Smart Signage, Real Strategy: What AV Pros Should Be Pitching
Originally published in 2025. Updated August 2026.
Digital signage has evolved well beyond putting content on a screen. Today, customers aren’t looking for displays. They’re looking for smarter ways to communicate, engage audiences, and manage information across their organizations.
As AV professionals, our role has evolved too. We’re no longer just recommending hardware. We’re helping customers build communication ecosystems that are scalable, secure, and simple to manage.
That starts with asking better questions.
- How will the content be managed?
- Who needs access?
- How many locations will eventually be added?
- Can it integrate with existing AV and IT infrastructure?
- Is the solution flexible enough to support future technologies like AI driven automation and real time analytics?
Those conversations are becoming just as important as choosing the right display.
One platform that’s been gaining serious momentum is Autora DSM.
I’ll admit I’m a little biased because it’s part of the Almo Pro AV portfolio, but there’s a reason more organizations are taking a closer look. Autora DSM is cloud based, intuitive, and built to simplify digital signage management without creating extra work for IT departments.
Whether you’re managing a handful of displays or hundreds across multiple campuses or facilities, Autora makes scheduling, permissions, emergency messaging, and branded content management straightforward. The platform allows organizations to maintain consistency while giving the right people the flexibility to update content quickly and confidently.
One of the biggest trends I’m seeing today is the growing interest in artificial intelligence.
Customers aren’t just asking how to display content anymore. They’re asking how to make that content smarter.
AI is beginning to reshape digital signage by helping organizations automate content creation, personalize messaging, analyze audience engagement, and respond to changing conditions in real time. Imagine a retail environment where promotions automatically update based on inventory, a corporate lobby that changes messaging throughout the day, or a campus that instantly distributes emergency notifications across every display.
The possibilities are growing quickly.
That said, AI doesn’t replace good AV design.
It enhances it.
Without a reliable CMS, dependable hardware, strong network infrastructure, and thoughtful system design, AI becomes just another feature instead of a meaningful business solution. The foundation still matters.
When it comes to dedicated media players, BrightSign continues to set the standard for reliability and performance. For projects where uptime, flexibility, and long term stability are priorities, BrightSign remains one of the strongest options available.
Carousel is another excellent solution, particularly for organizations that want multiple departments contributing content without sacrificing administrative control. Marketing, HR, communications, and individual locations can all manage their messaging while maintaining a consistent brand experience across the organization.
For more advanced installations, tvONE continues to impress. Solutions like CORIOmaster make complex video walls, multiple content sources, custom layouts, and dynamic scheduling manageable without overwhelming the customer with unnecessary complexity.
Of course, every successful signage deployment depends on what’s happening behind the scenes.
Manufacturers like Atlona and WyreStorm continue to play an essential role by delivering reliable signal distribution, control, AV over IP, and system integration. As meeting spaces, collaboration technology, room scheduling, and digital signage continue to converge, dependable infrastructure becomes even more important.
What excites me most is where digital signage is headed.
We’re seeing displays become intelligent communication hubs that support wayfinding, workplace collaboration, room scheduling, business dashboards, visitor engagement, emergency notifications, and interactive experiences. With cloud management, remote monitoring, automation, and AI continuing to evolve, digital signage is becoming a strategic business platform rather than just another AV system.
That’s why I encourage customers to think beyond today’s project.
The best solutions aren’t built around one manufacturer or one product. They’re built around understanding the customer’s goals and selecting technologies that can adapt as those goals evolve.
Whether that solution includes Autora DSM, BrightSign, Carousel, tvONE, Atlona, WyreStorm, or another platform entirely, the objective remains the same: create a digital signage ecosystem that’s reliable, scalable, easy to manage, and prepared for what’s next.
At the end of the day, customers aren’t buying screens.
They’re investing in smarter communication.
The AV professionals who lead with strategy, embrace emerging technologies like AI, and focus on solving business challenges instead of simply quoting products will continue to earn trust, strengthen relationships, and create long term value for their customers.
That’s the conversation worth having.
First, the average sales price (ASP) for DVLED is comparatively higher than technology such as large format displays (LFD), projectors, and audio. This fact alone immediately has a greater impact on cash flow. Obviously, $10,000 is an easier balance to float for a couple of months than $100,000. So, it is crucial that the balance doesn’t sit on the books for too long and risks impeding an integrator’s ability to pay other scheduled bills.
AI-powered surveillance cameras, such as PTZ (Pan-Tilt-Zoom) cameras, are revolutionizing the security landscape. These cameras use AI algorithms for advanced features like facial recognition, motion detection, and automated tracking. For instance, the Lumens 
This not only improves the efficiency of security operations but also reduces the workload on human operators. You can leverage these advanced displays to offer more comprehensive security solutions to your clients.
Networked AV solutions play a crucial role in managing multiple video feeds in a security system. The NETGEAR AV Line of M4250 managed network switches, including the 
Additionally, incorporating AV furniture like the 
At its core, LG’s Transparent LED is a cutting-edge display technology that uses micro thin nano wires laminated between transparent silicon-based film, allowing light to pass through. This enables the display to offer high-quality visuals without completely obstructing the view behind it. The current 
All-in-one DVLED displays are a great option as they do not require external LED controllers/sender units to operate since all the required components are built into the unit, so it functions like a standard monitor, and there are typically several predefined sizes to work in various environments. The other option for DVLED is a custom video wall solution. Custom DVLED walls are a good option when you have an application requiring a specific size display, atypical aspect ratio, or need specific resolutions or brightness levels. Custom DVLED allows the user the broadest choice in selecting products to meet the needs of their individual application, but generally requires a more complex installation using external LED controllers/sender units.
In this example, after talking with the client, it was determined that the better way to achieve their goals was to use LCD technology due to one primary factor, resolution. The client stated that they wanted to have multiple unique images on the display simultaneously, up to 9 different sporting events or advertisements on the wall at any given time. While it is possible to show the required number of images on the DVLED display using external video processing, the resolution of each image would end up being very low using the DVLED display discussed.
