Digital signage is taking center stage in importance to support business-critical applications as highlighted in a recent report by industry leaders, Invidis. Ensuring maximum system uptime is vital to maintaining invaluable 24/7 communications and give confidence that revenues are protected.
While many organizations have explored using a more traditional Windows player which can be highly effective in many situations, commercial applications often demand a more robust solution and one which has been specifically designed for the task. A Windows player has functionality which serves most applications well, however there are also some fundamental limitations and concerns to consider with its use.
Reducing content interruptions
One of these limitations is evident where desktop notifications can affect content visibility in commercial digital signage. Where Linux OS is chosen as the preferred platform, the usual interruptions which consumers experience can be more reliably avoided. Content is less likely to be corrupted by notifications or interrupted by automatic updates at inconvenient times.
Without an administrator permanently in front of the screen viewing or interacting with the content, resultant interruptions may go unnoticed for a considerable length of time. This can lead to missed promotional opportunities and potentially lost revenues as well as appearing unprofessional and damaging to brand reputation. Therefore, having a solution which can be left unattended confidently for long periods of time is important.
Protecting vulnerabilities
Additionally, ensuring digital signage networks are protected from viruses, not overridden with incorrect or offensive messaging, which can negatively impact the public, your brand or organization, is vital. Windows, unfortunately, is a more frequent target for these kinds of hacks and attacks as it’s a more common and better known platform so a naturally more obvious target.
Although most malware is targeted at Windows OS systems, Linux too can be susceptible, however steps can be taken to mitigate the risks. Importantly, as Linux is an open-source operating system, it can be modified by a software vendor so areas of potential vulnerability can be secured. Firewalls can be built in as standard and can limit access points. Furthermore, with the addition of intrusion detection, if there are attempts to login maliciously, a user can be locked out if there are more than a pre-determined number of failed logins.
Restrictions can extend to ensuring only one IP address can log in as well as tight controls over which software can be running; restricting it to accept data only from an approved CMS for example.
On a more practical level, security can extend as far as physically removing the mouse and keyboard to remove any unwanted human interaction.
While other platforms can also offer some of these reassurances, management is typically more fragmented, complex and has several layers. There may be more vendors, platforms, and security systems to manage.
Open source, single platform
Conversely, as Linux is open source it can be used as a basis to build an appliance which is engineered for a specific purpose such as digital signage. When supplied as a complete secure solution which includes the hardware, OS and application, an administrator then has one single platform to manage, monitor and maintain: limiting vulnerabilities, maximizing resources, and minimizing risks.
So if your organization utilizes the power of digital signage for your business-critical, revenue generating applications, it’s worth considering a network of players from Uniguest.
Uniguest delivers ease of management with enhanced security, stability, and resilience which can help ensure you are delivering the maximum amount of uptime for your commercial deployments.