UK Access Control Firm Adds Construction Site Digital Signage Offer
October 11, 2016 by Dave Haynes
In a hyper-competitive market like digital signage software, it’s important for most companies to choose a vertical market and go after it with focused products.
Here’s an example of a company that isn’t really in the signage software business, but has nonetheless developed a software product that is laser-focused on a vertical industry – in this case, construction sites.
The Liverpool, UK company Msite – which is primarily in the business of biometric construction site access control systems – has developed a digital signage software, hardware and creative set-up aimed at providing status updates and health and safety, occupational health, environment and quality management messaging.
Says a press release:
Hosted in the cloud, a vast ready-made library of more than 60 digital signage templates in video or PowerPoint format covers Health and safety, occupational health and environment and quality management to name just a few.
MSite TV allows operators to update any of their TV monitor screens across however many building sites they have by simply uploading their own content or the ready-made library and organizing it into playlists then setting schedules of where and when to play them.
Schedules can include site-specific information such as the project’s progress (weeks completed/weeks remaining), the total number of people working on site and the total hours worked on the project to date.
The system draws information from multiple internet sources, to give for example local weather for the next nine hours (including temperature and wind speed/direction), Sky News live feed, London Underground and traffic live status boards and special welcoming messages for visitors.
Corporate communications has seen a big spike in both interest and actual activity for the digital signage industry in the last couple of years, but I sense a lot of it is for white collar, office environments. There’s a vast number of blue collar work environments out there that could benefit, maybe even more than offices, from worker-focused visual communications in places like manufacturing plants and processing facilities.
It’s not obvious to me if this company developed this software, or has worked a partnership (which would be easier and probably smarter), but it’s another reminder that the competitive landscape keeps expanding – and signage software companies are not just competing with other signage software companies for business.
Great article Dave. I work with MSite and to clarify the point in your last paragraph we developed this software completely in-house without the need for external partnerships. If you need any further information please let me know.