Banks are not normally thought of as casual hang-outs. Unlike the Laundromat, banking is an errand that usually doesn’t involve relaxing or stretches of significant downtime. One Portland, OR-based bank is trying to change this.
Umpqua Bank, which has 147 store locations throughout the West Coast, opened what the company calls Innovation Lab in November. The Innovation Lab is to act as a community hub of activity and a showcase for emerging and existing technologies — going beyond services found in a typical bank branch.
The 3000ft space offers a variety of resources such as a coffee stop and lounge, a computer cafe, meeting space and products from local merchants, as well as a 25ft product marquee that serves as the official community center. As a focal point for the Lab, the product marquee incorporates six 50in Planar Margay rear-projection displays. Eleven 40in Planar Bobcat X displays form a community mosaic wall as well as other interactive display areas.
Overlaid with touch technology, the Margay and Bobcat X displays offer visitors a visually impactful way to access and interact with digital content, such as community events and information, volunteer opportunities and Umpqua products and services. The Planar installations at Umpqua Bank were deployed by local systems integrator Avidex.
The 50in Planar Margay combines features of direct-view and rear-projection technology, such as single-chip HD2+ DLP technology for color performance, a 17.7in deep form factor and zero-mullion design that is suitable for large, multi-display video walls requiring seamless images. The Bobcat X offers key features such as a lightweight, 4in deep flat-panel form factor, up to 60,000 hours backlight life and several networking options.
For more information, visit www.umpqualab.com and www.planardigitalsignage.com/products.
