An Australian company is offering downloads of free digital signage management software, using lots of CAPITAL LETTERS and exclamations to drive home that this is a big deal!!!
“Enough!” we said. No more “just for the big guys”. The small guys need a break. For the first time EVER we’re making Digital Signage Software available absolutely FREE. No catches. Use your own hardware. Hell yes this is news! It’s a World First. There are huge benefits. Spread the word!”
I never really thought our business was on the precipice of revolt, waiting for somebody to rise up and stick it to the man. But there you go.
The company is called Digital Recall and the free software offer looks like a couple of things:
- realization that with some 250 companies already in this space, there’s little chance of making money selling the software unless it is unbelievably different and stable
- a loss leader tactic to drum up business on the content production side of the firm
I have not had a chance to download the software, but coming up with an app that will play a loop of media files according to a schedule is no great feat. There are Windows XP screensaver apps that pretty much do that, and they’re also free.
The user guide suggests there is at least some meat on the bones of this application, but there is an equivalent to a banner ad on some of the user screens asking, “Need adverts made?”
I’m sure there will be small companies that take this up and, in a way, that can be a good thing. We all get tied up too long on the phone with guys from muffler shops who want a plasma screen in their store.
Muffler shop chains, we want. One-offs, the local owner can get this free app and have a ball figuring it out.