wanted to do it in a way that supported our community.”

THE SOLUTION

That initial conversation in January 2021 triggered the formation of a development team, which Palmer worked with to develop the concept into a workable plan. Participants included HU CEO and President Dr. Eric Darr and HU CFO Duane Maun; Soniqs CEO Darren Moore and Soniqs Director of Operations and HU Adjunct Professor Luke Goodling; and Dr. Jennifer Metz, Associate Professor and Program Lead of Esports Management.

“The facilities we envisioned would not only be the home of the Soniqs, it would be like the labs in our life science departments,” said Palmer. “A place where our students can get hands-on learning about the products, services, and management of esports.”

During this phase, the working group sought partners to help bring the plan to life. A known advocate in the esports ecosystem, ViewSonic was thrilled to join the team though its community outreach division.

“ViewSonic is committed to both community outreach as part of our Empowering Future Generations initiative and to growing within esports,” said Danny Ordway, Vertical Marketing Manager at ViewSonic. “Supporting Harrisburg University and the Soniqs was a natural partnership for us. We’re thrilled to back an organization that is so focused on investing in the success of its students.”

The LAN Center team connected with Ordway who recommended ViewSonic products to meet their needs.

“We were excited to partner with HU, which shares our holistic vision for esports in education. By providing the latest ViewSonic ELITE™ gaming monitors, as well as the latest commercial displays and other display solutions, we’re helping the Soniqs’ coaches and staff develop strategies and prepare players,” said Ordway. “We’re also supporting HU in providing learning opportunities that create a pathway to careers within the esports industry.”

Ultimately, the team selected 20 ViewSonic ELITE™ XG270 27-inch 240Hz G-Sync gaming monitors to provide smooth, ultra-responsive gameplay. Nine 65-inch ViewSonic CDE6520-W premium 4K digital displays would be mounted throughout the space to showcase competitions, support the LAN Center brand, and deliver dynamic background videos, with one ViewSonic CDE8620-W 86-inch premium 4K digital display serving as a dramatic focal point.

THE RESULTS

Along with additional sponsors, Intel and Zipchair, the team created a worldclass esports LAN center, with power-packed stations that feature Intel NUC PCs with 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-12900 CPUs, 16GB of RAM, and RTX 3060 Tis; ViewSonic ELITE™ 27-inch 1080p 240Hz IPS gaming monitors; and Zipchair Glide Gaming Chairs with numerous ergonomic settings. With gratitude to their partners, Palmer notes that leading tech is about so much more than feeds, speeds, and specs.

“In a rapidly evolving digital world, it’s essential for academic institutions to embrace emerging technologies and provide students with opportunities to learn and explore their passions through experiential learning,” said Palmer. “This state-of-the-art equipment will bring a wide range of possibilities for growth and learning to our students.”

The 2,000-square-foot LAN Center opened its doors on March 27, 2023, with a ribbon cutting ceremony attended by everyone in the local esports community. Moore delivered a brief speech and, with HU President Eric Darr beside him, cut the ribbon that symbolized the center’s o cial opening for private events. Press and other visitors got a taste of the action ahead, as HU esports club members tested out the top-of-the-line gaming stations.

The main gaming room features a central row of tables with 10 gaming stations on each side. It is both dim and dynamic, with enough ambient light to help reduce eye strain, plus LED accent lights in Soniq-blue and purple for added aesthetic impact. Standing room behind the players, along with adjacent seating facing a large 86-inch ViewSonic digital display, will allow spectators an up-close and in-person view of esports events. Additional 65-inch ViewSonic digital displays throughout the space allow for extended viewing along with the display of stakeholder brands and mood-enhancing multimedia content.

Centrally located in downtown Harrisburg, the LAN Center is a leisurely twominute walk from Harrisburg’s Whittaker Center for Science and the Arts, the offcial home stadium for HU’s esports arena, practice space and digital locker room, as well as the hub for esports scrimmages, competitions, tournaments, conferences and meet-and-greets.

“The location meets all of our initial objectives,” said Palmer. “We can engage the community, opening the Center for people to enjoy esports as entertainment, while we provide convenient and state-of-the art facilities for our esports management students to grow their professional skills.” An additional advantage of the location, added Palmer, is its proximity to two Harrisburg high schools.

“We envision our esports management students developing and running events for the high school students,” he said. “This will be a great experiential learning opportunity for them, while adding another link in the pipeline, engaging younger students and introducing them to the broader opportunities offered by esports.”

Community members of all ages will be able to participate in educational workshops taught by esports pros, use the Center’s gaming stations during public hours, and watch games as spectators, both in person and online. The space will also be available to rent for community and private events.

“We are deeply grateful to our sponsors for helping bring our vision to life. The LAN Center not only enhances the educational experience of HU students, it also creates opportunities for networking, mentorship, and career development in the competitive esports industry,” said Palmer. “Students will be able to conceive, design, plan, produce and refl ect on their own events, and they’ll do so while increasing the understanding of esports in our community. It’s a win for everyone involved.”

ViewSonic® 135” All-in-one Direct View LED display LD135-151

ViewSonic 75-inch ViewBoard® IFP7552-1C-E1

CASE STUDY

ViewSonic^® Delivers Seamless, High-Impact Video Wall Solution for Exclusive Business Center in Costa Rica.

PROFILE

Suministros Comerciales y Tecnológicos S.A. (Sucotec) is a company in Costa Rica with over nine years of experience on the domestic market. With a group of highly specialized professionals providing tailored IT services, Sucotec S.A. helps increase the competitiveness of its customers, with scalability to manage future growth. Sucotec S.A. primarily provides businesses in Costa Rica with a wide range of simple, highly flexible, in-demand video wall systems. One of Sucotec’s customers is GBT Technologies, a company that offers high technology software solutions to customers of a variety of industries, including the financial, banking and stock market sectors. GBT Technologies is located in the San José Business Center in Escazú, a high-growth business hub in San Jose where a great number of service industry companies are located.

“Many factors motivated our decision to choose the ViewSonic displays – the quality of the equipment, the warranty, the cost, and the support provided during the decision-making process.”

— Salomón Ocón, GBT Technologies Director of Operations

THE CHALLENGE

For any digital signage solution provider, installing a video wall is always a challenge. For Sucotec S.A, not only did they require perfectly aligned displays, but they also needed to provide equipment that met the expectations of their customers, GBT Technologies.

According to Salomón Ocón, operations director of GBT Technologies, they wanted to invest in a video wall solution that would push effective communication and teamwork throughout the company.

“In our business, since most of our customers are in the financial market, we needed a visual tool capable of managing two main areas: software development and stock market indicator monitoring.

“Our developers needed a video wall for displaying programming jobs in an agile and simultaneous way. The rest of our staff wanted the video wall to display reference information about stock markets around the world. For these reasons, the video wall was installed in the lobby where everyone could see the different messages,” explained Ocón. “Obviously, the quality of the images should be flawless, and the edge of the displays should also be thin enough to make sure we have a better general view.”

To achieve this, Sucotec S.A. suggested to GBT Technologies the use of 12 ViewSonic CDE4803 commercial displays that, in addition to features like high brightness, wide viewing angles and narrow bezels, come with value added features, as highlighted by Ocón.

THE SOLUTION

“Many factors motivated our decision to choose the ViewSonic displays – the quality of the equipment, the warranty, the cost, and the support provided during the decision-making process,” said Ocón.

Fernando Ramírez, Sucotec S.A. representative added, “We were always sure that the ViewSonic displays would be the most suitable for this video wall, given the requirements of big screen size, image quality, and symmetric alignment of the displays.”

The representatives of both companies highlighted a very successful purchasing and installation experience, not only due to the quality of the equipment, but also the support provided by ViewSonic and its wholesale distributor.

THE RESULTS

“How has the installation of this video wall impacted our offices? I can say that it has improved the productivity of our daily activities. It provides better guidance to our staff for very specific software programming processes by sharing and displaying projects in a fast and efficient manner,” said Ocón.

In addition, there are no complaints related to the quality of the equipment provided. 

ViewSonic 75-inch IFP7550

CASE STUDY

Conference Room Makeover Brings State-of-the-Art ViewSonic Direct View LED and ViewBoard Interactive Displays to School

SCHOOL

Located in Ellisville, MS, the Ellisville State School is a state-operated regional program providing comprehensive services to persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Ellisville State School offers services to people in a residential setting and provides an array of programs and services in the community through the Community Services System. Ellisville State School serves approximately 240 people on the main campus and additional persons in the community. It is the goal of Ellisville State School to provide each person with the appropriate services so that each will develop to the maximum of his or her potential.

“They were able to use the ViewBoard interactive display while looking at the audience, and everything they did was mirrored on the big Direct View LED display, which made it highly visible to everyone in the room no matter where they were seated. The two displays are a great pairing.”

— Dean Yelverton, Network Administrator

THE CHALLENGE

During the COVID-19 pandemic, when Ellisville State School (ESS) closed its doors to protect residents and staff, Director Rinsey McSwain found herself conducting daily video calls in the conference room. She quickly became frustrated by the limited capabilities of the aging projector and conference phone. This frustration was the springboard for change, as McSwain envisioned the development of a fully-interactive environment powered by the most current technology.

“She wanted top-notch video conferencing equipment that could be used in multiple, flexible ways,” said IT Director Bobby Sterling. “The room was already equipped with a divider, and she wanted to be able to leverage it for simultaneous smaller meetings as well as ones that used the full space.”

Along with Network Administrator Dean Yelverton, Sterling reached out to reseller partner RJ Young for assistance. Together they looked at potential solutions from various manufacturers, and settled on the Direct View LED display as their technology of choice for the room’s main display. This would be supplemented with an interactive flat panel display on the other side of the room.

THE SOLUTION

Next, Sterling and Yelverton visited the reseller’s installer, who favored ViewSonic among the suppliers under consideration.

“He showed us photos of ViewSonic Direct View LED display installations he had done,” said Yelverton. “Seeing those, along with the great bang-for-the-buck offered by ViewSonic, took us quickly in that direction. We knew that our director would be pleased with the seamless display.”

It didn’t hurt that both Yelverton and Sterling had previous positive experience with ViewSonic products. “I’ve used ViewSonic displays going back a long time,” said Yelverton. “They’ve always been very good quality at a fair price. And for what you get with the huge Direct View LED display, it’s really rather affordable.”

The team took their proposal to McSwain, who was impressed by the display’s size and features. The final signoff came from business services, and with these approvals, the IT team obtained the required quotes. RJ Young presented the best pricing, and received the purchase order for a ViewSonic® 135” All-in- One LD135-151 Direct View LED display and a ViewSonic® 75-inch ViewBoard® IFP7552-1C-E1 display with VPC25-W53-01-1B slot-in PC, along with Logitech control panel, webcams, a controller and Sure speakers to round out the solution. The IT department further ordered a ViewSonic® LD-MK-001 vacuum maintenance tool, which would enable them to easily remove and replace LED panels without having to bring in third party support.

The final challenge would be installing the new equipment in time for the annual Department of Mental Health Board of Directors meeting that the school would be hosting just three weeks after placing the purchase order. Fortunately, one of the key features of the ViewSonic Direct View LED display system is streamlined installation that makes it faster and easier to deploy than a traditional LED wall.

THE RESULTS

Thanks to the support and hustle from RJ Young and ViewSonic, the equipment arrived about two weeks after the order was placed. This left under a week to get everything installed and working.

“The Department of Mental Health is our school’s oversight organization, and this meeting is very important,” said Sterling. “Our director wanted everything perfect to showcase videos on the new Direct View LED display and to accommodate interactive presentations on the ViewSonic ViewBoard interactive display. We were under a tremendous time crunch.”

Thanks to the efforts of all involved – and the ease of installation because of ViewSonic Direct View LED technology – everything went smoothly, said Yelverton. They even had a couple days to conduct training. The meeting went off without a hitch.

What was once a standard-issue conference room with basic and outdated equipment has become a state-of-the art facility that provides flexibility and ease of use.

“We didn’t realize how much we were going to be able to take advantage of by going from what we had to the fully interactive setup we have now,” said Sterling.

For groups like the board of directors meeting, the full room supports a range of needs, from a larger-than-life video display and immersive video calls on the Direct View LED display, to interactive presentations using the arm-mounted ViewSonic ViewBoard interactive display, which can be height-adjusted and angled to meet user needs as well as a variety of seating arrangements.

“During the board meeting we had several attendees present who were accustomed to using whiteboards,” said Yelverton. “They were able to use the ViewBoard interactive display while looking at the audience, and everything they did was mirrored on the big Direct View LED display, which made it highly visible to everyone in the room no matter where they were seated. The two displays are a great pairing.”

When the full room isn’t needed, the school can book dual meetings in the divided space. The collaborative capabilities of the ViewBoard display have been particularly useful for conducting remote and hybrid training, commented Yelverton, and the room has become an in-demand hub for trainings as much as for meetings.

Sterling and Yelverton emphasized that both RJ Young and ViewSonic went above and beyond, throughout the process.

“I have to give a shout out to ViewSonic’s tech support,” said Yelverton. “We had issues with a couple of the LED panels, which they anticipated by including some spares with the kit. Then after that the tech support team sent us a couple more spares to keep on hand.” The Ellisville State School director who requested the conference room makeover has been more than pleased with the results, the IT duo said. “She still gets a big smile every time she sees the beautiful Direct View LED display,” said Sterling. “When visitors come from our central office it’s the first thing that she shows them.”

ViewSonic® 135” All-in-one Direct View LED display LD135-151

ViewSonic 75-inch ViewBoard® IFP7552-1C-E1

SOLUTION BRIEF

Independent Café Increases Efficiency and Customer Satisfaction with ViewSonic Commercial Displays and myViewBoard Manager Software

The owners of a popular independent café were looking for ways to increase efficiency around their menu signage. At the same time, they were about to undergo an interior remodel. While the brother-sister duo was fond of their chalkboard-look menu signs, keeping the content up-to-date had become tedious, and the look would feel outdated when the interior refresh was complete. Both fans of the contemporary look of digital signage, the entrepreneurs were nonetheless wary about cost. They also didn’t want a system that would be difficult to learn and manage. They were skeptical that they would find digital signage in their price range that would also be reliable and look great.

The more technically minded of the two, the sister began exploring the world of digital signage. As she learned about its many uses, she began to see benefits beyond being cool-looking and enabling quick content changes for their menu board. For one thing, they could use digital content to help distract and entertain the increasingly long lines at the cafe. They could also use the signage to promote high-inventory, high-margin items. She also liked the idea of replacing their cluttered cork bulletin board with a digital sign to showcase the many local cultural events that friends and family members were involved in.

After getting up to speed on the basics of digital signage, the path forward was less clear. Google searches led her to companies clearly pushing their own agenda. She wanted independent advice on products from a range of suppliers – from someone experienced in the business of helping companies

ViewSonic CDE5512
55-inch commercial displays with 3840 x 2160 Resolution, 290 cd/m2 Brightness, and 16/7 runtime

ViewSonic Signage Manager
Content Management Software

myViewBoard Manager
Device Management Software

CASE STUDY

Retail Market Chain Shines with Cost Savings and Contemporary Look of ViewSonic Digital Signage

CUSTOMER PROFILE

Founded in 1951 by brothers Bernard and Eugene Gelson as an extraordinary grocery shopping experience for discerning consumers, Gelson’s Markets is recognized today as one of the nation’s premier supermarket chains. With stores in neighborhoods throughout Southern California, each location is singularly known as the area’s best market for superior produce, highest quality meat, seafood and deli, an unmatched selection of wine and liquor, and exceptional service.

“Everything on the ViewSonic displays looks better than printed signs. Images and text are crisp and clear and we can also use video. It’s a lot more compelling and eye catching.”

— Yvonne Manganaro, SVP Customer and Team Experience

THE CHALLENGE

Known as “the ultimate foodie paradise,” and a “place to spoil yourself,” by fans on Yelp, Gelson’s is not your average supermarket. Amenities like wine and craft beer bars, gourmet cheese islands, and chef-led prepared food stations distinguish Gelson’s shopping experience. Offering made-fresh daily dishes is clearly an outstanding recipe for customer satisfaction. However, keeping the signage as fresh and up-to-date became a costly and time-consuming burden.

“Many of our departments needed to update their signage on a very regular basis,” said Yvonne Manganaro, SVP Customer and Team Experience. “We realized that we needed to do something different that would allow us to reduce print costs while also bringing a more contemporary look to the stores.”

To find a solution for this dilemma, Manganaro and a coworker from the company’s procurement department traveled to a digital signage trade show in Las Vegas to assess the options.

THE SOLUTION

The duo visited a host of booths, talking to reps from many companies. By the time they left the ViewSonic booth, Manganaro was convinced that they had found their digital signage partner.

“The first thing that we liked about ViewSonic was that they’re based in California, close enough for us to easily visit their showroom,” she said. “Along with that, and probably the primary deciding factor, was the free software that is included with their digital signage solutions.”

While not as feature-packed as some of the available software, said Manganaro, the ViewSonic software had everything they needed to meet their retail signage needs.

“The more robust software usually has monthly or annual subscription fees and that would have added a lot of cost to each unit,” she said. “We loved that the ViewSonic program was included and very functional for what we needed.”

Manganaro was sold on the ViewSonic solution, which included vibrant ViewSonic^® 43-inch CDE4320 professional-grade commercial displays and ViewSonic network media players (models NMP309-W and NMP589-W) with included Signage Manager software. Gelson’s began installing the ViewSonic digital signage throughout their stores, for what has amounted to a total of 16 ViewSonic CDE4320 displays (plus one EP4220 ePoster) in each of 27 stores over the past 10 years.

THE RESULTS

Take one look and it’s clear that the digital screens deliver a more modern look than printed signage, easily meeting Manganaro’s first goal.

“Everything on the ViewSonic displays looks better than printed signs. Images and text are crisp and clear and we can also use video,” she said. “It’s a lot more compelling and eye catching.”

What’s more, department managers can update content in a fraction of the time it took when the stores relied on printed signs.

“The ViewSonic digital signage gives us a lot more flexibility,” said Manganaro. “There were times in the past when budget wouldn’t allow us to update a menu because it was going to cost a couple thousand dollars to change out signs. Now that’s not even a factor; we can change content whenever department owners want to.”

The convenience and good looks of the ViewSonic digital signage came with another outstanding benefit – substantial cost savings.

“We calculated the ROI before we purchased the displays,” said Manganaro. “For our departments that had the most variability in menu and ingredient content it took about 10 months to break even. A few took a bit longer, but not much.”

As the Gelson’s business continued to grow and add departments, increasing the number of screens to manage with the ViewSonic software, Manganaro acknowledged that they did encounter a constraint in the free software.

“The ViewSonic software has a limit of 50 screens on one set up, but because it’s so wonderfully straightforward and easy to work with our IT team was able to create a work around,” she said. “They created channels of content for departments – one for meat and seafood, one for the front desk, and so on.”

This, she added, makes it easy for their designer to create content, then copy and paste as needed, and finally upload quickly to multiple units. Content is then scheduled through the software, another basic yet critical feature, according to Manganaro.

“The ability to schedule is key,” she said. “I can’t imagine trying to have a designer physically at a computer at 6 am before we open or right when our ad breaks, or on Friday when suddenly there’s something new to communicate in the produce department.”

After nearly 10 years of using the ViewSonic CDE displays and software, Manganaro says that the most beautiful thing about the solution is that it ‘just works.’

“We didn’t need or want to pay for bells and whistles; this is a very functional program that does everything we need it to do in a retail environment,” she said. “We looked at a lot of other systems and we’re so glad to be working with ViewSonic. We service hundreds of thousands of customers per week and need to deliver a uniformly good experience – our stores get so busy that the last thing we need to worry about is tech failing.”

In fact, Manganaro confessed, they once installed a digital signage system in a store because of a technology ViewSonic didn’t have at the time, and it has been a headache.

“The downtime at that store has been horrible,” she said. “The ViewSonic system is just so reliable. I don’t have to worry about it and my team doesn’t have to worry about it. It just works.”

As Manganaro and her team became more experienced with the digital signage equipment and its benefi ts, they began looking for a solution to the unwieldly signage in the stores’ entryway.

“We replaced some rather cluttered-looking printed signage with the sleek ViewSonic EP4220 ePoster,” she said. “Now we can display multiple moving images and when visitors walk into the store it delivers an upscale look in line with our brand.”

Beyond saving a substantial amount of time and money, and imparting a contemporary feel, the ViewSonic digital displays have added value to Gelson’s markets in another notable way, said Manganaro – for their partners.

“We are able to do some terrific storytelling and create videos that showcase our amazing partners,” she said. “For example, our director of meat and seafood went on a fishing trip with a vendor and shot a video we used to showcase their sustainable practices and how they bring product to market so quickly.”

Gelson’s partners are thrilled to receive this additional visibility and support, she added, and customers are big fans of the content as well.

“While they’re waiting for service customers have something interesting to watch,” she said. “This compelling content helps improve customer satisfaction and informs them about the vendors, products and care that sets us apart from other groceries.”

In every way, working with ViewSonic has been a very positive experience, concluded Manganaro.

“We manage well over 300 screens in our chain, and when there’s a problem it’s virtually always because one of our team members accidentally bumped a media player, unplugged something, or broke an antenna,” she said. “It’s rarely a problem with the ViewSonic solutions.”

ViewSonic 43-inch CDE4320

ViewSonic NMP309-W media player

ViewSonic NMP589-W media player

ViewSonic 42-inch EP4220 ePoster

CASE STUDY

Custom Motocross Gear Company Creates High-Impact Dealer Sales Kit with ViewSonic ePoster Interactive Kiosk

CUSTOMER PROFILE

Founded in 2015 by former professional supercross racer Michael Leib, Canvas MX is a motocross gear manufacturer that specializes in completely customizable kits and other apparel. The first MX gear company to offer the clean look of blank black and white gear, Canvas MX evolved into its current bespoke design focus, offering a wide range of customization lines through its 3D design portal at canvasmx.com.

“It showcases our 3D design portal beautifully, and I love how you just can’t miss the ViewSonic kiosk in a store. It’s big, clean, modern and high-quality – a perfect partner for displaying our modern, high-quality product.”

— Michael Leib, Founder of Canvas MX

THE CHALLENGE

After leaving the racing circuit in 2020, pro rider Michael Leib had more time to focus on his business enterprise, Canvas MX, which offers customizable motocross apparel though its 3D website portal. The company fills a unique niche in a business where fans, riders and dealers looking for custom apparel typically wait 18 months for customized apparel shipped from overseas – or settle for off-the-shelf designs.

Until recently, the company’s sole operational focus was on internet sales. By producing its product in the US, Canvas MX was able to deliver items quickly, within three to four weeks. The 3D portal was well-designed and easy to use. With these pieces in place, Leib was ready to expand on the concept.

“We knew that to scale the business we needed a way to take it into the dealerships,” said Leib. “We have an outstanding website customization and ordering interface, so we knew that what we needed was a way to take that interface directly to the dealers.”

In fact, Leib had already discovered the ideal solution during the early days of the business, while Leib was still spending most of his time involved in racing.

“I connected with Mad Moose Media, an on-site event photography company, at a race. They were using ViewSonic kiosks to display photos of race participants,” said Leib. “Riders and fans could scroll through images and order directly from the kiosk. I immediately realized that this was the platform we needed to use when we were ready to move forward with the dealership model.”

THE SOLUTION

The slim, freestanding kiosk Leib saw at the photo display was a ViewSonic^® EP5542T 55-inch Multi-touch Digital ePoster. He tried one out at a tradeshow, which confirmed his initial reaction to the display.

“It was exactly what we wanted as the centerpiece of our dealer package,” he said. “It’s tall, great-looking, and attention-grabbing, and it was easy to run our website and offer customization right there on demand.”

With this vision in mind, Leib ramped up the company’s manufacturing capabilities in the US. When he was satisfi ed that he could meet dealer demand, he created the Canvas MX Dealer Kit, which includes a 55-inch ViewSonic ePoster kiosk, a mannequin, and 50 sets of dealer-specific
gear fit kits.

THE RESULTS

The Canvas MX Dealer Kit enables motorcycle dealers to easily offer custom gear and apparel in a way that conserves floor space and cash flow. Importantly, it also enables dealers to incorporate their own brand on the gear.

“It’s everything we need to deliver for our dealer partners,” said Leib. “This package lets them offer their own branded apparel without taking up tons of floor space, or tying up cash flow while waiting months and months for delivery of the product.”

Offered for a set base price, with no ongoing costs, the Canvas MX Dealer Kit revolutionizes the way gear is purchased in store, said Leib.

“Now customers can order custom motocross gear directly from their dealership,” he said. “Our Fit Kit is really cool because it allows people to touch and feel and try on the products as they’re designing their own custom gear on our ViewSonic kiosk.”

In an industry where motorcycle dealers that want to carry apparel typically must commit to buying upwards of 100,000 pieces then wait many months for delivery, this model is indeed ground breaking. The ViewSonic kiosk, said Leib, was central to making it happen.

“It showcases our 3D design portal beautifully, and I love how you just can’t miss the ViewSonic kiosk in a store,” said Leib. “It’s big, clean, modern and high-quality – a perfect partner for displaying our modern, high-quality product.”

Among the excellent features, he added, are the vibrant colors, crisp graphics, and smooth touchscreen response.

“The ViewSonic kiosk enabled us to provide dealers with an amazing display,” said Leib. “It has enabled us expand into new markets and to do it in a way that fully meets dealer needs for a great-looking showcase.”

EP5542T - 55" Display, 3840 x 2160 Resolution, 450 cd/m2 Brightness, 16/7

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