Glossary A–ZLetter N
Network operator
A network operator is the company or organisation that runs a network of screens, is technically responsible for it and plays content or advertising on it.
It often owns the devices itself or operates them on someone else's behalf. It is the point of contact for venue partners, sales houses and advertisers.
A network operator might be a retailer with screens in its branches, a company with screens in medical practices across the country or a town with information totems. Its tasks include installation, maintenance, content planning and monitoring of the devices and, if it sells advertising, slot allocation and invoicing as well. It can handle sales itself or leave them to a sales house.
Anyone who wants to sell advertising needs more than screens: reliable proof of play, well-maintained site data, rules for creative review and contracts with the venue partners. With advertisers, it has to be clear who promises the ad plays and who is answerable for outages. The term is used differently here from electricity or telecommunications networks.