Here at Screenly, our mission has always been to make digital signage powerful, secure, and incredibly simple to use. From the very beginning, we’ve focused on removing the barriers that make launching and managing screens a headache. That mission is what led us to recently make a major shift in our philosophy: becoming hardware-agnostic.
It might sound like a technical term, but it’s a simple idea with a huge impact. It means you are no longer tied to a specific piece of hardware to use our digital signage software. You have the freedom to choose. To understand why this is such a big deal for us (and for you!), it helps to look at where we started.
Our roots are in hardware
Screenly’s journey began back in 2012, born from a passion for innovation and the game-changing potential of the Raspberry Pi. By building our first players on this open-source platform, we made digital signage accessible for everyone, from small businesses to tech enthusiasts. We proved that you didn’t need an expensive, oversized computer to run a beautiful digital sign.
As our customers grew, so did their needs. We heard from large businesses that required more power for mission-critical displays and more demanding content, like 4K videos and real-time, web-based data dashboards. In response, we developed the Screenly Player Max and, most recently, the Screenly Player Max Mk 2, an enterprise-grade device built for maximum performance and reliability. We love hardware, and we’re proud of the players we’ve built. But along the way, we realized that a hardware-first approach wasn’t always the right answer for everyone.
Listening to our customers and providing choice
Many new users loved how easy our software was to use, and we didn’t want them to have to order or wait for a digital signage player to have a “wow” moment with our solution. Many customers had pre-existing hardware ready to go (or at least they had their laptops), and they wanted to launch their content now. This became especially obvious when we saw how many people were using our simple “virtual screen” demo tool not just to test content, but because they wanted a fast, browser-based solution.
Secondly, many customers were in the situation of having a previous digital signage deployment. In this case, they were transitioning to Screenly because they preferred our digital signage management software, and they did not want to take on the cost of reordering Screenly-built hardware for each of their screens. Understandably, they wanted to be able to use Screenly with the hardware they already owned.
Use the hardware you have right now
These insights led us to develop a new range of software-based digital signage players that give users the ultimate flexibility. The real game-changer is Screenly Anywhere, which turns any device with a modern web browser into a full-featured digital signage player. That smart TV in your lobby, a spare mini-PC, or even a tablet can become a professional digital sign in minutes. If your device can display a modern web browser, you can use it to power a Screenly digital sign. There’s zero extra hardware to buy and no waiting for delivery.
Screenly Apps for more seamless integrations
For an even more seamless experience, we’ve also built native apps for popular platforms operating systems and smart TVs. Right now, users can use the Screenly Android App to transform any Android device into a digital sign. Additionally, with the Screenly Samsung Tizen App, users can quickly get Samsung smart TVs up and running with their Screenly deployment with nothing else needed beyond the Samsung smart TV itself. We also recently launched the Screenly ChromeOS App. As mentioned, our goal is simple. We want you to be able to launch a digital sign quickly and easily, and in many cases, that means enabling you to use the hardware you already have.
The best of both worlds
To be clear, we haven’t abandoned hardware. Far from it. Our recently released, US-assembled Screenly Player Max Mk 2 is still the perfect choice for high-stakes environments where you need guaranteed performance and rock-solid reliability.
Our new philosophy isn’t “either/or,” it’s “yes/and.” We believe you should have the power to choose the right tool for each specific job. You can also mix and match players in the same account and deployment to create the perfect digital signage network for your needs.
No matter which option you choose, every screen is managed from the same simple, centralized dashboard. You get a single interface to control your entire fleet, whether you have two screens or two thousand.
Get started with Screenly today
Our move to a hardware-agnostic approach is the natural next step in our mission. By giving you the freedom to choose, we’re making digital signage more accessible, affordable, and faster to deploy than ever before. You can get started with Screenly today and launch your very own digital signs in minutes with our 14-day free trial
