NEC partners with Canonical on Ubuntu Core based signage platform

CMS digital signage solution leverages NEC large format displays and the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 3

Munich, 13 September 2017 – NEC Display Solutions Europe today announced a collaboration with Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu Core and Screenly, the leading digital signage software solution for Raspberry Pi. This is one of several partnerships NEC has made with digital signage software companies leveraging Raspberry Pi as part of their digital signage solution. The joint collaboration facilitates an innovative digital signage solution which uses NEC’s P and V Series 40–55 inch large format displays and modular Raspberry Pi Compute Module 3 (CM3) to deliver high impact visual content in an integrated package for professional AV applications.

When it comes to deploying signage in professional environments, not only the playback performance is paramount, but also the user experience and the overall platform security, reliability and manageability are vital. This collaboration is a strategic move by NEC to highlight these capabilities within our versatile range of display solutions, and is in line with NEC’s Open Modular intelligent computing strategy.

Screenly’s powerful digital signage platform makes it easy to manage both small and large deployments, with targeted sectors such as retail, food and beverage, education, transport, and corporate offices, who will be able to communicate eye-catching content with their customers on this platform. The player enables smooth playback of full HD videos, images and web pages, complete with health checks and remote status monitoring. Moreover, the combination of Screenly’s simple, yet powerful, CMS and the flexible API, means Screenly can be used as a stand-alone solution or integrated with IoT solutions as well as into larger, more complex systems. Sensor triggers can be incorporated to make the signage more context-aware and relevant to the viewer, enhancing the overall experience.

Jatin Bhatt, Strategic Alliance Manager at NEC Display Solutions Europe said: “Companies are looking for highly reliable technologies to continue improving their adoption and use of digital signage. The cooperation with Canonical and Screenly enables seamless integration of digital signage functionality and content management features into a single smart device, leveraging the power of the Raspberry Pi CM3 right inside our P and V Series displays. Together, this creates a simple but very secure, self-contained and effective solution for digital signage applications, supporting the NEC Open Modular computing strategy.”

Ubuntu Core is a minimal version of Ubuntu targeted at IoT and embedded devices offering over-the-air updates, security built-in from the ground up and the opportunity for additional functionality and monetisation through snaps – the universal Linux packaging application format. Automatic updates simplify the update process for businesses that have digital signage installed in numerous and remote locations, while the secure platform ensures resistance to screen takeover and other potential attacks. Ubuntu Core is fully supported on the Raspberry Pi CM3 to deliver a cost effective, secure and extensible platform.

Mike Bell, EVP of IoT and Devices at Canonical commented: “Digital signage platforms are now an increasing must-have feature for businesses all around the world. By partnering with the brightest minds in the industry, we can continue to develop enterprise and embedded IoT uses for Ubuntu Core. NEC’s large format displays with their support for Raspberry Pi Compute Module 3 running Ubuntu Core, offers a compelling and fully-integrated solution.”

Viktor Petersson, CEO of Screenly added: “NEC’s open modular platform approach and IoT focus with Raspberry Pi CM3 allows us to push our software right into the heart of the digital signage hardware platform, providing a vibrant yet secure digital visual proposition that takes full advantage of the opportunities the IoT offers to advertisers and other organisations to personalise content and be more interactive. We look forward to working with NEC and Canonical to deliver the future of CMS digital signage.”

For more information about the Screenly signage software and to download a fully featured 30 days trial license, please click here.

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About Canonical
Canonical is the company behind Ubuntu, the leading OS for cloud operations. Most public cloud workloads use Ubuntu, as do most new smart gateways, switches, self-driving cars and advanced robots. Canonical provides enterprise support and services for commercial users of Ubuntu. Established in 2004, Canonical is a privately held company.
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About Screenly
Screenly is the world’s most popular digital signage platform for the Raspberry Pi. Since its launch in 2012, Screenly has become a dominant digital signage platform for the Raspberry Pi and powers over ten thousand of screen around the world. Screenly’s wide range of customers include advertising firms, hotels, restaurants, retail chains, offices and universities. For more information on Screenly please visit https://www.screenly.io

About NEC Display Solutions Europe
NEC Display Solutions Europe GmbH has its European headquarters in Munich, Germany and is responsible for all business activities in EMEA. NEC Display Solutions Europe benefits from the technological know-how and technologies of the NEC Corporation and, with its own Research and Development, is one of the world’s leading manufacturers offering the widest product range of display solutions in the market. The display product portfolio ranges from entry-level to professional and speciality desktop LCDs, via large-size Public Displays for Digital and Retail Signage. The Projector range offers products for all needs, from portable devices via business projectors to products for permanent operation (such as PoS applications) and digital cinema projectors. Bernd Eberhardt is President and CEO of NEC Display Solutions Europe.

Further information can be found online at: www.nec-display-solutions.com

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About NEC Corporation
NEC Corporation is a leader in the integration of IT and network technologies that benefit businesses and people around the world. By providing a combination of products and solutions that cross utilize the company’s experience and global resources, NEC’s advanced technologies meet the complex and ever-changing needs of its customers. NEC brings more than 100 years of expertise in technological innovation to empower people, businesses and society. For more information, visit NEC at http://www.nec.com.

Based on its Mid-term Management Plan 2015, the NEC Group globally provides “Solutions for Society” that promote the safety, security, efficiency and equality of society. Under the company’s corporate message of “Orchestrating a brighter world,” NEC aims to help solve a wide range of challenging issues and to create new social value for the changing world of tomorrow. For more information, please visit http://www.nec.com/en/global/about/solutionsforsociety/message.html.