- Chronicling the year's events and standings is an important exercise especially as the next year is fast approaching. What better time is there to look around, see what has been accomplished and determine what the priorities are for the future? At the same time, it's a good chance to review what there is to avoid in the future.
- That's why December is the right month for the exclusive SCN annual Top 50 Systems Integrators chart. This is where the best and brightest in the integration industry are ranked and recognized. The record from year to year serves as a great way to gauge the industry based on differences in geography, services offered, or product lines. A spot on the chart serves as a badge of distinction for an integrator. The chart as a whole serves as a great resource to see where a company ranks year after year. Also, it doesn't hurt to check out the new competition coming up.
- Only SCN conducts this informal study. As we've been established as the magazine for the business side of systems integration, we strive to learn from the integrators we write about and share those insights with the industry.
- Digital signage is a huge and important part of the industry. This month we cover it from a few different angles. Once the flash of lumens and pixels from the hardware wears off, it is clear that content is king. On page 36 Alan C. Brawn discusses a few software options to keep content organized, tracked, and networked in order to keep the high-definition displays working to their maximum potential and profitability.
- As Michael Heiss points out on page 40, there's no wrong way to look at digital signage. At Taiwan's National Museum of History, the content to be deployed on public digital signage can be accessed by a visitor's cell phone-so that more relevant information can be chosen for an individual and referred to easily.
- Looking forward to 2007, there's every indication that business will continue to boom and integrators will stay busy. New projects abound as do resources for training the skilled staff necessary to do them.
