Why do government agencies use digital signage?
For example, digital signage screens are often used for administration and support services. Video walls and multi-screen digital signage installations are now commonplace in command centers and administrative offices. Emergency response services and public utilities rely on these technologies for dashboards and surveillance purposes.
Parks and recreation venues including public swimming pools and sports centers use digital signage for government institutions. Screens installed in strategic locations help the public navigate various buildings and facilities using wayfinding content and touchscreens.
Busy courthouses, public libraries, and tourist information kiosks rely on digital signage screens to inform and guide visitors. These, and other government agencies rely on digital signage technologies to engage with their staff, and the public they serve.
Government digital signage applications need to be decentralized and collaborative. Employees use content management software to create new content and update existing messaging on a daily basis.
The best digital signage solutions for government agencies, like QL, feature user-friendly interfaces that don’t require special skills. In some instances, government agencies need to deal with high staff turnover rates. Having access to a CMS that requires minimal training is especially useful in those instances.
Rapid onboarding is only part of the appeal. QL’s Content Manager UI features an easy-to-use Template Designer app for content creation tasks. Users simply drag and drop content into their layouts to create message boards, wayfinding signs, information screens, and more.
Templates can show any media, playlist, or real-time data feeds. Use it to publish the town’s Twitter feed or the local police’s Facebook messages, then add weather and local news to your custom layout.
How Governments use digital signage
Navori QL software is accessible via the cloud, i.e. managed and hosted by Navori, or self-hosted, managed by the IT department of the government organization. For reasons of confidentiality, users prefer the second option. The software is connected to Active Directory to manage user access and authentication with a high level of security. The CMS software will also be connected to the administration’s internal resources, such as booking schedules for meeting rooms, SAP ERP systems, or business intelligence. These third-party resources can provide data in real-time that the end users integrate into the content or more specifically, into templates.
The communications department positions screens in different areas. Each location manages its own content, while the central organization can also publish its own general content and, if necessary, validate locally-created content created before it is published. Airtime is shared between the central organization and the locally-created content, or even at the level of the screen based on the percentage of airtime specified in the software.
The administration team creates content that can be intentionally shared between several facilities. The software manages several content libraries at different levels. For example, weather warnings and messages about important events are sent to all screens without exception.
Tag editing for screens is used to link content with a type of virtual activity. For example, security alerts will be sent, without exception, to fire stations, police stations and organizations responsible for public safety, but not to the other locations. The digital signage software must prove versatile enough to easily meet all the needs of a multi-site administration.
Digital signage software creates linkages between the locations operated by the administration: they are interconnected. The content published may be shared or specific to one site or even a screen or display zone.
Many screen types and brands supported
Government agencies and public organizations can end up with all sorts of digital signage hardware. There are LED displays that are often used on building facades or on billboards. Traditional LCD screens and tablets are mounted on walls and hanging from ceilings. Managing all these types of screens and media player devices can be a logistical nightmare.
QL supports all hardware platforms, including System-on-Chip TV screens that have become so popular. SoC screens have media player hardware embedded inside the display which is great for ease of installation. However, you can’t upgrade the media player hardware so they tend to become obsolete.
Navori Labs offers its own external Android media player device. The StiX 3700 is a professional-grade device you can use to upgrade any screen, including SoC screens. Simply connect the StiX 3700 to the screen’s HDMI port to complete the process.
The QL Player software comes bundled with the StiX 3700. It’s also available for most popular SoC screen brands, Windows PCs, generic Android devices, and BrightSign media players. All devices will benefit from a unified platform and a consistent viewing experience.
Computer vision analytics
Navori Labs has developed its own AI-based computer vision analytics software called AQUAJI.
AQUAJI can perform many useful tasks to support government digital signage systems:
- Measure visitor’s time spent waiting. This is essential for many government agencies and offices. Track staff performance, identify bottlenecks and determine areas for improvement.
- Interface AQUAJI with QL to control the content shown to the public based on time spent waiting, or the viewer’s demographic profile (age range or gender).
- Analyze the profile of your visitors to determine how to best service them.
It’s important to note, AQUAJI does not record any viewer data in compliance with local and international privacy laws.
Conclusions
The best way for government agencies to reach their target audience and improve their experience is by using digital signage. It can help you communicate with people more effectively and efficiently, which will in turn lead to better results. Digital signage software is also cost-effective and flexible, which makes it a great option for government facilities.
