imAGINE: the SA startup looking to bring digital signage to the masses

This is pretty cool. Software house Interactivemedia has launched a subsidiary aimed at giving everyday business owners the power to create well-designed digital signage on their own accord.

The subsidiary, which is called imAGINE, comes in the shape of a software platform which claims to be “self-explanatory” and to have “non-tech-savvy users in mind”.

“Instead of having to rely on others to design what goes on your screens,” imAGINE says in a press release, “you now have the power and control to manage it yourself, giving you absolute freedom to display your content with your own personal touch to not only inform your patrons, but also to build rapport”.

Using a drag and drop format, business owners can create playlists with different content formats. So, for instance, you could have a new special segue into an educational video. The aim, the company says, is for the product to work seamlessly in any office space, restaurant, waiting area or exhibition.

The platform also also includes free headlines from South African news channel, eNCA. People using imAGINE will have access to its current headlines and news bulletins which will update automatically throughout the day and be able to choose from local and international news, technology, sports, business and opinion pieces. There are apparently plans to add new feeds in the future.

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The business is run and managed by Paul Pleming (CEO and Marketing) and David Pleming (CFO), who set-up Interactivemdia six years ago, namely.

imAgine is available as a once-off purchase, with a number of free starter templates available on purchase. There are some basic hardware requirements to be able to use imAGINE.

The approach is different to that taken by Thunk Media, which allows people to do is put their digital signage content on a Rapberry Pi and boot it through an SD card. Thunk also doesn’t require its clients to actually buy the hardware, instead giving them a subscription option.

Both however are taking on a space which has been dominated by larger players until now.