Acer is now investing heavily in digital signage. The speaker from Acer was Maverick Shih, who is based in Taiwan and joined a dialogue with Rotberg via a video/Skype link
Acer is investing in the cloud (BYOC) because of the mixing of the cyber and physical worlds, he said – the Amazon/Whole Foods deal was an example that he quoted. Acer acquired Cittadino in Germany in the spring of 2017 to extend its capability into digital signage software and systems.
Acer is not new to digital signage and the firm has made signs and driving boxes for some time. For Acer to go further into the industry, the best route has been to acquire companies and it now has “Acer Being Signage” in Germany as well as in Taiwan.
The cloud is growing fast, but digital signage is in the physical world, so there is a good fit between physical and cloud, Acer believes.
Acer’s overall strategy is to develop through organic growth, but it is also interested in J/Vs and acquisitions/investment.
