A Solid Piece of Software - Offering Custom Branding and Integrations

I've observed firsthand people coming into our facility and getting up-to-the-minute accurate information to help them find their way, be informed about upcoming events, and be entertained and inspired. REACH's support team is great and they are super friendly... Willing to work through anything with you! It's been a pleasure doing business with them and we are excited to keep expanding our network of displays in new and exciting ways in the future.

Pros

I love that they work with you to design a custom template that matches your organizations brand. Then, they offer integrations (we use the eSpace integration for building schedule) and modules (weather, social media, video, graphics) that pull in data from multiple sources onto one screen seamlessly. I've seen other digital signage solutions that offer either split screen solutions or out-of-the-box templates, but those fall short in creating a seamless brand experience. I also love how I can schedule graphics and videos for different days and times across multiple players/screens, and set them to expire and be removed automatically on a certain date.

Cons

One downside is they don't really offer weekend support. (I was able to get someone to message me back once, but the problem couldn't be resolved until Monday). We are a church and if something goes down on Sunday, we are out of luck. Most of the issues we were having were related to our players being on WiFi, which has as much to do with us as it does with them. Since we've hardwired all our players, we've been pretty much incident free. Their lower-end PC's, which they ship by default, leave much to be desired. Consider upgrading a level or two for enhanced performance and reliability. I wish the dashboard was mobile friendly. It is doable to scroll around and edit a few things on a smartphone, but it's less than ideal. In today's mobile world, I need to be able to make simple edits and check on player status' on the go quickly. Overall, it's backend dashboard is stuck in the past... but it does what it needs to do!

An honest consumer review for the Reach CMS

Ultimately, Reach has allowed for quick updates to our client ads. Although most features offered by Reach are not something our company needs, they do however open potential opportunities for us to offer to our clients and utilize in the future. Furthermore, Reach did not have a specific feature that one of their competitors does offer (Watchfire Ignite), but I was able to provide the details of this new feature to a Reach Support Representative and they promised to submit this as a potential feature for the Reach CMS. This may or may not be implemented, but my concern was gladly heard - as such, the Reach customer service has been a very positive experience for myself.

Pros

Features available enable us to compete with most of our competition and surpass others. Which in our case, allows us to offer our clients state-of-the-art service.

Cons

Due to this being a web-based system, certain clunky response times for content updates, caching concerns, CSS consistency errors, etc - all account for a demerit in consumer value. Most of which can be addressed with future front-end updates to the Reach software. Largest concern from a front-end development standpoint would be major inconsistencies in responsive view (mobile, tablet). There should be no limitations between devices. Granted, although many of these appear concerning, the web-based route allows for flexible updates on a diverse set of systems, web-based integrations for RSS Feeds/Social Content, and many other valuable features which would hold its weight in limitations if Reach were a standalone application.

Game changer during the pandemic

We use REACH to enhance our internal member amd digital communication. It now also serves as the seamless way for all members to reserve times of their choosing. REACH staff are accommodating and the software and hardware work just as well today as the first day of install several years ago.

Pros

We have used REACH for several years and it always suited our needs. It wasn't until the reopening guidelines set forth by the State and numerous requirements did we fully reap the true advantages of REACH. Scheduling and reservations are now made simple and our Y members love this system. It's equally easy to use from the Admin and member perspective.

Cons

There is nothing to dislike! The only area for improvement could be to have a better app interface. Web based works seamlessly but the app could be significantly improved.

Great for First Impressions

Pros

This platform allows us to showcase our offerings. We use it to show our videos of our programs in the lobby area. We also use to inform our constituents our schedule and offerings. It helps us to be more green as we do not need to print out as many flyers. We have also increased the number of current participants that may not know other offerings we have and now

Cons

We are not able to connect it to our current software. We have to manually create the feeds through the REACH Program. It would be easier if it was able to work together.

Reach Digital Signage great value

Overall, Reach is a great digital signage company. The product is perfect for our company needs and it is very easy to use.

Pros

The ease of use. The built in tools to create announcements are simple and uncomplicated. The support team is attentive and communicative.

Cons

I originally chose this product over the other provider because it offered a Facebook Live feature that is no longer available. It does not look like this feature is being reinstated.

Large Scale Migration of 300 Screens

We had a huge problem. Find a new Content platform for our 300 screens. Find a platform that could handle scheduling. We had outgrown our in-house solution which was lacking in a multitude of features that we found on Reach. The support has always been 100% friendly and helpful, and Reach is always responsive to our needs.

Pros

Without Question, Reach has the best and most flexible scheduling solution I have seen. We like to present relevant and live information on our screens as a complement to our advertiser's content. What better or more pertinent content than a Schedule. Many of our clients are Arenas, and scheduling is thus an essential requirement. When we were looking to migrate, we thought we could never find a suitable scheduling platform until we found Reach. Of course, we do more than schedule, but that is what I like most.

Cons

There is not a lot to dislike. I can see improvements with the online calendar by adding more features, and I know those are on the way.

YMCA of Central Ohio is pleased to use this product.

We are able to communicate more effectively than before with this product.

Pros

The customization on all fronts plus great customer support.

Cons

Unable to segment info across multiple TV locations within the same building without investing more into product. We just don't have the budget.

Great Product and very professional looking

Something so simple as having an upcoming events section on our displays that can be updated by all departments really makes getting the right information out there a cinch. As well, the PowerPoint import tool makes it super easy for folks with minimal computer knowledge to update content.

Pros

I really enjoyed working with the team as we were switching to Reach for our digital signage needs. It was an easy transition since the staff at Reach helped setup the back-end the way we needed for our business.

Cons

My biggest wish for continuing work as an Admin is to have a bit more control over our devices and configuring our environments. This is a minimal concern as the team at Reach is always available to quickly help us complete these tasks.

Great software and design overall

Besides some previous models having hardware issues, the overall experience has been great. Customer support is quick to assist.

Pros

Our customized Opal Foods dashboard that displays the temperature and weather of all our locations while also displaying announcements.

Cons

The 'player' names under the player tab do not match the 'playlist' names under the announcements tab. For example, one of our playlist names is "Demo", which does not reflect the corresponding player name "Hathaway Processing". This can be a problem when moving players around.

Digital Display PWW

Pros

What I liked is the ease of use of the software. I have some users that I was just able to give them a login and they were able to figure out some of the basic tasks.

Cons

The interface is good but seems clunky as far as the announcements are handled. Other than that, the software has been great to use.

Very satisfied with REACH TV

My overall experience with REACH is great! The customer service is very helpful and answers my questions right away and also follows up after a problem is resolved. The ease of uploading our flyers has saved a lot of time. The REACH program is very user friendly. I have been able to navigate the program without problems.

Pros

I like the ease of uploading our flyer images (already designed) for each of our programs at the Bartlett Park District and not having to recreate the messages. I also like the preview feature on the desktop without having to be in front of the actual screen. Also, I like that I can change the order of our messages under the change order tab. And lastly, adding videos are as easy to upload as images.

Cons

I am not sure if this problem is on our end (internet connection- I have contacted our IT staff and they cannot detect a problem), but under Dashboard - the Network health is offline. When viewing the screen in the lobby, my recently uploaded announcements are running correctly. So I am not sure why it would say it was off line? Also, sometimes when uploading a jpg, Reach will skew the jpg. The image won't fit the total space. I can enlarge the image (by pulling out the corners), but I cannot stretch the image horizontal because the proportions are constrained (skewed). This doesn't happen often (maybe twice a month) but when it does I have to snag (program) my jpg and save it again. So I am not sure if something happens to that file when saving it to a jpg or if something happens to the file when it is uploaded to REACH?

Great Product!

My overall experience with REACH has been very positive.

Pros

I really like the ease of use with this software. We recently had a branding change and the design team was able to comply easily with our branding standards and turn-over time was fast. Training for this product was effective and easy. It can also be used on my mobile phone. I am currently the only user/administrator in our organization. Someone found a mistake on one of the slides I created and I could take it down via my mobile phone while in another county. This really is a great product.

Cons

I wish there were more design options. Currently, to have a more polished looking product, I design the slides in another program and then put them in REACH.

Reaching our Youth!

Reach is a great tool that is user friendly and easy to follow. We have had many youth in our program mention they loved being able to sit and eat their meal and get updated at the same time. It is a great tool for what we do!

Pros

We are able to connect with the homeless youth we serve in a way that speaks to them (TV). As sad as it is TV broadcasting in facilities like ours have a huge impact on getting the information out that we need to! I love the fact that I can customize each page the way I want it and then adjust it anytime I need to. I also love the fact that there are stock photos that we can use to help upgrade our message to the clients.

Cons

I only think that I have trouble when I try to update the board, sometimes I get confused on how to get the updates to transfer to the screen. It is getting better but that was the only thing I had trouble with.

Great program that allows you to completely customize the display that you present to your customers

It gives our Recreation Center a way to visually present data and information to the public without always having to interact with them. We display upcoming programs and events, along with the time, weather, and the day's building schedule. It's a great visual reminder to the staff and participants alike of all the things going on in the department.

Pros

It's easy to use and update daily. I use the software to show the day's schedule in the building I work in, along with upcoming programs and classes that our department is offering to the public. The display is always fresh and looks great. Whenever a small problem has arisen in the past, it was dealt with quickly and efficiently by the reach staff. I was really able to customize the display to exactly what I want and I'm very happy with the product.

Cons

The fact that each display has to have its own license can make it expensive for smaller departments like ours. Our Recreation Facility is not overly large, but would benefit from having a second, smaller display in an area other than our main display. The fact that the displays have to be completely the same if they are wired to the same computer, or have a separate license for different displays can be prohibitive.

Happy Administrator & User

We needed a solution that was powerful but more reasonably priced than some of the competition. Also a company that was more responsive than some of the large signage vendors. REACH has come through on all counts and has a corporate style that is more like dealing with a family business than one of a large company bureaucracy crunching numbers with everything and charging every way possible. Not to mention having to wait until a representative talks to a group of managers just to get the amount for a quote for even simple items. I do not want to seem like I am bashing our former companies, as they both have a quality product and good people. It is just I do not miss their corporate cultures one bit. To compare, dealing with REACH is genuinely pleasant and I can get answers quickly to any need I have. On the occasion where something was truly a hard thing to quote based on the number of variables, I receive honest feedback, am given a general idea of a range and after the process is planned out, I get the answer right away. I never feel like we are waiting because more important customers are in the queue ahead of us.

Pros

I like the ease of use and the quickness that I can post something to multiple signs in multiple locations. Our former provider was one with very good software and REACH had a slightly different approach, but one that made sense and allowed me to manage our signs more efficiently. They are very responsive to user feedback and it show in the software.

Cons

Honestly very little. No complaints from my side.

I had originally gone with a different digital signage company, but went with REACH and love it.

Better communication about what our students are currently working on in the building. We put everything on the signs from band concerts, quilting projects, sporting events, parent teacher conferences, lunch menus. Anything that goes on, we put it onto the signs so that when community members and family members are in the building they can get a pretty accurate and recent picture about what's going on at our school.

Pros

It looks very professional and matches our schools colors and logos perfectly. The social media tie ins are also very nice. The YouTube plugin feature is also so simple it's almost idiot proof. I also love that the entire area can be customized to your liking. The Alert system is also very cool for snow days and delays. The parents really like that one. I also like being able to upload PDF files straight to the signs. We get a lot of clothing order forms that are in PDF, so I just toss those up on the signs and we're good to go.

Cons

The scheduling part is a little bit difficult to work with. We have Rschools and it seems to pull a little bit odd, but that may just be me needing to reach out to Customer support representative a little more. It's easy to get it synced up, but it shows (Home) after every event. Not sure why that is. Another thing I've found a little odd is that it is sometimes hard to troubleshoot what is on the screen and what you are seeing when you do a preview. For example, if our FB is not working correctly the display will show all black but the preview will still show the content properly.

REACH, a customer's perspective

From first contact to implementation took a while on OUR END due to budgeting into a non-profit system. When we gave the green light it went very well and quickly...but not rushed. Support gave all the information our IT staff needed for a quick, and wireless, installation and implementation of service. Easy to use right from the start and has become even easier to use than when we started two years ago. They will have to pry this system from my, cold, dead hands if the budget ever becomes too lean or a change is suggested. So, I guess you can say I am pleased with the system and value.

Pros

Being able to edit/control content from literally ANYWHERE. This has saved our organization countless hours vs. the old way with USB thumb drives...not to mention 1 person can do the task that took 3 (with travel time) in the past! The Instagram posts are looking fabulous and the stock artwork saves so much time not having to scour the internet to create holiday greetings/notices of closure.

Cons

I know they are working on it already, but our Facebook posts sometimes appear strange and illegible. It seems only to appear legible when the post is not a 'shared' post or story...only when it's created on-page does it seem to appear legible.

Very Helpful Company with a Quality Product

We are in the process of moving all of our academic signage over to their platform, with some testing and several signs activated. Everyone I have worked with at REACH has been very accommodating, has tried to understand my timeline (which has changed quite a bit due to some legacy equipment we were initially going to use prematurely hitting end of life) and have displayed qualities including being genuinely helpful, willing to go above and beyond to make sure our rollout is moving along as planned, and regularly checking to ensure our experience with the company is first-rate.

Pros

We can do everything in the cloud that I need, the software itself is intuitive and works well. If I ever run into an issue, the REACH staff are very easy to work with and I have enjoyed working with them. I am a person who is laid-back, but has absolutely no hesitation at letting companies know if I am unhappy (our my company is) with them! REACH offers a very good product at a price point that has saved us considerable money while having 99% of the features we were used to using or considering using and added a few we did not have.

Cons

Very little. A few interactive items, I am used to programming myself versus working with the company for a minimal cost. I believe for most organizations, especially small business, this ends up being more of a feature as they can have dedicated people build whatever they need at exceptionally competitive rates. I am just a control freak, so it is more specific to my own personality and situation.

I really like working with the REACH program and it's support help.

Pros

The software is very easy to learn and the support from the team is wonderful. Training went smooth and was easy to follow. The potential this program has is endless. There is such a wide variety to the stock images available that I am able to make any announcement style I would like. Another aspect that I like about the REACH program is the ability to "work ahead" on items that you would like broadcasted. What I mean by that is the option to set start and finish timelines. I am able to work ahead on different events two or three months ahead of time and then just set the broadcast date and not worry about it. There are many useful options that are attached with this program I however just named a few.

Cons

One thing that can be a bit frustrating is the way Windows updates do not sync with my end of the program. Here is an example of when happens...Windows has an update and when they do my monitor will go down. There is a big blue ribbon across the screen that lets you know you must perform a reboot. Well I am not able to reboot that in house. I have to make a ticket for tech support at REACH to do. Now with that being said the support at REACH responds right away and it doesn't take more than an hour to get things back up and running. The communication on their end is great I know exactly when they get the message and when they fix the issue. So that helps make it a bit less frustrating.

REACH Software takes our brand to the next level

From the initial conversations and demonstrations on how the software works, to designing a layout and implementation of our devices, the experience has been top-notch. My questions have always been addressed, and you can tell the responses are sincere. The follow up and updates are appreciated and relevant to my company's needs. We are so happy with the software, we're in discussions on how to use additional devices for future projects now too. The REACH team is so great to work with - you won't be disappointed!

Pros

I was involved with selecting this software, implementing it in our buildings and updating the content regularly. There are many things I like about this software: it is customized to fit our needs, tech support is not only helpful, but they're quick to respond and actually provide a resolution, and the product performs exactly how I hoped it would. Not to mention, it is extremely user friendly! The quality and performance of this product was important to us, and it definitely shows. We've received many compliments on it and we're considering adding more in additional locations. This software not only offers a great communication tool for our company, it helps to elevate our brand. We couldn't be happier with the software.

Cons

I honestly cannot think of any negatives - we're very happy with this software.

Great Visual Way to Reach Your Customers

Oftentimes, customers enter our facility there to attend a specific class or program. The REACH display helps us to quickly and visually impart other offerings that we have to our consumers. They may be in the building to attend a class with their child, but with REACH, they can quickly see the different adult programs we have to offer as well. Without the display, they wouldn't have that information, or even know where to look for it.

Pros

The ability to customize the software for exactly what your needs are. Our display has local time and weather, in addition to the daily schedule of our facility, advertisements, and our company logo. It is incredibly easy to use, and the display is a great way to convey information visually to the people you want to reach.

Cons

The only con to this system is that you need a new license for each different display that you have. Our building is fairly large, and if I wanted to put two different messages/schedules in two different areas of the building, I would have to pay for two licenses.

Engage your Customers

Nothing but Excellent. We have been able to create eye-catching content that makes customers stop and not just walk right on past. I am very pleased to be working with REACH. They continue to enhance the product with new features on a regular basis and I look forward to implementing them in the future.

Pros

Touchscreen integration. Engaging with your customers in a different way than your competitors. This provides great opportunity to keep customers involved and learning more about what we offer. Support team has been fantastic. You don't leave a message and wait for someone to call back. The support team answers the phone and helps you right then! Efficient and super friendly. Integration. They integrate with lots of apps. Social media feeds, calendars, schedules and camera feeds all in real time. With a wide assortment of screen templates and widgets, content is easy to import or create within the software. The installation and setup of our 2x2 video walls was surprising easily.

Cons

I don't have anything negative to say. No issues to date with performance, customer service or quality of the software.

Using the Reach platform has really stepped up our facility look.

Ease of use. Nice look. I neglected to select a few boxes in the last page - I also am an administrator and user of the software, in addition to helping pick out the prodcut.

Pros

We primarily use the Reach Software for our facility schedule. We also have it connected to our Social Media feeds (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram). I love the capability of also adding flyers but we do not take advantage of this enough. Several of my colleagues in neighboring towns have been impressed and are considering adding this to their facilities.

Cons

Although it has happened often, we have had the system stop displaying our data from time to time. When consulting with Reach Service, it seems like it was an issue with RecTrac (Vermont Systems), however when speaking with Vermont Systems they made it seem like a Reach issue. The issues have been rectified but was difficult going back and forth between Reach and Vermont Systems.

Reach Digital Signage Makes a Difference

Overall I love it.

Pros

Reach helps us easily communicate within different areas of our building as well as with our other office buildings. It's become a part of our culture and everyone loves to see what's new. Reach works with you to develop the right template for your business/organization. Uploading and scheduling content is easy for the administrator and comes off high-tech to the viewer.

Cons

Creating content within the software is not as easy as doing so outside of the software. The text tool is clunky.

Reach Media Network

The customer service and tech support are AWESOME. When I have had to reach out to support, they have been right there . . . actual HUMANS answering the phone and they are always quick to provide an answer or help when I need it. Very impressed.

Pros

Flexibility to have multiple templates and themes for the different locations within each organization. Very user friendly in setup and maintaining the system. Up time for our 3 screens has been 99-100% with very little internet interruption.

Cons

The CMS is not mobile responsive and that to effectively modify the information, you need to be at a desktop computer. Obviously not a deal breaker, but would be more convenient if we could make edits on the fly with our smartphones or tablets.

A great method to communicate important information

I have been very pleased with how easy it is to access the software and make changes on the fly. With minimal IT support, I can submit an update via the web-link and instant changes occur. Removing the need for approvals or IT involvement.

Pros

At our sites, we use the software on strategically placed TV's. The break rooms, front office, throughout the facility to communicate upcoming events for the associates, greetings to vistors, safety metrics of the site, weather updates and general information to share with the team.

Cons

I am an advanced PC user, and have been exposed to a lot of different software suites and I was able to navigate the reach software with some minimal time spent on the videos supplied. However for a less experienced user it can be a bit difficult on that learning curve.

Multiple Displays

We were in need of a software that had the capability of displaying a rolling safety metric on all monitors; REACH was able to assist with a stationary year-to-date widget that is easy to update. Overall, I am extremley satisfied with the services provided by REACH.

Pros

Love having the ability to display different content on multiple monitors. We were able to digitize our brand on the welcome display for our guest, thus reducing the need for paper brochures. Most of our employees are not able to check emails regularly so having the option to display important company announcements facility wide is a major plus for our organization. Contacting REACH Customer Service was a breeze; the employees are very knowledgeable and offer excellent technical support.

Cons

Have not experienced any issues with the software.

Wonderful Product!

One of our biggest goals as a school is to keep all stakeholders informed of what is going on within the school on a daily basis. Our interactive TV, along with the REACH software has allowed us to reach that goal. With a few clicks of a button, our daily announcements, student shout-outs, or other important notifications are published and easy for all to see.

Pros

I love that I am able to access this software from anywhere. Even if I am not in school that day, I am able to send announcements out so the students/staff/community members can see them! I also love how user-friendly the REACH interface is.

Cons

I am not sure I would identify this as a con, but we always appreciate software that is low-cost because of the tight budget we are on. Even yearly specials or price knock-downs might help me sell the yearly cost to my administration!

REACH system for the City of Bell

My overall experience with REACH has been great. The service that I have been receiving to make the changes that we need have been helpful and patient.

Pros

Very easy to use! We are able to make any changes needed as we advance in our programs, events, announcements etc. We can upload and remove any images or programs and mess around with REACH when needed. It is reliable to use at our City parks for our patrons to see it is a catalog but on TV for everyone to see what the city has to offer.

Cons

As of now we have not had any issues with the software or service. I have been working closely with Dean Running in updating our REACH system for the City of Bell, with a new logo we need new changes with colors, backgrounds, announcements. We will be in process of creating something new.

REACH is a Great Product for Your Center!

REACH is constantly in touch to make sure that we are getting the most out of the product, aware of any software updates/changes, and making sure that we are happy with the service. They do a great job.

Pros

I love that the software has so many different ways to give information to the public passing by. It's very visual and able to disseminate information very quickly. In 30 seconds, a passing patron might see visuals for 3 different programs, our daily schedule, the date, time, weather, and our Logo. It's a great product!

Cons

The only problem I have is the inability to set different messages to different visual spots. If I have one location with two different displays, they have to display the exact same information, even if they are in completely different sides of the building.

Fantastic solution to our ever-changing needs.

REACH helps us to clearly communicate to guests important information while they are in our facility, such as menu items, restroom locations, locker room assignments, merchandise info during concerts, etc.

Pros

Simple integration, clear and concise software training, available support when we need it (and it's an in-house service team so it's nice to know who I'm calling when there is an issue), and regular follow ups from staff to make sure that their product is fulfilling their need.

Cons

Hardware obsolescence - as Windows 10 releases updates that are sizable, the older players with smaller hard drives have presented a hurdle in getting the latest versions to successfully install. Tech support was able to find a creative solution and resolved the issue in a very reasonable time.

Saved me so much time!

We are using REACH to do just that, reach out to our officers, civilian staff, and volunteers. We use one monitor for more "fun" items such as monthly birthdays, award commendations, staff highlights, congratulations for new promotions/babies/transfers, etc. The other two monitors are used to keep everyone informed on things such as trainings, flu shot appointments, updates on equipment or building, transfer openings, open enrollment appointments, etc. We are implementing two more monitors very soon - one for the lobby (videos, special event calendars, weather) and the last one for our Crime Analyst to highlight bulletins.

Pros

This software provides much more than what I was previously using, which was a PowerPoint slide show on a monitor downstairs. Each update, which was generally once a day or more, had to be completed away from my office desktop. It was very, very time consuming. Being able to update each announcement from my desktop is so easy, fun, and we're now using the REACH System on a total of five (5) monitors.

Cons

Only two things come to mind. I wish there was a way to keep the text color (chosen from the color swatch in the editing text box) as a default color shown under the main swatches - without having to select "more colors." And, if I'm wishing, I would like to have more editing tools on the front page (without having to select the pencil editor).

Excellent Digital Signage Solution

Overall the company has been great to work with. They are very responsive and helpful when issues arise.

Pros

The REACH system is extremely easy to use. It gives us the ability to schedule content as far in advance as we would like. Once you have your content created it literally takes less than a minute to publish to however many screens you want.

Cons

Some more sorting options would be nice. Such as the ability to sort by "scheduled" content. Also it would be nice to schedule something for more than one timeframe at a time. For example, right now if I have a poster to publish for Monday to Tuesday one week and Thursday to Saturday 2 weeks in the future, I would have to do two separate publish tasks. It would be nice to be able to do it all at once.

It's easy...even for me!

We’re really excited about utilizing more of the features that Reach provides. We have an amazing Marketing and Design team that has been able to create some impressive videos and images. As we become more familiar with the system, our desired outcome is to use the scheduling system to tailor messages to specific audiences. The quality of the content coupled with its timely release will hopefully support our desire to keep people connected to the business and to each other.

Pros

I am a part of a team of 3 who have taken over the use of the platform. We had no idea how to operate the software, but we have quickly been able to grasp some of the features thanks to your online tutorials and a few contacts with your online support. I’m not typically very savvy with this sort of thing, but I’ve been able to grasp the basics in a relatively short time frame.

Cons

The only hiccup that I’ve experienced so far is in being able to adjust the end date for when an announcement becomes inactive. We have current announcements that are Active, but I would like to adjust the end date for when they become inactive so that I can phase them out. It seems that I’m only able to make them inactive instead of simply adjusting the end date. As I become more informed about the functionality of the software, I'm sure I will encounter something in which the functionality is not ideal. However, I don't anticipate this being an issue due to the type of service we've received thus far.

Informing over 1,000 employees daily

I love working with REACH. Their customer service is very responsive. The newsletters they send monthly are great to see new trends or features - or just to be clued into what's going on. They are great at reinforcing a human element to tech company.

Pros

Reach Media's CMS is incredibly easy to navigate and very intuitive. The features they offer definitely grab viewers attention to inform them of pertinent organizational matters.

Cons

I wish we had purchased the higher CPU players to prevent any lag or buffering when we call iframes into our widgets. Sometimes updates that are going on in the background may increase the blank space in a widget - however I will say, whenever this happens (rarely) Reach technical crew is very quick at helping resolve any issues.

A Must-have Feature for any School

We are abundantly pleased with this product and would recommend it to any educational institution that also wants to keep their faculty, staff, students, and parents fully informed about the events of the school.

Pros

We use our Reach Displays to project daily and weekly information that the students, teachers, and parents need to know about the happenings going on at our school. Not only is it visually stunning, but it also helps us deliver so many essential messages to our primary clientele with no interruption to our school day or instructional time. It has become a feature in our building that really makes people take notice.

Cons

For the most part, the product is incredibly easy to use--but the text editing features at times are not as user-friendly as a typical word processing application. If I would improve anything about this software, it would be this part of the product.

Wonderful Tool

My experience with everyone at REACH has been phenomenal. The software is easy to use, and easy to update. We have been so happy with them, we are in the process of getting another screen to display information for our on-site restaurant.

Pros

How easy it is to use. We currently have two screens that we use as informational boards for our guests/clients, letting them know where and when things are happening in the hotel. I can have them all displaying the same information, or have something only display on one of the screens.

Cons

When my reader boards are not working, which doesn't happen very often. Even when it does the technical support team helps troubleshoot what the problem is and will get it corrected as quickly as possible.

REACH is a great tool that integrates with eSPACE.

We've been able to create a culture that no longer contends for meeting/conference rooms based on who needs it most. :) Now it's only about who put it on the calendar first.

Pros

REACH is integrated with our eSPACE event scheduling system. There is minimal set up that seems a little daunting when creating the first display? But once you understand what it's asking, as long as you follow the steps you can't go wrong. The team at REACH does a great job of asking what's needed and knowing exactly how to set up the displays to show information for spaces/events approved in eSPACE so there's never a conflict when somebody goes to use a meeting/conference room. If it was scheduled, it will be on the display!

Cons

Initially, there was a little bit of misunderstanding with the support team that helped us to implement displays based on what we were needing, but after this, we've had no negative experiences. Every once in a while I have to reset the software, but that's usually only because updates were pushed to our iPads.

Keeping our Community Informed has never been so easy!!

I love that when we discussed needing to add a screen outside, and had an idea, but needed to know if it could be done that REACH customer support was ON IT!!!! We now have our outdoor television with mount, and all that we need to connect to REACH and get info to folks that are visiting our outdoor areas (playground, disc golf, outdoor pool, tennis courts, etc. . .) Now I feel that we "reach" (no pun intended) everyone that visits the center - both in and out!! Thank you - Thank you - Thank you!!

Pros

The ability to create content so easily and get it to the areas that need it. I love that if we are doing something center specific, we can just advertise here, but when we want the community to know, it is just as easy as leaving all of our boxes checked for all areas. Brilliant!!

Cons

I cannot for the life of me think of anything that I do not like about the software - it has been an absolute game changer for our recreation center!!

Midland Rockhounds Concessions

Our overall experience has been great. We had more people ask about particular food and beverage items as well as had other ball clubs in our league ask to find out where we found Reach Management. I believe we only used 50 percent of what’s capable and look forward to learning more innovative ways which we can extend our menu boards to our guests in the ballpark.

Pros

The introduction of having digital menu boards has helped the patrons read and see visualization menu items from large TV’s. We have been able to load our own photos of food and beverages, which also provides the patrons with actual pictures of concessions available in the baseball stadium. Having reliable tech-support allows even the less computer savvy individuals a chance to learn from the ground up how to make a successful menu board. Lastly, being able to be in control from the administrator’s standpoint of putting in special deals of the day on the day of a game provides good flexibility.

Cons

We have been very happy with the overall software. I say from the administrator’s standpoint, maybe extend call support with the technicians to later in the day. Most if not all problems seem to occur during a game or event when tech support is already closed.

The Best Mobile App

Amazing customer service! Always quick to resolve any issues. Very helpful offering advice on how we can best utilize the software the custom features with it.

Pros

REACH is very easy to use and edit. We use their announcement and signage program, and also their mobile app. The mobile app has been a tremendous help for our organization and helps us connect with our customers very easily. We have over 7,000 mobile app users, and we continue to grow with users. All that use it, tell us how much they love it.

Cons

The also issue we have is that on occasion the announcement/signage program loses its connection and needs to be reset. Other than that, we don't have many issues with the product at all.

An excellent communications tool

Reach allows us to communicate with members as they check into our facility, and also effectively communicates with guests. Our community sponsors are pleased because their businesses are highlighted directly on the TV thanks to the REACH software. It is an excellent product and our members have only given positive feedback.

Pros

As an administrator, REACH software allows me to update remotely, which is most convenient. I like that I can load photos and video links. I also really appreciate the end date so I don't have to manually remove outdated slides.

Cons

While the text editor is not my favorite, it is easy enough once you get used to it. Sometimes it freezes, but not often. A simple re-boot takes care of that.

REACH Media helps us keep the residents in our community informed about exciting upcoming events.

REACH Media helps us communicate with the residents in our community by sharing information about upcoming events, announcing important community information or emergency information, and making sure everyone can see our schedule whenever they like, by simply stepping off of the elevator! It helps us communicate and look good doing it.

Pros

REACH Media is an easy to use web-based software that I can access from any place with an internet connection via my phone or computer. The initial training was informative and easy to follow. I love that I can create my announcement slides in the web portal or use any other program I choose and simply upload the image. REACH regularly releases intuitive updates that make the process easier and easier. So now, when I accidentally make my slide the wrong size, I can easily resize it to fit without distortion. I no longer forget to go all the way through the publishing dialogue to set start and end dates and times. The last few updates have given me tools that I didn't even realize I wanted. Thank you!

Cons

I work in an office 20 miles away from the location of our REACH Media devices. Occasionally a box goes offline and it's a little tough to troubleshoot from across town. (On at least one occasion it was not the fault of the program, but an issue with the internet connection at our property. I had to back out of the program and troubleshoot those issues independently.) I wonder though, for other times when there's a Caching issue and my new slide doesn't load, if I could gain remote access to take corrective action. I have corrected these caching issues a few times, but was able to be on-site to do so. I must point out though, that I haven't had this come up in a while!

Broadcasting Tool

We are a secondary school and REACH has given us the ability to inform students, parents and the community at large what is happening in our school. We are able to promote and acknowledge all the good things taking place at our school in a very quick and fun way.

Pros

- Very easy to upload content -- pictures and videos - Stock images are updated and reflect the time of year -- very current - Straight forward and again easy scheduling tools

Cons

- Would like to import (upload) multiple pictures at once - Would like to have more flexibility when using the Text box -- want to be able to change font/size of the font in the same textbox without having to use multiple text boxes to have different fonts.

Having the REACH display in our store really helps us display information and it is very easy to use

Pros

-It's very easy to use -I can schedule announcements to display and expire, which is amazing for planning things ahead of time

Cons

-Currently, the social media feed (Instagram and Facebook) shows very small compared to the size of our display. -Tweets show without pictures -The time stamp for our social media feed shows incorrectly. -I have brought this up to our rep already, but there's another department that submits their announcements to our screen and our message gets lost. We didn't get a straight answer on why it's happening or a solution. I wish there was an approval procedure before another department can submit their announcements.

Looking Back After a Year

We have enjoyed working with REACH this past year. The customer service has been great from our account manager to the technical support. We are looking to expand our services in the future.

Pros

The software has worked seamlessly since we started using it a year ago. Including video clips and Youtube videos have has proven to be very quick and easy. It has allowed us to feature student produced videos contributed by both high school and three middle school broadcast programs on a daily basis. Another area to mention is the calendar integration.

Cons

The only real shortcoming is the ability to edit announcement pages. For announcements that require some extra layering of graphics, we have had to use PowerPoint or Google Slides to construction the page and then upload the finished layout to REACH.

Great Software for any Small Business!

REACH helps us stay visible with our programs, events, etc, and reach people that might be in our building for a completely different reason.

Pros

It's accessibility and ease of use. The more you use REACH the easier it is to use and to teach others to use. The program is great and does everything I need it to do, with ease!

Cons

The only problem I have with the software is that you must use a different license for each different display you want. We have a summer camp in our building and sometimes want to give the campers a different message than the normal foot traffic we see at night time, but this is not possible with the current software.

Improved Communication with Members - Fresh Look for our Lobby

Member communication is up and members are registering for more classes that we promote on our screens. I have recommended the REACH system to our other branches in the YMCA of Greater Seattle association. The experience and the team at REACH has been wonderful. Looking forward to continuing to work with the lovely folks at REACH!

Pros

The University Family YMCA has been using the REACH platform for about 3 years now. We love the intuitive features the software offers in an easy to learn format. You can really customize your slides and screens to what you want them to say and do. We have gotten consistent feedback from our members that they love what we do with our screen and are always stopping to look at what is upcoming in the branch.

Cons

Nothing too major! It would be nice to be able to customize the look or colors of the layout. A simple color change of the screen would catch eyes. At the Y we have 5 logos with 5 color schemes, so changing it season to season would be a nice, but not necessary, feature!

GREAT Digital Display!

We needed to replace some old pin-push bulletin boards. REACH offered the most cost-effective solution that gave us really nice displays for the public who visit us daily.

Pros

Ease of Use: The REACH team gave us a tutorial before using this system and we found it very easy to learn and use daily. It's very easy to update our announcements and daily schedule. Template: REACH set up a really nice template that fit our needs perfectly!

Cons

We had some issues with the device freezing up initially but after some updates (via REACH support) it has been running problem-free.

Reach is very accommodating and helpful. Their CMS is extremely user friendly!

Being able to quickly communicate to staff or members throughout the state. Staff being informed of local events also helps improve employee engagement.

Pros

CMS GUI is very intuitive for the most part. Love the dashboard and being able to quickly view status of all players, both in our HQ and throughout the state. Their software is reliable and consistent. Support staff is very helpful.

Cons

If I have to think of things that I don't like about the software, it would only be a chance to improve the consistency of weather feeds, although your software is probably pulling from a third-party so this doesn't reflect much on REACH. The only thing I can think to improve their product would be to implement the App for content management. I have downloaded it, however it appears it is still in production.