Roku mounts assault on UK for cut of AV market
Digital signage startup eyes up channel partners after opening Cambridge-based office
Pierre Gillet: End users will be able to choose the messages and videos they want to watch
A Silicon Valley startup has launched its interactive digital signage product onto the UK market, while a
larger player, D-Link, considers its options for the region.
Roku, a California-based manufacturer of audiovisual (AV) technology, opened a UK office in Cambridge last week and pledged to recruit a channel that will profit from its digital signage systems. At the same time, it launched the Brightsign range in the UK.
The Brightsign portfolio is built around a solid-state media player and touch screen displays.
The solid-state media players power an AV display with all the
versatility of a PC, but with none of the drawbacks, argued Pierre Gillet, Roku’s vice president of European sales. The
Brightsign touch screen display systems are a new innovation to the UK market, offering a level of interactivity with digital signage systems, Gillet claimed.
End users in airports, schools, hotels and train stations target markets identified by Gillet can choose the messages and videos they may want to watch.
Roku is just starting channel recruitment in the UK, so early adopters could have this vendor all to themselves, Gillet admitted.“We are still in talks with distributors.”
Meanwhile, D-Link has launched a range of digital signage hardware and content services.
However, the technology has not yet been launched in the UK. Andrew Mulholland, marketing manager for D-Link UK said: “We are evaluating if this solution is suitable for the UK market,” he said.