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Secure, Simple, Stable: Three Things to Look for in Digital Signage

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AG Neovo signage_Turn on and Playback

By Francisco Garcia
AG Neovo 

Digital signage has always been an essential vehicle for public communication. But this year reminded us just how valuable it is to businesses and the people that fuel them. With messaging needs changing a mile a minute — whether to accommodate COVID-19 protocols, adjusted store hours or even just messages of love and support — digital signage has become even more essential than it already was in a world of always-on news and information.

But what sets digital signage companies (and solutions) apart from one another? One thing to look for is a system that’s three things: secure, simple and stable.

Read on for our take on how an all-in-one solution could be the thing that differentiates digital signage systems today. It could just be the answer you’re looking for.

SIMPLE: Why All In One?

Perhaps, for the first time, you’re looking to get set up with digital signage. Or maybe your clients have come to you with their 2021 budget and there’s room in the plan for an upgraded system. So what’s next? Start by considering, or reconsidering, the many factors that go into the choice — hardware, software, operating system, security, stability, ease of management, etc.

What do you need as part of a commercial LCD signage network? Here’s the short version:

  • Hardware: the digital signage display itself, a media player, network components like data connectors and wall-mounting hardware
  • Software: for creating, managing and deploying playback and content that goes out on the screens; and for managing the devices, like the media players, themselves
  • Content: the messaging or creative that lives on the digital signage, usually managed through a CMS, or content management system. Content creation and management is often the biggest ongoing cost in digital signage

Of course, there are other line items to include in your budget — such as signage infrastructure, security, network costs and, of course, labor: installation, programming, systems design, ongoing maintenance. If all this sounds complicated, it’s because it usually is. Now, imagine a world in which you could eliminate all the moving pieces and pack it all, everything you need to deploy your digital signage, into a single all-in-one system. And a system that’s both high-quality and easy on the wallet. Turns out this solution already exists, and you can find it in AG Neovo’s NSD-Series all-in-one 4K digital signage with a built-in Android-based media player.

SECURE: 1 Display, 5 Deployment Options

AG Neovo, whose cloud-based Neovo Signage software was award-winning last year, offers a full range of secure digital signage options. What’s special about the NSD-Series, though, is that everything (yes, everything) is included, no matter if you’re starting from scratch or you already have a robust network in place. The 4K display? Included. The media player? Included. The CMS? That’s also included.

This simplicity makes digital signage more attainable for customers near and far — like your favorite neighborhood cafe that’s been looking to get set up with signage for some time now but is just not sure how. Or the regional farm-to-table restaurant that’s been expanding locations across cities. Or even the familiar large retail store with locations internationally. A challenge in all of these situations is managing individual messaging store by store, location by location, during a time of constant changes.

The NSD-Series is inherently unique because there just aren’t many digital signage systems on the market with an embedded Android platform and built-in media player. The setup enables users to operate the digital signage display with their preferred app, without having to connect to external Android-based devices. On the flip side, the NSD-Series welcomes external media players and external integration too — unlike competitor products that operate on a closed platform usually incapable of utilizing third-party apps.

If customers choose to integrate the NSD-Series’ built-in media player, they won’t need to buy an external one — eliminating one of the common complex decisions: sifting through all the options and making sure the media player works well with the display/CMS and vice versa. Neovo Signage, AG Neovo’s built-in cloud CMS possible through a combination of hardware and software, comes already embedded. Quite possibly the most attractive benefit, however — in addition to ease of use, ease of install and low maintenance — is overall lower cost. And users don’t have to cut corners on stability and security to get it. To ensure security, the NSD-Series features a lock on USB device inputs, keeping content secure by stopping prying eyes from using the USB drive. This is powerful for client-facing businesses that need to maintain confidentiality and privacy among operations.

Expanding on what we mean by “five deployment options in one,” here’s how the NSD-Series line allows for five configuration options:

  1. Seamless integration with Android. The NSD-Series is built on an open-source platform, meaning that customers can integrate Android digital signage software from various supported apps. In other words, you can seamlessly integrate your favorite third-party digital signage Android apps into the AG Neovo system.
  2. Free, built-in LAN-based software. Users benefit from AG Neovo’s free, bundled digital signage software with the NSD-Series. This makes it simple to create, schedule and publish content from wherever you can access the local area network (LAN) via Ethernet or Wi-Fi.
  3. Remote management via the cloud. A cloud-based solution means you can manage and publish your digital signage content and 4K displays via any internet browser on various web-based devices.
  4. A built-in media player. The embedded media player in the NSD-Series is what makes this system truly “all in one.” The media player is what allows customers to create, save and publish content from internal memory or via USB and MicroSD drives.
  5. External media players welcome too. You can also use external media players with the NSD-Series, if that’s your preferred choice. This offers users the flexibility to integrate NSD-Series digital signage into their existing display systems. Just connect via HDMI and VGA inputs.

STABLE: In What Applications Does an All-in-One Signage Solution Make Sense?

A versatile design makes all-in-one solutions like the NSD-Series ideal for retail and in restaurants, bars, gyms, markets, showrooms, banks, hotels and other public spaces. Specifically, here are two additional scenarios in which the NSD-Series can meet a particular need and demand:

1. When you want to go cordless.
In retail, end users often want to avoid placing a media player behind the display for a cleaner installation. If you want a cordless design, the NSD-Series is perfect for deploying one panel or 100. AG Neovo media players, cloud-based software and digital signage displays work seamlessly to deliver the message with no interruptions.

2. When there’s no room for an external media player.
Often, there’s just no room for an external media player in the setup. For example, an AG Neovo customer in Europe uses NSD-Series displays with the Neovo Signage Netmouse interactivity feature to offer window shoppers a QR Code so they can peruse real estate properties on their own devices. The displays are set up inside the store, next to the entrance, where there is no room for an external media player. The NSD-Series was an ideal solution, as the media player comes built in. The setup attracts passersby with ceiling-mounted, non-touch displays transformed into interactive signage.

Why AG Neovo Digital Signage? Secure, Simple, Stable.

Price point and simplicity should be top considerations in specifying digital signage. The value in an all-in-one digital signage system becomes clear when you realize everything that goes into it. With the NSD-Series, value and simplicity come par for the course.

All this begs the question, Why isn’t there more of this out there on the market? It’s a great question. All-in-one digital signage solutions that are secure, simple and stable better the experience for all. If more all-in-one systems like ours were available, we’d gladly welcome the competition — because we believe if users can discover better, easier-to-manage systems, we can all experience the many benefits and unlimited potential of digital signage.

Interested in getting started (or starting fresh) with digital signage? Check out AG Neovo’s NSD-Series all-in-one digital signage systems. Get the specs here, and reach out to Francisco Garcia at francisco.garcia@agneovo.com to learn more.

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