ISE is the annual place where digital signage priorities become visible: what’s being developed, what’s being purchased, and under what conditions solutions are taken into production. In 2026, three closely connected themes dominate the conversation: the mainstreaming of service models, AI becoming part of day-to-day operations, and the growing role of cybersecurity as a core part of system architecture.
The overall direction is clear: digital signage systems are no longer isolated networks. They are increasingly part of an organization’s IT environment and business processes. That changes both procurement criteria and how success is measured.
Managed signage: the shift to service models
Already in 2025, ISE brought the move toward service models to the forefront—and in 2026 the shift is even more visible in real-world deployments. More and more organizations want to implement digital signage as part of a comprehensive service package. The goal is not to own devices, but to buy a working solution as a service: screens, software, maintenance, updates, and support.
The core idea of Digital Signage as a Service (DSaaS) is simple: procurement changes from a one-off project into an ongoing service. This gives the organization a more predictable cost structure and ensures the hardware and software stay up to date.
In practice, DSaaS addresses especially these expectations:
- Scaling as operations grow or change
- Fast response to new needs and content requirements
- Lifecycle management and regular updates
- Continuous support and ensuring reliable use
- Content management services and ongoing development
- Predictable costs
Read also blog, What Digital Signage as a Service means? »
AI becomes part of everyday digital signage
In 2026, AI is no longer an experimental add-on—it is becoming a structural part of digital signage solutions. This shows up both in device development and in software: manufacturers are bringing AI-ready displays and media players to market, with more computing power and readiness for AI-based functionality.
AI’s role is most visible in three practical areas:
1) Optimizing image quality and user experience
A display can adjust picture quality and brightness automatically based on the environment. This improves readability and can also support energy efficiency.
2) Adapting content to context
Content can be adjusted automatically based on time, location, campaigns, or other contextual factors. When data is used correctly, content becomes more timely and relevant—without overloading the team with manual work.
3) Analytics and decision support
AI helps develop both content and the signage network: what works, where, and when.
ISE discussions also highlight AI’s expansion from pilots to broader adoption. Generative, analytical, and agentic AI create new opportunities for more precise targeting, content versioning, and collecting and using data as part of the digital signage system.
Digital signage in retail: advertising tech and enriching the customer journey
In retail environments, digital signage is evolving toward more precise use of space and better guidance throughout the customer journey. Special-format displays designed for narrow spaces, as well as ultra-wide and stretch displays, are becoming more common as communication moves into shelf aisles, entrances, and checkout lines.
At the same time, the full customer journey is getting more attention. The display is no longer just a campaign surface—it is part of guidance, service, and the buying experience. Interactivity and personalization increase as displays are connected to backend data and store operational processes.
Creative design draws from advancing technology
As technology advances, the importance of creative design grows. Better color reproduction, resolution, and larger display surfaces enable more impactful and immersive content. Display technology increasingly serves as a platform not only for communication, but also for art, data visualizations, and experimental concepts.
This development is especially visible in brand environments where differentiation and experience matter—and it gradually flows into everyday communications as expectations and quality standards rise.
3D displays, next-generation LED, and color e-paper
E-paper already gained significant attention at ISE 2025, and modern LED solutions have been at the forefront for longer. As technology develops and becomes more widely available, these new options are gradually becoming realistic for a broader range of industries.
3D displays create a depth effect without glasses and are used especially in attention-driven retail and out-of-home advertising solutions. LED development brings improved image quality, modularity, and scalability. Color e-paper offers an alternative when extremely energy-efficient, “paper-like” display surfaces are required.
Integrations bring screens into the business
In 2026, digital signage is not a separate communication channel. Through integrations, it connects more tightly to business and strategic goals. Displays are integrated with ERP and CRM solutions, POS data, and other systems so that content can be based on up-to-date information.
Displays can act as an interface to business data. In communication, operational management, and increasingly personalized marketing, screens become part of the tactical toolkit.
When a signage system communicates with backend systems, organizations can:
- Share information more efficiently and target it more precisely
- Share information more efficiently and target it more precisely
- Support marketing and operational leadership within the same network
- Create more personalized customer experiences and clearer situational awareness for staff
Read also a blog: What does digital signage cost? »
Cybersecurity as part of the architecture
With cloud-based management and expanding integrations, cybersecurity becomes an increasingly central topic in digital signage procurement. When a signage system is integrated with systems such as CRM or ERP, it may be granted access to business-critical data. In that case, the required security level changes significantly.
Read also: Digital Signage from a IT department point of view
The NIS2 Directive has strengthened cybersecurity requirements across Europe, and at the same time organizations emphasize information security management models and standards. Digital signage is part of the IT environment—so its vulnerabilities, update practices, access control, and monitoring must be handled with the same seriousness as other systems.
Make sure your digital signage system meets today’s requirements
In 15 minutes, we can review your current signage environment: service model, integrations, and the basic building blocks of security. You’ll quickly get a clear overview and practical next steps. Book a 15-minute review. Book a 15 min survey
