Digital Signage in Quebec

I just wanted to post a quick comment on a couple of interesting digital signage installations I noticed during a recent visit to Montreal and Quebec City. A Quebec based drugstore chain called Jean Coutu has digital signage installed at each cash register. The screens are at least 17" and quite visible. There was a "Videotron" sticker on each unit's casing and I suspect there is at least one more company involved in the deployment. Videotron must be providing the network and support but since they are part of the Quebecor Media group of companies, I'm sure another Quebecor division takes care of the content development.

The screens were ensconced in a metal case that had a very "Mr. Roboto" look. They were quite sturdy but not the most elegant devices to look at. Each unit was mounted on a tube that raised the screens to a decent viewing height (about 2' to 3' above the counter). The big metal boxes were hard to miss so I guess that was part of the logic behind the design. At least the content was decent and to the point but I wish someone would have spent a bit more time on designing a more elegant case.

On another note, my favorite hotel in Montreal used to have a couple of 19"-ish digital signs located next to the main elevator. I noticed in November that one of the screens was blanked out. The screens were replaced by a larger unit (a single 32" unit) running a very simple layout with local weather and meeting room info. The people running this network also provide the hotel with wireless internet access for its customers. The company is called Intello Technologies Inc. (used to be called i-hotel). They seem to have a nice list of installations but it's not clear if each location uses digital signs.

Lastly, I finally saw a OS-X based digital sign installation in a fast-food restaurant. How did I know it was running on OS-X? All the signs were showing the Apple desktop and there was a nice big error message right in the middle of each screen. I should have jotted down the exact info on the application but unfortunately I was way too involved in eating at the time... All I can tell is it was a Digital Signage Player application. Too bad I didn't have a camera with me. Anyone out there know who is running the signs at Lafleur's?