Blogpost was published on January 4, 2021
If you look 10 years back, people were using PowerPoint, USB drives, and files that they emailed themselves to display content on TVs. Now, we have cloud digital signage. The cloud allows you to access services over the internet instead of using software installed on individual computers. This means that it doesn’t matter where you are in the world or where your TVs are, you are always in touch with them.
The Cloud is also referred to as SAAS which stands for software-as-a-service. It is like moving your PowerPoint into the cloud with additional management and features. SAAS, or software as a service, is where you use services through the internet rather than software installed on your computer. When installing software on your computer only you have access and in some cases, you would only be able to access your digital signage when you are at the address or in the network.
Using cloud-based services, the software is in the cloud and is accessed through the internet. Having it in the cloud instead of on a PC or in-house server allows you to access it from anywhere and from any device with an internet connection. All you have to do is log in to your account and you’ll find everything as you left it on your other device. Many of us use SAAS programs every day without even realizing it.
When you use the Play Digital Signage Software, everything is created in the cloud, then downloaded to your player where it is then displayed on your TV’s. Let’s go over the process.
Use it all, use parts or not at all-- it is up to you. Play Digital Signage in the cloud is for easy management, a better overview of TV’s and content, the ability to design content live, and plenty of storage for the files used in your content. After you are signed up for Play Digital Signage, the first thing you do is upload your files. We support most file formats and if you have a file that we don’t support, we convert those files for you.
Once your files are uploaded, you start designing your content in the editor. These are also referred to as a playlist. Use your uploaded files alongside the extra content additions we provide in the form of plugins.
At Play Digital Signage, we offer many different plugins such as weather, Facebook, Instagram, and more. When your playlist is designed and ready to go, your player, the hardware connected to your TVs, is instructed to download the files, content schedules, and everything else it needs to display content on the TV.
All of this process happens simultaneously in the cloud. It’s truly amazing technology! Once your player has finished downloading, it doesn’t “talk” to the cloud until you ask it to download new content. It doesn’t always have to be connected to the cloud!
To use Play Digital Signage, which is cloud digital signage, you only need three things!
To get started with Play Digital Signage and our software, you need an account in the cloud which you can sign up for here. Don’t worry, it only takes some basic information and you are good to go.
You will also need a player which is the hardware you connect to your TV and which works a lot like a small computer making sure your content is displayed on the TV. We have tested all of the most common players for you. Find the best ones by clicking here.
The last thing you need is our APP. The APP is downloaded, usually from APP stores such as the Google Play Store, and installed on your player. When the APP is installed this connects to your account in the cloud and it will take commands from the cloud and display the correct content at any given time.
We have gathered everything you need to know about the app here.
When you use software that is in the cloud, including Play Digital Signage, you can get started immediately. You don’t have to wait for the software to be delivered or go through a lengthy installation process. Many of these programs only require online payment and account creation to obtain access. This saves a lot of time and as we all know, time is money. Additionally, instead of installing the software for a new employee, all you have to do is create another account for them to be able to jump right in with the rest of your team. No more sitting around waiting for access.
With traditional software, you have to install updates yourself or upgrade to the next version of the software. With cloud digital signage, updates are installed by the host. They also maintain the program for you and fix any glitches on their end. It provides a user-friendly and maintenance-free experience for the user. If you do have some trouble with the software, most companies have support available. Here at Play Digital Signage, we provide extensive troubleshooting information on our website and offer 24/7 chat support.
Speaking of updates, previously you would have to buy a new version of the software to get all of the new features that the provider rolls out. However, with the software being in the cloud, the provider can roll out new features instantly to all customers whenever they are available. This means that you can log in and automatically have the latest and greatest version of the software. You no longer have to pay for each upgrade, which leads us to another advantage of cloud digital signage. It’s cost-efficient!
Maintaining a data server in-house means more money spent on people, resources, servers, power, etc., and with the development in platforms and the demands for digital signage functionality, it is a heavy job to keep it up to date. Instead, these savings can be passed onto you.
Rather than having to pay for a standard software license for just a few people, using cloud digital signage allows you to pay for what you use. In this case, with Play Digital Signage, you only pay for the TV’s you use. This new way of charging saves you a lot of money and is especially affordable for smaller companies. And don’t worry, you can still add your whole team as users for no additional cost.
There is always a fear in the back of everyone’s minds when using internet-based software that it will crash and they will lose all of their hard work. However, the cloud is stable. It rarely ever goes down and if it does, your information and content are not lost. Still, worried? Check out our status page which shows you our live and past up times.
Security is something that immediately comes to mind when you bring up something that is accessed over the internet. And of course, it is a legitimate concern because there are things that can go wrong with technology. Lots of banks and larger corporations prefer to have all software in-house. They do this for different reasons-- some trying to save money and some for safety reasons, but it makes no sense these days, that we can make it safer or the same. This is especially true when thinking about how we do this for a living.
At Play Digital Signage, we have taken measures to make sure your content is secure. We have a secure site, two-factor authentication, local network storage files as well as pen testers testing out software for vulnerabilities. Let’s dive deeper into our security measures.
We keep up to date with all of our security measures and that starts with having a secure site. Our website is secure and is protected from malicious acts.
We encourage two-factor authentication when you log in to your account. This means that you’ll have to provide not only your username and password but also an additional identifier. The two-factor authentication process only takes a few seconds of your time but provides a lot of extra protection against potential hackers trying to get into your account. Learn more about two-factor authentication.
Pen testers are cyber-security experts who do penetration tests. The penetration tests are simulated attacks against your system to find any vulnerabilities. If there are vulnerabilities found while doing the test, measures can be put into place to prevent them. Here at Play Digital Signage, we regularly have pen testers check every area of our site which allows us to provide a very secure cloud digital signage.
Some people prefer to not have their corporate files stored in the cloud or even transported over the internet and that is understandable if they are somewhat confidential. It’s a known fact that files transported over the internet can be intercepted if the perpetrator is “listening” at the right spot and at the right time.
Though we do everything we can to prevent this, we also offer customers a solution where they can be sure their files are never stored in the cloud or transported over the internet. We offer a way to use files that are stored inside the customer's own network. Think about it as a network area storage solution, the player simply downloads the files from within your secure network instead of the cloud. We have thought of everything.
There are many reasons to use cloud-based software. From cost-efficiency to up-to-date features, the cloud is one of the best technologies to improve your business. At Play Digital Signage we have taken advantage of cloud technology to bring you the best and most up-to-date digital signage solution for all of your needs.
Get started by creating your Play Digital Signage account today. Click here!
Have more questions? Feel free to use our 24/7 chat support. We would be happy to help
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