digital signage
Hit the ground running
Digital signage and market overview to help
companies prepare for their next project
By Johnson Ruan, Director, Unilumin – www.unilumin.com
Digital signage and LED display
technology is moving at a rapid rate,
and the solutions available for service
directors and project managers are
vast. The Internet of Things (IoT) now
connects more devices to networks than
ever before, new screen technologies
deliver immersive environments,
and the role of artificial intelligence
integrated within digital signage will be a
trend for the coming year.
Digital signage continues to form
a key component of digital projects
within retail, hospitality and corporate
applications. End users look for
solutions to heighten the experience for
customers, including guests arriving at
a hotel or restaurant for the first time,
workers within an office environment
and retail customers at bricks and
mortar stores.
LED technology
A complete digital signage system
should include the display, power
system, signal processing and
transmitting system as well as an
installation frame. The term digital
signage refers to the traditional signage
technology. However, today’s systems
incorporate video broadcasting and
rapid content switching functions to add
increased functionality to the solutions.
Digital signage has benefited from
recent developments being made
to LED technology. Traditional LCD
manufacturers are now engaging more
with LED technology, and solutions
such as large LED walls are permeating
into the industry. Solutions for differing
applications, however, depend on
the exact requirements. Corporate or
hospitality conference rooms require
intelligent software included with the
display package. For retail applications,
a cloud-based control service enables
the signage content to be updated for a
smooth transition.
For direct-view LED displays, pixel
pitch should be a major consideration
for project managers who need
to specify the correct technology.
Requirements for the technology should
be led by viewing distance, screen
resolution and budget, as well as the
size of the screen and application area.
To complement digital signage,
projectors are widely used as a
conference display or presentation
solution, as they’re extremely cost-
effective but also easy to operate.
With LCD technology, an interactive
board can be created, so people
can use it to demonstrate and edit
during a presentation. Now, the new
LED displays being introduced into
conference rooms have increased
features and benefits including
improved brightness, larger screen size
possibilities, more colour depth for true
colour performance, reduced reflection
and increased life-span. These benefits
make them ideal for the corporate
environment.
Customer engagement
With the ability to work and shop
remotely is now so accessible, industry
professionals can look to digital signage
and display technology to help bring
back some of the excitement to these
physical retail, corporate and hospitality
environments. This can be true for point
of sale and point of information zones,
transforming stores and offices into
experiences is a key communication
goal across the industry.
With the retail industry currently in a
state of flux, many retailers are looking
towards digital signage technology to
engage with customers and promote
sales. Digital signage has the ability
to carry on-brand messaging in an
engaging manner and can also change
seamlessly with new offers. It can also
add value to a retail environment and
can act as a key data collection point
for retailers. The industry is looking
towards facial recognition integrated
within digital signage to provide a more
personalised in-store experience for
customers.
Similarly, in the hospitality industry
hoteliers are looking to feature eye-
catching video walls and signage that
begins outside of the hotel lobby.
This matches the beginning of the
customer’s journey, setting the tone and
expectation for their stay at the hotel.
Digital then provides real benefits
with wayfinding, room booking, and
kiosk stations services always available
and displaying real-time information.
Quality is key
To complete the digital aspect, the
content must be engaging, on-brand
and consistently updated, as this
helps to maximise the benefit of the
technology. The quality of the digital
signage technology also plays a crucial
role, and a low standard screen will
put off customers and maintenance
to the technology is a cost that should
be avoided. By utilising solutions from
trusted manufacturers of digital signage
and LED display technology, industry
professionals can look to provide a
competitive advantage. n
KIOSK solutions 37