Four Winds Interactive vs Robin

Likelihood to Recommend

If you want to create an elaborate, multi-leveled kiosk for your organization, Four Winds Interactive Content Manager Desktop can definitely do that for you. Just know going in that it's not the easiest to operate, and definitely devote time to training. Definitely have a couple of people go through this training, so it's not just one person in your organization that can operate Four Winds.

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Ashley Pauls

Assistant director of communications

K-State Alumni AssociationPublic Relations & Communications, 11-50 employees

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Robin is my benchmark for room displays. It effectively does what it is meant to do without additional fluff. The default theme is more than you'll ever really need, but customization is available. I just really wish there was a simpler way to remove check-in requirements for events. I would always recommend them first for most situations, but my company has a special use case that Robin, or any other competitors for that matter, have not been able to achieve yet.

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Isidoro "Roy" Jovero

IT Support Engineer

ConfluentComputer Software, 1001-5000 employees

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Pros

The FWi platform handles very complex or unique situations better than other signage solutions. They support every standard type of data and web service, and through a supplemental Integration Framework product they can support almost anything out there... or things that aren't even out there yet.
Their support and assistance has gotten very good over the years; I'd say it is now excellent. Their team of sign builders and engineers have advanced knowledge of the product and how it can be used; you won't get a "did you try restarting it?" when dealing with them.

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Ben Erling

Vice President, Operations

Must View NetworksMarketing & Advertising, 11-50 employees

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The integration to GSuite calendars is fantastic. Very simple and straightforward.
The ability to customize the interface a very nice feature to have in Robin, as it offers you to allow the UI to reflect the vibe/brand of your company, and not force its own brand on you.

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Verified User

Engineer in Customer Service

Computer Software Company, 51-200 employees

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Cons

When working with a large installation the amount of mouse clicking and dragging and setting of settings and make your hand a bit sore but the modular component setup of this software demands a lot of settings.
As a custom software designer myself I would like to see more group effective operations so I could effect a change at a property level instead of an individual player level.
Upgrading to a new version of the software I have left to the experts at FWI because it is rather complex. They state they are working on better ways to perform large upgrades.

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Richard Van Rhyn

Director of Sign Animation

Station CasinosGambling & Casinos, 10,001+ employees

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Sometimes the Robin app on iPad loses Wi-Fi connectivity for a few seconds (Wi-Fi is 100% working) but reconnects itself - no big deal
Sometimes Robin Slack bot won't respond back to "what's available" but 99% it works ok
The earlier version of iPad app drained batter too quickly (it didn't save brightness setting) which was fixed and now works well

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Verified User

Program Manager in Professional Services

Information Technology and Services Company, 501-1000 employees

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Usability

Four Winds Interactive 6.4

Based on 1 answer

The software is made for technical people, not for novices.

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Verified User

Administrator in Information Technology

Higher Education Company, 5001-10,000 employees

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Robin 8.7

Based on 9 answers

Robin's UI is very well designed and modern which makes it a pleasure to use. Personally this a big factor for me enjoying a product and so I'm always happy to use Robin - moreover as a relatively new user the UI was quite quick to pick-up, whether that be using the online system or the Display app for rooms around the office.

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Verified User

Engineer in Engineering

Leisure, Travel & Tourism Company, 10,001+ employees

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Support Rating

Four Winds Interactive 7.3

Based on 5 answers

Great business partners

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Verified User

Manager in Information Technology

Retail Company, 501-1000 employees

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Robin 9.5

Based on 22 answers

Excellent timely and accurate responses. Their support section contains thorough and useful guides, alongside an instant chat function that quickly puts you in contact with their team. Their team has never failed to give me exactly the information I need. I am also in regular contact with my representative to go over potential uses and new functions.

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Verified User

Administrator in Information Technology

Real Estate Company, 201-500 employees

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Alternatives Considered

Simply put, FWi outperforms just about any other software solution by being more adaptable and more reliable, while being competitively priced for its class (top shelf). It's not as cheap as using "free" signage software that's in the cloud, or built into display screens (LG), but if you plan on doing more than running slides and you plan on doing it in multiple locations and screens, this is the platform to do it on - especially if your venues and needs vary across the network.

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Ben Erling

Vice President, Operations

Must View NetworksMarketing & Advertising, 11-50 employees

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In terms of meeting room booking platforms, I compare Robin to Condeco, which I used previously. Condeco (at the time at least) ran on proprietary hardware, which was a nightmare to manage compared to the ease of use with Robin running on iPads. iPads are easily swapped out and there is lots of flexibility to how they are physically mounted. Condeco screens on the other hand were "licenses" and we were not allowed to stockpile surplus as replacements. They were buggy and often failed so this was a huge problem. Robin has none of these issues and has quickly become the gold standard for meeting room booking management.As for space management, I have used iOFFICE previously, which is more full-featured and robust. Robin is at the very beginning of their roadmap for space management however, so I give them a pass. There is a big cost difference, and since we already use Robin it made more sense to go with the lighter feature set, as opposed to the more expensive app that was more powerful than we currently need.

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Adam Gallant, FMP, LEED GA

Facility Manager

PagerDutyComputer Software, 501-1000 employees

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Return on Investment

Works better than our old kiosk system
Helped us modernize the look of our kiosk

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Ashley Pauls

Assistant director of communications

K-State Alumni AssociationPublic Relations & Communications, 11-50 employees

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Indirectly adds to our overall ROI by reliably securing meeting times, specifically during COVID-19.
Also during COVID-19 keeps a coworking space safe. Having activity and control of people in a room is imperative and non-confrontational when it is automatically and safely booked from the comfort of wherever you use Robin.

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Josiah Sinanan

Digital Lead

Arcade StudiosMarketing & Advertising, 11-50 employees

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Pricing Details

General

Free Trial

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Free/Freemium Version

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Premium Consulting/Integration Services

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Entry-level set up fee?

No

General

Free Trial

—

Free/Freemium Version

—

Premium Consulting/Integration Services

—

Entry-level set up fee?

No