Composer 9 has expanded its features & user options.
Friendlyway AG Germany announces the release on August 3rd, 2009 of:
- Version 9 of the established composer software solution for digital signage applications.
- The addition of @caster to the composer software suite.
- Upgrade to composer 9 is available for composer 7 and composer 2004.
Composer 9 has expanded its features and user options to include the following:
Content templates
Advertising spots in digital signage requires broadband visual quality and should be animated to catch the attention of the audience. The creation of high-quality content usually requires designer and animation developer skills. friendlyway composer 9 offers a content template technology which allows the users to easily change the texts and pictures inside of high-quality templates, created by professional media agencies. friendlyway software offers two ways to create spots from templates quickly, which are online creation of spots and playlists using friendlyway @caster or creation of spots using template albums directly in friendlyway composer 9.
Creation of advertising spots and management of playlist using friendlyway @caster
friendlyway @caster is an online application which allows creating playlists of spots from content templates and managing playlists. In case friendlyway @caster is used to create spots, it is not necessary to install friendlyway composer 9 on the workstation. It is enough to access the server, where the spot server is hosted from the web browser which has an internet or intranet connection. This scenario is perfectly suitable for local departments or small businesses, which want to insert own local content spots in between of running composer presentation or create simple dynamic playlists from the available content templates.
Advertising spots created by friendlyway @caster will be automatically loaded by friendlyway player and used for playback. The player does not require permanent connection to the spot server as the spots will be preloaded locally during the time the connection is available.
Creation of advertising spots using friendlyway composer 9
Content templates can be used to create content spots directly in the friendlyway composer installed on the user workstation. The templates will be attached to the composer software as content albums containing the templates, specially created by local media agencies.
As the spots are created directly in the friendlyway composer, they can be combined with other media objects like videos, text crawlers etc. to create media-rich digital signage content.
Dynamic Sequence Management
composer 9 makes it very simple to display out of sequence marketing advertisement spots with different frequency and times. The users can simply assign the marketing advertisement spots of an existing broadcast., friendlyway composer 9 mixes the program automatically to ensure accuracy.
The users are able to define the playback time and the frequency. The friendlyway player adapts the changes automatically and generates the playlist to the corresponding prompts.
This new feature enables the distribution of marketing materials with substantially higher flexibility to the users.
New Support to cut from TV Sequences
In Europe or North America , The new TV functions within composer 9 support the marketable TV cards which are displayed for operation 24×7, and which meet industry standards. Some of the features include:
- TV Support is integrated directly in Composer 9 version.
- Improved stability and support for international TV standards.
- List of the supported TV cards is available.
New Licensed Model
A new 20-digit code license process simplifies the licensing of the software resale for the authorized friendlyway distribution partner. Some of the features include:
- Hardware ID is no longer required.
- The license algorithm consists of a 20-digit sequence code.
- The activation can be made directly within the composer 9 version (including Player) or over a special web-page platform from which all licenses can be administered for large installations.
Content Partnerships
Users and media agents can develop their own content for marketing materials with the composer 9 special content development tools (i.e. Content Album). The contents of these user generated albums can be directly played out of the composer 9 version. Multi-media agents can develop as content partners for customers of friendlyway (including friendlyway value added resellers) or branch specific contents. friendlyway also offers such partners active support in marketing development.
Composer products begin at € 390 for a single screen use (and range in price to € 1.990 for the composer version 9 Professional Edition. Along with these one-time licensing fees, rental models and solutions for software as a service are also included. Also, after the installation composer 9 the users receive a full network of support options. friendlyway offers a supplementary software maintenance agreement as a carefree all inclusive package for users’ peace of mind. Upgrades for users of the composer 2004 and composer 7 family are also available.
In addition to the release of composer 9, is the launch of a new friendlwyay product “@caster”, @ caster s makes it possible for users to generate and to change content of a specific screen (online over a web browser without requiring access to composer 9 version system management or without composer 9 having to be installed by the user. composer 9 can be installed on a central server in the digital signage network for the user to be able to access it. The template formats of @caster naturally correspond to those of composer 9.
It is thereby possible for the first time to realize access to authorized cut and edit options of the content directly by the users. The authorization and the release of the warranty parameters follow through the system administrator of the digital signage network which is securely mandated. This use of the composer 9 family is especially suitable for retail chain stores, department stores with shop-in-shop concepts, independent retailers, and others who work together in the field of marketing and advertising.
On August 3, 2009 friendlyway composer 9 version will be available for sale. A preview beta version is authorized and available for the distribution to partners after July 14th, 2009. For the clients who have ordered the friendlyway composer 7 version after June 1, 2009, the update for version 9 will be available free of charge.
„With our modern and powerful new version of our composer – enhanced with lots of new features and functionalities – we offer our customers a total new experience in building up open digital Signage Solutions. Our product is scalable without limits and therefore networks can be expanded without difficulties step by step. Because our product is open for third party solutions, e.g. multimedia agencies, we ask such partners to participate and add value with own creative solutions. This makes friendlyways new breathtaking product different to other products of competitors in the Digital Signage Market! We are looking very focused for solution partners which offer content for friendlyway’s Digital Signage projects. It’ s our strategy to offer the customers complete solutions on a difined service level and price as “Digital Communication as a Service” added Karl Joachim Veigel, friendlyways Executive VP Sales, Services and Marketing.
About friendlyway
Friendlyway specializes in development and marketing of standard software and system solutions for digital advertising displays (digital signage) and interactive kiosk systems. friendlyway AG has developed technology solutions for over 10 years and has an installation base of over 25,000 throughout Europe, Asia and the United States.
