Most digital signage networks utilise some sort of XML feed containing anything from latest news to regional weather information.

I have developed a flexible XML and RSS feed aggregator which can be implemented onto any digital signage network and seamlessly integrates with any major digital signage software solution.

The solution can be used to display location specific content, containing anything from plain text to pictures. A backend administration site is also available to manage the content effectively.

During the planning of your digital signage network assessing maintenance and monitoring is paramount. To improve remote media player health monitoring, I wrote an application that takes a current screen grab, collates health information such as CPU temperature, system status, free hard drive space, critical errors and uploads this vital information to a central FTP or web server.

Once this information has been uploaded it can be used to form part of an administrative web site to monitor the health and status of a digital signage network in real time. If there is an issue to resolve, it is good practice to install remote access software to gain control of the media player as if you were standing infront of it.

Below is a screen shot of a web site I wrote which displays the vital digital signage network information on a single web page that automatically refreshes with the latest information every 5 minutes. If there is a potential problem with a media player, the monitoring staff will know about it before the client does! It is also an effective way of ensuring the correct screen content is playing and the digital signage software is running correctly.

When there is a major sporting event, the latest scores and results are now expected to be displayed on digital signage networks instantly.

In preparation, I have written an application that makes it simple for any level of computer user to enter the latest scores, results, group tables, headlines and top goal scorers ready for updating onto a digital signage network.

The data can be exported as an XML/RSS feed or structured text file and uploaded to an FTP server or inserted into a database.

When giving the general public the opportunity to enter their personal details on an interactive kiosk, you have to be prepared to filter incorrect information and where possible correct it.

I noticed when the general public entered their email addresses they often got the name of well known email providers incorrect. For example, joebloggs@hotmailll.com and joebloggs@aaaaool.com.

To deal with this issue, I wrote a PHP script with MySQL data access to interrogate email addresses. The script identified typical email address entry errors and automatically corrected them. Once the script had finished, it reported on all originally entered email addresses, the new corrected email addresses and a red or green status indicator.

Whilst developing a new interactive kiosk application for Baby TV a requirement arose for a custom web browser. Specific functionality included an automatic timeout to a default web site feature, allowing access and navigation to certain web sites.

I could not produce this functionality with an existing web browser application, even using some of the multitude of add-ons and plugins currently available.

I developed a web browser with an automatic timeout feature, web address, mySQL database integration, content filtering and comprehensive administrative logging.

This software has since been modified to work in conjunction with Scala‘s digital signage software to add web browser functionality to their solution.