Digital signage systems are everywhere, once you start noticing them. Since joining Tightrope Media Systems and working on a digital signage system, I’ve noticed them at airports, hotels, restaurants and more. When I see the systems in action, I like to think about the features the system offers and how it is meeting the needs of the customer. Signage systems can be segmented into various types, like retail (shopping malls), outdoor and indoor, advertising-based, and informational (to name a few), and there is overlap within the segments. Tightrope Media Systems produces informational signage systems that are intended to solve the problem of communicating effectively with members of an organization. Members might be employees or customers. The attached picture is showing a signage system in action at a small restaurant near my home. The content on the screen is a promotion of a partner cafe and a promotional offer for customers. In this case the restaurant has decided to advertise a partner cafe to ultimately drive more customers to it. They are also offering discounts to customers that use social web services like facebook, twitter and foursquare, since those customers are helping promote the restaurant by using those services. Digital signage is more engaging and eye-catching to a customer, compared with a printed sign, and it allows the signage operator to mix advertising content with whatever else they’d like to run. If the needs of the restaurant were to promote their affiliated cafe, engage customers, and offer promotions, from my view the system is effective.