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News Archive |
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Wednesday, 31 May 2006
Seattle — 3M Digital Signage, worldwide provider of digital signage network solutions, announced the release of 3M Digital Signage Software - Network Edition version 3.0. Network Edition digital signage software provides the ability to distribute and play back media files, schedule playlists, and monitor a network of digital signs from any Internet-connected computer.
Network Edition 3.0 adds new functionalities, plus augments and streamlines the content and network management features 3M Digital Signage products are known for. Highlights include new network management capabilities such as the ability to assign multiple users/multiple roles, network-status reporting enhancements and an enhanced user interface designed for even easier use. In addition, functional improvements, fixes and optional content services help optimize network performance.
Current users of Network Edition 2.0 will receive automatic upgrades and see these improvements the next time they log in.
Among the highlights of 3M Digital Signage — Network Edition v. 3.0:
- "User-defined media folders: Organize media to suit any size or type of project.
- "Multiple users/multiple roles: Create new usernames and assign specific privileges.
- "Schedulable layouts and tickers: Change screen layouts at will within a playback schedule.
- "Multidimensional reporting: Generate network activity reports by player, media item, or time interval.
User Interface Improvements
- "Task-oriented User Interface, with new descriptive tabs for faster, easier content, schedule and network management.
- "All new portal look and feel.
Functional improvements
- "Streamlined player registration.
- "Various speed and performance enhancements and fixes.
"Network Edition 3.0 delivers more power, flexibility, and reliability to our customers while noticeably improving usability," says Steve Saxe, product marketing manager, 3M Digital Signage. "Combined with a new reporting engine and other functional improvements, we're building on our promise to 'Keep it simple, make it count.'"
Tuesday, 30 May 2006
To the consumer, a convenience store is a wonderfully simple thing: a place to buy some gas and milk, maybe a lottery ticket, perhaps a car wash. It is so deeply rooted in our modern culture, it is usually taken for granted (until, of course, your next trip to a town without one).
But what goes on behind the scenes is anything but simple. The typical c-store is a bewildering daisy-chain of systems, technologies and processes, usually from different vendors and working in proprietary ways.
This year's NACStech event at the Gaylord Opryland Convention Center , March 22-24 in Nashville , Tenn. , was host to most of those systems and technologies, from pay-at-the-pump terminals to foodservice ordering kiosks to POS systems. And this year more of them bore the logo that said they are approved for PCATS, the emerging technology standard that aims to make them all talk to one another.
PCATS, or the Petroleum Convenience Alliance for Technology Standards, is an offshoot of a project the National Association of Convenience Stores began in 2003.
"There are 19 reconciliation reports that a c-store manager has to prepare in an eight-hour shift," said Ed McGunn, president of show exhibitor Corporate Safe Specialists and a member of the PCATS board. "And that's usually an $8.50-an-hour employee who has to do it. It's no wonder there's such a high turnover in this industry."
And turnover isn't the only problem. A store full of proprietary technologies costs money to integrate, money to maintain, and represents a substantial amount of lost revenue and wasted time.
"In the past, all of the various devices that sit on a counter in a c-store didn't talk to one another," said John Hervey, executive director of PCATS. "Lottery terminals were standalone - if you sold a lottery ticket, you had to be sure the cashier then went over to the POS and entered the sale, because there was no link between
the two. Same thing with money orders and all those other devices."
Dresser Wayne 's iX Media series, which delivers rich media and coupons at the pump
The PCATS solution to this is the Open Site Architecture, a series of rules that allows conforming machines to "plug-and-play" into the store's network operation. Hervey said the Architecture is about 75 percent complete, and will likely be finished by the end of this year.
When that happens, c-store owners will be able to shop for components and technologies with an eye on the "PCATS-compliant" logo, knowing that any such tools they buy will work together.
Hervey said the ability to still shop among competing vendors will be a big plus for c-stores.
"In this industry, people like to buy a POS from one vendor that they consider best, and an accounting system that might be different," he said. "In the past, to make those two speak to one another, the retailer had to pay to have an interface written. When one of them changed, the retailer had to pay someone to make the changes on both sides of the equation."
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Radiant's integrated POS and self-ordering solution
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He added that operators will notice significant cost savings and revenue increases, both immediately and over time.
"Today, the lottery machine has a telephone line, the ATM has a telephone line, the kiosk for bill payment has a phone line, the tank gauge monitor has a phone line · when you put the architecture in place, you can share services and reduce a lot of expense," he said.
Another real-world example of ROI comes at the street · or more specifically, at the price sign. Assuming an average weekly change of $.05 in gas price, and assuming it takes 2 hours for a store manager to react to a price change and update the signage manually, a digital sign system that is integrated with the back-office (i.e. updated instantly to reflect higher prices) would net a small store an additional $62,000 in revenue a year.
On the show floor
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Pay By Touch, NCR's biometric payment solution
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At the NCR booth, attendees got a closer look at the biometric payment options offered by Pay By Touch, as well as NCR's 7405 Service Center kiosk, which dispenses money orders and prepaid products.
Xpedient demonstrated its food-ordering software solution, which has been successfully implemented with the Thornton 's SubWorks program.
Fiscal Systems showcased its rugged outdoor kiosk, used for truck fleet management programs. Kevin Struthers, Fiscal's vice president, said the device is in 70 travel centers, where truckers can purchase gasoline, get paycheck advances and even purchase showers. The trucking company can closely monitor and control where and when the drivers stop to refuel, in order to take advantage of lower taxes in different geographic regions.
Gilbarco brought its car wash kiosk, which acts as an extension of the in-store POS. Chris Whitley, Gilbarco's director of retail systems sales, said the integration with the existing card processing network saves money by eliminating the second network often needed at the car wash · and allows the retailer to take all major payment methods, including fleet cards.
Dresser Wayne brought a number of modern pay-at-the-pump units, including the iX Media series that displays rich media at the pump and prints coupons on receipts. The company also announced it had just received the "Partner of the Year" award from Microsoft's Windows Embedded Partner program.
VeriFone demonstrated its new Food Service Kiosk Solution, an extension of the VeriFone POS. The product is currently in beta testing.
Radiant Systems showcased a comprehensive suite of products that extends from POS to customer-facing terminals and digital signage. The company also turned heads at its booth with a virtual reality racecar game.
Hypercom's payment terminals included a number of contactless-compliant keypads. The Optimum L4100 model contains a 5.7-inch color screen, making it possible to bring rich media to the point of purchase.
Wincor Nixdorf was on hand with its comprehensive POS and customer-facing platform. The company recently made news when it became the first European firm to offer plug-and-play functionality for retail peripherals verified to run on Microsoft Windows Embedded for Point of Service.
Touch-n-Buy brought its semi-assisted prepaid product kiosk, a tabletop unit that lets customers customize a prepaid or stored-value product; the card is then printed at a small cashier-facing unit. According to Carlos Rodriquez, vice president, the Touch-n-Buy unit is deployed in over 5,000 c-stores.
Tuesday, 30 May 2006
Posen, Ill. - Corporate Safe Specialists, one of the largest suppliers of retail safes and cash handling systems, and Brink's, Inc. have collaborated to bring retail customers one of the most advanced safe and cash control systems ever devised. The new Brink's Compusafe 3000 Series safe will give customers new ways to cut losses, improve customer service, and increase business efficiency.
Brink's proven hardware is now coupled with CSS's Advanced Cash Control System, the most dynamic cash management software in the industry. The combination of CSS's ACCS and the Brink's Compusafe 3000 Series results in an easy-to-use and robust system for managing information and reducing loss.
Color touchscreen images prompt customers every step of the way and the easy-to-use software puts customers at ease instantly. The system also features an open architecture that allows for integration at the point-of-sale (POS), with back office solutions and other in-store management devices such as cell phones and PDA's. The ACCS verifies what is in the safe and securely delivers that data when and where it is needed. The six language translation of the device makes this a true global cash management solution. The ACCS software results in an "information safe." The most advanced auditing tools are included to bring labor savings to any store by reducing reconciliation time at shift close. The advanced software provides event monitoring, end-of-day reports, and video monitoring.
"The teams from both companies have succeeded in improving a proven cash management tool by coupling it with the most advanced software, ready to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow's retail cash management needs," said Ed McGunn, president and one of the founders of CSS. "The real beneficiaries of this collaboration are the customers and helping our customers has always been our number one goal."
"The safe has always been an integral part of our Compusafe Service, adding to the convenience, simplicity, and security that makes Brink's CompuSafe the most trusted name in the industry," says Glenn Mason, vice president of Compusafe Service, Brink's. "With its advanced technology and superior performance, the Brink's Compusafe 3000 makes cash processing fast and easy so managers spend less time managing their cash and more time managing their stores - and that's efficiency that goes straight to the bottom line."
About Corporate Safe Specialists:
Corporate Safe Specialists (CSS) founded in 1988 by three respected safe industry veterans is one of the largest suppliers of safes to the retail and restaurant communities, including a high percentage of Fortune Five Hundred Companies. Since its inception, the company's main goal has been to protect the interests and profits of their clients. To accomplish this they have continually enhanced and grown their product line and services. In addition to their full line of fireproof, burglar-proof and electronic safes, the company is a pioneer in kiosks designed for specialty retailers along with other loss prevention products. For more information go to www.corporatesafe.com
Friday, 26 May 2006
instoremarketer.org: A new interactive in-store network called Touch n' Save will roll out this summer to 543 stores owned and operated or supplied by Supervalu.
Operated by Customer-Facing Media, Edina, Minn., the Touch n' Save network will include 1,350 machines in 21 states stretching from Washington to Pennsylvania. The rollout is expected to be complete by Labor Day. The company expects to have kiosks in 3,000 stores by the end of 2007, according to a spokesperson.
The machines dispense coupons and provide recipes, meal preparation ideas, product information and other content. The six-foot, 10-inch tall units are topped with digital "Marquee Monitors" that will be used to present 10-second product ads.
Read more.
Thursday, 25 May 2006
Burnaby, BC — Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) and TIO Networks Corp. (TSX-V: TNC), a leading automated bill pay and financial kiosk network, announced an agreement to roll out self-serve automated bill payment and financial services kiosks at more than 30 of Valero's Diamond Shamrock Corner Stores in the greater Denver, Colo. area.
By the end of June, Valero's Denver-area customers will access bill payment services by using TIO Network's cash-accepting touch-screen ATMs to make time-sensitive payments to wireless, utility and cable service providers. The service will be available in English and Spanish, and there will be a small fee for each transaction. Customers can either receive a paper receipt at the time of the transaction or request a digital receipt via e-mail.
Tuesday, 23 May 2006
Advanced Printing Systems is an international company specialized in design, manufacturing and customisation of thermal printer mechanisms, controller boards and OEM finished printers.
Monday, 22 May 2006
Besides boasting bright lights and big messages, many digital signs at the third annual Digital Retailing Expo, May 17 and 18 in Chicago, had something else going for them: They could take as well as they could give. True interactivity between sign and users was evident in a significant number of applications, and innovators of multiple applications evidently were concerned with attracting broad consumer bases through advanced service initiatives.
Alex Richardson, managing director of Selling Machine Partners, compared the two styles of digital signage ·image-only and interactive · to black and white versus color televisions.
"Nobody knew they needed a color TV until they saw it," Richardson said. "To put any kind of consumer device in a store that is not interactive is like buying a TV that is not in color and stereo. You're missing out on the senses."
Exhibitor Impart Media Group has launched a series of touchscreen displays used as destination, transportation and information guides in airports and hotels. The systems have the ability to display security breaches, Amber Alerts and visual paging in airports. Similar systems with recipes and food guides are being tested now and will be used primarily in Dole nutrition centers. "The need for self-service terminals is growing," said Tom O'Rourke, executive vice president of market development for Impart, citing a lawsuit where a hearing-disabled passenger missed an audible page .
Richardson said the four key consumer elements for digital signage success·attraction, interaction, transaction and satisfaction·are uniquely poised to facilitate interactivity.
"That's why I think the world of digital sign and kiosk is merging. They share those four points," he said. "The reason why we saw so many more software solutions (at DRE) is because the technology can be managed by the same system that manages the kiosk·we don't need two pieces of software."
Digital signage has always been about giving information, but coupled with touchscreen technology, the signs are now being designed to serve multiple purposes. And a display that is interactive "ties the person to the experience" much better than one that isn't said Mark Weshler, senior vice president and CMO of Ovation In-Store.
At the Ronin Wireless Technologies booth, attendees lined up to try the Sealy Touch, a touchscreen display the company designed for Sealy Posturepedic. Using the Sealy Touch system, consumers navigate a field of questions designed to pinpoint the best type of bedding for them.
"Nobody likes buying a mattress, but they have fun doing this," said Jeffrey Mack, Ronin president and CEO. Mack added the giant size of the touchscreen was Sealy's idea, and that the company didn't want something the consumer would walk past and ignore." The Sealy Touch also acts as a sales tool for Sealy Posturepedic employees and can be managed from one central location.
During the expo NextWindow introduced their latest product, 2400 Series touch panels. The panels can turn any 32" — 65" plasma or LCD into an interactive training, boardroom or education application, with full mouse capability that requires only the touch of a fingertip or any other device.
"I want somebody to write software that people care about. We would all benefit if they did," said Anthony Uhrick, NextWindow's vice president of sales and marketing North America. "The world's ahead of us in terms of interactivity, I think. There are not many creative concepts (coming) out of the U.S."
Not everyone is seeing the signs, however.
"I wouldn't call (interactive signage) a trend as people using iPods are a trend, yet," said Francie Mendelsohn, president of Summit Research Associates. "In terms of our research, we haven't done that much. We haven't felt the need to split it out into a separate entity. I think that digital signage has its place " but I don't see that (interactive digital signage) is going to completely replace the other."
The key, said Richardson, is to get everyone pointed in the same direction.
"We want big customers to think we have a good industry that's focused and not fragmented," Richardson said. "I think retailers are still numbed by the number of software and hardware providers that are out there. They're going to look for trusted brands."
For deployers of such developing hybrids, the case will come down to business-case justification.
"That's the question I didn't see answered (during the expo)," Richardson said. "Also, how do we take this from a nice to have to a must have?"
Also at the show
When it comes to interactive digital displays, Four Winds is making it easier for consumers to preview items such as movies and CDs, before they commit to buy. In some cases, all it takes is a barcode and the touch of a finger. They have an extensive list of video, music and book items, which can be found for review in their interactive touchpad media stations. The stations have been installed in more than 150 military bases, 250 museums, airports, aquariums, resorts and Zoos. Richard Chandler, vp of corporate sales, pegs additional sell-through for scanned titles at two to three times higher.
Ovation In-Store was promote its series of interactive digital signs. Ovation pushed to market the proprietary hardware and software system for the first U.S. Biotherm cosmetics store located in Glendale, Calif. After a customer completes a makeover, her picture is taken using a digital camera embedded in a counter mirror. The photo is then uploaded to the store's four looped LCDs and displayed on rotation for 15 to 30 minutes. The consumer's unique profile, including details such as the color of lipstick or eye shadow used during the makeover, is put on a digital file that can be recalled at any time. Other Ovation In-Store clients include Neutrogena, Reebok and Motorola.
DIGIT Professional is adding a personal touch to its products, although currently only in The Netherlands. The company partnered with Bison International to create the Bison Kiosk, an interactive digital display designed to help consumers find the right adhesive for their project. The system includes a 15" TFT/LCD touchscreen linked to the shelf layout, so customers can see at a glance exactly where product is.
One of the most talked about partnerships at the show was the collaboration between Nanonation and LocaModa, who joined to create a mobile-enacted interactive digital display. With their cell phone consumers can access multi-media content on internet-connected signage, typically to be located in a retail window. "We blended two technologies to create a brand experience," said Brian Ardinger, vice president of business development, Nanonation. LocaModa opened up its StreetSurfer platform interfaces to Nanonation in order to enable mobile solutions based on Nanonation's Nanopoint platform. Now, Nanopoint can extend the reach and power of the Web by creating a closed loop between brands and the mobile consumer.
LocaModa's solutions work on any cell phone and any network, and do not require any downloadable software.
SMART Technologies unveiled Instant Expert. The digital display includes a two-way digital camera and sound dome, and relies on Internet connectivity for use. Consumers in a retail establishment anywhere in the world equipped with Instant Expert can use the device to receive live, person-to-person help with a specific product question. SMART Technologies combined resources with four other companies to produce the software, which can be used in b-to-b environments as well as b-to-c.
SMART and Carnival Cruise Lines also touted their virtual concierge interactive bulletin board and wayfinder. The touch-enabled digital signage screen is used by guests on Carnival Cruise Lines to access information about deck plans, onboard events, meal times, shipboard staff, shore tours and port-of-call information.
Springboard Retail Networks is trying to make everyone's trip to the supermarket more efficient. The company's concierge system has a built-in barcode scanner that scans products as they are placed in the shopping cart. The scanned items are then removed from shopping lists. The interactive display includes store maps for shoppers. It operates using a USB key that is wirelessly connected to the retailer's back-end infrastructure. The back-end system also includes a Web server, providing shoppers with at-home access to the system through a secure site.
Standing behind its reputation as a leading producer of computer monitors and professional displays, Samsung Electronics displayed its MagicNet software during the expo. The software enables a person to control up to 254 screens of digital signage from one server. It allows users to show different content on different displays, at different times, on a schedule set up to a month in advance. Users also have the ability to view current programming on any selected MagicNet display. The software works best when used at hotels or conference centers, where several events happen at once. The multiple displays do not require much training and can handle frequent updates.
GestureTek Inc. showed off its gesture-based control software. The software has made a big impact in the gaming industry. GestureTek's video gesture control technology was licensed by Microsoft for their use with the Xbox 360. GestureTek has also partnered PLAYSKOOL to produce the ION Educational Gaming System, designed to inspire kids to get active alongside their favorite television show characters.
Delphi Display Systems brought its ruggedized pump-top display panel, which will broadcast content is trying to change the way Americans interact at the pump. GSTV has partnered with ABC to broadcast important news, sports, weather and traffic updates while consumers fill up their vehicle's engines. Store specials will also be advertised through the outdoor display system.
Monday, 22 May 2006
MENLO PARK, Calif. - Elo TouchSystems, the global leader in touch technology and a division of Tyco Electronics Corporation, announces two new Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) rear-mount kiosk touchmonitors aimed at OEMs, systems integrators and value-added resellers in the retail kiosk and gaming/amusement markets. The new 1739L 17" and 1939L 19" LCD rear-mount touchmonitors feature high-quality panels with Elo's all-glass IntelliTouch surface wave touch technology for the utmost in optical quality and durability, all packaged in a compact form factor. Both touchmonitors feature a unique injection-molded minibezel with a watertight seal that makes them ideal for the rigors of public use in retail kiosk or gaming/amusement environments. The touchmonitors complement Elo's existing family of 12.1", 15", 17" and 19" LCD rear-mount touchmonitors that feature Elo's range of touch technologies.
Monday, 22 May 2006
CHICAGO — According to the survey "RFID: How Far, How Fast?" sponsored by NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR) and conducted by Retail Systems Alert Group, the adoption rate of RFID is moving at a modest pace. Many challenges, both technical and cultural, continue to impede the growth of RFID. However, there is reason to believe growth may be on the way.
Highlights of the survey include:
- Retailers are lagging far behind manufacturers in adopting RFID. Only 9 percent of retailers who responded to the survey have an RFID-implementation timeline, and the majority of retailers who responded positively estimated their organization's overall revenue to increase to $5 billion or more.
- 44 percent of manufacturers have developed a timeline. Although fewer retailers reported a timeline for implementation, those retailers that have a timeline reported that they are spending more than in 2005, according to survey results.
- Manufacturers are focusing their attention on one to 50 product lines, rather than across a broader range of product lines as was reported in the 2005 survey results.
- Among those companies that have a timeline for RFID adoption, most respondents (both retailers and manufacturers) report that they have pilot distribution centers up and running.
According to the survey, although there still may be several challenges that are on the horizon in the adoption of RFID, the outlook is cautiously positive. The awareness level of RFID among C-level executives, directors and managers has significantly improved. In addition, many respondents are aware of the benefits their companies can expect within the first five years of RFID implementation.
The release of the survey, 3rd Annual Benchmark Study "RFID: How Far, How Fast?" was part of the 3rd Annual Retail RFID Technology Symposium, a full day pre-show held at Retail Systems 2006 which addressed underlying RFID trends. The results were presented by Dan Bogan, vice president of NCR's Retail Solutions Division.
Touching industries around the world, NCR's global RFID solutions encompass thoughtware, hardware, consumables, services and software, including Teradata warehouse solutions, to help customers solve real business problems.
Monday, 22 May 2006
AUSTIN, Tex. ·Wincor Nixdorf, one of the world's leading suppliers of IT solutions for the banking and retail industries, has sold one million point-of-sale (POS) systems with Intel technology. The popularity of Wincor's BEETLE POS platform has helped fuel Wincor Nixdorf's rapid rise to become the third largest provider of retail solutions worldwide.
"Wincor Nixdorf is proud to observe this milestone," said Doug Evans, vice president of retail, Wincor Nixdorf USA. "The BEETLE's strong acceptance is helping Wincor Nixdorf USA drive total solutions that encompass hardware, software, and services. We now offer even greater value to our customers as one of the few retail vendors able to deliver such a complete range of solutions."
Wincor Nixdorf introduced the retail industry's first computerized cash register in 1973 — the predecessor to today's BEETLEs. The BEETLE family includes a full range of powerful, retail-hardened models, built upon a common technology platform that drives down the total cost of ownership. The BEETLE architecture greatly simplifies software deployment and hardware maintenance, providing significant savings throughout the store system lifecycle.
Friday, 19 May 2006
Diatouch offers interactive touch screen survey software, touch screen data collection tools and a variety of information kiosk applications for you to stay a touch ahead. Our survey tools make it easy for you to gather instant feedback from your customers. The interactive kiosk solutions are a very effective way to make it easy for your customers to stay informed about your products and services, to educate themselves or to interact with your organization in a variety of ways.
Thursday, 18 May 2006
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Wednesday, 17 May 2006
CALGARY, Alberta - SMART Technologies Inc. announces its participation in cutting-edge research being conducted at the FedEx Institute of Technology at the University of Memphis in Tennessee for the interactive kiosk and digital signage markets. The Memphis Intelligent Kiosk Initiative (MIKI) is a research project designed to investigate the preferred and most efficient forms of human interaction with information kiosks. The Actalyst interactive overlay, from SMART, fastens securely over a large flat-panel display to create a durable, touch-enabled kiosk. Using the recordings from this kiosk, researchers are studying how visitors to the FedEx Institute access information. The three-year project is the first of its kind for the institute and will help to define objective benchmarks for the emerging interactive kiosk market.
The intelligent kiosk allows visitors to find the location of more than 80 rooms within the institute as well as information on events at the institute, the history of the university, the MIKI project and the institute's various research groups. Researchers are attempting to determine if people prefer interacting with an animated on-screen character or just a computer-generated voice. They are also examining what methods of providing directions are most effective. The kiosk uses a camera to identify when people approach the kiosk and a speech-recognition system then begins to interact with them. These features allow people to find information by touching the digital display with a finger or speaking to the kiosk. Once a topic of interest has been identified, the kiosk can reply in a variety of ways, including verbally or with 3-D animations, video presentations, images or additional sound signals and music. The entire interaction is recorded so researchers can collect this valuable data and determine how it may be applied for the emerging interactive kiosk and digital signage markets.
"With the addition of the Actalyst interactive overlay and the unstructured speech interaction, MIKI has become more than a fancy display. It has become a personality with which visitors enjoy interacting and treat as they would a human receptionist," said Lee McCauley, assistant professor, Department of Computer Science, University of Memphis. "In numerous places where a static display or no assistance has been available before, an intelligent kiosk application, like MIKI, can be installed to enhance both marketing initiatives and efficiency. For retail locations in particular, an intelligent kiosk would be like a Google for 'bricks-and-mortar,' providing the information people want and creating targeted marketing for the retailer."
Wednesday, 17 May 2006
Singapore and New York - muvee, the pioneer and leader in Instant Personal Video, has licensed its muveeKiosk software development kit (SDK) to Whitech Software Solutions for integration with the latter's photo kiosks. From July this year, users of Whitech's self-service Photo.Teller kiosks will be able to easily create emotionally engaging music videos out of their favorite pictures in just a few steps, and burn the finished product to DVD ready for playback. Based on the user's chosen production style, muveeKiosk technology automatically adds in music as well as style effects, graphics and transitions paced to the tempo to create the finished production, called Photo Movies.
Based on the user's chosen production style, muveeKiosk technology automatically adds in music as well as style effects, graphics and transitions paced to the tempo to create the finished production, called Photo Movies.
"Instead of just printing the odd picture, Photo.Teller kiosk users will now have the exciting new option of turning their photos into professional-quality productions that look like home movies and can be played back on DVD and viewed on the big screen. Unlike slideshows, Photo Movies really bring out the emotion in your photos because of the way the software cuts everything to the beat of the music. And the best part is, it's really easy to use," said Elvin Low, muvee's Director of Business Development for North America.
Whitech's Photo Movie feature gives users a choice of 10 unique production styles, including "Action," "Sepia Flicker" and "MotionPix." Each style also has its own music track. Users can opt for the express option, in which the software automatically selects pictures to make the Photo Movie, or they can manually select 50-100 pictures and the finished production will be burned onto a DVD, ready for playback.
There are also plans to support DSC video input in the Photo.Teller kiosks in the near future.
Wednesday, 17 May 2006
PHOENIX, Ariz. — Slabb Corp is pleased to announce that Robert Giblett has joined its executive management team as Vice President of Global Sales.
"There are very few individuals in the world that understand the complexities of self-service technologies," said Cy Birg, CEO and Founder of Slabb Corp from his office in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, "As one of the few, Robert brings with him an unparalleled knowledge of the industry along with the ability to effectively communicate self-service benefits and opportunities to Slabb's customers."
"I am very excited to join this great company," said Giblett, "Slabb presents a value proposition that no other company in the industry offers and I am honored to contribute to Slabb's continued acceleration."
Prior to joining Slabb Corp, Robert served as Vice President of Sales and Marketing for King Products & Solutions Inc., founded several companies in the self-service and telephony industries, and was involved in bringing next-generation VoIP technologies into the Canadian market.
Mr. Giblett will be responsible for orchestrating all Slabb sales efforts worldwide.
Tuesday, 16 May 2006
Waterloo, Ontario — Digital Display & Communication, Inc. (DDC), one of the leading digital signage network companies in North America, has aligned with Miller Zell, NEC Display Solutions of America, Inc., and 3M Digital Signage to deliver one-stop shopping for a full-range of turn-key, retail digital signage solutions. Marketed by Miller Zell as MZ In-Store Digital Media, this innovative offering is designed to help retailers and consumer products companies navigate the new world of electronic in-store digital signage and place-based private television networks.
DDC will lead the development of all digital programming and content management for MZ In-Store Digital Media, which offers a full-range of turn-key signage solutions, including display equipment, digital integration, content production and digital ad sales. Miller Zell's retail merchandising strategy, design, graphics, fixture production and full-program implementation capabilities complement the offering.
"DDC is committed to delivering communication that influences, so we are excited about the potential to collectively make a marked impact on the way people shop the traditional retail store," said Stuart Kirkpatrick, president of DDC. "Together, the four companies share a common vision to be major drivers of the rapidly increasing use of digital media as the de facto standard for in-store retail communication."
The unique combination of digital expertise is already paying dividends with all four companies supporting major retail-level digital programs, including a networked system in Future Shop (Best Buy) stores in Canada; a customer communication system in SunTrust Bank branches; a 26-channel interactive system in HSBC's flagship bank branch in New York; and a new showroom messaging system in Mohawk flooring dealers throughout the United States.
"We believe this powerful collaboration will help clients better promote retail and consumer product brands at the critical point of shopper decision-making," said Craig Apatov, executive vice president of Miller Zell.
DDC brings a wealth of expertise to the alliance, as one of the digital signage industry's founding companies with vast experience in digital merchandising systems.
Tuesday, 16 May 2006
Boston, Mass. — Nanonation, a leading provider of customer experience software for kiosks and digital signage, and LocaModa, Inc., a technology company enabling mobile consumers to use cell phones as remote controls to interact with out-of-home networks, announced a partnership to deploy mobile-enabled interactive digital signage.
Nanonation and LocaModa are previewing several mobile-enabled digital signage applications at the Digital Signage Expo, Chicago, May 17-18, 2006. The applications create an engaging experience for mobile consumers who can use a cell phone like a remote control to surf multi-media content on internet-connected signage, typically in storefront windows. As a result, brands can now reach consumers in-the-moment of purchase consideration, while consumers
remain in control of the experience.
LocaModa has opened up its StreetSurfer platform interfaces to Nanonation in order to enable mobile solutions based on Nanonation's Nanopoint platform. Now Nanopoint can extend the reach and power of the web to storefront windows, creating a closed loop between brands and the mobile consumer.
Bradley Walker, CEO of Nanonation, commented, "Brands are actively seeking ways to engage mobile consumers and to dynamically measure the results. Embedding LocaModa's technology into Nanopoint allows us to leverage the ubiquity of cell phones and deliver innovative and measurable solutions that address our customers' requirements."
"We've designed our StreetSurfer platform with an open architecture to enable innovators such as Nanonation to add mobile interactivity to their own solutions," said Stephen Randall, CEO and founder of LocaModa. "We're delighted to announce Nanonation as our first platform partner."
LocaModa's solutions work on any cell phone and any network without requiring any downloadable software. The combination of LocaModa StreetSurfer and Nanonation's Nanopoint self service platform results in a cross platform solution that addresses a variety of mobile-enabled applications and vertical markets such as retail, automotive, travel
and tourism markets and beverage market sectors.
StreetSurfer and Nanopoint systems are designed to run on affordable hardware to create innovative interactive storefront applications that not only help to convert passers-by into relationships, but also create measurable web-based interactions.
Nanonation's client list includes Mazda, Minnesota Wild, Douglas Theatres, Nebraska Book Company, Burger King, Petro, Yahoo, and many others in the retail, hospitality, entertainment, and education markets.
Monday, 15 May 2006
Imagine a nearly flawless kiosk deployment: it connects perfectly to the existing networks; the enclosures and software are attractive, branded and easy to use. The sales and savings the pilot generated earned widespread deployment the rubber stamp from upstairs and there are 1,000 shiny units in Wisconsin waiting to go into your every North American store. Now the trick becomes getting them there · but moving the sensitive electronics and connecting to databases and financial networks gets complicated.
We asked two experts, Bailiwick marketing manager Tom Heerman and TECHnical TRANSportation Inc. president Len Batcha, to explain the dos and don'ts of kiosk installation.
Plan, plan, plan.
Heerman said the total cost of transporting and installing kiosks depends on a number of unique variables, but the deployer can generally plan to spend about 10 percent of the project budget placing the kiosks. He said the main price considerations are: weight or dimensional weight, size of shipment, method of shipment (pallets, boxes, full loads or partial), distance to the sites, availability of shipping hubs or drop off points and current fuel surcharges. The trick, Heerman said, isn't in physically installing the kiosks · which are generally relatively simple computing devices · but managing the aggressive timeframes and long distance deliveries that large deployments generally entail.
"We customize every solution using a PMI-based methodology that covers a project through initiation, planning, execution, control and closure," Heerman said. "Most importantly, we ask a whole lot of questions up front. I think sometimes we almost annoy prospective clients with the thorough pre-project reviewing we do."
Navigate the obstacles.
Typical obstacles include hooking up power and networking cables. Adding a power outlet or a cat5 cable doesn't sound like a big deal, but doing it for 1,000 kiosks can multiply the price and time of installation. A little management foresight can curtail some of those costs. There also can be technical obstacles, like compatibility issues between the kiosk and the pre-existing database. Then there are logistic dilemmas, like the ones TECH TRANS found when installing a large simulator at an arcade in The Peabody Mall in Memphis, Tenn. The local zoning board wouldn't allow installation during the day · so TECH TRANS delivered it at 1 a.m. Sunday morning, finishing before the mall opened at 8 a.m.
"This particular arcade ordered a NASCAR simulator and the NASCAR simulator was designed to sit outside of their building façade," Batcha said. "You can imagine the simulator was probably 1,800 plus pounds. About 16 feet long by 10 feet wide by eight feet high. People go in there and do their NASCAR simulation. The client looked for a delivery company to assist them with the installation and the delivery of this simulator. They contacted us. We took a look at it, studied the facilities, entrance points and looked at what kind of equipment we'd need to make the delivery. We found out we actually had to use a crane."
Be very careful.
Many kiosks contain a lot of expensive, fragile equipment. Heerman said Bailiwick's project managers choose the safest, lowest-cost carrier that can handle each job. TECH TRANS caters to the high-end of that spectrum offering "white glove" service and using air rides for all their road deliveries (which have, over the years, included everything from pianos to medical gadgetry).
"A typical transportation company will not do," Batcha said. "These things need some special attention."
Install it correctly.
Putting the kiosk in the right place, hooked up the right way, in multiple locations, takes specialized knowledge. Heerman said Bailiwick has a variety of labor models it uses to plan installations, based on its experience. Batcha said when his company is tapped to install a kiosk, they use multimedia training tools to make sure the installers do it correctly.
"On this one ATM installation with an OEM, the gentleman had some delivery requirements," Batcha said. "The instructions were fairly detailed in nature. We decided to get a hold of an actual ATM machine and do a mock-up installation. We video taped the mock-up event and made a DVD video for our agents who would be performing these types of installs. We posted those instructions on our Web page, so before they made an attempt at the install they'd be fully trained on the installation. In this particular instance, what we've done is we've established the detailed training and then we make the delivery contact with the end-site user."
Monday, 15 May 2006
May 9, 2006 -- Enhance Electronics of Cerritos, Calif., a leading designer and manufacturer of kiosk power solutions, released nine unique power supplies specifically for kiosks.
These products come in all ranges within the ATX, SFX, TFX, TFX 1U and EPS 1U form factors.
The unique aspect of these products is they are fully RoHS compliant, Energy Star compliant, within 3% cross regulation, less than 25 dba noise and certified 80% plus efficient by 80 PLUS.
Due to significantly reduced heat output, these kiosk-specific power supplies increase kiosk reliability by up to 40%, reducing costly repairs and lost revenue due to kiosk downtime.
Monday, 15 May 2006
CALGARY, Alberta -- SMART Technologies Inc. announces the continued expansion of its Actalyst interactive digital signage product line to include an overlay for 32" (81 cm) flat-panel displays. The overlay fastens securely to LCD or plasma displays to create touch-enabled interactive surfaces. The new 32" overlay, the smallest of the Actalyst interactive overlays, gives purchasers another option when space for digital signage is limited. Actalyst interactive overlays now range in size from 32 to 65" (81 to 165 cm) diagonally and can be oriented in portrait or landscape mode. SMART supports most 32" digital displays, including those from NEC, Samsung, LG, Panasonic and Toshiba, with others to follow.
Actalyst interactive digital signage combines with a flat-panel display to provide an increasingly popular way for people to find information in public places. They simply walk up to the product and use a finger to navigate multimedia content to find what they need. The overlay is ideal for interactive information stations in retail stores, office buildings, real-estate developments, museums, hotels and shopping malls, where people often need information, but may not need human assistance.
"SMART added the 32" overlay in response to customer demand," says Nancy Knowlton, SMART's president and co-CEO. "The full line of Actalyst interactive overlays allows retailers, facility managers, exhibit designers and others to bring high-impact interactive digital signage to virtually any public place."
Monday, 15 May 2006
VERO introduces the automated check cashing solution, which uses patent-pending technology to measurably reduce fraud and streamline the check cashing process - while safely tapping into the unbanked market.
Sunday, 14 May 2006
MENLO PARK, Calif. — Elo TouchSystems offers a new entry-level LCD touchmonitor as part of its expanding 1000 series. The new 1915L 19" LCD touchmonitor delivers a cost-effective touch solution for systems integrators, resellers and OEMs in the retail and hospitality markets. The family of cost-effective touchmonitors include 12", 15", 17" and 19" touchmonitors, all designed for touch with Elo's proven expertise and reliability built in.
All Elo 1000 series touchmonitors are sealed against dirt, dust and splashes and are styled to be attractive from all angles. The entire family is available with Elo's IntelliTouch surface wave and AccuTouch five-wire resistive touch technologies plus a dual serial/USB touch interface. Worldwide agency approvals cover the entire monitor that is designed, built, and supported by Elo, a single-source supplier. Elo also offers the 3000 and 5000 series of touchmonitors with additional options, features, choice of touch technologies, and additional approvals for medical and industrial applications.
"Elo's 1000 series touchmonitors still have the most important basic features found in all our designed-for-touch desktop touchmonitors. Unlike conventional desktop touchmonitors, they remain stable when touched. OSD buttons are on the side, not the front, and are lockable for public use. The unit may be bolted to a tabletop or the base removed and the unit placed on a VESA arm or wall mounted," says Jim Witkowski, Elo product manager. "Elo's IntelliTouch surface wave technology offers superior optical clarity and performance that can be used in a variety of environments because it registers input from a finger, gloved hand or soft stylus with a fast and accurate response. Elo's AccuTouch five-wire resistive technology may be activated with fingernail, gloved hand, credit card or any stylus and it keeps working with splashes, food and grease on the touchscreen."
Friday, 12 May 2006
ezscreen - Ezscreen has been a quiet pioneer and leader in the touch screen PC concept for many years.
Friday, 12 May 2006
AutomationMed LLC - Patient kiosk software for direct collection of validated outcomes measures, physician data and demographic and medical history. Simple, intuitive, form navigation and data entry. Form designer for custom form design, multimedia and educational content desired. HIPAA compliant. Simple mapping to EMR or x-ray databases for seamless integration.
Thursday, 11 May 2006
Lucidiom Inc. is a leading worldwide retail provider of intelligent, networked digital photo solution centers and creator of the original Automated Photo Machine (APM)·a self-service digital photofinishing kiosk. Lucidiom's advanced APM Networkâ„¢ equips retailers with flexible, customizable photo products and services that allow you to transform your business visions into profitable realities. Businesses large and small, Fortune 100 companies and independent photofinishers, rely on Lucidiom for APM Network data and millions of prints a month.
Thursday, 11 May 2006
SCAN COIN is a leading provider of money processing solutions world wide. We offer a wide range of high quality equipment for efficient coin and currency handling
Thursday, 11 May 2006
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - The IBM Group of Arrow Enterprise Computing Solutions will host its annual May Days for IBM Business Partners on May 15-19, 2006. With 82 educational sessions and 25 certification classes, May Days offers participants an opportunity to receive training and earn critical certifications over a concentrated period of time.
"May Days meets an important need among our IBM Business Partners, as demonstrated in the significant growth in attendance and certifications achieved year over year," said Eric Williams, executive vice president, IBM Group, Arrow ECS. "This year, we are hosting more than 800 attendees, ranging from sales and technical experts to executives, who will each use May Days as an opportunity to expand their skill set and improve their ability to sell IBM solutions."
In addition to educational sessions, hands-on training and networking opportunities, May Days offers attendees access to its Certification Lab, consisting of 40 testing stations offering more than 175 IBM hardware and software certifications. Last year, May Days' attendees took more than 1,000 certification tests. That number is expected to be higher this year.
Other key elements of May Days include:
- A Solution Center, comprised of more than 40 exhibits, where Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) and IBM Business Partners can showcase their solutions, allowing resellers to see first-hand how the technologies can work together for a competitive advantage.
- A Technology Lab showcasing products and technologies across IBM's entire portfolio, enabling technical engineers to get hands-on experience with the products.
- An executive-level track with the following sessions: Implementing Effective Marketing Strategies, Improving Customer Satisfaction in the 21st Century Workplace and Consultative Selling. Featured speakers at the event include Jason Jennings, recognized authority on business leadership and author of "Think Big, Act Small," Dean Tucker, author of "The Challenge: Managing in the Information Age," Michelle Bailey, research director from IDC, and Shirley Turner from Intel Corporation.
Thursday, 11 May 2006
Star Micronics releases thermal printing card reader/writer
Star Micronics is pleased to introduce our latest product, the TCP400 thermal re-writeable card reader/writer. The TCP400 offers the latest in card technology in a compact and attractive package.
This new product from Star Micronics is the latest generation of Visual Card Reader/ Writer systems. The TCP400 is a "thermo-chromic" visual and magnetic card reader/writer which can be used to erase and re-write/print up-to-date information, loyalty points and special promotions on an Industry standard Leuco card (high-contrast blue or black text on any color background). The unique dual pass head can provide clear text at 30 mm/second with a second lower, high quality output speed for barcodes, photographic reproduction or other high quality graphics output. The TCP400 is a compact and streamlined unit that will fit into any environment and is simple to operate. The card is simply inserted into the front of the unit and is updated and automatically ejected in as little as 4 seconds.
Re-writeable thermal cards for the TCP40 can be written/erased up to 500 times for a single card. This makes the TCP400 a qualified solution for many applications including loyalty and incentive cards, appointment reminder cards, gaming points cards, temporary passes, IDs and credentials and more.
In addition to the writing/re-writing of the human readable area of a thermal card, the TCP400 also offers support for 3-track ISO magnetic stripe reading/writing.
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Part No.
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Model No.
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Description
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59964510
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TCP490ZUN GRY
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TCP400 Housed Unit, Dual USB/RS232 Serial Interface, Gray Case Color
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59964910
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TCP410ZUN GRY
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TCP400 Housed Unit, Dual USB/RS232 Serial Interface, Gray Case Color, 3-track Mag-Stripe Read/Write
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39996820
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IFBD-HN03
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Ethernet Interface Board
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Wednesday, 10 May 2006
McBride M-Power provides an integrated suite of power and data solutions on a nationwide scale to meet the mission-critical needs of:
- Retail Chains
- Food Service
- Hospitality Industrial/Manufacturing
- Financial Services Insurance
- Data/Technology
Wednesday, 10 May 2006
LAS VEGAS — JCM American's self-service DMV kiosk took top prize at the recent KioskCom trade show, held recently in Las Vegas. JCM designed and installed the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicle's (DMV) self-service kiosks, winning top honors for Best Kiosk Application for Government, Education or a Non-Profit Agency at KioskCom's 5th annual Excellence Awards. Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles Director Ginny Lewis was also named "Industry Deployer of the Year."
The award was given by a panel of 21 judges, representing analyst firms, kiosk vendors and suppliers and kiosk media, who selected winners in a dozen categories.
JCM's kiosks were first launched in Nevada DMVs in June 2004. Currently, there are 22 stations in DMV offices statewide, including two outdoor walk-up kiosks that are available nearly 24 hours daily, seven days per week. Two AAA offices in Las Vegas also have kiosks providing the same DMV services.
Nevada's kiosks are the first in the U.S. to accept cash and credit cards, and give change while dispensing government documents on the spot. Motorists can renew vehicle registrations, obtain driver's license renewals and get vehicle insurance verification with little to no wait and average transaction times of two minutes. Since the project began, Nevada motorists have used the kiosks for almost 300,000 transactions.
KioskCom is the world's largest and longest running kiosk and self-service conference and tradeshow, delivering business solutions focusing on interactive self-service programs to a highly qualified audience in the areas of retail, finance, hospitality, tourism, health care, government, gaming/entertainment, hospitals, restaurants, QSRs, financial services, ticketing, photo and other industries.
KioskCom launched the inaugural industry-wide KioskCom Excellence Awards in 2002 to recognize the most successful and innovative interactive self-service solutions. Past winners include BMW, Sony, AAA, the US Postal Service, Avis, Hilton Hotels, Sunoco, SAS, Daimler Chrysler and ExxonMobil.
Wednesday, 10 May 2006
ATLANTA — Delta Air Lines' new self-service kiosks with passport readers support Delta's international expansion plans and provide international travellers additional convenience and control for self-service check-in.
The solution - provided by Kinetics, a subsidiary of association member NCR Corporation -includes Kinetics TouchPort I C self-service kiosks enhanced with an optical reader that allows customers to swipe their passport to begin the transaction and provide required data.
"This new functionality extends the benefits of self-service check-in already enjoyed by customers on domestic itineraries to those traveling internationally. Customers can check-in and check their bags in just minutes and go right to the gate," said Josh Weiss, Delta's director of airport operations and strategy.
Kiosk upgrades at Delta locations have been underway since late 2005. Delta's nearly 1,000 kiosks system-wide will include international check-in capability by the end of 2006, with major airports completed before the summer. Plans also call for the upgraded kiosks to be deployed at future Delta Air Lines sites in the United States.
"We are proud to offer this enhanced solution to Delta·a company that shares our commitment to best-in-class technology and service," said Theresa Heinz, vice president of business development for Kinetics. "We look forward to continuing to support Delta's initiative to offer time-saving technologies to its customers, and a more convenient way of traveling around the world."
Wednesday, 10 May 2006
Beaverton, Ore. · Planar Systems, Inc., a worldwide leader in flat-panel display systems, is expanding its open-frame family of displays by adding products featuring superior brightness for digital signage, and streaming video capabilities for indoor kiosks. Ideally suited for the retail and hospitality industries, the new LB1500R and LB1503R models are designed to give kiosk integrators and OEMs bright, attention-grabbing displays that attract and entice customers to view content.
The LB1500R and LB1503R are almost twice as bright as standard displays, attracting attention from a distance, increasing visibility and ultimately reaching a wider audience.
"As kiosks are enjoying widespread adoption, integrators and OEMs are continually challenged to build systems that entice kiosk visitors to use them and enable kiosk deployment in more unique locations, especially outdoors," said Francie Mendelsohn, president, Summit Research Associates. "The value of kiosk implementation is tied closely to functionality. Enhancing video and brightness capabilities generates more traffic, which ultimately delivers greater value for the investment. As display features improve, we expect user satisfaction to increase and deployment costs to decrease even further."
Tuesday, 09 May 2006
Cities in Touch - touch screen interactive and online systems for kiosks, providing a variety of secure online financial transactions on location.
Tuesday, 09 May 2006
LOMBARD, Ill.— ADUSA Inc. has released its latest version of S4G self-service software for grocery supermarkets. According to a news release, the new version adds two modules - bakery self-ordering and recipe recommendations - and adds new features to the existing deli, sandwich and party-tray self-ordering modules.
"This is an important software release that comes at a pivotal point in self-service efforts within many supermarkets" said Juan C. Perez, ADUSA's president. "Now retailers can combine these with our existing deli/sandwich and party tray self-ordering modules to effectively deploy a solution consisting of the most popular and highest-return self-service applications."
Self-service solutions in supermarkets are among the most popular applications with customers. These also are the applications that have the most potential to provide a solid return to the retailer by effectively increasing sales in the deli, bakery and throughout the entire store.
"Having established the self-service initiative on a solid base, the retailer can then gauge ongoing customer sentiment and if appropriate add lower return informational applications, such as product locator, wine information, etc."
Tuesday, 09 May 2006
MELVILLE, N.Y. - Arrow Electronics Inc. and Ayrshire Electronics LLC have entered into a supply-chain materials-management agreement. According to a news release, Arrow will manage specific aspects of Ayrshire's purchasing and logistics operations.
"This strategic partnership will enable Ayrshire to leverage Arrow's extensive experience in supply chain services so Ayrshire can focus on its core competencies of providing high-quality products and superior customer service at very competitive prices," said Jim Rosenberg, president of Arrow Alliance.
Friday, 05 May 2006
The party was a few minutes drive from the office, but it took ten years to arrive.
MontegoNet employees partied at Pop, a swanky deco bar on Broadway in Newport, R.I., celebrating the company's tenth anniversary. Employees, their families, business partners and well-wishers stopped by the upscale juice joint on the evening of Apr. 28 to toast the company's success late into the night.
Bobby Cord and John Robitaille (Perspective Communications), Steve Prime (Gowrie, Barden, & Brett), MontegoNet CEO Tom Smith, Lynda Adams (Perspective) congregating during MontegoNet's 10th anniversary party, April 28 at Pop in Newport, R.I.
MontegoNet CEO Thomas Smith said, a decade before, he and a partner manufactured free-standing displays for stores.
"We thought it would be neat to add a touch screen," Smith said.
The resulting company specialized in Internet kiosks that, in the late 90s, were a revolutionary concept. Family friend Susan DeAngelis, a marketing professional from Newport, R.I., remembered when MontegoNet got its name.
"Meggin and Tom went to Jamaica, Montego Bay, on their honeymoon," DeAngelis said. "And it wasn't too long after they got back that he started planning the business. Some of the first models had similar names, like The Kingston.
"I'm not surprised (MontegoNet) lasted ten years. Tom is extremely hard-working and dedicated. He gives 100 percent to his personal life and business. People like doing business with him."
MontegoNet employee Albert Duggins and wife Donna Duggins.
One of those people is Kevin Kent, director of business development for Swecoin, the Swedish printer manufacturer with an office close to MontegoNet's that sells them hundreds of printers annually. Kent came to congratulate Smith on behalf of his company.
"MontegoNet has been a long-time customer," Kent said. "We're in close proximity to them. We work on a lot of projects. Tom's a great guy too."
In 1997, Macy's bought half a dozen kiosks — their breakthrough kiosk deployment. MontegoNet converted their existing web site for product information and way-finding. A year later, Smith proposed a kiosk project for 3.1 million square foot Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C. At the time, MontegoNet employed exactly two people — including Smith.
"The best day had to be the day we got the Washington deal," Smith said. "I still remember doing it. I met with a general contractor at the Ronald Reagan Building. I got grilled on a bunch of questions and I walked out with him. He said I got the job and I went from $100,000 per year to a $500,000 contract."
Former MontegoNet employee Bob DeAngelis, Meggin Smith, Melissa and Tim Kearns enjoying the company's anniversary.
Some times were rougher than others. Meggin recalled how the company almost missed payroll once and barely squeaked by. Smith remembered parting ways with his original manufacturing partner, for whom producing custom kiosks was difficult and less efficient than mass production. And hard personnel decisions also don't sit well with the easy going CEO.
"Everybody I work with is pretty close," Smith said. "My worst day was when I had to fire my first employee. I think I took it harder than he did."
Smith sees a bright future ahead.
"We're doing really well," he said. "At this rate, we'll triple what we did last year."
Friday, 05 May 2006
ANS Marketing is a diversified ATM/ISO company whose core competencies have evolved into the self-service kiosk business with emphasis on self-service entertainment and financial kiosk deployment and management.
Friday, 05 May 2006
Thousands of retailers are set to descend on Chicago's McCormick Place, May 21-24, for the annual Retail Systems Conference & Exposition. The show includes 212 exhibitors, a special customer-facing section for the self-service and kiosk industry, guest speakers from top retailers and social networking events.
Self-service innovators Retaligent Systems will show the latest upgrades to their Clarience 1:1 automated retail systems. The scalable system currently offers 20 different modules, applications that can be used in a variety of combinations, across a variety of platforms, including PDA and EDA software for remote management, smart phone applications that can scan bar codes and kiosks that customers can use to have different sizes and colors of clothes delivered to them in the changing rooms.
"What we've basically done is taken the Retaligent Platform and used it as pervasive-interaction architecture," Retaligent CEO Bryan Amaral said. "And any one of our solutions can be used within that store. The associate-facing tools are leveraging the same technologies a consumer can on the smart phone."
Netkey, one of the original creators of dedicated web-based kiosk commerce software, will show an array of automated multi-channel marketing solutions that they've regularly deployed at major retailers including Home Depot and Border's Books and Music.
"The Netkey platform allows retailers to generate ROI by getting to market faster with self-service kiosk and digital signage applications that help sell, while at the same time reducing the cost of operating these store technologies," Netkey director of marketing Bob Ventresca said.
Other key self-service exhibitors include:
Diebold-ISS, the national IT and computer maintenance network, showcasing its new Call Forward technology, designed to improve customer checkout time.
Epson America, Inc., a leader in printer technology, will showcase their POS peripherals.
Hand Held Products, a leader in transaction terminals and POS peripherals, will show the Image Kiosk 8560 mini-kiosk with customizable multifunction user interface.
HP, the veteran computer hardware firm, will show myriad applications including middleware, multichannel marketing tools and RFID technology.
IBM, the business-to-business computing and logistics giant, will display several retail technologies including gift registries, consulting services and data mining solutions.
La Garde will show its award-winning multichannel CISP-compliant online storefront shopping cart solution, StoreFront (www.storefront.net).
Microsoft Corporation will exhibit a variety of retail solutions including its popular .NET commerce platform.
New Edge Networks will showcase their commercial networking capabilities for connecting a variety of POS, financial and data networks.
Nippon Primex Inc., a Japanese printer manufacturer, will proffer its line of POS and kiosk printers.
The Self-Service & Kiosk Association, (owned by this site's publisher, Networld Alliance) discussing its numerous sales and networking benefits with potential members.
Star Micronics America, a leader in the printer industry, will show its line of commercial and self-service printers.
NCR/Teradata, a firm dedicated to data warehousing and analytics, will demonstrate its solutions for e-commerce and self-service.
VeriFone, Inc., a recent entrant into the self-service/kiosk space, will display its numerous POS applications, and its new multimedia mini-kiosks.
Thursday, 04 May 2006
East Hanover, N.J. — Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation installed touchscreen kiosks manufactured by Redondo Beach, Calif. -based SeePoint Technology, at its headquarters in East Hanover, N.J.
Novartis Pharmaceuticals operates from a 200-acre property, employing 11,200 people who work from more than 20 buildings spread out across the sprawling campus. Novartis looked to SeePoint to devise a self-service solution that would help the pharmaceutical company manage the influx of hundreds of visitors who come to the East Hanover site each day.
The kiosks provide Novartis with two important benefits. First, every visitor must check in at one of the kiosks upon arriving at the campus. Novartis can use this information to determine almost instantly who is on the premises. Second, visitors can also use the kiosks to view and print three dimensional maps with step-by-step instructions on how to get from the check-in point to the visitor's ultimate destination.
The sleek profile and elegant appearance of the SeePoint's Sterling stainless steel kiosks made incorporating the systems across the campus easy. All of SeePoint's touchscreen kiosks, including those in the Sterling line, are fully integrated systems which do not require on-site assembly, cabling or wiring.
Novartis also selected a number of add-ons. The kiosks feature a 19-inch touch interface to display the campus maps. Additionally, thermal printers provide full size (8.5 inch wide) printouts as a takeaway for visitors to navigate to their destinations. These printers provide clarity and detail without the expense of a laser printer. Overhead signage on the kiosks informs visitors of the purpose and use.
Wednesday, 03 May 2006
MELVILLE, N.Y. - William E. Mitchell, 62, has been elected chairman, president and chief executive of Arrow Electronics Inc. He replaces Daniel W. Duval, who has stepped down as chairman and was elected lead director. Duval will continue to work with corporate governance matters and serve as chairman of all independent-directors' meetings.
Mitchell joined Arrow in February 2003, when he was named president and CEO.
"Bill has been a highly effective leader during the past three years," Duval said. "He has brought the company to new levels of success and demonstrated a keen ability to balance the short term needs of the organization with the longer term strategic requirements of shareholders, customers, suppliers and employees."
Wednesday, 03 May 2006
BURNABY, B.C. - Tio Networks Corp., formerly Info Touch Technologies Corp., is now processing payments through Tio Express, its new clerk-assisted payments program.
Tio Express allows retailers to accept cash payments for multiple billing partners through a Web-based application or retailer's POS system. Retail clerks can assist customers with accessing their accounts and viewing balances. Once the payment is made, Tio Express registers and records the transaction.
"Retail locations that cannot support a self serve-kiosk or hybrid ATM-based payment program can accept payments through TIO Express, at a fraction of the deployment cost,"� said Hamed Shahbazi, chairman and chief executive of Tio Networks Corp.
Additional locations are expected to be added in coming weeks.
Wednesday, 03 May 2006
LAS VEGAS — JCM's products will be on display May 5-6 during Myrtle Beach, S.C.'s Atlantic Coast Exposition. Beach Convention Center.
On display in booth No. 300 will be JCM's latest products in the advanced-vending product line, including the Optipay cash-recycling system.
"We are very excited about the tremendous advances our products are bringing to bottlers and vending operators across the country," JCM vice president of commercial sales Dave Elich said.
Wednesday, 03 May 2006
LAS VEGAS — JCM and KIC Products designed the pre-saturated cleaning card exclusively for JCM bill validators. It will make its debut at Southern Gaming Summit this May, and will be available through the JCM sales team and through KIC Products' distributors. For information, visit www.jcmwaffletechnology.com.
"At JCM, we make it a point to work with our customers on preventive maintenance programs to help keep their systems and equipment operating at its peak," JCM director of customer service David Kubajak said.
Waffletechnology first gained widespread industry attention when it was introduced at G2E 2004. product is unique because it is the first specifically designed for a particular brand.
Waffletechnology cleaning cards incorporate flexible, raised platforms on their top and bottom surfaces. These cleaning platforms are essentially spring-loaded, significantly increasing the pressure applied to the internal components as the card passes through the mechanism.
Tuesday, 02 May 2006
Tracy Kitten is the editor of ATMmarketplace.com, and regularly covers security issues in the ATM industry.
From network-security breaches and card-skimming to ATM burglary, the industry is taking steps to critically address ATM-related crimes. This month in New York, the ATM Industry Association and Palm Desert National Bank will host a workshop dedicated to the subject.
May 11 marks the first of an expected series of ATM Risk Management workshops that will bring law-enforcement agencies, including the Secret Service, industry leaders and representatives from U.S. financial institutions and independent sales organizations to discuss ATM-crime trends. The Federal Bureau of Investigations, the New York Police Department and the New York State Police also are participating. Specifically, the workshop is expected to touch on crime deterrents and methods the industry can use to improve working relationships with regulatory agencies and law enforcement.
One crime of focus: retail ATM burglary, which includes smash-and-grabs · also known as "ram raids" in Australia and the United Kingdom · a crime that involves damaging or removing an ATM in order to access its vault.
Skimming is widely considered by sources to be the industry's No. 1 ATM-related crime, but cash losses associated with ATM burglaries far exceed skimming, says Jim Tingey, PDNB's vice president of administration.
"These criminals receive minimal sentences for the incidents, because of the limited understanding relating to the scope of the overall problem exists today between law enforcement and the various courts and prosecutors' offices," he said. "We're trying to help them understand ATM crimes and the help we need to prevent them."
For more than a year, law enforcement agencies and a handful of ATM companies have been tracking ATM-crime events. Mark Coons, president and chief executive of American Special Risk, a Charlotte, N.C.-based ATM insurer, said attacks on ATMs have jumped about 25 percent over the last two to three years.
He said in Greater New York from fall 2004 to fall 2005 the number of attacks was alarming.
"We started looking at the current problem in (tri-state) New York in April of 2005," Coons said. "By August or September of 2005, it became evident that we had a serious problem. This is an isolated area right now, but we see similar trends in the U.K. and Australia. Our concern is that this type of crime will migrate beyond New York. We expect it to go out to other major cities. We see it rising."
In the U.K., ram raids are a big problem. From 2003 to 2004, ATM crimes, including break-ins and theft attempts, jumped 29 percent, according to London's Metropolitan Police Flying Squad. Cash loss alone from those attacks is estimated to be about £6 million (U.S. $11 million).
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 If you put an ATM in a bad location, chances are you're opening yourself up to a smash-and-grab attack. It's not a big surprise.
-- Kevin Sullivan,
New York State Police
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Coons said fewer ATM attacks plague the United States, but the numbers are still serious. He estimates that physical ATM attacks cost the U.S. ATM industry about $4.5 million annually. (For some perspective: ATM vault-cash and hardware losses associated with Katrina cost the industry about $3 million.)
"Smash-and-grabs seem to have pockets, where you have crime rings that hit different areas," he said. "We've seen an increase in the last couple of months in Tennessee, for instance. It comes and goes."
But some of the crimes could be prevented with a little common sense, said Kevin Sullivan, a financial crimes investigator for the New York State Police.
"If you put an ATM in a bad location, chances are you're opening yourself up to a smash-and-grab attack," he said. "It's not a big surprise."
Sullivan, who in February spoke at ATMIA Conference East in Orlando, Fla., about tricks criminals use to launder money through ATMs, is slated to speak in New York. Sullivan said the industry faces a challenge to balance the need for more regulations with business opportunities.
Bigger issues
Sullivan said due diligence and background checks on off-premise ATM operators and owners, such as the checks now required by Visa USA, will weed out some criminals but not all.
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ATM-burglary losses cost the industry about $4.5 million annually.
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The industry is working toward constructive regulations.
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ATMIA is working with law-enforcement agencies to help them better understand and deal with ATM-related crimes.
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The industry sees the need for more information, and ISOs across the board are working toward compliance. But meeting Visa's new operator rules for merchant ATMs is expensive and time-consuming, most ISOs agree. (Read also, Compliance with new Plus rules requires long-term investment, planning.) Cardtronics Mike Keller, general counsel for Houston-based Cardtronics Inc., told ATMmarketplace in November his company expected to invest $120,000 in 2006 to comply with Visa's revised agreement rules.
"I know that ATMIA wants to get guidance from the regulators," Sullivan said. "They want to help the industry do the right thing by making a preemptive strike. And it's clear that some things in the industry are going to have change."
Jerry Silva, a senior analyst with Needham, Mass.-based consultancy TowerGroup, was criticized last month for telling American Banker that ATMs in convenient stores are "unregulated" and risky. He told ATMmarketplace last week that the industry needs more regulation.
"Basically, my quote was about regulation," he said. "My statement had to do with trust in convenient-store ATMs. The more the ownership of those ATMs is regulated, the better it will be for the industry. The ISOs have more ATMs at this point than the banks, and there is no federal regulation about who governs these machines."
Finding solutions
More regulation will likely be difficult for the industry to accept, but it may be necessary and critical to improving controls and reducing losses, PDNB's Tingey said.
PDNB, which provides and manages nearly $1 billion in vault cash for more than 15,000 ATMs and kiosks in the U.S., also has been closely tracking ATM-crime trends. Beyond smash-and-grabs, Tingey said, skimming and phishing are ongoing concerns, too.
Even though 90 percent of card-skimming takes place at the POS, Tingey said, the ATM industry is affected when consumer-accounts are drained at the ATM.
"The collaborative efforts of all participants · the regulatory agencies, the ISOs, the financial institutions and the law-enforcement community · are needed," he said.
To learn more about the workshop in New York, contact ATMIA's international director of operations, . Click here to download a copy of the workshop's registration form.
Monday, 01 May 2006
MELVILLE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The North American Components (NAC) business of Arrow Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:ARW) announced today it has formed a new group dedicated to serving the needs of manufacturers in the industrial market.
Leveraging a growth opportunity for Arrow and its suppliers, the Industrial Group has strengthened Arrow's industrial market expertise with dedicated sales, service and management teams who bring decades of industry experience, enabling the company to meet the specific electrical requirements of customers. The Industrial Group serves original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), which design industrial equipment using electrical components. It also offers products and services for facilities maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) within manufacturing companies, which use replacement components to service industrial equipment at their factories.
"Industrial customers purchase from a highly fragmented supply chain today, so they haven't had access to such a broad product line or value-added services from a single source," said Colin Boyd, general manager, Arrow Advantage, who oversees the Industrial Group. "Customers will benefit from one-stop shopping through Arrow, along with our supply chain services like online ordering tools that integrate with customers' material planning and scheduling programs."
Arrow's offerings for industrial customers include passive, electromechanical and connectors (PEMCO) targeted for the electrical marketplace for industrial environment uses such as circuit protection, frequency control and thermal management. Arrow has a franchised relationship with over 200 suppliers, and stocks over 334,000 items for the industrial market.
Arrow's proven supply chain services include integrated supply, in-plant stores that offer components onsite for equipment maintenance and repair, consignment and vendor managed inventory. Arrow's Industrial Group provides technical support for a customer's product design, coupled with third-party resources from Arrow Consulting and Engineering Services (ACES) and integration partners.
About the North American Components group of Arrow Electronics
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.
CONTACT: Arrow Electronics, Inc.
Ann Shiveley, 303-824-3762
SOURCE: Arrow Electronics, Inc.
Monday, 01 May 2006
Roselle, IL — Pay-Ease, a recognized innovator and emerging leader in kiosk based bill payment technology has joined forces with Meisel Capital Partners, an established investment firm in Rockville, Maryland. This partnership is poised to advance automated commerce transactions to a level that has been previously considered to be unattainable.
During the past five years, Pay-Ease has developed, tested and enhanced its ground breaking bill payment technology. The system has been integrated into a stand alone ATM look-alike, however, Pay-Ease regards its unit as an Automated Commerce Machine (ACM), and that is where the similarity ends.
The multi-lingual, easy to use Pay-Ease ACM unit will offer a one-stop opportunity for consumers to, pay municipal, telephone, credit card and utility bills, in addition to offering the standard ATM and check cashing functions, . It is also able to print and distribute pre-paid gift and credit cards and has a bio-metric scanner poising this ACM for the next generation in ID technology. Powered by the Pay-Ease multifunction software which has been built from the ground up for versatility, the ACM offers not only a safe and efficient alternative to banking on-line, but a viable alternative to standing in long lines to pay bills at payment centers while increasing foot traffic.
Now partnered with Meisel Capital Partners, Pay-Ease kiosks will undoubtedly begin showing up across the United States and beyond. The units will be conveniently located in municipal buildings and retail shops frequently visited by consumers. The versatile ACM's will offer users on routine errands convenient access to a variety of services that in the past required visits to several locations.
Retailers have indicated an interest in the placement of the multi-function Pay-Ease ACM in their locations as a means of increasing foot traffic. Advertising the acquisition of a Pay-Ease ACM will attract new customers and increase sales. Repeat customers stopping in solely to use the ACM will more than likely make a purchase while in the store.
Undoubtedly, Meisel Capital Partners and Pay-Ease offers a hands down win-win situation to the consumer interested in one stop multi-tasking convenience as well as the retailer interested in attracting new clientele.
For more information, visit Pay Ease's website at www.pay-ease.com
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