Digital signage has taken the world by storm, and there is no doubt about this. But the fact of the matter is that it has begun a trend from when you need to expect increased new applications going forward. Digital signage has gained momentum with the falling costs of computer hardware and the ubiquitous rise of Internet as a Service, IaaS, which has made it possible for people to receive high-end computing services online with the only barrier to entry being access to the web.
The demand for digital signage has skyrocketed thanks in no small part to the ability of this medium to be used to display all kinds of media. They can be utilized effectively to display HTML5 Templates, websites, pictures, text, audio, visual and a mix of both at high fidelity, making for great interactivity and a rich media experience. Traditionally, signage has been used for advertising and information dissemination but with the rise of the Internet and other smart devices that are each connected to one another in several numbers of ways, the usage of this medium is only just beginning to peak.
Interactive Media Platforms
These systems are starting to be used to create rich and interactive media platform through which we are now starting to see applications in various areas that are making it possible for people to engage in productive task collaboration. The current state of evolution points to a future in which dynamic mobile displays which are working in tandem with beacons, POS and DOOH technologies merge to create unique branding opportunities for advertisers in which the pushed content is tailored to fit in with the audience.
Let us take a look at the likely future for digital signage adoption in 5 to 10 years’ time;- Recognition - Here is a typical future scenario some ten years down the road- digital displays have evolved to the point at which they have pattern recognition. In this scenario, you get into a restaurant which you frequent, and the digital menu board recognizes your face and confirms the reservation that you made via your phone app.
After this, in conjunction with the digital restaurant POS, the server is summoned, and they come through with the food that you ordered. Before you even got to the restaurant, the digital cameras working in tandem with the displays recognized your car by its number plates and directed it to the proper parking or holding area.
- Personalization - Digital signs through machine learning will have learned quite a lot of information about you and this information could be pulled from openly available databases and other diverse sources that you have provided.
So, as you get into the restaurant, the signs will greet you by name and usher you into the area reserved for you. Some of the sources that you approved include your previous order history or your past stored information on your reward and loyalty smart card.
- Social Media – Social Media interaction will not be left only to the devices that you have on hand, but you will be able to access all your social media feeds thanks to digital signage seamlessly. In the future, this concept has face recognition and responds to voice commands such that it can immediately begin to pull data about you and your social media profiles the moment you allow it to.
Brands can leverage this to customize the information that you have stored on your social media profiles. This customization will allow the system to identify your preferences and to make the orders accordingly; while you wait to be served, and the digital menu will show you all the new items on the menu that might interest you.
- Augmented Reality – Another possible feature is augmented reality, where digital display boards will be able to use face recognition to identify you as you enter your car. After that, they will trigger the sound system to start playing the music that you prefer based on your playlists.
Other digital displays have possibilities to show information and commercials to adults, or another segment of the audience while the children can be targeted with a full dose of animation or cartoons to spice their ride as you all proceed to your destination.
Your best friend, who is a sports buff and who had previously declared their interest, will have the display next to him updating him on the latest football scores. The digital displays will have superior interactions with smart cars, and the experience will be seamlessly spanning through the in-car touch screens.
- Sensors – The displays will work in tandem with your mobile phone apps and personal wearable’s to tailor the meal that is most suitable for you taking into account your optimum optimal nutrition levels. The apps, in conjunction with the sensors linked to the displays, will calculate and give calorie recommendations based on your health goals and such other data.
Strike While the Iron Is Hot
This glimpse is just but a preview of what you could expect from digital signage in the not too distant future, as the devices move away from being passive delivery channels of information to becoming personalized sources of content that are of real-time value to you. And since digital TV screens are connected to the Internet of Things, IoT, they will be able to pull all the authorized information that will be of value to you according to the given situation, based on your authority. The world has changed significantly, and the digital display is not going to be left behind as the future has arrived in terms of full interactivity that is tailored to the smallest individual detail.
Forward-looking businesses and small business owners need to get on the bandwagon right now to have first mover advantage. There are several other scenarios that we can forecast but the fact of the matter is that we are only at the lower end of the curve and this technology is yet to peak. However, when it does peak, there will be numerous applications of digital signage technology that we can only begin to visualize. Based on future projections and to give you a figure of how much the digital signage industry will be worth, according to projections by respected global institutions is that by 2020, the value of the sector will be worth USD $24 Billion dollar up from USD $15 billion as of 2016.