Liggett is currently president and CEO of Apexon, Inc., a leading provider of supply performance management software for manufacturers. Prior to Apexon, she was interim president and CEO of Capstone Turbine Corporation. Previously, Liggett was managing director of Tyco Ventures where she led venture and resource investments. Before Tyco's acquisition of Raychem in 1999, Emily worked 15 years at Raychem in sales, marketing, operations, and division management positions across a number of industries. She was president and CEO of Raychem's subsidiary, Elo TouchSystems, a leading worldwide manufacturer of touchscreens, and division manager of Raychem's Telecommunications and Energy Division. Prior to Raychem, Liggett held positions at McKinsey, DuPont, the European Community, EPFL, and Bell Labs.

 

Liggett holds an MBA and a master's degree in Engineering from Stanford University and a bachelor's degree in Engineering from Purdue University.

 

"We're very pleased to have Emily join Immersion's board. Her extensive experience in several of our key growth areas -- telecommunications, electronic components, and touchscreens -- complements and strengthens the board's expertise," said Vic Viegas, Immersion director, president, and CEO. "Her technical background and strategic and operational business experience have enabled her to bring next-generation products to market and increase sales as well as profits by double-digit percentages. Emily will be a great resource in helping guide all our growth initiatives."

 

"Immersion has great potential to broadly deploy haptics technology in a number of markets," said Liggett. "I look forward to working with Vic and the board to further develop growth areas, form industry relationships, and help achieve revenue and profit targets."

 

About Immersion (www.immersion.com)

Founded in 1993, Immersion Corporation is a recognized leader in developing, licensing, and marketing digital touch technology and products. Bringing value to markets where man-machine interaction needs to be made more compelling, safer, or productive, Immersion helps its partners broaden market reach by making the use of touch feedback as critical a user experience as sight and sound. Immersion's technology is deployed across automotive, entertainment, medical training, mobility, personal computing, and three-dimensional simulation markets. Immersion's patent portfolio includes over 500 issued or pending patents in the U.S. and other countries.

 

In addition to the Confidential Settlement Agreement, Electro Source will have a worldwide license to Immersion's patents for vibro-tactile devices in the consumer gaming peripheral field of use. Electro Source will make royalty payments to Immersion based on sales by Electro Source of spinning mass vibro-tactile gamepads, steering wheels, and other game controllers for dedicated gaming consoles such as the Sony PlayStation and PlayStation2, the Nintendo GameCube, and the Microsoft Xbox and Xbox 360, in addition to certain other remuneration.

 

Both companies also have agreed to explore the possibility of working together in technology or engineering related assignments.

 

"We are extremely pleased to add Electro Source as an Immersion licensee. Over the past three years, Electro Source has increased its market share to become one of the top three sellers of video console accessories in the United States," said Victor Viegas, Immersion CEO. "We look forward to working with Electro Source in the future."

 

No further details of the terms of the settlement were disclosed.

 

About Immersion Corporation (www.immersion.com)

Founded in 1993, Immersion Corporation is a recognized leader in developing, licensing, and marketing digital touch technology and products. Bringing value to markets where man-machine interaction needs to be made more compelling, safer, or productive, Immersion helps its partners broaden market reach by making the use of touch feedback as critical a user experience as sight and sound. Immersion's technology is deployed across automotive, entertainment, medical training, mobility, personal computing, and three-dimensional simulation markets. Immersion's patent portfolio includes over 500 issued or pending patents in the U.S. and other countries.

 

About Electro Source, LLC (www.pelicanacc.com)

Pelican is the fastest growing video game peripherals company in the United States, providing a full line of accessories for all current and future video game platforms including PlayStation, PlayStation2, Xbox and Xbox 360, Nintendo 64, Nintendo GameCube, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance and Game Boy Advance SP. Product design, testing and research take place in the USA with the majority of manufacturing occurring in Asia. Pelican is headquartered in Vernon, California.

 

Two new mCosm all-in-one computer products — the fanless Touch&Go Paige and the Touch&Go Messenger self-service kiosks — will be offered with StoreNext's Connected Services Internet-based applications under the agreement, to create a centralized kiosk management system for small-chain grocers.

mCosm is a leading provider of digital, interactive units that simplify the complexity and reduce the cost of content, devices, applications and media management, creating opportunities for incremental revenue from advertising, promotional, and sponsorship content. The offer includes consulting and implementation services to customize the applications with a common "look & feel" to provide a cohesive consumer experience.

 

"This agreement with mCosm provides independent grocers with a dynamic, interactive technology that not only enhances the shoppers' experience, giving them more flexibility and information, but also offers retailers a suite of high-impact self-service applications delivering targeted content for instore promotions and localized store information," said Ray Carlin, president and CEO of StoreNext.

 

Designed for mounting on a store shelf end-cap or on an in-line store shelf, the Touch&Go Paige Computer is powered by the Intel Pentium M processor. It allows shoppers to look-up prices and store locations of available products, match wine with food and access new promotions.

 

The Touch&Go Messenger is a portrait- or landscape-mounted, all-in-one computer with a LCD/Touch screen, ranging in size from a 32-in. to a 45-in. unit. These interactive systems allow retailers to better feature in-store promotions, announce upcoming events and relay more detailed information to customers.

StoreNext's Connected Services gives retailers online access to data center applications and provides up-to-date content delivery and remote monitoring of the digital units.

 

About StoreNext
StoreNext Retail Technologies LLC is the No. 1 supplier of retail technology to independent grocers and regional chains. Based in Plano, Texas, StoreNext is a joint venture of Retalix Ltd. (NASDAQ: RTLX) and Fujitsu Transaction Solutions Inc. and markets Fujitsu POS hardware, Retalix's ISS45 and ScanMaster POS software, Retalix Store and Retalix HQ, as well as Internet Connected Services for managing stores via Web-enabled applications. StoreNext is the IT company that's dedicated to meeting the needs of this wholesaler-served market with packaged solutions that were previously available, affordable or practical only for large chains. Web site: www.storenext.com.

 

About mCosm
mCosm LLC provides individually designed turnkey solutions to meet the interactive marketing and self-service needs of retailers and their customers. mCosm offers advanced software for unattended retail devices, including centralized remote content and application management plus hardware and application performance monitoring and failure tracking. mCosm is an affiliate company of Micro Industries, which manufactures Touch&Go computers. Web site: www.mcosm.com or www.microindustries.com.

WARRINGTON, England, February 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Hand Held Products, the world's leading developer of 2D hand held imagers, is enjoying a dramatic surge in demand for the technology. The recent VDC Report showed that for many pan-European vertical markets, the average annual growth in 2D imaging is expected to be up to 22%, compared with just 5% for laser technology.

 

Roel Vreeburg, Senior Vice President for International Sales, Marketing and Services in EMEA and Asia, explains: "A key reason behind this surge in interest is the need for organisations to increase the efficiency of their global processes. This requires better product traceability, so barcodes need to carry more data. 2D barcodes are ideal as they can hold information such as the component suppliers, the materials used, and the date when the product was completed.

 

"We anticipated the demand for this technology years ago, and have developed a range of omni-directional 2D imagers which can also take photos and capture signatures. We recently released a fifth generation image engine, the 5X00 series."

 

The benefits of the new engine are impressive, and include: a higher image resolution than before; greater motion tolerance; a more powerful reading capability (even in extremely low light); a faster reading speed; and a greater depth of field.

 

Roel observes: "Despite these improvements, we haven't increased the image engine's price. It has been integrated into our 2D scanners and mobile computers. In recent years, companies such as Specsavers, German Rail, Swedish Post, Initial City Link, ANC and DPD have all adopted our 2D solutions."

 

He concludes: "Our commitment to continuous improvement in 2D imaging is driven by our determination to provide our customers with products that provide the highest possible levels of quality and performance."

 

QP Semiconductor will support the assembly, test, and qualification of these devices on its Qualified Manufacturers Lists (QML) line. QP Semiconductor will assemble the devices to customers' desired specifications and to the appropriate QML level. QP Semiconductor will utilize either its internal or offshore QML capabilities for the Arrow/Zeus customers. Because QP Semiconductor performs the final manufacturing and test, the company will become the Defense Supply Center, Columbus (DSCC) QML manufacturer of record for these products.

 

"QP Semiconductor is pleased to provide our QML services to our mutual customers," said John Stannard, president, QP Semiconductor. "This further extends and enhances the relationship between Arrow/Zeus and QP Semiconductor to the ultimate benefit of the customer who receives world-class procurement services from Arrow, and full QML with top-notch hermetic manufacturing services."

 

"As a leading provider of QML, SMD, and MIL-STD-883-compliant products and a QML-certified manufacturer with the capability to manufacture products from Cypress Semiconductor's military-qualified die bank, QP Semiconductor was the logical choice for Arrow," said Don Schlidt, vice president and general manager, Arrow/Zeus Electronics. "This partnership underscores Arrow/Zeus's commitment to serving the military and aerospace customer base."

 

About Arrow's North American Components Group

Based in Melville, New York, the North American Components (NAC) group of Arrow Electronics, Inc. is a leading provider of semiconductors and passive, electromechanical, and connector products, services, and supply chain solutions tailored to serve distinct customer segments with dedicated sales teams. Three primary, customer-focused NAC groups serve these market segments: The Arrow/Zeus Electronics Group targets the aerospace and military markets; the Arrow Electronics Components Group serves local OEM and contract manufacturing customers; and the Arrow Alliance Group focuses on large customers with complex needs.

 

Arrow Electronics, Inc. is a major global provider of products, services, and solutions to industrial and commercial users of electronic components and computer products.

 

About QP Semiconductor

Founded in 1985 as a test services company, QP Semiconductor ranks today as one of the largest fabless manufacturers of high-reliability ICs for military/aerospace systems. From its headquarters in Santa Clara, California, QP applies design, re-engineering and a full range of manufacturing capabilities to extend the life of classic ICs for a host of mission-critical programs.

 

Contact: 

Hilary Lytle of Arrow Electronics, Inc.

North American Components

Marketing Communications Manager

+1-303-645-8962

http://www.arrow.com

 

The share repurchase program has been initiated for the purpose of replenishing some or all of the shares of common stock issued upon the exercise of stock options and in connection with other stock-based compensation plans. The objective of the program is to reduce or eliminate earnings per share dilution caused by the issuance of such shares.

 

Arrow Electronics is a major global provider of products, services and solutions to industrial and commercial users of electronic components and computer products. Headquartered in Melville, N.Y., Arrow serves as a supply channel partner for nearly 600 suppliers and more than 130,000 original equipment manufacturers, contract manufacturers and commercial customers through a global network of over 270 locations in 53 countries and territories.

 

Contact:

For Arrow Electronics, Inc.
Ira M. Birns, 631-847-1657
Vice President & Treasurer

Paul J. Reilly, 631-847-1872
Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer

NORTH CANTON, Ohio · SSKA member Diebold Inc. signed a deal to purchase Genpass Service Solutions LLC, according to a news release issued Feb. 28.

An independent, third-party ATM maintenance and service provider, GSS was a wholly owned subsidiary of Genpass Inc., an ATM, EFT and debit-processing service provider that was purchased by U.S. Bank in May 2005. (Read also, Genpass' sale was no big surprise.)

As a result of the planned acquisition, Diebold will provide service for approximately 6,000 ATMs in 34 states, in addition to ATMs Diebold is already contracted to service throughout the country.

"Throughout Diebold's history, a strong service commitment to customers has guided our business," said Chuck Ducey, Diebold's vice president of global development and services. "Acquiring Genpass Service Solutions illustrates our dedication to providing our financial customers with the best service in the industry. This new addition to our service organization will enable Diebold to add nearly 100 highly skilled service professionals to our service team. This continued growth of industry knowledge will benefit each and every Diebold service customer."

An associated agreement between Diebold and U.S. Bancorp ($209 billion in assets), the sixth-largest financial services holding company in the United States, extends Diebold's service contract with its U.S. Bank subsidiary. The agreement renews Diebold's maintenance contract with the bank for a period of five years and contracts Diebold to provide service to more than 7,100 ATMs for U.S. Bank across the U.S.

Janet Estep, U.S. Bank's executive vice president of transaction services, said Diebold's acquisition of GSS makes strategic sense.

"We have had long-standing relationships with companies, including Diebold, to conduct the hardware servicing aspect of our ATM business, so it makes sense that we would continue to use our outside partners to provide that service following our acquisition of Genpass," Estep said. "Diebold is an ATM servicing leader in the financial industry, and its acquisition of the ATM maintenance side of Genpass is a good fit."

 

"We are delighted to welcome Mr. Hill to our board," stated William E. Mitchell, President and Chief Executive Officer of Arrow. "His extensive global and broad industry experience makes him a valuable addition to our Board and its committees."

 

Mr. Hill is Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Novellus Systems, Inc., which manufactures, markets and services advanced deposition, surface preparation and chemical mechanical planarization equipment for today's advanced integrated circuits. Mr. Hill was named Chief Executive Officer in 1993, and was appointed Chairman of the Board in 1996. Before joining Novellus, Mr. Hill spent 12 years at Tektronix, Inc. where he held the positions of President, Tektronix Development Company; Vice President of the Test & Measurement Group; and President of Tektronix Components Corporation. Prior to joining Tektronix, Mr. Hill held engineering and management positions at General Electric, Motorola and Hughes Aircraft Company. Mr. Hill holds a bachelor's degree in engineering from the University of Illinois and a master's degree in business administration from Syracuse University. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of Agere Systems and the University of Illinois Foundation.

 

Arrow Electronics is a major global provider of products, services and solutions to industrial and commercial users of electronic components and computer products. Headquartered in Melville, N.Y., Arrow serves as a supply channel partner for nearly 600 suppliers and more than 130,000 original equipment manufacturers, contract manufacturers and commercial customers through a global network of over 270 locations in 53 countries and territories.

    CONTACT: For Arrow Electronics, Inc.
             Ira M. Birns, 631-847-1657
             Vice President and Treasurer
             or
             Paul J. Reilly, 631-847-1872
             Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

The days when kiosks are gray boxes described as "it looks like an ATM, but it does something else"" are waning. European kiosk enclosures are skipping the pond to capitalize on the trend. Two new SSKA members, Norway's Ewait and a new division of Euro Touch Kiosks from Tampa, Fla., tout different spins on the same theme: combining function and form.

Both companies' kiosks are stylishly minimalist, eye-catching and refined.

Ewait sells one-piece keyboard/flat-screen combination CT models. They're stand-alone terminals in two varieties: tabletop or mountable. The CT is available in an array of popular contemporary colors with wood or metal side panels. The unit's stylish looks belie its hard-working hardware. From the shiny stainless steel trackball to the waterproof keyboard, the CT is made to withstand high-traffic environments.

Ewait just received its American LLC in Dec. 2005. The company has a California office and is considering another U.S. base. Judging by its reception at February's Self-Service & Kiosk Show, its products will receive an enthusiastic welcome. A throng of attendees three rows deep piled up at their booth to see the black CTs with Birch panels.

"The aesthetic is a typical Scandinavian design," Ewait CEO Kristian Mikkelsen said. "The use and combination of materials like wood, steel and aluminum together, gives it a human friendliness, good functionality and the robustness needed for these products. These materials are used a lot in industry and furniture production in Norway."

Euro Touch wheeled out its elegant workhorses at the same show, just across the aisle from Ewait. Their units were freestanding: rounded metal monoliths with simple touchscreens like something from a Stanley Kubrick film. They've already been deployed heavily across Europe in a variety of applications.

FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION: Euro Touch touts the inviting aesthetic of its outdoor unit, which is also very durable. European designs like these realize a growing demand in America.

 

While the outdoor unit looks elegant, its form follows its function. Though only 7 inches thick, it regulates its own internal climate and requires no shelter. It can contain an entire desktop computer for updates and maintenance tasks. Thick steel bars reinforce the slender unit from within, enabling it to resist vandalism. According to Kwap, it can almost resist a car crash, though he's quick to point out it does not sport the "16-gage powder-coated steel or injection molded look" of many American kiosks.

"Euro Touch Kiosks blend European good looks and the best quality components," Euro Touch Kiosks (USA) president RJ Kwap said. "The anodized aluminum in combination with stainless steel presents an image that draws users to the kiosk. You want to touch these kiosks. Concept Kiosk of Denmark is a provider of ours. They are aesthetic minded, but worked with us to meet all Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility guidelines."

 

Form following function

 

American industry watchers saw the Europeans coming. Ron Bowers, senior vice president of business development at SSKA member Frank Mayer & Associates, supervises the production of some of the highest profile custom kiosks in the domestic market. He said Europeans are very style-conscious and their design techniques consider form and function from the root of the process. He said the popularity of Euro-style kiosks will grow as deployers become more brand-conscious when buying their kiosks · rather than focusing on the bottom line of technical basics.

"(Europeans) have gone through kind of a genesis in the design and manufacturing of retail solutions," Bowers said. "They are ahead of us, I would say, by a few years to several years on the production and acceptance of the kiosk solution. We are only now, in the last two years, really involved with the type of national rollouts and national executions the Europeans have. When we're talking about high-end retailers or when we're talking about their department store-type retailers or their convenience stores, they have embraced this for quite some time."

He said the familiar gray plastic and sheet metal look of a typical American kiosk has its roots in the ATM industry, one of the first segments where automated self-service gained widespread popularity a couple decades ago.

"In the beginning stages, we had a lot of people say, ‘We don't want (a kiosk) to look like an ATM, we don't want it to have that Darth Vader look,'" Bowers said. "Some of the (ATM) manufacturers of that time worked with metal builders whose expertise was in straight line, heavy duty, tank-type design. They had no idea about marketing or merchandising or form following function."          

 

The shrinking cost of branding

 

Bowers said advancing production efficiencies, like advances in high-strength plastics, drive down the costs of enclosures. He said custom-made enclosures that used to cost $7,500 to $8,000 each now sell for $800 to $1,500. Meanwhile, thin client technology, flash memory and other factors weigh in to decrease internal components' cost and increase kiosks' potential ROI.

A complete, single Ewait CT (enclosure and inner workings) costs $6,990. The price is negotiable depending on the customer's exact quantity and requirements. Kwap said his units are moderately priced, and final pricing also depends on quantity and specific need.

And while all three companies tout their ability to meet branding needs, Bowers urged caution when considering an enclosure.

"You have to think, ‘Does it have a look that will date itself?'" Bowers said. "Will it stand the test of time?"

Both companies' kiosks are stylishly minimalist, eye-catching and refined.

Ewait sells one-piece keyboard/flat-screen combination CT models. They're stand-alone terminals in two varieties: tabletop or mountable. The CT is available in an array of popular contemporary colors with wood or metal side panels. The unit's stylish looks belie its hard-working hardware. From the shiny stainless steel trackball to the waterproof keyboard, the CT is made to withstand high-traffic environments.

Ewait just received its American LLC in Dec. 2005. The company has a California office and is considering another U.S. base. Judging by its reception at February's Self-Service & Kiosk Show, its products will receive an enthusiastic welcome. A throng of attendees three rows deep piled up at their booth to see the black CTs with Birch panels.

"The aesthetic is a typical Scandinavian design," Ewait CEO Kristian Mikkelsen said. "The use and combination of materials like wood, steel and aluminum together, gives it a human friendliness, good functionality and the robustness needed for these products. These materials are used a lot in industry and furniture production in Norway."

Euro Touch wheeled out its elegant workhorses at the same show, just across the aisle from Ewait. Their units were freestanding: rounded metal monoliths with simple touchscreens like something from a Stanley Kubrick film. They've already been deployed heavily across Europe in a variety of applications.

FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION: Euro Touch touts the inviting aesthetic of its outdoor unit, which is also very durable. European designs like these realize a growing demand in America.

 

While the outdoor unit looks elegant, its form follows its function. Though only 7 inches thick, it regulates its own internal climate and requires no shelter. It can contain an entire desktop computer for updates and maintenance tasks. Thick steel bars reinforce the slender unit from within, enabling it to resist vandalism. According to Kwap, it can almost resist a car crash, though he's quick to point out it does not sport the "16-gage powder-coated steel or injection molded look" of many American kiosks.

"Euro Touch Kiosks blend European good looks and the best quality components," Euro Touch Kiosks (USA) president RJ Kwap said. "The anodized aluminum in combination with stainless steel presents an image that draws users to the kiosk. You want to touch these kiosks. Concept Kiosk of Denmark is a provider of ours. They are aesthetic minded, but worked with us to meet all Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility guidelines."

 

Form following function

 

American industry watchers saw the Europeans coming. Ron Bowers, senior vice president of business development at SSKA member Frank Mayer & Associates, supervises the production of some of the highest profile custom kiosks in the domestic market. He said Europeans are very style-conscious and their design techniques consider form and function from the root of the process. He said the popularity of Euro-style kiosks will grow as deployers become more brand-conscious when buying their kiosks · rather than focusing on the bottom line of technical basics.

"(Europeans) have gone through kind of a genesis in the design and manufacturing of retail solutions," Bowers said. "They are ahead of us, I would say, by a few years to several years on the production and acceptance of the kiosk solution. We are only now, in the last two years, really involved with the type of national rollouts and national executions the Europeans have. When we're talking about high-end retailers or when we're talking about their department store-type retailers or their convenience stores, they have embraced this for quite some time."

He said the familiar gray plastic and sheet metal look of a typical American kiosk has its roots in the ATM industry, one of the first segments where automated self-service gained widespread popularity a couple decades ago.

"In the beginning stages, we had a lot of people say, 'We don't want (a kiosk) to look like an ATM, we don't want it to have that Darth Vader look,'" Bowers said. "Some of the (ATM) manufacturers of that time worked with metal builders whose expertise was in straight line, heavy duty, tank-type design. They had no idea about marketing or merchandising or form following function."          

 

The shrinking cost of branding

 

Bowers said advancing production efficiencies, like advances in high-strength plastics, drive down the costs of enclosures. He said custom-made enclosures that used to cost $7,500 to $8,000 each now sell for $800 to $1,500. Meanwhile, thin client technology, flash memory and other factors weigh in to decrease internal components' cost and increase kiosks' potential ROI.

A complete, single Ewait CT (enclosure and inner workings) costs $6,990. The price is negotiable depending on the customer's exact quantity and requirements. Kwap said his units are moderately priced, and final pricing also depends on quantity and specific need.

And while all three companies tout their ability to meet branding needs, Bowers urged caution when considering an enclosure.

"You have to think, 'Does it have a look that will date itself?'" Bowers said. "Will it stand the test of time?"

 

"Being included again among America's Most Admired Companies by FORTUNE is a significant honor for all of us at Arrow Electronics," said Bill Mitchell, president and chief executive officer, Arrow Electronics. "In 2005 Arrow's employees demonstrated their commitment to our strategic framework through significant achievement in operational excellence, growth and financial results. It requires a strong team to make the progress that we have made in the last year and this award is a testimony to their efforts," stated Mitchell.

FORTUNE's Most Admired list is the definitive report card on corporate reputation, and is based on research by FORTUNE and its partner, the Hay Group consultancy. FORTUNE and Hay Group asked the top managers at 611 companies in 70 industries (the largest by revenues in each sector) to judge their competition.

 

To create the rankings a total of 10,000 executives, directors, and securities analysts rated the companies in their industry on eight key attributes: innovation, quality of products and services, financial soundness, employee talent, use of corporate assets, corporate responsibility, quality of management, and long-term investment value.

 

Arrow Electronics is a major global provider of products, services and solutions to industrial and commercial users of electronic components and computer products. Headquartered in Melville, New York, Arrow serves as a supply channel partner for nearly 600 suppliers and more than 130,000 original equipment manufacturers, contract manufacturers and commercial customers through a global network of over 270 locations in 53 countries and territories.

 

Contact:

Ira M. Birns, Vice President and Treasurer
+1-631-847-1657

Paul J. Reilly
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
+1-631-847-1872

Jacqueline F. Strayer
Vice President Corporate Communications
+1-631-847-2101

The kiosk comes in two versions. HP Photosmart Express is a standalone unit that prints 4in x 6in photos and burns CDs, while HP Photosmart Studio also allows consumers to design items such as calendars, greeting cards or posters.

Read More

 

DIMA Innovative Digital Product Awards are presented annually to distinctive or first-of-a-kind products or services. Past Kodak wins have included the groundbreaking EASYSHARE-ONE wireless digital camera (2005) and the EASYSHARE printer dock (2003).

 

"The DIMA awards reaffirm Kodak's commitment to helping retailers thrive in today's evolving imaging marketplace," said Nicki Zongrone, general manager, Worldwide Kiosk Systems and Services; vice president, Consumer Digital Imaging Group, Eastman Kodak Company. "No other manufacturer has developed the interconnected system of products, services and partnerships to help retailers expand their business like Kodak."

 

At the same conference, the company's G4 Picture Kiosk won a unique award when the Photographic Manufacturers and Distributors Association named it "person of the year" in recognition of the impact that photo kiosks have had on the imaging category.  Kodak introduced its first photo kiosk in 1988, and kiosks have since reshaped the way people print pictures from their digital cameras and mobile phones at retail stores.

 

KODAK kiosks enjoy widespread retailer acceptance and outstanding satisfaction among consumers. In fact, the company reports consumer satisfaction scores exceeding 90 percent. Some 75,000 KODAK units are installed in retail locations around the world, including Boots, Carrefour, Click, CVS/pharmacy, eKex (China), Kmart Australia, Media Markt, Ritz Camera, Target, Walgreens, Wal-Mart, and other leading retailers, making Kodak far and away the most widely accepted photo kiosk at retail.

 

"Consumers trust Kodak to deliver the highest quality photo prints and retailers trust Kodak as a partner to build their in-store traffic and photofinishing businesses," said Zongrone. 

  

KODAK Digital Picture Center and Picture Kiosk G4 Version 1.0
The new KODAK Digital Picture Center and KODAK Picture Kiosk G4 v1.0 software help retailers make it easier for consumers to print real KODAK pictures from digital sources. The Digital Picture Center includes a "multi-station" concept that will revolutionize how retailers use kiosks to make it quick and easy for consumers to print digital pictures. Specifically, the new configuration allows a retailer to connect several order stations to a common bank of printers, reducing queue times and improving throughput. The KODAK Picture Kiosk G4 hardware solution offers faster performance and new contemporary styling designed to elevate the consumer printing experience while helping retailers compete in the rapidly expanding digital printing market.

 

KODAK Digital Picture System 900
Demonstrating why it is the market leader in retail digital printing solutions, Kodak also introduced its DPS 900 thermal printing station, offering on-site printing of both digital and film media, thereby helping retailers tap into the rapidly expanding digital market while also retaining important revenue from film customers as the market transitions. 

 

Combining a 35-mm film scanner with Kodak's powerful Picture Kiosk G4 platform and award-winning KODAK 6850 and 8800 thermal photo printers, the KODAK DPS 900 provides a total photo solution for retailers of virtually any size:

 

Compared to a digital mini-lab, the KODAK DPS 900 has a significantly lower total cost of ownership, including lower capital investment and labor costs.  

It offers modularity and flexibility with the ability to print from both digital and film files, and to create high-margin products such as CDs and enlargements.

Enabled with the innovative KODAK PERFECT TOUCH Technology, this system enhances each image to reveal more vibrant colors, richer detail and fewer dark shadows.

The DPS 900 will be available beginning in May in the U.S. and Canada.

 

KODAK PROFESSIONAL Digital Printing Software/ DP1

Building on the success of the acclaimed DP2 platform, Kodak's new DP1 software provides smaller labs, especially those in many emerging markets, with a simple, flexible solution to streamline their workflow. Offering an impressive set of features that are configured to help smaller labs with efficient, high quality print production, DP1 software was specially designed to install quickly and operate easily. Supported in several languages, including Brazilian, English, Portuguese, and Spanish, DP1 software will be available in April.

About Eastman Kodak Company
Kodak is the world's foremost imaging innovator, providing leading products and services to the photographic, graphic communications and healthcare markets. With sales of $14.3 billion in 2005, the company is committed to a digitally oriented growth strategy focused on helping people better use meaningful images and information in their life and work. Consumers use Kodak's system of digital and traditional image capture products and services to take, print and share their pictures anytime, anywhere; Businesses effectively communicate with customers worldwide using Kodak solutions for prepress, conventional and digital printing and document imaging; Creative Professionals rely on Kodak technology to uniquely tell their story through moving or still images; and leading Healthcare organizations rely on Kodak's innovative products, services and customized workflow solutions to help improve patient care and maximize efficiency and information sharing within and across their enterprise.

KODAK, EasyShare, EasyShare-one and Perfect Touch are trademarks of Eastman Kodak Company.
2006

 

WebRaiser's VendiSoft software development environment is at the heart of VendiPix. The software includes an advanced kiosk operating system and remote device management that automatically triggers restocking of paper and toner. VendiPix kiosks are networked together so that a regional or national retailer can have centralized control of all of their devices. Each VendiPix unit also includes a secondary digital signage screen that narrowcasts custom advertising and product messages to consumers.

 

"For years photo companies have tried to conquer self-service, and kiosk companies have tried to be photo experts, both resulting in limited success. With VendiPix you get the best of both worlds," said Gary De Blaquiere. WebRaiser's co-founder and Vice President of Business Development, "We designed VendiPix to set new standards in the digital photo space by combining our unmatched self-service architecture with superior photo imaging software."

 

WebRaiser has integrated Beaufort Solutions' Image2Print imaging software engine. Image2Print makes it possible to customize the look and feel with the ability to easily adapt branding, splash screens, colors, languages, and product output offerings, With Image2Print, VendiPix can be tailored to fit any reseller's market niche.

 

"We also designed VendiPix as a custom-branded photo kiosk for resellers and retailers who want to control their brand and marketing strategy," added De Blaquiere. "VendiPix is the first photo kiosk that includes a second screen for digital signage and POS advertising as a standard feature. With VendiPix, we made sure that we built a marketing machine, not just a new photo kiosk."

 

About WebRaiser
WebRaiser Technologies, Inc. makes self-service simple. Through its award-winning VendiSoft development platform, VendiStore kiosk applications and Method business process, WebRaiser enables self-service success. Founded in 1997, WebRaiser has helped more than 200 companies reduce costs and increase revenue. Customers include AmeriGas AT&T, Red Lobster, Sutter Health, Ghirardelli, Sketchers Shoes, and Lockheed Martin. For more information, go to: http://www.webraiser.com.

 

Information on VendiPixâ„¢ can be found at http://www.vendipix.com.

 

About Beaufort Solutions
Beaufort Solutions Inc. is a world-class provider of open systems software solutions that enable, drive, and support the transformation of digital media into quality prints. As a key kiosk software supplier for large reseller organizations with complementary product and services offerings, Beaufort focuses on delivering innovative and top-quality products to the digital imaging industry. The company can be found on the web at: www.beaufortsolutions.com.

 

About PMA
Photo Marketing Association International (PMA) has more than 20,000 members in 100-plus countries. The 82nd annual PMA International Convention and Trade Show is the world's largest annual photo imaging trade show for the estimated $83 billion worldwide industry. For more information go to www.pmai.org.

 

The DIMA Shootout attracted a total of 27 kiosks from manufacturers around the world that were all competing to be named the best of the best in self-service imaging kiosks.

 

Korosh Delnawaz, President of Whitech USA said, "Our kiosks are designed to assist all retailers to build their digital profits through encouraging customer loyalty and upselling services such as burn to CD, auto image correction and extra copies. By winning this award it shows that our peers in the industry acknowledge that our kiosks are highly profitable and provide retailers with much more than just a means to print digital photos."

 

Photo.Teller took out the Expert's Choice for a variety of reasons including integration, customer loyalty, remote management and a 'live' helpdesk.

 

All Whitech products including kiosks, Point of Sale software and web ordering software integrate together allowing retailers to save time by tracking work effectively and sharing customer details. Retailers are able to utilise this customer data to run effective customer loyalty programs and comprehensive marketing campaigns, which will entice customers to keep coming back to their stores.

 

Remote Management gives retailers the opportunity to manage all aspects of kiosks remotely, meaning that changes to pricing and promotions can be made once and all changes will be reflected instantly on all kiosks on the network, even ones located on different sites. Remote management also monitors paper and CD requirements for all kiosks in a network, increasing their efficiency.

 

The remote kiosk management has just been taken to a whole new level with the world's first introduction of a live helpdesk for kiosks. Customers that require assistance can push a button and talk to a customer service operator who will be able to assist them with their order.

 

Other great new features that caught the eye of the DIMA judges were the Gifting and Story Book services. Gifting allows customers to put photos of their favourite people, places or events on a variety of products that include T-shirts, jigsaws, coffee mugs, mouse mats, bags, balls, plates and more. Story Books are themed templates that allow customers to create memorable albums based around specific events such as weddings, birthdays, travel and more.

 

To find more about Whitech's Photo.Teller kiosks or see a demonstration of the software, contact them today on 1300 KIOSKS.
 
For more information please contact Sally Taylor, Marketing Coordinator, Whitech Software Solutions on +61 2 9224 9618 or e-mail . 
 
About Whitech
Whitech Software Solutions is an innovative Australian company that offers Information Technology products and services to retail businesses all over the world.

 

Established in 1995, Whitech specialise in industry specific and customised electronic point of sale solutions aimed at improving the efficiency and profitability of our customers.

 

Whitech also develops market leading photographic digital kiosk and home ordering solutions, which successfully assist retail businesses in taking advantage of the digital boom in the photographic industry.
See www.whitechsolutions.com for more information.

 

This new kiosk line is durable, reliable and extremely flexible.  The units are built to be a semi-custom solution for clients looking for a stock model that is versatile and can be customized to fit their specific branding needs.

 

The Brand Builder Series  has an attractive design that D2 will customize with full color brand identification, creating a unique, brand specific unit to meet a variety of customer needs.

 

D2 understands the need for cost effective solutions, and created the Brand Builder Series for clients with tight budgets and/or schedules in mind.  In addition, D2 continues to offer unique equipment configurations and outstanding branding options in its custom models as well.

 

About D2: D2 Sales, LLC is located in Mequon, Wisconsin.

It is a kiosk design and manufacturing firm specializing in brand focused, custom designed enclosures and environments.

For more information, please visit their website at  www.d2sales.com.

 

David PInkus

D2 Sales, LLC

"Definitely Outside the Box! tm

262-242-6100

www.d2sales.com

 

Worldlink Integration Group is an organization focused on providing regional and nationwide technology deployment services such as installations, staging/configuration/imaging and project management services.  Worldlink leverages redundant national technician coverage, a nationwide staging footprint and world class project management to maximize value to such clients as Sears, Jack in the Box, Petco, Ralphs, Aramark, Big 5 Sporting Goods, and many others.

 

"We are very excited about our inclusion in the RBA as we view it as a vital component to growing our channel strategy," said David Clarke, president and chief financial officer. "The RBA is a perfect venue for us to collectively work with complimentary organizations in providing complete value-based solutions on a national basis."

 

The Retail Broadband Alliance brings together companies that represent products and services used in the entire retail sales supply chain for data networks.  The Retail Broadband Alliance now includes more than 150 companies.  Retail merchants pick and choose the providers they want.

 

"New Edge Networks welcomes Worldlink Integration Group into the growing Retail Broadband Alliance," said Greg Griffiths, vice president of marketing for New Edge Networks.  "Worldlink Integration Group represents yet another trusted choice for merchants who turn to the Retail Broadband Alliance for support in migrating to broadband."   

 

About Worldlink Integration Group, Inc.
Worldlink Integration Group, Inc. is a leading provider of national technology deployment services primarily for regional and national retail customers.  These technology deployment services encompass from the highly repetitive to the complex project managed activities their customers demand across the lifecycle of the customer's geographically distributed technology infrastructure.  Worldlink has built its business providing flexibility and rapid execution to the benefit of their many satisfied clients, including such leading companies as:  Big 5 Sporting Goods, Kmart, Petco, New Edge Technologies, CSK Auto, Gateway, Sears, Aramark, Jack in the Box, and Bartell Drugs.  More Information: www.worldlinkintegration.com

Terence Swee, muvee's founder and Chief Opportunities Officer, said, "muvee's award winning automatic editing technology has proven to be wildly popular with PC users and is already bundled globally with a myriad of consumer products. We are very excited to now make our technology available to photo kiosks. Kiosks are great for printing a handful of your best images, but muveeKiosk gives users a more meaningful way of enjoying all of their pictures — even the ones they don't print — as well as any video clips they might have. Flipping through 100 stills on disk is plain dull, and ordinary slideshows are uninspiring. muvee revives and differentiates any photo kiosk by letting users create stylish productions that come to life to the beat of any chosen music track."

 

At a muvee-enabled kiosk, users can select and print photos from popular sources such as CD, mobile phone or Flash memory, but also enjoy an extra option to create and burn a compelling muvee CD/DVD of all their images using one of the included muvee production styles. muvee's styles are themed templates containing unique music, effects and transitions that are applied to the user's chosen media and synchronized to the music, and there are over 100 to choose from. muvee's Artistic Intelligenceâ„¢ engine works in minutes to automatically create a professional-looking, CD- or DVD-ready muvee production that captures the essence of the user's digital media. Video can also be woven in with photos in a single production.

 

Terence added, "The ubiquity of digital cameras and the affordability of Flash memory mean that more people are taking a greater number of pictures and videos at every event" more pictures and video than they know what to do with. Consumers are beginning to demand interesting new solutions to handle the growing volume of digital media captured with these cameras. muveeKiosk is therefore ideally positioned to deliver an entirely new and compelling premium solution for photo kiosk makers who wish to enhance their service offering, add value for their customers and significantly boost their returns."

 

The muveeKiosk software development kit (SDK) is currently available for licensing. muvee will be showcasing its automatic video production capabilities at PMA 2006, held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando from February 26 to March 1, at booth #3398. More information about the Photo Marketing Association is available at www.pmai.org .

About muvee
Founded in 2001, muvee is the pioneer and global leader in a dynamic new field: Instant Personal Video. muvee's award-winning autoProducer software for PCs features patented technology that revolutionizes the process of video production, allowing anyone to automatically turn home video and photos into professional-looking productions in hundreds of different styles. Users need no prior experience working with photo or video editing software, and each production is finished in minutes. muvee's products are available for the PC, camera phones, photo kiosks and other platforms, and have sold into more than 100 countries worldwide. muvee's global partners include Hewlett-Packard, Nokia, Sony, Nikon and ATI.  For more information, please visit www.muvee.com .

 

"One of my ongoing priorities has been to develop the best possible leadership team. These individuals are extraordinary professionals with stellar credentials, and I am proud to have them on the Symbol team. Their integrity is beyond reproach, and they possess the steady leadership qualities, professional experience and business acumen that will help Symbol seize new growth opportunities," said Sal Iannuzzi, Symbol president and chief executive officer.

 

The Company is pleased to announce that Boris Metlitsky has been named senior vice president of the global products group, reporting to President and CEO Sal Iannuzzi. He is responsible for strategy, development and technology innovation in the mobile computing, wireless, advanced data capture, radio frequency identification (RFID) and mobility software product divisions, as well as industrial design. Dr. Metlitsky has been at Symbol for more than 25 years, holding a variety of leadership positions. He has played a vital role in helping Symbol grow from a start-up technology venture to an industry leader. Metlitsky has a Ph. D. in electrical engineering and holds more than 60 patents.

 

Ray Martino, Jr., a 19-year veteran of Symbol has been named vice president and chief technology officer, reporting to Metlitsky. In this role, Ray will guide Symbol's strategy in the development of new technologies and next-generation products and services to maintain the Company's position as the innovation leader in enterprise mobility. Most recently, he has worked with Symbol's global sales, product and marketing teams to define customer needs and develop end-to-end solutions to best address these needs. Martino earned a bachelor's degree from Drexel University and a master's degree from the University of California at Davis, both in electrical engineering. He also has 14 patents.

 

Anthony Bartolo has been named vice president and general manager of the RFID division, effective immediately. He will be responsible for Symbol's global RFID programs and go-to-market strategy. Bartolo will also continue his role as general manager of Symbol's wireless infrastructure division, a position he has held since 2004, where he has played an instrumental role in the Company attaining a market-leading position in wireless local area network (WLAN) switches. Heading up both divisions will enable Bartolo to leverage Symbol's radio frequency (RF) expertise and knowledge learned from moving wireless technology from the early adopter to mainstream adoption phase. Prior to Symbol, Bartolo held a variety of senior field engineering, sales and business operations positions at Nortel Networks. He has a bachelor's degree in electronics and communications engineering from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Australia.

 

Jan Burton has been named vice president of Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Operations. She will continue to report to Todd Abbott, senior vice president of worldwide sales. Burton has served as vice president of worldwide channels since joining Symbol in 2003, responsible for Symbol's global partner organization. Under her stewardship, Symbol's PartnerSelect channel program has become the industry standard, partner satisfaction has increased and Symbol reached its goal of having 75 percent of revenue generated through channel distribution. During a 25-year career in the technology industry, Burton has held leadership positions at Avaya, Lucent Technologies, Apple Computer and IBM. Todd Abbott will manage Symbol's channel organization and programs until a search for Burton's replacement is completed.

 

"With these changes, I believe we are well on our way to achieving our goal of having the best possible leadership team. We also have ongoing searches for a chief financial officer and general counsel, whose appointments will further solidify our senior management team," said Iannuzzi.

 

For an interim period until a new general counsel is named, Andrew J. Levander of the law firm of Dechert LLP, based in New York City, will provide guidance regarding significant legal issues. Dechert's advice to management will supplement the Company's strong internal legal team, which will continue to be responsible for the legal affairs of the Company. Levander specializes in business and commercial law, and previously was instrumental in providing counsel to Symbol regarding its internal investigation of past accounting practices and has represented Symbol in various litigation matters.

 

The Company is also announcing that several executives who have made substantial contributions to Symbol's progress during the past several years have chosen to pursue career interests outside of Symbol. Peter Lieb, senior vice president and general counsel; Todd Hewlin, senior vice president of corporate development; and John G. Bruno, senior vice president and general manager of the RFID division, will be leaving the Company. Symbol appreciates their efforts and wishes them well in their future endeavors.

 

About Symbol Technologies
Symbol Technologies, Inc., The Enterprise Mobility Company, is a recognized worldwide leader in enterprise mobility, delivering products and solutions that capture, move and manage information in real time to and from the point of business activity. Symbol enterprise mobility solutions integrate advanced data capture products, radio frequency identification technology, mobile computing platforms, wireless infrastructure, mobility software and world-class services programs under the Symbol Enterprise Mobility Services brand. Symbol enterprise mobility products and solutions are proven to increase workforce productivity, reduce operating costs, drive operational efficiencies and realize competitive advantages for the world's leading companies.

  

"As a part of our market research we contacted some of our key customers and have already received serious enquiries. This is before we even launched," Simple kiosks MD James Oladujoye said. "One of the key reasons for this is that it is totally customizable, making the kiosk more appropriate to its surroundings, personalized and refined"

  

The kiosk boasts all the usual features such as credit card, coin acceptance and touch screen along with additional features including proximity sensors, smart card facilities and printer/ticket delivery. Its available in any color, in any quantity.

  

Call +44 (0)8707 414190. or email james@simplekiosk.com

David Drain, if one will pardon a slight stretch, is not unlike the self-service applications that have just become a significant part of his world: quiet and unassuming, constructed in such a way and of such material to project helpfulness. Then, when he is engaged, the output is informative, almost neighborly, delivered to match his audience and provide it value.

 

In short, the new executive director of the Self-Service & Kiosk Association is user-friendly. Drain had his first exposure to the industry Feb. 13-14, in Orlando, Fla., where he shook hands, nodded his head and did a great deal of listening at The Self-Service & Kiosk Show. (The show and the association are operated by association sponsor NetWorld Alliance). The days were his first on the job, having succeeded Greg Swistak, who left the executive director's office in October.

 

"The show was an exciting opportunity to get my arms around this industry and see some of the innovative products that our members are producing," Drain said from his Fort Worth, Texas, office.

 

For the past 13 years, Drain has been vice president of the industry clients group of FSA of Louisville, an association management company. He also was the executive director and executive vice-president of Foodservice Consultants Society International, an 1,100-member association with both domestic and international chapters.

 

While self-service technology doesn't figure in his resume, neither he · nor the people he'll work with · seem concerned.

 

"I have disadvantages and advantages," Drain said. "The disadvantage is that I have a lot to learn when it comes to the self-service industry · even though I learned a lot over the week of the show · and will have to rely on members and the rest of the NetWorld Alliance team to help guide me, especially in areas that are technical."

 

When it comes to advantages, Drain points to his extensive background in association management.

 

"In my experience, there are common skills needed by an association's executives regardless of the industry."

 

Part of Drain's role with FSA Group was to help associations in the food service industry find leaders.

 

"We would interview candidates with a foodservice background, and those with an association background, and nine out of 10 times, the person with the association background was successful, while the person with the foodservice background only would struggle."

 

He cites the providing of leadership and diplomacy as critical for an association executive.

 

"The executive director's role is to listen to the membership, to learn what it is the members need and what they are trying to accomplish, and then to develop a consensus as to the best ways to move forward," he said. "I see my role as one of facilitator · taking the many great ideas that the members have and with my background and my experience taking those ideas and making them happen."

 

"David brings to the Association a depth of experience in successful association management," SSKA Chairman Dick Good said. "The growth and range of meaningful activities he led in his last position will be well applied at the Self-Service & Kiosk Association to help us reach our next levels of achievement."

 

Developing an Agenda

 

Drain steps into an association poised for growth, said Ed McGunn, president and CEO of Corporate Safe Specialists and vice-president of SSKA.

 

"David has the luxury of timing: self-service critical mass is closer than ever, and the Self-Service & Kiosk Association has never been better positioned to serve its members to make it happen," said McGunn, who also is on the association's advisory board. "He strikes me as having great energy and put-to-it-ivness. He'll be able to generate excitement and give more retailers an eye-opening of where self-service is heading."

 

Drain said that he, Good and others have developed a strong set of initial initiatives for him to pursue. High on the list is completing changes at the association's Web site, selfservice.org, which takes the place of kiosks.org. The site was recently assigned a new editor, Bryan Harris, who will develop more original content for the site and help Drain make the site more valuable to readers · both from the association and the end-market.

 

"A lot of work has already been done on the site," Drain said. "And there is much more work to be done to make it unique, a site worth visiting often because it will have valuable information and will provide members with quality leads."

 

Alex Richardson, who is an association vice president and on the advisory board, is leading a marketing plan on its behalf. He is the managing director of Selling Machine Partners LLC, a strategy and marketing technology firm. He sees selfservice.org as key to growing the association and delivering value.

 

"Our Webs ite is the Napster of the industry. People can come in and get connected to the vast resources with the association site, so that it's easier to find solutions to our problems," Richardson said. "It's very important to have a great website, and now is the time because self-service is on the mind" of CEOs, COOs and others.

 

Other inaugural projects include revising the association's operating documents, freshening collateral materials to help recruit new members, and furthering the marketing campaign, which is based on self-service success stories from companies like Mazda and Hilton.

 

"We are counting on his leadership to bring into membership the rapidly growing community of companies that employ self-service technology, to expand the range of user acceptance and eventually to have active members and interesting programs in place around the world," Good said.

 

The Remote Access Power Hub is an all-inclusive Kiosk Power Source, 100VAC / 240VAC operation, a 150W or 300W power supply with 2 additional AC power outlets

          

Additional outputs of 5V, 6V, 9V, 12V and 24V DC, for any and all peripherals, are provided eliminating the need for additional power converters. Kiosk peripherals include displays, monitors, computers, speakers, barcode scanners, keyboards, trackballs, mousse, touchpads, printers, coin mechanisms, bill acceptors, magnetic strip readers, smart card readers, biometric readers and RF Tags.

 

Compared to standard Kiosk power solutions, the Remote Access Power Hub will reduce these costs up to 40% or $ 300 per Kiosk.

 

Additionally the Remote Access Power Hub has a unique infrastructure, which in real time provides remote monitoring of Kiosk on-line status. This communication, with unlimited Kiosk Nodes, allows continuous two-way communications between the Remote Access Power Hub and a remote monitor, typically a PC, within LAN and WAN networks, via TCP/IP, Wi-Fi Module, Ethernet or POTS (direct phone line). Included software, within the Remote Access Power Hub, monitors Kiosk on-line status, notifies of off-line status then allows a remote monitor to enter DTMF (dual tone multi-frequency) digits thereby re-booting the Kiosk to on-line status and be put back into service without dispatching Service Technicians.

 

The Remote Access Power Hub reduces service calls costs up to 100% for power related Kiosk failures.

The Remote Access Power Hub, with additional 3rd party software, has the ability to recognize failures, notify a central monitor the reason for failure of any peripheral driven by the Remote Access Power Hub at which time the appropriate DTMF Digits are sent to the Kiosk to repair the abnormality or a service call is initiated with a complete diagnosis including recommended items needed to replace.

Remote Access Power Hub benefits include a significant increase of Kiosk up time, a major reduction of service calls, improved Customer satisfaction and increased profits all resulting in lower OEM Kiosk costs and lower Customer service costs.

 

The Remote Access Power Hub is the smart solution for Enterprise, Banking, Gaming, Point of Sale, Medical, Brokerage, Business, Airline, Hotel and most other Kiosk application.

 

Headquartered in Cerritos, CA, Enhance Electronics employs about 1,200 people worldwide and is principally engaged in research, design, development, manufacture and integration of advanced technology power systems, products and services.

 

For additional information and your local Sales and Support Representative contact Paul Marcotte, Vice President of Business Development, at 603-382-9485 or

Please visit our website at www.enhanceusa.com.

ShoptoCook combines professional food industry expertise with leading edge technology expertise to offer clients a total interactive media solution.

We understand the food retail and manufacturing business, the shopper and the technology.

 What other business sectors do you operate in?

We focus only on the Retail Food industry.

Give a brief history of the company

The firm was founded in 2001 by food industry professionals with technology and product development experience.  Creativity and technical expertise combined with constant attention to the needs of the shopper are responsible in part for the organization's success.  Our applications can be found across the country in the largest retail chains and independent wholesalers.

Why did you join The Self-Service & Kiosk Association?

The industry is changing rapidly, price points are declining, and new solutions emerge regularly so it's a great tool to stay abreast of the industry.

 

What do you like about our industry? What are some of the challenges?

The industry is dynamic which creates opportunity.  The challenge is selling kiosks as a strategic tool to solve business problems and getting senior executives involved beyond IT.

What does the future hold for your company's success in the kiosk industry?

 

We develop solutions to meet current demand with an eye on the future.
On-demand technology offerings will grow dramatically in the next few years and we intend to be the leader in developing innovative solutions to meet the retail food industry's needs.

The Show's anchor partners were Palm Desert National Bank, St. Clair Interactive Technologies, KIOSK Information Systems and Source Technologies.

Palm Desert National Bank's enormous booth showcased three of its vertical partners as examples of its wide array of transaction and cash management services. These included automated check-cashing service provider Vero, self-service financial services provider Info Touch whose TIO network accommodates bill payment and advanced financial kiosks, and Bantek/EFMark, the nation's largest provider of ATM maintenance including cash extraction.

"We will see very shortly the convergence of the kiosk model and ATM model," PDNB vice president of marketing Gloria Grand said.

At the St. Clair Interactive booth, emphasis was on the company's successful work on the Giant Food store in Camp Hill, Pa. Browsers could test out the various product ordering and info kiosks that form the front-end of the "grocery store of the future," allowing customers to access any in-store service from anywhere within the store. St. Clair also had eye-catching digital signage on display.

KIOSK Information Systems brought a number of applications to its anchor booth, including a highly customizable bill-payment kiosk and several of its rugged enclosure designs. One of the most interesting products on display was a corner-shaped entertainment pavilion with three screens facing in three directions, allowing multiple users to purchase ringtones, browse the Internet and build (and burn) a custom music CD.

Source Technologies brought several kiosks from its "concourse" product family. Patrons were able to sample how Source Technologies facilitates real-time financial services like bill payment and check cashing.

Elsewhere on the show floor

Apunix Computer Services demonstrated a number of its real-world kiosk applications. President Sylvia Berens emphasized that her company builds its products around open-source, extensible services and platforms, which is in the best interest of the customer.

"We try to build kiosks as solid-state appliances, because deployers don't necessarily care if they're Linux or Windows," she said. "They just want something that will solve a problem."

Corporate Safe Specialists displayed several of its rugged cash-management safe systems, designed to not only provide a safe harbor for cash but also simplify operations by automating cash counting and account reconciliation.

An attendee test-drives a concourse bill-payment kiosk from Source Technologies.

D2 Sales announced a partnership to provide kiosk enclosures for PlascoID's BioPark Pass System and unveiled the Brand Builder Series kiosk, its newest stock, semi-custom kiosk built to meet diverse branding needs. D2 also showed its branded custom kiosk solutions and the Tree of Knowledge, a sapling-sized white metal tree with an Apple iMac mounted inside, demonstrating "kiosks don't have to be in a box," sales representative Laurie Osbourne said. D2 also highlighted its hand-scanning BioPark Pals kiosk · used to control access to recreation destinations · and its award-winning Burger King Virtual Fun Center.

Diebold's Premier Services division marketed its custodial, preventative and break/fix services. Services business development manager Kevin Mickle said opening the new division felt like running a start-up company · except with the backing of a $2 billion company already famed for products and maintenance in the ATM space.

"ATMs were the first successful kiosk deployment and we've done this a lot of years," Mickle said. "We're taking all that information and applying it to kiosks."

Electronic Systems Protection was on hand to talk about the importance of surge protection and power filtration. Representatives also offered information on ESP's contribution to the popular DEKKO propane-vending system, surely a mission-critical usage of electricity by anybody's standards.

Elo TouchSystems brought a number of its touchmonitors to the show, including the new 1537L 15-inch rear-mount. This latest model, dubbed an entry-level choice by the company, is aimed at kiosk, gaming and light shop-floor automation.

Euro Touch Kiosks, a newly established American division of an established European kiosk company, showed its streamlined, general-purpose indoor and outdoor units. Even at a tiny seven inches deep, the outdoor unit could still contain an internal Dell computer for on-site maintenance. The units are constructed of anodized aluminum with stainless steel trim. The company claims they allow no internal condensation and comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Ewait's stylish media download kiosk

Ewait, a Norway-based newcomer to the U.S. self-service market, demonstrated its stylishly functional CT model kiosks with USB and ear plug jacks, Web cam, 17-inch touchscreen, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and hybrid card swipe. The units also sported a snazzy look: black aluminum with birchwood trim, grey metal keyboard and chrome-colored trackball.

"The order books are filling up," CEO Kristian Mikkelson said of the response at the show.

Expand Networks gave attendees information on its IT infrastructure, which serves a diverse range of customers from Continental Airlines to Motorola to the U.S. Department of Defense.

5point-Fivepoint LLC demonstrated its Silhouette and inSight kiosks, touting its adaptability to deployer and consumer needs. The units use scalable architecture and flexible hardware to deliver what 5point calls a holistic user experience. The Silhouette is a slim, contemporary unit, whereas the inSight is a little thicker and allows for a printer.

FlyTech showcased its modular kiosk lines, including the polished stainless steel K892. The units can accommodate a variety of hardware, including card payment, printing, DVD burning, any photo storage card reader and Bluetooth.

Geist Manufacturing brought samples from its enormous catalog of power distribution units, from horizontal and vertical power distribution to switches and mounting hardware.

Graphic Systems Inc. showcased digital signage. The AdView Dynamic Messenger could run news feeds and interactive productions. Often used in hospitals as kiosks or as dynamic hotel meeting room signs, the units can be programmed via network or flash storage card. GSI also demonstrated a prototype file unit: an interactive screen using side-mounted mechanical buttons for input.

Hand Held Products exhibited its 8560 Minikiosk with 5.7-inch screen. The unit has virtually no footprint, touchscreen navigation and an advanced barcode reader that can read almost any linear or 2D barcode.

"It's an adaptable application that lets the vendor customize it," senior product manager Nick Daddabbo said. "It's powered by Windows CE 5.0. It does as much as a big kiosk."

HECON demonstrated units from its substantial catalog of thermal printers. The company, which recently celebrated its 40th birthday, specializes in rugged thermal printers for gas pump, kiosk and other unattended installations.

Immersion showed its next-generation force feedback touchscreen technology, TouchSense. The hardware simulates touching a real button. It uses a system of actuators, sound and three-dimensional buttons displayed on the screen. When a user pressed a button, it appeared to go in, made a noise and felt like pressing a real button. Vice president of corporate marketing Gayle Schaeffer said the product is a response to people who want to use touchscreens but find they lack a sense of realism.

Instruments & Equipment Co. offered information on its voluminous catalog of products and services. The company specializes in POS systems and components, as well as kiosk packages, barcode systems, touchscreens, displays and signature capture.

KING Products & Solutions Inc. demonstrated several of its kiosks and software packages, including the dual screen Plynth G5, a sleek touchscreen unit with an additional digital sign mounted on arms above head level. Not only is the additional signage meant to draw foot traffic to the unit, it can be used for advertising and marketing as well.

"I know companies who use that sign as a source of advertising revenue," KING's vice president of North America sales and marketing Robert Giblett said.

KioskLogix Inc. unveiled its new BizCenterLOGIX solution, an integrated business center kiosk combining a Lexmark X-422 multifunction device and its NetStopPro kiosk browser to provide a small terminal/hardware desktop solution selling Internet access, e-mail, printing, inbound and outbound faxing via credit card, cash or prepaid stored-value PIN code.

Kioware showed its HTML-enabled kiosks designed to use companies' pre-existing Web-based software so companies can avoid the expense of redeveloping existing HTML applications for kiosk deployment.

"We take browser-based content and deploy it on a kiosk," Kioware president James Kruper said. "Why spend a lot of money developing kiosk content when you have industry-standard HTML?"

La Gard displayed several generations of locks, from its mid-century era combination lock to its contemporary key-coded, audit-enabled electronic locks to its next-generation, remote-manageable Navigator lock with neither buttons nor dials. Navigator operates with a server-based locking system from which a single person can monitor and program the status of several locks. To unlock a Navigator takes an on-site connection to a manager's PDA.

"As kiosks start becoming more transactional, selling stamps, money orders and whatnot, they need a real, managed security system," national product manager Orlando Consalvi said.

Brian Ardinger explains Nanonation's dynamic signage frames.

Nanonation's booth was decked with some head-turning "picture frames" that were built around slim digital displays, allowing the dynamic updating of artwork. The company also demonstrated its Web-based management system for digital signage, with new "layering features" that allow elements like text and backgrounds to be switched out without the need to re-render the entire video.

Executives from Netkey were on hand to tout the benefits of the latest version of its kiosk and signage management software suite, Netkey 6.5. One real-world application included a front-end designed for Home Depot, allowing customers to order products from both the store or a Web catalog and have them shipped directly to their home.

New Edge Networks, a CISP-compliant business network provider, touted its ability to provide secure managed data networks worldwide. The company operates one of the largest ATM networks in the world, touting 800 ATM switches.

"We're everywhere," channel sales manager Ken Simon said. "We bought AT&T's ‘At Home'; we have interconnect agreements with every major provider."

ParTech allowed customers a glimpse of its visually striking ViGo POS system, designed for harsh restaurant environments. The system features 18-gauge steel construction and a special emphasis on ergonomic design.

Planar showed its 17-inch and 19-inch touchscreen monitors, as well as the sci-fi-esque DS15 Integrated Marketing Solution, designed for point-of-sale and point-of-purchase marketing. Planar touts the touchscreen's easy installation and ability to mount almost anywhere, including as an interactive informational tool on store shelves.

PQI Corp. allowed attendees a close-up look at its DiskOnModule brand of flash memory. A number of sizes and form-factors were on display, including several designed as replacements for traditional "moving parts" IDE hard drives.

RealTime Shredding offered up its 600lb-per-hour industrial strength self-service shredder, made for deployment in malls and high foot-traffic areas. RealTime Shredding president Amanda Verrie said consumers who get behind with at-home shredding find the machine useful to catch up, and commercial users who handle sensitive information, like cellular phone stores at malls, use it to destroy documents in compliance with the law.

The Rhombus Group offered information on its sub-contractor network that specializes in local service technicians. Some of Rhombus' service customers include Wal-Mart/Sam's Club, Coinstar, DirecTV and Sony Electronics.

Solectron's attention-grabbing Redbox DVD-rental kiosk

Solectron co-demonstrated the automated DVD rental kiosk it built for redbox. The simple red metal box holds approximately 500 DVDs on a series of stacked carousels. When a customer selects a DVD on the unit's touchscreen, the carousels turn to the appropriate point at which a robotic mechanism can collect the DVD and dispense it through a vertical slot in the machine's side. The Redbox system is deployed in McDonald's (its parent company) and groceries around the U.S.

SmartPower Systems showcased its line of power supplies and accessories, including the SBK/SBP-TBF uninterruptible power supply and the PC Series of power conditioners, which feature brownout and "prolonged over-voltage" protection.

SolvPort offered information on its ATM and kiosk service programs. The company's services include back-office technical support, monitoring, field technical service, installation and project management.

Star Micronics America demonstrated several of its kiosk printers, which have been used for solutions in airline travel, gaming and ATMs. The company also offered information on its thermal card printer/rewriter, an all-in-one unit ideal for loyalty programs, event credentials and any circumstance where temporary IDs are needed.

Technical Transportation Inc. offered information on its "white glove" delivery service for kiosks, ATMs and other large electronic devices.

Transaction Network Services touted its transaction data delivery capabilities. Vice president of self-service solutions Kent Phillips said the company has relationships with every broadband provider in the country, transferring 20 million transactions per day, including credit, debit and stored value. Phillips touted TNS's ability to connect kiosks and ATMs almost anywhere, and the ability to accommodate massive Triple DES throughput.

"We at Concept Kiosk realize the importance of expanding our market area to North America. We see this region to be the fastest growing for kiosk systems. Concept Kiosk was specifically interested in partnering with Euro Touch Kiosks. Their business model makes them an ideal representatives for us. The IT and corporate sales backgrounds of their ownership group were a perfect fit for achieving our long range expansion goals. We feel that this part of the world is now ready for our line of quality aluminum and stainless steel kiosks. We hope to mirror the success that we are now achieving throughout the rest of the world.

Euro Touch Kiosks Comments on agreement: "Euro Touch is proud to enter into this agreement with Concept Kiosk. The Concept Kiosk products are made of the durable anodized aluminum and stainless steel. Manufacturers of better quality kitchen appliances have gone with this look, and are having great success. We will be providing their classic European styling, with only slight customization to meet American accessibility guidelines.  Our goal at Euro Touch is to provide upscale kiosks that organizations will be proud to put their name on. Concept Kiosks are not made in typical injection molding plants, or by 16 gage powder coated steel fabricators. We think a great looking kiosk makes a lot of sense, especially if the price right.  Their outdoor kiosk is especially exciting to us. It requires no overhead shelter, and is both weatherproof and vandal proof. If kicked, it kicks back!"
 
Many new enclosures are being launched worldwide. Concept Kiosk is timeless in it's design looks better and last longer when placed in a public area.

Concept Kiosk - is a Danish based manufacturer of kiosk enclosures, the company has installations in many exciting locations worldwide.  We will continue are expansions into 2006 and beyond.

Euro Touch Kiosks - Established in 2005 by two veterans of the ECM (Enterprise Content Management) and Electronic Document Management sectors. With experience in vertical market sales to major companies they began looking to the future. Having a proven track record in providing solutions which saved their customers time and money. This new venture is an exciting way to continue the process.

 

Concept Kiosk

Laust Rasmussens Vej
Grindsted, Jylland 7200
Denmark

http://www.conceptkiosk.com

 +45 7672 0260

 

EuroTouch Kiosks

3510 Cherry Palm Drive
Tampa, FL 33519
http://www.eurotouchkiosks.com

813-628-4745

 

SSKA member Frank Mayer & Associates, Inc. announced a year of special events to celebrate the company's 75th anniversary.

 

The company began as a one-man sign painting company. It later entered the screen printing market, serving the point-of-purchase industry. Today, the company is an industry leader in custom, branded store fixtures and promotional services.

 

Keep watching Selfservice.org for more coverage of Frank Mayer & Associates' year-long celebration.

The Show's anchor partners were Palm Desert National Bank, St. Clair Interactive Technologies, KIOSK Information Systems and Source Technologies.

Palm Desert National Bank's enormous booth showcased three of its vertical partners as examples of its wide array of transaction and cash management services. These included automated check-cashing service provider Vero, self-service financial services provider Info Touch whose TIO network accommodates bill payment and advanced financial kiosks, and Bantek/EFMark, the nation's largest provider of ATM maintenance including cash extraction.

"We will see very shortly the convergence of the kiosk model and ATM model," PDNB vice president of marketing Gloria Grand said.

At the St. Clair Interactive booth, emphasis was on the company's successful work on the Giant Food store in Camp Hill, Pa. Browsers could test out the various product ordering and info kiosks that form the front-end of the "grocery store of the future," allowing customers to access any in-store service from anywhere within the store. St. Clair also had eye-catching digital signage on display.

KIOSK Information Systems brought a number of applications to its anchor booth, including a highly customizable bill-payment kiosk and several of its rugged enclosure designs. One of the most interesting products on display was a corner-shaped entertainment pavilion with three screens facing in three directions, allowing multiple users to purchase ringtones, browse the Internet and build (and burn) a custom music CD.

Source Technologies brought several kiosks from its "concourse" product family. Patrons were able to sample how Source Technologies facilitates real-time financial services like bill payment and check cashing.

Elsewhere on the show floor

Apunix Computer Services demonstrated a number of its real-world kiosk applications. President Sylvia Berens emphasized that her company builds its products around open-source, extensible services and platforms, which is in the best interest of the customer.

"We try to build kiosks as solid-state appliances, because deployers don't necessarily care if they're Linux or Windows," she said. "They just want something that will solve a problem."

Corporate Safe Specialists displayed several of its rugged cash-management safe systems, designed to not only provide a safe harbor for cash but also simplify operations by automating cash counting and account reconciliation.

An attendee test-drives a concourse bill-payment kiosk from Source Technologies.

D2 Sales announced a partnership to provide kiosk enclosures for PlascoID's BioPark Pass System and unveiled the Brand Builder Series kiosk, its newest stock, semi-custom kiosk built to meet diverse branding needs. D2 also showed its branded custom kiosk solutions and the Tree of Knowledge, a sapling-sized white metal tree with an Apple iMac mounted inside, demonstrating "kiosks don't have to be in a box," sales representative Laurie Osbourne said. D2 also highlighted its hand-scanning BioPark Pals kiosk · used to control access to recreation destinations · and its award-winning Burger King Virtual Fun Center.

Diebold's Premier Services division marketed its custodial, preventative and break/fix services. Services business development manager Kevin Mickle said opening the new division felt like running a start-up company · except with the backing of a $2 billion company already famed for products and maintenance in the ATM space.

"ATMs were the first successful kiosk deployment and we've done this a lot of years," Mickle said. "We're taking all that information and applying it to kiosks."

Electronic Systems Protection was on hand to talk about the importance of surge protection and power filtration. Representatives also offered information on ESP's contribution to the popular DEKKO propane-vending system, surely a mission-critical usage of electricity by anybody's standards.

Elo TouchSystems brought a number of its touchmonitors to the show, including the new 1537L 15-inch rear-mount. This latest model, dubbed an entry-level choice by the company, is aimed at kiosk, gaming and light shop-floor automation.

Euro Touch Kiosks, a newly established American division of an established European kiosk company, showed its streamlined, general-purpose indoor and outdoor units. Even at a tiny seven inches deep, the outdoor unit could still contain an internal Dell computer for on-site maintenance. The units are constructed of anodized aluminum with stainless steel trim. The company claims they allow no internal condensation and comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Ewait's stylish media download kiosk

Ewait, a Norway-based newcomer to the U.S. self-service market, demonstrated its stylishly functional CT model kiosks with USB and ear plug jacks, Web cam, 17-inch touchscreen, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and hybrid card swipe. The units also sported a snazzy look: black aluminum with birchwood trim, grey metal keyboard and chrome-colored trackball.

"The order books are filling up," CEO Kristian Mikkelson said of the response at the show.

Expand Networks gave attendees information on its IT infrastructure, which serves a diverse range of customers from Continental Airlines to Motorola to the U.S. Department of Defense.

5point-Fivepoint LLC demonstrated its Silhouette and inSight kiosks, touting its adaptability to deployer and consumer needs. The units use scalable architecture and flexible hardware to deliver what 5point calls a holistic user experience. The Silhouette is a slim, contemporary unit, whereas the inSight is a little thicker and allows for a printer.

FlyTech showcased its modular kiosk lines, including the polished stainless steel K892. The units can accommodate a variety of hardware, including card payment, printing, DVD burning, any photo storage card reader and Bluetooth.

Geist Manufacturing brought samples from its enormous catalog of power distribution units, from horizontal and vertical power distribution to switches and mounting hardware.

Graphic Systems Inc. showcased digital signage. The AdView Dynamic Messenger could run news feeds and interactive productions. Often used in hospitals as kiosks or as dynamic hotel meeting room signs, the units can be programmed via network or flash storage card. GSI also demonstrated a prototype file unit: an interactive screen using side-mounted mechanical buttons for input.

Hand Held Products exhibited its 8560 Minikiosk with 5.7-inch screen. The unit has virtually no footprint, touchscreen navigation and an advanced barcode reader that can read almost any linear or 2D barcode.

"It's an adaptable application that lets the vendor customize it," senior product manager Nick Daddabbo said. "It's powered by Windows CE 5.0. It does as much as a big kiosk."

HECON demonstrated units from its substantial catalog of thermal printers. The company, which recently celebrated its 40th birthday, specializes in rugged thermal printers for gas pump, kiosk and other unattended installations.

Immersion showed its next-generation force feedback touchscreen technology, TouchSense. The hardware simulates touching a real button. It uses a system of actuators, sound and three-dimensional buttons displayed on the screen. When a user pressed a button, it appeared to go in, made a noise and felt like pressing a real button. Vice president of corporate marketing Gayle Schaeffer said the product is a response to people who want to use touchscreens but find they lack a sense of realism.

Instruments & Equipment Co. offered information on its voluminous catalog of products and services. The company specializes in POS systems and components, as well as kiosk packages, barcode systems, touchscreens, displays and signature capture.

KING Products & Solutions Inc. demonstrated several of its kiosks and software packages, including the dual screen Plynth G5, a sleek touchscreen unit with an additional digital sign mounted on arms above head level. Not only is the additional signage meant to draw foot traffic to the unit, it can be used for advertising and marketing as well.

"I know companies who use that sign as a source of advertising revenue," KING's vice president of North America sales and marketing Robert Giblett said.

KioskLogix Inc. unveiled its new BizCenterLOGIX solution, an integrated business center kiosk combining a Lexmark X-422 multifunction device and its NetStopPro kiosk browser to provide a small terminal/hardware desktop solution selling Internet access, e-mail, printing, inbound and outbound faxing via credit card, cash or prepaid stored-value PIN code.

Kioware showed its HTML-enabled kiosks designed to use companies' pre-existing Web-based software so companies can avoid the expense of redeveloping existing HTML applications for kiosk deployment.

"We take browser-based content and deploy it on a kiosk," Kioware president James Kruper said. "Why spend a lot of money developing kiosk content when you have industry-standard HTML?"

La Gard displayed several generations of locks, from its mid-century era combination lock to its contemporary key-coded, audit-enabled electronic locks to its next-generation, remote-manageable Navigator lock with neither buttons nor dials. Navigator operates with a server-based locking system from which a single person can monitor and program the status of several locks. To unlock a Navigator takes an on-site connection to a manager's PDA.

"As kiosks start becoming more transactional, selling stamps, money orders and whatnot, they need a real, managed security system," national product manager Orlando Consalvi said.

Brian Ardinger explains Nanonation's dynamic signage frames.

Nanonation's booth was decked with some head-turning "picture frames" that were built around slim digital displays, allowing the dynamic updating of artwork. The company also demonstrated its Web-based management system for digital signage, with new "layering features" that allow elements like text and backgrounds to be switched out without the need to re-render the entire video.

Executives from Netkey were on hand to tout the benefits of the latest version of its kiosk and signage management software suite, Netkey 6.5. One real-world application included a front-end designed for Home Depot, allowing customers to order products from both the store or a Web catalog and have them shipped directly to their home.

New Edge Networks, a CISP-compliant business network provider, touted its ability to provide secure managed data networks worldwide. The company operates one of the largest ATM networks in the world, touting 800 ATM switches.

"We're everywhere," channel sales manager Ken Simon said. "We bought AT&T's ‘At Home'; we have interconnect agreements with every major provider."

ParTech allowed customers a glimpse of its visually striking ViGo POS system, designed for harsh restaurant environments. The system features 18-gauge steel construction and a special emphasis on ergonomic design.

Planar showed its 17-inch and 19-inch touchscreen monitors, as well as the sci-fi-esque DS15 Integrated Marketing Solution, designed for point-of-sale and point-of-purchase marketing. Planar touts the touchscreen's easy installation and ability to mount almost anywhere, including as an interactive informational tool on store shelves.

PQI Corp. allowed attendees a close-up look at its DiskOnModule brand of flash memory. A number of sizes and form-factors were on display, including several designed as replacements for traditional "moving parts" IDE hard drives.

RealTime Shredding offered up its 600lb-per-hour industrial strength self-service shredder, made for deployment in malls and high foot-traffic areas. RealTime Shredding president Amanda Verrie said consumers who get behind with at-home shredding find the machine useful to catch up, and commercial users who handle sensitive information, like cellular phone stores at malls, use it to destroy documents in compliance with the law.

The Rhombus Group offered information on its sub-contractor network that specializes in local service technicians. Some of Rhombus' service customers include Wal-Mart/Sam's Club, Coinstar, DirecTV and Sony Electronics.

Solectron's attention-grabbing Redbox DVD-rental kiosk

Solectron co-demonstrated the automated DVD rental kiosk it built for redbox. The simple red metal box holds approximately 500 DVDs on a series of stacked carousels. When a customer selects a DVD on the unit's touchscreen, the carousels turn to the appropriate point at which a robotic mechanism can collect the DVD and dispense it through a vertical slot in the machine's side. The Redbox system is deployed in McDonald's (its parent company) and groceries around the U.S.

SmartPower Systems showcased its line of power supplies and accessories, including the SBK/SBP-TBF uninterruptible power supply and the PC Series of power conditioners, which feature brownout and "prolonged over-voltage" protection.

SolvPort offered information on its ATM and kiosk service programs. The company's services include back-office technical support, monitoring, field technical service, installation and project management.

Star Micronics America demonstrated several of its kiosk printers, which have been used for solutions in airline travel, gaming and ATMs. The company also offered information on its thermal card printer/rewriter, an all-in-one unit ideal for loyalty programs, event credentials and any circumstance where temporary IDs are needed.

Technical Transportation Inc. offered information on its "white glove" delivery service for kiosks, ATMs and other large electronic devices.

Transaction Network Services touted its transaction data delivery capabilities. Vice president of self-service solutions Kent Phillips said the company has relationships with every broadband provider in the country, transferring 20 million transactions per day, including credit, debit and stored value. Phillips touted TNS's ability to connect kiosks and ATMs almost anywhere, and the ability to accommodate massive Triple DES throughput.

 

Las Vegas, Nevada — Four years after opening Television City, its groundbreaking television research center and entertainment venue in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand hotel, CBS has added 75 new counter top kiosks designed and manufactured by SeePoint Technology of Redondo Beach, California. CBS' new kiosk systems feature 19 inch touch LCD screens, allowing the media company to conduct individual, as opposed to group, research sessions. 

Visitors to the Television City research center participate in individual research sessions by viewing programming right from the kiosk and then reacting to the content by responding to survey questions on the kiosk.  The large, vibrant and crystal clear touch LCD screens integrated with the SeePoint kiosks provide an ideal platform for displaying the content-rich television shows, movies and promotions previewed by CBS at Television City.  The SeePoint systems also provide robust and responsive multimedia computing for the most dynamic interactive experience.

 

The market research conducted at Television City provides CBS with a source of continual interaction with and insight into its television viewing audience.  By conducting individual research sessions on the large screen kiosks, visitors no longer have to wait for scheduled group sessions, and CBS can conduct more research sessions and interface with more visitors.  The individual research sessions also give CBS the advantage of showing a wider array of content that is better geared to the target audience demographic of the particular programming.  Additionally, each SeePoint terminal is linked to the Internet, allowing CBS executives to author and revise questionnaires as well as track viewer response from remote locations on a real time basis.

The Television City research center is available to CBS as well as other Viacom-owned properties, which include MTV, Nickelodeon and Showtime, for market research, tracking of public opinion on programming and promotions, and other development needs. This center will draw on Las Vegas' tourist base of 37 million annual visitors to assist CBS in developing future programming.

When Television City opened in 2001, CBS conducted the research using 75 of SeePoint's counter top kiosks with 15 inch touch LCD.  The media company conducted group sessions, showing the programming on plasma displays and having visitors respond on the kiosks.  In addition to the research terminals, CBS has also installed SeePoint's VantagePoint freestanding kiosks in the Television City retail outlet. From the kiosks, visitors may register for promotions, enabling CBS to collect additional demographic information from Television City visitors. A variety of merchandise tied to Viacom's television networks and programming may also be purchased from the VantagePoint kiosks. Additionally, the interactive kiosks provide high-speed access to all of the Viacom Television related websites.

 

MyFax, an Internet-based fax service offered by Protus, allows busy business travelers to send and receive faxes using existing e-mail accounts or the Web. It also enables users to better manage their fax communication · reduces paper usage and allows faxes to be scheduled at a preset date, all at a lower cost than traditional fax servers or fax machines, regardless of physical location.

 

Faxing is a critical component to many business transactions where sales orders, purchase agreements, contracts and other documents are time-sensitive. With Internet-based faxing capability, faxes can easily be forwarded, saved and stored digitally, allowing for smarter document management. Internet fax virtually eliminates lost pages, allows for immediate electronic document storage and ensures delivery of the document to the right hands.

 

A key benefit MyFax offers Internet fax users in a public facility is document confidentiality. Using Internet fax service, business users eliminate the risk posed by traditional fax machines of exposing private and confidential faxes as they sit idly on the paper tray.

 

Many of the new products feature innovations exclusive to Noritsu. "We are committed to providing complete photo processing solutions to the retail market. The digital equipment and software applications introduced at the show will reflect this." said Mr. Shiro Kazuta, President of Noritsu America Corporation.
 
On exhibit for the first time will be the QSS-35 Series of Digital Minilabs, LPS-24 PRO Large Format Printer, DP-100 Digital Dry Printer and CT-SL Consumer Terminal Kiosk. The applications debuting at the show will include EZLab Workflow Software and Order Controller Software.

 

QSS-35 Series Digital Minilab
The QSS-3501 Digital and QSS-3502 Digital are extremely compact minilabs that are designed for retail, providing a full range of output capabilities in a small footprint of just 11 square feet. Both minilabs can be configured to accommodate different floor layouts, adding to their flexibility.

The QSS-3501/02 delivers uncompromising quality and productivity, featuring identical processing speeds for both digital media and film - up to 1,010 prints per hour (4" x 6"). Both machines can produce panorama prints up to 8" x 24" in size.

 

The QSS-3501/02 series offers new film scanner options, each one utilizing an LED light source, which results in consistent scanning and minimal maintenance. For labs that scan a wide variety of film, the S-4 Scanner is available. The S1-11 Scanner option supports 35mm and APS film only and is recommended for labs that produce a majority of output from digital sources. The S1-11 can be integrated into the Noritsu QSF-T15 film processor to produce a One Pass System that enables processed film to be automatically scanned as it exits the processor. This time saving feature is available for 35mm film only. The QSS-3501/02 can also be set up as a stand-alone for producing digital prints.

Image adjustment tools such as Noritsu's AccuSmart image processing technology allows easy correction of images, resulting in extremely high quality prints regardless of the image source. AccuSmart technology not only provides optimal quality for well photographed images, it also applies appropriate correction to less-than-perfect shots to make beautiful, natural-looking prints.

 

LPS-24 PRO Large Format Printer
The LPS-24 PRO is a Large Format Printer that features a silver halide printer and paper processor designed to print a variety of print sizes from 5" x 7" up to jumbo panorama size (24" x 36").  With the addition of optional equipment, prints up to 100" in length are possible. The LPS-24 PRO is designed to meet the heavy-duty production and high-quality demands of portrait and commercial professional labs.

Dual magazine capability allows both a 12" and 24" magazine to be loaded at the same time, enabling prints of various sizes to be made without changing magazines. Processing capacity ranges from approximately 27 prints per hour for a 24" x 36" print to approximately 51 prints per hour for a 12" x 18" print.

 

DP-100 Digital Dry Printer
Noritsu continues to make advances in the area of professional-grade Digital Dry printers. The DP-100 is the latest addition to its award-winning line of dDP inkjet printers. Designed as an entry-level, stand-alone unit, the DP-100 is the only inkjet printer on the market that can produce standard photo sizes (4" x 6", 5" x 7" and 8" x 10") all the way up to scrapbook-sized prints (12" x 12") and jumbo panorama prints (12" x 36"). The exceptional versatility of the DP-100 makes it ideal for deployment in new markets seeking to explore the profitability of photofinishing or for photo labs looking to supplement their business with new revenue streams from dry digital printing. The DP-100 is based on second generation pigment inkjet technology and is an environmentally-friendly, 7-color printing system that does not use chemicals or produce any waste, runs on standard 110 volt household power, and is easy to maintain.

CT-SL Kiosk
For retailers seeking a network and Internet-ready kiosk solution, Noritsu will display a "kiosk island" on the show floor demonstrating its complete line of Consumer Terminal kiosk solutions. The Noritsu Consumer Terminals can be deployed in a variety of configurations, such as a self-service, order taking front end to a digital minilab, or as a stand alone, print-on-demand kiosk. All Noritsu Consumer Terminals are compatible with QSS Series Digital Minilabs and dDP Series Digital Dry Printers, and guarantee retail customers experience a fast, easy-to-use order placement workflow.

The newest addition to the Noritsu lineup of Consumer Terminals is the CT-SL.  The Noritsu CT-SL is an entry level, countertop Consumer Terminal that improves efficiency by providing simple and easy-to-use input options.   The CT-SL supports all popular media and comes with Noritsu CT-X Software preinstalled. Features such as automatic red-eye removal, filters, color correction, zoom and crop are available right out of the box. The CT-SL utilizes a responsive 15"� LCD touch screen with angle adjustment, thermal receipt printer and has built-in wireless support using Bluetoothâ„¢.

 

Software
Noritsu EZLab is a powerful new software suite that provides enhanced control and improved workflow to retail and professional photofinishers. EZLab takes the operator from behind the printer to the front counter increasing productivity and profitability. Acting as a central hub between Noritsu input and output devices, Noritsu EZLab extends a lab's capabilities with productivity enhancements and additional management functionality. Time-consuming tasks are optimized, greatly increasing efficiency.

Order Controller Software is an application designed for QSS Series Digital Minilabs to manage and control all print commands from film and media input. Complete control of print data means that it is possible to process orders concurrently and controlling print priority, automatic print method settings and even printing urgent orders out of turn can be performed quickly and easily. Order workflow is enhanced with Order Controller.

 

dDP Series Digital Dry Printers
Designed as the first high-quality output system for low-volume photo imaging orders, the dDP Series of Digital Dry Printers employ second generation technology in an inkjet minilab system to produce vivid, high-quality water-fast prints.  Operating on standard 110 volt household electrical current, dDP units feature an environmentally friendly design which means that there are no chemicals used, nor any odors or waste disposal to worry about.  The dDP Series includes the dDP-421, winner of the 2005 DIMA Innovative Product Award, and the dDP-621, which has the distinction of being the highest capacity digital dry printer available on the market today. The dDP Series of minilabs are also available as stand alone printing devices. The DP-410/610 variants use the same powerful inkjet printer technology as the dDP-421/621, but are conï¬�?gured to serve a network printing function.

 

About Noritsu
Noritsu America Corporation, headquartered in Buena Park, California, has earned the distinction as an innovator in photofinishing technology with a number of industry firsts.  The company's legacy dates back to its founder, who invented the automatic print washer, the predecessor to the modern photofinishing machine. Other advances include the introduction of the world's first one hour film developing and printing system which revolutionized the photo industry. Today, Noritsu is one of the largest manufacturers of photo processing and digital imaging systems in the world.  Noritsu continues to lead the market in developing innovative digital imaging hardware and software solutions.  For more information, visit www.noritsu.com or call (800) 521-3686.

And he had some interesting insights into those major initiatives.

 

"Women control almost all purchasing decisions in our economy," he said. "Generally, women buy everything. They run the world."

 

This point dovetailed into Richardson's analysis of how a typical female customer might view the different components she encounters as she passes through a retail store.

 

"What problem does she want to solve in those five square feet of space, at that particular time?" he asked, showing that in a typical retail store, a customer might encounter dozens of different points of decision. His advice was to opt for micro-solutions rather than macro · small, non-networked devices that are dedicated to their portion of the store, rather than holistic units that can solve any problem from anywhere.

For examples he pointed to the shelf-front product info kiosk developed for Starbucks, and Home Depot's "Ask Henry" video information box developed by Apunix. With the latter, he emphasized the importance of simplicity: "It comes in one box, the store plugs it in and it works."

 

Richardson also referenced the successful kiosk initiatives from luxury car company BMW, noting that customers embraced the devices for innately human, psychological reasons.

 

"Customers trust the computer, but they don't trust the car salesperson," he said. "It's a fairly complicated decision to buy a $75,000 car."

 

He predicted a "massive proliferation" of digital assisted-selling devices over the next five years, and pointed out that in order to be effective, they need to incorporate rich media.

 

"Consumers have been so trained on rich media, they expect it inside the store," he said. "You have to have it. " Pictures turn information into understanding."

 

Visitors to the Television City research center participate in individual research sessions by viewing programming right from the kiosk and then reacting to the content by responding to survey questions on the kiosk. The large, vibrant and crystal clear touch LCD screens integrated with the SeePoint kiosks provide an ideal platform for displaying the content-rich television shows, movies and promotions previewed by CBS at Television City. The SeePoint systems also provide robust and responsive multimedia computing for the most dynamic interactive experience.

 

The market research conducted at Television City provides CBS with a source of continual interaction with and insight into its television viewing audience. By conducting individual research sessions on the large screen kiosks, visitors no longer have to wait for scheduled group sessions, and CBS can conduct more research sessions and interface with more visitors. The individual research sessions also give CBS the advantage of showing a wider array of content that is better geared to the target audience demographic of the particular programming. Additionally, each SeePoint terminal is linked to the Internet, allowing CBS executives to author and revise questionnaires as well as track viewer response from remote locations on a real time basis.

 

The Television City research center is available to CBS as well as other Viacom-owned properties, which include MTV, Nickelodeon and Showtime, for market research, tracking of public opinion on programming and promotions, and other development needs. This center will draw on Las Vegas' tourist base of 37 million annual visitors to assist CBS in developing future programming.

 

When Television City opened in 2001, CBS conducted the research using 75 of SeePoint's counter top kiosks with 15 inch touch LCD. The media company conducted group sessions, showing the programming on plasma displays and having visitors respond on the kiosks. In addition to the research terminals, CBS has also installed SeePoint's VantagePoint freestanding kiosks in the Television City retail outlet. From the kiosks, visitors may register for promotions, enabling CBS to collect additional demographic information from Television City visitors. A variety of merchandise tied to Viacom's television networks and programming may also be purchased from the VantagePoint kiosks. Additionally, the interactive kiosks provide high-speed access to all of the Viacom Television related websites.

 

About SeePoint

SeePoint Technology is a leading provider of interactive, Internet-ready, fully integrated self- service kiosk systems. SeePoint designs and manufactures interactive information systems that are ideal for entertainment, marketing and survey applications as well as retail services, ticketing systems, public information terminals and customer service applications.

 

SeePoint offers a full line of standard kiosk products with a variety of mounting options, all of which may be customized to maximize branding opportunities and integrated with a full range of peripheral devices. SeePoint also offers full service engineering, design and manufacturing services to create custom developed solutions for customers with unique project specifications.

 

All of SeePoint's kiosks unite design, durability, reliability, flexibility, customizability and modularity to bring Internet based information, commerce and communication to the public.

 

SeePoint has provided interactive display solutions to Billabong, Deloitte Consulting, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Fuji, the J. Paul Getty Museum, the National Constitution Center, Neutrogena, Pfizer, Polaris ATV, the San Francisco International Airport, the States of New Mexico and Wisconsin and the United States Air Force and Army. Contact SeePoint Technology at (310) 725-9660 or visit www.seepoint.com for more information.

 

SeePoint is a trademark of SeePoint LLC. Other company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

 

For more information contact:
SeePoint Technology LLC
Sydney Arfin
888-587-1777 x103

 

Real Time Shredding Inc. president Amanda Verrie and director of business services Johnny R. Podrovitz pose next to their self-service shredder. The chain-driven, two horsepower shredder can devour up to 600lbs of material, including compact discs, per hour.

 

Handheld Products senior product manager Nick Daddabbo and solutions architect Donald Godbee demonstrated a 5.7" mini-kiosk with deployer-adaptable software.

 

Nanonation's VP of sales David Owens, business development analyst Zachary Rustad and VP of business development Brian Ardinger showcased the company's ultra-contemporary signage, kiosk and marketing devices.

 

Networld Alliance vice president of the self-service division, Bob Fincher, shares a moment with D2 Sales owner Sandy Nix at the opening night cocktail reception.

The winter installment of The Self-Service & Kiosk Show opened today at the Doubletree Hotel at Universal Orlando. Over forty exhibitors brought their latest and greatest wares, from check-cashing and financial services to digital signage to a fast-food giant's successful DVD rental program.

Anchor partners for the show include Palm Desert National Bank, St. Clair Interactive Communications, Kiosk Information Systems and Source Technologies.

The early morning hours were devoted to pre-conference workshops, including Greg Swistak's primer on kiosk technology; Doug Peter (St. Clair) discussing integration; Sylvia Berens (Apunix Computer Services) on ROI; Peter Honebein (author, "Creating Do-It-Yourself Customers") on improving the customer's shopping experience; and Alex Richardson (Selling Machine Partners) with case studies and best practices on ROI.

Richardson also spoke later in the day, in a seminar titled "Trends in Assisted Selling Applications at Major Retail," which touched on companies like Home Depot and Starbucks and how they are using self-service. (Click here to read more about this seminar.)
Afternoon sessions also included Forrester Research senior analyst Kerry Bodine, offering strategies on environment planning and device placement. Bob Fincher, NetWorld Alliance executive vice president of sales and marketing, wrapped up the afternoon with his overview of the state-of-the-art in the self-service industry. (Click here for a complete roster of speakers and topics.)

Then it was time to open the show floor. Buzz built quickly around the Immersion booth, where vice president Michael Levin demonstrated his company's touchscreen monitor with tactile and audio feedback. Heads also turned toward the Redbox DVD rental kiosk, which has been a success for McDonald's. (Click here to learn more about Redbox.)
On tap for Tuesday: the keynote address from branding expert Janelle Barlow, Ph.D., plus a seminar on the "grocery store of the future," Giant Food in Camp Hill, Pa.

"Enthusiasm drives employee commitment beyond work projects to substantial involvement in community service," said Deborah Theobald, CEO of Vecna. "Companies are inherently a part of the community, and contributing to the community is part of being a responsible member. We encourage our employees to be involved and contribute to the greater good."

 

Vecna has participated in a number of community service projects. The company sponsors an annual 10K race for the Medical Care for Children Partnership, a program that provides medical services to children in low income families. Recently, Vecna had a care package drive in the DC metro area which raised over 140 care packages, totaling over 700 pounds of goodies that were sent to Iraq. Other past activities included helping the development of the Compassion Center, a nonprofit organization located in College Park, MD, that helps individuals cope with the loss of a loved one. Later this year Vecna will also contribute support to the FIRST robotics league competition in Boston, MA by coaching two local teams and providing referee services for the competition.

About Vecna
Vecna Technologies, Inc., headquartered in College Park, MD, delivers to its clients technology-based solutions designed to meet today's business management challenges. Vecna surpasses customer expectations with expert, cost effective management and information systems consulting. Key services include enterprise architecture consulting, system integration and interfacing, and enterprise application development. Key areas of research include medical informatics, bioinformatics, artificial intelligence, robotics, and clinical solutions. For more information, visit www.vecna.com.

 

Nashua's coated carbonless business was part of the Company's Specialty Paper segment. Its products include papers manufactured for use in quick copy and mid-sized commercial printers as well as in-plant print shops that use high-speed copiers. The assets sold include certain of Nashua's coated carbonless inventory and customer list.  As a result of the transaction, approximately 14 positions, mainly in Nashua's Merrimack, New Hampshire facility, will be eliminated and Nashua will incur an estimated $500,000 in severance.  The overall liquidation of the coated carbonless business is expected to be cash positive.

 

 "We are pleased to enter into the agreement with Nekoosa Coated Products, a company with a well-earned reputation in the industry," said Andrew Albert, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Nashua Corporation. "Also, the sale advances Nashua's strategy to exit non-strategic and mature businesses and focus on growth opportunities."

 

About Nashua

Nashua Corporation manufactures and markets a wide variety of specialty imaging products and services to industrial and commercial customers to meet various print application needs.  The Company's products include thermal coated papers, pressure-sensitive labels, bond, point of sale, ATM and wide format papers, entertainment tickets, and ribbons for use in imaging devices.  Additional information about Nashua Corporation can be found at www.nashua.com.

Forward-looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  When used in this press release, the words "will," "estimates," "expects" and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements.  Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated.  Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the Company's ability to consummate the transaction, the Company's future capital needs and resources, fluctuations in customer demand, intensity of competition from other vendors, timing and acceptance of new product introductions, delays or difficulties in programs designed to increase sales and profitability, general economic and industry conditions, the resolution of certain litigation matters, and other risks set forth in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the information set forth herein should be read in light of such risks.  In addition, any forward-looking statements represent the Company's estimates only as of the date of this press release and should not be relied upon as representing the Company's estimates as of any subsequent date.  While the Company may elect to update forward-looking statements at some point in the future, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so, even if its estimates change.

 

His company's next generation input devices include GestureExtreme, allowing the users on-screen emersion in real-time animation; GroundFX, an animated, interactive floor projection on which multiple users can walk on, to control the environment; and GestPoint, allows users to control a device from a distance using only there natural gestures.

 

What were you doing before your involvement in kiosk industry?

I co-created the technology now popular in public kiosk installations with my partner Francis MacDougall in the mid 80's as an interactive art experience. Together we installed hundreds of systems in gallerias, and museums around the world, although I Mr. Vincent used the technology as the foundation for public art performances. The technology, for many years, was used as a purely immersive experience where the users saw themselves on a screen surrounded by interactive animation that they controlled with their full body. This has since evolved into our three distinct successful product lines.

 

What was your first kiosk project?

An installation for CITY TV / CHUM Television. CEO Moses Znaimer commissioned GestureTek Inc. as part of the Toronto Arts awards for up and coming talent to build and install a kiosk The installation sat in front of the then-CEO'S office and was visited by hundreds of media from around the world.

 

Where will the industry be in 5 yrs?

Large interactive screens will dominate and will be fully compatible with mobile devices, where personal information can be exchanged via personal hand-helds. 

 

What has been the biggest missed opportunity in the industry, recently?

Most companies have not responded to the digital signage and self service markets yet — there has been such a delay in advancement due to the lack of acknowledgement of the ease of use for of large interactive displays.

 

At the "Checkout Revolution" symposium held at WincorWorld 2006, representatives from French retailer Auchan and the Belgian retail group Delhaize reported on their experience of testing this technology.

Auchan Group, 84% of whose shares are family-owned, operates 365 hypermarkets and 654 supermarkets in 11 countries. Since the beginning of last year, Auchan has replaced one fast-checkout (for baskets of up to 10 items) in each of six French outlets with a specially designed self-checkout from Wincor Nixdorf.

 

According to IT Business Manager Alain Boissieres, the test results are highly positive, with the systems available for customer use during 95% of opening hours. In a survey, 90% of customers testing the self-checkout for the first time said they would want to continue using the system. Checkout personnel, who are now used to monitor the process and help customers use the equipment, value the "higher status" they enjoy vis-a -vis customers in their new role. And for Auchan itself, the system produces a reduction in operating costs of around 20%. After the successful testing the next 18 months will see a further 30 Auchan stores being equipped with self-checkouts. In parallel with this, says Boissieres, they are on the look-out for solutions with a view to deploying the technology for larger purchase volumes as well.

 

Even during the early 90's, Delhaize began installing self-checkouts in its US supermarkets. Today, over 100 US outlets use this equipment. In all, the Belgian retailer runs 2,636 stores, most of them in the US and Central Europe, but also in southeast Asia. This self-scanning pioneer started experimenting in Europe in 1997, and now around 50 stores are equipped with two different systems: mobile scanning, involving customers picking up a portable radio-frequency hand-scanner on the way in and the data being transferred from the mobile hand-scanner to the ePOS software at the checkout, and a second, stationary version called "Quick Shopper" tailored specially for purchases of up to 10 items. Here, the customer uses a fixed-location scanner station beside the checkout before paying. Luc Koenot, Vice President IT Europe at Delhaize Group, is very happy with the level of customer acceptance of this system, with an average of 20% (and in some stores up to 40%) of sales being checked out via the two self-scanning systems.

 

Other retailers, too, are testing this technology. Marco Atzberger from the European Retail Institute pointed out clearly in his talk that installation of self-checkout systems needs meticulous preparation. Indeed, only a precise analysis relating to the specific location concerned enables the relevant optimum mix of traditional checkouts and automated systems to be pinpointed.

 

In this regard, the institute has worked with Wincor Nixdorf to develop a methodology which provides a reliable bank of information and data to underpin checkout investment decisions and safeguard the user's interests. It essentially comprises an extensive analysis of individual location-related factors, optimization of the quantity and type of checkout stations required and design of the hardware configuration.

 

Joachim Pinhammer, Marketing Manager for Wincor Nixdorf's Retail Division says, "An intelligent, tailored combination of traditional checkouts and self-scanning terminals augmented by systems which add extra speed to the payment process — that's what tomorrow's checkout zone looks like".