I just finished writing an article for an upcoming edition of the “Digital Signage Future Trends Report”.  The purpose of the article is to convey my thoughts on the prospects for the digital signage industry looking forward two years.  The following is the concluding paragraph from my article.

“My prediction for two years out is this:  A handful of companies will learn to master digital signage and mobile convergence.  Those that do will assume a dominant position within the industry as they facilitate an intimate and measurable experience for the viewers of digital signage.  The great majority of the companies who either refuse or cannot master convergence will be following a path to to their demise.”

Yeah, yeah, I know.  You’re saying to yourself, “What else would Steve say.  His whole life revolves around advocating convergence.  I wouldn’t have expected anything else.”

Well, you’re right.   But there’s a reason for it.  I absolutely believe that signage/mobile convergence is essential to the industry’s survival and well-being.  Let’s face it.  Things are changing.  Our society is changing. The way that people interact with one another is changing.  How they get their news and entertainment is changing.  How they conduct commerce is changing.  Where and when they do things is changing.  And, yes…. Mobile technologies are playing a central role in all of this change.

Every day I Tweet about ways in which mobile technologies are changing people’s lives.  In personal commerce, convenience, safety, security, shopping, communications, health, finances, etc., etc.

To date, the digital signage industry has given lip service to mobile but little else.  I outlined reasons why in my “Future Trends” article.  I’ll let you know when it comes out.

Bottom line, if the industry doesn’t get on the stick, there will be no industry.  It will be an oligopoly.  Showing content on a screen is great, but enabling an end-to-end, immersive consumer experience is quite another thing.

Think I’m overplaying the value of mobile and the real-time nature that mobile delivers, watch the above video to see what Eric Schmidt of Google thinks about mobile and real-time communications.

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