signageOS Launches Free, Open Software That Bridges Media Players With CMS Platforms

February 1, 2019 by Dave Haynes

The Prague-based software company signageOS has launched a free software bridge that enables CMS companies and other developers to easily launch and manage digital signage networks that blend a variety of different playback devices, including all the major smart displays and Android players.

The company is pitching that its new signageOS Open can remove weeks or months of software development time, and the associated costs of that work. Using signageOS Open is touted as a way to lower the barriers that digital signage service providers normally confront when they are asked to mix different devices and operating systems on a new or established networks.

Using the free signageOS Open API, the company says service providers can manage a network that may include smart displays from major manufacturers like Samsung and LG, BrightSign players, and both Android and Raspberry Pi devices.

So the idea here is that a digital signage software solutions is chasing a piece of business, only to learn the customer is set on using LG webOS smart displays, or whatever, and the tech company’s software is tuned only to Linux media players. Normally, that’s the end of it. A sad, “Sorry, but …” conversation.

The premise with signageOS is that its software, via a Javascript API, makes integrating a Linux platform with webOS-driven screens feasible in a matter of days, not weeks or months.

signageOS markets a cloud-based commercial service that has steadily created an easy handshake between CMS software platforms and these device. The fee-based signageOS Platform offers a Rest API and has more robust features such as device management and video wall support. The open version is standalone and does not pass through the signageOS cloud.

I had to go back and forth a bit with my friends at signageOS, because I found the PR really technical and I necessarily like to clear tech fog. Hopefully, the preamble above explains things. Here’s the version software people will presumably embrace and understand quicker than this dumb old Canadian.

signageOS Inc. introduces signageOS Open, an integral part of the signageOS technology that consists of a single JavaScript API that allows for communication, control and playback of content on any digital signage SoC display or media player. This is achieved through the use of signageOS’ native core applications crafted and maintained for each device which are a part of the signageOS Open offering. This technology package allows for instant SoC adoption and deployment of hardware agnostic networks.

signageOS Open will be offered for free and separately from the signageOS Platform. CMS companies can now utilize this single API as the base for device integrations and build on top of this using their unique CMS features. signageOS offers this foundation to CMS companies for free in order to remove hardware and software compatibility issues that plague the digital signage industry.

“After years of development, testing, and maintenance for each platform, signageOS has mastered the standardization of digital signage smart display and media player integrations. This extensive knowledge base and technology is the foundation of signageOS Open,” says Michael Zabka, CTO, signageOS. “So far the only gateway to signageOS technology was through the signageOS Cloud Platform and the REST API for device management, which we felt like was limiting the outreach and potential positive impact signageOS can have on the industry.”

“With signageOS Open and the newly introduced JS API for device management, anyone can now use a part of the signageOS technology for free to start building great digital signage projects with SoC displays or players quickly and at a fraction of the cost compared to doing everything from scratch on their own,” says Stan Richter, CEO, signageOS.

signageOS Open will serve as the entry point for content management system companies to see into what signageOS has to offer. Using signageOS Open is free if a connection is maintained to the licensing server. Also, if desired by the CMS company the connection can be removed for a one time fee per device or the services can be upgraded to utilize the full feature set of the signageOS Platform.

signageOS Open’s bene?ts include:

signageOS will continue to develop and offer its cloud-based services as an add-on, on top of signageOS Open to provide highly relevant services and features. Those include services like out-of-box cloud-solution tailored for digital signage, customizations, support, maintenance and features like automated scaling, synchronized video wall, monitoring, reporting, alerting, etc.

“Offering signageOS Open to anyone at no cost is an expression of our con?dence in this technology. This is unlike anything on the market. Every level within the digital signage industry including end-users, display manufacturers, and CMS companies will greatly bene?t from this service as the SoC displays and external media players will become so much easier to work with and deploy. On top of that, it will remove the continuing concern of being married to a single solution for good,” adds Stan Richter.

“To date, the feedback from our partners, including CMS companies, integrators and recognized display manufacturers on the news of releasing signageOS Open was so great, that we truly believe that signageOS Open will revolutionize the process of integrating digital signage displays and media players to become an industry standard for digital signage hardware/software communication as it removes so much of the burden at every level,” Stan Richter concludes.

signageOS Open is currently available for selected partner CMS providers and will begin accepting a next batch of early adopters next week at ISE. The company’s stand is Hall 8-N410.

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