What Are The Most Important Features To Look For When Evaluating Interactive Displays?

What Are The Most Important Features To Look For When Evaluating Interactive Displays?

Interactive displays are a proven tool in driving engagement, collaboration, and learning. They’re growing in popularity, too, according to a 2020 study by Futuresource Consulting. It projected a 30 percent increase in classroom interactive displays by the end of 2022, and with many schools turning to hybrid instruction, interactivity will only become more important as time marches on. Futuresource also reported that 20% of corporate spending that was once used for conference rooms is now being spent on collaborative technologies, including interactive displays.More schools and businesses than ever are considering the value of interactive displays. What features, though, should they be considering? There’s a lot, but five of the most important include:

• Hardware quality
• Controllability
• Supporting software
• Connectivity
• Security

At the minimum, your interactive display should score well on the above.

High Quality Displays Are Made With High Quality Hardware

Modern interactive displays are built with LED screens, as LEDs are unmatched in lifespan, energy efficiency and performance. Ideally, that screen will output 4K resolution for optimal image quality so people who aren’t as close to the display can still see clearly. There’s also value in a screen that’s shielded from damage. Displays made for the classroom, for example, are typically made with an additional layer of safety glass that’s perfect for active classrooms.Interactive displays are a valuable tool in conjunction with video conferencing, and some models come with a microphone built-in. This means during a conferencing session, users can work and conference simultaneously at the display without dealing with additional hardware.

Precision Control Maximizes Productivity And Minimizes Frustration

If a technology’s primary selling point is its interactivity, then it better offer precision controls. For interactive displays, that means a screen that can recognize handwriting and reproduce it accurately. It also means a screen that can differentiate between pressure levels and different forms of contact. This is a bigger deal than it seems. If a user can draw with their finger and erase with their palm, they don’t have to change tools back and forth. This saves a lot of time and prevents train-of-thought-derailing interruptions.Multi-point touch is another feature of leading interactive displays, and one to target. Some displays allow for 10 or more simultaneous points of touch, so multiple people can use the screen at once. That’s handy for times when students are working together to brainstorm and problem solve at the display, as well as gesture control like pinch to zoom in and out.

The Best Interactive Displays Are Backed By Excellent Software

Leading display manufacturers include software so users can get the most from their system right away. A strong software package can make a huge difference in a display’s value, so look for the following:

• Modern whiteboarding software - At the minimum, your interactive display should come with a regularly updated, intuitive whiteboarding program. The best whiteboarding software is versatile in application in that it’s appropriate for both corporate and educational use. Even better, if your whiteboarding software links to cloud drives or to a browser, you can bring in media resources to enhance presentations.
• Lesson building software - Educators spend a lot of time making lessons and can save a lot of time with lesson building software. In minutes, teachers can piece together visually focused lectures and exercises in any subject, with any content. Once done, store those lessons for future use and share them with other educators.
• A software portal for more solutions - Good software is a start, but what if your teachers could download additional applications and resources for their lessons? Some display manufacturers also maintain their own educational ecosystems. Inside, educators can search for, download and share free applications that can be used for better lesson making.
• Digital Signage – Clevertouch panels come with a built in digital signage app that includes web based solutions for creation and pushing content to the screen.

Prioritize Connectivity For Added Convenience And Versatility

Before long, your teachers or teams will need to connect additional devices to the interactive display. Enhanced connectivity is a valuable feature, and leading manufacturers focus on it. For instance, Clevertouch produces a dongle-like accessory (Clevershare) that can facilitate connections between the interactive display and other devices. Users need only port the Clevershare dongle to their device, press the button on the dongle and follow on-screen instructions to connect to the display. At this point, users can share their device’s screen and present from where they are sitting.In most cases this will be enough, but for those times where a physical connection is required, it’s a good idea to factor in available ports. USB, DisplayPort and HDMI are common options and work with a variety of devices.

Strong Security Is Another Must-have For Active Classrooms And Offices

As effective as interactive displays are, you don’t want them being used without authorization. To ensure that, you’ll need a display that comes with reliable security features. That starts with proper user authentication, and to accomplish this, some manufacturers build their displays with NFC scanners. Authorized users carry an NFC-enabled card on them and scan it when they want to use the display. Their preferred user settings are automatically configured for the display upon scanning.In addition, your interactive displays should disable exploitable features for certain user groups, like access to display settings or app marketplaces. They should also run on or off the network, make it easy to wipe session data, and allow authorized users to set a passcode to access the display. In concert, these features will make it much more difficult to tamper with the system.

AV Integrators Are Experts In Interactive Display Technology

There are several reputable display brands to choose from, and each of them have a diverse product portfolio to sort through. Even if you know what you’re looking for, it can be time consuming to track down the perfect display solution.This is where an AV integrator can step in and expedite the process. AV integrators can provide hands-on time with different interactive displays so you can target the features users will need and make an informed decision. Once that decision is made, an integrator can procure, install, configure, and maintain the displays.Interactive displays can transform how your teachers, students or professional teams communicate and perform. They’re also quick to integrate, making them one of the most cost-effective AV solutions available.