Samsung has been the world’s top display and signage company for more than seven years now, thanks to its strong lineup of leading displays and content management software. Starting in 2009 when Samsung Signage took 12.6 percent of the world market, the company has continued growing, reaching a record 28.1 percent last year.

Let’s take a look at some of the biggest innovations and most popular products Samsung has released since becoming the market leader in 2009.

2009

7.3mm slim-bezel video wall

Video walls can be a great way to command customer attention, grouping together a series of screens to make a big display. And with the slimmer bezel—just 7.3 mm separating two screens when they are tiled together—Samsung improved the effect, so people can focus their attention on the screens, not the device and its edges.

2010

First LCD e-Board display

Samsung’s e-Board displays turned signage smart, adding a touch-screen element to the high-quality screens so consumers can directly interact with content. Using the MagicIWB software package, companies gained the ability to create dynamic programming and even write content directly onto the screen.

2011

Launched 40-inch multi-touch display table

Together with Microsoft, Samsung released the SUR40, a 40-inch multi-touch screen table display. This innovative and unconventional display won Samsung a Best of What’s New award from the influential magazine Popular Science. These panels were able to detect more than 50 touch points simultaneously, giving them unprecedented levels of functionality.

2012

Debut of transparent LCD displays

Transparent displays were a major breakthrough, especially for retail, where the technology promised to combine the engagement of regular signage with the ability to show real-world, physical items. Available in 22 inches and 46 inches, transparent LCD displays weren’t just futuristic—they were a whole new way for retailers to interact with the public.

75-inch e-LED signage, the world’s largest

The e in e-LED standing for eco-friendly, Samsung introduced LED Back Light Unit (BLU) technology to signage solutions. LED signage saved energy—up to 40% compared to conventional LCD-based solutions. These LED panels were also halogen- and mercury-free, which enabled users to help conserve our planet’s natural resources and reduce carbon emissions.

2013

Samsung SMART Signage Platform (SSSP)

Powered by a System on a Chip (SOC) semiconductor, the Samsung SMART Signage Platform (SSSP) was a major leap forward for the display industry. The open-source, all-in-one platform eliminates the need for an external player, letting businesses manage their displays and create content with a system that’s intuitive, convenient and low-cost.

3.5 mm narrow-bezel video wall

Not content with its previous 7.3 mm bezel displays, Samsung continued to refine and improve its screens until the bezel was reduced to 3.5mm. Now, video walls could made even better, with the space between displays continuing to shrink.

Samsung tops 50% of U.S. signage market

Samsung passed a major milestone in 2013, as its share of the signage market in the United States grew past 50 percent.

2014

ME95C SMART signage called ‘Most Innovative’

InAVate magazine named Samsung’s ME95C SMART Signage the Most Innovated Display at the 2014 InAVation Awards. In a world where size matters, the ME95C offered an attention-grabbing 95” display with an excellent full high-definition (FHD) resolution while the edge-lit LED technology allowed for a lightweight form factor that took up minimal space.

SSTV expands retail possibilities

Samsung SMART Signage TV (SSTV) was designed to bring high quality TV options to small businesses. Coming in 40 inches and 48 inches, SSTV combined the informational and promotional benefits of digital display by sharing various customized in-store promotions and business content, along with the entertainment value of live TV for business customers – all at the same time.

4 times the resolution in 85-inch UHD displays

With the introduction of UHD displays, Samsung brought four times the resolution of regular HD displays into its crystal-clear, 85-inch models, helping businesses make their displays more impactful and eye-catching than ever. Samsung QMD Series SMART Signage displays offered UHD resolution on a commercial-grade glossy panel that can be operated reliably for up to 16 hours/day, 7 days/week.

2015

Introduction the Samsung Safety Truck

By placing cameras on the front of a truck and four large monitors on the back, drivers following large trucks would able to see the road ahead, greatly improving safety. This concept won Samsung eight prizes at the 2015 Clio Awards and also seven Cannes Lions in 2015 including the Titanium Lion in the Titanium and Integrated category.

OH46D, OH55D – Brighter and more durable than ever

These new displays brought incredibly brightness—3,000 nit—making them ideal for outdoor usage, clearly visible even on bright, sunny days. They are also rugged, able to operate in temperatures ranging from -30 degrees Celsius to 50 degrees Celsius.

Samsung acquires YESCO Electronics

The acquisition of the U.S. display manufacturer YESCO Electronics added to Samsung’s capacity in the LED signage market, boosting its ability to supply displays for large outdoor venues, like sporting stadiums.

2016

Transparent OLED video wall at the BMW Driving Center

Transparent display technology has continued to advance since Samsung introduced its transparent LCD solutions in 2012. But now, at the BMW Driving Center in Korea, six 55-inch transparent OLED displays have been put together to present information and special features to customers in a unique manner.

Even smaller bezels – just 1.6 mm

The latest UHF-E (Extreme Narrow Bezel) video wall has bezels that are just 0.9~1.05 mm on the upper and left sides, and 0.5mm on the lower and right sides. From 7.4mm in 2009 to 3.5mm in 2013 to 1.6~1.7mm in 2016, Samsung further improved its narrow bezel technology to allow business customers can keep audiences focused on rich visual content rather than on the display itself.

OHD series named AV Display Innovation of the Year

Samsung’s innovative OHD series of SMART Signage was recognized for their robustness and brightness—as well as better content management systems than ever—winning the AV Display Innovation of the Year award in 2016 from AV News.

The world’s largest LED baseball scoreboard

The scoreboard at the SK Wyverns Munhak Baseball Stadium in Incheon, Korea, recently installed a new scoreboard—a mammoth 64-meter by 18-meter LED scoreboard built by Samsung. More than just a giant screen, Samsung is also providing the installation, operating systems, and maintenance, showing off its extensive capacity when it comes to commercial signage.

Innovative mirror displays come to Leekaja Hair Salon

Using the Samsung 55-inch mirror display, the Leekaja Hairbis hair salon in Seoul is providing a unique styling option for customers. In the first commercial installation of mirror displays, customers can look at their reflection, but seen with a variety of hairstyles and looks, so they can better understand their styling options.

Many of the most popular and most advanced digital signs in the world are made by Samsung Electronics. These signs operate on the Samsung Smart Signage Platform (SSSP), an integrated media player system, and use the MagicINFO software to manage the content. SSSP displays can be found around the world in locations where businesses need to communicate quickly and effectively with customers, including sports stadiums, restaurants and retail outlets.. In fact, Samsung has been the global market leader in digital signage for seven years.

Both systems recently have added new upgrades, making them more powerful, versatile and easier to use. Now,  retailers and commercial operators can create impactful, exciting content easily, giving them the tools they need to best engage with their customers.

New SSSP 3.0 expands possibilities

SSSP, the open-source, all-in-one platform for managing display hardware, eliminates the need for an external player with its system-on-chip media player, for a display system that’s intuitive, convenient and low-cost. The content management system is streamlined and easy to control, with content creation tools that are simple to understand and comprehensive.

With the third generation of SSSP, the system is now more useful than ever, thanks to a powerful Quad Core processor and 8GB of storage. The result is enhanced efficiency, higher-resolution content and lowered costs, all using the latest in display technology.

New effects mean better engagement with customers

Signage is only effective if it draws people’s attention, and these days there are more media sources vying to get noticed. This heavy competition makes it more important for signs to stand out and engage customers. The best way to do so is through dynamic, moving content.

The most noticeable change to the MagicINFO 3 platform is the addition of more than 20 dynamic transitions and effects, including 3D, Fade, Zoom, Reveal and Fly-on. These can turn a shop’s signage into a movement-filled, enticing media experience that captures the public’s attention. Thanks to an intuitive and convenient User Experience (UX), these dynamic effects are easy to add.

To highlight information and help content stand out, MagicINFO 3 also has introduced decorative stickers. Stamps and stickers offer a variety of eye-catching labels for advertising sales, highlighting content and maximizing effects. Users can select their desired sticker, then drag and drop it into their content.

An array of new fonts also has been added to MagicINFO 3. Instead of just one font, users can conveniently access six embedded fonts in 23 styles within the Author area. This structure also makes it easy to load more fonts from outside sources, and add them to the authoring tools.

In addition, MagicINFO 3 has added a weather widget that can be dragged and dropped into any sign. Customers frequently turn to signage for weather updates, and this widget allows a user to choose to display hourly, daily or weekly forecasts.

Change your perspective with Pivot PIP

Signs often are installed vertically in “portrait” mode so they can be read like a magazine or newspaper. However, sometimes a store has content that it wants to display horizontally, in “landscape” mode. In the past, this alignment would require users to reinstall the frames and turn them on their side.

With the SSSP’s Pivot PIP (picture-in-picture) functionality, the portrait screen can be divided into three smaller screens, each now in landscape mode. The new screens are still in excellent resolution (up to 1080×720 pixels), and each sub-screen supports videos, slideshows and text.

New DataModule links databases to screens, faster and easier

Even with simple, intuitive UX of MagicINFO 3, signage operators still have to supply a lot of data—images, prices, numbers, times and more. This requires detailed database management.  Fortunately, MagicINFO 3 can help here, too, with the introduction of DataModule.

DataModule is a simpler and free version of the DataLink platform, which used to be the main way to handle data and connect MagicINFO with the display data. It’s an easy-to-use way of converting MySQL data into text and images for a sign—for example, turning a restaurant’s database into a full, colorful menu or adding a “sold out” notice for any good that is out of stock.

Backup Play protects your displays

Backup Play is another useful new feature for networks running a variety of signage. In any network, certain displays take priority and must remain running at all times, whereas others are helpful but not as essential. For example, restaurants will likely say that keeping a menu visible is more important than having a promotional item visible.

With Backup Play, stores no longer have to worry about losing their most important display while less important signs continue to run. The Backup Play feature automatically moves the primary content to the secondary display should the initial screen become unavailable, ensuring key information continues to run without a hitch.

MagicINFO Server becomes more useful than ever

The MagicINFO Server conveniently connects all Samsung Smart Signage so businesses can control and monitor their displays remotely. Outdoor displays, e-Boards, SYNC, small signage and video walls all can be managed simply using a web browser and IP address, giving operators the ability to use it on the go.

A commitment to signage innovation

With all these improvements to SSSP and MagicINFO, Samsung has once again shown how it is differentiating itself from other companies through its focus on advancing the core software of signage. Together, these two signage systems give retailers and other businesses the unprecedented ability to engage dynamically with consumers, using easy-to-understand but powerful software. Samsung Electronics will continue to improve these solutions, adding more cutting-edge technologies and innovations to enrich the communications between consumers and retailers.