Projects: Disney Resort Starts Deploying ChromeOs-Driven Digital Signage Network

February 15, 2017 by Dave Haynes

Deployments with 14 players – not 100s or 1,000s – don’t tend to get a lot of attention here, but it’s a bit different when the brands involved include Mickey Mouse and Google.

The Walt Disney Swan and Dolphin Resort in the Orlando area has installed a communications network with two distinct tracks – one talking to guests, and the other back of house to staff. Twelve of the players are Chromebits, and the other two are Chromeboxes – both obviously running ChromeOS and likely using Google’s device management software.

A Google/Disney case study says: Chrome digital signage helps our staff and guests get useful information throughout the day. At the front desk, our employees show incoming guests videos of rooms they might want to choose. And we use the signs to tell guests about activities at the resort and news such as the weather so they can grab a poncho if there’s a thunderstorm heading our way. In our employee-dedicated areas, the human resources department alerts staff to important news, such as when it’s time to enroll in our health plan, and the security department plays safety-related videos.

A lot of much larger signage software companies have tried to crack Disney, but this nascent network is running NoviSign’s Chrome-based digital signage solution. NoviSign is based in Tel Aviv, Israel. Not a deal that will make the sales needle even twitch for NoviSign’s accounting staff, but a great one for its marketers,  in terms of the old “known for the company you keep” maxim.

The Disney resort says it went with Chrome for a few reasons, notably cost and the minimal resource demands the solution puts on the in-house IT team. “Chrome digital signage is so easy to manage that IT staff doesn’t need to get involved with programming. Each department handles content on their own from the central console, which means our team can focus on IT-related work, such as resolving key encoding problems or point-of-sale workstation issues. We’ve also saved considerably on the devices. It costs less than $200 in set-up, configuration and licensing fees for a Chromebit to power a digital sign, compared to up to $600 for a PC. Maintenance is minimal because we don’t have to apply security patches or worry about continual updates; Chrome devices are automatically updated.”

The resort says more units will be added this year.

  1. Bryan Mongeau says:

    I wonder when/if the big display co’s will ever look at embedding chrome OS ?

  2. Ann Holland says:

    Hey David – looks like you’re covering Disney, although this is really not Disney, but an SPG hotel. Why don’t you ask them what media player and how many units they installed in the new Shanghai Park last year?

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