“We’re partnering with StartUp Vitamins to create one of the most unique apps yet,” says Gushue. “This company compiles quotes about business and innovation, and sells them on its website in the form of mugs and posters. It’s a motivational tool for start-ups. We even have [some of their products] in our office.
“We thought, hey, wouldn’t it be cool if we connected with [StartUp Vitamins] and got them to give us digital versions of the posters. The app will work like this: customers will go into the dashboard and select which they’d like to use, or select a few to rotate through, up on the screen.”
Growing Customer Base
Enplug already has over 450 clients, including BMW, Crossfit gyms, Dave & Buster’s, SXSW, Toyota and Marriott. Porsche uses Enplug in its car dealerships. WeWork, a company that rents space out to start-ups, uses it for advertising and informing.
Most recently, University of Southern California used the Enplug software to display Instagram and Twitter posts that included the hashtag #USCPrice during graduation. Students were able to share moments with friends, family and the school on social media. For the project, Enplug powered two 18-by-24 foot rear-projection screens with double stacked Christie HD 14KM projectors.
Enplug works with both integrators and end users, says Gushue. Often times end users will come to Enplug directly, but the Enplug software has also been a part of digital signage packages put together by an integrator.
Looking Inward
Lately, Enplug has been focusing more on internal communications at corporate offices.
“We saw that there was a big need for offices looking to power their displays with content that employees actually wanted to view,” says Gushue. “And with all of the apps and integrations offered by Enplug, we can allow them to do so.”
That’s what sets Enplug apart from its competitors; its software can be modified by businesses and developers through different kinds of apps. Other software companies in the space have closed systems—owning the screen, software and the network—and offering little to no personal customization. With Enplug, businesses can buy a cheap monitor along with Enplug’s device and completely customize the interface, down to color, font, shapes and layout.
“The biggest reason we are focusing on internal accounts is the pure amount of integrations [firms have to go through],” says Gushue. “There are hundreds of internal employee communication applications, and our product allows businesses to integrate all these internal account tools into their digital signage with our open SDK software.”
In the long run, Enplug aims to be the unifying platform that can support every public display in the world, with an operating system so customizable and easy to use that it doesn’t make sense to go with anything else.
“Like any great [user interface], it’s extremely intuitive, which is important for both tech savvy and non-tech savvy display managers,” says Gushue.
