Local-First Architecture

Your display keeps running. Even when the internet doesn't.

Most digital signage is one ISP outage away from a blank screen. Presently runs entirely on your store's hardware and local network. The cloud is never in the loop.

See Presently in ActionBack to overview
The Problem

Cloud-dependent signage fails at the worst moments.

Small businesses experience an average of 4+ hours of internet downtime per month. For a retail store, a blank display during peak hours isn't just an inconvenience — it's a missed promotional window and a signal to customers that something is wrong. Most digital signage platforms route content delivery through their cloud infrastructure, meaning your display's reliability is tied to three things outside your control: your internet connection, your ISP's uptime, and the signage vendor's server availability.

ISP Outage

Your provider goes down. Cloud-connected displays go blank. Presently keeps running.

Vendor Maintenance

The signage platform does scheduled maintenance. Cloud players pause. Presently doesn't notice.

Network Congestion

High-traffic periods slow cloud delivery. Buffering and delays. Presently loads from local storage instantly.

NO SIGNAL

Cloud-dependent display — offline

How It Works

Everything local. Nothing external.

Presently stores your ad content on-device the moment you upload it. Playback, audience detection, ad selection, and scheduling all run on the hardware in your store. The internet is only used for the initial upload and optional remote management.

Your Store
Presently
Display
Store WiFi — local only
Playback · Audience detection · Ad selection · Scheduling
Upload & manage only
The Internet
Optional — only for initial upload & remote management

Zero cloud dependency for playback

Ad content is cached on-device the moment you upload it. The display runs your scheduled and audience-aware content with or without an internet connection.

Dashboard accessible on your local network

Manage content, check status, and approve ads from any device on your store's WiFi at addashboard.local — no external server involved.

No buffering, no latency

Content loads from local storage in milliseconds. No buffering, no CDN latency, no quality degradation based on network speed.

Side by Side

Local-first vs. cloud-first signage.

Capability
Cloud-Based Signage
Presently
Plays during internet outage
No
Yes
Content cached on-device
Streamed
Always
Dashboard requires internet
Yes
Local only
Audience detection in cloud
Data leaves store
On-device only
Affected by vendor downtime
Yes
Never
Setup requires IT or config
Often
Plug-in, 2 hours

No vendor names used. Comparison reflects typical cloud-first architectures versus Presently's local-first design.

Common Questions

Offline operation, answered.

Built for stores that can't afford downtime.

Independent retail moves fast. Your display should too — without depending on an internet connection that's outside your control. Presently keeps your promotions running through outages, peak traffic, and anything else your ISP throws at you.

Join the Pilot — $79/month

Hardware included · No IT required · Cancel anytime