Special Report: The State of ARM & Android In Digital Signage

October 8, 2015 by Dave Haynes

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There are dozens of digital signage software companies with content management systems built around or adapted to work with low-cost ARM-based media devices, and run on Google’s Linux-derived Android operating system.

What started as a trickle of activity four years turned into a big wave within a couple of years. But almost as quickly as Android-based signage was the next big thing, it seemed like it turned into yesterday’s news. The industry’s attentions turned first to all-in-one “smart” displays with micro-computers right in the displays, and then to the low-cost Chromeboxes that run off a different Google operating system.

It made me wonder, this spring, where ARM and Android was at. Was it over? Had companies moved on? Or were Android and ARM-based solutions still going concerns?

So I developed a Special Report, something way too deep and detailed to limit to a blog post. It would be one very looooooong post. I corresponded with some 30 companies that have experience, and in most cases commercial products, built around Android and ARM.

The broad marketplace perception may be that Android/ARM solutions only make sense when the budget’s not there for PC devices running Windows or Linux. But talk to the CTOs and engineers that have put the hours and dollars int0 Android solutions describe a mature, stable platform that requires few compromises and offers all-important device management capabilities that compare favorably to what can be done using PC-based devices.

The report looks at what Android does well, and where it could be improved. It also looks at the identity problem Android has and needs to get past. Being seen as cheap is good when end-user budgets are tight, but cheap has other connotations that aren’t helped when the devices in the field – no matter how good they may be – are regarded as disposable.

It’s a free download, and I’m not looking to capture your contact information for me or anyone else. To get your 23-page download, hit this Dropbox link, and you can download it from there.

I hope it’s good information for you, and if you like it, please use the comments here or send me a note.

 

 

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