The Digital Signage Expert

This week, we’re speaking to Barnaby Page, the UK editor of aka.tv

Barnaby is in the middle in the photo below.

Barnaby has a long and storied career in technology and media journalism. He joined aka.tv in July 2004. You can find out more about him here.

Minicom Blog: What have been the changes you’ve witnessed happen in digital signage over the last three years?
Barnaby Page: Now it is a legitimate medium as opposed to the more experimental medium it was then. It is treated as an everyday thing now. There is less emphasis on the retail now and not just supermarket networks which were spoken about then. Other applications such as transport and leisure weren’t considered as much if at all three years ago.

MB: What about changes in technology?
BP: The basic technology is the same. There is far more interactive digital signage though and I think you can see that now with mobile phones, SMS and Bluetooth already being involved. I think now you can also see a blurring of boundaries between digital signage and kiosks.
Regarding the screens, I think the two extremes will happen. Smaller personal screens and then massive large ones.

MB: How do you think the UK compares to the rest of the world in terms of digital signage pentration?
BP: Very advanced. Would say the most advanced in Europe and just behind the USA. I’m talking about the levels of acceptance and overall interest which are very high in the UK.

MB: Recently there have been some movement in the industry by heavyweights such as Google and Microsoft? You anticipate any other movement over in the digital signage corporate landscape?
BP: Good question. At this stage I’m not sure that the market is big enough to interest someone like a Google but I could be wrong. I wouldn’t read too much into the earlier happenings. Maybe that’s all it is going to be. Then again it may not. The big guys may make a splash or you could have it stay a niche market with the players such as Scala and Broadsign being the ones.

MB: What’s news from aka.tv?
BP: Just busy keeping up with everything. There is so much happening in digital signage. Recently we have found increased interest from areas such as Latin America, Asia, India and the Middle East. Your non traditional areas.

MB: Nice speaking with you Barnaby.
BP: Likewise.