Apovid GmbH is an OTC system specialist in the pharmacy sector. Together with pharmacists, the Munich-based company developed a digital signage solution that informs customers in the pharmacy about current offers and promotions, among other things . This modern marketing tool requires powerful, reliable and centrally administrable hardware. The choice finally fell on the GIADA F105D mini PC from our product portfolio, combined with our services, with which we can efficiently ensure a permanent 24/7 operation.

Features of Apovid’s Digital Signage Solution

  • Apovid equips partner pharmacies with a high-quality screen and content management solution free of charge. Advertising and individual spots run in a continuous loop on the monitors, which are positioned in the best possible way in terms of sales strategy.
  • The monitors of Apovid’s OTC system are mounted in the so-called “sight selection” area: When customers enter the pharmacy, they get pharmaceutical information on non-prescription products that are positioned exactly where all the “bestsellers” appear – in their direct field of vision.
  • In addition, pharmacies can also broadcast individual information. With the OTC system, pharmacists use modern digital signage communication to address their customers directly in the sales situation and to create an incentive to buy at the point of sale.

Continuous Operation in Pharmacies with Reliable and Compact Devices

The switch to GIADA was made due to dissatisfaction with the previously used hardware solution “Next Unit of Computing” (NUC). Apovid’s project manager Tobias Weinzierl saw serious deficiencies in two crucial points:

  • Reliability: In professional long-term operation, failures occurred time and again. The result was increased operating costs due to expensive on-site service calls.
  • Dimensions: When installed behind monitors, the device height of the PCs proved to be problematic.

Based on these requirements, our sales manager Michael Eder was able to provide a suitable alternative straight away: The Mini-PC F105D from GIADA. This offers a number of advantages that exactly match the requirements profile in the pharmacy:

  • Low power consumption
  • Up-to-date technology with Windows 10 IoT operating system
  • Extremely flat design (height of only 30mm, so that it can be comfortably installed behind the monitor)
  • Compatibility with any type of monitor thanks to HDMI 1.4b, DisplayPort 1.2 and VGA outputs
  • Excellent picture quality with Full HD and even 4K resolution
  • Silent operation due to fanless design
  • Reliable high-load operation due to integrated cooling system

1,500 Players for 1,200 Digital Signage Pharmacies by 2020

The computers were configured specifically for the project and were delivered duration-tested. Apovid had to provide a software image only, our technicians took care of everything else by handing over ready-cloned computers to Apovid. This saves a lot of time: now 15 minutes are enough for a test run and the GIADA minis can start their work. By 2020, Apovid plans to have up to 1,500 mini PCs running at 1,200 locations across the country.

“We have not had a single failure in the entire time that we have been using the GIADA players for our OTC system. This reliability is indispensable for our business. With Concept International, we have a digital signage partner at our side who understands our business from the bottom up and has the right product solutions in its portfolio – even beyond the conventional life cycles.”

(Tobias Weinzierl, Project Manager Apovid GmbH)