Future of Scala: “Dise Has the Reputation, Scala the Recognition”

During DSS Europe in Munich, Vertiseit signed the purchase agreement for Scala (invidis report) – acquiring the European business along with key global assets, including trademark rights and the software code base. With that, the Swedish group takes ownership of one of the most established names in digital signage: nearly 40 years of history and a partner ecosystem that has shaped the industry for decades.

Dise will keep the Scala brand

The question for many in the industry revolved around the future of Scala under new ownership. The good news – Vertiseit has no intention of folding Scala into Dise. Instead, the company is doubling down on a dual-brand strategy.

“Scala has a huge market reach and is globally the strongest brand in the industry,” says Vertiseit Group CMO Monika Lindquist. “Dise has the reputation and Scala the recognition.”

For now, both brands will coexist. Given the exceptionally short M&A process – completed in less than a month – many integration details are still being defined. But the strategic direction is already clear. Scala will return to its roots: a software-only, partner-only platform operating under the Dise umbrella.

“We will take the necessary time and consult closely with Scala partners before making final decisions,” explains Dise CEO Sebastian Kryh. “But one thing is clear: Scala will once again be a pure software platform distributed exclusively through partners.”

The message to the channel has been immediate and visible. At the upcoming Shoptalk trade fair, Dise and Scala are inviting system integrators to present jointly at their booth. As Kryh emphasizes: “It’s not about choosing a brand – people believe in behaviours.”

Rebuilding Scala: Vertiseit’s Toughest Test Yet

Back to the partner-first DNA

The move marks a deliberate shift away from the direction taken after Stratacache’s acquisition of Scala in 2016. At that time, the focus on direct sales created friction with long-standing integration partners. Vertiseit is now reversing that course – explicitly prioritizing the ecosystem.

“We will fuel Scala with Dise, and Dise with Scala,” says Kryh. The idea is to combine Scala’s global brand power with Dise’s market credibility and partner-centric culture.

While Dise has built a strong position in Northern Europe, the UK, and parts of Western Europe, it has yet to reach critical global scale. Scala, in contrast, offers one of the strongest international footprints in digital signage.

The integration is designed to create exactly that missing critical mass.

Accelerating global expansion

The timing aligns with Dise’s broader international ambitions. A year ago, Kryh relocated to the United States to accelerate expansion into North America. With Scala’s existing presence and infrastructure, that effort now gains significant momentum.

A dedicated Scala team – a mid double-digit number of experts – will work from Scala’s headquarters near Pennsylvania and Europe to bring Scala “back to the future.”

Opinion: Dise in the Footsteps of Scala – Vertiseit’s Bold Play for Global Leadership

Building Scala for a software-only future

The transition also comes with difficult decisions. As part of the integration into Vertiseit Group, Scala’s organization has been restructured to reflect its future role as a pure software company operating through partners.

That has meant reducing roles connected to hardware, direct integration and overlapping group functions, particularly in Europe. The process has been difficult, not least because Scala’s legacy has been built by people with deep knowledge, long relationships and a strong commitment to the industry.

“This is never only a structural decision. It affects people who have contributed a great deal to Scala over many years,” says Kryh. “We have deep respect for that. At the same time, we need to build an organization that is aligned with Scala’s future as a focused, partner-only software business.”

Vertiseit will honor all existing Scala system integration contracts, but the future direction is clear. Scala will no longer operate as a hardware or integration-led business. Instead, the new organization will focus on software, product development, partner enablement and global license growth.

Going forward, the “new Scala” will operate with a lean structure, with a mid-double-digit number of employees across Europe and North America.

According to Lindquist, speed and clarity are important in this phase: “At Vertiseit, we have experience integrating companies. Especially as a listed company, we need to be transparent, disciplined and clear about how we build for the future.

Winning back the ecosystem

With the structural groundwork underway, the immediate focus turns to partners. “The first priority now is to win the hearts and minds of Scala’s partners,” says Kryh.

Initial feedback from the channel appears positive. Many partners – and much of the industry – have welcomed the acquisition, describing it as “a breath of fresh air” and expressing confidence that Vertiseit is the right owner to revitalize the brand.

Still, there is uncertainty, and Vertiseit is addressing it head-on, as Kryh emphazises: “We are here to support existing partners and want to address any understandable uncertainties.”

A key initiative is simplification – starting with pricing. “We are starting to drastically simplify the Scala price list,” he adds. Eventually the goal is to make it easier for partners to transition toward recurring SaaS models.

Large-scale partner engagement is already underway. Numerous meetings are scheduled at Infocomm in Las Vegas next week, where the team will continue to communicate their vision.

Outlook: Scale through software and licenses

While many details still need to be refined, the overarching ambition is firmly defined. “We want to be a global player in terms of the number of licenses,” says Kryh. “The acquisition of Scala is a major step toward that goal.”

In other words: Vertiseit is not just acquiring a legacy brand – it is betting on Scala as a cornerstone for global scale. The strategy revolve around three main topics: a partner-only approach, a software-first business model, and a dual-brand positioning that leverages both trust and recognition.

If successful, Scala could re-emerge not just as a historic name – but as a central platform in the next phase of the digital signage industry.