Newad confirms Scala as software driving expanded resto-bar screen network

March 22, 2011 by Dave Haynes

I think Philippe Marchessault, the EVP of Ops at Montreal-based Newad, must have spent something like three years looking over his options for software and hardware vendors for its screen network in Canadian bars and restaurants.

I know because we chatted several times and I pointed him in a few directions.

After all that due diligence, he went with Scala Ad Manager and Scala 5 to manage a network of digital and analog posters in 2,500 licensed establishments across Canada.

The release says “more than 20,000 digital and classic Newad boards” but a big chunk of that is paper posters, at least for now. Scala acquired a Canadian company a few years back that did “charting” software for the OOH industry and this solution lets Newad plan both types of networks from one front-end.

Newad does say it plans to add 3,500 digital boards in six major cities across Canada over the next three years, an investment it says is worth more than $8 million.

The new digital boards, developed by Montreal’s M’Pact, have a 22-inch LCD screen and stereo sound.

Newad’s primary competitor is Zoom Media in the Canadian market.