Whatever your Digital Signage needs happen be you can be sure that there is a solution on the market that meets them. Essentially there are three types of solution; a makeshift composition of various pieces of hardware, network solutions that are generally aimed at larger companies and turn-key, out-of-the-box solutions.

When looking at the Digital Signage market from the perspective of an industry newcomer it is easy to see why their initial instinct would be to envisage a solution that included a domestic TV along with a DVD player or PC. While this type of solution would almost certainly be the cheapest, it is far from ideal. The use of a domestic TV set in a commercial environment poses numerous issues; firstly they are not fitted with the necessary hardware to be used 24 hours a day and as such can suffer from image retention and colour fade issues if used for extended periods of time. As TVs are not designed to be used in commercial environments doing so will often invalidate your manufacturer’s warranty. If a TV being used in a Digital Signage application were to cause any damage, such as a fire, you may not be covered under your business insurance.

When newcomers enter Digital Signage market they often contact some of the biggest names first, these tend to be software companies looking to supply customers with a Digital Signage network solution. Assuming that your company is large enough to have an IT department then this type of solution may well be suitable for your needs. However, as Digital Signage becomes more popular the majority of the market is made up of SME’s that are not equipped to afford, manage or maintain such a solution. The initial set-up usually involves various pieces of hardware such as a commercial monitor, small PC or media player and a router as well as an expensive piece of software to manage the content.

Thomas Fraser-Bacon

Thomas Fraser-Bacon is the Marketing Director for Allsee Technologies. His background is in Digital Signage and Product Design.