Building a Scalable Digital Signage Network

Digital Signage Essentials - Part 4

In the final instalment of our Digital Signage Essentials series we’ll be exploring everything you need to know about digital signage networks: choosing your displays, how to scale, scheduling across locations, RDM, and more!

Digital signage networks offer powerful ways to deliver dynamic, targeted content across multiple displays, locations, and even countries. Whether you’re Head of Marketing at a retail chain, managing workplace communications or looking to scale a DOOH (Digital Out of Home) network, building the right foundation is critical. When 8/10 of customers choose to enter stores after seeing digital signage, it’s clear the potential for your network is huge.

Without delay, let’s get into it!

What Are Your Requirements?

Before jumping into hardware or software requirements, take time to define your exact business needs. A small cafe with three screens will have very different needs to a large franchise with more than 50 screens.

Make sure to take all of the following into consideration:

• How many displays will you need now - and in the future?
• How many locations are you covering? And what are the high-traffic areas?
• What types of content will you be displaying? (menu boards or promos and sales)
• Who will manage the content? And do you need to define user access?
• What is your primary objective? (increase footfall/sales, boost employee engagement, reduce workplace accidents, etc)

Choose Your Displays

Your screens are the face of your network — and choosing the right type is critical to performance, longevity, and viewer experience. Beyond just size and resolution, factors like brightness, durability, power efficiency and orientation all influence performance and impact.

When planning your digital signage network, be sure to carefully consider the following:

Display Type

• LCD is ideal for indoor use with controlled lighting such as offices, retail stores, or waiting areas. Offers good resolution and affordability.
• LED is better for bright environments, large displays, or outdoor signage due to higher brightness and visibility

Display Quality

• Opt for commercial-grade displays if budget allows. These are built for 24/7 operation, better heat handling, longer lifespan and come with signage-appropriate warranties

Size & Orientation

• Choose screen size based on viewing distance and content density
• Decide between portrait or landscape, depending on the layout of your content (e.g. menus vs posters)

System-on-Chip (SoC) vs External Media Player

• System-on-chip (SoC) displays have built-in players - ideal for customer-facing environments where a sleek, integrated finish is important, or where commercial-grade reliability is needed
• An external media player meanwhile such as the DSCS9X is a good fit for setups involving specific hardware preferences, existing displays, or unique content and network requirements.
  
  

Managing Your Content

Your Content Management System (CMS) is the heart of your digital signage network. Carefully consider your CMS solution, as it should make it easy to create, manage and schedule your content, especially if you have multiple locations.

Look for the following:

• Multi-location scheduling: schedule across locations with ease no matter the size of the network
• User roles and permissions: group users together and assign privileges based on role
• Dynamic content support: integrate with news, weather, or real-time dashboards
• Dayparting: display content at specific times of day/week (i.e. breakfast menus in the morning, lunch menus at midday)
• Calendar-based scheduling: roll content out automatically for holidays or events
• Proof of play statistics: ensure your content is seen and measure engagement
• Secure architecture: up-to-date with the latest security fixes

With Xibo’s easy-to-use and cost-effective CMS you can be scheduling content in a matter of minutes, no matter the size of your network.

Remote Device Management (RDM)

As your network grows, being able to manage it remotely across all of your touchpoints becomes vital. RDM tools can help you to deploy, manage, and scale your network, ensuring your content reaches every screen in every location effortlessly. More specifically, you’ll be able to:

• Reboot or reset devices remotely
• Monitor screen health and performance (i.e. diagnose playback issues)
• Push software updates
• Control display settings (especially important for sustainability)
  

Xibo's RDM capabilities are designed to streamline the deployment and maintenance of large digital signage networks, reducing the need for on-site technician visits. Exactly what you need to grow your network with confidence.

Connectivity

Digital signage networks rely on stable, secure internet connections to function smoothly. The right setup ensures smooth content delivery, real-time updates, and minimal downtime - while the wrong one can cause delays to new content being shown or even blank screens.

For larger networks:

• Use wired ethernet wherever possible. It provides the most stable, secure, and high-bandwidth connection. This will offer the reliability you need for uninterrupted media playback and maximum uptime.

For screens in remote or temporary locations:

• Consider Wi-Fi or 4G/5G. This is necessary in locations where cabled internet isn’t an option, or in the case of temporary installations, events, or conferences
• These options give flexibility, but can be less reliable, so always test connectivity strength and performance in advance.

Security

When managing a digital signage network, security is critical. Here are a few things to consider:

• Choose a CMS with robust security features including the ability to control user access by assigning roles and limiting who can make changes, and regular updates to protect against known vulnerabilities. Offline playback functionality is also desirable so that content continues to play even if the network goes down.
• Use a VPN or private APN for extra security. Placing screens on a private VLAN can also give better control over security and help manage bandwidth in limited locations.
• Device lockdown: Use kiosk mode to limit device functionality and restrict unauthorised access.
• Remote reboot: In case of compromise, you should be able to reboot or reset devices without needing to be onsite.
  

Ready to Grow Your Network?

Growth isn’t just about adding more screens — it’s about building a resilient, manageable, and scalable ecosystem.

Xibo makes building your digital signage network seamless — offering cloud-hosted plans, robust support, and the flexibility to adapt as your needs evolve.

Start building your digital signage network today with a free 14-day trial!

Sources:

Digital Signage Today, 100 Proven ROI-Driven Digital Signage Statistics, 2022