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Planar Announces Partnership to Provide Display Solutions for the Quick Serve Restaurant (QSR) Market

LC46 Outdoor Digital Menu Board (Photo: Business Wire)

With over 75,000 QSR drive-thru operations in North America, the need for reliable, sunlight readable menu ordering digital display performance for drive-thru customers is vital. The combined offering of Planar's rugged outdoor digital menu display with USI's rugged enclosure and overall QSR knowledge, provides a hassle-free maintenance experience for mission critical performance under adverse conditions to the QSR industry.

From leading fast-food restaurants to beverage drive-thru facilities, Planar and USI are working with some of the best in the business to provide digital signage menu displays and enclosure installations throughout North America. Several trial installations are underway and a significant improvement in the drive-thru experience has been recognized, according to initial reports. Digital signage displays are used by QSR operators to improve drive-thru efficiency, reduce costs, provide revenue uplift, and promote overall brand and image.

In contrast to static drive-thru menu boards, one of the compelling benefits of digital signage menu displays is the network of customizable displays can be controlled electronically from a centralized computer, allowing content, such as menu options, specials and pricing, to be scheduled and updated from a remote location anytime day or night. Another compelling benefit is the use of animation or picture-in-picture of the person taking the order, thus providing the equivalent of a walk-up customer service experience at the drive-thru. These benefits are impossible to experience with a static menu board.

"The Planar and USI partnership will create new innovative solutions to address the anticipated growth in deployment of digital signage solutions by the quick serve restaurant industry," said Doug Barnes, vice president and general manager at Planar Systems. "Providing digital signage solutions that include rugged enclosures for the vast number of QSR drive-thru environments enables Planar and USI to enhance the user experience and increase the customers' competitive advantage."

UniStructures has over 25 years of experience servicing the QSR market and initially developed and patented the first pivoting/self-returning canopy system for the drive-thru to protect customers from the elements and to promote the specific brand image. USI designs and manufactures state-of-the-art enclosures to meet the demanding environment requirements of outdoor QSR applications. Applying their expertise in the drive-thru setting, UniStructures' technology has brought to market a best-in-class enclosure solution for QSR drive-thru digital menu boards.

"Planar provides best-in-class digital displays for the demanding QSR environment," said Michael Barnes, CEO at UniStructures. "Together we have developed a unique solution which allows long-term reliability, ease of service and a much lower cost of ownership than others in the industry."

Planar's LC3250 and LC4650 outdoor digital menu displays are engineered from the ground up to be the optimal digital signage solution for the drive-thru experience and are protected by a best-in-class enclosure. The patent-pending display design ensures round-the-clock operation in extreme temperatures without the disadvantages of competing alternatives, such as air conditioning units found in competitive displays. With the elimination of an air-conditioning unit to cool the glass, these displays operate more efficiently using only a single 15A circuit, consequently lowering the cost of operation. The LC3250 and LC4650 displays have no air gap between the display and cover glass resulting in reduced reflections, increased brightness, improved overall contrast and viewability and elimination of potential condensation and debris. Designed and manufactured as a modular unit with field-serviceable components, including lamps, Planar's digital display solutions offer a fail-safe design by including multiple levels of redundancy to insure a single failure doesn't result in system failure.

The Planar and USI partnership includes commitments from several software and content creation providers to furnish QSR industry leadership with a complete solution for their menu board requirements. USI provides installation and maintenance services for all of the outdoor elements. This "total solution approach" allows the Quick Serve Restaurant market a one-stop shopping experience when seeking total menu ordering solutions.

All Planar display products are backed by the company's industry-leading service warranty. Offering a standard or custom solution for digital signage applications, backed by sophisticated manufacturing and supply chain management, Planar ensures that digital signage needs will feature the performance and return on investment for mission-critical applications. Additional information about these digital signage solutions, and other display offerings, is available at www.planar.com and www.UniStructures.com.

About Planar

Planar Systems, Inc (NASDAQ:PLNR) is a global leader of specialty display technology providing hardware and software solutions for the world's most demanding environments. Hospitals, space and military programs, utility and transportation hubs, retailers, banks, government agencies, businesses, and home theater enthusiasts all depend on Planar to provide superior performance when image experience is of the highest importance. Founded in 1983, Planar is headquartered in Oregon, USA, with offices, manufacturing partners, and customers worldwide. For more information, visit www.planar.com.

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Planar Systems, Inc.
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