AVT Question: Please share insights and trends on AV/IT in the cloud, including the benefits and cautions.
Thought Leader: Amber Ward, Senior Marketing Director at Carousel Digital Signage
Cloud-based digital signage has transformed how organizations design and scale their signage networks. By connecting media players to cloud-hosted servers, organizations avoid complex inbound configurations, resulting in a much cleaner security and network landscape than in the on-premise era. The flexibility of cloud architecture allows seamless scaling across buildings, geographies, and device types—all without the need to rebuild the system each time. Content is no longer tied to dedicated displays: The same messaging can now reach web browsers, tablets, and mobile devices, which is crucial when audiences are spread across retail floors, campuses, or remote workforces.
Finding digital signage software that works across that variety is essential, and one that integrates with your device management systems—not works outside them.
Amber Ward, Senior Marketing Director at Carousel Digital Signage
For IT teams evaluating platforms, SOC 2 compliance should be on the short list of non-negotiables. It signals that a vendor has independently audited controls for data security and availability, and its absence is a serious network concern for any system that touches enterprise infrastructure.
One of the biggest pain points among IT professionals is that ownership of a cloud-based digital signage system can get murky. The team responsible for securing the system is not the same as the team managing its content. Before deployment, end users should establish clear roles and workflows for content creation, approval, and placement. This ensures accountability and prevents confusion about responsibilities.
Mixed-device environments are the norm. Media players, smart displays, mobile devices, and embedded hardware coexist on the same network. Finding digital signage software that works across that variety is essential, and one that integrates with your device management systems—not works outside them.
