Digital Signage: Getting ready

We've put together a dossier to help you prepare your digital signage project. Here's the program: 

• Getting ready #1: Equipment
• Getting ready #2: Set-up time and effort
• Getting ready #3: Support technical and maintenance
• Getting ready #4: Training and familiarization time
• Getting ready #5: Connectivity and bandwidth
• Getting ready #6: Safety
• Getting ready #7: Usability and scalability
• Getting ready #8: Pricing
• Summary: Getting ready for digital signage

Digital signage is a communication tool for broadcasting messages in the form of multimedia content to an audience of varying size and diversity, with the aim of creating a relationship with them, or conveying information.
Thanks to a high-performance solution digital signage systema communicator can send content from his or her computer to the display system, which then processes it and displays it on the broadcast screens.

Installing and setting up service such a tool can be a complex task, especially for the uninitiated or non-technical staff. In fact, a digital signage system generally consists of several components, sometimes located at distant sites, which need to be interconnected. Generally speaking, a digital signage system consists ofone or more screens,one or more display players,a server that stores content and user configuration, and finally the management software (or platform) that controls the screens and content. These elements must communicate with each other to ensure the system's operation.

Whether you're looking for a replacement solution or looking to upgrade, one of the first questions to ask concerns the model of system to be installed.

The different system models

There are many different types of digital signage systems, essentially in terms of the network structure used for equipment communication (also known as network architecture). Many different architectures exist, but it's possible to group them into 2 main ones, which give rise to 2 digital signage system models.

The "hosted" model (also known as on-premise)

In this model, the digital signage system is installed entirely on the customer's internal network. The equipment communicates via the company's local network and is isolated from the outside world, particularly the Internet. Screens and content are managed via software installed on one or more computers on the company network (sometimes also via an intranet).

The "Software as a Service " model (also known as SaaS, or Cloud)

In this model, the digital signage system is partially installed at the customer's premises. The display players are installed on the customer's premises. The servers are hosted by the service provider. The equipment communicates with each other via the Internet. Screens and content are managed via an Internet-accessible management platform.

The "hybrid" model

A third model, called "hybrid", offers an alternative between these two models. It's based on the hosted model, except that some equipment can still communicate with the Internet.

Should you opt for solution SaaS, solution on-premise or solution hybrid?

The answer obviously depends on each case and each need, and it would be difficult for a single model to satisfy all requirements, given the wide range of specific uses. The following series of articles will nevertheless attempt to highlight the differences between them, in order to guide you through this sometimes complex and often not inconsequential choice.
Before going into more detail about the characteristics of these solutions, and choosing the one that best suits your needs, it's first necessary to understand what digital signage is, by consulting our article Understanding digital signage.

Cenareo offers you an intuitive, scalable solution Saas solution, perfectly adapted to the needs of communications professionals in all sectors of activity: point-of-sale, in-house communications, hospitality and DOOH.

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