Device Management Becomes the New Backbone of Digital Signage
Digital signage device management is the practice of centrally monitoring, configuring, updating, and automating large distributed fleets of media players and AV devices to keep content, performance, security, and uptime under reliable control across an entire network. As more organizations depend on digital signage for customer communication, operations, and in-venue experiences, this layer has shifted from “nice-to-have” to mission-critical infrastructure. AV and IT teams now manage thousands of connected endpoints in retail, workplaces, and public spaces, where unplanned downtime and outdated content carry real business risk. At InfoComm, that pressure is on full display as vendors highlight advanced device management solutions, digital signage control platforms, and AV automation tools designed for large-scale network management. The result is a clear industry message: software and services now define the value of digital signage as much as the screens themselves.
BrightSign Control Plus: Premium Oversight for Enterprise Signage Fleets
BrightSign is expanding its device management solution with BrightSign Control Plus, a paid, cloud-based premium tier that builds on its existing BrightSign Control platform. Aimed at IT managers, multisite operators, and system integrators, Control Plus gives users a single dashboard to scale, configure, monitor, update, and schedule actions across fleets of BrightSign OS-powered players. BrightSign says the new tier focuses on deeper visibility and control for large, geographically dispersed deployments, with features such as version consistency via centralized updates, grouping of devices by location, and bulk remote reboots and reconfiguration to cut service time and travel. The company also highlights AI-powered help for diagnostics and system navigation inside the platform. Meanwhile, the standard BrightSign Control remains free with every media player, underscoring that remote digital signage control is now a baseline expectation even before customers upgrade to advanced capabilities.
From Hardware Vendor to Service Platform: BrightSign’s Software Pivot
Alongside the premium tier, BrightSign is reorganizing its software under a cleaner, service-first brand architecture, signaling a broader move toward service-as-software models. bsn.Control is now BrightSign Control, brightAuthor:connected becomes BrightSign Author, and bsn.Content is renamed BrightSign Author Plus, unifying the portfolio under the BrightSign banner. This consolidation aligns with the company’s vertically integrated stack of hardware, operating system, and now a more prominent management and content layer. According to BrightSign CEO Steve Durkee, the aim is to give customers “unparalleled choice of intelligent digital signage, built-in form factors, and new subscription services” while keeping enterprise-grade performance, reliability, security, and scalability at the core. With its BrightSign Built-In partner ecosystem and AI-ready signage applications on display at InfoComm, the company is positioning device management as the front door into its wider range of software-driven services.
Xyte Pushes Automation with CLI and Workflow-Driven Device Control
While BrightSign focuses on digital signage control for its players, Xyte is targeting broader AV automation tools and large-scale network management with new software capabilities. The company has introduced expanded Workflows and Automations alongside Xyte CLI, a command-line tool designed as a shared foundation for enterprise teams and AI agents that operate connected device fleets. With Xyte CLI, teams can automate tasks such as pulling firmware versions across all devices and comparing them to the latest releases to flag outdated units, reducing manual checks. A built-in Skills Bootstrap can be installed with one command, giving AI agents predefined operational instructions without custom integrations, while sensitive actions still require human confirmation to ensure governance and auditability. Xyte’s Workflows let IT and managed service providers schedule recurring operations like daily power cycles, firmware upgrades, and input resets across multiple rooms and sites from a central dashboard.
Service-as-Software and the Future of Large-Scale AV Operations
Together, BrightSign, Xyte, and other management vendors such as Utelogy point toward a future where AV environments are run like modern software platforms. Remote device management is now standard: display makers embed their own tools, third-party platforms are pre-installed on screens, and vendor-agnostic layers promise cross-hardware oversight. For enterprise teams, the priority is clear: pick a device management solution that can handle large-scale network management, align with existing IT processes, and support automation while keeping control and accountability. Platforms such as BrightSign Control Plus focus on tightly integrated digital signage fleets, while Xyte’s workflows and CLI target mixed-device environments and AI-driven operations. As organizations scale out thousands of connected endpoints, these AV automation tools are no longer peripheral—they are the systems that keep content flowing, power usage optimized, and service teams focused on strategy instead of manual upkeep.
