Mumbai’s VXL Debuts $400 Illumineye Digital Signage Bundle

July 5, 2016 by Dave Haynes

illumineye

It is endlessly amazing to come across yet more companies introducing digital signage software platforms, when there are already 100s and possibly 1,000s (no, really) out there. At least the latest is not two guys and a dream, but a company with 40 years in thin client software that must have some sense of a market for their variation on an extremely common theme.

VXL, an Indian company with offices in Mumbai, Manchester, UK and Houston, TX has launched an all-in-one bundled solution called Illumineye DS Suite – a Windows-based application that ships with a dedicated, fanless media player for $400 USD. If I am reading the release correctly, it’s a one-time investment and you’re done, though I wonder if there is an annual support/update license fee you buy into after a year.

The problem, says VXL’s VP for Worldwide Sales, Frank Noon, in a news release, is that the cost of current digital signage solutions puts it out of reach to many businesses. “We believe that the potential market size could actually be far larger if the technology was opened up to a wider customer demographic. That’s what we aim to do with Illumineye DS Suite.”

In an age of PC sticks and Chromebits and $150 commercial Android players, and 25+ free software platforms, I don’t really think cost is much of a barrier, frankly.

Illumineye combines a Windows-based software suite – Illumineye DS Suite – and dedicated media player – the Illumineye IQ-L Player, in the bundle. “Our software and media player stands – in terms of features – at least shoulder-to-shoulder with leading solutions,” says Noon. “But we want to create a ‘desktop publishing revolution’ in digital signage, where organizations of any size can access the kind of power previously only available to professionals. It’s a complete package – customers just add their own display.”

I don’t often see a native Windows application, like this, that needs to get installed to run off a Windows desktop. Lots of established platforms do that, but the new solutions coming on the market tend to be entirely web-based. VXL has a 40-year history of thin clients, so that side is interesting. The IQ-L Player is a thin client running an Intel processor.

 

Illumineye is available now through VXL’s worldwide partner network.

I chatted with Florian Rotberg, of the German consulting firm Invidis, when we were both at InfoComm last month. He said his company was tracking some 3,000 CMS options out there. My first reaction was, “Ok, that can’t be right.”

But it might be …

It’s totally nuts.

  1. Brad Parler says:

    Wow, rare to see something here that happens to be in my back yard of Houston. Completely agree that the space is way too crowded by “Me Too” companies that are trying to be all things to all people. 3,000 CMS platforms doesn’t surprise me at all. #SMH

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