An advantage to being in the building automation industry forever is the ability to see technology acceptance and growth patterns repeat themselves. Many years ago, when I first grasped the concept of building-wide sound systems and understood the power they could have in a life-safety communication situation, my mind started to churn with the possibilities of the technology's application.
Later in my career, I encountered a white noise system overlaid on the building sound system to reduce cross talk in a very open, internally landscaped building. Sound systems have greatly matured and are widely accepted integral parts of almost all building automation systems. The networked digital signage industry is now poised to deliver the logical evolution to central sound: central video.