Commercial Integrator February 2021 - 12

AV BRAINS & BRAWN
How to Select the Right CMS for Digital Signage
A content management system for digital signage is where actual work is done and content can be
created, managed, and distributed. by By Alan C. Brawn
The differences between general purpose
CMS products will typically be small.
Our research shows that almost all CMS
software does similar things, but individual
products do those things in diverse ways.
This means one of the most important
choices to make is which software vendor
to partner with. If you are dealing with
a small network of just a few screens,
selection of software is much simpler. Just
choose whatever appeals to you relative
to the user interface. However, larger scale
rollouts require more careful consideration.
Digital signage software packages are
usually made up of a group of components,
each designed to perform different specific
tasks. These components will create the
software " engine " that drives your digital
signage network. Vendors may call these
parts by different names, but they still fall into
a few straightforward categories. Let's look
at the basic components, and what they do.
The server component of the CMS
package handles scheduling the distribution
of media to the player software. Some
software packages may have separate
scheduling and player management components,
that are not integrated into single
interface inside the server software. This
simply means that those functions exist in a
separate interface, or even a separate application.
The server will connect to a network,
or the internet, allowing flexibility in having
multiple people interact with the system.
Content creation is a key aspect of the
digital signage software. There are two
basic methods that the signage software
packages may utilize for allowing the
user to handle content. The first method
adopted by essentially all CMS products is
to allow the user to work with standard content
types and import them into the signage
software. The second method for content
creation is entirely integrated tools that
allow the user to design and create content
within the software package itself.
Once again CMS vendors may use different
names for their components, but the
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Commercial Integrator FEBRUARY 2021
work they do in each case is similar.
There are two types of CMS purchasing
model. One is on-premise (self-hosted),
sometimes abbreviated as " on-prem " . This
operates under the concept that the end
user is going to purchase the software up
front and host/manage it themselves within
their corporate network environment. The
second is software as a service (provider
hosted), abbreviated as " SaaS " , which
operates under a subscription model.
The end user has little to no out-of-pocket
expense in setting up the software but pays
a per display / per month/year subscription
fee to the software provider. The software
provider then hosts the server software and
offers use as a service. This is generally also
referred to as " cloud " software.
The bottom line is that if the proper due
diligence is done up front, the match of the
CMS to the application can be seamless
and last a long time.
Alan C. Brawn, CTS, ISF, ISF-C,
DSCE, DSDE, DCME, is the
principal of Brawn Consulting.
The following is our guidance of what to look for
and questions to ask:
› Take published reports, ratings and rankings lists with a grain of salt. Reports, ratings,
and ranking lists are often colored by sponsors, partners, and personal bias.
› Track records count. How long has the company been in business? How large is the
installed base and what is its makeup? Think risk.
› References speak volumes. If possible, see if you can speak directly to satisfied
clients with like needs to your own.
› Live together first. Evaluation demo licenses are a must. Use the platform, learn it,
and think about how it works in the real world before you commit.
› Test the service support. Ask for help and support on an issue even if you do not really
have a problem. You will discover first-hand the level and quality of their support.
› What is included? A common phrase is " turnkey solution " . Exactly what does this
include and what " other fees " are charged?
› Look beyond the glitz and glamour. While a graphically attractive GUI is a plus, it
can mask underlying weaknesses. There must be a stable platform especially in the
player engine.
› One size does NOT fit all! Most software vendors handle the basics but if you have a
specialized application, you are better off with a vendor who is experienced in the
niche and has a development roadmap focused on that.
› Think outside the box. Look at how it handles additional features you may wish to
add, and if it can integrate with other software solutions. Open architecture provides
an " out " and a fallback position.
› Is it secure? Security is one of the hot button issues surrounding any PC installation,
especially within digital signage. Be aware of how the playback software handles
security.
› What's in store for the future? Ask if there is there a realistic software
developmental roadmap.
› What is in a release? How is the product developed, tested, and released? Are there
beta test releases and what is the timing?
› Reduce service calls! Service calls are expensive so look for software that can recover
itself and handle restarting the system from a crash, with no user interaction.
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Commercial Integrator February 2021

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