Opportunities in Digital Signage

Building a strategy based on current trends and the outlook for digital signage will help you meet your market’s demands and capitalize on opportunities in this growing and evolving space.

Demand is increasing for more types of digital information presented in many locations. Digital signage is a practical, sustainable, manageable solution that offers attention-grabbing multimedia capabilities that attract, inform, and entertain.

As a result, the digital signage market is growing. Grand View Research predicts the global market, valued at $24.86 billion in 2022, will increase at an 8 percent CAGR through 2030 to approach $45 billion. Additionally, the U.S. market, including video walls, video screens, digital posters, kiosks, and more, is growing at a 6.5 percent CAGR, estimated to reach more than $8 billion in the same period.

This data is worthy of evaluation for solutions providers looking for new opportunities, but it takes insight to know the best way to capitalize on them. John Dixon, vice president of business solutions at MicroTouch, shares his perspective.

Dixon: Interactivity. VARs, SIs, and ISVs are well-positioned to provide interactive digital signage solutions. Interactivity is becoming a standard with digital display technologies, and solutions providers have the expertise and industry knowledge to optimize user experiences.

Solutions providers can enhance self-checkout and help merchants make the most of opportunities for advertising and branding. Additionally, signage within a retail or hospitality environment can reach customers to develop brand awareness, promote particular items or partners, or augment wayfinding with information on campus locations or malls.

Interactive products are at the forefront. Solutions providers can ensure expected performance.

Dixon: First, large-format touchscreens, from 49-65 inches, for interactive digital signage solutions are now available. And touch experiences are enhanced through projected capacitive (PCAP) technology.

In the past, solutions providers had to overcome challenges to deliver the digital signage size and touch technology their clients needed. Now they have a range of alternatives to achieve the high-performance businesses demand regardless of the screen size.

Touchscreens are also available to meet virtually any business’s specs with options like the latest LCD screens with narrow borders, LED backlight, and 4K resolution. Technological advancements are at the forefront, and things keep improving.

Dixon: The best approach is to partner with various ISVs, mobile device management (MDM) solution providers, and kiosk manufacturers to gain the ability to deliver complete solutions. Look for hardware partners with open, agnostic platforms that allow you to build solutions that don’t limit which components you can choose but let you deliver what the client wants. There is typically a lot to consider. Not only do you need compatible hardware and software, but you also need to look at aesthetics, footprint, and other considerations to successfully solve the customer’s problem.

Dixon: Players in the digital signage space are developing systems that incorporate security down to the hardware. Android-based systems are trending. With regular updates from Google, the Android operating system is very secure and assures businesses that their data isn’t at risk from operating system vulnerabilities.

Another trend is toward cloud-based systems, which facilitate centralized management of the entire platform so it isn’t susceptible to a unique threat in one location. Solutions providers who make their clients aware of security threats and how they protect against them can differentiate their businesses and deliver the solutions companies are looking for.

Dixon says that businesses are often looking for systems that need more computing power to run videos and multimedia content. Users also expect high-performance and responsive touch experiences.

Develop the knowledge, skills, and partner network to provide your clients with solutions that meet their needs and include scalable options and flexible software solutions that help future-proof their investments. Also, add multimedia content management to your portfolio so your clients can change the types of content they display.

Additionally, take a holistic view of how your clients use digital signage in their environments, and consider innovative solutions that can increase their content’s impact. For example, Internet of Things (IoT) technology can give your clients more control over their digital signage or interactive displays and collect data to help them increase revenue, personalize customer experiences, or operate more efficiently.

Building a strategy based on current trends and the outlook for digital signage will help you meet your market’s demands and capitalize on opportunities in this growing and evolving space.

The former owner of a software development company and having more than a decade of experience writing for B2B IT solution providers, Mike is co-founder of DevPro Journal.