NEC Display Solutions announced today that it’s making its full VUKUNET digital signage software management platform available free of charge, starting today, to any network operator.
The VUKUNET Content Management System is a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution that is fully hosted, managed and supported by NEC. Developed by NEC, the VUKUNET CMS meets or exceeds the capabilities of dozens of commercial SaaS digital signage solutions, NEC says, but has none of the start-up or substantial monthly subscription fees that keep many networks from profitability.
“NEC is making it easier for companies to run digital signage networks by empowering them with tools that take out costs and help grow their businesses,” said Pierre Richer, president and COO of NEC Display. “We are trying to simplify the complexities of the signage market and drive this industry forward with a free CMS solution. The fragmentation of this industry is the biggest obstacle to growth, and those days are finally over.”
Launched in November, the CMS solution is part of a suite of software products that comprise the VUKUNET platform. VUKUNET also includes a universal ad-serving solution with modules that enable network operators to make money through advertising, with no sales effort and minimal technical effort. The VUKUNET solution creates a sophisticated advertising marketplace that bridges ad buyers with networks, and largely automates the ad scheduling, playback and report process across hundreds or thousands of screens and networks.
When VUKUNET was first launched, the CMS solution was made available to networks that registered for ad-serving and to clients buying NEC Display products. Those restrictions have now been removed, and any network, regardless of what display panels they use or whether or not they will make programming time available for VUKUNET-served ads, can take advantage of the free CMS.
“We strongly believe VUKUNET helps networks and the industry as a whole to succeed by offering a reliable, free solution that lets networks put their operating expenses instead into critical areas like content development,” Richer said. “And then we offer a very simple way to generate new ad revenues, with NEC doing all the selling, execution and admin work for them.”
According to NEC, VUKUNET CMS brings many benefits to network operators:
- Fully free central hosting, storage, control and playback solutions
- An easy widget-based drag and drop user interface, from a Web browser
- Broad multimedia and HD video capability
- Dozens of pre-configured content and messaging templates
- Free Reuters weather, sports, stock, news and entertainment content feeds
- Tight and secure permission-based user controls
- Seamless, built-in integration to VUKUNET’s opt-in ad serving solutions
Along with the free CMS solution, NEC is also offering content management, network management and content creation services as part of the overall VUKUNET platform and portfolio of services.
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