Dear GSA members,

Integrated Systems Europe 2026 (ISE26) in Barcelona is behind us, and once again it confirmed something important.

Digital signage is no longer a display industry. It is now a decision-making industry.

For years we talked about resolution, brightness and player performance. This year the conversations shifted decisively toward:

• Automation
• AI-driven content
• Measurable outcomes
• Operational integration

Almost every meaningful conversation I had at the GSA reception and on the show floor revolved around one topic:

How do we make signage act instead of show?

That shift marks a fundamental change in our market. We are entering the era of autonomous communication systems.

The Three Big Trends After ISE 2026

1. From CMS to Decision Engines

CMS platforms are rapidly evolving into operational platforms.

Instead of asking, “What content do we schedule?”, customers now ask, “What action should happen at this moment?”

Examples seen at ISE:

• Pricing reacting to stock levels,
• Menus reacting to kitchen capacity,
• Corporate dashboards triggering internal alerts,
• Retail media reacting to shopper presence.

The screen becomes the last step of a business process, not the first.

This changes who owns signage inside organizations. Increasingly it is operations, data and revenue teams rather than marketing alone.

2. AI Moves From Creation to Control

Last year AI generated images. This year AI generated decisions.

We saw early but very real deployments of:

• Predictive content selection,
• Automatic campaign optimization,
• Audience-driven targeting,
• Self-healing networks.

The important takeaway:

AI in signage is no longer a creative tool. It is becoming an operational layer.

Companies that only integrate AI into content workflows will lag behind companies that integrate AI into business workflows.

3. The Quiet Explosion of Sustainable Hardware

E-paper, ultra-low power SoC players and remote device management drew serious attention, not as innovation showcases, but as procurement requirements.

Energy consumption is becoming a tender parameter.

Particularly in:

• Retail chains
• Public sector
• Transportation
• Corporate offices

We are approaching a point where total cost of ownership and energy compliance will determine architecture choices more than upfront cost.

This directly impacts how networks will be designed over the coming years.

GS Alliance Update

ISE also confirmed the importance of the Alliance’s neutral position. Members repeatedly told us they value GSA because we focus on interoperability and market development, not vendor promotion.

Over the coming months the Alliance will focus on three initiatives:

1. Interoperability Profiles

Practical implementation profiles allowing devices, CMS and analytics systems to cooperate predictably.

2. Operational Data Framework

Helping the industry move from playback metrics to business metrics.

3. Education Series 2026

Short practical sessions, not marketing, explaining how signage integrates into enterprise IT and operational systems.

We will announce the first sessions soon.

GS Alliance Brief

This month’s notable shifts:

• SoC performance now sufficient for 80 percent of networks,
• External players moving toward edge AI roles,
• Remote device observability becoming mandatory,
• E-paper entering mainstream deployments,
• Android vs. Linux discussions replaced by lifecycle discussions.

Hardware is stabilizing. Architecture is not. The competitive advantage no longer sits in the device, but in how devices cooperate.

What This Means for Our Members

Digital signage is moving from an AV industry to a systems industry. Successful companies in the next three years will not necessarily be those with the best screens, software or content. They will be the ones who can answer:

What business process does this network improve?

That requires collaboration across disciplines, and that is precisely why the Alliance exists.

Closing Thought

For two decades digital signage tried to justify itself through visibility. Now it justifies itself through value.

Screens that only attract attention will be replaced. Screens that influence decisions will expand.

Our industry is no longer about communication.It is about behavior.

And that makes the coming years the most interesting period our market has ever seen.

Thank you for your continued support and the many inspiring discussions in Barcelona.

I look forward to working with all of you in the months ahead.

Warm regards,
Mark Ossel
Chairman, Global Signage Alliance