European digital signage trends from 2014 will continue into this year, says Ovab Europe, which runs the Digital Signage Business Climate Index (DBCI).
Last year entry-level signage was important to the industry in the DACH region – Europe’s largest signage market. SoC and Android devices were especially welcomed, as were OPS products. In vertical markets, the retail industry began to see the use of beacons and NFC.
Looking to DOOH, respondents OVAB’s survey said that booking systems and approaches to standardisation are the key topics. Some countries are also tightening regulations in the DOOH space; for instance, regarding roadside digital billboards. The eventual outcome is still to be seen, however.
Other trends are common to many areas of the display market, with growing use of 3D, transparent displays and HDBaseT. UltraHD is an important development, and has been welcomed – however, growth is still low, due to the cost of hardware and lack of content.
Smarter signage is increasingly being investigated by the industry; for example, eye tracking. Finally, there is rising demand for both sub-32″ and large-format ‘mega screens’ across Europe.
France is the third-largest signage sub-region, after DACH and the UK and Ireland. In general, the country continued on a positive trend throughout 2014. Between 200 and 250 jobs were created, due to a ‘very good’ order situation.
High performers in the French market included vertical markets; DOOH; and sunlight-readable and high-bright screens. However, the market was held back by excessive bureaucracy. It is expected that these trends will continue in 2015, with the addition of UltraHD and indoor LED displays. Omni-channel and mobile integration will also be key factors.
