NRF: Ecast demos retail app

January 13, 2009 by Dave Haynes

Ecast had one of its new EQ retail-centric touchscreens at the concept store area at NRF, and Bob Cooney, the company’s VP of Business Developoment, walked me through the thing and why Ecast is expanding beyond bars and clubs.

The wall-mounted Ecast device is a 40 inch 1080P LCD panel in portrait mode that has all the capabilities of the digital jukeboxes Ecast puts in bars, but is bigger and loaded with applications that are more tuned to shoppers, using a touchscreen.

He was showing a wine chooser app that would allow people to bang through selections in the beer and wine section of a grocery.

Most of the touch and product selector applications I see at NRF and in general are small and limited, and this goes in the opposite direction with something that’s big and expansive in what it can do, using Web services.

The thing is modular, with a PC built in the back, snap-on fascia, and hinged so it pops off easily for servicing. Pretty cool.

Cooney said the company is getting into retail somewhat out of necessity, since between itself and rival TouchTunes the digital junkebox sector is pretty much maxed out, with the places that are still available generally places they don’t really want.  

Funnily enough, I was standing there watching a demo of the unit and the guy next to me looked over and introduced himself – Lionel Tepper, who runs the Web portal Digital Signage Universe. Nice guy. Good resource.