During a recent trip to a coffee chain in New York, The VAR Guy noticed new digital signage advertising a special brew of the day.

Thanks to VARs with display and content management expertise, digital signage is popping up everywhere. The global market for digital signage displays is expected to top 2.1 million units in 2010, up from 500,000 units last year, predicts iSuppli. Several vertical markets, including large hotel chains, medical offices and restaurants are deploying digital signs. The deployments typically include large LCD or Plasma screens, an integrated media player and a centralized digital content server, notes Dan Woodward, product manager for digital signage at ViewSonic.

Management software rotates the content and ensures key messages appear at the appropriate times on the displays. A hotel lobby, for instance, can display meeting room schedules. And global companies can promote product specials by region. A national coffee cafe chain, for instance, could advertise a hot brew in Vermont and an iced brew in Florida on its digital signage, notes Woodward.

Want to get started? In addition to investigating ViewSonic, check out emerging content management systems and media players from Cisco Systems. ViewSonic and Cisco, by the way, continue to partner in this market.