Commercial Integrator + Security Sales Nov/Dec 2023 - 24

CI
EXPLORING DIGITAL SIGNAGE
predicts. On the topic of power consumption,
Meszaros adds that, as of late,
OpenEye Global is receiving requests
for unique ways to power digital-signage
devices. " [Clients are requesting] PoEenabled
displays, wireless charging for
'all-in-one' units that sit on a retail shelf,
as well as low-powered displays like E
Ink, " he specifies.
Managed Services
for Digital Signage
Earlier in this article, our experts advanced
a case that integrators most
richly benefit from digital-signage work
when they embrace a software-forward,
services-first, consultative approach.
That naturally leads integrators to
wonder how best to approach digitalsignage
managed services - or to
question whether they really have to
do things that way. " It is not likely the
case that most integrators are offering
managed services, " Wargo acknowledges.
" Some percentage [of them] are, but it is
likely closer to 25% to 30%. " However, he
hastens to add, revenues from managed
services are growing at an impressive
rate. (This is perhaps an indicator that
more integration businesses are coming
to realize the potential to earn recurring
revenue, cement client relationships and
deliver better outcomes.) Indeed, according
to Wargo, " AVIXA expects managed
services within digital signage to grow at
a [CAGR] of 14.5% from 2023 to 2028. "
Meszaros casts the question of digitalsignage
managed services in existential
terms, saying, " I don't see how a business
survives in this industry if you do not
offer, or at the very least partner with a
group to provide, an element of ongoing
support. " He continues, " Most clients - if
not all clients - we encounter are not
set up [to], nor [do they] want to, manage
their own program. " But Meszaros is
clear-eyed that it's not easy to execute or
structure digital-signage service offerings.
" You offer a specialized service, often
tailored to the client's needs, " he explains.
" And the deployment of those needs will
vary, which makes it challenging for an
organization to support. " But the bottom
'AVIXA expects
managed services
within digital signage
to grow at a CAGR of
14.5% from 2023
to 2028.'
- Sean Wargo, vice president,
market intelligence, AVIXA
line is that integrators who scale that
mountain have a leg up on their peers.
" Those that have a managed service offering
in place have an advantage over their
competition, " Bidwell states definitively.
Unsurprisingly, then, top-tier integrators
like Diversified, AVI-SPL and
Coffman Media have established strong
digital-signage service offerings. Diversified,
for example, offers Digital Signage
as a Service, as well as a full, turnkey
solution suite in its managed service offering.
Mahurin reports that the solution
suite encompasses design/consulting,
content and creative services, distribution
and deployment models, remote
monitoring and management, data
analytics and lifecycle management.
According to Mendonca, AVI-SPL's full
set of digital-signage managed services
is equally robust. The offering includes
proactive technology monitoring, execution
of self-healing tasks, complete
incident management to full resolution,
onsite technical resources and break-fix
SLAs, and a variety of content services.
Meanwhile, Coffman Media's service
offering entails having an active pulse
on the negative or positive operating
KPIs, with full ability for Ault and his
team to fix issues proactively. " Thus, " he
says, " [we] optimize uptime and solution
success, leading to maximum value and
happy clients. "
AI Driving Digital Signage Value
with Content Customization
Customized digital signage is more effective - and more profitable - than generic
screens. However, productive customization requires deep content-strategy
engagement and programming, which can be a daunting prospect for integrators
and their clients.
Fortunately, choosing a CMS partner with a robust library of APIs and
templates makes creating highly customized digital signage simple. When you
engage your CMS partner early in the discovery process, they can advise on the
necessary API integrations, automation options and hardware requirements to
achieve a client's vision - so you can deliver solutions that appear bespoke with
very little custom programming required.
However, true customization offers a whole new tier of value. With ChatGPT
integration, 22Miles can train AI on your clients' data to rapidly create helpful
digital experiences. For example, a transportation hub wayfinding kiosk can be
trained to answer questions ranging from " Where can I get coffee? " to " Can I
check my bags? " to " What are my options if my train is delayed? " with accurate,
site-specific, real-time answers. This interaction can happen in any language,
written or spoken.
Integrating custom AI chat makes a digital-signage solution more helpful
and specific than keyword searching, driving consumers to engage with deeper
meaning rather than relying upon word matching. This has massive upsides,
ensuring their messaging reaches its target audience and collecting rich data
about customers' onsite needs and behaviors. By partnering with a cuttingedge
CMS provider, you can offer highly customized and competitive solutions
to your clients.
24 Commercial Integrator+Security Sales & Integration | Nov/Dec 2023
Commercial Integrator + Security Sales Nov/Dec 2023

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