The Universal Remote Control for Digital Screens

In a new series „Digital Signage Hidden Champions“ invidis presents innovative digital signage providers that are successful but operate under the radar. SignageLab is one such hidden champion – the start-up from Prague developed a multi-platform CMS based on SignageOS that is already used on 5,000 displays today.

Three years ago, David Šauer and Tomáš Skala started with a self-developed digital signage CMS based on WordPress. The website CMS quickly proved to be an insufficient technical platform, as it could not manage the many hardware features of digital signage. The two Prague-based software developers turned to the LG WebOS platform – with which they were able to implement everything required for a proper digital signage platform. But maintaining their own WebOS-based CMS proved to be too time-consuming and expensive for a start-up.

At the same time, also in Prague, the then still largely unknown start-up SignageOS was in the process of building a world-class digital signage middleware. So it was obvious for David and Tomas to explore a collaboration. The result was SignageLab, a digital signage CMS based on the SignageOS core and thus supporting almost all media player platforms from day one. Today SignageLab offers customers a full CMS platform and device management at one price. „Customers buy features, they don’t care what secure software modules the solution is composed of.“

„The concept is obviously catching on in the market. Within three years, SignageLab was able to sell 5,000 CMS subscriptions primarily to banks (Erste Gruppe, Unicredit) and retail clients. At the beginning, the Prague-based company focused on the Czech and Slovakian home markets. Today, SignageLab also has customers in neighbouring countries. A first project with a well-known QSR customer was won in Germany recently.“SignageLab is like a universal remote control for all types of displays,“ says David Šauer in an invidis interview. „We are a multi-platform CMS and give our users the freedom to use different SoC platforms side by side.“

„SignageLab is a universal remote control for all types of displays,“ says David Šauer in an invidis interview. „We are a multi-platform CMS and give our users the freedom to use different SoC platforms side by side.“

Like most new CMS providers, SignageLab relies on a modern tech stack without a outdated codebase or legacy customers with customized code. SignageLab opted for AWS, in line with partner SignageOS or touch specialist Intuiface. Of course, the SignageLab team of only seven people builds on a simple SaaS business model with monthly subscriptions.

Market access is via selected digital signage integrators in Europe and Canada. „We had to win the first customers in our home market directly. As a new provider, there is unfortunately no other choice.“ Today, SignageLab already generates over 90% of its new business through partners. „We want to switch completely to a partner business. We are looking for more integrators who are interested in rolling up the market with a modern, feature-rich and inexpensive solution.”