As 2014 draws to a close, we reflect on a year that produced a great deal of innovation. Most notably we saw 4K make significant inroads the second half of the year. At BrightSign we’ve seen first-hand the demand for 4K products – since we began shipping our new 4K players in late Q3, we’ve been selling through inventory on a continual basis. And beyond this innovation at the high end of the market, we’re also seeing a big spike in demand for entry-level products. This is driven by a growing trend for mass rollouts of simple point-of-purchase displays in big-box retail, as well as a growing number of tech-savvy small businesses building and managing their own digital signage. In short: the digital signage market is experiencing strong growth both at the high and low ends of the spectrum. This translates into what I expect will be a very successful start to 2015.
An interesting revelation is that stronger-than-expected sales of high-end 4K products is due to more than just the desire to play back 4K content. Some customers are future-proofing their investments because they intend to transition to 4K content and displays in the near future, and even more customers are making the high-end purchase decision because the processing power and performance of the 4K players surpass that of a PC-based system at less than half the cost.
As for our new entry-level players, I believe they will fill a very important niche that’s currently filled by a sea of inexpensive, Android-based devices whose price-points are far more enticing than their actual performance. These consumer devices are complicated to set up and their ongoing maintenance costs frustrate end-users who gravitated initially to the low purchase price. Our new LS players will save these integrators and end-users a world of hurt because they will now be able to use an affordable media player that’s purpose-built for digital signage.
The market shifts I described above came as no surprise. Not only did we anticipate these developments, but companies like BrightSign helped to catalyze these market shifts. As we turn our attention to 2015, we approach the new year readier than ever to meet customer demand at every price point. Not coincidentally, this week we will take the wraps off our revamped product portfolio. We now offer the most diverse line of digital signage media players in our company’s history.
Since day 1, BrightSign has been guided by the simple principle of producing reliable, affordable media players that make is easy for businesses, brands and organizations to embrace digital signage. Our new product portfolio is a testament to that commitment – no matter how modest or elaborate the installation, we have a digital signage solution to meet the need. The coming year will present near-limitless opportunities for our industry, and I can’t wait to see what transpires.
