Digital Signage Software

What is Digital Signage Software?

Digital Signage Software manages and deploys marketing content to monitors, televisions, touch-screen kiosks, and other electronic screens. Digital Signage Software is most commonly used to display restaurant menus, targeted advertisements, emergency alerts, social media content, and wayfinding information. However, it can be used to control and deploy a wide array of digital assets, including digital assistants and end-user self-check-in features.

Digital Signage Software can be hosted on a separate media device or controlled remotely using mobile apps, desktop platforms, and web-based dashboards. While all Digital Signage Software allows assets to be displayed on electronic screens, some software allows you to create content and control the display device. In addition to this, most Digital Signage Software offers interaction reporting analytics.

Digital Signage Software offers many tools for both beginners and advanced users. Most offer well-designed interfaces that allow for easy content scheduling, simple app integration, design templates, as well as royalty-free media for quick and efficient setup. Advanced features include configurations to run on a variety of devices, control numerous plugins, as well as role-based access and use controls. Thus, Digital Signage Software provides a flexible range of marketing and interactive features for a variety of industries.

Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) Advertising

DOOH is one of the primary use cases for Digital Signage and refers to advertising displayed on digital screens in public spaces such as billboards, transit shelters, restaurants, etc. Leading Digital Signage providers such as Broadsign, Hivestack, and Vistar Media offer two different types of DOOH solutions:

• Demand Side Platforms (DSP) are channel-specific and marketed to ad buyers. Products with a DSP focus help agencies and brands bid for advertising on DOOH networks. Tools like Broadsign Ads leverage AI to deliver smart bids that optimize ROI. This is a form of programmatic advertising that can be targeted or retargeted towards a specific consumer group based on behavioral preferences, geography, or even weather conditions. Automated distribution of ad content can be adjusted to support campaigns with a diverse target audience.

Supply Side Platforms (SSP) help media owners of DOOH screens connect with buyers and book ad campaigns for their device network. Key capabilities include proposals based on client needs, automated scheduling for booked campaigns, and real-time inventory tracking to match customer specifications. Providers like Pickcel also enable remote maintenance and management from datacenters or through the cloud.

Digital Signage Software Features

Digital Signage Software has feature similarities with digital asset management software and content management systems, namely with regards to content hosting and deployment. Digital Signage Software integrates these features with external displays, and with specific touch-screen and mobile-app interfacing capabilities. Additionally, many Digital Signage Software solutions have built-in content creation that go beyond digital asset and content management. Here is a list of features provided by Digital Signage Software.

• Programmatic advertising
• Automated bidding, booking, and scheduling for ads
• Cloud-, web-, or on-premises hosting and management
• Management modules and dashboard
• Rules-based playback and viewership targeting
• Role-based access and permissions for end-users
• Content whitelists and blacklists
• Audit trails
• Automatic updating
• Automated content distribution
• High-definition display support
• Device performance monitoring
• Usage analytics and reporting
• Templates and customization
• Visual editing
• Audio control
• Media library storage
• App and widget repositories
• Royalty-free media repositories
• Smart device integration
• Wireless network integration
• Scalability with multiple screens and users
• Offline playback
• User segmentation

Digital Signage Software Comparison

Display system. When choosing the best Digital Signage Software for your needs, the display system itself and its multifaceted parts should factor heavily into the decision. To choose the best software, you’ll need to know which operating systems they support, especially if you plan on using external peripherals like Raspberry Pi or Chromecast modules. Viewneo works on Android, Windows, Chrome OS, macOS, iOS, and Linux systems. Some solutions such as Yodeck require the use of a proprietary device, so make sure it can integrate with your display system. Finally, make sure that your solution can support multi-screen deployment if necessary.

Content formatting. Another concern should be the format of your content. Ensure that your solution can read PDFs, RSS feeds, Google Slides, open-source media, or any other formats you’re planning to use. Additionally, if you plan to use a software’s content creation features, you may want to consider support for multiple languages or captioning. Finally, some solutions like Novisign only offer 500 MB of media storage and a maximum upload size of 100 MB for one file at the business subscription tier, which may be an issue if file size economy is important to you.

End-user interaction. Some Digital Signage Software allows for extensive interaction with end-users. If you plan to use your Digital Signage Software with touchscreens, you’ll want to make sure that your solution supports this. Ombori Grid allows users to control screens not just through touch, but also through voice or mobile apps, making them a good solution for businesses with accessibility concerns. Viewneo offers hardware solutions like facial recognition and sensors, making it a useful option if cameras are part of your displays.

Security features. Related to end-user interaction is the security of the software. While you want to make sure that your content is accessible, the last thing you need is for bad-faith actors to manipulate your signage and devices for their own benefit. Digital Signage Software providers like Moki MDM allow user- and device-based control. Others like Yodeck offer designated IP addresses, restricted user access, and two-factor authentication features for additional security.

App and widget integration. Since Digital Signage Software can be used in a wide range of industries, it has the potential to be used to create polls, use virtual assistants, book rooms, show news and weather, or stock updates in real-time. Facilitating this content will depend largely on the software’s ability to use both built-in and third-party apps and widgets natively or through extensions. For example, TelemetryTV only allows third-party integration beyond the starter subscription tier, but Userful Emerald includes built-in app integrations in all pricing plans.

Pricing Information

Virtually all Digital Signage Software solutions use subscription pricing plans that are scalable with use and storage needs. At the lowest subscription tiers, they range between $5 to $66 per month. Enterprise and private host plans are available and require working with the vendors to create a specialized plan. Most offer free trials. Generally, these prices only account for the software solutions; necessary hardware like Yodeck’s proprietary device is not factored into these prices.