According to the latest Futuresource Flat Panel Market Update Report, interactive flat panel displays (IFPDs) have experienced significant market growth in 2016. The 86-page report examines the current state of the interactive display market across 67 countries, exploring market segmentation, drivers and barriers as well as detailed 5-year forecasts.
- 68% of all interactive display sales were IFPDs by Q4.
- The CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) is 59% from 2013 to 2016 with growth being forecasted to continue.
- Although the original technology, the interactive white board (IWB), is in decline, combined the two technologies, (IFPDs and IWBs) contributed to 1.6 million displays in 2016.
- The U.S. had a 24 percent annual volume growth.
- Value grew by 36 percent with rapid transition to larger size IFPSs.
- Half of all sales are now sizes greater than 70 inches.
- Over two-thirds of U.S. classrooms now have an interactive display and the level of growth is forecast to continue.
Previously, This market was dominated by suppliers who had originally developed their products to service education markets, designed for teacher’s daily use. To date, uptake of interactive displays in the corporate sector has been limited. IFPDs are viewed as over-engineered for corporate markets, where users are much less likely to use the technology regularly, so need increased simplicity. With an almost untapped market of 32 million corporate meeting rooms globally and well under one million displays installed to date, the opportunity is significant.
Microsoft, Google and Cisco are leveraging their existing infrastructure and collaboration solutions, to bring a completely new value proposition to market. The new entrants are promoting simple ‘all-in-one’ meeting room solutions. They can easily create, using touch-interactivity, share content amongst attendees (both remotely and in-room) and call via voice or video. Embedded cameras, speakers and sophisticated microphones encourage a high quality interaction as well as easy set-up and continuous workflow. These displays have innovative features such as automatic switch-on when someone approaches or one-touch switch-on. The corporate market is expected to reach 500,000 annual sales by 2021.
