Written By: Amber Ward

CMS

What is a content management system?

A Content Management System (CMS) is software that allows users to create, manage, and publish digital content easily. It simplifies and streamlines the process of scheduling and managing content, ensuring that the right message is displayed at the right time and place.

Key features of a Digital Signage CMS should include:

Content Creation: Users can write, edit, upload and format content, using pre-designed templates, allowing users to change the look and layout of their content as they see fit.

User Management: Different levels of access and permissions for various users. Administrators can manage user accounts and grant specific rights to different user roles.

Custom Roles: This allows for the most flexible access to different parts of the digital signage system. Assign custom roles to users like content creation or user management.

Content Approval: A good CMS should hold content created from users until an administrator approves it. This allows for more people to submit content while maintaining control over what is displayed.

Scheduling Options: Once content is created, you can start scheduling when each playlist or content item should be shown. This includes setting the specific date and time for the content to start and stop playing. You can plan the schedule days, weeks, or even months in advance.

Integrations: Integrating with other platforms (like social media & news feeds, weather and time, YouTube and Power BI) allows you to bring in content that is automatically updated from elsewhere.

Alert Capabilities: The Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) allows emergency messages to be simultaneously delivered to variety of alerting systems within your facilities.  A good CMS should be ready in an emergency to receive CAP triggers to quickly display targeted visual notifications and instructions throughout your signage network with no user action required.

Security: A CMS should strive to follow best practices to ensure they are appropriately protecting customer data. SOC 2 is an industry standard for technology companies that use the cloud to store and process data. It’s the best and most secure way to run cloud operations.

Media Players

What is a media player?

A media player is responsible for sending your content to your display. There are both dedicated media players (ex. BrightSign) and collaboration devices (Ex. Apple TV, Mersive, ScreenBeam) that can be leveraged for signage content playback.

How do Media Players Work?

Media players are hardware devices designed to play different types of multimedia content. They bring together various components to provide a seamless multimedia playback experience to users, whether they are reading messages, watching video, or viewing images.

Carousel offers what we call Express Players. These players deliver your content to people no matter where they're located through tablets, websites, screensavers and even Slack. They are lightweight deployments designed to extend the reach of your classic digital signage.

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The Display & Content

Digital signage content refers to the multimedia content displayed on digital signage displays, which are electronic screens used for displaying an important message, playing a video and capturing the attention of passersby.

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Digital signage content can include various forms of multimedia elements, such as:

1. Images: Static images and graphics.
2. Videos: Dynamic and eye-catching videos.
3. Text: Concise text messages or announcements.
4. Animations: Animated content can be utilized to create attention-grabbing displays.
5. Social Media Feeds: Incorporate live social media feeds, showing real-time updates, tweets, or posts related to a brand or event.
6. Weather Updates: real-time weather updates.
7. News Tickers: Scrolling news tickers can be used to provide the latest news.
8. Countdowns and Timers: Countdowns or timers can build anticipation for events, product launches, or promotions.
9. Interactive Content: Some digital signage installations may include interactive elements, such as touch screens, allowing users to interact with the content or access additional information.
10. Wayfinding and Maps: Digital signage can provide directional information and maps to help visitors navigate large venues, buildings or college campus's.

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The key to effective digital signage content is making sure you find a CMS that is:

• Easy to use.
• Allows you and your team to create and collaborate on messaging so you have a diverse, fresh set of content with different perspectives.
• Easy to deploy and manage.

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Learn all about The Basics

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