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News and information related to Catalyst products and services.

The QR code, a magical collection of squares with a secret wealth of invaluable information unlocked by your mobile phone. Well it's not magic, but it is a rather convenient method of accessing information - valuable or not. Usage of QR codes outside of industrial applications has had a slow adoption rate, but as of late and can be found virtually everywhere which, in some cases, could be better thought out.

Image courtesy WTF QR CODES.

The QR code is indeed useful as a means of distributing content to mobile users without requiring the installation of yet another app. While there are still valid use cases for technologies such as NFC and Bluetooth beacons, in many cases it's simply easier and therefore more effective to simply embed a QR code in your print and/or digital signage. We think the QR code is a great companion to traditional signage, digital or not, and hope to make the case for its expanded use.

The QR Code as a Device

As a digital signage company we specialize in pushing content to anything with a screen. Enter the QR code, which enables pushing that same content to mobile devices. This is certainly not a new concept, however the merging of both types of distribution methods is something unique. Revel Digital has promoted the lowly QR code to first class device status in the Revel Digital CMS with full support for content scheduling, reporting, and analytics.



With just the scan of a QR code, any smartphone user can view your scheduled media on the go, on their device, with options for sharing and interactivity. This capability allows you to easily push content simultaneously to both your digital signage, and your viewers mobile devices, in just one go.

Don't forget that these QR codes aren't limited to static images, essentially anything you can publish to your digital signage can also be published to the QR device. This includes video and any dynamic content from our gadget library such as news, weather, flight information, ratings, etc. Let's review some example use cases to better illustrate how beneficial a QR code can be to your signage campaign.

Use Cases

Say you're a busy restaurant owner. QR codes embedded in table toppers or other signage is a great way to keep your menu accessible and up-to-date. Promotions can be highlighted and scheduled to coincide with special events or holidays. As a bonus, if you schedule the same menu content to both your signage and QR devices you only need to update it in one place.

Or what if you're a tradeshow exhibitor. You've got all the time in the world to prepare for your booth, but how do you keep track of everyone who stopped by? Well, QR-Coupled Signage can help with that as well! Whenever someone scans one of your QR codes, not only are you pushing the latest of your media directly to their device, but you're also getting their real-time status and AdHawk analytics directly on your own dashboard. So long are the days of guessing your reach at conferences, now you get that data wherever you need it. And this isn't just limited to expos or conferences, add it to some of your permanent fixtures and you'll get those real-world analytics at the tip of your fingertips.

Another great use case would be in a retail setting where the details of a sale event can be included as a QR code in print or digital signage. The QR code itself is static, however the content scheduled to the QR code can always be modified and even scheduled in advance with a defined end date. This could inform customers that the sale is approaching or has already ended. The content presented to the customer is always mobile friendly and shareable which makes it simple to share the specifics of the sale with others.

So how does it actually work?

As far as the Revel Digital CMS is concerned, a QR code is treated like any other device. This means you can schedule content right along with your traditional digital signage. In fact, digital signage does not even have to be involved if you are primarily concerned with utilizing QR codes for content distribution. Register as many QR devices as you like and change up the content on demand.

Schedule content to a QR code device along with any digital signage

The analytics piece is critical in order to determine the performance of a QR code campaign. Every scan of the QR code is recorded in AdHawk along with many other valuable metrics including dwell time, individual media views, and even custom events from gadgets. For example, our 'Rating' gadget will record the rating selected by user in AdHawk. Any other custom gadget can also easily record relevant metrics as an event in AdHawk.

AdHawk provides valuable insights into QR code campaigns

Getting Started

As with our digital signage, we offer a 30 day trial of our services. Creating an account is free, no credit card required. For more specifics on creating a QR device in your account, please reference our KB article here: https://support.reveldigital.com/hc/en-us/articles/12722832414477-QR-Code-Device

Questions? Please don't hesitate to ask us, we are always happy to assist.
Revel Digital has received ISO/IEC 27001:2013 certification, recognizing our commitment to the highest level of information security. Following an extensive audit of the Revel Digital Information Security Management System (ISMS), this certification was issued by A-Lign Compliance and Security, Inc.


ISO 27001 is a globally recognized standard for the establishment and operation of an ISMS or Information Security Management System. The Revel Digital ISMS is designed to cover key areas of our enterprise information security program focused on providing secure products and services for customers, partners and employees.

Along with data security, another important aspect of ISO 27001 compliance involves service availability and operational resilience. We understand how important it is to maintain a consistent, dependable level of service to our customers. The Revel Digital ISMS addresses this by ensuring redundancy and failover protections are in place in order to recover as quickly as possible from potential service disruptions.

In addition to ISO 27001, Revel Digital also complies with GDPR and CCPA. These regulations ensure our customers have complete control of their data including privacy assurance and the right to delete account data.

ISO 27001 compliance is an ongoing process involving continual improvements and 3rd party audits of our ISMS. This means our investment in security is also ongoing and we hope this helps to build a high level of trust with our customers and stakeholders. As the digital world becomes ever more connected, we owe it to our customers to take a security first posture where the safety of your data is paramount.

For more information, or to request specific ISO 27001 certification documents, please contact us or visit our Trust Portal.

Let's create a new acronym - because why not. Introducing QRaaD (QR as a Device)! We have upgraded the QR code to a first-class device within the CMS with full support for content management, scheduling, and reporting.

Now when registering a new device in the CMS you now have the option of creating a QR code device, which is technically a virtual device with no associated player hardware. Once registered, the device generates it own unique QR code along with a short code URL which redirects end users to the associated content.

Registering a QR code device

Of course there is nothing especially novel about using a QR code in this way, but what is unique is the ability the target both traditional display devices and QR devices in the same campaign, using the same tools.

A good example of the utility of this feature is with digital menus. The digital menu board is quite common these days, but as the stubborn QR code is finally gaining traction it has become more popular to provide this same type content on mobile devices. Table toppers in many restaurants now include QR codes for not only menus, but also for driving customers to promotional content and rewards programs.

Digital menu via QR code

Since in most cases the content for menu boards closely parallels the QR code content, it only made sense to provide the very same content management capabilities to both types of devices within the CMS. Now you can schedule promotional or seasonal content to both your digital displays and QR devices at the same time, within the same campaign, ensuring its accuracy and validity.

Don't forget the data

Content may be king, but data is a close 2nd. It's important to know how your customers engage with your content so we've made sure to provide the analytics tools necessary to that end. Our AdHawk analytics now includes full support for QR devices including content impressions, session tracking, and custom events. This data is invaluable as it provides the necessary insight into how well your QR code campaign is performing.

AdHawk Analytics


We think the QR code can be a great companion, if not the⭐, of a digital content campaign. And remember, you saw it here first - the QRaaD! (Not to be confused with the Quotient Relay Argument Assisted Diode)

For more information please see our KB article here, and feel free to request a demo.

If you use Canva to create content for digital signage, your job just got easier. Revel Digital now has an app in Canva making it effortless to upload your creative content to Revel Digital.


Share your design using the Revel Digital publishing option


For those who are unfamiliar, Canva is a free tool for designing visual content without the learning curve of similar professional 
graphic design tools. Not only can this tool can be used to create content for digital signage, but it can also be used for social media posts, presentations, posters, videos, logos and more.

When designing content, you can find the Revel Digital app in Canva with the app options listed under "More Options". Or you can search for the new app under "Discover Apps" on the Canva home page where you can publish directly to your Revel Digital account.

Canva has a wide selection of high quality free templates you can choose from to start your next digital signage display content. No matter what kind of business you're running, they have options for you to customize in their expansive library. Below is an example of a menu board template Canva offers.


Canva provides thousands of templated designs


Creating content for digital signage doesn't need to be complicated. This convenient integration with Canva will expedite your marketing efforts so you can spend more time designing instead of uploading. 

Revel Digital is always searching for more ways to improve your digital signage workflow. If you have any suggestions on additional ways we can continue to enhance our platform, let us know by sending us a message at info@reveldigital.com. 



W-13, short for Warehouse 13, is where the magic of creating and building new digital displays happens at Revel Digital. Based in Fargo, ND, W-13's engineers focus on how consumer's interact with a product or service and how an interactive display can enhance the experience.



Displays are showcased in W-13 for a variety of unique concepts including, but not limited to, retail, restaurant, POS systems, transportation and billboards. Revel Digital creates digital displays that are versatile, so each solution can be modified for a specific use depending on the product or service its highlighting. With everything in one place, W-13 is perfect for visitors to explore and experience all of the different displays and their unique features.


Did you know any display can be turned into an interactive kiosk? Below is a list of a few ways Revel Digital modifies digital signage to increase consumer engagement.





Smart Display Solutions

  • Lift-to-Learn or Place-to-Learn using RFID / NFC
  • Voice interaction with Amazon Alexa
  • Face or motion detection for intelligent attract loops
  • Content triggers via consumer mobile devices
  • Visual or audio enhancements with external hardware integration

Want to learn more? Contact us to see what innovative display could enhance your business.

What's Next

Stay tuned for more featured content to follow in the coming weeks!

There is a planned service outage on Monday, May 30th during which there will be no access to the CMS or API. We anticipate 2-3 hours of downtime starting around 10PM CST.

Please note, this update has a few important considerations:

  • There will be an IP change associated with this maintenance.
    The new IP range is 68.69.237.177/24.
    Please make sure to add this to your firewall whitelist, if necessary, for both player devices and CMS access.
  • 2FA (Two-factor authentication) will be reset and requires setup in order to re-enable. The new setup process is simple and largely the same. Please see this KB article for more details.
Once the update is complete you will notice a change to the CMS login experience. Authentication is now handled by a dedicated service, independent of the CMS. This approach not only improves security, but also provides us more flexibility with using 3rd party identity providers.

CMS login page will change after the update

We appreciate your patience during this transition! Please feel free to contact us with any questions/concerns.