Photo courtesy Intel
With the vast and rapidly evolving ‘Internet of things,’ whereby billions of devices are connected and communicating with each other 24-7, largely without human intervention, studies suggest the business opportunities for the digital signage industry have never been better. The world of information and communications technology (ICT) is in the midst of a dramatic transformation, moving away from isolated systems and toward Internet-enabled devices that are networked through the ‘cloud.’ The Internet of things is well on its way to becoming one of the most important technological developments of the 21st century. By the year 2025, research by chipmaker Intel shows between two to three billion people will be connected via the Internet, but the number of connected and communicating devices may top one trillion. Digital signs are among the devices that can take better advantage of such networking, particularly in terms of using ‘big data’ for analytics purposes. Information generated and shared across systems can help guide better, automated decision making. Interactive displays, for example, can collect individual information and then customize on-screen content accordingly, based on back-end demographic data. Indeed, the Internet of things has already made its presence felt in the digital signage industry, particularly in retail environments. ‘Smart’ shelf labels, kiosks, point-of-sale (POS) displays and screens relating to surveillance and safety are all prime examples of this trend in action. This reality creates its own security demands. New software capabilities will need to be integrated with hardware, so clients can be reassured additional devices will remain safe and secure when operating within the larger Internet of things. With files from Intel. For more information, visit www.intel.com.
