Did you ever fantasize that technology would advance to the levels of 3D printing in your lifetime? It has. (You can print pancakes now. Yes, pancakes.) And, the capabilities are only picking up speed. Wearable technology (some are better than others) and electric cars are jumping from the pages of science fiction books and into our everyday lives. While hover boards and “Jetson’s-esque” robot maids are still a few years off from becoming household standards, 2015 is sure to bring some futuristic tech trends our way.

 
1.) Internet On The Go

By now, it’s safe to say that the majority of internet users access the web from their mobile devices. So it’s no stretch of the imagination to see that users will be using these devices as their primary connection. According to Ovum, one billion people will use mobile as their only form of Internet access in 2015.

This will have a hefty impact on cellular service providers who will have to up the speed and optimization of their networks to keep users satisfied. Also, tech trends like these will lead to a wave of hardware upgrades for wireless routers. Finally.   

 
2.) Network Investments

Virtually all aspects of our working lives depend on internet access. In fact, companies actually lose money when their network is down. An Evolven study reported that network “configuration errors can cost companies up to $72,000 per hour in Web application downtime.” To remedy this situation, businesses will reinforce their networks to increase reliability and innovation.

Playing off of the effects of the previous trends, businesses will continue to rely on the cloud to store and communicate their data. Investments, especially in the cyber-security realm, will heavily impact company budgets as hacking threats continue to grow. (We predict a few more celebrity data hacks.) Software vendors will take advantage of data security best practices and implement third party audits to prove that their facilities are protected.

 
3.) The Human Brand

The advent of digital shopping allows consumers to access infinite retailers, instead of the previous few in driving distance. Because of the vast number of options, consumers are also learning to exercise skepticism. Why choose this retailer when the next one has free shipping? Why are their products so cheap? The list goes on.

Marketing efforts will become more upfront and honest to target our raw, humanistic sides. Brands that allow consumers to rate their products and services and read other reviews are having much more success than the brands who brush negative feedback under the carpet. With this level of honesty comes trust. Consumers are more forgiving when they can hear why someone had a bad experience with a brand.

 
4.) Digital Messaging on Every Screen

Digital communication is becoming a necessity among all industries, internally and externally. These dynamic signage deployments are rapidly increasing. They allow end users to transmit infinite messages to their viewers. By 2015, digital signage adoption is expected to grow by 66% and 56% for interactive signage.

The software behind these devices is certainly making leaps and bounds in the tech world. Social media integrations and interactive capabilities will be adopted as a regular use of digital signage over the next year.

The tech trends of 2015 are sure to bring plenty of advancements in hardware and software. Here’s the rundown:

•     Consumer facing products like mobile devices will be the main source of internet access.
•     Businesses in all industries will begin to make budget arrangements to implement more reliable networks.
•     Marketing efforts will revolve around honesty as brands realize that authenticity is an attractive quality to consumers.
•     Digital signage will continue to increase in popularity, allowing streamlined, innovative communications.

It’s an outlandish commitment to make in the software world, where the great portion of billing comes from lengthy support phone calls and training sessions. It wasn’t an easy decision to make. At first, we considered the risks involved and wondered if the lack of training and support revenue would result in bankruptcy. But we knew the only way to provide the best software out there was to offer the services for free. How? Because our software would be built around easing common training questions and support issues, while welcoming the opinions of our customers.

Picture it: You’ve just purchased a software solution to power your digital signage. Excellent. But you have no idea how to create and schedule content to the players. Not so excellent. No one enjoys going through training. It’s a time-consuming, sometimes confusing, necessary evil. So when software providers charge their users a fee for training, they’re only adding insult to injury.

For most digital signage software providers, the costs of training can be over $1,000 a day. These companies usually limit the number of trainees allowed in each session; a one-time training is all you get. After that, you have to pay for another session. Some also require trainees to travel and attend their designated training sessions. Others give users the option to sign up for specialty training courses and charge them via an A La Carte menu. Talk about inconvenient!

If a user wants to better understand how to use a particular integration, they should be able to receive specific training on that subject, not a boiler plate “one size fits all” program. At Industry Weapon, we understand that not all trainees entail the same level of instruction. Some trainees can quickly grasp user-platforms, while others need to start at the basics. Forcing these two parties to attend the same training session is inefficient. We offer training in all levels at each stage of the digital signage deployment.

How do we do this? We call it ‘chunking.’ Chunking is one of the most effective training methods out there.  It breaks up the information into easy to understand pieces so that short term memory information is converted into long-term. By breaking up the steps needed to create and deploy content into sections, users can more quickly grasp the basics of CommandCenterHD.

We’ve applied the best educational practices to ensure the highest level of knowledge retention. Plus, if a user only wants to review a shorter step, they can go back and do so at any time. Our software, CommandCenterHD, houses an extensive library of video tutorials created by our training team. We also provide PDFs for users who prefer text instructions. Our customers can always speak directly to our trainers and support team when they wanted additional guided help.

If the software is giving you issues, why should you have to pay extra money to fix it? Software providers should strive to keep their solution error free. They shouldn’t punish customers for issues they can’t control! A free-of-charge support system works in favor of the software developers; customers are more inclined to call about tiny issues. Customers who feel they can call in at any time promotes an open dialogue and eleveates frustrations felt by the customer. Also, support should be available to customers 24/7. When difficulty strikes, nothing is more annoying than submitting a ticket via email and waiting two business days for a response.

Charging for training and support is a common for SaaS providers, even after they already pay fees for the service. We went a different path by offering the two for free. This model forces us to provide the easiest-to-use, bug-free software on the market. We do spend more time and money on training resources, but our multiple training options give users the most intricate understanding of our software. We have found ways to provide live support for all of our customers around the clock.  The result is a successful digital signage deployment for our customers.