Picture looks good for videowall

Demand in education and retail sector helps Samsung celebrate best August in years

Videowall opportunities have been heating up this summer, according to Samsung’s manager for large-format displays (LFDs) in the UK.

Ian Abernethy, a sales manager specialising in LFDs for business and digital signage applications at Samsung, said business across LFD sales, including videowall deployments, is currently brisk, and opportunities are still available for resellers.

“We have been having a fantastic year [in this product category], above expectations, in a difficult market. The display industry is suffering right now. Large-format was behind last year and has recovered well this year,” he said. “There is increasing mind-share in the industry towards digital signage.”

Top sellers in his unit destined for, among other apps, videowall implementations include the entry-level 40in LCD for commercial and education environments and the LED backlit segment, Abernethy said.

“And this time of year it is very much the education sector,” he said. Tech refresh in schools is generally timed for the quieter summer period, while retailers, betting shops and other sectors are also experiencing LFD sales growth, he added.

For resellers, it is a “great opportunity”, although “not a box-drop”, he said. “It is about understanding the customer’s needs and bringing together a number of solutions - not just a screen and a wall.”

Media reports have asked whether 2011 might be the year of the videowall. Not only technologies, but connectivity and pricing are working together with channel partnerships to encourage sales.

Videowalls and graphics specialist Datapath last month appointed two new UK distributors - Medium and Red Solutions.

Mike Clayton, displays product manager at Medium, said: “Videowalls are becoming more of a standard requirement in the commercial, leisure and education sectors.”