When employing a digital signage solution

A digital signage solution includes a monitor, media player, content (video, images, HTML, etc), content management system, and other peripherals. Each of the components has thousands of different products in the market. Pricing, functions, hardware/software spec all vary a lot.

I was about to share a checklist for those who are procuring that equipment; more specifically, a checklist for selecting media players and CMS since this is what my company is doing. Then I figure out it’s probably better to have an overview of the digital signage system before getting into details. After all, the components are very diverse, and it’ll be clearer if we can find some common goals we’re looking at.

Digital signage differs from TV since it is engineered for commercial use and 24/7 operation. It gives the owner/system manager full control over the display content. Depending on how powerful and sophisticated the system is, there are tons of different system designs.

Industrial-grade hardware and powerful content management software altogether form a powerful solution with robust and stable performance. The cost is higher and implementation might take some time at an initial stage, but it saves energy to go back and forth to the site to check on issues and repair in the future.

There are also options such as a screen with an embedded player and basic content management software. This is less costly and suitable for those who don’t require much flexibility and instant content update.

Plenty of hardware/software products are in between the two and here are things you may want to consider before your purchase.

Whether the solution is suitable for a variety of applications. The most intuitive one will be if it applies well to the project of different scales. Another example would be whether the solution could be used for various sectors (education, government, retail, museum, etc).

Another thing we could look at is if we will be able to manage and update the content anywhere. So two questions here: can displays be managed remotely? And can they be monitored or accessed via any PC?

These are rather hard to be spotted at the primary stage of procurement and installation since we need time to test out whether the solution can serve for long. However, durability and stability are important, as they determine the actual cost for maintenance of the whole system.

One suggestion will be using commercial and industrial-grade equipment, better if they are designed for digital signage and 24/7 operation. Another will be searching for a brand that exists in the market for a long and has a stable clientele so that you know it’s reliable.

Security is certainly one thing to consider. You might be lucky sometimes, but once a breach happens, it will take huge efforts to patch things up. Consult your vendor if there’s anything you could do to ensure your device and data safety. Cayin has also published a nicely written post that shares some tips to keep the network safe:

Examine if the solution can fit your requirements. This is rather easy. But to maximize the utility of a digital signage campaign, you could look into other functions provided by your supplier, and see if there’s anything to add to your service value, to increase the competitive edge.

I will address some common functions of CMS and their importance in another article.

Price matters, of course. I put this at last because I think to have a full picture of cost-effectiveness, the other factors have to be taken into account. The higher quality of the equipment the user employs, the less cost he/she will need to endure in the future. To really get a cost-effective solution, please check if there’s ongoing support by the vendor if there’s a recurring software license fee, system upgraded fee, and other hidden costs.

These are things I will suggest looking at when employing a digital signage solution. You’re welcomed to share yours if there’s anything I didn’t cover.

Wish all of you the best of luck with your business and project!