Case study: Surrey billboard advertiser becomes first customer of Sony Pro and Xibo

posted on Thursday, 7th November 2024 by Steve May

Pro AV  Digital signage 

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The largest independent DooH advertising provider in the South East of England, Blue Billboard, has opted for Xibo Digital Signage and Sony BRAVIA professional displays to deliver advertising signage across its wide network of displays in Surrey.

By working with Xibo and Sony, Blue Billboard has become the first global customer to implement the new Sony Cloud API and Zero Touch Provisioning (ZTP) with Xibo’s software solution, allowing it to manage its entire signage network remotely.

As Blue Billboard’s digital signage network started growing at an exponential rate, the company identified a need to have increased control over its displays once deployed onsite.

Network maintenance was becoming expensive and time consuming as it required onsite visits to carry out simple changes. It was using Android displays with standalone media player hardware, but with a growing network, easy installation and management became a key requirement. SLA uptime was also being affected as outages could not be resolved as quickly remotely. This is when Blue Billboard started looking into displays with not only system-on-a-chip capabilities, but also with remote device management and zero touch provisioning.

Blue Billboard has been using Xibo’s digital signage software solutions since its business started in 2020. It had also used Sony BRAVIA Professional Displays across its network. However, at that time, there was no native integration between the Sony System-on-Chip solution and Xibo.

In 2024, Blue Billboard was commissioned by a local council in Surrey to implement a 25-screen DooH advertising network. This installation provided an opportunity for Blue Billboard to implement the Sony BRAVIA 65BZ35L and 55BZ35L with system-on-a-chip using the new Xibo and Sony ZTP integration.

“We're excited to introduce the first global deployments featuring our cutting-edge Cloud API and Zero-Touch Provisioning solutions. These tools not only enhance cloud-based device management but also revolutionise large-scale screen deployments and partner application installations with a simple QR code scan. Our solutions are transforming the professional display industry, streamlining the workload for CMS partners and system integrators,” says Yigit Erol, B2B Partner Development Manager, Sony Europe.

Blue Billboard chose Xibo and Sony as its digital signage providers because of the cost-effective rapid scalability available, remote device management opportunities and zero touch provisioning (ZTP). They worked with retail solutions provider, Theravada to design and install the custom infrastructure required for the project, including surrounds and totems.
“I’m impressed at how simple the process to set up and deploy new displays has been,” says Justin Howard, Technical Director, Blue Billboard. “Zero touch provisioning removes several steps and the functionality is improving all the time.”

Moving to Sony Bravia SoC devices with ZTP integration through Xibo enabled Blue Billboard to deploy more screens faster than before, enabling the rapid scaling of their DooH network and delivering an increased revenue.

“Sony and Xibo together deliver a high-quality digital signage and digital out of home solution which any business should consider when upgrading or scaling their network,” continued Justin.

Steve May

Inside CI Editor Steve May is a freelance technology specialist who also writes for T3TechRadarHome Cinema Choice, Trusted Reviews and The Luxe Review.

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