Rear projection has underpinned control-room visualisation for more than twenty years, but that era is drawing to a close. As most manufacturers discontinue the technology, security teams, integrators and public-sector operators are having to reassess how their 24/7 environments are built and maintained. The timing is significant. Many organisations are already upgrading their command-and-control capabilities, driven by resilience targets and the growing overlap between cyber and physical security. With SOCs expanding and data volumes increasing, LED has moved from a specialist option to the natural successor for mission-critical displays.
To understand what this shift really means for those responsible for continuous monitoring, we spoke to Luis Garrido, Executive Director at Alfalite, about the implications that extend well beyond the choice of display technology.
By Luis Garrido, Executive Director, Alfalite
For decades, control rooms have served as the silent nerve centres of modern infrastructure. From security command posts and energy grids to transportation hubs, defence operations and Security Operations Centres, these spaces sustain the constant flow of information that keeps essential systems running. Inside them, teams monitor data, react to alerts and coordinate decisions that cannot fail. In such environments, the reliability and clarity of the visual systems operators depend on are indispensable.
Traditional setups relied on rear-projection cubes or tiled LCD walls. They served their purpose but came with constraints: bezels that broke up information, drifting colour and brightness, and maintenance cycles that demanded regular recalibration. With rear projection now being phased out, the industry finds itself at a turning point. LED technology, once seen primarily in broadcast or live events, is emerging as the new standard for critical visualisation.
The reasons for this shift go far beyond image quality. Control rooms and SOCs demand displays that can run continuously under strict reliability conditions. Modern LED panels provide uninterrupted availability, fine pixel pitches for close viewing and long-term stability with lower energy consumption. They also offer flexible layouts and seamless images without visual interruptions, which is essential when presenting large volumes of real-time data.
Deploying LED in mission-critical environments, however, requires more than selecting a bright or detailed display. Resilience and redundancy must be designed in from the start. Every component, from power supplies to data paths, must tolerate failure without affecting operations. This philosophy is what truly separates a control-room-grade LED system from a conventional video wall.
Well-designed systems incorporate dual signal paths and redundant power supplies. If one line fails, the second keeps the image active, allowing repairs without interruption. The same principle applies to receiver cards and data distribution, ensuring information can be rerouted instantly. Ideally, these systems are supported by real-time monitoring tools that alert operators to anomalies before they become visible. In environments where every second counts, this level of transparency is essential.
Another key consideration is the physical architecture of the LED modules. Minimising internal cabling reduces potential points of failure. Direct connectors between modules, power supplies and control boards improve reliability and make maintenance simpler. The fewer elements that can fail, the better the uptime, and uptime is the true currency of mission-critical technology.
Certification and compliance are also becoming more important. Organisations in defence, energy or the public sector must often follow strict procurement and security standards. Certifications such as TAA or NATO’s NCAGE codes help ensure responsible sourcing and meet requirements for security and traceability. It reinforces the idea that control-room displays are part of a wider ecosystem of operational trust.
Looking ahead, LED development will increasingly intersect with data protection and cybersecurity. As more control rooms handle sensitive information, features such as encrypted video transport and decryption at the receiver-card level will become more common. This could define a new generation of secure visualisation systems for high-security environments.
Sustainability is another long-term factor. Control rooms are built for many years of continuous service, so predictable maintenance cycles and slow, stable ageing of panels are essential. Choosing LED systems that maintain brightness and colour accuracy over time reduces the total cost of ownership and preserves visual consistency. Some manufacturers are also introducing upgrade programmes to ease transitions to newer pixel pitches as technology evolves.
Ultimately, the adoption of LED walls reflects a broader transformation in how critical information is presented and managed. The move away from segmented, maintenance-heavy systems towards seamless, high-availability LED solutions marks one of the most significant shifts in visualisation in decades. It is not just about replacing a display technology, but about redefining reliability, ergonomics and long-term efficiency.
As control rooms and SOCs become more data-driven and interconnected, the visual interface remains the most human element in the chain. It is where decisions are made, alerts are interpreted, and complex systems become intelligible at a glance. The ongoing transition to LED is therefore more than an upgrade. It is a step towards greater resilience, clarity and confidence for the people who must see everything, all the time.