Five Key Takeaways From ISE 2025

Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) in Barcelona was certainly something special this year, coinciding with the launch of our Xibo for ChromeOS player. We had the chance to both gain all the latest industry insights and showcase our new digital signage solution to many of you who attended.

In this article, we delve into our perspective on this year’s event, with a view to what we can expect in 2025 for all things digital signage. Let’s get into it!

1. Cybersecurity A Hot Topic

A topic that is becoming more relevant by the day in the context of increasingly sophisticated cyber threats (AI, chiefly), cybersecurity has never been more important. So it’s no surprise that it featured front and centre in many discussions, forming one of five track themes. Speakers and panelists reiterated the need to implement robust frameworks and obtain relevant certifications to protect networks from potential threats. Cybersecurity is integral here at Xibo, built-in from the beginning into our CMS and forming a key part of our operations. With secure architecture, cloud hosting, and certified data centres, you can be sure your content remains free from interference.

2. Green Signage Still Just As Relevant

While green signage took somewhat of a backseat at this year’s ISE, it’s clear that considerations are still being made to ensure reduced environmental impacts and alignment with corporate social responsibility goals. Among the usual talk of energy-efficient displays and recyclable materials we noticed a particular focus on hardware durability. Remote device management (RDM) appears to play a key part in this, extending devices’ lifespan, reducing E-waste and cutting carbon emissions. Our partnership with Sony for example allows businesses to deploy, scale, and manage their entire signage network remotely, removing the need for technical teams to travel onsite for issue resolution.

Repurposing existing devices meanwhile, such as with ChromeOS Flex, will also be essential to meeting sustainability targets.

3. Artificial Intelligence: Even More Applications

As you’d expect, AI made its appearance at this year’s event, but the number of interesting applications was impressive. From dynamic content generation to agentic AI, it’s clear that there is a new wave underway that will revolutionise many industries, particularly DOOH and retail. The Digital Signage Summit hosted by Invidis shed light on the next AI applications in virtual shopping assistants and interactive brand ambassadors, revolutionising customer engagement and the in-store experience. We’ll certainly be keeping an eye on these trends throughout 2025.

4. Market Growth: Mergers and Acquisitions

The digital signage industry is experiencing unprecedented growth, underscored by ISE’s record-breaking attendance: over 85,000 visitors from 168 countries (a 15% increase on last year). By 2026, the digital signage sector is expected to reach a value of $44.7 billion. This in the context of several major mergers and acquisitions, including T-Mobile’s acquisition of Vistar Media, a leading SSP. All of this points to a positive outlook for all things digital signage, making it the perfect time to invest in a digital signage solution.

5. Interactivity Changing the Retail Game

The ways in which consumers can interact with a brand are continuing to grow thanks to developments in AR/VR technology. Many of these innovations were on display for us to test around the show floor. The potential of retail digital signage is enormous, with touchscreens, gesture recognition, and augmented reality all set to transform in-store immersive experiences. It is easy to see why retail is considered a leading vertical market driver of innovation. Our CMS packed with powerful interactive features is exactly what you need to make the most of this new form of experiential marketing.

Conclusion

This year’s event clearly had no shortage of innovation, with sustainability, AI, interactivity, and cybersecurity as the themes to watch this upcoming year. For our part, we’ll continue to share the latest stories and developments across the digital signage world to keep you at the cutting edge. Stay tuned for more!

Sources:

ISE, ISE 2025 reaches new heights, 2025
AVIXA, Digital Signage: The Future Is Bright, 2022