Is Cloud Based Digital Signage the best option?

Blogpost was published on November 3, 2021

Cloud-based digital signage can have a lot of great benefits for businesses of all sizes. Its main purpose is to inform and engage customers or employees using a variety of different types of content. There are a few components to every digital signage setup. First, you have the screen which displays the content you have created. Next, you have the digital signage software which is used to manage your content.

Finally, you have the digital signage player which formats and stores your data and connects the software to the screen. The digital signage player can work on two different networks. They can be on-premise network signage players or they can be cloud-based network signage players. There are benefits and disadvantages to both, but what is the best for your situation?

Cloud-Based digital signage software for business in 2024

On-Premise vs. Cloud-Based Digital Signage Networks

Let’s break down on-premise and cloud-based digital signage networks, what each of them is, and the advantages and disadvantages.

On-Premise Network

With an on-premise network signage player, all data, hardware, and software are managed and stored on your business premises. This means uploading content to in-house servers and completing management on all of your own hardware. Oftentimes with on-premise network signage players, the software is downloaded onto hard drives rather than accessed through the internet.

Benefits of On-Premise Network

You have greater control over security. Since none of the data is over the public internet, there is less risk of interception. You can also control who has access by utilizing on-premise measures such as putting the hardware under lock and key.
On-premise network signage players are a long-term investment. Once you have everything set up, you own all of those resources.
You have full control of on-premise network signage players. Everything is under your management, so you control exactly what happens at all times without relying on anyone else.

Disadvantages of On-Premise Network

On-premise network signage players require manually installed frequent updates. There will be both security and software updates that have to be kept up with manually on-site, which can take a lot of your time.
On-premise solutions require a lot of resources including power, temperature control, servers, staff, and more.
When you are ready to expand or change content, implementing new features is difficult and again, has to be manually done.
Since everything is stored on-premise, it can only be accessed and managed on-site, making logistics difficult if you have multiple locations and specific working hours.
With an on-premise setup, you don’t have any support and must do it on your own or employ a knowledgeable IT department.
On-premise networks are higher cost because you not only have to invest in all of the upfront hardware, but it also takes time, staff, and energy to run it which is costly.

Cloud-Based Network

With a cloud-based network signage player, the physical screen and player hardware are in-house, but data and the software are stored and accessed through the cloud via wireless internet access. There is a lot less hardware needed for this type of network signage player which means it also comes with a lot of benefits.

Benefits of Cloud-Based

Cloud-based network signage players have automatic updates, which means that as security and software updates come out, they are automatically updated for you. You no longer need to remember to install them or take the time to do so.
Security used to be one of the main concerns with cloud-based digital signage; however, cloud-based network signage players are now very secure and have multiple levels of security measures.
Since cloud-based network signage players are connected to the internet, you can access it from anywhere and at any time, making changes and management super easy.
When new features are released, they are automatically added to your player which means that when you want to implement them into your content, there are no extra steps.
Cloud-based solutions do not require any extra burden on company resources because they do not pull excess energy and need no support from staff.
With cloud-based network signage players, you only pay only for what you use.
There is no need to have any servers since everything is handled by the cloud.
With cloud-based network signage players, you get a dedicated support team, so you don’t have to worry about having an IT department.

Disadvantages of Cloud-Based Network

The only disadvantage to cloud-based digital signage is that the initial price per screen is a bit higher. However, even this can be offset by long-term use or renting out advertisement space to other businesses.

What’s the Best Network For Your Business?

So now that we have gone in-depth about on-premise and cloud-based network signage players, the question remains-- what is the best digital signage network solution for your business? Overall, cloud-based solutions have more benefits than disadvantages for every industry.

However, the only two businesses that might consider on-premise network signage players are financial institutions or large-scale corporations. Though cloud-based digital signage can work for these companies as well, they might choose on-premise if they already have a lot of the resources to support it.

If you do decide that cloud-based is the best option for you, which many will, it is important to find a digital signage provider that supports cloud-based network signage players.

What to Look For in a Cloud-Based Digital Signage Provider

Not all cloud-based digital signage providers are created equal, so here are a few things to look for before making your selection.

Built-in Content Editor

Cloud-based digital signage software should offer a built-in content editor because otherwise, you have to upload your content after you have designed it in another software. If you are going to have to manually upload content, then that defeats the purpose and convenience of being cloud-based and having automatic updates easy content creation, and all of the other benefits it provides.

Support

One of the benefits of a cloud-based network signage player is that it comes with technical support. However, every company has different support options. You’ll want to make sure you choose one that has 24-hour support, plenty of instruction videos, and live demonstrations when you need help. Nothing is worse than having a technical problem and not being able to reach someone when you need them.

Compatibility

A lot of digital signage companies require specific network signage players for their service to work. You should look for a digital signage company that allows you to use any network signage player so that you do not have to worry about compatibility. This will save you frustration, time, and money if the company you use is compatible with a variety of options.

Up Time

One worry of cloud-based network signage players is that they go offline and when they do, your content goes down. Great cloud-based digital signage companies will have an up-time of 99% or higher. You should be able to have proof of their reliability.

Security

The biggest concern of cloud-based network signage players is security. However, there are now ways companies can make cloud-based digital signage far more secure. From two-factor authentication to the option of storing files on your own secure network and more, cloud-based network signage players are now just as secure as on-premise if hosting with the right company.

Use Play Digital Signage for Cloud-Based Networks

We have eliminated the downsides of cloud-based signage by implementing all of the features above and more. Play Digital Signage has a built-in full-featured content editor, is compatible with a variety of hardware, is consistent with uptime, prioritizes security, and offers 24/7 live support. Play Digital Signage has made cloud-based network signage players a no-brainer by solving all of the previous problems of using the cloud.

Check Out Play Digital Signage Free

Here at Play Digital Signage, we are confident you will love our take on cloud-based digital signage which is why we offer a ten screen trial with no time limit! We won’t even ask you for any credit card or billing information until you are ready to go live. This means that you can set up and design content for up to ten screens before you are charged a dime by us. Get started with your ten free screens and see what Play Digital Signage can do for you in three easy steps.

Sign up at playsignage.com.
Choose your screens. Play Digital Signage is compatible with screens of all sizes, so the choice is yours.
Pick a player. Don’t worry, we know there is a lot to choose from, so we have researched for you. Check out some of the best players at every price point here.

Once you have completed these three steps, you are ready to see the power of cloud-based digital signage and begin designing your content. Still have questions, reach out to us any time of day. We are always here to help!