IAdea’s Small All-In-Signboards Can Now Run Samsung’s MagicINFO CMS

October 24, 2018 by Dave Haynes

Taiwan-based hardware manufacturer IAdea has done an interesting partnership with Samsung that sees IAdea’s small signboard displays pre-loaded with Samsung’s own content management software, MagicINFO.

It’s interesting because Samsung has for many, many years tried to somehow have its own free-ish CMS software available to display customers, while also developing partnerships with software companies that have competing CMS products they need to sell.

Now MagicINFO is being applied on third-party hardware, something those CMS companies would historically be doing.

Depending on who you speak with, MagicINFO is positioned as everything from an entry-level software for small jobs that was never intended to compete with Samsung’s many CMS partners, to an industrial-grade platform ready for most jobs.

The story I’ve had from people I know and trust is that MagicINFO is actually pretty good, but it needs to be taken on fully by an end-user company, and have in-house people who really get to know it. Because the support from Samsung on how to do this and that with the software is limited. Montreal-based Stingray, for example, took MagicINFO in-house and has 1,000s of end-point displays running off it in retail and elsewhere.

The IAdea arrangement is a bit different. IAdea is not a CMS developer, but I can’t remember another hardware manufacturer doing a tie-up with Samsung around MagicINFO.

The deal, in theory, fills a gap that I think now exists at the small end of Samsung’s lineup. Samsung had a 10.1-inch smart sign, but that is no longer being made. But IAdea has a 10-inch all-in-one, as well as a 22-inch, that will now be MagicINFO-ready.

Says the press release:

This global collaboration enables system integrators to incorporate new all-in-one smart displays with MagicINFO built-in. Digital signage projects can now take advantage of a wide variety of display form factors, in addition to standard Samsung displays, all managed under MagicINFO. IAdea is signing up Samsung resellers to support MagicINFO-enabled IAdea products.

“We are excited to add MagicINFO to our growing list of ecosystem partners,” says John C. Wang, CEO of IAdea. “IAdea focuses on providing robust digital signage platforms to enhance productivity and experiences for everyone. The MagicINFO software further enriches the variety of solutions possible with IAdea technology.”

IAdea is launching a support program to assist resellers with furthering go-to-market strategies and executions of the 10-inch XDS-1078/M and 22-inch XDS-2288/M, which are MagicINFO-enabled smart displays designed by IAdea. Embed Digital, a Samsung MagicINFO integrator/reseller in the United States, is among the first to support MagicINFO on IAdea products.

“The 10-inch and 22-inch smart displays from IAdea perfectly complement Samsung’s product line up,” says Mike Sisco, CEO of Embed Digital. “Small displays are a necessary part of full-scale digital signage projects. IAdea is a trusted partner whose products precisely address such needs by allowing all display sizes to be managed under MagicINFO.”

“Traditionally the system integrator may need to manage multiple brands of CMS’s to fulfill the needs, which adds to the cost and complexity of projects. With the added MagicINFO-compatible devices, integrators now can provide complete solutions without moving away from the Samsung ecosystem.”

IAdea has built a dedicated web portal Magic.IAdea.com that has more detail and a list of authorized resellers.

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