In truth, there are no tools listed in this article that will knock your socks off. Despite digital signage software being on the cutting edge of interactive communications technology, the fact is that their tools are not breaking new ground. Yet, every tool listed in this article is outstanding for one simple reason: twenty years ago, they were either unfeasibly difficult to create or required a team of engineers to recreate their functions. In short, there are a lot of very sophisticated tools in the digital signage industry that we all take for granted because we forget how far we have come in the last twenty years. You must visit https://kitcast.tv/ page to learn more about digital signage software for Apple TV.
The Ability To Command Your Digital Signs From Anywhere
These days we are used to tools that allow us to work remotely, so it is probably no surprise that one of the best things about modern digital signage tools is that you can use them all over the world. Connecting to your signs via the Internet is no longer a novelty, it is now a staple of the entire industry.
Plus, thanks to better Internet connections and far more technologically advanced servers, people are able to disseminate the same chunks of information between hundreds of digital signs all around the world. Tools for remotely controlling your digital signs may seem a little old hat these days, but as recently as twenty years ago, such tools would have been revolutionary.
Pre-Made and Partially Made Templates
The web design industry taught us that a lot can be achieved with templates, and now thanks to better design interfaces and streamlined drag-and-drop systems, people are easily able to use templates to build excellent looking digital sign content.
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Digital Sign Content |
What’s more, the partially-made template is becoming more popular because people are warming to the idea of deeper customization when it comes to their digital content. Back in the bad old days, design tools made your content look like it was created by a High Schooler for his or her show-and-tell project. But, these days, even a rudimentary understanding of the design tools available allows people to customize templates to create very professionally looking digital sign content.
Manual and Automated Playlists
As you would expect, most digital signage software has a playlist function. However, modern digital signage software allows you to have both automated playlists and manual ones. The manual ones you can set running yourself. For example, maybe you have a different playlist that runs for each day.
Alternatively, you can set a playlist to run automatically, perhaps based on external signals. For example, if sales are going well, perhaps the sign displays adverts that are more brand building than they are overtly promotional.
Interactive Content Monitoring
Again, it will come as no surprise that the measurement of metrics is now a highly sought after tool in the digital signage software world. We have been spoiled by the likes of Google, who offer us online metrics for our websites without us having to pay for them. We now demand similar things of our digital signage software.
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Data metrics |
Even the most basic software allows you to track several metrics, especially if the signs are interactive. The collection of data is very easy, so it is up to the signage software provider to offer the raw data, and/or offer the tools to manipulate and interpret the data with a separate set of tools. Nevertheless, the monitoring tools and interpretation tools are very sought after these days because it helps digital sign owners understand their users a little better.
Quick Setup Tools
We all expect a quick installation, immediate compatibility, and very little setup these days. The good digital sign software producers offer the relevant setup and compatibility tools as standard; to the point where they hardly seem outstanding. Yet, do not forget that just a decade ago, something as simple as installing a piece of software on Windows was still tricky. Go back even further, and you needed an engineer just to wire up your CCTV security system when in these days almost every camera security system has a plug-and-play function.
Do not mistake something being expected with something not being outstanding. The truth is that most digital signage software can be used and played on most operating systems, from the classic desktop MacOS and Windows to the mobile operating systems like Android and Apple OS. Yet, this achievement alone is outstanding when you consider how difficult this all used to be just a decade ago.
Digital Signage Security Tools
The quality of modern security tools seems to vary wildly from one software producer to another. Though this seems like a bad thing, it isn't a big concern. In most cases, the information being transmitted is promotional, and hackers gain very little from getting into the system unless they are looking to cause a little mischief.
Some digital signage software does have very strong security, but these pieces of software are usually the types you see in large corporate buildings or call centres. They often have very powerful security tools because even though the information being conveyed and transmitted is not sensitive, it can still give hackers an edge if they are looking to conduct system attacks, or even if they are trying to find weaknesses in the rest of the system. Modern security tools, especially encryption functions, are very impressive.
Cloud Storage Tools
If you are looking to control your digital signs remotely, then it only makes sense that much of the required content be stored on the Cloud. The Cloud storage tools also come with the standard local storage tools and a variety of backup tools. Backup tools, both on and off the Cloud, are very handy these days. They make up a big part of many businesses’ disaster recovery plans, and they help companies guard against ransomware attacks. Also, do not forget that the ability to save in more than one location helps protect your content; the same content you may have paid designers a lot of money to produce.
Collaborative Tools
By simply installing the software and giving out passwords, you can have a whole team collaborate on every part of the content production and publishing process. What’s more, thanks to customizable permissions tools, you can ensure that the right people do the right job, and you can guard against malcontented or incompetent employees publishing content that is not ready or suitable for public viewing. Also, since the tools can be used remotely, you can collaborate overseas, which is very useful for people who want their content translating into the local language.
Conclusion - Years of Progress Making Things More Simple
The digital signage industry has helped to prove a point made by the 1993 movie “Demolition Man.” As Stallone and Bullock sit in an auto-driving car, she states that the future is made up of very sophisticated technology sitting behind the outward appearance of simplicity.
The same is true of digital signage software tools. They may look simple when you compare them to the things we are used to today, but just twenty years ago, the tools we take for granted now were not only a pipe dream, but many of them were also considered too unfeasible to try. The tools in this list may not be winning any prizes in innovation, but if you do not think they are outstanding, then take a look back at what we used to have and be thankful you are living in today’s modern era.
