< PreviousC hoosing the right device management software means making the most of your hardware investments. For one thing, effective software ensures your devices receive regular monitoring to check for problems. More importantly, it allows you to apply fixes and updates for all of your devices individually or all at once. This is a significant benefit if you have multiple screens. Device management software can also act as your security manager and prevent an array of problems from occurring. This includes unauthorised device use, unrecognised login attempts, and data or device theft. When investing in display devices, it pays to allot resources for the right device management software as well. Your digital hardware drives your software Your digital signage hardware and its uses can determine what kind of software you’ll need to manage it. Digital signage devices can include anything from giant outdoor displays to indoor LED monitors. Are you planning to set up a digital outdoor display using large devices, or will it be an indoor system? Will you need just one screen or multiple? Will the display be interactive? If you know how your signs will be used, you’ll know what kind of software you need to manage it all. In addition, you must also determine what types of media will be displayed and for how long. You may be able to get away with a USB drive to show a predetermined set of videos or images on a single screen. However, if your requirements are more complicated, a smart TV powered by Android TV—and companion device management software—would be a better choice. Android TV-backed systems can do more Smart TVs running on Android TV work best for digital signage, especially if your needs change on the fly. You might want to display a list of program events during the entire day for one event. Or, you might want multiple display devices showing real-time camera angles. Your digital signage hardware and attendant device management software should be able to support your needs, regardless of how complex they are. Interactivity, content targeting, and dynamic content are musts. SPONSORED CONTENT CHOOSING THE RIGHT AFFORDABLE, RELIABLE DEVICE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE FOR YOUR DIGITAL SIGNAGE Choosing the right device management software means making the most of your hardware investments, says Nadav Avni, Chief Marketing Officer of Radix Technologies 20 KIOSK AND DIGITAL SIGNAGE MAGAZINE NADAV AVNI, CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER, RADIX TECHNOLOGIES 21 KIOSK AND DIGITAL SIGNAGE MAGAZINE KIOSK AND DIGITAL SIGNAGE magazine (KDS), is the leading technical journal for manufacturers, integrators and deployers of self-service terminals and digital signage integrators. Published six times a year, KDS reaches a readership of 25,000 individuals throughout the UK and Europe, comprised of customer service directors, design engineers, project managers, CIOs, CTOs, CFOs and many more. This presents a unique opportunity to reach a qualified audience not available through any other channel. Independent KDS is an independent publication, aiming to offer an objective view of the industry. Articles may present newsworthy acts and/or opinions of named companies, but all measures are taken to ensure that articles within KDS report the objective facts without bias. Editorial We welcome contributions and submissions of news, features, thought leadership posts and interviews from companies and individuals regarding the kiosk and digital signage industry. Send your story to the editor, Hazel Davis, at editor@kdseurope.com. All editorial that we receive from third parties is subject to the editor-in-chief's ultimate approval, and submission of an article is no guarantee of publication. To ensure that all articles meet the editorial policy, we reserve the right to edit the whole or part of any material selected for publication. You can find our editorial policy on our website by clicking HERE. Advertising If you would like to discuss one of our advertising or advertorial packages please download our media pack HERE or contact sales@kdseurope.com. KIOSK AND DIGITAL SIGNAGE MAGAZINE 21SPONSORED CONTENT 22 KIOSK AND DIGITAL SIGNAGE MAGAZINE The good news for budget-conscious suppliers? Smart TV prices are dropping to historic lows. The continued price fall makes smart TVs a practical choice when you need digital display devices that work in various capacities. In addition, using Android TV to run the devices means a stable and inexpensive operating system specifically designed to help with your digital signage requirements. How to choose the right device management software For Smart TVs, you’ll need reliable device management software to handle your display devices’ maintenance and security. However, the default companion software provided by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and vendors may not always be the best option. With many options available in the software market today, how do you know which one deserves your investment? Here are three tips to help you find the ideal device management software: 1. Choose cloud-based, remote software Using cloud-based, secure remote connections, an administrator can easily connect to smart TVs and perform over-the-air (OTA) updates for the system and all other applications. Ideally, the device management software should have no problems updating one, a few, or all devices simultaneously. When connecting remotely to your digital signage devices, the ideal software should also use secure, encrypted connections like those provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS). This ensures that whatever data passes between the devices will remain safe from prying eyes and hands. Finally, the software should be able to connect to a single device, selected units, or the entire fleet. 2. Choose an end-to-end solution The ideal device management solution should provide remote end-to-end solutions when managing and maintaining digital signage devices. Apart from providing wireless software and firmware updates, it should also provide the means for your IT team to manage each device’s content and playback schedules remotely. In addition, when devices are in kiosk mode, the software can assume the role of remote manager. It can update content and power management, and perform maintenance checks without human intervention at the device end. Your device management software should also let you assign access levels to prevent users from abusing their authority. For instance, operators can be given access to manage the display requirements, load display files, and run the display program. 3. Choose powerful security features At the same time, the software should also handle security management for these remote devices. Foremost is the device’s locking, so it can only perform its primary function. This prevents users from closing the digital signage and launching other apps instead. In case of outright theft, the administrator can remain connected to the device to monitor its movement. Once it goes beyond its designated area, the software can lock the device to prevent further use. Admins can also wipe or delete all data from the device to prevent information from being stolen. To help recover the units, the software can also use GPS tracking to inform operators of the device’s current location. Getting affordable and reliable device management software means extending the life and usability of your digital signage devices. As a result, you’ll get a faster return on investment for your device outlay. You’ll also see hardware better utilised and discover more ways and opportunities to provide services. T echnology has revolutionised the way we work. From large-scale changes to applications that improve our productivity, we can do more than ever – and faster too. As well as improving customer experience and employee efficiency, we’re also seeing solutions that boost employee experience come into play. After all, employees who are supported in their role and have a good experience at work will be more loyal. Delivering seamless video experiences Video has become an essential tool for employees. Videos have a place in the modern business world, whether you deliver training or inductions via recorded videos, share important business updates, allow employees to carry out research for their job, or you work in an industry that relies on live news streams. This is especially true in the age of remote events and working. The increased need for multicast enterprise video streaming has seen businesses struggle to balance network performance with demand. Delivering streamed video to multiple endpoints once needed dedicated servers. Many were previously required to choose between prioritising IT infrastructure resources and video performance. But now, this no longer needs to be a choice. Solutions such as Vitec’s Multicast-to-the-Edge offer an answer to these problems, allowing multicast videos to be delivered to multiple users without compromising network or infrastructure quality. Not only does this allow employees to engage with videos on their devices, but important live video streams can be cast to multiple shared devices. Technology has revolutionised the way we work. From large-scale changes to applications that improve our productivity, we can do more than ever – and faster too. With some insights from Vitec, we look at how to enhance your employee experience 23 KIOSK AND DIGITAL SIGNAGE MAGAZINE RESHAPING MODERN WORKPLACES: THREE TECHNOLOGICAL SOLUTIONS TO BOOST EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE24 KIOSK AND DIGITAL SIGNAGE MAGAZINE25 KIOSK AND DIGITAL SIGNAGE MAGAZINE Improving performance reviews Formalised performance reviews and progression plans are key to employees’ career development. Many organisations take a scattered approach to this, which doesn’t benefit the company or its people. Technology allows us to manage this process in a more organised and efficient way. Performance reviews can be more structured and solutions such as BambooHR allows for guided personal and managerial assessments. They also allow you to track employees’ training and progress. These solutions not only allow you to track but also look forward, which is essential for successful performance reviews. Some 98% of employees want regular feedback from their managers, while businesses that provide this see a 14.9% lower employee turnover rate. These solutions allow For organisations to enjoy higher revenue for relatively little investment, we must look towards the technology that’s available.26 KIOSK AND DIGITAL SIGNAGE MAGAZINE you to record both ad-hoc and formal feedback to create a rounded picture of an employee’s performance. Replicating mobile experiences in the office As consumer technology evolves, business technology should follow. Smartphones are now a staple in our everyday lives. Shouldn’t the same apply to business functions? Apps such as Hummingbird are designed to be used in the workplace and beyond, and they bring everyday business tasks into a format most of us are comfortable using. These apps allow employees working in a hybrid office and home environment to remotely book their days at the office, book rooms, and if your business utilises hot-desking, reserve a workspace. They can also request services such as tech support, cleaning and catering, and even schedule mail and food deliveries when they’re in the office. What’s more, these apps integrate with other apps that offer services such as ride- sharing. Giving your employees the option to request these additional services blends their home and work life together in just the right way. Technology has made our lives easier and has vastly improved experiences at work for many of us. Whether we’re able to stream crucial content to our own devices or multiple endpoints in a workplace or use our mobiles to manage our workdays, technology continues to offer a helping hand.LOREM IPSUM DOLOR SIT AMET KDS Magazine is the leading technical journal for manufacturers, integrators and deployers of self service terminals and digital signage. Published on a bi-monthly basis, KDS features news, articles and features from industry-leading bodies, and the very latest information on innovative technology. Past issues can be found on our website: www.kdseurope.com, along with news, features and information on events throughout the year. 2023’s media pack can also be accessed on the website HERE www.kdseurope.com | sales@kdseurope.com | editor@kdseurope.comNext >