5.0.0 Release Notes

Release Information

Appspace 5.0 is a major release that contains various key features and updates that are summarized in four different major categories and listed in the following tables:

  • Platform enhancements
  • Core extension modules
  • Core widget updates
  • Core add-on extension modules

Platform Enhancements

New Theme

  • A new standard Appspace Core theme streamlines the process of applying custom brand identity requirements.
  • A redesigned navigation header provides quick access to extensions, notifications, and settings.

Enhanced Tree View UI

  • The enhanced “tree view” UI is applied across Appspace Core to replace the folder and hierarchy tree navigation controls and enhances general usability.
  • The content library folder navigation and network navigation controls are examples of where the new enhanced UI has been applied.

Batch Allocations

  • When allocating content into a media zone widget, the content library allocation window now enables you to allocate all content within the folder through a single action.

SSO Provider

  • Appspace Core can delegate a single sign-on provider to process and authenticate user identities in addition to the existing Cisco DMM and Active Directory providers.

Appspace Graph API

  • The Appspace Graph API sits at the Core of the overall platform and provides third-party developers the ability to create their own extensions for Appspace.

Extensions Framework

  • The new extensions framework is a dynamic and extensible UI framework to create Appspace Core interfaces and workflows.
  • Appspace Core utilizes and leverages the extensions framework for all workflows and interfaces.
  • The Graph API and Extension Manager Advanced are prerequisites for developers to create custom extension modules.

Notification Center

  • The new Notification Center provides a central interface for users to access alerts and notification messages.

Core Extension Modules

The Appspace Core extension modules provide the critical tools and workflows for creating, managing, and distributing apps to connected devices.

New Dashboard

  • A new dashboard presents relevant information and shortcuts that are focused on user activities.

Content Library

  • The content library can now be toggled between the traditional Thumbnail View and a new List View.
  • Additional filters have been added to allow searches to be filtered by media type, age, and allocation status.

User Management

  • A new user interface has been introduced to improve the management of groups and users.
  • Both groups and users can now be assigned with one or more roles.

Network Management

  • Network administrators can now define and organize their network structure with the new Network Tool (previously only available in the Administrator interface).
  • The Player Status page, SmartHub ASE, and Advanced Options are now listed under the Network Management extension module.

Reports

  • Allows for the review and auditing of all user activities along with proof-of-play metrics.

Downloads

  • Provides access to Appspace Core software downloads (i.e. player clients and utilities).

Extension Manager

  • A base Extension Manager tool that can be used to deploy Appspace Core add-on extension modules.

Core Widget Updates

Workbook Widget Providers

  • The workbook widget now supports the integration of data from external providers (i.e. enables you to send SQL queries to a database provider).

HTML Ticker

  • A new HTML ticker can utilize the accelerated HTML rendering layer of a player device for smoother ticker animations.
  • Player devices that currently support HTML rendering: Cisco DMP 4310G and Cisco Edge 300.

Remote Control Widget

  • The remote control widget has been updated to support custom remote configurations and can be applied to any remote control.
  • The scope has been extended beyond the Cisco DMP 4310G and can now target any device that is capable of accepting commands from a generic remote control device.

Core Add-on Extension Modules

Appspace Core provides a number of add-on extension modules that offer additional features and functions for specific workflows.

Note

The core add-on extension modules listed below are separate features from the Appspace Core release and are thus subject to separate (independent) release schedules.

Sign Manager

  • Replaces what was previously known as the Application Management module.
  • Focuses on the creation, management, and distribution of digital signage apps.

Extension Manager Advanced

  • Allows for the configuring, deployment, and management of custom extension modules.

Priority Messaging

  • Enables the broadcast of content across all player devices in the network through a central broadcast interface.

Campaign Manager

  • Introduces a new workflow that enables enterprise/large-scale network deployments as well as small to medium retail networks to publish campaigns that can target multiple apps and sites.

High Availability

  • This is the configuration tool that enables the deployment of a second Appspace Core instance to offer high availability (redundancy) through an active warm-standby model.
  • Content and data are synced periodically between the primary and secondary instances through the master-slave architecture.
  • Requires proper Active Directory implementation (primary and secondary servers must both be a part of the same AD domain).

Multi-Tenancy

  • This is the configuration tool that enables you to leverage a single instance of Appspace Core to serve multiple client organizations (tenants), each with their own secure account.
  • Each Appspace account is a private partition for individual organizations to manage networks, users, managed devices, and apps.

Graph API

  • The Graph API lets developers build their own extension modules, widgets, and interfaces for custom deployments.

Advanced Device Management

  • The new Advanced Device Management interface provides granular control and management of devices in the network with the ability to assign specific tasks and issue device commands.