Art Processors, the team behind 'The O', the world's first location-aware museum guide, has launched a new software suite, Pladia. The software aims to enhance visitor experiences at cultural institutions by blending physical and digital spaces, enabling organisations to build, guide, manage, and improve visitor interactions. The platform is launching in Australia and the US, with plans for global expansion.

Pladia offers two key products: Pladia Empower and Event Sync. Pladia Empower is a Progressive Web App (PWA) that provides integrated wayfinding and configurable content on visitors' mobile devices. It also offers analytics and feedback tools for institutions. Event Sync, on the other hand, is a Software as a Service (SaaS) product that delivers high-fidelity audio to visitors' headphones or personal speakers, seamlessly synchronised with visuals on screens, projections, and public displays.

"We know that the moment that causes museum and institution visitors the most anxiety and least satisfaction is the entry experience," said Chief Executive of Pladia, Andi Mastrosavas. "The moment after a visitor has paid admission and stepped inside an institution can be filled with fear of missing something important, not knowing where to find what they want to see, and not having access to key information. And offering a technology solution for these problems has long been a costly exercise for institutions with tight budgets."

"Pladia is here to bridge the gap for organisations with limited budgets. It’s configurable, easy-to-use and reliable, and most importantly will help visitors find their way simply, from their own device," added Mastrosavas.

The Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA) has chosen Pladia as its software for enhancing visitor experiences.

"People come to the MCA for all kinds of reasons and connect with the space and contemporary art in different ways. So for the next iteration of our mobile museum guide, we wanted a solution that would enhance our visitors' experience from entrance to exit, both inside the galleries and around the building. We also needed a platform that would support our team to quickly prepare, update, and preview content so that visitors always have access to the latest happenings at the Museum," said Head of Digital Media at MCA, Julia Prior. "The platform is robust, designed with accessibility in mind, and incredibly user-friendly."

Pladia's products are available for all Australian and US customers through an annual subscription. The company, with a staff of 33 operating out of Australia and the US, is led by an executive team that includes Chief Executive Andi Mastrosavas, Head of Technology Gabrie Iturbe, Head of Customer Experience Lindsey Green, and Head of Product and Design Anna Nicholson.