Digital signage keeps improving, and the opportunities keep growing! This week, LG's Mike Stachura is back with dvLED expert Frank Mantz to discuss the current market and what next-gen displays mean for VARs and their customers. What did they geek out about at InfoComm? Why is dvLED outpacing LCD growth? How can VARs ensure they choose the right displays for their customers? What tips do they have for combatting consumer displays? What are drop-servicing and resi-mercial?

Around the Nation: Improve your Solutions Selling mentality at BlueStar Academy!

#VARValue - What’s next for LG and the DS market? Any final pro tips for VARs trying to grow their business?

On Our Radar

Mike - Air fryers and the World Cup technologies

Frank - Augmented reality

Dean - Is all water pee?

John - Playing the original Final Fantasy

Keep in Touch!

Email – nation@bluestarinc.com

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star

Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe

Sponsored by:

LG Direct View LED Signage

Elo Backpack with Intel

Last week, we learned why healthcare leaders are struggling to move tech adoption beyond the pilot stage. This week, we find out how they are tackling, like most industries, the "AI conversation." Ambient Clinical Analytics CEO Brian Tufts joins the pod to discuss how the demands of patient care and the need to do more with data analysis are creating opportunities not only for VARs but also for reshaping the industry landscape. Where do advanced tools fit into workflows? How do we demonstrate ROI? What questions and conversations open the door to strong partnerships?

Learn about Ambient's sepsis prevention tools and the crisis facing clinicians: https://info.appwaresolutions.com/exec_gd_sepsis_compliance_beyond_detection

Around the Nation: Meet BlueStar at InfoComm 2026! Booth C5019 - use code BLU336 for a free exhibit hall pass!

#VARValue - How is Ambient helping VARs find new business opportunities in healthcare? How does the healthcare technology conversation differ from other industries?

On Our Radar

Brian - Oura ring, WHOOP, and other wearables

Dean - Harvard is making A's harder to achieve

John - Hidden moons around Uranus

Keep in Touch!

Email – nation@bluestarinc.com

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star

Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe

Sponsored by:

Elo Pay M100

A recent survey of 100 hospital execs reveals that tech adoption often stalls after successful pilots and even when there is staff/IT buy-in. Why? Honeywell's Will Mobley joins to answer that question. How can VARs provide the right support to scale solutions? What are the top concerns healthcare leaders need solutions and partners to address? Where are workflow bottlenecks slowing down care or forcing clinicians to revert to manual practices? It's the episode that's watched too many Noah Wyle medical dramas.

Thanks to Honeywell for sponsoring this important Healthcare Survey!

Around the Nation: Vote for the RSPA Vendor Awards of Excellence by June 5th!

#VARValue - How is Honeywell tackling some of the findings, challenges, and opportunities we’ve discussed? How can VARs use this data to grow their healthcare business?

On Our Radar

Will - College football playoffs and conference realignments

Dean - Ranking the NFL logos

John - Your name in Landsat

Keep in Touch!

Email – nation@bluestarinc.com

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star

Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe

Sponsored by:

Honeywell Xenon Ultra 1962h Cordless Handheld Scanner

Elo Non-Touch Monitors

We're back with some interesting topics, surveys, data, lists, and discussions for your next watercooler chat, video call, or lunch meeting.

This week's topics:

• NASA's lunar base plans
• The world's most visited websites
• The hardest-working US cities
• Highest-grossing films of all time
• Gen Z is going to the mall...
• ...and wants to live in the past
• How much does it cost to raise a kid?
• UK banning cigarette sales

Around the Nation: Check out Dean on the RSPA Trusted Advisor Podcast, discussing the latest KPI Study

On Our Radar

Dean - Pirates sign 19-year-old Konnor Griffin John - Improving local weather forecasts

Keep in Touch!

Email – nation@bluestarinc.com LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star/ Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter: https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe

Sponsored by:

Elo vs. Legacy Hardware

No VAR can do it all, but that's kind of the point of the reseller channel: connecting manufacturers, distributors, resellers, software companies, and service providers to one another to help everyone provide solutions that meet customer needs. This week, Esper Founder & COO Shiv Sundar joins to explain how he saw a need to help resellers not just sell hardware, but ensure it was actually used and delivered ROI to the end users. How does an outcome-focused philosophy accomplish this? What makes strong channel partners, and how can Esper help you win more business?

Around the Nation: Join the 2U Tour in Austin or a city near you!

#VARValue - Why is Esper the perfect partner for VARs that sell mobility and digital signage?

On Our Radar

Shiv - Edge AI & physical AI

Dean - Friction-maxxing

John - VR scents

Keep in Touch!

Email – nation@bluestarinc.com

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star

Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe

Sponsored by:

Esper Device Management

Elo Backpack

Deploying RFID solutions is not as simple as slapping some tags on what you want to track and letting readers do their thing. While RFID is more popular than ever, it's critical to foster a strong, experienced partner network if you don't have that expertise in-house. This week, Atlas RFID's Steven Wood & Tim Prybl join the pod to address issues and assumptions they've seen sink an opportunity. What critical questions should you be asking? How can you set expectations for an RFID solution? When should you bring in an outside partner, and what do they need from you? It's the episode that wants to complete your pie!

Around the Nation: Watch new episodes of ISVs on Tap!

#VARValue - How does Atlas help VARs grow their RFID business and expand their offerings with their Professional Services and the Avancir software application?

On Our Radar

Steven - Embedded RAIN RFID

Tim - Passive Bluetooth

Dean - United Airlines' "Relax Row"

John - Bluesky's AI assistant

Keep in Touch!

Email – nation@bluestarinc.com

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star

Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe

Sponsored by:

Elo I-Series 5

While our show is typically aimed at resellers, MSPs, integrators, and software providers already working in the channel, this one is for the vendors just getting started or looking to develop a channel strategy!

You're a hardware manufacturer, software vendor, or services provider, and you've just signed up with the reseller channel. Your work is done, and skyrocketing profits will roll in any day now, right? Not exactly... Intel's Rob Risany explains the misconceptions vendors often have about the channel and their role within it. How should your sales team realign and rethink? What matters to VARs and their customers? Why do partnerships and outcomes-based solutions matter more than specs and speeds? How do BlueStar & Intel work together to foster channel enablement?

BlueStar's TEConnect Program: https://teconnect.bluestarinc.com/ Demand Lab Marketing Services: https://www.bluestarinc.com/en-us/programs/demand-lab-marketing-services

Brick-and-mortar consumers eventually find their way to a point of purchase, but are retailers utilizing that captive audience for more than just transactions and awkward upsell attempts? This week, PamiTV's Kevin Brown joins to explain the psychology behind installing dynamic displays at the POS. How does it help stores and the brands they sell? Why does it enable retail to incorporate e-commerce in-store? What hardware/software enables this solution? After listening to this episode, you're only four away from a free podcast!

Around the Nation: Find a 2U Tour stop near you!!

#VARValue - How does PamiTV help VARs provide a competitive edge to their customers and themselves?

On Our Radar

Kevin - AI call screening

Dean - Logan Paul Pokemon card & the Yuka app

John - Baseball's ABS challenge system

Keep in Touch!

Email – nation@bluestarinc.com

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star

Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe

Sponsored by:

Elo Non-Touch Displays