The 21st century will likely be categorized in history textbooks as the "digital age." Objects stemming from digital technology are now our everyday companions, and digital technology has transformed how we communicate.
Businesses have already grasped and embraced the benefits of digital signage. The technology industry continues to advance, bringing new, cutting-edge, and evolving products to the market.
digital signage and window displays dethroning traditional static displays to become the indispensable communication tool for businesses ?
Digital signage: the pinnacle of digital communication
It is a visual communication tool broadcasting messages on totems and touch kiosks or video walls with the aim of communicating dynamic information.
Digital signage adapts to the dissemination of internal or external company news. It will boost your communication to effectively reach a wide audience and deliver a better customer experience.
Paper advertising displays, which have become obsolete, are giving way to interactive digital displays.
Digital signage: a display solution to adopt.
It's the essential tool for a relevant communication strategy.
According to studies on memory by American psychologist Jerome Bruner, the human brain memorizes 20% of information read and 80% of information seen. It can analyze an image 60,000 times faster than text.
Therefore, digital signage naturally emerges as the most effective means of communication for influencing a prospect's buying journey. Visuals attract attention and showcase a company's products and services in a positive light, strengthening its brand image.
Digital signage can also be used for internal informational purposes within a company, by broadcasting real-time messages to employees.
Dynamic display: how does it work?
You don't need to be a computer expert to set up your digital signage . It's child's play!
Beforehand, you will need:
- of a communication medium (screen, totem, interactive kiosk, tablet, etc.),
- of multimedia content playlists,
- from a computer,
- of a free or paid digital signage software,
- of a player or box, a device for streaming your content to your device.
Next, the procedure is simple.
You program the display of the content via the software.
You connect the player to your computer and your communication device. Your multimedia content is then displayed on the video wall.
Digital signage: which software should you choose?
You have two options:
- opt for free, open-source digital signage software
- opt for a paid digital signage software version, offering broader broadcasting possibilities.
A selection of 5 versions of free digital signage software.
The strengths of open-source digital signage software are that it's free and easy to install, requiring only a computer or television screen.
Its weaknesses include basic features, limited content distribution, and the lack of installation support from the manufacturer.
A free digital signage software version is ideal for retailers or small businesses.
Let's review five free, open-source digital signage software options.
1. DigitalSignage.com
The free Californian software is based on an open-source framework supporting web standards such as HTML5, Flash, MRSS, HD videos, weather, live TV, RSS feeds, and much more.
SignageStudio is the creative management system that allows you to design your dynamic poster using drag and drop.
SignagePlayer is the management system that allows you to manage and send the displays to the audiovisual communication platform.
The platform is built on GPU processing, offering a smooth experience across all devices, including Windows, iPad, and Android.
The free version has 1GB of storage in SaaS mode, compatible with Windows, macOS and Linux/Ubuntu
2. Concerto
Although free, it offers a full suite of features for producing impactful digital signage, which can be broadcast by a computer and displayed on any connected monitor or TV.
Its operation requires a web server for content distribution capable of running Ruby on Rails (ROR) applications and a MySQL or similar database. Concerto offers practical features such as content scheduling to save time and workload, as well as the ability to display information across multiple screens.
The software is perfectly suited to small businesses, however its installation requires some basic experience in server administration.
3. ScreenHub
This free digital signage software is compatible with Linux, Windows, MacOS, Android and iOS operating systems.
Its management system allows users to create, modify, and control any digital display from any location.
ScreenHub has a special feature: the ability to adjust content for outdoor and indoor screens of any size or format.
The template options are varied, content scheduling is possible, as is social media integration. This LED display software is simple and intuitive.
Note that the free version contains 5 GB of storage.
4. Screenly Open Source Edition
Screenly OSE is the open-source version of the digital signage software from the British company Screenly.
To install Screenly OSE, you need a dedicated Raspberry Pi. Familiarity with Linux is recommended for properly configuring and maintaining presentations.
The interface is intuitive, allowing users to download content, create and schedule playlists on a single advertising screen.
Screenly OSE is ideal for a wide variety of uses, from digital displays of business metrics on a dashboard to digital menu boards in a restaurant. It can easily handle videos, as well as web pages and images.
5. Xibo
Xibo is a free, English-language, dynamic software application based on a SaaS model. The features of the Xibo digital signage software are as follows:
- software versions specific to each platform, for example, Xibo for Windows, Xibo for Linux, Xibo for Android, etc.
- extended design capabilities thanks to easy-to-use widgets.
- in-depth monitoring of every screen on a digital network with real-time diagnostic information
Xibo's main content management system is a paid subscription service. However, interested operators can take advantage of a free 14-day trial to test the software.
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