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The looming convergence of digital signage and mobile tech

We're so accustomed to interactivity on our phones and tablets that we simply assume all screens will be just as dynamic, and we're surprised when they're not.

June 30, 2016 by Jeff Hastings — CEO, BrightSign

Raise your hand if this happened to you lately: You walked up to an informational display in a hotel, shopping mall or retail establishment and you instinctively tried to tap, swipe or pinch the screen to find whatever information you were in search of. And when you realized the screen wasn't interactive, you became frustrated.

We've all been there. We're so accustomed to interactivity on our phones and tablets that we simply assume all screens will be just as dynamic, and we're surprised when they're not.

The good news is that interactivity in digital signage is on the rise. The commercial signage market is following the lead set by consumer tech, and a growing number of signage installations now include some level of interactivity.

However, interactivity isn't as simple as it seems. Interactive digital signage depends on three things: Touch-enabled displays, rich content and media players capable of handing that content.

Not just any media player is cut out to handle interactive content. Shudder-free and seamless navigation of interactive content requires a robust HTML5 engine. This makes it possible to fully support the WebGL language and play complex HTML animations and transformations, including gesture-based interactions such as swipe, pinch and zoom.

The other trend you see everywhere is people walking around with their mobile devices in hand. This ever-present "screen" offers another perfect opportunity to interact with the customer. A whole new level of communication between digital signage and a customer's mobile device is now possible. Beacon and Bluetooth Low Energy technologies enable this bi-directional engagement, making it possible for a customer to receive information on their mobile device and then communicate back to the display, which drives what is experienced on the big screen.

This opens the door for customer engagement like we've never seen before. Customers are tempted with discounts and other promotions on the spot via their mobile devices, and the customer can then take charge of how they want to experience the digital signage. Businesses establish a direct connection with their customers, and customers feel empowered to request digital signage content that is relevant to them.

In aggregate, what's happening here is that technology is finally bridging the gap between personal mobile devices and commercial digital signage. Customers can interact with signage in a way that's familiar to them, and the communication between signage and mobile devices is becoming seamless. What this means for the industry remains to be seen, but I believe this could be a game-changer for digital signage and for any business that's savvy enough to explore new ways to engage their customers.

About Jeff Hastings

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BrightSign

BrightSign is the global market leader in digital signage media players, offering the most reliable, secure and sophisticated solid-state media players on the market today.

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