Nowadays, shopping malls, shopping centers, hotels, conference centers, office buildings, and other places are adopting digital signage, and this novel multimedia display has become a platform for effective communication between merchants and consumers. Through digital signage, consumers can obtain effective information in real-time, while businessmen also display their products through digital signage, which is more eye-catching than traditional windows.
In the IT field, cloud computing has become an irreversible trend, and digital signage, as a part of IT services, has also become an important part of the “cloud-related” issues. Although digital signage cloud server has been publicized as the “ultimate goal” of upgrading, including low cost, ease of use massive data capabilities, and other advantages, in practice, the best choice is not necessarily the most suitable. Before building, users must consider carefully – whether should they choose cloud-based or local server digital signage that suits their needs.
Cloud digital signage sends information to the display via web-based software hosted on an external server, eliminating the need for users to have their servers, and can be accessed through any standard web browser. Local server digital signage, on the other hand, is hosted by the user and enables full control of the system through a dedicated internal server. Compared with traditional digital signage products, the most prominent feature of cloud digital signage is “running in the cloud”, that is to say, the running software of the digital signage is not under the actual control of the user, but is provided by the corresponding service provider through a large server.
In practice, after choosing cloud digital signage, users need to consider the following issues:
- Timely update of content: Cloud digital signage needs to rely on the service provider to update the content, and the user cannot update it independently. This may lead to problems when real-time content adjustments are required.
- System security: Despite the ease of use of cloud digital signage, there is an increased risk of data leakage. While enjoying the convenience, organizations need to face the challenge of security, especially for the protection of important information.
- Network environment: Cloud digital signage relies on remote operation, so network performance is critical. Users do not have full control over bandwidth and need to consider the network environment of the service provider and their network, as well as the stability of the network.
- Operating Costs: While cloud digital signage alleviates server build and maintenance costs, the monthly subscription fee is an additional overhead. For users with limited budgets, this may become a consideration.
Overall, cloud applications are the future of digital signage, but companies need to be careful when choosing. If you need to be affordable and easy to use and deploy, you can choose a cloud-based digital signage software solution; if you have a clear strategy and long-term investment in promotion, you can consider a local server digital signage solution. When choosing, be sure to avoid blindly following the trend based on your application conditions and needs.
