Who is to create and publish content, do installations and maintain digital signage within your organization?There is really very little difference between managing a website and managing a digital signage or self-service kiosk system.

One of the most common worries I have found among customers is that they worry about who is going to handle digital signage in their organization? It is not as complicated as you think.

In a previous blog spot I mentioned the initial problem of getting different departments within an organization to work together. When it actually comes to starting up a pilot project there are many worries about who is actually to do the job to get everything up and running. Things may seem to fall between the chairs which eventually may jeopardize the project.

The important thing to remember is that to handle a digital signage (and self service kiosk) system that has a central server is very similar to handling a website.

When it comes to content, this may be handled by the same people as are in charge of the website. Content is similar and much may be reused from the web activities. Many websites already include videos and the technical quality of video on the web has increased considerably during the last years. Today HD quality video clips are commonly used and handled by the same people that are handling the website.  Therefore much already existing content can be reused. When it comes to publishing, handling the content management system is really quite similar to maintaining a website. The main difference is that in a website you work with a tree structure to organize the content while in digital signage you work with loops of content. One thing that is much easier than in conventional website development is the fact that when using web content you only have one kind of web browser to take into account, the single kind of web browser that is used in the media player. This is to be compared to websites on the Internet where you need to consider all kinds of web browsers that are in use.

Another worry is how to handle the server system and security issues. The answer to this is the same as before. The similarities to handling the web make it possible to use the same solutions as for your website. The management server of the digital signage system can be hosted by you or by a hosting company (MultiQ can also provide this service). Just as for the website the server can be placed outside your company firewalls. It is always the media players that address the central server and not the opposite and you will not get any firewall problems at the sites. It is the media players that surf to the management server. All very similar to how your website works.

Installing the monitors, media players and kiosks is very similar and even easier than installing other similar equipment in the stores such as cash register systems and security camera systems. Digital signage is based on the well-known existing technologies of today such as broadband-, local area network-, computer- and display system techniques. Digital signage and kiosk systems do not include any unique components that cannot be handled by installers dealing with public areas. It is more or less just to plug in the power and network cables.

Setting up and maintaining a digital signage system is obviously very similar to running the company website and installing and maintaining the already existing equipment in the stores. Even though you may think that digital signage and self service kiosks are something new and strange, you have probably done it all before.

There is really very little difference between managing a website and
managing a digital signage or self-service kiosk system.

Lars-Ingemar Lundström

Documentation and Training Manager, MultiQ