Q: What is Oxygen.next?

A: Oxygen.next is a web service which allows you to build up your own digital signage network. Comparable to GMX, 1&1 or Twitter Oxygen.next provides services based on the Oxygen Media Platform that you can benefit from 24/7, 365 days per year via your web browser.

Q: What is the Oxygen.next platform?

A: The Oxygen.next platform is a web-based cloud computing services platform hosted in 42media data centers. The Oxygen.next platform which provides a range of functionalities to build digital signage networks that span from consumer to enterprise scenarios includes a content management system, a content distribution network and a set of playout services.

Q: Why Beta?

A: We want to evaluate which technological and commercial features our customers expect from Oxygen.next and then will adapt the product according to the users’ demands. The beta period will end when we are fully satisfied with the product.

Q: Is Oxygen.next software only?

A: Oxygen.next is not packaged software or freeware/shareware. It is an integrated digital signage network solution, hosting service and management environment maintained at 42media data centers. This environment includes a reliable and efficient core of compute and storage capabilities and support for a rich variety of content types.

Q: Which languages is Oxygen.next available in?

A: Oxygen.next is currently available in English and German only. Further languages such as Spanish, French, Japanese, Russian and Chinese are planned.

Q: When will Oxygen.next be available?

A: The beta version is available since 16th August 2009. It provides full functionality.

Q: What is the difference between Oxygen.next and the Oxygen Media Platform?

A: Oxygen.next and Oxygen Media Platform are separate platforms designed to integrate easily so that customers can choose the platform that matches their business needs best. Oxygen.next is a cloud service that enables customers to create scalable and available digital signage networks while Oxygen Media Platform addresses the on-premises and enterprise market. Oxygen.next and Oxygen Media platform share most technologies and will share some innovations bilaterally.

Q: Is Oxygen.next a secondary product of the Oxygen Media Platform?

A: No. Oxygen.next is not the same as the Oxygen Media Platform. They are separate 42media platforms. 42media will continue to invest heavily, to innovate and to ship new versions of Oxygen Media Platform. Oxygen.next is a cloud services digital signage network that reduces the barriers to creating scalable and available digital signage networks. The availability of Oxygen.next and Oxygen Media Platform provides flexibility and choice for customers to work on the 42media platform for either their on-premise or cloud applications.

Q: What kind of support is available to Oxygen.next users?

A: Users have access to a suite of readiness resources including whitepapers, tutorials, webcasts and documentation. Support during the Beta period is provided through user-to-user blogs and forums.

Q: What is the pricing model for Oxygen.next after the beta period? Will there be monthly costs?

A: A business model on the basis of monthly costs for the service provision is not planned.

Q: Does Oxygen.next contain a developer API?

A: A developer API as in web services such as Facebook, YouTube or Twitter is available to all Oxygen and Oxygen.next users. More information on the Oxygen API can be found in the Oxygen.next Wiki.

Q: How can I earn money with Oxygen.next?

A: Of course, this list is not exhaustive but shall give some suggestions and show you that there is a variety of options to earn money with Oxygen.next. Important: For existing partners nothing will change. You can make use of Oxygen.next to serve small and medium-sized businesses.

Consulting:
• Evaluation about which requirements are important for a project
• Seminars and workshops for potential users
• Consulting with respect to implementation and operation
• User trainings

Support:
• Installation and configuration
• Migration of inventory data
• Paid support hotline (phone, e-mail, chat) or agreements
• Maintenance agreements

Operation:
• Monitoring and observation of the productive operation
• Ready-for-use software configuration on appropriate hardware for end customers

Development:
• Extension by customized functionality
• Programming of new scripts or applications
• Integration with other software (adaptation of/to interfaces, e.g. booking tools)
• Bundling with other software components to create a new product

Content:
• Sale of content (templates, animations, stock footage etc.)
• Sale of filled-in dynamic templates (news, weather forecasts, information from databases)
• Creation of individual content for customers
• Booking of content channels via subscriptions

Where can users get content for their Oxygen.next?

Content is not yet available but there will be a market place content can be uploaded to. Then all users can purchase their content from this platform for a fee. But this will still take a while.

Besides templates, will there be content pools for weather forecasts, news, cartoons, video clips, animations etc. that users will be able to choose from? How much will they cost?

This is exactly how it is going to work. Prices will vary - depending on the content provider. For comparison: An n-tv news channel with texts, images or video within an n-tv template will cost about 14.90 Euro/month.

Is it possible to create clips with Oxygen.next or does it only distribute existing clips that the user has created on his own?

Oxygen distributes prefabricated clips or filled-in templates only since it does not contain a content creator or the like. It is a content management system. Content can be created by means of all common applications; Oxygen is responsible for its distribution, scheduling and playout.