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Digital Signage Network Logistical challenges

The digital signage sale is becoming more and more complex as the industry changes. For network and full service providers, full service and administration has become somewhat of a nightmare.

Panasonic AV and IT group manager, Brendan Frawley, agreed the whole digital signage concept required some getting used to for new players. He also noted that Panasonic is pushing hard into the market and working with its partners to get the digital signage message out. With that, he invited integrators to come along for the ride.

Signage providers have expressed difficulties in building massive networks and connecting multiple panels. Even before all of that, major decisions need to be made on hardware, software, project management, licensing, cabling, content, and telecommunications. All of these decisions must be carefully considered because of the costs involved, and because of compatibility issues. "You could have signage in 30 different shopping malls and up to 4000 screens," Frawley said. "You would have different content based on the advertising schedule. It's not an out-of-the-box solution."

Buyers of digital signage solutions are however demanding more of their providers. Signage industry sales are solution based, and value added resellers are taking advantage. Solutions that integrate innovative technology to offer a full service, turnkey product are winning out in the market.

These demands are putting strain on many signage companies, but at the same time, they are providing the truly innovative companies that extra step. For example, Panasonic currently offers solutions with an embedded PC. "Australia is fairly new to this area. The resellers that are successful are the ones that can carve out a niche in select verticals," Frawley said. "When in public areas, space is a premium, so the technology can't be all clunky and full of wires. Complex jobs would require a media player or PC attached to the screen." If a retailer is innovative enough to see the benefits of digital signage, they will likely be innovative enough to request a solution that pushes the envelope. Some venues have gone as far as commissioning digital signage solutions that integrate lighting and air conditioning systems onto the network, all controlled from one piece of software.

NEC is another firm that is aggressively moving into the dynamic content distribution market with the launch of a complete digital signage solution. Product manager, Andrew Shearer, said the company was putting all the pieces together including panel displays, broadband and scheduling software. Shearer said that individual screens could be managed remotely from a desktop, allowing users to edit schedules, communicate breaking news, and update in-store promotions in real-time. The software works with all flat panel displays, and can be used in a network where TCP/IP communication is available such as a wireless LAN or VPN environment. This means that there will be a very low risk of integration issues. Users can distribute content to a group of screens thanks to the latest software, which comes in standard and professional versions. "It supports an unlimited number of displays, interfaces with any type of display device and is easily expanded or modified," Shearer said. "It offers a tree structure for the grouping of panels."

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