Understanding the
Scoring System

The "User Interface" category evaluates the design and functionality of web, mobile or desktop frontends for digital signage content management systems (CMS). A primary focus is on usability features such as drag-and-drop capabilities, responsive design, and customization options, which are essential for facilitating an efficient and user-friendly experience for content managers.

The "Operations" category addresses the comprehensive management of digital signage systems, focusing on both the technical and administrative aspects to ensure smooth and efficient operations. This includes evaluating different hosting architectures such as on-premise, cloud-hosted, or cloud-native solutions, and the use of modern cloud hosting components like containers or serverless functions for effective autoscaling and load balancing.

The "3rd Party API" category evaluates the capabilities and benefits of integrating third-party applications to enhance the functionality of digital signage systems. This includes assessing the availability and accessibility of APIs that support a wide range of functions such as content management, data import/export, and reporting. The category also explores the documentation available for these APIs to ensure ease of use and effective integration.

The "Innovations" category emphasizes the importance of adopting new technologies and methodologies to enhance the functionality and user experience of digital signage systems. This includes a commitment to maintaining a minimal legacy burden, which allows for more agile and responsive development cycles.

The "Security" category underscores the critical importance of robust IT security practices in the management of digital signage networks, which are increasingly becoming business-critical assets. This category focuses on the comprehensive handling of security aspects to ensure the integrity and confidentiality of digital signage systems.

The "Complexity" category focuses on the challenges and solutions associated with managing large-scale digital signage networks, particularly those that span multiple locations and potentially global regions. This category explores the complexities of delivering tailored content that meets the diverse needs of different areas, all while maintaining consistency and quality across various display formats and resolutions.

The "Multiplatform" category focuses on the challenges and strategies involved in managing diverse hardware systems within digital signage networks. This category is particularly relevant for environments that deploy a variety of device types and technologies, ranging from standard players and interactive kiosks to large LED walls and tablets with embedded operating systems like Android or iOS.

The "Commercialisation" category delves into the strategies and methodologies for monetizing digital signage networks through external commercialization. This involves the effective scheduling and management of advertising campaigns within the digital signage network, which can be particularly challenging due to the complexities of larger networks that span different regions or target diverse groups.