SAN FRANCISCO — Ecast, a provider of place-based interactive media, announced today that its EQ high-definition, flat-panel interactive media delivery solution for the bar hospitality market has been selected as a KioskCom Self Service Excellence Award finalist in the “Best Entertainment/Gaming Deployment” category. Winners will be announced at the KioskCom Expo and Digital Signage Show in Las Vegas, May 6, 2009.

The Ecast EQ award submission highlighted how the company’s interactive media platform reinvigorates place-based entertainment and advertising for the nightclub and bar hospitality market. A solution that offers a departure from the traditional jukebox, EQ is a portrait-oriented, 40-inch full HD flat-panel touchscreen display with a graphic-rich interface that uses Adobe Flash. With the touch of a finger, EQ delivers digital music, games, video, user-generated content, targeted advertising, in-house promotional messages and social media applications to offer unprecedented engagement at the point of purchase. The Ecast interactive media platform ensures content is automatically updated, while the Ecast Central (ECC) SaaS solution provides real-time, remote content management.

The EQ, introduced in September, 2008, was designed to addresses several modern day challenges such as tech-savvy consumers who expect a media experience on par with the Web, as well as advertisers’ needs to reach an increasingly fragmented market that’s on the go. For consumers, EQ addresses the technology habits of a younger generation who use PDAs to share entertainment and information. In addition to the “hip” caché EQ lends with its photo sharing, texting and music features, EQ also gives location owners in-house promotional capabilities, allowing them to advertise their events as well as drink and food specials on the unit. Finally, the EQ offers advertisers a modern form factor with visibility optimized for out-of-home engagement.

“Ecast has upped the ante by delivering the only media platform that effectively targets and engages today’s elusive 21-34 demographic while they are out of home,” said John Taylor, president and CEO, Ecast. “Combining the interactivity of self service with the reach of digital signage and the immersion of the Internet, EQ is the preeminent solution with the added value of measurable ROI.”