In a research survey conducted by Wakefield Research for Citrix, where more than 1000 participants were part of this survey, only 16 percent could actually define what is the word ‘cloud’ when it comes to technology. Moreover, 29 percent of people mixed the technology with the weather, and the rest of them concluded that stormy weather disrupts them connecting with the cloud.

It is also funny to find out that 54 percent of those surveyed claimed that they don’t use cloud services, and to be exact, 95 percent of those same people use cloud technology and services for their work or any other purpose.

So What is Exactly this Cloud?

What we meant by cloud computing or the cloud is a host or couple of networks merged together to deliver data and services. A very normal example of how you use the cloud every day in your life would be backing up your iPhone Data in iCloud. Sometimes the cloud-based services also include subscription-based software that is accessible through the internet, also known as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS).

To deal with a content management system that includes preparing reports, presentations, data dashboards and presenting them in front of your clients worldwide through cloud-based digital signage software would be the best possible solution available for you. You may have questions about what a cloud-based digital signage software is, how it works, etc., but fret not we will address all your possible queries in this article.

About Cloud-Managed Digital Signage Software

All of your digital signage content is controlled by one single software platform, and that is cloud-based digital signage software. All of your data and content that exist in the cloud is managed by your cloud-based digital signage software provider who hosts the server itself. This system has other names, too, such as dashboard, interface and content management system (CMS).

With a stable internet connection, you can log into your dashboard of cloud-based digital signage software through any device (computer, mobile, laptop, tablet, etc.) and manage all your content from all over the world. Using the dashboard, you can be in control of your digital content in real-time, no matter where you are. All you would require is a stable internet connection.

You can compare this with the existing USB system, where you can access the content stored in the USB by physically connecting it with another device. But in this method, you would require a stable internet connection, and in the other, you won’t. Similarly, you can access the USB through the internet and in the cloud-based management system, you can.

But the exact mechanism of cloud-managed digital signage can differ for each and every provider. To know more about the exact details of the cloud mechanism, you can contact your own service provider.

How is Cloud-Managed Digital Signage Software Different from the other Available Alternatives?

There are other alternatives available that are called on-premise digital signage that is more of a ‘do it yourself or DIY digital signage. This whole process is a bit more complicated because it needs an internal network to manage and retrieve all of your content. The required servers stay on your premises; therefore, the term is on-premise. The software required to manage and control the content can be built in-house, or it can also be a third party product.

Apart from the DIY digital signage, you can also use a USB drive and streaming media devices such as Roku, Chromecast and AppleTV. But the primary difference between cloud-managed digital signage and DIY digital signage is that cloud-managed digital signage provides an internal solution, whereas on-premise digital signage gives an external solution.

Advantages of Using Cloud-Managed Digital Signage

SignageTube.com mainly offers cloud-managed digital software as well as other products because this software is effective, easy-to-use, and most importantly, it is a versatile solution for your business and projects. The numerous advantages of cloud-managed digital signage include:

Extremely Less Maintenance

If you are using the on-premise option to manage your digital signage, then the process does not stop there. On-premise digital signage requires regular maintenance after setting them up, and maintaining them can require a lot of resources, often a full-time IT team who will work under your supervision. Not to mention it would be necessary for you to spend more of your resources on building special facilities and arranging separate machinery to keep the servers cool. You will also need to properly secure the whole arrangement both digitally and physically to make it work effectively.

There are also manual software updates needed to be conducted by you or your team; if the servers go down, then you will be responsible for solving emergency issues.

On the other hand, maintaining cloud-managed digital signage is a no brainer. You will have all the facilities, including automatic software updates, don’t need to maintain the server and, most importantly, energy efficiency. And if you face any problem, your digital signage provider will always be available to help you out.

Low Cost

If you are going for an on-premise digital signage setup, then your setup cost and maintenance cost is definitely going to be higher. The numbers or the overall cost would vary from person to person or company to company, but you can guess that server maintenance and IT labor won’t be cheap for you.

But why use all that money when you can get something better at a much lesser price. In cloud-managed digital, you only need to pay an annual or monthly fee on a subscription basis, so the cost is comparatively lower. To summarize, cloud-managed digital signage will cost you very less than setting up on-premise digital signage that has regular maintenance cost associated with it.

Remote Access

One of the biggest advantages of using cloud-managed digital signage software is that you will be able to manage your content remotely. As long as you have moored internet connection and a device with which you can log onto your dashboard. That’s all you would require to effectively manage your content.

If you are handling businesses that have multiple screens and displays all over the world, then using this remote access feature of cloud-managed digital signage can be very crucial for you. The best thing about it is that no matter where you are, you will have the freedom to freely access and change your display content. That means you are in control.

But with on-premise digital signage, you need to be at the place where your servers are to freely access and change the screen and display contents. So you can see which can be more beneficial for you.

Easy Setup

You won’t need any kind of technical knowledge to use cloud-managed digital signage. The setup is a lot easier than on-premise digital signage and does not require the help of any IT team or professional. You can manage all of your content after logging in to your dashboard. All you will need to do is plug a digital signage player into a digital screen and connect the player with the internet. The whole process is more of a ‘plug-and-play solution for you. Rather than wasting your valuable time setting up on-premise digital signage, you can easily use the cloud one, and that too without wasting much of your resources.

After going through this article now, it is time for you to choose what is best for you. But if you opt for cloud-managed digital signage, you will always be at an advantage because of the massive benefactor properties it has. Cloud-managed digital signage is definitely more favorable for you in the long run.