The usage of BrightSign’s products can be broken down into the following core elements:

Authoring - creating/authoring content for players to display
Player Configuration - setting up players for use
Publishing Mode - publishing/delivering content to players
Player Management - managing/monitoring players on an ongoing basis

1. Authoring

Generally speaking, there are two approaches for authoring player content:

BrightAuthor:connected Presentations

Users can author presentations using BrightSign’s all-in-one authoring and player management app, BrightAuthor:connected. From simple, looping videos to advanced, interactive presentations spanning multiple screens, BrightAuthor:connected enables users to take full advantage of our players' capabilities.

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-Based Presentations

Thanks to the Chromium engine that comes with every player, players are capable of displaying standards-compliant web pages. Users can thus use familiar web technologies (i.e., HTML, JavaScript, etc.) to create presentations for players to display.

2. Player Configuration (Provisioning)

The process of setting up a player for use is known as player configuration and will be covered in more detail later in this section. When BSN.cloud, BrightSign’s cloud platform, is used to configure a player, the process is referred to as player provisioning or just provisioning.

Since the vast majority of users use BSN.cloud to configure players, the term provisioning is often used to refer to player configuration.

3. Publishing Modes

One of the most important aspects of player configuration is establishing the method of delivering content to the player. The available options are as follows:

Publishing Mode	Description
Standalone	Content is manually published/copied to a storage device (often a microSD card) and the storage device is then manually inserted into the player. Players do not require a network connection.
Local Network	Content is published to the player over the local network. Players must be accessible over the local network but do not require internet access.
BSN.cloud	Content is stored, published, and managed using BSN.cloud’s Content Management System (CMS) known as the Content Cloud. More details on this can be found on the next page. Players require internet access.
Web Folder	Content resides on a web folder that is accessible by the player. Players periodically check the web folder for content updates and when new content is available, it is automatically published to the player. Players require internet access.
Partner App	BrightSign has many partners who provide an alternative CMS for managing content. This publishing mode sets up players to utilize the specified partner’s CMS for content publishing and management. Players require internet access.
App URL	Content is packaged and placed at a URL that is accessible by the player. This method is similar to Web Folder but does not have the automatic checks for content updates that the Web Folder method offers. Players require internet access.

When determining a player’s publishing mode, the primary considerations are:

Does the player have network access?
- If so, is the player accessible over the local network and/or is it accessible over the internet?
Will a CMS will be used?
- If so, will it be BrightSign’s Content Cloud CMS or a Partner CMS?

The desired publishing mode will then generally determine which user interface will be used to interact with the player. The user interface will either be BrightAuthor:connected or, in the case of a partner CMS, a web browser.

This table summarizes these considerations and the corresponding user interface:

Publishing Mode	Local Network Access	Internet Access	CMS	User Interface
Standalone	No	No	None	BrightAuthor:connected
Local Network	Yes	No	None	BrightAuthor:connected
BSN.cloud	No	Yes	Content Cloud	BrightAuthor:connected
Web Folder	No	Yes	None	BrightAuthor:connected
Partner App	No	Yes	Partner CMS	Web browser
App URL	No	Yes	Partner CMS	Web browser

4. Player Management

In addition to player configuration/provisioning, BSN.cloud also offers a rich set of tools to manage players on an ongoing basis such as the ability to monitor player status/activity/health, troubleshoot issues, etc. These tools can be accessed via BrightAuthor:connected or, as will be described on the next page, a web browser.

Next - BSN.cloud >

Core Elements