REACH Reviews

A Solid Piece of Software - Offering Custom Branding and Integrations

Comments: 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

Comments: 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.

Great Digital Signage Solution with Awesome Support

Comments: VERY good support. Always receive a quick and supportive answer and resolution to our support needs.

Pros:

All-in-one management platform for our campus signage needs.

Cons:

Not all information is available on theie website...requires conversations with their tech support folks to figure out the best way to handle certain situations (such as multi-monitor displays).

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.

Large Scale Migration of 300 Screens

Comments: 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.

Communicate Like a Pro

Comments: From the start I knew I was dealing with a professional company. The training was very helpful and the fact that we can onboard any other person, at any other time, for free, is great. I was able to utilize the software right away and didn't really need a lot of support. When I've had questions or need help, the response is very quick. I love the quality of what we have chosen and have had others remark about how they love the displays. I'm glad that I did my homework and chose a winner.

Pros:

I love that it is easy to use and very intuitive. I didn't want to have to buy special hardware or be a tech genius to operate it. I need plug and play and that is what I have. The other thing that I like about Reach is that when I have questions, I get excellent support.

Cons:

I like the designing content features the least because they are not as user friendly or intuitive as other design software out there. Although, having said that, once you spend the time and get used to the nuances, you can create some very nice content.

Digital Signage - Higher Education

Comments: Ability to communicate information across multiple campuses across the state. Unlimited training and assistance with content creation allows for us to hand off responsibilities to non technical personnel. Excellent experience overall.

Pros:

Easy to use. Templates that allow for branding and standardization of content. Ability to share content across multiple signage players. Support and service after the sale.

Cons:

Integration with our Emergency Alert and classroom scheduling systems was a challenge.

Game changer during the pandemic

Comments: 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.

Reach Media platform is great and easy to use

Comments: Our experience with Reach has been great. They have good support and the players just work. The content managers love the playlist management and how simple it is to use.

Pros:

We liked the simplicity of web portal, the playlist management and the remote management of our devices. Their support is also very good.

Cons:

Once in a while we need to reinstall the application on some devices.

REACH makes my job easier!

Comments: I am so HAPPY to be using this product, I use it everyday. It's a joy to use.

Pros:

I like the fact that you could demo the product before purchasing, it's user friendly, you can schedule training, I love the layout of the product. Response when you need help is available and timely. There's just so much I love about this product!

Cons:

In the filter status I like to be able to see what I have scheduled because sometimes I'm asking myself did I schedule something. I schedule my events at least 2 weeks in advance.

Very satisfied with REACH TV

Comments: 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?

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

Comments: 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 Software takes our brand to the next level

Comments: 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.

Wonderful Product! Can't imagine using anything different!

Comments: Overall, my experience with REACH has been nothing short of amazing! They are a company who truly cares about making the experience easiest for their users and works hard on building customer relationships.

Pros:

The most impactful feature of this program is how easy it is to not only use with our computer system, but how easy the implementation process was as well. The customer support for REACH is extremely helpful and efficient! They were able to answer any questions we had quickly and helped resolve any problems we had in a time efficient manner. As the one who updates information to the TV screen, I really appreciate that you are able to do batch uploads. This feature alone saves so much time for those of us who have a ton of other items on their agenda!

Cons:

I have not found anything yet that I do not like about this software.

Marketing Rule of Seven

Comments: It's seldom down, but when it is, tech support is quick to answer the call. The video quality is good.

Pros:

I like that users of our facility are being marketed to unbeknownst to them and the more hits, the better (Marketing Rule of Seven). Whether they are a parent waiting for a child to get out of skate lessons, hanging out on the front entry to catch some air, or waiting in the concession line at intermission, it reaches out to the patron where they are without requiring them to actively search, and may just intrigue someone to check an activity out.

Cons:

It's difficult to delete a text box once created and sometimes it doesn't project like it previews.

REACH APP Helps Reach Kids

Comments: I love using it to spread the word...whether it be sports events, meals being served or wishing kids a happy holiday or vacation throughout the school year! It's an easy way to let our community know what's happening in real time. I really also like all of the stock slides I can use. They are always timely!!

Pros:

I am a Food Service Director. I take pictures of the food that is being prepared in our kitchens, upload them to the app and add some text. It's that easy. I also coach and use the app to make slides for the teams, letting them know about practice and letting the rest of the school community know about the outcome of our games. Ease of use would be what I like the most. I also like being able to choose what monitors to display slides on. And also choose the duration for how long it would run.

Cons:

What I like the least is that I can not go back to the exact color that I chose for text if I venture off black or white. And sometimes its hard to adjust the size of the text box without moving the picture behind it.

Multiple Displays

Comments: 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.

REACH system for the City of Bell

Comments: 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.

Central Algoma Secondary School

Comments: We have found Reach to be a very useful and effective tool in communicating with our student body and staff. It is easy to use and provides a choice of stock images or the capacity to personalize your communications in a variety of different ways. We use it daily.

Pros:

We like the functionality of the product and find it very easy to use. We are able to upload media products from different sources and present them as needed on Reach. We use it daily to support school communication and it only takes a few minutes from each day to update in part because there is a very good supply of stock images which are regularly updated as well as our own media files.

Cons:

We would like to see the software compatible with a wider range of file formats.

The Best Mobile App

Comments: 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.

Keeping our Community Informed has never been so easy!!

Comments: 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!!

An excellent communications tool

Comments: 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.

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.

GREAT Digital Display!

Comments: 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.

Advanced media solutions, simple integration and management.

Comments: Increased impact range, ease of communication with clients, quality of service.

Pros:

REACH has done an incredible job of furthering our ability to "reach" our customer base to a level we did not imagine was feasible for us. Not only did they do this well, but quickly, simply, affordably and with wonderful customer service and human interaction. I have been nothing but impressed with their quality of service and committment to their clients.

Cons:

I do not have any critiques on any of the services provided to us by REACH. In fact we look to further involve ourselves with the company down the road.