BYOD: Mobile Interactivity with Digital Signage Networks
BYOD (bring your own device) has traditionally referred to the act of people bringing their personal devices into their work environment with the ability of being able to access privileged company documents and information on those devices. However, this acronym may soon find another application referring to personal interactivity with public digital signage networks.
Interactivity – whether via physical touch, gesture or other method – has gained popularity over the last several years. Smart phones with touch screens have single-handedly changed the way we expect all interactive devices to work. Console-based video games have also helped push the envelope with gesture or motion-based interactivity (Xbox Kinect, PS move, Wii remote, etc.)
Regardless of how it is accomplished, interactivity seems to be gaining traction and popularity with end users. As a result, software companies, integrators and advertisers are noticing. The good news for them is the infrastructure is already very large and growing larger every day.
According to NPD DisplaySearch’s Smartphone Quarterly report, smartphone shipments will reach 937 million in 2013, just over half of all mobile phone shipments. We live in a connected world and for the masses, there may be no going back. “Generation Y” is now driving many markets, and they thrive on interaction. Whether the interaction is social media (Twitter, Foursquare, Instagram, etc.), based on an ability to respond to simple surveys, polls or to provide feedback for the chance of winning or earning discounts or prizes, playing games with people at the same venue, or to receive additional product or service information on a new product they just saw; they want it and they want it now, on their device.
How will increased mobile interactivity with these networks affect the digital signage ecosystem? Will public kiosks become extinct or shift their focus to cater to the older generations and to the very young? Will the market for touch overlays and other touch technologies on large screen public displays decline? (According to our tracking of large format commercial display sell through in U.S. distribution channels, in Q1’13, touch-enabled monitor sales declined by 16 percent Y/Y.)
These and other questions will be addressed at the FPD Conference at InfoComm on June 11 in Orlando. In addition to providing attendees with several sessions of expert data and analysis of the display market, the conference will feature Stuart Armstrong, President of the Americas for ComQi, which provides a multi-channel message management platform for networked content and infrastructure, who will provide insights on the impacts and opportunities for mobile interactivity within the digital signage industry.
This column was reprinted with permission from DisplaySearch and originally appeared here.
