If you’re a Maritime startup launching a new product, it doesn’t hurt to be partnering with one of the world’s largest makers of hardware.

That’s exactly what digital signage specialist ScreenScape Networks of Charlottetown has done as it unveiled ScreenScape Connect this week in partnership with Round Rock, Texas, computer maker Dell Inc.

ScreenScape launched Tuesday the product to simplify the process and reduce costs for organizations that want to advertise on location-based TV monitors. The device looks like a standard flash drive and plugs into a high-definition TV, allowing operators to control their advertising and other content from just about anywhere.

“This is game-changing for this industry,” Mark Hemphill, ScreenScape founder and CEO, said during an online news conference Tuesday.

“Until now, most digital signage cost the retail outlet or maybe the sponsor several thousand (dollars) to get started. Effective immediately, we can offer the customer a plan with no capital costs, assuming you’re using existing TVs.”

After being in this business for about five years, Hemphill knows there are a lot of screens around in public locations, from hotel lobbies to sports bars to car dealerships and other retail outlets. ScreenScape provides the software that oversees lots of these locations — he wouldn’t say how many — across the continent. But the problem has always been the time and expense needed to install and manage the content.

Customers not only had to buy and install the TVs, they also had to have a computer nearby and spend the time to manage the content. ScreenScape Connect only requires that there is a Wi-Fi network near the television. The retailer or property manager has to plug it in and register on ScreenScape’s website, which has all the tools to create dynamic visual content for a TV screen.

The accounts overseeing each monitor can be held by the local location, as well as the head office of the chain to which they belong. ScreenScape, which employs 22 people, also helps clients create content for their displays and links them so they can share content on monitors.

ScreenScape Connect costs $40 a month per television for all the hardware, software and services. Clients can either pay $200 up front and then $40 a month for as long or short a period as they want, or pay nothing up front and sign a three-year contract.

The Charlottetown company provides the software for the product while Dell provides the hardware.

Hemphill said the partnership came together in 2013 when another ScreenScape partner, AT&T, learned Dell was looking for a leading software developer in the digital signage business. AT&T told Dell about ScreenScape and introduced the two companies.

Since then, ScreenScape has been working closely with the new Dell Wyse group out of Santa Clara, Calif., basically developing the cloud-based software from the ground up.

Hemphill said his company has not raised any new capital to finance the project, and that he has no plans to raise money in the near future.

In 2012, ScreenScape secured a $6-million investment from Hartco of Montreal and gave the publicly traded information technology company two seats on its board. A few months later, it received angel financing from Saint John’s East Valley Ventures chairman Gerry Pond.