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News Archive |
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Thursday, 30 November 2006
Forbes.com: Redbox, the nation's leader in automated DVD rental services, and McDonald's announced an agreement to offer fully automated DVD rental kiosks to a growing number of McDonald's restaurants nationwide. Redbox kiosks will begin appearing in McDonald's restaurants in select new U.S. markets early next year, offering McDonald's customers the latest DVD titles for only $1 per night.
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Thursday, 30 November 2006
Compar Corp. has gone into receivership. The Ontario-based firm is well known in the self-service and kiosk industry for its custom solutions. One of its standout projects was PEBBLES, portable robots that could be placed in classrooms and at children's bedsides, allowing convalescent kids to interact remotely with live classrooms.
No Compar employees would comment on the company's present financial condition or events preceding its receivership. A Deloite and Touche representative confirmed that the financial company is handling Compar's receivership, but offered no further details.
A receivership, by definition, is a form of bankruptcy during which a company might be restructured rather than liquidated.
Wednesday, 29 November 2006
SARASOTA, Fla. · Real Digital Media (RDM), provider of digital-signage products for establishing point-of-purchase marketing, promotions and corporate-communication networks, announced that Kyle Private Networks (KPN) has selected RDM's NEOCAST digital-signage solution to manage point-of-purchase programming and advertising to more than 600 retail stores on the DrinksTV network.
"When building a digital-signage network, it is critical to find the right partner that can scale and meet the demands of your network. Otherwise, you are back to square one," said KPN president John N. Kyle II. "With NEOCAST, we found an economical solution that offers both the precision and flexibility to reach our target audience. Furthermore, their solution's ability to support both terrestrial and satellite environments out-of-the-box gives us a tremendous advantage when dealing with retailers with mixed environments. NEOCAST is simply a superior digital-signage application that gives us all the tools we need to succeed."
DrinksTV provides programming for beer, wine and spirits.
DrinksTV programming includes short entertaining segments featuring such topics as wine pairing, the latest drink trends, party tips, trivia, plus exclusive DrinksTV "Pour It On" infotainment segments and more. Programming is updated weekly and reaches more than 33 million consumers on an annual basis.
KPN expects to extend the network to more than 1,000 stores by the end of 2007.
"KPN's deployment of RDM's digital signage solution in up to 1,000 stores nationwide is a sign of the increasing maturity of the digital signage market," said Max Engel, industry analyst with Frost & Sullivan's Information & Communications Technologies Group. "As larger entities begin to roll out these applications on a broader scale, growth in the digital signage arena will accelerate rapidly."
Wednesday, 29 November 2006
HOUSTON - TNR Entertainment Corp., owner and operator of DVD rental kiosks in supermarkets and grocery stores under the brand "The New Release," has just completed the installation of 170 new kiosks in Kroger stores throughout Greater Atlanta.
"The growth and vitality of Atlanta and surrounding areas make it an ideal choice for one of our largest geographic market installations," said Jeff Karbowiak, chief operating officer of TNR Entertainment. "This major new market for TNR is not only a significant extension of our strong relationship with Kroger, but it also allows us to introduce The New Release's unmatched convenience and value."
The new kiosks are located throughout Atlanta, Canton, Decatur, Douglasville, Dunwoody, Fayetteville, Gainesville, Jonesboro, Lawrenceville, Marietta, Newnan, Roswell, Smyrna, and Tucker, among other sites.
Wednesday, 29 November 2006
Asahi Seiko, the well known manufacturer of coin and card handling components, have recently launched a new range of complete, interactive, self-service information terminals targeted at the retail and gaming market.
Tuesday, 28 November 2006
Business Travel Executive: British Airways plans to launch the Clear Registered Traveler program at Terminal 7 of John F. Kennedy International Airport this fall and market the program to its North American customers. By entering the Registered Traveler program, participants submit to a series of background checks and use security kiosks to bypass the ordinary queues for security checks.
The BA deployment makes it the first airline to market the program. JFK is the first airport in the New York area to have the security pass program. Clear will use mobile kiosks to enroll British Airways corporate clients who travel overseas regularly from JFK's Terminal 7.
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Tuesday, 28 November 2006
Chicago Tribune: Nau Inc., an environmentally friendly outdoor apparel company from Portland, Ore., has signed a lease to open what the company has termed a Webfront in Lincoln Park next spring. The new retail concept, slated to open in April, is the brainchild of a group of outdoor apparel veterans from Nike Inc., Adidas Group and Patagonia. Three other stores are scheduled to open at the same time in Portland, Seattle and Boulder, Colo.
The 2,000-square-foot outdoor apparel store will contain limited inventory and plenty of computer kiosks to encourage shoppers to research and order products directly from Nau's Web site, even if they are shopping in the store.
The idea is to keep costs down by having just enough merchandise in the store to allow shoppers to try on items and gauge the fit and to ship from a central warehouse directly to shoppers' homes.
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Tuesday, 28 November 2006
The Retail Bulletin: Paxar has formed a new working initiative with thebigspace to market and roll out "magicmirror," a new interactive RFID mirror, to the U.K. retail market.
magicmirror combines a specially designed half mirror and digital technology to display information on a mirror surface. Integrating RFID technology and sensors that respond to people's presence, magicmirror allows customers to interact with personalized content.
When a customer brings an RFID-tagged piece of clothing in front of the magicmirror, it displays content which could include an in-depth description of the garment, size and color availability, mix-and-match style guides and suggested accessories. With the mirror, customers also can contact a salesperson by simply touching it in the fitting room, without the trouble of changing and leaving the fitting room.
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Monday, 27 November 2006
More than 40 companies exhibited to more than a thousand attendees at the first KioskCom Europe event. Click here and here to read coverage of the show, held Nov. 8 and 9 in Olympia, London. Here are some of the exhibitors and what they showed:
3M UK brought its Micro Touch ClearTek II capacitive touchscreen technology and the MicroTouch CT150 chassis monitor. Also on hand was reader technology that can be incorporated into kiosks for passenger check-in and border control applications. Ewait, a Norwegian company that is a pioneer in electronic ordering, is using the equipment.
ASTROSYSTEMS LIMITED brought two new products: The GBA ST1 is a compact, lockable note stacker unti, and the Microcoin SP coin validator offers a newly developed reject mechanism to keep foreign objects from jamming inside the device.
CUSTOM launched its new VKP80 II, a restyling of its VKP80 printer series. The company's printers feature a small footprint and come with remote monitoring software.
DATAVAN used KioskCom Europe to preview its Smart Kiosk. Available in 2007, it combines fanless cooling and rugged architecture to form a platform suitable for order and check-out, and can be upgraded to be multi-media.
DICOLL is one of the few companies that design and manufacture entire kiosk solutions. Exhibiting with software partner Maxima, Dicoll showed its DDA-compliant kiosk, the new Atlas, the chip-and-pin kiosk, the point-of-information kiosk and the Interet access kiosk.
 DIGIKWIK photo kiosks are in rapid growth mode in the UK, featuring Whitech Solution's Photo.Teller software and remote management capabilities provided by Esprida.
ELECTRONE used KioskCom Europe to make its entry into the European market.
KEY TECHNOLOGY displayed its Expo Kiosk, intended for theme parks, which dispenses specialist wristbands for entry to theme parks and events.
NETKEY demonstrated its software platform used for the development, operation and management of kiosk applications and self-service devices. Company executives were pleased with the level of interest in the Netkey solution from end-user customers and potential business partners, reflecting the European market's need for an enterprise-class kiosk software solution that addresses the self-service requirements of retailers, banks, and other organizations.
NEXGEN RETAIL TECHNOLOGY launched a Skype-based Internet kiosk that will let users to make Web-based phone calls free under five minutes and at significantly reduced prices after that. "The low manufacturing costs enable us to place large numbers of kiosks in airports, hotel lobbies and retail centers at a competitive cost to placement partners," said Kashmir Johal, technical director. "Coupled with Skype's cost of less than .02 Euro per minute to most European countries and North America, we deliver a compelling value proposition."
A major player in the UK photographic market, PHOTO-ME demonstrated its instant photographic digital printing kiosk range. The e-Station and Symphonia II print from all digital media cards and mobile phones, the latter enabled with Bluetooth and infrared technology.
 ORIGINAL VIDEO is rolling out its automated DVD and game rental machines in the UK and Ireland. The company demonstrated its latest software, which operates with credit/debit card transactions and requires no staff interaction.
PLANAR SYSTEMS showcased its touchscreen kiosks, monitors and open-frame display hardware and software solutions for value-added resellers and integrators.
PROTOUCH showcased its Impress and Luminum kiosks. The Impress features a 40" vertically mounted touchscreen in a anodized aluminum stand. The Luminum touchscreen kiosk is suited for customer information purposes, including virtual receptionists, product or service info and wayfinding.
RIVER showed its 4-in-1 kiosk·essentially, a kiosk in the old-fashioned sense of the word which comprises four modern kiosks, allowing deployers to serve more people per square foot than with other, one-to-one kiosks. In addition, plastic panels allow for messages that can be sold for additional revenue.
 RITTAL exhibited its Opti-Wall and Opti-Line interactive terminals, and introduced its new multi-line kiosk, which is ideal for point-of-information sites such as banks, airports hotels and retail outlets.
STAR MICRONICS hosted the Tesco digital photo printing kiosk, which was developed by Star Micronics partner Integrex. It has been deployed in more than 20 of the European retailer's locations.
SWECOIN showed its new ticket printer and encoder, the TTPM3. It issues a full three-track encoded and 100-percent verified ticket
ULTIMEDIA representatives walked the show floor, taking turns wearing an Xcargo video monitor with a battery backpack. The units can be used to carry messages through shows, conferences and other such events, and attract attention even when not being worn by attractive blondes. The video players store a minimum of 30gb and read multiple MPEG versions as well as DivX and Xvid. The company, a longtime partner with Ceroview, made its European debut at the show.
WELLPOINT INTERACTIVE HEALTHCARE brought several applications designed to make it easier and more comfortable for people to interface with medical providers. "Self-service in healthcare is in its infancy," said spokesperson Pablo Cuberly. "Going to a doctor is a pretty big deal, and having healthcare kiosks in pharmacies, for example, can make it easier and more private." About 300 Wellpoint kiosks have been deployed in Europe.
Information also provided by ITPR and KioskCom Europe.
Monday, 27 November 2006
CHICAGO -- SeeSaw Networks, a leading out-of-home digital media company, announced it has closed $10 million Series A financing from Sutter Hill Ventures. As the sole institutional investor in SeeSaw Networks, Sutter Hill Ventures holds two positions on the board of directors for Tench Coxe and Jim Gaither, both managing directors at the firm.
The new funding will be used to develop and operate SeeSawAds.com and expand its sales force and network of affiliates across the country. SeeSawAds.com enables advertisers and agencies to customize campaigns across venues, markets and demographics.
"The SeeSaw management team is a powerful blend of media, brand, and technology experts," said Coxe. "We believe SeeSaw's experience and capability in this space will quickly take the company from start-up, to revenue, to profit."
SeeSaw's founding team includes Monte Zweben, chairman and former chairman, CEO and founder of Blue Martini Software; Peter Bowen, CEO and former president of multiple divisions of the H.J. Heinz Company; Jeff Dickey, vice president of business development, founder of DoubleClick and former senior vice president of PRN; Rocky Gunderson, vice president of marketing and network development; and Scott Hines, vice president of user experience.
"As people become increasingly more mobile, the importance of adding out-of-home digital media to the marketing mix is critical for brands to stay competitive," said Gaither. "Out-of-home digital media is an effective advertising media and is becoming a major component of advertisers' media mix much like the Internet is today."
SeeSawAds.com is in beta now and will be available for broad commercial use in 2007. Out-of-home digital media networks, media buyers and advertisers who want to be among the first to influence this emerging medium should contact SeeSaw Networks at .
Monday, 27 November 2006
METimes.com: Text-message payment is blooming in Vietnam. After Vietnam's recent entry into the World Trade Organization, tech firm activity is elevating. One of those firms is PeaceSoft, an electronic market site that has developed ATM- and text-message payment systems through which its users can purchase products online.
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Wednesday, 22 November 2006
SYDNEY - Australian hardware and software developer 22Moo announced it has begun development on its third-party iTunes/iPod kiosk.
Under current plans, the prototype will be powered by an Apple Intel-based Mac Mini running a 15-inch TFT touchscreen with virtual keyboard software, a wireless Internet connection and a customized application for timed access to iTunes.
The "PodBuffet" (project name) will also feature multiple dock connectors and a female USB and Firewire port for older iPods and Shuffle owners.
Wednesday, 22 November 2006
Iol.co.za: Two men were arrested outside Potchefstroom after they allegedly blew up an ATM at a shopping complex and sped off, North West police said. The men were arrested by The Flying Squad at 2.20am, said police superintendent Louis Jacobs.
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Wednesday, 22 November 2006
PALO ALTO, Calif. -- The Information & Communications Technology Group at Frost & Sullivan is pleased to announce its Exclusive 2006 Quarterly Webinar on Wednesday, November 29, 2006 at 2:00 p.m. CST / 3:00 p.m. EST.
The emergence of interactive digital signage continues to blur the distinction between the digital signage and kiosk vertical markets. A primary impetus for this convergence is the availability of vibrant, low cost digital displays in a wide variety of sizes. The market space for digital signage and kiosks is becoming cluttered. What happens when two already fragmented markets begin to merge?
"It is becoming increasingly difficult to delineate between the digital signage and kiosk market spaces. End users employ both types of systems in an attempt to differentiate themselves from their competition though enhancing the consumer's experience and as a means of cost reduction," said Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst M.L. Burns. "End users are finding themselves managing multiple networks for multiple digital signage and kiosk applications. The potential to realize efficiencies exists and can be achieved through integration of these various networks and the applications they serve."
The briefing will focus on defining the digital signage and kiosk markets, methods of segmentation and the similarities between these markets. Forces that drive and restrain both markets will be reviewed. The factors driving the convergence in these two markets and emerging opportunities will also be discussed.
Those interested in participating in the interactive webinar should send an email to Mireya Castilla - Corporate Communications at mireya.castilla@frost.com with the following information: your full name, company name, title, telephone number, e-mail address, city, state and country. She will send the registration details via email upon receipt of the above information.
This briefing will benefit digital signage and kiosk solution providers and their vendors. This includes manufacturers of the hardware components for these systems (digital displays, printers, scanners, payment acceptance, etc.), software developers for both markets (content creation, delivery and management) and end-users that have deployed or are considering implementation of digital signage and/or kiosk systems.
Frost & Sullivan, a global growth consulting company, has been partnering with clients to support the development of innovative strategies for more than 40 years. The company's industry expertise integrates growth consulting, growth partnership services and corporate management training to identify and develop opportunities. While serving clientele including Global 1000 companies, emerging companies and the investment community, Frost & Sullivan's comprehensive industry coverage includes a unique global perspective that combines ongoing analysis of markets, technologies, econometrics and demographics. For more information, visit http://www.frost.com/.
Tuesday, 21 November 2006
News Guangdong: Citibank has installed an ATM at a 7-Eleven store in Futian District, the first ATM installed in outlets of the convenience store chain in China. It is part of the bank's plan to expand its retail network in China before the country fully opens its RMB business Dec. 11.
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Tuesday, 21 November 2006
DUBAI - MXN Middle East FZ-LLC will feature digital signage solutions during GITEX 2006 from November 18th to 22nd at the Aptec Kiosk Services stand in hall 4 at the Dubai International Exhibit and Convention Centre in the UAE.
"We will be featuring our digital signage software solutions and our integrated Digital Media solutions," said Raad Raad, managing director. "MxN representatives will be available to discuss and highlight our abilities and strengths in the areas of content creation, content management, project management and integration."
MxN Middle East has worked with AKS to integrate digital signage into its kiosk solutions. The two companies will feature a self-service kiosk with an integrated digital signage solution above the kiosk.
This is MxN Middle East's first presence at GITEX. At the prestigious event, the company will present unique demonstrations of their solution. It will also showcase its industry leading digital signage solutions, including its flagship product, Octane. MxN will also showcase its integrated kiosk solutions (in partnership with AKS), it AV broadcasting solutions which have been uniquely developed for the digital signage industry as well as some of its integrated Queue Management Solutions.
Monday, 20 November 2006
PHOENIX - Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings Inc. announced new digital billboard launches in the cities of Milwaukee and Tampa, furthering its goal of adding digital billboard networks in all of its major U.S. markets.
"Our goal for 2006 was to deploy fully networked, digital signage products in four to six markets, and by year's end we will successfully reach the upper end of that goal," said Paul Meyer, global president of Clear Channel Outdoor. "New digital technologies provide us with the capability to execute both general market and targeted advertising campaigns that consumers can't mute, fast forward or erase. Outdoor's digital conversion is slowly but surely transforming the industry into the most flexible and responsive of all advertising platforms."
In Milwaukee the company has converted six large format bulletins into a digital network that provides broad general market coverage reaching almost 600,000 Milwaukeeans every day. Tampa has converted the first three locations of what is expected to be a nine-bulletin network that will also provide general market coverage in that city. Like the company's existing digital networks, these too will allow advertising copy to be changed remotely as often as advertisers' needs dictate. Advertising messages will run in a continuous loop, enabling each message to be displayed on each sign in the network multiple times each day, and in the case of Tampa, a minimum of 1,250 times at each location during every 24 hours. Both markets are running public service messages during most of the remainder of November prior to taking paid commercial advertising.
Similar digital billboard networks were launched in Las Vegas, Albuquerque and London, England earlier this year. The company's first digital network debuted in Cleveland last year. Next year it plans to add digital networks in both Cleveland and Las Vegas.
Monday, 20 November 2006
Hemscott.com: U.K.-based Cartucho, an ink-refill kiosk manufacturer whose main U.S. client stopped new installations earlier this year, is slowly climbing. Cartucho rebounded 2.25 pence at 5.87 pence following news the company has restarted installation of ink refill kiosks with a major U.S. customer and named David Scanlan as chief executive of its U.S. subsidiary. Cartucho, which has already installed 31 kiosks over the last two weeks for the customer, said both parties remain committed to completing the full contractual kiosk rollout during 2007.
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Monday, 20 November 2006
Yankton.net: A South Dakota man has been charged with a variety of ATM-related crimes, including receiving a $75,000 loan against 43 ATM machines he didn't own, and selling $445,300 worth of investments in machines that didn't exist.
Friday, 17 November 2006
MLB.com: The Oakland A's new ticketing kiosks are a sign of things to come for their stadium and the city of Fremont. The kiosk showed pictures of dining and spa treatments with "Relax after the game at The Spa" and "Reserve your seats now for one of our dining experiences." The kiosk also had an option for fans to upgrade their seats.
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Friday, 17 November 2006
PHOENIX - Hypercom Corp. announced that it has released a new EMV/PCI-approved unattended bankcard reader module for use in the self-service kiosk market. The new Optimum H2210 is a manual hybrid card reader accepting both magnetic stripe and smart cards and offering key size, integration and flexibility advantages over competitive units. It complements Hypercom's growing portfolio of unattended payment products, including the Optimum H2200 motorized chip & PIN card reader released last year.
"There is increasing demand for unattended bankcard readers in general, and manual readers in particular, both because of the lower cost and the smaller footprint," said Neil P. Hudd, senior vice president, Global Product Development and Marketing for Hypercom. "With the H2200 and now the H2210, we can provide both manual and motorized solutions for a market that is growing at a rate of nearly 11 percent per year and even more in the retail self-checkout sector. We also offer engineering advantages in both product categories that we believe will generate significant new business opportunities."
The new H2210 is designed to be incorporated into indoor or outdoor kiosks used in a variety of self-service environments. It has the smallest form factor of any product of its kind, offering important benefits for integrators who must fit multiple peripherals into limited kiosk space. It features an internal EMV Level 2 kernel that supports all current-generation EMV payment cards and eliminates the need for external components, and easy integration with Hypercom's K1200 or K1100 keypad via standard hardware connections and a common software platform to eliminate technical problems encountered when third-party keypads must be used.
The module supports all types of smart card applications with an EMV-compliant interface and offers a variety of hardware and software security features, including protection against unauthorized physical access and removal from the kiosk itself. A front card gate prevents coins, dust, moisture and other harmful debris from entering the reader, and it opens only when an ISO-size card is presented to the metal front bezel to thwart vandals.
Thursday, 16 November 2006
Examiner.com: Citing the disputed vote in a Florida congressional district, a Democratic lawmaker on Wednesday urged Congress to approve his measure requiring a paper trail for touchscreen voting. Rep. Rush Holt, sponsor of the bill, said the inaccuracy of electronic touchscreen voting machines "poses a direct threat to the integrity of our electoral system." The New Jersey congressman argued the Florida district, in which more than 18,000 votes have gone uncounted, has exposed the system's flaws.
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Thursday, 16 November 2006
Times of Oman: Qatar Airways has launched an instant frequent-flyer enrollment kiosk for new privilege club members at Doha International Airport.
Located in the Qatar Airways Business class lounge at the airport, the kiosk dispenses membership cards within seconds of passengers completing their registration.
Thursday, 16 November 2006
Huntington Beach Independent:The recent looting of bank accounts held by hundreds of customers in Huntington Beach and other Orange County communities has prompted police to issue a warning. In October, thieves siphoned money from bank accounts of more than 600 people, among them 70 in Huntington Beach. The only common link in those thefts was that the victims had bought groceries using a debit card at Ralphs supermarket on Goldenwest Street, police said. According to Verifone, manufacturer of the check-stand terminals used at Ralphs, what occurred was impossible, Huntington Beach Det. Jeff Nelson said.
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Wednesday, 15 November 2006
St. Louis Post-Dispatch: St. Louis city officials are experimenting with parking meters that take credit and debit cards, as well as coins. If the new meters work well, they could eventually replace coin-only machines in other city hot spots, such as the Central West End or Washington Avenue.
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Tuesday, 14 November 2006
TULSA, Okla. - Alamo Rent A Car announced it will roll out new self-service kiosks at rental locations throughout the United States. The new system cuts check-in time for customers by about 50 percent when compared to average counter check-in times.
The kiosk roll out comes after successful testing by customers in Dallas, Las Vegas and Jacksonville, Fla.
"Self-service eliminates one more hassle from family travel," said Jerry Dow, Alamo's chief marketing officer. "Customers are already comfortable using the check-in kiosk for flights, using a self-service kiosk for car rental is a natural progression."
The touchscreen kiosk allows any customer with a valid driver's license, major credit card and an existing reservation to skip the rental counter and check in directly at the kiosk. After a customer agrees to the terms and conditions, a receipt-sized rental agreement is printed and the customer is directed to his or her rental car on the lot. At the exit booth, the customer shows the booth agent his or her rental agreement and driver's license and then drives away.
The kiosk also allows the customer to review rental information, upgrade to a larger car class, add additional drivers, and purchase option items such as child car seats, a GPS unit, collision damage waiver and pre-paid gasoline.
By next summer, Alamo expects to have nearly 80 rental locations outfitted with the new touchscreen kiosks. Besides the test markets, the first locations to install the kiosks this month are Orlando, Detroit, Denver and Los Angeles. Boston, Philadelphia, Houston, St. Louis, Dallas, Miami, San Francisco and Atlanta will all have kiosks by March.
Tuesday, 14 November 2006
ePaynews: The Smart Card Alliance has dismissed claims by a group of U.S. researchers of a potential security loophole in RFID contactless payment cards.
Last month, the researchers reported that they carried out tests with 20 RFID-enabled credit cards to see if they could read data being transmitted over the air. They then demonstrated to a New York Times reporter that a cardholder's name and other data, which could include the card number and expiration date, were leaked in plaintext to an unauthenticated card reader.
Randy Vanderhoof, executive director at the U.S.-based Smart Card Association, says these tests were carried out in laboratory conditions and would not happen in real life.
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Monday, 13 November 2006
LONDON · The relaxed, been-here-done-that demeanor of show organizers, attendees and exhibitors at KioskCom Europe belies the significance of the event. Several such shows have been conceived; but most resulted in either aborted plans or the birth of non-viable fledglings. Earlier this year, says a journalist who covers European kiosks, an organization began signing exhibitors for a show only to cancel the event weeks before its date.
Yet exhibitors at this inaugural show number within the range acquired by The Self-Service & Kiosk Show (purchased this year by JD Events, owner of KioskCom, from the publisher of this Web site). And the number of registered attendees is almost double. A second kiosk show is being organized for early 2007 in Germany, and its organizer expects the number of booths to double KioskCom Europe's.
The obstacles to putting together self-service expos are obvious and profound, said Francie Mendelsohn, president of Summit Research Associates, which analyzes the global self-service environment.
First is the size of the market.
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2007 KioskCom events
Feb. 12-13: Dubai
April 25-26: Las Vegas
Oct. 10-11: New York City
Nov. 7-8: London
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"Europe used to be ahead of North America, for a long time," she said. "And then things changed dramatically. Now there are more kiosks in North America than in the rest of the world combined."
Entailed is that the European landscape comprises mostly smaller projects, she said. Across Europe, there are few equivalents to mega-deployers like Wal-Mart, Kroger and Walgreen Co., limiting economies of scale and lucre that would tempt more companies.
Another hindrance, she said, is intense nationalism.
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(Photograph by Joseph Grove)
More than 1,200 attendees had registered for the first KioskCom Europe. The event, held in the Olympia exhibition hall, features two concurrent seminar and presentation tracks, a test-drive area where attendees could put new tech through its paces, and more than 40 exhibits.
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"You can have a company in Great Britain approach a company in Italy with a perfect self-service solution for it and the company in Italy will say, ‘That's nice, but you're not Italian,'" she said. "People still want to do business with their own."
But market forces may be gathering enough energy to overcome those obstacles. Users, at least in the United Kingdom, are increasingly demanding self-service, and one way or another, retailers and other potential deployers will have to find a way to give it to them.
Peter Hill, who works for Germany-based Rittal in the U.K., says the mass acceptance of chip-and-PIN cards has softened British consumers for other self-service applications.
"Two or three years ago, Mr. Average wouldn't use his card," Hill said. "Now he will; hence, the kiosk."
Tony Milne, an attendee representing Digi International, says the U.K. is especially ripe for self-service to come on stronger.
"Bad service is a driver," he said, "and people here · who are a particularly solitary lot · are ready to do more for themselves."
Milne also said the especially high cost of employing service personnel in England is prompting potential deployers to look for ways to save money.
Mendelsohn, who attended earlier show efforts in Europe, was pleased with this one.
"It's like comparing a roller skate to a Lamborghini," she said. "I'm very impressed, for their first time. It's crowded and well run. The attendees are happy. And the exhibitors are happy. And at the end of the day, that's what matters."
Monday, 13 November 2006
GameSpy.com: Sony has dubbed its in-store PS3 demo kiosks, of which there will be 1,000 placed in shops around Japan by next week, "PS3 TV." Certainly, at least while it remains difficult to buy a PS3, these kiosks are going to be very popular.
Monday, 13 November 2006
NBCActionNews.com: "What we're hearing is that clients are getting cash back at the supermarket and using their debit cards for purchases, so they have less cash needs," said Mark Swinehart, vice president of electronic banking for Sky Financial Group in Bowling Green, Ohio.
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Monday, 13 November 2006
China Daily: First Data Corporation, an electronic payment processing company, is planning to launch its first ATMs in China in the coming months in a major expansion of its services in the country. The U.S. firm was the first card-processing company to be licensed by the Chinese government to provide banks and other financial institutions with card issuing and outsourcing services.
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Monday, 13 November 2006
The Philadelphia Inquirer: There wasn't a hanging chad in sight Tuesday, as millions of Americans voted on high-tech voting equipment · many for the first time. Nearly 90 percent of all voters stepped up to ATM-style or optical scanning machines. That's a remarkable transformation from the days after the 2000 election, when massive voting problems with paper ballots in Florida left the presidential election in doubt.
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Monday, 13 November 2006
Wheeling News-Register: A staff editorial in the Wheeling News-Register sharply criticizes new background checking kiosks at a high school in St. Albans, W. Va., saying the machines provide little, if any, security.
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Monday, 13 November 2006
LA Times: With the help of new technology - some of it on display last week at the International Foodservice Technology Exposition in Long Beach - Subway store operators and other businesses in the $175-billion limited-service restaurant industry have been able to add drive-through and other options for taking orders.
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Friday, 10 November 2006
TOKYO - The Ziris digital signage solution is said to offer advantages over traditional, paper-based communication, such as posters, leaflets and other traditional marketing materials, as it allows corporations and retailers to easily and cost-effectively create, target and display high-impact media, and organize, deliver and support digital signage networks.
Sony has also appointed WEBlife Infochannel as the distributor of Ziris, providing technical support and training to all its dealers.
"Setting up a digital signage network can be complex: creating appropriate program material, feeding it into a distribution network, delivering it to the right locations, and playing out the resulting tailored messages to individual screens in separate places," said Will Klopper, manager of professional products for at Sony SA.
"Different suppliers are usually required for the content, software, hardware, delivery systems, installation and servicing. The Ziris hardware and software package includes Ziris Create, Ziris Transfer, Ziris View, NSP-Series Network Players and Ziris Manage."
Thursday, 09 November 2006
LONDON · Energy has been building for KioskCom Europe at an accelerating rate since a deal was struck nine months ago to give British concern IMP Events access to the KioskCom name and the show genes of JD Events.
About 1,200 attendees were registered by Nov. 6 to cram in among booths for 45 exhibitors. Some 400 of those attendees registered within the past week.
"It's just this industry," said KioskCom's Lawrence Dvorchik. "You are dealing with a lot of very intelligent, very creative people who have a lot to do, and often don't get around to thinking of shows until the end."
IMP got into the events business in 2003, producing Ad:tech·another JD Events license·and Business Continuity, a program devoted to risk management. After JD Events bought KioskCom in 2005, two IMP principals attended the April 2006 Las Vegas show and agreed to produce one in London.
KioskCom also produces or licenses shows in New York City and Dubai.
So many U.S. players in the self-service space are here, one could easily forget the locus is not the Mandalay Bay. Analyst Francie Mendelsohn is on the docket to speak, and from among the several U.S. companies here to fish for business, Bob Ventresca, the director of marketing for Netkey, was lumbering about in search of a screwdriver to set up a kiosk, not to mention in search of clients.
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2007 KioskCom events
February 12-13: Dubai
April 25-26: Las Vegas
Oct. 10-11: New York City
November 7-8: London
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"We're hear to further establish our brand name and evaluate how best to serve the marketplace," he said, taking advantage of a stiff stool in an adjacent empty stand·what booths are called here·to wait for set up to finish in his. "We believe the market is underserved when it comes to software, especially when it comes to large-scale projects."
Ventresca, like many others watching for opportunities overseas, perceives movement in the market.
"There is enormous transaction in Europe for self-service in transportation and the automation of governmental functions," he said. "I think maybe they're still behind us in adoption, but banks and financial institutions are really starting to come online, and retail is an emerging market."
Evidencing his belief, representatives from the U.K.'s five largest retailers·Tesco, Arcadia, Kingfisher, IKEA and Debenhams·are on the attendee list.
Thursday, 09 November 2006
LOUISVILLE, K.Y. -- Captive Indoor Media announced that it has successfully implemented its digital signage software system in 18 Arizona State Credit Union branches. As part of the agreement Arizona State Credit Union will also purchase monthly content updates as well as dynamic news feeds and financial index information from Captive Indoor Media
"We had experience with a legacy digital signage system and we wanted to upgrade to a more dynamic piece of software," said Paul Stull, senior vice president, marketing, for Arizona State Credit Union. "Our old system did not allow us flexibility of scheduling and was very complex to learn and use. The digital signage system from Captive Indoor Media gives us everything we need in an easy to use format and without great expense or effort to learn and use."
Thursday, 09 November 2006
PADERBORN, Germany -- The Supervisory Board of Wincor Nixdorf AG approved a request by chief executive Karl-Heinz Stiller to release him from his post with effect from the close of the next Annual General Meeting on January 29, 2007. The current chief financial officer and deputy chief executive, Eckard Heidloff, was unanimously elected to succeed him. This decision sees Wincor Nixdorf putting a younger man at the helm and, at the same time, ensuring management continuity.
At the same time as this decision, Supervisory Board chairman Johannes Huth informed the Supervisory Board that he is also to relinquish his position at the close of the AGM on January 29, 2007. The Supervisory Board has decided to propose to the AGM that Karl-Heinz Stiller be elected as a new member of the Supervisory Board. Should he be elected by the AGM, Karl-Heinz Stiller will then put his name forward for election as chairman of the Supervisory Board.
Thursday, 09 November 2006
MELVILLE, N.Y. - Long Island Cares, Inc., The Harry Chapin Food Bank, announced it has partnered with Arrow Electronics, Inc. to help provide holiday turkeys to less-fortunate families on Long Island this Thanksgiving season.
There is currently a significant demand for turkeys from Long Island Cares' 600 member food pantries, soup kitchens, childcare centers, senior nutrition sites and shelters in Nassau and Suffolk Counties. Arrow's donation of $30,000 will enable the food bank to help satisfy the enormous need for food this Thanksgiving by providing 3,000 turkeys to Long Island Cares' member agencies.
"Arrow Electronics has really answered a prayer for Long Island Cares," said Lynn Needelman, executive director of Long Island Cares, who was thrilled at the prospect of Arrow's donation fulfilling more than half of the organization's demand for turkeys this year. "Through this very generous donation, we now will be able to fulfill our agencies' requests and help our Long Island neighbors who are struggling this Thanksgiving season. We are giving thanks for Arrow Electronics."
Wednesday, 08 November 2006
Franklin, Tenn. · Ellsworth Systems and Data Concepts have partnered to provide a complete self-service coin package for direct deposit and direct marketing in credit unions and banks.
"Our Self-Service coin machine does what it does best: count and sort coins quickly and quietly," said James Warren, Ellsworth Systems president. "The Data Concepts system ties everything together. Customers deposit coins at the machine, choose which account to deposit to and get a deposit slip with their account balance right at the machine."
Direct marketing is almost as important as coin deposits in many financial institutions.
"The system recognizes the customer when they enter an account number or swipe a card. At that point, the bank or credit union can market to the specific customer based on their account status," Warren said.
There are over 4000 Reis Eurosystems Self-Service Coin machines in financial institutions worldwide. This solution was first developed with Harland's Ultradata Teller Platform and the Reis machine in 2004. Data Concepts also provides various levels of Internet-based, remote monitoring tolls for the Reis machine. The two companies have partnered in various projects since 2001.
Wednesday, 08 November 2006
CNN.com: Police arrested a voter after he smashed a voting machine. Officials said votes cast on the machine were not lost.
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Tuesday, 07 November 2006
MSNBC.com: Members of the Florida Fair Elections Coalition said Monday they don't expect votes to be counted accurately and attacked what they see as a series of election problems. Hackers and computer programmers can rig electronic touchscreen machines to flip votes from one candidate to another, they said.
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Tuesday, 07 November 2006
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Source Technologies, provider of integrated solutions for managing financial transactions and other secure business processes, announced the availability of its next generation magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) multifunction printer, the IBM Infoprint 1570 MICR 50.
The IBM Infoprint 1570 MICR 50 combines all the print/copy/scan/fax features of a standard IBM Infoprint 1570 multifunction printer with Source Technologies' most advanced security and MICR print-quality features. Buying a MICR-enabled multifunction printer is a cost-effective alternative for companies that have on-demand check-printing needs but lack the print volumes to justify a dedicated MICR printer.
"IBM has been our strategic partner for several years. The knowledge and solution breadth they bring to our joint customers, especially in the financial-services industry, is exceptional," said Rodger Morrison, vice president of payment solutions for Source Technologies. "The IBM Infoprint 1570 MICR 50 lets customers mix and match MICR printers and MICR-enabled multifunction printers, depending on check-printing volumes and requirements."
The Infoprint 1570 MICR 50 prints up to 50 pages per minute and offers audit-trail reporting, lockable paper-tray options, software and hardware password controls, and MICR toner sensing. With its unique "MICR MFP Protection" feature set, the Infoprint 1570 MICR 50 allows endusers to manage copy usage through configurable security functions. These functions prevent unauthorized or inadvertent check copying with MICR toner.
Tuesday, 07 November 2006
TheGlobeAndMail.com: Customers walking into the Tim Horton's on Ontario Street in Stratford, Ont., have become a captive audience. The shop is one of 2,000 locations participating in Tim Hortons Inc.'s $50-million rollout of digital displays, part of a nationwide marketing strategy aimed at delivering Tim's-branded messages to its 100 million monthly customers. But despite the touted revenue-generating potential, finding the business case to justify the investment has been a challenge for many companies.
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Tuesday, 07 November 2006
TheLedger.com: Electronic voting machine problems frazzled voters and election workers in dozens of precincts as the polls opened Tuesday, delaying voters in Indiana and Ohio and leaving some in Florida with little choice but turn to paper ballots instead.
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Monday, 06 November 2006
Newsday: The prevalence of self-service checkouts in supermarkets and retailers like Home Depot is due, many industry experts say, to their ability to save a shopper time. And products like the Shopping Buddy, a shopping cart containing a small computer device, boast a range of functions, including the ability to place a deli order in advance, give directions to products, and notify a shopper of sale items based on the customer's history.
"If you look at all those trends, they do tend to let the customer do more of the work," said Stephen Baker, vice president of industry analysis for market research company NPD. "We're in a society where people want things faster. The cashiers may not be well-trained or as customer-centric as the retailers or customers want them to be, and this is a way to take out any potential miscommunication between the customer and the clerk."
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Monday, 06 November 2006
Storefront Backtalk: Safeway stores have started installing devices that will plug into existing POS units and use tactile keys to help visually impaired shoppers make purchases without having to read a screen.
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Monday, 06 November 2006
RestaurantNewsResource.com: Nolan Bushnell, founder of Atari and Chuck E. Cheese, has opened his first uWink bistro in Woodland Hills, Calif. The restaurant is centered on self-service ordering, with touchscreens located at each table. Use of the touchscreen for ordering makes possible the real-time monitoring of consumption trends, the display of relevant advertising (deals with Red Bull, Evian and Stockholm Vodka have already been announced), and personalized recommendations based on analysis of users' order history.
Based on the amount of food or drink that is ordered, patrons receive a number of credits that can be used to play video games on the monitors at their tables. Other media that will be accessible from the tabletop screens include trivia quizzes, horoscopes, movie trailers, music videos, comedy skits, and magic tricks. The company's philosophy is to foster "social gaming" and activities in which customers can participate as a group as opposed to the normal arcade setup, where people split up and play different games (i.e. Dave & Buster's).
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Friday, 03 November 2006
AVInteractive.co.uk: Growing demand from the indoor-venue and hospitality markets has emerged as some of the biggest opportunities for revenue growth among manufacturers of digital-signage and professional displays, according to iSuppli Corp. The indoor-venue segment accounts for 26 percent of the total digital-signage and professional market revenue. iSuppli forecasts revenue for the indoor venue-segment will achieve a growth rate of 8 percent, $3.8 billion by 2010, up from $2.8 billion in 2006.
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Friday, 03 November 2006
FinanceTech.com: In October, Coinstar, the Bellevue, Wash.-based provider of self-service coin counting kiosks, announced it will be introducing a new service that will enable people to directly deposit coins in their checking accounts. The Coinstar Direct Coin Deposit service will be officially unveiled at the upcoming Retail Delivery Conference and Expo in November.
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Thursday, 02 November 2006
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. · StrandVision LLC, a provider of Internet-based digital signage services, is now including animated radar weather maps as part of its online information package.
The no-charge service for U.S. subscribers supplements StrandVision's locally sourced digital-signage content, which can include advertising, photographs, graphics, hours of operation, employee news, etc. StrandVision's standard package of automated information feeds includes local and national news, weather, and currency rates. Other specialized optional feeds also are available.
The new service supplements StrandVision's text forecasts with full-color weather maps that show a looped weather animation similar to the Doppler radar sequence. Forecasts and radar maps are updated every 10 minutes. Organizations, such as distributors or retail outlets with installations in multiple locations, can select to have the appropriate local maps and forecasts automatically displayed based on zip codes.
Thursday, 02 November 2006
Chicago-Sun Times: Now that "pay-and-display" parking kiosks, credited with easing the downtown parking crunch, are coming to Chicago's commercial strips, a question arises: What about motorcycles? On a motorcycle, there is no place to secure the receipt to prove that you paid to park.
"What's to stop the guy in the car behind me from pulling up and taking the receipt off the motorcycle and putting it on his window? You could tape the receipt to your bike. But what happens if it's a windy day?" said Dan Harper, state legislative coordinator for ABATE, Illinois' leading motorcycle rights organization.
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Thursday, 02 November 2006
Graphic Rolls Unlimited is a designer and manufacturer of high quality, multi-color lithographic printed register rolls in North America.
Thursday, 02 November 2006
GA Services is a premier services provider, offering a state-of-the-art depot repair center and nation-wide, A+ certified field service personnel backed by our Customer Care Center and Technical Assistance Center which are available 24x7. We offer a wide range of technology products and solutions that will help you run your business and stay competitive in today`s challenging business environment, including: onsite response, depot repair, staging and integration, installation, site survey/prep, logistics, disaster recovery and project management.
Wednesday, 01 November 2006
Las Vegas · The Branch of the Future will completely recreate several technologically advanced bank branch designs at the MGM Grand Hotel and Conference Center, Nov. 15 and 16. The show, which is free to qualified attendees, coincides with The BAI Retail Delivery Conference and Expo.
Branch of the Future will include some of the newest technology available complete with fixtures to house them. The back wall of the exhibit space will have a vendor showcase where equipment can be shown outside of the fixtures. Representatives of the participating companies will be there to demonstrate their products.
The Branch of the Future is adding BioPassword Inc. to the list of exhibitors. BioPassword provides software solutions for Multi Factor Authentication and fraud reduction. Other exhibiting partners include Ellsworth Systems, Data Concepts, LMG Ideas, Arca-Tech, Reis Eurosystems, Billcon, Triton, Block and Company, Nelmar, Lawrence, AdQue and Touchmate.
There will be a complimentary open bar and hors d'oeuvres, and prizes including iPods and show tickets.
Registration for qualified attendees is free at www.futurebranch2006.com.
Wednesday, 01 November 2006
VERNON HILLS, Ill. — Printer manufacturer Zebra Technologies Corp. announced that net sales for the quarter ended September 30, 2006, were $186,386,000, up 6.1 percent from $175,636,000 for the same period a year ago.
"Greater traction in delivering high-value solutions to targeted vertical markets and further penetration of international regions delivered a solid result for Zebra's third quarter," said Edward Kaplan, Zebra's chairman and chief executive officer. "Sales will also benefit from the recently completed Swecoin acquisition, which extended Zebra's product line and customer base in the high-growth area of kiosk and other unattended printing applications. We remain optimistic about Zebra's growth prospects, as the company continues to invest in those activities that build value for its stockholders."
Net loss for the period was $4,263,000, or $0.06 per basic and diluted share, including a pretax charge of $53,392,000 related to the previously announced settlement of a dispute and a licensing agreement with Paxar Americas Inc. This charge reduced basic and diluted 2006 third quarter earnings by $0.51 per share. For the third quarter a year ago, net income was $28,075,000, or $0.39 per diluted share. Results for 2005 were restated to reflect the adoption of SFAS 123, Share-Based Payments.
Wednesday, 01 November 2006
LINDEN, N.J. -- Minicom Advanced Systems has received an investment of an undisclosed amount from Intel Capital.
Minicom products feature out-of-band access to servers, enabling system administrators to maintain vital control when system problems arise. The company also develops audio/video and serial distribution systems, which are essential for cost-effective installation and maintenance of in-store advertising and public display networks for the growing digital signage market.
Intel Capital's investment allows Minicom to further expand its product range, and enhance its KVM and Digital Signage sales and customer service support centers worldwide.
"Minicom is an innovative vendor in the growing KVM market," said Joel Fisch, investment manager with Intel Capital. "Their technology enhances manageability and remote support capabilities which have become a key component in data centers and mission critical computing environments."
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