It's no surprise to anyone who has been in a mall, airport or quick-serve restaurant recently that digital signage is on fire! Digital signage has been gaining steam as we, as consumers, continue to require more information and retailers and advertisers look for new ways to target us more directly with their messaging in our everyday lives.

The market for digital information displays (DIDs) is fueled further by federal regulations which call for quick-serve restaurants to now display information on fat and calorie counts for menu items, the decline in the cost of DIDs, making them more attractive versus continual printing of signage, new dynamic HD and streaming video content, and the emergence of new technologies such as gesturing and touch screens which allow for an interactive experience.

In addition, technologies such as anonymous analytics and mobile payment processing now allow for a more measureable return-on-investment (ROI).

As acceptance rates and enthusiasm for digital signs continue to rise, it is more important than ever that companies are making careful considerations before jumping head-first into a digital signage solution. Trying to minimize up-front investments can lead to a hefty price tag in the future and drive up total cost of ownership (TCO) in the long-run.

Content should be the driver of hardware and software decisions, so it is important that companies examine closely not just which content they wish to display today, but also what they may be looking to do in the future. For example, you may be running still images and Flash or Silverlight content today, however will your platform, media player and operating system be able to handle those high-def videos your company wants to roll out in the future?

Sacrificing on these components now could lead to expensive field upgrades or replacement of your hardware or operating system in the future.