Digital signage is a popular term nowadays. It is the form of electronic display which can be found both in public and private places such as traffic crosses, at major junctions, retail stores, and even in corporate buildings. These digital signage solutions display advertisements, informative programs, and public interest messages. The media for these displays are usually LCD, plasma televisions, LED, or projectors.
Some of the benefits of digital signage compared to the traditional sign boards and hoardings are the use of effective signs, animations, and interactive programs which the audience can understand and relate to effectively. The investment also is less in terms of digital signage.
The display method can be either in the form of scrolling message boards or monitors. At an airport, a digital signage can be used to display the information regarding the different flights and the check in times. Similarly, it is being used at railway stations and bus stations. In retail stores, these can display the promotional offers at the store and about the new products and layouts. In restaurants, corporate buildings, and other such places, these devices can be used to reduce perceived waiting times of the visitors.
Video walls and multimedia kiosks are also being used to project the displays. These devices have digital signage software in them which help in the centralized control of the content, management, and scheduling. The use of the software also helps in monitoring and automatically distributing the signals. Some screens used for the display have the capability to handle multi-screens and need less power consumption.
In different places, the technology is known by different names. It is known as Captive Audience Networks (CAN), Narrowcasting or Narrowcast networks, ScreenMedia or Digital Media Networks.
Digital signage is an effective and interactive media. The interaction of the people can be through mobile phones, sms messaging, and using the Bluetooth technology. The social media interactivity enables viewers to send in messages from Twitter, Flickr, and text messages, which will be displayed as posts on the screen.
