Digital signage for schools, universities and training centres
Timetables, room changes, campus life and safety alerts. A channel students actually watch, where emails go unread.
The timetable and its changes
In an educational institution, the most sought-after information is also the least stable: today's class, its room, and above all last-minute changes. An absent teacher, an unavailable room, a moved exam — this information currently travels by paper notice and word of mouth, with the results everyone knows.
A screen placed at the building entrance and outside the student office catches this traffic right as students pass by. Content updates in real time: a change entered into the platform is on screen within a minute, something no paper notice can match.
Alerts, a category of their own
Schools have obligations around alerts and safety drills. Digital signage isn't an alarm system and doesn't replace one, but it adds something a bell can't: the nature of the event and the instructions to follow.
The emergency alert takes over every screen on the fleet in one action, regardless of what's playing, and is withdrawn just as easily. It's also the tool for less serious but more frequent situations: an exceptional closure, a weather alert, a change to transport times.
Who feeds the screens
Governance is the deciding factor, because a display fed by a single person goes dark the moment they're away. The model that lasts spreads out the roles: administration manages the timetable and official information, communications manages the institution's image, and student associations or representatives feed a wall dedicated to campus life.
This split calls for distinct per-user rights, and a clearly separated space for student content — a single screen where everything is mixed together ends up belonging to no one.
Where to place screens should follow foot traffic, not floor space: the main entrance, the area outside the student office, the dining hall and student union carry most of the passing traffic. A screen in a corridor nobody uses between classes will never get read, however good its content is.
Sound remains a question to settle at installation: in a noisy hall it can't be heard, and in a corridor near classrooms it disturbs lessons. Plan for content that's understandable without sound, subtitled where it's video.
Questions fréquentes
Can timetables and their changes be displayed?
Yes, and it's the main benefit: a change entered in the platform is on screen within a minute, where a paper notice takes half a day. Recurring content can be scheduled in advance through the time-based schedule.
Does digital signage replace an alarm system?
No, and it shouldn't be presented as one. It complements the alarm by adding what it doesn't provide: the nature of the event and the instructions to follow, broadcast to every screen in one action.
Can students publish content?
Yes, as long as roles are kept separate: rights can be split across users, which lets you assign a space or dedicated screens to associations and representatives while administration keeps control of official information.
How many screens for an institution?
It depends on foot traffic, not floor space: the main entrance, the student office, the dining hall and student union cover most of the traffic. Three screens are free with the Free plan, with the features of the Premium plan — a "Powered by Smart-Signage" badge appears after 30 days. Beyond that, count on €9 excl. VAT per screen per month, or €99 excl. VAT per year, with no commitment. Room tablets, remote controls and e-paper labels fall under the Lite licence at €5 excl. VAT per device per month. From 50 devices of the same type, a discount becomes negotiable.