Umer Kamran
Digital Content Platform | Digital Displays
Client Overview
A leading North American real estate operator managing multi-city office towers sought to modernize its tenant-facing lobby screens. Existing displays were locked into a third-party media vendor with limited customization, no ad-revenue sharing, and aging infrastructure.
The Challenge
Rigid vendor lock-in: Content and layouts were controlled by an external provider with little flexibility.
Aging infrastructure: Screens and playback devices were nearing end-of-life.
No monetization: Valuable lobby screen real estate generated no direct advertising revenue.
Operational risks: Lack of centralized control across multiple cities led to inconsistent messaging and security gaps.
Our Approach
The client considered shifting to a SaaS-based digital content platform. The solution involved:
Replacing ~85 lobby screens across two major cities.
Deploying lightweight devices behind each screen, centrally managed via a cloud portal.
Enabling vertical/horizontal layouts, music/audio integration, and real-time previews.
Piloting the new system in parallel with the incumbent vendor to de-risk cutover.
Conducting a full security review, including network segmentation and content governance.
Results & Benefits
Flexibility: Property teams can now schedule content, building messages, and emergency alerts with ease.
Flexibility: Property teams can now schedule content, building messages, and emergency alerts with ease.
Monetization: Ad insertion unlocked a new revenue stream from underutilized lobby screens.
Consistency & control: Centralized oversight improved brand alignment and operational resilience across sites.
Lessons Learned
Early alignment on security/compliance is critical when introducing third-party SaaS to building networks.
A parallel pilot is the safest path when sunsetting long-standing vendor relationships.
Defining an ad-governance policy upfront ensures monetization doesn’t conflict with tenant/brand values.