No Internet?
No phone signal?
No power?
No problem!
Info-Point delivers your information to your visitors' mobile devices - anywhere
What is Info-Point and how does it work? This video explains it all in just over one minute.
YouTube URL:
What does it do?
Info-Point enables you to provide digital visitor information at any locality by creating your own stand-alone mini-internet. Visitors connect to the Info-Point Wi-Fi signal and navigate your information with their browser – just as if they were browsing the public web. You upload information direct to the Info-Point unit, using its easy content management interface, with your laptop or tablet.
Info-Point uses similar power to an energy-saving light bulb. It gives your visitors a 24/7 web-browsing experience at any location - without the web.
Who is using it?
Major historic and natural heritage organisations such as the National Trust, National Trust for Scotland, Cadw, RSPB, and Canal and River Trust as well as high-profile visitor attractions such as the Tower of London (Historic Royal Palaces). At the other end of the scale, small independent and volunteer-led museums and visitor centres, such as Coombe Mill, and Ryhope Steam Pumping Station. Professional interpreters are major players in developing innovative content for the info-Point platform and recommending it for appropriate projects - see our list of Partners. We are always more than happy to provide references and testimonials that are relevant to your project.
What are the advantages?
- Requires no internet connection or phone signal
- Can be sited indoors or outdoors
- Compatible with all web-browsing devices
- Does not require the user to download or install anything
- Easy to upload and update the content yourself
- Familiar and intuitive web-browsing interface
- Can be combined with tablets to make touch-screen 'kiosks'
- Can be mains, battery, or solar powered
- Can integrate with QR codes, NFC tags, Beacons and GIS
- Reliable bandwidth and capacity
- Multi-lingual language-switching capability
- Wirelessly networkable across large sites
- Capital cost - no ongoing charges
- Free to use for the user
- Physically secure if located out of reach
- 24/7 operation
- Energy efficient
- Auto-recovery from power failures or lock-ups
- Records visitor statistics for analytics
- Revenue and donation possibilities
- Restricts visitor experience to site visitors
- Hack-proof
- 5-year warranty
What is the visitor experience?
Your signage and leaflets alerts visitors to the Info-Point facility. The visitor connects to the Wi-Fi just as they would do at home or in a public building.
The visitor then opens their normal browser, and goes to your home page. From there they can interact with whatever content you have provided. They are only able to access what is on the Info-Point unit that they are connected to. They can't browse the wider internet or open emails etc.
Once the user moves out of Wi-Fi range, the Info-Point content will no longer be available to them, although any content you have made downloadable can be saved on their device for use later, such as event leaflets, maps, and outdoor trails.
How does it work?
An Info-Point is a completely self-contained unit. It generates a 'local web' - a kind of private intranet that works the same way as the public internet, but is separate from it. It requires only electrical power, which can be provided by solar or battery. It does not need the Internet, or Wi-Fi, or mobile phone signal - nothing. This means that it is completely secure and self-sufficient and has no ongoing charges, for you or your users. A unit will serve visitors up to 250 metres away, and multiple units can be distributed to form an extended network or used as local information hot-spots.
The use of standard web technology means that, unlike native apps that are restricted to a specific type of phone, Info-Point is compatible across all web-browsing devices - now and in the future. You can use web apps for creating interactive games and experiences. It comes with an easy to use content authoring system, so you don't need web expertise for normal content. You simply upload your images, documents, videos etc. and type in what written information you want displayed as titles, descriptions, and navigation buttons. Info-Point will take care of the layout and formatting, and even re-size your images to fit. If you have web design and programming skills you can do lots more, including build your own style of web site and interactive web apps.
Regional Workshops
We run occasional 'show-and-tell' workshops in conjunction with customers and heritage designers/interpreters.
These workshops give a brief tour in simple non-technical language of all the possibilities that smartphones provide in various aspects of heritage - from visitor information and interpretation, to accessibility and donations. We talk about some of the potential approaches and the benefits and pitfalls of each - including hot topics such as Apps, Beacons and Augmented Reality. There are first-hand ‘warts and all’ presentations of case stories by the host venue and the opportunity to ask questions.
The aim is to be objective and informative, in order to enable you to make wise decisions on what mobile digital technology might be appropriate for your projects.
These half-day workshops normally finish at lunchtime with a light lunch and may be rounded off with a tour. There is a small fee to cover costs. This Includes a copy of our book ‘Interpretation in a Digital Age’.
If you would like to be invited to future workshops, please let us know on our contact us page.
Interested?
Contact us if you have a specific project in mind. We, or our creative content Partners, can provide demonstrations on site. Enquire about our programme of regional workshops to give you general hands-on experience. If you just want us to keep you updated for now, then use the panel on this page to subscribe to our newsletter.
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