The fourth annual Digital Signage Conference held during InfoComm 2011 provided commercial integrators with a wealth of information for improving their standing in this important category.

I sat in on an engaging session called “Go-to-Market Strategies,” featuring presentations that concentrated on digital signage software, super-sized display applications and the evolving vendor ecosystem.

Here are some key takeaways to keep in mind.

Content is Key
“Everyone thinks of hardware as the most expensive part of a digital signage network, and it’s definitely an important part, but software is pretty important as well,” notes David Wilkins, president and CEO of X2O Media. “At the end of the day, what’s going to cost you the most is content - and not just acquisition, but managing and keeping it fresh.”

As such, you can see why Wilkins named his presentation “Digital Signage Software: Can’t Live Without It” during the Go-to-Market Strategies session. Commercial integrators can piece together a fabulous-looking signage display, but if the content does not draw eyeballs, it will fail the customer.

Related: 9 Top Digital Signage Products at InfoComm

Content serves several purposes for clients in a digital signage solution, says Wilkins: It makes people look at the screens; buys advertising on the space; enhances a brand; and delivers targeted messages. The problem for customers to overcome, and a place for CIs to step in as a solution provider, is that the content business isn’t easy. “Most users don’t have a lot of time, and it’s rare to have employees dedicated to managing screens,” Wilkins says. “Most don’t know where to find content, and most aren’t video producers or graphic artists.”

Additionally, options for content abound, Wilkins notes, so creating, finding, managing and refreshing it is critical. Content types may include video, stills, text, data, slideshows, commercials and more; while content sources can range from internal data, the Internet, independent producers, big-name media companies and subscription services.

In terms of cost for integrators and customers, Wilkins identifies drivers to include: number of channels, number of playlists, frequency of updates, type, bandwidth and number of users involved in the process. Some considerations within those areas:

Technology: Such as the ability to target content at screens, quickly update content and combine multiple messages.
Smart templates: Not just playing video, Wilkins notes, but combining layout, data relationships, business rules, parameters and style sheets to handle ever-changing content.
Style sheets: The changing element of signage, which can leverage work you’ve done once to then be implemented across thousands of locations to create very different content based off of the same template.
Web-based management: Lets multiple users have multiple roles, employing log-ins to determine what content goes where.
Rule-based scheduling: Playlists based on parameters, allowing a single click to replace tedious operations.

Related: Digital Signage and the Cloud

“It’s putting out content that people care about,” Wilkins stresses. “It’s got to be live, it’s got to be dynamic and it’s got to be engaging. And while they’re looking at the screen, you can hit them with the message you want to get across.”

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About the author

Arlen Schweiger

Arlen Schweiger is managing editor of CE Pro and Commercial Integrator magazines. Arlen contributes installation features, business profiles, manufacturer news and product reviews.

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