Thomas Müller, Vice President Sales, Marketing West Europe at ViewSonic
In an era dominated by AI headlines and rising demand for immersive experiences, digital signage is undergoing a fundamental transformation. What was once a passive, screen-based broadcasting panel is now expected to act as an intelligent, responsive, and spatially integrated platform to enhance user engagement while supporting business goals. But as expectations grow, so do deployment challenges. Thomas Müller, Vice President Sales, Marketing West Europe at ViewSonic explains how people are facing the real challenge, which is not just making signage smarter, but making it ready for the unpredictability of dynamic, digitally connected spaces.
In sectors including retail, corporations, and public venues, signage is no longer treated as a standalone display but as part of a broader ecosystem. Acceleration in the speed of real-time data, and the requirement to meet future sustainability standards drives digital signage innovation today.
From massive video walls for branding, to interactive wayfinding, dynamic content zones for collaboration, and self-service kiosks for live transactions, each element must work together to deliver a seamless, responsive experience.
Signage that shapes dynamic space
Higher resolution requirements and advanced technology are replacing existing signage with immersive LED displays. However, traditional LED setups often face hurdles, such as complex installation and maintenance.
All-in-one LED displays are capable of providing flexible design options and improved pixel density. These displays now adapt effortlessly to any environment, whether vertical towers, panoramic 21:9 layouts, curved installations or custom shapes. Recent advancements further facilitate adoption, including an all-in-one rack-mountable control box that allows the LED solution to integrate seamlessly into existing AV infrastructures, streamlining system control and power management within central control rooms.
Technologies like Glue-on-Board (GOB) enhance durability, making it ideal for high-impact applications. Beyond Chip-on-Board technology, Chip-on-X (COX) innovation pushes boundaries further, enabling transparent, rollable, and glass-based screens that seamlessly blend into public, retail, and hospitality environments.
Alongside LED, touch and non-touch commercial displays have also been widely adopted to support scenario-specific applications in the corporate or education sectors. These displays extend into ultra-wide formats, offering multifunctional value. A single screen can serve as a dynamic presentation tool in high-traffic areas, a collaborative space in virtual meetings, and a data dashboard for its expansive view space.
This adaptability not only enhances daily operations but also maximises utility, driving down the cost per inch and lowering the total cost of ownership.
Ecosystems that scale
As digital signage evolves into a multifunctional tool, management systems must evolve with it. The rise of system-on-chip (SoC) displays and integrated content management platforms (CMS) eliminate the need for external media players by enabling faster setup, easier updates, and more agile control across networks.
But today’s demands go beyond basic scheduling. Clients expect signage as a strategic communications layer to bridge physical and digital experiences. At the same time, integrators and IT teams require platforms that are cloud-based, API-ready and compatible with unified communication systems to enable centralized control, remote diagnostics, and granular visibility into device health and playback performance.
This is why ViewSonic developed Manager, a centralised device management platform designed to support real-time device monitoring, seamless content orchestration across locations and flexible format adaptation. Paired with the integrated casting solution, it ensures robust interoperability between devices for instant operation and wireless content sharing. Whether managing a single location or a continent-wide deployment, ecosystems that simplify integration and scale effortlessly are becoming the new standard.
Sustainability and AI as built-in value
Sustainability is set to become a key factor in digital signage procurement across Europe, particularly in markets such as Germany, the Netherlands, and the Nordic countries.
Procurement decisions are now being shaped by factors like product recyclability, energy efficiency, and device longevity, not only to comply with evolving regulations such as the EU Ecodesign Regulation, but also to align with internal ESG objectives.
This reflects a broader industry shift toward responsible, lifecycle-oriented strategies in the AV and display sector. As a result, features like energy-saving ICs, recyclable packaging, and modular upgrade paths are expected. For example, ViewSonic’s LED displays are already delivering 40 –50% lower power consumption than traditional solutions, while slimmer packaging designs are cutting transport-related emissions and reducing total cost of ownership.
Looking beyond sustainability, the next layer of value is intelligence. AI is beginning to reshape how signage interacts with users and the environment — automating brightness adjustments, enabling predictive maintenance, offering audience insights, and curating content in real time. These capabilities, however, can only be leveraged if the signage infrastructure is already OS-enabled, cloud-connected, and equipped with stronger processing power.
To meet the requirements of modern European buyers, ViewSonic as one of leading ProAV providers is committed to delivering more than just displays but a cohesive system of hardware, software, and services that balances people, technology, and environmental responsibility.
It goes beyond smarter screens to smarter spaces, which means signage becomes an adaptive layer of the built environment, continuously optimising itself to meet both operational demands and sustainability standards.
