The digital LED display industry is an exciting one to be in at the moment. With digital LED signs quickly becoming popular alternatives to traditional neon and incandescent signs, the industry is experiencing growth in both demand and creativity. After all, the more digital signage takes off, the more people will be looking for creative ways to leverage it for greater ROI.
So, based in part on the most recent Future Trends Report from Digital Signage, here's a look at some of the most interesting developments we'll be following and contributing to over the next few years.
Future Trends in the Digital LED Display Signage Industry:
-Green digital signs: Even though LED displays are already far more energy-efficient than the alternatives, there is constant pressure to continue to improve their efficiency. The EPA's Energy Star initiative has joined in, giving their endorsement to especially low-power signs. Look for eco-friendliness to be a major selling point for future digital signs.
-Greater interactivity: Owners of digital boards will be looking for ways to make them more interactive. Malls across America, such as this one in New York, have begun replacing their traditional store directories with interactive touchscreen kiosks. Some restaurants have begun using digital displays combined with card readers to allow visitors to order and pay directly from the signage.
-Social Media integration: As part of the push for interactivity, social media will be a major focus. Look for businesses adding social-like features, such as interactive guestbooks, to their displays. Companies will also start looking to integrate services such as Twitter and FourSquare into their digital signage, such as showing recent Tweets or how many people have "checked in" at their location today.
-Better customer tracking: Discrete laser-based eye scanners can now tell how many people look at a sign, for how long, and at what parts specifically. This technology is heading for the digital sign industry, and will give us huge amounts of data on the effectiveness of our signs in attracting people's attention.
-Mobile convergence. Looking down the road a few years, digital signs will likely be able to interact directly with mobile devices like Smartphones and tablets. They may be able to "beam" messages or video directly to passersby, attracting the attention of those distracted by their devices.
In short, this is a great time to be in the digital signage industry, and we look forward to all the innovations to come!