Wow - We cannot believe it is 2019 already. It feels like New Year’s Day 2018 was just weeks ago. However, when we take a moment to think of the last year, there has been quite a bit that has transpired over the previous twelve months at Screenly. When we are in the thick and thin of sprints and business development, it can be hard to zoom out and consider the bigger picture. New Year’s provides a time for needed reflection and for considering our efforts in a broader context.
From the software side of Screenly, we launched the Screenly 2 Player in 2018. This updated Raspberry Pi media player features gapless playback for media assets and support for NEC’s P and V series monitors. The Screenly 2 Player also introduced significant security improvements provided by Canonical via Ubuntu Core. Today, the Screenly 2 Player is compatible with the latest version of the Raspberry Pi, the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+.
For our popular open source digital signage software, Screenly OSE, we also made significant strides in 2018. In our latest build, Screenly OSE v0.16, we now feature a useful column for asset times and the ability for users to uniquely name assets. We also added a feature for users to download assets and a tool for quickly migrating Screenly OSE assets to a Screenly (paid version) account.
The past year was also jam-packed from a business development perspective. Screenly participated in a variety of conferences around the world. In February, we were at ISE 2018 in Amsterdam. You can watch an interview we had with DailyDOOH at ISE 2018 here. In March, we participated in the Digital Signage Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada with our partners at NEC. Later, in May, we traveled to Melbourne, Australia to deliver the lecture “The ‘S’ in IoT stands for Security” at Container Camp Australia. We then headed to the other side of the world and participated in the Open Source Summit North America in Vancouver, Canada. These trips required a lot of traveling! However, these trips are always worth the effort as we are able to meet with and learn from members of the Screenly community.
Other 2018 updates from the business side of Screenly include an overhaul of our website and blog. We are now regularly publishing company updates and content on topics regarding digital signage, IoT, and the Raspberry Pi. Be sure to follow us on Twitter to stay up to date with our latest posts. For new users, we regularly offer live video content that includes demos and training on how to best use Screenly software. We announce these live sessions on social media and in our newsletter a week or two before the event, so be on the lookout! You can watch a recording of one of our live demo sessions on Facebook.
Also regarding 2018 business development updates, Screenly has added some great use cases and partnerships for Raspberry Pi based digital signs. This activity includes support for data dashboard software Grafana. Screenly has also added the ability for users to log in to password-protected websites with Screenly. This feature is important as users can now display data from a variety of SaaS products that require user authentication. Also in 2018, we partnered with Screenful, a SaaS product that provides teams with productivity data for tools such as Trello, Jira, GitHub, Pivotal Tracker, and Asana.
Another important business update is Screenly’s launch of the Screenly Box 0. This product is quite literally a single box that comes with all a user needs to get started with digital signage. This product is part of Screenly’s effort to simplify digital signage and grow our user base of non-technical people.
Must-read new posts from our blog
Since our last newsletter in November, we’ve published several interesting and useful blog posts. Take a look below at some of our best pieces!
- The most noteworthy digital signage hacks
- Troubleshooting with the Raspberry Pi
- Why DIY digital signage doesn’t make sense for your business
- Ideas and use cases for office TV display software
Also, be sure to check out our guide on how to set up a virtual fireplace this winter with your Raspberry Pi!
Looking forward to 2019
We are excited and motivated by our progress in 2018, and we look forward to a productive 2019. We will continue to improve Screenly OSE and Screenly (paid version) software, and we will work hard to bring our digital signage platform to more and more users around the world. To stay updated with news from Screenly and the digital signage industry, be sure to follow the Screenly Blog. Also, we are currently planning our 2019 development roadmap. If you have any particular feature requests, please feel free to reach out!
