Gartner uses an ingenious metric to measure the time from which an idea is created up until the time the technology is adapted (finds practical application) and gains widespread adoption. This metric is aptly referred to as the Gartner Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies. It is released every year, and it uses a graph to illustrate how quickly technological innovations have the potential to redefine buyer, supplier and customer relationships for any business.
Gartner goes ahead to identify immersive technological innovations, the perceptual smart machine age and the evolution of Platform as a Service, PaaS, as the three pillars and trends that will go a long way in shaping existent business models and reshaping markets and ecosystems. The Hype Cycle consists of 5 distinct stages of the evolution of technology to widespread adoption. It gives an indication, based on predictive statistics, on how successful a technology will be in a decade or so, tracking its progress as it evolves.
Hype Cycle
The Hype Cycle graph is composed of the following five stages; The innovation trigger- this is the point at which technology is invented, so to speak, where the curve moves steeply upwards. The Peak of Inflated Expectations- This is the point at which the technology has reached the point where the curve levels out as people become acutely aware of that particular piece of technology. The Trough of Disillusionment – The bottom of the curve, where developers start figuring out how to make practical use of the technology.
The Slope of Enlightenment- At this point, the developers begin finding useful practical applications of the technology, and they start experimenting with this technology. Finally, The Plateau of Productivity- It is at this point where the actual applications of the technology have reached maturity and can now enjoy widespread adoption by the masses. The Platform as a Service, PaaS technology of Digital Signage has now fully staked its claim at the Plateau of Productivity.Technology Has Come Of Age
Digital Signage has finally come of age, and it is ready to be adopted across a range of enterprises, and Schools are no exception to this. School Digital Signage has reached the point where it is no longer a novelty but necessary for any forward-looking learning institution as it has the potential of revolutionizing how schools go about engaging in institutional communications and messaging. Finally, the future is here.
Here are a few of the compelling reasons why the time has come for your school to adopt digital signage;
- Safety – There is no denying it, the school environment has become increasingly unsafe as time goes on. What with the threat of terror and the ever increasing number of school shootings, a digital signage solution will sure come in handy in communicating emergency information across the entire school in real-time, complementing the drills and helping students react faster to such potential threats.
- Student Communication – This digital display signs can be used in place of the traditional bulletin boards and printed posters in schools. In the long run, this is cheaper than using paper signs, which can only be used to write one message, once before being discarded. On the contrary, on a digital board, information can be changed at will to reflect the prevailing circumstances, such as; sporting events, speakers, dinners and more, and all in real-time.
- Digital Menu Boards – This can have a broad range of practical applications in the school setting. For instance, when they are standing in line, queuing for some service or sitting down to have a meal, the digital signs can keep them engaged in information useful to their education. The menu boards could be hooked up to streaming content from the internet, streaming information that is of value to them. Additionally, during events, these same boards can be used to stream social media, from services such as Twitter, live to the audience.
- Donor Walls – For any school to enter the future boldly, it needs to have a large support base of donors who are willing to chip in at the critical moment and help the school expand its facilities. Digital signage for schools can be useful in raising funds for these self-made schools by and by showcasing the contribution of donors such as; distinguished alumni, strategic business partners and generous donors. The digital boards can be used to display these contributions interactively with information in pictorial or video form, sharing information about their gift and what their motivation was in giving those donations.
- Campus Maps – The same digital boards can also be of immense value in acting as maps and guide ways for students. They can be used to build digital directories, which will go a long way in helping out new students and visitors find their way around the school’s campus. It can be a fun interacting way of orienting the students with the school in a way that paper maps could and can never do.
Excellent Potential
The above are just but a small array of uses in which innovative school administrators could bring this technology to bear in the school environment. The possibility of these boards to transform schools is excellent, and you can be sure that once they are on board, the applications will only be limited by the imagination and creativity of the school admins and the IT teams. The upshot of using digital signage in school is the fact that it has become very cost-effective to deploy such a solution across the whole school.
doPublicity Digital Signage solutions come with a flat fee of under $400 one-off, for a lifetime of use, you receive the digital media player and access to the platform forever. In these solutions, you can deploy up to multiple displays from one account. There is no longer any excuse why your school has not joined the trend.