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Contemporary Research

3220 Commander Dr
Suite 102
Carrollton, TX 75006
United States
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The Home Depot Partners with Contemporary Research and X2O Media for Digital Signage Employee Communication
Posted on Monday, January 21, 2008
 
The Home Depot Partners with Contemporary Research and X2O Media for Digital Signage Employee Communication

The Home Depot’s Atlanta Store Support Center knew its 5,000 employees were getting the word on human resource events and resources. The problem was that staffers didn’t always remember, missing key opportunities. E-mails can be forgotten, bulletin boards overlooked, and flyers have to be posted and removed. Digital signage looked like the answer, but typical systems were too expensive to deploy and support. Their solution, the first in the nation, is to broadcast a digital employee signage channel over RF, tuned in by standard flat-panel TVs, delivered by Contemporary Research and X2O Media technology.

 

The X20 Media digital signage platform enables simple, yet compelling content creation. A multimedia “smart template” combines moving backgrounds, RSS news and weather feeds and live video with staff-created PowerPoint® pages on employee news and events. The widescreen image is processed and sent as digital TV channel through the campus RF coax system.

 

Contemporary Research’s Display Express system controls the 50+ LG displays through the same RF coax that carries the channels. Running display power, volume, and channels by a daily schedule, Display Express can also force TVs to emergency news or weather channels with a single click. The displays are placed by elevator bays, where virtually all employees congregate several times a day.

 

Shares The Home Depot Television Manager Bruce Covey, “Once you’ve solved delivery, content is everything. By integrating PowerPoint, more people can contribute with a tool they already understand. Our goal was reinforce the messages employees were receiving by other pathways – and the system is meeting that need superbly. Our annual free Flu Shot event normally attracts several hundred people. With the new signage channel, we served over 3,000. By any marketing standard, that’s amazing.”

 

 

About Contemporary Research

Contemporary Research designs and creates solutions for an HDTV world, offering cutting-edge products, HDTV display control, digital signage, and tuning. In addition, CR supports a proven line of analog TV tuners, closed-captioning tools, as well as commercial and educational media systems. For more information about Contemporary Research products, visit us on the web at www.crwww.com or call (888) 972-2728.

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Douglas Fearing- Co-Founder / President

A graduate of DeVry Institute of Technology, Doug has been in the Technology industry since 1976 and actively oversees Fearing’s daily operations. Along with his wife, Lois, and three others, Doug started Fearing’s in a 600 square-foot facility in Portage, Wisconsin. In the 25 years since, the company has grown to over 30 employees with offices in Madison and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Doug likes to say he’s a “TV Technician with a dream� going back to his history with the family’s original business-Fearing’s TV and Appliance.

Doug values time with family, watersports, hiking, snowshoeing and skiing. In addition to being a devoted member of his church, Doug serves as Board President for Kinship Mentoring of Columbia County, Board member of Schools for Haiti and Scripture Chair of the Gideons-Portage camp.

Lois Fearing- Co-Founder/Accounting, Human Resources

A graduate of MATC, Lois oversees Fearing’s daily book keeping along with various HR responsibilities.

Along with Doug, Lois is deeply connected to community outreach, serving as a Board member and Fundraising Committee Chairperson for Kinship Mentoring of Columbia County. She also serves on the Schools for Haiti Fundraising committee. In addition, Lois’ ongoing passion and commitment to provide care for the elderly comes from her 10-year history of working in a Reedsburg, Wisconsin Nursing home.

Lois enjoys singing, hiking, sunny days on the pontoon, and spending time with her 4 grandchildren.

Ehren Tresner-VP of Technology and Innovation

Ehren drives Fearing’s technology by continually seeking out trends to enhance capabilities while supporting Sales, Engineering and Installation teams. Throughout his years with Fearing’s, Ehren’s talent and vision have joined forces to create a wide variety of projects and strategic solutions that exceed expectation.

Ehren loves music, family time, movies, nature, sustainability efforts and electric vehicles.

Ben Voeck-Director of Commercial AV

With 10 years with Fearing’s and over twice that long in the industry, Ben continues to lead, coordinate, and develop the Commercial AV team.

By consistently delivering an outstanding experience and outcome, Ben contributes to the Fearing’s legacy of long-lasting partnerships that truly make a difference. Whatever the Commercial AV need may be, Ben and team deliver at the highest level.

Ben is an avid fisherman and photographer. He enjoys coaching his sons and other youth.

Chris Matson-Senior VP of Sales

Chris has been with Fearing’s for 20 years and in the industry for over 2 decades. As a Certified leader in Sales Acceleration and trained in EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating Systems), Chris successfully utilizes his skills to lead the Fearing’s Salesforce. Chris and team are motivated and driven to develop new client partnerships while continuing to reinforce loyal long-term relationships with ongoing Service excellence.

Married for 19 years with 3 children, Chris enjoys skiing, hiking, fishing, boating, hunting, camping and golf. He’s also been actively involved as a Youth Football and Softball coach for his family and others.