Visual Art’s Software Focus: Interview with CTO Anders Apelgren

We had lunch with our CTO, Anders Apelgren, who not only has more experience than most in the industry but is also the creator of the VA Player.

A player for all platforms

Anders points out that the media player has a more central role than many realize. “Many think that the built-in player is sufficient or can use an external player. But soon, you’ll encounter limitations in control, updates, and functionality. And the costs can skyrocket if you use external players for thousands of screens.”

Visual Art was early with a solution

With our Chrome-based player, we can now play content on all types of devices. Anders explains, “We realized that Chrome is the lowest common denominator for almost all devices. Therefore, it doesn’t matter who manufactures the hardware or what operating system is used, we work on everything.”

The solution offers several other benefits. “With our player, we can control the screens in many ways. It’s not just about playing content but also about having control over the devices. We can update, turn off, turn on, and schedule individual devices directly through our player, while maintaining high uptime and security,” Anders continues.

Focused on customer needs

Anders emphasizes that our solution is simpler for customers than many alternatives on the market today. “The system is built with various APIs, which means that customers can always connect their own CMS or other systems that send information to the player. This makes the player free from limitations.”

The solution also provides great freedom to change, update, or expand the network of screens. This is especially important for large customers with operations in multiple countries. “Replacing old screens with new ones is already a big deal. If you also must replace the media players, it becomes both more complicated and expensive. It can make a big difference when dealing with thousands of screens in multiple countries,” explains Anders.

A new software focus for Visual Art

Anders, a pioneer in technical solutions, sees the increased focus on software as both welcome and logical. “Hardware is becoming more accessible, both technically and financially. Software then takes on an increasingly central role in terms of functionality, efficiency, and cost. Our goal with our ecosystem is to always work, no matter where or what. That we today have almost 100% uptime on nearly 100,000 screens worldwide is proof that we are on the right track.”

Read more about award-winning Digital Signage Software Signage Player.

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