As you walk through the TU Wien campus, sooner or later you will come across one of our information screens. All sites have a total of 85 of these in public areas, which provide information on important topics, scheduled events and exciting news. What few people know is that it hasn't always been possible to control these screens en masse. The 'Information screen' project, led by project manager Michael Schadler (TU.it, opens an external URL in a new window) aims to remedy this situation.

Two become one

Controlling a screen and 'telling' it what to display requires digital signage systems. You can think of these systems as a bit like a digital signpost or billboard. They are mainly used for digital advertising or information systems, with each screen being controlled centrally and provided with various information, according to different requirements. So, while one screen announces the latest event, another could be directing you to a promotion in the Kuppelsaal. However, this requires that all screens speak the same language, i.e. they use the same digital signage system. Before the project began, there were essentially two systems with several subsystems in use at TU Wien. The aim of phase 1 of the information screen project was to equip all 85 screens with the same system.

New operating process

During the conversion, 60 computers had to be replaced to meet the new system requirements. Defective systems were replaced and the remaining hardware was updated. In order to enable systems to be kept constantly up-to-date and to ensure smooth operation, a new system operation process had to be defined. This ensures that the entire process, from installation to operation, content creation and maintenance, is fully integrated. This also includes central licence management. It is now also stipulated that all requests for information screens in the context of a '1^st point of contact' are collated by Herbert Kreuzeder in PR and Marketing. From there, the relevant requests are then forwarded to the people responsible.

Follow-up project: information screens – phase 2

It's good to be up-to-date, but being able to plan for the future is even better. This is precisely the aim of the second phase of the information screen project. Headed by project manager Michael Kaiser, the aim is to consider how different sites should be equipped with information screens in future. For example, what should an institute's foyer look like? What aids to orientation do people need there? Does it make more sense to install overhead solutions or would a kiosk option be better? Test installations are planned at Karlsplatz in order to try out different options during the course of the project. This follow-up project is scheduled to begin in spring 2020.

Information on this and other digitalization projects is available at the digital office website., opens an external URL in a new window