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What is meshO Manager?
Audience: Everyone — read this before the rest of the documentation.
meshO Manager is a web-based, multi-user application by design. Unlike the desktop event-management tools you may have used before, there is no "single-PC mode". You run Manager on one computer — Windows, Mac or Linux — as the server, and everyone else on your event team — registration, the download desk, commentators — connects with a web browser from their own laptop, tablet, or phone on the same network.
How Manager is different
Single computer
A single computer is all you need to run both the server and a browser to run an entire event.
One install, many workstations
You don't install Manager on each computer. Other computers and users join the event by opening a URL in their browser.
Your server machine could be any of the computers you use for any of the tasks (or completely separate) — it could be your rego PC or your download PC — it doesn't matter. The only thing to keep in mind is that if you're using a meshO Prime field unit for radio punches, it plugs into the server computer over USB. As many other computers, TVs, tablets and phones can be connected as you want.
Everyone sees the same live data
When someone punches the radio finish control the commentator, download computer, all connected phones and the kiosk see it immediately. No syncing, no "let me refresh".
Roles can be split across people
One person can focus on downloads, another on resolving missing punches, another on leaderboard and commentary — all at the same time from different devices, without stepping on each other.
Arena TVs are just more browsers
The TVs in the arena — showing live results or the start list, whichever each screen is set to — are either just SmartTVs, or a computer connected to one or more TVs. No extra software to install — either run directly in a smart TV's web browser, or drive the TVs from a computer that just has browser windows open for each display.
Because every view is just a web page, a single computer can show several at once — simply open Manager in more than one browser tab or window. Drag each window onto a different monitor or TV output to drive multiple displays from one machine, or keep a few tabs open side by side (for example a leaderboard in one and results in another). The same trick works for operators too: open card download in one tab and results in another, all staying live at the same time.
Keep this model in mind as you read — one installation, with just your browser and optionally many other devices connected to the server, without any other software installed.
How is this different to what I've used before?
If you've run events with traditional event-management software, here's what changes day-to-day.
One copy, not many. With older tools you typically install the software on every laptop that needs to do anything — registration, multiple download stations, the announcer's PC. All copies of the software need to kept up to date, and sometimes there's confusion on which is the "master". Many other event software programs require a separate database installation too. With Manager, you install on one computer and every other device just opens a web page. There's nothing to sync, no separate database, no multiple computers or software to keep up to date.
Everyone sees the same live picture. A radio punch, a card download, a status correction — whatever changes, every connected device updates the moment it happens. No-one has to refresh, re-run a report, or wait for the next sync.
The download desk doesn't have to be the server. Older tools usually require the SI reader to be plugged into the same PC that runs the event database. Manager reads cards through the browser, so the download desk can be any laptop on the network — including a borrowed one without Manager installed. It needs Chrome, Edge or Firefox 151 or later, and a secure (HTTPS) link to the server, which means trusting meshO's certificate on that laptop once; a Mac also needs SportIdent's USB driver. The server computer itself needs none of this setup. See Downloading cards and HTTPS and certificates. (The exception: a meshO Prime field unit for radio punches does plug into the server, because it talks to the server software directly.)
TVs just need a URL. Result displays in other tools need their own copy of the software, or a separate "kiosk" component. Here, a TV is just a browser pointed at a URL — a smart TV, a media stick, or a laptop driving HDMI all work the same way.
Spectator module built in. Manager has a complete spectator & kiosk module built-in, allowing all competitors and spectators at an event to view splits, analysis, results, etc. from their mobile device. See The spectator site and kiosk.
Multiple operators don't conflict. Two people editing the same competitor list, or one fixing a missing-punch while another is downloading the next card, just works — there's no "database lock" or "you must be on the master PC for that."
No accounts or licences per device. Volunteers don't create accounts or sign in. They open the URL on event morning and get to work. If the network is one the public can join, set an access PIN (Settings → Access protection) and the manager screens and registration desk ask for it once on each device, while the spectator, kiosk and leaderboard screens stay open to everyone. Each computer can be given a name, so the audit trail shows where every change was made.
A spare server can stand by. A second computer running Manager can keep a live copy of the event and take over if the main one fails. See Live standby.