One of the fundamental choices new users must decide is which app they will use to interact with their players. This choice largely depends on which group the user falls into as described below.
User Groups
Users will generally fall into the following groups based on their choice of CMS (Content Management System) or lack thereof. A CMS is software, typically accessed over the web, that is used to manage the content that players will display.
Group 1: No CMS
These users intend to manage player content on their own without a commercial CMS.
Group 2: BrightSign CMS
These users intend to use BrightSign’s cloud-based CMS, also known as the Content Cloud (subscription required).
Group 3: Partner CMS
These users intend to use a non-BrightSign CMS, often referred to as a partner CMS. In most cases, the partner company will already have an established relationship with the user from the sale of the player. If you are unsure about this, inquire with the company from which the player was purchased.
BrightAuthor:connected
Group 1 (no CMS) users should use BrightAuthor:connected, BrightSign’s all-in-one app for authoring and player management.
Group 2 (Content Cloud CMS) users have the option of either using BrightAuthor:connected or a web browser.
BrightAuthor:connected is free, available for Mac or PC, and can be downloaded here.
Note that BrightAuthor:connected is our latest app for authoring and player management. Although similarly named, it is different from BrightAuthor, our legacy app. Development of BrightAuthor has largely ceased and the app will eventually be deprecated and replaced with BrightAuthor:connected.
Web Browser
Group 2 (Content Cloud CMS) users who choose to use a web browser can access the Content Cloud via bsn.cloud.
Group 3 (partner CMS) users will use a web browser to interface with the partner CMS for content management. A web browser will also be used for player management via control.bsn.cloud (more on this later).