The world of digital signage and Audi/Visual are so close sometimes it is scary. But even scarier is the miscommunication that can occur between solution vendors and the Audio/Video professional managing the actual implementation.
I don't think any A/V contractor would deny the opportunity that digital signage presents. In an age of declining equipment margins, the Audio/Visual world is more than happy to see another layered service which will fuel equipment sales and augment monthly service contracts. On paper, everything looks great.
In reality, there continues to be a void between an equipment solution and the fully managed digital signage solution which includes not only equipment but content creation, media asset management and software scheduling . Unlike a traditional A/V installation, the real work in a digital signage project starts AFTER the equipment is in place.
Below is a link from an article I came across at Canadian Technology News which does a great job of describing the digital signage market as it sits today as well as where it is projected to go over the next several years. This is a great article for A/V dealers and professionals to read because it speaks to channel partners rather than end users.
