Digital Signage

Overview

This is a Service Level Agreement (“SLA”) between the campus community and ITS to document:

• Procedures and requirements for acquiring supported digital displays
• Related costs to purchasing and installing digital signage
• Procedures for requesting service for digital signage

Service Description

Digital signage consists of the display of different digital media such as Cable TV, webpages, live streams, DVD material, or PowerPoint slides. Divisions and departments will be required to purchase approved digital displays that can be integrated into the campus digital signage system. Installation will be performed by ITS. Services will be performed on a timeframe consistent with their priority.

Roles & Responsibilities

Acquisition

Initial requests for acquisition of digital signage shall be made to Nick Ciesinski, ciesinsn@uww.edu.

Department/Division Responsibilities:

• Submit a request approved by the department/division chair/manager
• Describe the need for and usage of the digital signage and how it will support the department/division’s instructional or service mission
• Describe the type of media to be displayed (cable TV, internet streams, DVDs, informational slides, etc.)
• Provide for the costs of the screen and digital media player

ITS Responsibilities:

• Identify and approve displays for purchase that can be integrated with the campus infrastructure
• Respond to initial requests for information about purchasing within 10 business days

Installation

Department/Division responsibilities:

• Costs of cabling and installation

ITS Responsibilities:

• Installation timeline will be sent to the department/division so that they are aware of projected completion date
• Identifying needs for staff training and arranging for training delivery

Content Publishing

Content publishing for Digital Signage requires access to the campus system and a familiarity with the software used to publish the content (digital media).

Department/Division Responsibilities:

• Develop the content for display
• Publish the media in accordance with University Official Web Publishing Policy

ITS Responsibilities:

• Enabling access to the Digital Signage system for the appropriate staff
• Training in the use of software to publish content for a digital display; this does not include training in graphics or presentation software used to develop the content.
• Helpdesk support for troubleshooting problems

In addition, ITS can provide complete content development services, if desired. Details of this service are outside the scope of this agreement.

University Marketing and Communications

UMC will have the authority to use all of the campus digital signage during an emergency.

UMC Responsibilities:

• Develop content to be displayed on Digital Signage during a campus emergency
• Deploy content in the event of an emergency

ITS Responsibilities:

• Enable access for designated UMC personnel for campus-wide publishing
• Train necessary UMC personnel in content development and immediate publishing
• Maintain the Digital Signage system so that it is available during an emergency.

Requesting Service

Service requests fall into two categories: requests for acquisition and installation of new Digital Signage and incidents with currently installed Digital Signage.

In Scope Services

• Providing purchasing information about displays and digital media players
• Placing purchases for new equipment
• Installation of new equipment
• Service of the digital signage system
• Training for staff to publish digital content

Out of Scope Services

• Integration of pre-existing services into the campus system

Purchasing Requests

Inquiries about equipment purchasing should be made to Nick Ciesinski, ciesinsn@uww.edu. Please ensure that only authorized purchasers make the contact. Inquiries into new acquisitions should be accompanied by a brief rationale of the need for Digital Signage.

Responses to requests for new purchases will be made within 10 business days.

Reporting Incidents

The Helpdesk is the initial contact to report incidents or service problems with the campus digital signage system. Phone: 472-HELP (472-4357) or helpdesk@uww.edu.

The hours during academic sessions are:

Monday-Thursday: 8 AM - 9 PM

Fridays: 8 AM - 4:30 PM (Check Get Help for summer and extended hours.)

Hours of Coverage and Escalation Procedures

ITS is responsible for maintaining the infrastructure and operation of the Digital Signage system. Be aware that the content on a digital display will often be coming from a number of different sources, including sources hosted outside of the DS system and sources from off-campus. ITS is not responsible for the reliability of the content from outside sources.

If a digital display is not working, contact the Helpdesk to report the problem. Service will be prioritized according to the impact level.

If a department/division does not receive a contact within the specified time for their Impact Level, an email should be sent to sla-ITS@uww.edu.

Fees and Expenses

Departments/Divisions will assume the following costs associated with Digital Signage:

• Purchasing costs of compatible displays and Digital Media Player
• Infrastructure cost of $400 per unit up to a maximum of $5,000 for a department/division for any single order
• Installation costs-FP&M costs for electrical work, cabling costs, and network port cost
• Training on the use of the content publishing software is provided by ITS at no cost.

Related Documentation

• UW-Whitewater Web Publishing Policies