Pivoting from a tool to a service and tighter collaboration with partners
Planar is a global leader in display and digital signage technology, providing premier display solutions for the world's most demanding environments, including retailers, educational institutions, government agencies, businesses, utilities and energy firms, and others. Planar LED and LCD video walls, large format LCD displays, transparent OLED displays, interactive touch screen monitors and many other solutions are used by the world’s leading organizations in applications ranging from digital signage to simulation and from interactive kiosks to large-scale data visualization.
Industry
Audio&Video
Challenge
Planar sought to develop a tool to give their customers a way to manage their displays, one that would remotely monitor and manage systems across geographies, track hardware and firmware, and manage incidents. It was a labor intensive process to view, control, and troubleshoot.
Approach
Early in the journey, Planar recognized the challenges of implementing remote monitoring and management for their customers and partners. By going to the cloud and pivoting from a tool to a service, Planar was able to reduce friction of adoption and obviate the need to buy and set up additional hardware.
Solution
Using Xyte, Planar launched WallDirector™ Cloud which enables its partners and customers to work together in managing Planar devices. Through monitoring and control, users gain a hands-on view to manage their fleet, see system information, and get easy access to telemetry data like temperature. The cloud also contributes to a more streamlined support process, in which the user can open, view, and resolve tickets on their own. WallDirector™ Cloud also provides Planar with a holistic view of its customers and partners and their devices, enabling the manufacturer to better serve its network.
Results
- Much tighter collaboration with partners due to working on a unified platform
- Integrated workflows into their partners’ managed services
- Quicker responses and ability to co-develop solutions
- Better understanding of how to help during the product and sales lifecycle
- Shortened the development and deployment of installations by 50%
We see the cloud as an inflection point in the industry that will strengthen our value network and create new partnerships, resulting in new business models and opportunities to better serve our customers’ AV needs in the future
