Harkness Screens has announced a major investment in its digital screen technology platform. Launched in 2013, the Harkness digital screen software offers a number of tools, which are designed to help architects, exhibitors and installers to ensure they are creating the correct specification and design of cinema screens. These tools range from the Digital Screen Modeller, a real-time 3D simulation tool for visualising on-screen presentation quality through to the Digital Screen Verifier, a light measurement app for the iPhone.
“Since we launched the platform in 2013 with a vision to create better outcomes for our customers and in turn the movie-goer, the Harkness platform has become an integral part of the design and specification process for screens around the world with over 15,000 downloads across both iOS and Android,” said Richard Mitchell, vice president global marketing & commercial development at Harkness Screens. “This new investment allows us to take advantage of infrastructures and technologies that were still in their infancy when we launched our platform, to add new functionality to our tools and to create improved experiences and better outcomes for our global users.”
At the heart of this new investment will be the development of a new user interface across all tools and the addition of a secure cloud-based central user and data management system for all utilities called myHarkness. The new system will allow users to benefit from being able to use complete cinema auditorium data (from physical measurements through to brightness levels and equipment specifications) across multiple platforms and allow for collaboration between teams and project stakeholders as well as opening up a number of significant opportunities for Harkness customers to benefit from an enhanced experience.
“Our apps have allowed customers to optimize design, generate return on investment, specify and monitor light and sound levels, measure moiré and laser speckle, test for environmental damage, autogenerate maintenance scheduling and more,” said Harkness CEO Mark Ashcroft. “Leaping forward, as part of this new myHarkness approach we are in very advanced stages of investigating how these tools and other digital assets within the Harkness portfolio can assist in upgrading the end-to-end quality of our screens including digital inspection, monitored transportation and installation. Managed well this will add to the relationship Harkness has been able to share with customers for decades to come.”
The new suite of Harkness utilities is due to launch in 2020; the company is expected to run beta trials with existing users and key customers in late 2019.
Harkness Screens www.harkness-screens.com