History’s first-ever D=SIGN: The Digital Signage Conference — an exciting new event created by AVIXA and the Digital Signage Federation (DSF) — began Tuesday. The two-day conference, delivered virtually this year,* was packed with products, education and networking for those in the digital signage industry: think AV integrators, retail/hospitality/healthcare/QSR operators, media and content professionals, and […]

Throughout the world, organizations of all sorts are grappling with the challenge of safely operating against the backdrop of COVID-19. Retail establishments, restaurants, professional offices, public spaces – they’re all looking for ways to resume operations while mitigating pathogen spread. A basic but all-important precaution of doing so is to screen temperatures upon entry. It’s […]

COVID-19 has been a gut-punch for much of the AV industry. Not since 9/11 has the business world faced such an abrupt pause, followed by an uncertain future. In the case of this pandemic, how the future plays out will be dictated largely by viral spread, and our collective response to that threat. And while […]

By Jeff Hastings BrightSign Our industry is more diverse than it’s ever been. The IHS Markit Digital Signage Industry Market Tracker presents separate data in eight vertical markets, and many of these verticals are themselves very diverse. “Retail” extends from corner shops to Harrods to large supermarket chains. Hospitality spans everything from fast food outlets […]

As we turn the page on the 2010s, there’s a great deal of speculation about what this new decade will bring. Of course, nobody really knows what the future holds, but I’ve thought a lot about what’s ahead for the AV industry. One segment I find particularly interesting is the automotive space. At the CES […]

By Jeff Hastings CEO, BrightSign I’ve been noticing an amusing trend emerge of late — people posting images to Pinterest and other social networks, documenting digital signage gone awry. In most cases, these images depict a once-impressive digital signage installation brought to its knees by what’s well known in PC circles as the “Blue Screen […]

By Jeff Hastings CEO, BrightSign A construction boom is happening globally. Professional and collegiate athletic facilities around the world are either being renovated or built new from the ground up. A reported $3.6 billion was spent on stadium works for the World Cup alone. Wikipedia chronicles an extensive list of 75 stadiums currently under construction […]

By Jeff Hastings CEO, BrightSign Our vibrant industry is evolving its technology base faster than ever. 4K was first talked about at CES, and already screens are appearing everywhere from high end to low end. Integrators are now using more and more full-HD streaming media servers to lower the cost of video distribution. Content developers […]

By Jeff Hastings CEO, BrightSign Each year, growth in our category is driven by innovation — advancements in key areas that cause our customers to invest in digital signage to help propel their businesses forward. I believe that 4K will be the catalyst that drives this growth in 2014. Unfortunately there’s significant trepidation about 4K, […]

By Jeff Hastings CEO, BrightSign Digital menu boards represent a digital signage submarket that’s maturing quickly. Markets on the tail end of maturity often become stagnant, falling victim to commoditization and, as a result, innovation begins to wane as margins become razor-thin. Forward-thinking companies that helped shape the market then turn their attention to other, […]

It’s been quite a start to the new year. We’ve talked extensively with customers, partners and fellow vendors at industry trade shows in the first quarter. In general there is a great deal of optimism and excitement about where our industry is headed. Even though the year is still young, we’re starting to see some […]