In-Store Digital Signage Becomes a Strategic Control Layer
In-store digital signage is the connected network of screens, audio systems, and control software that retailers use to manage content, advertising, and customer messaging across physical locations in a coordinated, data-driven way. At InfoComm, that idea is shifting from “nice-to-have” to a strategic control layer for retail media. As networks expand, retailers need retail media platforms that can combine content, advertising, and device health in one controllable environment. Large-scale signage control is now less about individual screens and more about orchestrating thousands of endpoints with consistent rules, data, and uptime. Both media platforms and hardware vendors are responding with tools that promise deeper network device management, tighter integration with existing CMS and DSP systems, and more open architectures. The result is a new phase where in-store media is treated like core IT infrastructure, not a side project owned only by marketing.
Custom Channels Bets on an Open, Vendor-Neutral Media Stack
Custom Channels is introducing its In-Store Open Media Platform as an answer to fragmented retail media stacks and closed ecosystems. The platform gives enterprise retailers and partners programmatic access to in-store audio, including music scheduling, zone control, ad insertion, proof-of-play reporting, and device management. By connecting existing CMS, DSP, or in-store digital signage platforms via API, retailers can extend licensed audio across any platform already in use, instead of replacing core systems. According to Custom Channels, the platform includes an open, vendor-neutral infrastructure that lets retailers build and own their own media networks while staying compatible with digital signage platforms, retail media technologies, and enterprise content management tools. Technology partners can even embed or white-label the platform, folding in-store media directly into their branded solutions. The emphasis on openness is designed to give retailers more control as their media strategies evolve beyond a single supplier.
Brightsign Control Plus Targets Enterprise-Scale Device Management
On the hardware and OS side, Brightsign is stepping up network device management with the new Brightsign Control Plus premium tier. Built as a paid, cloud-based layer on top of the existing Brightsign Control offering, it gives IT managers, integrators, and multi-site operators deeper visibility into distributed networks of Brightsign OS-powered players. From one central dashboard, teams can configure, monitor, update, and schedule actions across large fleets, a capability aimed squarely at large-scale signage control where downtime has direct business impact. The standard Brightsign Control, previously known as bsn.Control, remains free with every player and already supports hundreds of thousands of devices worldwide. Brightsign is also consolidating its software naming, aligning Brightsign Control, Brightsign Author, and Brightsign Author Plus into a clearer portfolio as software, services, and remote management become central to its value for enterprise deployments.
AI at the Edge and Built-In Players Raise the Stakes
Brightsign is pairing expanded control with smarter hardware, pushing AI to the edge through players equipped with a Neural Processing Unit. These devices can monitor content playback in real time, spotting issues such as incorrect aspect ratios or blank screens before they affect shoppers. This kind of automated diagnostics supports business-critical, in-store digital signage networks where human monitoring does not scale. At the same time, the Brightsign Built-In ecosystem is growing, with Sharp joining as a new partner and presenting a Sharp SDM player with Brightsign Built-In. Embedding the Brightsign OS and media player features into displays reduces reliance on external boxes while preserving centralized network device management via Brightsign Control Plus. As display manufacturers adopt built-in media capabilities, the line between screen and player blurs, but expectations for unified monitoring and control across mixed hardware environments continue to rise.
Fragmented Retail Media Tech Pushes Demand for Open Platforms
Taken together, these moves point to a common direction: retailers want control without lock-in. Custom Channels’ In-Store Open Media Platform aims to remove the need to choose a single ecosystem by integrating with existing CMS, DSP, digital signage, and on-site AV systems through APIs and an open framework. Brightsign, in contrast, is strengthening a vertically integrated stack that combines hardware, OS, AI diagnostics, and a tiered remote management platform. Both approaches respond to the same pressure: as in-store digital signage and audio become core retail media assets, retailers need dependable retail media platforms with strong network device management and clear ownership of data and workflows. New open media systems and premium control tiers are not just technical upgrades; they are an attempt to resolve years of fragmentation and give enterprises the power to design, operate, and evolve their own in-store media networks at scale.
