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Screens: They're expected

December 3, 2013 by Paul Flanigan — Founder, The Preset Group

Many places now have networks, but many of them don't work the way they should. How do we react to this?

When was the last time you went anywhere and did not notice screens?

Depending on who you are, your answer might be different. If you're a network operator, you always look at how the other networks operate. If you're a kiosk manufacturer, you're always looking at how the other kiosks look. But you look. Always.

Not too long ago the idea of screens was novel. They were these neat and nifty technological wonders that only seemed to have a place in Times Square. But companies of all kind started buying them. Everyone used Minority Report as the basis of what would be.

In the past week, I heard two people say this:

"Digital signage is not desired any more. It's expected." One of them was an environmental designer. The other was a network operator who runs a huge health care network.

This is no longer a novel idea. Screens, networks, and administration for them are now line items in budgets. Other business units are taking notice and trying to get a piece of the action.

Mobile is possibly the most significant influence on our industry right now. Mobile is not just about a screen in your pocket, but the wireless communication capabilities it provides. Now you can connect screens to your CMS through cellular carriers. It has given networks the opportunity to put screens in places otherwise inaccessible.

And the audience responds with, "Duh. It should be there."

But both people said something else.

"Integration is the biggest challenge we see right now. Nothing works together."

Ouch. The health care network is challenged with finding a software platform that works with the umpteen other systems it has in place. The environmental designer is looking for slimmer TVs with built-in capability to remodel a lobby. Things have to work together, and both of them don't feel it's their responsibility to do that. Hey, we're the integrators, right?

It's a fantastic look into the next few months and years of this industry. Many companies have already installed screens and set up networks, but they're moving to version 2.0, a more robust network that can do more, share more, and report more. And they're running into problems with a completely integrated solution.

There has always been talk of the complete solution. How do we/How can we make all these things work together for a client, or network? I do believe that the industry is rising to the challenge. At the same time, I hope that industry takes a proactive approach. The best way to be reactive is to be proactive.

So when we walk through any location now, we should be thinking less about the fact that screens are even there, and more about how they work together.

About Paul Flanigan

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