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Wednesday, 31 October 2007
Government Technology: The Portland International Airport in Oregon recently became the sixth airport in the country to offer Mailsafe Express kiosks that assist passengers who have had prohibited items intercepted in secure areas of checkpoints. The other airports are William P. Hobby and George Bush Intercontinental, both in Houston; Palm Beach and Tampa international in Florida, and Chicago O'Hare, where a pilot program is nearly complete. Mailsafe allows passengers, with the help of our transportation security officers, to mail prohibited items home or to other destinations without ever leaving the security line.
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Wednesday, 31 October 2007
Scotsman.com: Marks & Spencer is piloting self-service checkouts at its two flagship stores. If it is judged to be a success, the checkouts could be rolled out across all M&S branches in the UK. This is the first time any non-food retailer in the UK has allowed all products to be paid for through the self-service checkouts, which are already well used in supermarkets.
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Wednesday, 31 October 2007
Tech Journal South: Bart Foster came up with the idea for automated self-service vision testing kiosks in malls and other public places while at Duluth-GA-based CIBA Vision, the eye care unit of Novartis. Foster now heads SoloHealth, a spinout from CIBA, which is seeking from $2 million to $3 million in initial capital to move toward tests of the concept next year.
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Tuesday, 30 October 2007
Turnkey solutions and mobility stole the spotlight at this fall's KioskCom Self Service Expo in New York City · a reflection of a maturing and more sophisticated kiosk industry.
"I think you see more companies interested in providing complete turnkey solutions," said Rob Leiponis, president of Parabit Systems Inc., which provides security products and services that enhance electronic-delivery systems. Most of Parabit's customers are financial institutions.
Leiponis' views are not isolated among industry insiders. In fact, during last week's expo, Leiponis' comments were echoed throughout, namely by tried-and-true veterans in the space who now recognize that the industry must create products and services that FIs, retailers, health-care providers, etc., want.
David Drain, executive director of the Self-Service & Kiosk Association, says the industry is solidifying.
"I think there's a continuing maturity in the industry," Drain said, "as there are more products and more complete solutions. Industry deployers understand the customer's need and are deploying solutions that meet customer needs."
It's an industry lesson companies like Infonox and KIOSK Information Systems have taken to heart.
Infonox founder and president Safwan Shah says his company's vision, strategy and service structure revolves around the idea of providing customers a holistic offering.
"We connect, access and serve," he said. "We are a one-stop shop for everything but the hardware. But we partner with other companies for that, so we can provide an end-to-end solution for the customer."
Through a partnership signed in April, Infonox and Elan Financial Services developed a multifunctional ATM/kiosk called the Pass+ line. Once signed up, FIs, independent sales organizations and retailers can tap into Infonox' Active Payment Platform while processing transactions through Elan. The ATM/kiosk line also comes preloaded with Infonox software.
"We see a huge market opportunity in offering solutions to our client base to help them deliver a variety of kiosk-based financial services," said Janet Estep, president of Elan, shortly after the deal was announced. "With declining ATM-transaction volumes, new delivery methods become necessary for tapping into new revenue and new service offerings from different transaction types and new customer segments."
It all goes back to providing the company client with what it wants, Shah says.
KIOSK Information Systems takes a similar position. Through partnerships with forward thinkers like Hewlett-Packard and Felix Corp., KIOSK is working to provide comprehensive products and services. In the KIOSK booth, HP featured some of its products, which cater to public-sector and enterprise accounts. Felix, which is just entering the U.S. market, showed off its Max Box hybrid ATM/kiosk that is now being manufactured in the States by KIOSK for distribution in the U.S. market. The only difference between the company's U.K. and U.S. deployments is the lack of ATM functionality in the first machines released in the States, says Sallie Worthington, product manager for Felix Corp.
KIOSK also announced a new deal with a telecom lifecycle management company called TeraNova Consulting Group. Through TeraNova and wireless providers like Sprint, KIOSK is offering bundled services for wireless kiosk deployments.
Making the move to mobile connectivity is something many companies on the show floor highlighted, including IBM, which touted its recent deal with lead connectivity partner Sprint. With Sprint, IBM's Anyplace kiosk, which earlier this month was released in revamped form, offers Ethernet, wireless LAN and WAN connectivity. Bruce Rasa, who oversees marketing for IBM's Anyplace kiosk, said the ability to deploy kiosks nearly anywhere is opening new doors of opportunity for retailers of all sizes and styles.
"The mobility angle is enormous," Rasa said. "You can trial something on the kiosk and place the kiosk anywhere in the store and move it around, if you don't like it or the deployment doesn't work. The only thing that connects to the wall is the plug into the outlet for electricity."
The Anyplace is also the first kiosk to be WiMAX compliant, meaning it can offer high-speed connectivity that's wireless. WiMAX, which stands for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, is a wireless industry coalition. WiMAX technology enables multimedia applications with wireless connections and carries a range of up to 30 miles.
This season's Self Service Expo marked a number of emerging trends, and firsts. The Oct. 23-24 tradeshow, formerly known simply as KioskCom and owned by JD Events, was the first fall show for JD operating under the Self Service Expo name. It also was the first time the expo had been held in New York, and the first expo to include digital signage as a focused-on technology.
Lawrence Dvorchik, general manager of the expo, says the show marked the expo's official foray into digital signage.
"We decided to include more digital signage this year because our attendees wanted it," he said. "After we surveyed attendees in Las Vegas, they told us they wanted it. So, this is the first time we've had a concerted effort to incorporate digital signage."
Dvorchik said JD Events has already nearly doubled its digital signage numbers for its spring and fall shows, which will respectively be held in Las Vegas and again in New York.
Joel Davis, president of JD Events, also said this year's expo was unique because of the heavy emphasis placed on attendee quality over quantity.
He said about 1,000 pre-qualified attendees were registered for the event. Overall, more than 1,800 professional attendees were counted at the show.
In addition to the attendee list, more than 90 exhibitors were on hand.
And now, a glimpse from the show floor.
Self-service: Kiosk, ATM and digital-signage style
ACI Technology brought several models of its ultra-slim, aluminum industrial panel PCs to Self Service Expo. All of ACIs PCs are fanless and feature heavy duty touchscreens.
"These PCs are all custom-made for each customer," said Dennis Saward, account executive. Sizes range from 10.4 inches to 15 inches, but Saward said ACI has plans of introducing a 19-inch model next year.
Agilysys showed several point-of-purchase and product locator kiosks. Agilysys generally works with customers in retail and hospitality markets to provide IT solutions. At the show, Kim Harrison of Agilysys announced that the company had been working with Micro Industries' Touch & Go kiosk as well as its MCast digital signage solution.
Alacrinet had its Self Service Kiosk Portal on display, which is designed for the IBM WebSphere Portal. The software is designed for administration of deployed kiosks and can lock down the kiosks operating environment, secure network access and helps integrate kiosk peripherals. Alacrinet also offers nine different types of kiosk enclosures.
Anywwwhere is a provider of hosted Internet cafe services and was exhibiting near the entrance of the expo hall. Anywwwhere boasted a small footprint service which increases customer traffic and can add significant income. By using a hosted service, deployers don't have to deal with the hassle of managing a traditional Internet cafe.
Apunix, long-time stalwarts of the kiosk scene, were proudly showing off its on-the-spot membership card printing application, which takes customer applications for any number of programs (loyalty, membership, frequent flier, etc.) and immediately dispenses a customized, magstripe card. The system has recently been deployed by Qatar Airlines, to run its frequent flier/loyalty program. The company also offered hands-on demonstrations of its touchscreen solutions for retail and foodservice.
ArcaTech Systems highlighted its cash-management systems, which now includes remote cash and check capture. Aubrey Meador, vice president of sales and marketing for ArcaTech Systems, said the company is currently piloting remote-capture now. Through a deal with Reiner, a Germany-based scanner company, ArcaTech is distributing Reiner's check scanners, designed for self-service applications, in the United States, as well as a few other markets. The deal took effect Oct. 1. ArcaTech demoed a single-check scanner, the 890/891, but Reiner also manufactures a bundle feeder, the 893, that can accept up to 50 notes at a time.
"This is a good relationship for us, because it ties in with automating financial transactions," Meador said.
Card Scanning Solutions demonstrated its idScan driver's license reader, which scans both sides of a license with a single pass and includes optical character recognition and built-in license verification and 2-D barcode reader. The company also showed its ScanShell.net scanning application, which reads and extracts data from driver's licenses, passports, medical insurance cards, business cards and a number of other document types.
California-based startup Ceino demonstrated its StoreHub software package, an assisted selling application that attempts to emulate online suggestive selling techniques in the store. Users looking for a gift touch a few buttons to create a profile of the gift's intended recipient · age, relationship, gender, career, etc. · and are then asked to answer several A/B questions about the person's tastes. Finally, the user is asked how much he wishes to spend · and is then shown products within that price range that the recipient would like. The system can also be used for customers shopping for themselves, offering product recommendations based on personality profile and tastes.
DT Research showed its WebDT content management system on a digital sign at its booth. John Ochoa, director of business development, said that the WebDT system allows users to design content on the screen themselves by creating content in zones and then selecting when and where those zones should be played in the content loop. Customers can use the preloaded templates or design their own.
For Mike Honkomp, director of new market development for Electronic Systems Protection, Self Service Expo was one of the many stops on his tour of the country, where he demonstrates power filtration solutions for kiosks and office machines. ESP's power filters are designed to protect internal hardware from damage caused from power spikes and lightning, as well as constant electric noise.
Epson was on hand with its kiosk printers, as well as two standalone kiosks to show them off. Also on display was a mass CD duplication system, which burns discs and prints images on them at the same time.
MediaPort sponsored the Internet access area of the show, but that was not why the company garnered attention. MediaPort allowed attendees to burn their own custom music mixes on its music burning kiosks, which feature a touchscreen and a music library of more than one million songs and 70,000 albums. MediaPort kiosks have already seen heavy traffic in Army bases and Australian Virgin MegaStores.
"We're seeing the most sales coming from music stores because people are already thinking about buying music," said Dave Champlin, vice president of marketing for MediaPort. "For the deployer, they help get rid of excess inventory and don't allow any shrinkage."
MEI's featured product for the show was the Series 2000 4-in-1 bill validator, which Alec Shekhar, Americas marketing manager for MEI, said combines contactless payment technology with the traditional swipe method for accepting credit and debit cards. True to its name, the 4-in-1 also accepts bills and promotional coupons. The bill acceptor was in action at the show as it was featured in MediaPort's music-burning kiosks.
NCR Corp. showed off its FastLane check-out kiosk. Although the kiosk has been in the market for eight years, the FastLane Mini, which is built on the easypoint 42 kiosk, remains the industry's smallest full-function self-checkout kiosk, says Chelsea Redington. In addition to the FastLane, NCR also displayed its easypoint Advantage, its thinnest kiosk. The Advantage in 2008 is expected to come with a 19-inch display option. During the show, NCR used the Advantage to show its prepaid application, which allows retailers to offer card loads and reloads.
Jeremy Laughlin, NCR's solutions specialist for self-service, said the Advantage does not currently dispense cards, but that functionality is something he expects the company to offer in the very near future. The Xpress is NCR's bill-payment kiosk, which, like the FastLane, is built from a base that is the easypoint 42. The Xpress has the ability to dispense cards, Laughlin said.
Neptune Digital, a new entrant to the digital signage space, showed its Linux-based played boxes and software. The company, which is almost a year old, has its official launch in January 2008; it will launch with some high-profile deployments for Danish Railways and Copenhagen's public transport system, and it has also landed the deal to place screens on buses for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Card dispensing is a technology that is being offered on Pay-Ease's Automated Commerce Machines. The ACMs, which accept cash, credit and checks, are hyper financial kiosks that are can offer a range of services, including bill-payment.
Dean Scaros, Pay-Ease's president, said the company is seeing success and interest in its bill-payment offering, especially in the municipality space.
"We're now live with the city of Chicago for a water-payment and parking-ticket deployment," Scaros said. "We now have more than 20 kiosks deployed in the city."
Pay-Ease, which touts itself as being a turnkey deployer, processes the transactions and provides the integrated hardware, is now focusing its attention on growth in offerings that cater to municipalities and ISOs who work with retailers.
Smart Modular Technologies debuted its XceedPC/M1 embedded PC, a fanless board designed for Windows XP, XP Embedded or Linux. The board ships with dual display support, and offers a host of expansion slots. It includes built-in 802.11a/b/g wireless and supports up to 4GB of RAM. The company also demonstrated its line of LCD touchmonitors, available in 15-, 17- and 19-inch configurations.
Smart Power Systems continues to offer products that prevent power surges and regulate voltage so as not to damage kiosks and other computers. Dana Davis, sales manager for Smart Power, demonstrated the advantages of power protection to visitors of his booth. Smart Power manufactures power filters, surge protectors and uninterrupted power supplies designed to protect kiosks and their internal hardware from everyday power spikes and surges that can cause disruption, degradation and eventually destruction.
StacoSwitch showed two of its lines of heavy-duty keyboards. One is a waterproof, rubber covered model. The other is a stainless-steel encased keyboard with an optional metal trackball. Although known in the self-service industry for outdoor and rugged kiosk deployments, Hixon Eldridge, regional sales manager, said that most of StacoSwitch's keyboards are used for police and military applications.
Ultimedia showcased its new Anyware kiosk, the EQ2. The kiosk, which hit the market three months ago, is based on IBM's Anyplace kiosk, says Eric Dumouchel, Ultimedia's chief executive. The company's deal with IBM is a new one, and includes a distribution agreement with Ingram
Electronics for the United States. The Anyware kiosk, through an Avatar named "Lucy," walked visitors to Ultimedia's booth through the company's host of kiosk offerings.
James Bickers, editor of Digital Signage Today, and Bill Yackey, managing editor of Digital Signage Today, also contributed to this article.
Tuesday, 30 October 2007
PADERBORN, Germany · Wincor Nixdorf has announced that it has established its own subsidiary in the Russian market.
"We want to strengthen our already well-established position in the promising Russian market," explained Eckard Heidloff, president and CEO of the company, to an audience of representatives from politics, industry and press at the subsidiary's opening in Moscow. He foresees retail banks and retail companies on the Russian market entering a phase of competition among themselves, thus providing Wincor Nixdorf with potential for growth.
Wincor Nixdorf said it finds itself in a good starting position, both in the banking and retail sectors. Strategic cooperation with local companies acting as sales and service partners has been ongoing since 1997. This business model has proven to be very successful and will be supported and extended by strengthening Wincor Nixdorf's resources in Russia.
In the last ten years, market share of ATMs has risen from four percent to 30 percent while the market share of electronic POS systems for retailers saw a remarkable increase from one percent to 42 percent. As measured by their balance sheet totals, 11 of the 20 largest retail banks are customers of Wincor Nixdorf's. And in terms of sales, 12 of the 20 largest Russian retail companies are among Wincor Nixdorf's customer base. In addition, Wincor Nixdorf supports international retail companies wishing to expand in the Russian market.
With 256 ATMs and 456 electronic POS systems per one million inhabitants, Wincor said the Russian market offers promising perspectives compared with Western Europe. By way of comparison, Western Europe has 736 ATMs and just under 5,000 POS systems installed per one million inhabitants.
Tuesday, 30 October 2007
Kokomo Tribune: Inmates at the Howard County Criminal Justice Center saw an increase in the commissary items they are able to purchase. Keefe Commissary Network installed kiosks in every pod of cells that allows inmates to order the commissary items via a computerized system.
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Tuesday, 30 October 2007
FRISCO, Texas · Fujitsu Transaction Solutions Inc. has announced that Canadian Tire will install Fujitsu's U-Scan Genesis self-checkout system at more than 100 of its 468 stores across Canada. Canadian Tire has been testing the U-Scan systems in a proof of concept that included both English- and French-language stores since October 2006. As a result, the company will begin a formal roll out of self-checkout systems in late 2007 or early 2008. This installation follows a 2005 Fujitsu roll out that replaced Canadian Tire's point-of-sale hardware with Fujitsu's TeamPoS 2000 M units.
U-Scan Genesis is the latest version of Fujitsu's U-Scan self-checkout family. Unveiled in January 2007, the enhanced system offers retailers more flexibility, scalability and reliability, Fujitsu said in a release. It features a compact footprint, and is available in 1-, 2- and 4-bag modular configurations. Fujitsu said the system is expected to expand rapidly into markets beyond the traditional grocery sector.
Monday, 29 October 2007
MGM MIRAGE is a gaming and hospitality company with properties in Las Vegas, Detroit, Tunica and Biloxi.
Monday, 29 October 2007
BURNABY, British Columbia · TIO Networks Corp., an automated bill payment and financial services network, and NEXXO Financial Corp. have formed a strategic alliance through which NEXXO's kiosk-based money remittance services will be made available at Circle K and other participating convenience store chains in the TIO Network.
By early spring 2008, cash-preferred customers can send money instantly to their families, relatives and friends worldwide through TIO's self-service automated financial services kiosks and hybrid ATMs 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Money transfer recipients can receive funds over NEXXO's network of more than 20,000 locations primarily located in Mexico and Latin America and, in the near future, in countries such as China, India, Philippines and Pakistan.
NEXXO operates more than 100 of its own NEXXO financial center kiosks or Cajeros primarily located in the state of California. As part of the strategic alliance, TIO Networks bill-payment solution will be offered on all NEXXO's kiosks. It is expected that TIO's services will launch on NEXXO's Cajeros by spring of 2008 or shortly after the launch of NEXXO's services on TIO's network of kiosks and hybrid ATMs.
Monday, 29 October 2007
Manchester Evening News: Felix Group is hoping to make its presence felt on the high street with its MAX BOX vending kiosks. The kiosks enable customers to withdraw cash, process digital photographs, order flowers, top up their mobile phones and download music, ringtones and games to their handsets. Soon, consumers will be able to order hampers and e-books. Felix Group has installed 120 machines in cinemas, pubs, military bases and petrol station forecourts and has now secured a deal with T-Mobile to trial them in 18 high street stores, including Manchester's Market Street.
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Monday, 29 October 2007
The Washington Post: Walgreen Co. plans to put kiosks that can make DVDs of popular movies in drugstore photo departments next year, using a new system that would increase selection while avoiding piracy. Recent change in copy-protection rules governing DVDs have freed Walgreen and other retailers to tap this new movie market by letting consumers burn digital copies onto blank discs at stores, industry watchers said.
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Monday, 29 October 2007
Security Document World: Norway has rolled out 21 biometric kiosks as part of its biometric ePassport and visa pilot scheme. The kiosks, which have been developed by Motorola in conjunction with the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Police Computing and Material Service, capture a 2D facial image, fingerprints (10 fingers for visas and two for passports) and the signature of passport and visa applicants. Motorola says the country is one of the first to use a single kiosk to capture three biometrics for passports and visas.
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Monday, 29 October 2007
Orlando Business Journal: AirTran Airways has introduced a new Mobile Web program that allows customers to view their flight status, check in for flights and select seats using their personal mobile devices and cell phones. When checking in through their mobile devices, customers can obtain printed boarding passes at ByePass kiosks or AirTran ticket counters. AirTran plans to add more capabilities in the future.
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Friday, 26 October 2007
WEST CHESTER, Pa. — MEI has announced that its Series 2000 bill acceptor has been integrated into 24Hour Florist's new floral vending kiosk, enabling customers to purchase flower arrangements using cash, debit or credit. Local florists now can extend their retail presence beyond their brick and mortar stores to high-traffic areas like hospitals, shopping malls, hotels and office buildings.
The 24Hour Florist kiosk is like a vending machine for pre-made floral arrangements. Buyers select flower arrangements from a refrigerated case and pay for them using their payment method of choice. Using the kiosk's touchscreen, buyers can take the arrangements with them immediately or place orders for nationwide deliveries.
The MEI bill acceptor is designed for high acceptance rates, low jam rates, a remote update capability and the latest counterfeit detection technology. The Series 2000 also features a USB interface.
24Hour Florist considered the bill acceptor a critical component to the success of the floral kiosk. "We have found that many flower buyers prefer to make anonymous purchases with cash,"� said Darren Vallaire, head of technical development for 24Hour Florist. "Some of our beta testers reported that cash sales represent nearly 50 percent of transactions."
Friday, 26 October 2007
PADERBORN, Germany · Wincor Nixdorf International AG has ended its 2006/2007 fiscal year a 10-percent gain in net sales, the company reported this week.
The company extended EBITA to EUR 186 million (U.S. $266 million) up from EUR 161 million (U.S. $230 million). Net sales also increased, hitting EUR 2.15 million (U.S. $3 million) in FY '06/'07 from EUR 1.95 million (U.S. $2.79 million) last year.
Those results slightly exceed the company's recent growth forecasts, Wincor Nixdorf says.
"The fiscal year just ended underscores the overall solidity of our company," said Eckard Heidloff, Wincor Nixdorf's president and chief executive.
Heidloff said the growth was driven by strong gains outside Germany, as well as by solid business in the retail-banking segment.
The company's annual net income rose about 33 percent, hitting EUR 109 million (U.S. $155.8 million) from EUR 82 million (U.S. $117 million) last year.
For FY 2007/2008, Wincor Nixdorf expects an 8-percent growth in net sales and a 10-percent increase in EBITA. As was the case in the fiscal year just ended, growth is expected to come from markets outside Germany and from the company's activities in the retail-banking sector.
Friday, 26 October 2007
 OXFORDSHIRE, England · Box Technologies, Europe's premier supplier of retail IT and mobile computing solutions, has announced a partnership with a market leader in kiosk technology, Rittal UK Limited. Box will market and support the company's product range in the UK and Ireland.
Rittal's kiosk products are developed for the growing demand to provide multimedia information, whether it be to make reservations or place orders, to view or to provide any relevant service to the consumer in the sports, arts, entertainment, administration, transport, trade and hotels industries.
This partnership adds Rittal to Box Technologies' list of major technology manufacturers, which includes Epson, Motion Computing, ELO and Toshiba. The addition of Rittal's Kiosk solutions will enable Box to enhance its product portfolio while offering the market more choice.
Thursday, 25 October 2007
PORTLAND, Ore. · Healthnotes has announced an all-new kiosk platform for delivering its "Fresh Ideas" program to shoppers. Healthnotes new interactive kiosks can be deployed throughout the store to provide seasonally relevant product information, wellness content, recipes and promotions to shoppers.
The Healthnotes "Fresh Ideas" kiosk was featured at the Olea booth at KioskCom's Self Service Expo at the Javits Convention Center in New York.
The all-new Healthnotes kiosk platform is based on more than 10 years' experience designing customer-facing technology and was developed with Olea, a manufacturer of interactive self-service kiosks. The platform can be deployed as a free-standing pedestal (floor unit), a space-saving wall-mount or a convenient countertop unit, each featuring integrated thermal printing and hardware from industry leaders IBM or NCR.
The platform can feature IBM AnyPlace or NCR EasyPoint Advantage kiosk hardware, depending on the retailer's preference. To make deployment easy, the kiosk is wireless- and Ethernet-ready, with an optional cellular networking card.
"We're proud to work with Healthnotes on the next generation of their kiosk platform. Our expertise in designing retail-hardened kiosks coupled with Healthnotes experience in wellness marketing has culminated in a unique, compelling design that we believe will lead to higher usage by consumers and thus bring even more benefits to grocery retailers," said Frank Olea, vice president of Olea Inc.
Thursday, 25 October 2007
NEW YORK - Experticity, a provider of live video-assisted customer support solutions, has announced that its customer service platform has been designated as a "Ready For" IBM Retail Store Innovations solution partner. Experticity demonstrated version 4.0 of its video-assisted customer service platform on IBM's AnyPlace Kiosk at Self Service Expo at the Jacob Javits Center in New York.
"IBM is committed to helping a new generation of retailers embrace the future, and its AnyPlace Kiosks represent a radical new approach to self-service that Experticity is proud to be a part of," said DL Baron, founder and CEO of Experticity.
The announcement comes as part of IBM's Consumer Services Initiative, which includes a new self-service kiosk with built-in wireless capabilities and point-of-sale options, a new line of self-checkout systems, enhanced systems management capabilities and a services practice focused on delivering customer-facing solutions. IBM also introduced the Self Service Alliance program, intended to drive innovation and create new uses for self-service technologies through collaboration and standards-based technologies.
Experticity's 4.0 solution is one of the first products to be featured in IBM's global initiative and promises to fundamentally change the way service providers connect and interact with their customers.
Wednesday, 24 October 2007
PALO ALTO, Calif. · A new report from Frost & Sullivan titled "North American Photo Kiosk Markets" takes a look at major industry trends as well as the install base and revenue-growth data in the photo kiosk sector. In this research, Frost & Sullivan's analysts examine the business done at photo kiosks in traditional mass retail markets and in emerging nontraditional, cafe-style photo kiosk settings.
The report found that revenue growth will be impacted by the increase in photo gifting and scrapbooking that will cause a powerful shift in the photo-kiosk product mix. The segment is anticipated to capture 20 percent of all kiosk transactions by 2013, and this in turn will raise the average transaction price from $10.83 in 2006 to $16.69 in 2013. "Further revenue growth will be achieved by shifts in transaction patterns," said one Frost & Sullivan analyst. "Frost & Sullivan predicts the number of daily transactions per photo kiosk to increase from the current average of 8 per day to 12 per day by 2013."
Wednesday, 24 October 2007
SAN JOSE, Calif. · PFU Systems has announced the availability of the first in its line of information kiosk and digital signage products. The Mediastaff DS is a small kiosk designed for countertop or wall-mount applications. It is built around PFU Systems' Media Engine Single Board Computer (SBC).
"The Mediastaff DS provides our customers with an inexpensive way to deploy digital signage or information kiosks with high performance video and sound," said James Payne, PFU Systems' marketing manager.
The PFU Systems Media Engine at the heart of the Mediastaff DS uses a 520 MHz PXA270 and a 2700G Multimedia Accelerator running Windows CE to achieve full-motion video and excellent sound in a low-cost, low-profile solution. The Mediastaff DS provides a number of additional interfaces, including 4 USB ports and 10/100Base-T Ethernet to fit a wide variety of customer-facing projects.
Tuesday, 23 October 2007
NEW YORK — KioskCom's Self Service Expo opened today at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City. More than 90 exhibitors were on hand, running the gamut from self-checkout units to burn-on-demand kiosks to interactive digital signage.
Joel Davis, president of organizer JD Events, said a heavy emphasis was placed on attendee quality over quantity.
"We made significant efforts to make sure each attendee is a legitimate merchant deployer," he said. "I wanted a pure, qualified audience — no soliciting on site. Each application was reviewed by a human."
Davis said about 1,000 attendees were registered for the expo, with another 250 registered for the educational sessions. Those sessions included a keynote presentation on strategic approaches to self-service.
Elsewhere in the classrooms, Peter Kaszycki of Vertical Alliance and Ronald Bowers of Frank Mayer & Associates gave an introduction to self-service and digital signage; Tom Hammond of Clear Channel partnered with Alex Richardson of Selling Machine Partners for a look at the "A-Z's of Interactive Digital Signage"; Sumit Oberai of Indigo Music & Books talked about defining success criteria for self-service; and Debra Chin of the United States Postal Service dissected the best practices of user interface design.
Heavily trafficked areas of the show floor on day one included the GestureTek booth, where the company's immersive and touch-free technology stopped virtually all passersby; meanwhile, at the Apollo Display Technologies booth, crowds queued to see transflexive displays, which capture ambient light and use it to make the display brighter (i.e. the more sunlight shines on a display, the brighter the display gets).
Watch this site in the coming days for full, in-depth coverage of the Self-Service Expo exhibitors and their technologies.
Tuesday, 23 October 2007
 EMN8`s innovative self-service solutions allow quick service and fast casual restaurants to increase average check and improve speed of service - at a lower cost. Our media rich user interface delivers an engaging, consistent, branded, multilingual menu that allows guests to customize and ensure the accuracy of their orders - enhancing guest satisfaction.
Tuesday, 23 October 2007
service chains and their franchisees are experimenting like never before with self-service menu kiosks as they look to sell more food and cut labor costs. Pilot projects are under way at as many as 10 chains, according to the companies who sell the technology.
"I think the fast food industry is headed in that direction," said Valerie Killifer, editor of QSR Web, "but it's been a slow moving process."
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Tuesday, 23 October 2007
NEW YORK — The Self-Service & Kiosk Association will launch a separate association for individuals and companies in the digital signage space, and create an umbrella alliance to connect them.
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David Drain, executive director, Dick Good, chairman, Alex Richardson, president and Janet Webster of the USPS.
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The new association was the main topic yesterday at the SSKA executive board meeting, held in New York on the eve of Self Service Expo.
Dick Good, association chairman, said the new group will provide support and representation for digital signage vendors as well as deployers who have implemented digital signage solutions in their businesses.
Good said the Digital Signage Association would be affiliated with the SSKA in that both associations will be united by a newly formed Digital Technology Alliance. The Alliance will be a committee made up of selected members of both associations. There will also be special pricing for those companies interested in joining both associations, Good said.
The Digital Signage Association will launch Nov. 1.
Also at the meeting:
- Executive board members discussed whether to raise dues for the first time in the five-year history of the association.
- Association Executive Director David Drain made a push for companies to submit their best practices in article form to help the Best Practices Committee develop a database for online reference.
- Board member V. Miller Newton, CEO of Netkey, said that the Research and Statistics Committee is calling for company submissions for a database of case studies and white papers on SelfService.org, the association's website.
- Association president Alex Richardson said the association will look into developing network security standards. The association then would compile best practices and security information and possibly develop a way to certify companies for network security.
Monday, 22 October 2007
Management Consultancy: 89 percent of airlines expect to offer check-in over the Web within the next two years, in response to accelerating take-up of self-service technologies by passengers. More than half of 100 airlines surveyed now offer online check-in · compared to 42 percent last year · with 100 percent implementation among low-cost carriers and the top 25 passenger-carrying airlines, according to the ninth annual Airline IT Trends Survey, sponsored by travel IT supplier SITA.
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Monday, 22 October 2007
Business Week: IBM Corp. has announced that it teamed with Taiwan's MediaTek Inc. to develop ultra-fast chipsets that wirelessly can transmit a full-length, high-definition movie to and from a home PC, hand-held device, retail kiosk or television set. IBM said the new technology eliminates the need for connecting wires between HD-TVs and set-top boxes, and allows for more convenient placement of devices in consumers' homes.
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Friday, 19 October 2007
An airport's crowded lobby is usually the first stop in a long day of traveling for those who fly. One airline, however, is trying to make a good first impression.
Seattle, Wash.-based Alaska Airlines has doubled the number of passengers it gets through its airport lobbies in the same amount of time the manual check-in process took. The unique self-service process allows passengers to check in and drop off luggage by themselves.
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| The Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport in 2004 was the first to adopt the check-in process. |
In 1998, the airline formed an "Airport of the Future" team with employees all from throughout the company, including representatives from the facilities, IT, marketing, in-flight departments. Seeking input on how to create a better way of getting customers through the check-in process, the initial meeting was an outstanding success, says Jeff Anderson, Alaska Airlines' director of airport technology.
The airline's chief executive at the time made it clear that he wanted to take advantage of the growing use of electronic ticketing and self-service kiosks, Anderson says.
"He did not want to see a traditional ticket counter," Anderson said.
The team went to work in a special warehouse, where over the course of the next several years mock counters, kiosks and bagging areas were moved around and shuffled · all in an attempt to find an appropriate check-in configuration.
In 2003, the airline discovered the "two-step flow-through," its signature check-in process. That procedure was later awarded a U.S. patent.
The process works as such: Passengers enter the lobby and approach a bank of kiosks. From there, passengers go either left or right, depending on where the baggage belts are located, and they drop their luggage off.
For those who take longer at check-in, the kiosk might direct them to a ticket counter, which is located behind the kiosks, to speak with a customer agent. For instance, Anderson says, a group of people who are traveling together or an unaccompanied minor or even someone traveling with a pet might be sent to the counter.
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| The Anchorage airport has 25 check-in kiosks. The average transaction at the kiosk and the bagging-stop is reported to be two minutes. |
"The kiosk sorts the passengers for us," he said. "That sorting, between transactions that are short and those that take more time, is really what helps us get more customers through our kiosk and baggage locations."
Alaska Airlines' Web-site check-in also tells customers whether they should proceed to the baggage area or to the ticket-service counter.
The Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport in 2004 was the first to adopt the check-in process. The Anchorage airport has 25 check-in kiosks. The average transaction at the kiosk and the bagging-stop is two minutes, a significant decrease from when the airline performed face-to-face passenger transactions, Anderson says.
But some airports, particularly older ones, don't have room to accommodate a check-in process like Alaska Air's.
To bypass that barrier, the airline has come up with some alternatives, including mounting kiosks on ticket counters or putting two kiosks on one podium with a baggage belt on either side.
According to Alaska Air, at the mounted kiosks average 21 passengers an hour per agent. And the two-kiosks-on-one-podium approach averages 31 passengers an hour per agent.
And the default "two-step flow-through" process yields an average of 42 passengers per hour.
Alaska Air also just announced phase one of a three-phase rollout of a check-in system at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The system's layout is expected to be a modified version of what is used in Anchorage.
"It expands our terminal without building anything," said Perry Cooper, a spokesman for the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
The process also is expected to be introduced at other airports in Portland, Ore., and Las Cabos, Mexico. A modified version is already available at 15 airports in Alaska, Los Angeles and Boise, Idaho.
Alaska Air, which owns the rights to the "two-step flow-through" system, says it has been contacted by other airlines interested in deploying something similar. Some of the airlines have already copied the method, Anderson says.
"We are OK with that," he said. "It is not our intent to limit someone's ability to use an efficient model for checking in customers."
Friday, 19 October 2007
DAYTON, Ohio · NCR has announced Alliance & Leicester will be the first United Kingdom bank to install its automated teller machines across its entire branch/store enterprise with NCR's Intelligent No Envelope Deposit cash and check depositing. The bank also will use NCR's self-service software, second-line maintenance and installation services. Following a successful pilot in 2006, 260 NCR intelligent ATMs will be available in all 250 of the U.K.-based banks.
Friday, 19 October 2007
FREMONT, Calif. · Dynasign Corp., a Silicon Valley-based digital signage technology provider, has announced that Private Dental Network (PDN), a Burbank media company, is deploying the digital signage network powered by Dynasign technology in dental offices around the United States.
Dynasign digital signage platform will help PDN to effectively manage more than 60 minutes per month of originally produced oral health information and patient education along with advertisements and real-time news crawls while providing the option to display customized dental content on the same screen.
"Dynasign enables PDN-TV to program customized content and advertising on a national, regional or individual office level," said Matthew Berriman, PDN-TV operations chief. "It is important we deliver multi-zone scheduling, tracking ability and full screen transitions that truly define the PDN TV viewer experience."
The initial national roll-out includes the top 10 major media metropolitan areas in NY, LA, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, San Francisco, Boston, Atlanta, Washington DC, Houston and will reach approximately 200,000 viewers per month. PDN anticipates a national audience of one million viewers per month within the next 12 months.
Friday, 19 October 2007
Silicon.com: SITA found on average 21 percent of passengers use online check-in and this is expected to increase to 35 percent by the end of 2008. Passengers also are turning to self-service kiosks to avoid queues with 37 percent of plane travelers expected to use these kiosks during 2007, rising to 49 percent next year. E-ticketing also is becoming the norm with 86 percent of all tickets issued expected to be in this form by the end of 2008.
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Friday, 19 October 2007
North-West Evening Mail (Cumbria, England): The Children's Information Service is working with Kiosks4Business to install parent information kiosks in children's centers at Barrow's Bram Longstaffe Children's Centre and at the Lakes Children's Centre at Ambleside Library. If families find the kiosks useful in this pilot scheme, more will be installed in children's centres across the county.
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Thursday, 18 October 2007
Home Media Magazine: Movie Gallery's bankruptcy filing underscores the futility of the brick-and-mortar DVD-rental business model, said the chief executive of DVDPlay, a movie-rental kiosk company. Charles Berger, president and CEO of Campbell, Calif.-based DVDPlay, said the company spent more than $30 million perfecting a database and network-supported proprietary Web-based kiosk capable of holding more than 80 titles and 500 DVDs.
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Thursday, 18 October 2007
LONDON · 3M will announce an extended temperature specification for its ClearTek II Capacitive Touch Screens at KioskCom Europe, in an effort to strengthen its appeal for outdoor applications. The company will be showing its complete portfolio of innovative touchscreen and touchmonitor products for the self-service kiosk and ATM markets at the show, including the vandal-resistant MicroTouch ToughTouch II Capacitive Touch Screens, EX II capacitive electronics, the M170 17-inch LCD Touch Monitor and the CT150 15-inch LCD Touch Monitor.
Following testing, 3M Touch Systems is now able to assure ClearTek II Capacitive Touch Screens for operation from +70-degrees C to -40-degrees C, a strong advantage for operators of outdoor kiosks and ATMs in colder climates.
Key features of ClearTek II include at least five times more wear-resistance and durability over competitive solutions, accurate touch performance and the highest levels of light transmission in the marketplace today. The screens are available in sizes from 6.4-inch to 32-inch diagonal.
Wednesday, 17 October 2007
The name is the same, but the attitude at NCR Corp. is one of renewed excitement, say company executives at NCR headquarters in Dayton, Ohio.
Thanks in part to the company's spin-off of its data-warehousing business, Teradata, "the new NCR" is poised to focus squarely on self-service. In the process, the 123-year-old company that got its start in the cash register business says it expects to leave its self-service competitors in the proverbial dust.
"We're embarking on a journey with a bright future," said Brian Pilla, director of marketing and deployment for NCR's Financial Solutions Division. "We are going to be the dominant self-service company."
NCR completed its separation from Teradata on Oct. 1 through the distribution of a tax-free stock dividend to its stockholders. Because of that distribution, NCR no longer owns shares of Teradata, and Teradata now operates as an independent company.
As of the first day of trading, shareholder value increased based on the combined stock value of the two companies, said NCR spokeswoman Lorraine Russell.
"We are very pleased with the results so far and are working diligently to continue to deliver on our commitments to shareholder value," she said.
The move allows both companies to succeed on their own, NCR says.
"By separating NCR and Teradata, we are giving birth to two high-tech companies that are focused on their specific areas," said Mel Walter, NCR's vice president of business development.
The move ties well with NCR's overall plans for global growth, building a more NCR-centric brand and a strong commitment to self-service, NCR executives say.
"Our research indicates a confirmation from our customers that the NCR brand name is very healthy and reflects our heritage of innovation and reliability," Russell said. "As we move into adjacent segments, by leveraging the knowledge and expertise that NCR has in our existing portfolio, it makes sense to also leverage the recognized NCR brand wherever appropriate."
The focus on self-service will bring together, NCR says, the self-service aspects of mobile devices, the Internet and automated machines, like ATMs · a strategy chief executive Bill Nuti talked about earlier this year at NCR's Self-Service Universe in Washington, D.C.
Consumer use of the Internet and mobile devices has forced those in the self-service industry to pay closer attention to its customers, Nuti says.
"Any business, any government, any healthcare provider that does not have self-service as one of its primary delivery channels will not be competitive in the future," Nuti said at the conference. "Self-service is well on its way to becoming the consumers' channel of choice."
Looking at the integration of self-service channels, NCR's Walter says Internet self-service is at its height, while mobile interactions are steadily creeping upward.
"There has been an explosion in the number of (self-service) interactions, particularly in the retail and hospitality spaces, as consumers get online to make the purchase of their choice," Walter said. "If you track the consumers, I think you will see the intersection of (Internet, mobile and automation)."
The goal, Walter said, is to pull together those service channels so customers do not have to go back and forth between them, but, rather, use them seamlessly.
The "new self-service movement," as CEO Nuti has coined it, has been facilitated by technological advances and fueled by fundamental and lasting changes in human behavior. For consumers, self-service is all about convenience control and saving time, he said.
"All of these allow you to redefine the consumer experience," Nuti said.
And with NCR's extensive experience, the company says it expects to be at the top of customers' lists.
"The beauty is, we are not starting out as a new entrant with no experience, but rather leveraging our existing strengths and simply applying those in new ways to offer enhanced consumer experiences within other market segments," Russell said.
Wednesday, 17 October 2007
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Automated drive-through toll booths should be operating at all the ferry terminals by the end of the year, speeding up ticketing and quelling complaints. The booths are part of Washington State Ferries' new $12.8 million electronic fare system, Wave2Go, which lets riders buy tickets online and print them at home or at terminal kiosks.
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Wednesday, 17 October 2007
Express Travel World: Bangalore-based travel services portal Via has announced the launch of kiosks that will allow customers to book bus tickets online. Via claims they are the first such travel kiosk in the country and has plans of operating around 500 such kiosks around high traffic areas in the country.
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Wednesday, 17 October 2007
The Star-Telegram: Barnes & Noble is adding computer kiosks at all of its stores so customers can look up authors or order out-of-stock books on the spot. At Target stores, customers can walk up to a kiosk to create and print gift-giving lists. Shoppers likely will see more kiosks as retailers continue to synchronize their Web sites and stores and look for ways to make it easier for consumers to shop any way they like.
Wednesday, 17 October 2007
NORTHERN VIRGINIA — Gamut Systems has announced the launch of a new Web site, providing users with a comprehensive overview of Gamut Systems and the latest product line of Gamut Kiosks. It is designed to give visitors faster accessibility to helpful information about Gamut's four major lines of business: kiosks, stands, software and peripheral products including scanners and mobile hand-held computers. Included in this site is information on customers and partners as well as current newsworthy information.
"The new corporate Web site conveys all the relevant and important information our customers and prospects need today," said Peter Y. Nylund, founder and CEO. "This new design allows for true knowledge transfer of how our innovative products and solutions are making our customers more successful. Our new Web site is exciting and inviting, yet brief."
Gamut Systems also will be unveiling its Web site and Gamut Kiosks at the National Retail Federation in 2008 where it will be exhibiting for its fourth year. This new product is currently in production at two very large international companies.
Tuesday, 16 October 2007
MIAMI · American Airlines has announced that it continues to see unprecedented growth at Miami International Airport. To accommodate the growing traffic at the Miami hub, American has been working with the Miami-Dade Aviation Department to expedite construction of the North Terminal Project. The recent opening of the South Terminal will allow the closing of Concourse A and for American to operate in Concourses C, D and E.
When the North Terminal project is complete, American will operate from a new, state-of-the-art terminal with 50 international gates, an automated people-mover system, 49 ticket counter positions, 90 self-service check-in devices, 20 staffed self-service baggage check-in positions, a new baggage handling system, and a new Customs facility.
American recently added curbside check-in for international passengers at Miami, the only carrier to offer this service. It also has added 23 new self-service check-in stations and a new security checkpoint at Concourse E to accelerate the flow of traffic within the airport.
Tuesday, 16 October 2007
POSEN, Ill. · Corporate Safe Specialists will introduce the MenuSOS software module for its Kiosk safe platform at KioskCom's Self-Service Expo in New York City on Oct. 23—24. CSS Kiosk solutions are designed to help small and medium-sized businesses implement self-service systems with a lower initial investment.
MenuSOS is offered as an enhancement to the CSS Kiosk platform, which is the only kiosk system to accept credit/debit cards and cash. Notes are deposited directly into a business-rated safe and CSS Kiosk security can be made ready for armored car pick-up.
MenuSOS offers rapid self-configuration through a scripted, user-friendly process that non-technical users can complete within a few hours. Establishments then would have a working kiosk platform that would provide benefits to both the business owner and customers. Customers now will have the ability to order and pay for items set up during configuration. Business owners are able to service customers without hiring additional staff.
The MenuSOS module also can be used as a digital chalkboard to communicate daily specials and other information to customers.
CSS sells a variety of innovative security products including patented, smart-safe technologies that control access to safes remotely, and customer-facing solutions, such as kiosks, that manage transactions and handle cash payment directly from the customer.
Monday, 15 October 2007
The (Minneapolis, Minn.) Star-Tribune: Most businesses try to entice customers to empty their pockets. A growing number of banks have a formula for getting every last cent -- installing self-service coin-counting machines in the lobby.
Sunday, 14 October 2007
The San Francisco Chronicle: In recent years, the airline boarding pass has gone from a bulky packet of paper you received in the mail to an e-mail that you can print out at home. But the incredible shrinking boarding pass may not be done evolving. Soon, it may become a tiny digital barcode that sits on your cell phone screen. The International Air Transport Association, which represents 240 airlines, said it has taken a step toward allowing passengers to check in for flights using a barcode sent to their cell phones via e-mail or text message, making the process truly paperless.
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Sunday, 14 October 2007
The San Francisco Chronicle: In recent years, the airline boarding pass has gone from a bulky packet of paper you received in the mail to an e-mail that you can print out at home. But the incredible shrinking boarding pass may not be done evolving. Soon, it may become a tiny digital barcode that sits on your cell phone screen. The International Air Transport Association, which represents 240 airlines, said it has taken a step toward allowing passengers to check in for flights using a barcode sent to their cell phones via e-mail or text message, making the process truly paperless.
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Sunday, 14 October 2007
Video Business: TNR Entertainment has in the last three weeks quietly undergone a senior management change amidst a redirection that will see the DVD rental kiosk operator slow growth and focus on improving execution in its current locations. The move by TNR, which operates about 2,000 kiosks under The New Release and Movie Cube brands, signals a change in corporate strategy from one of rapid growth to strengthening performance at existing locations.
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Friday, 12 October 2007
LOS ANGELES · Olea Inc. a designer and manufacturer of interactive self-service kiosks, has announced it will support the new version of the IBM AnyPlace Kiosk. Currently, Olea offers two standard kiosks featuring the IBM AnyPlace Kiosk. Olea also provides full custom-design services focused on bringing customers application-specific hardware features coupled with a design branded specifically for their needs.
"We're very excited to be one of the first to offer this next generation IBM AnyPlace kiosk to our customers," said Frank Olea, vice president of Olea. "We have seen strong interest in 19-inch LCD touchscreens and even larger demand for a second screen on all of our kiosks over the past year. The new IBM AnyPlace gives us those options and more, including faster speed, lower energy consumption and wireless capabilities."
Through its relationship with IBM, Olea has expanded its reach internationally including customers in United Kingdom, Dubai, Kuwait and in the United Arab Emirates.
Thursday, 11 October 2007
Boxkite Systems Technologies, Inc. (Boxkite), a privately owned information technology firm, has multiple operations in both Puerto Rico, serving the Caribbean, Central and South American markets, as well as in Miami, Florida, serving our U.S. clients.
Founded in 2003, Boxkite`s mission is to successfully and effectively combine technology, customer behavior patterns and organizational objectives to produce high quality software and payment solutions for embedded systems in handheld devices, mobile phones, self-service kiosks and network appliances.
Boxkite offers complete and flexible solutions for bill payment and multi services kiosks. Our signature multi services, transactional Kiosk and Boxkite`s KioskSoft Suite, consist of full-turn-key solutions, including all needed hardware devices, software components, as well as individual software modules or suites. At Boxkite we work closely with our clients to identify the most suitable mobile solution and we offer products and services enabling clients to generate value from the mobile medium by deploying solutions that power mobile transactions. Our technology mobile platform and products allow: Mobile Banking, Mobile Commerce, Proximity Marketing, Mobile Marketing, Mobile Promotions, Mobile Reservations, Mobile Ticketing, Mobile Sport Applications such as Mobile Fantasy League, Mobile Coupon Dispensing, Mobile Web Site, Mobile Search etc.
Thursday, 11 October 2007
ABERDEEN, N.C. · Pitney Bowes Inc., a solutions company that helps organizations manage the flow of information, mail, documents and packages, and Meridian Kiosks, a manufacturer of kiosks and self-service terminals, have announced a new agreement whereby Pitney Bowes will provide comprehensive multivendor services to Meridian Kiosks and its U.S. customer base.
Serving as an independent services provider, Pitney Bowes will offer deployment and life-cycle services for Meridian Kiosks' full line of kiosk and self-service devices. These services will include installation, warranty, post-warranty and on-site maintenance support at customer locations throughout the U.S.
Thursday, 11 October 2007
ABERDEEN, N.C. · Pitney Bowes Inc., a solutions company that helps organizations manage the flow of information, mail, documents and packages, and Meridian Kiosks, a manufacturer of kiosks and self-service terminals, have announced a new agreement whereby Pitney Bowes will provide comprehensive multivendor services to Meridian Kiosks and its U.S. customer base.
Serving as an independent services provider, Pitney Bowes will offer deployment and life-cycle services for Meridian Kiosks' full line of kiosk and self-service devices. These services will include installation, warranty, post-warranty and on-site maintenance support at customer locations throughout the U.S.
Thursday, 11 October 2007
ABERDEEN, N.C. · Pitney Bowes Inc., a solutions company that helps organizations manage the flow of information, mail, documents and packages, and Meridian Kiosks, a manufacturer of kiosks and self-service terminals, have announced a new agreement whereby Pitney Bowes will provide comprehensive multivendor services to Meridian Kiosks and its U.S. customer base.
Serving as an independent services provider, Pitney Bowes will offer deployment and life-cycle services for Meridian Kiosks' full line of kiosk and self-service devices. These services will include installation, warranty, post-warranty and on-site maintenance support at customer locations throughout the U.S.
Thursday, 11 October 2007
Inside Retailing Online: Macquarie Bank has taken a 20-percent stake in Everywhere Internet, a privately owned chain of Internet cafes with 20 stores in Sydney and Melbourne. The chain already boasts 10,000 customers per day and is in the midst of a nationwide roll out. The automated, distinctive orange Internet kiosks can be found in shopping centers and stand-alone sites, and it claims its 300-seat cafe in the Sydney CBD is Australia's biggest.
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Thursday, 11 October 2007
USA Today: In a move that could save air travelers time, more U.S. airports are installing common-use kiosks that enable self-check-in for multiple airlines. Nine U.S. airports now have the devices to supplement or replace the airlines' own self-check-in kiosks. That's up from two airports five years ago. Among the places they can be found: Seattle-Tacoma, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Washington Dulles. Airports own the CUSS kiosks and often place them in terminal areas not occupied by an airline. This spreads out travelers away from airline counters, improving the flow of people, says Byford Treanor, an executive at Dallas/Fort Worth. That airport has 51 CUSS kiosks. It plans to buy more.
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Thursday, 11 October 2007
PORTSMOUTH, RI · Thule Inc., a Swedish car rack manufacturer, chose Self-Service Networks, a provider of turnkey self-service solutions, to create TIPP, a touchscreen kiosk that empowers consumers to quickly match the appropriate Thule rack system to their vehicle and gear carrying needs.
Self-Service Networks designed TIPP as a stand-alone kiosk or as an upgrade to Thule's Rack Patrol point-of-purchase display. Along with rack-vehicle matching tools, the TIPP system features product information and video demonstrations. After selecting a rack system, the selected components can be printed as a shopping list for an efficient sales process.
Sales associates also can use TIPP as a Thule product training tool while better serving customers. Additionally, TIPP gathers usage statistics that can improve other aspects of the Thule shopping experience.
Wednesday, 10 October 2007
The Boston Globe: Reebok International Ltd. and the National Hockey League have announced the formal launch of a special hockey store in the New York building that houses NHL offices. Featuring such high-tech touches as e-commerce kiosks, the store will be as much about high theater as a place to buy sticks, skates and puck bags.
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Wednesday, 10 October 2007
The Harvard Crimson: Dining halls are now serving up nutrition information on a high-tech array of glowing flat-screen monitors that cost them thousands of dollars. Harvard University Dining Services installed 13 42-inch flat-panel plasma television monitors and 14 free-standing electronic kiosks into the 13 dining halls across campus last summer.
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Tuesday, 09 October 2007
ATLANTA · Radiant Systems Inc. and The Spinx Company Inc. have announced an agreement to deploy Radiant point-of-sale and customer self-service technology to more than 40 Spinx-branded convenience and petroleum retail locations.
The Radiant solution includes Radiant point-of-sale and customer self-service software, P1550 hardware terminals, S4500 site servers, the Radiant Electronic Payment Controller and the Tiger Fuel Controller. The Radiant solution integrates to Spinx's PDI back office using the industry-standard PCATS-NA.
In addition, Spinx will deploy Radiant Loyalty Manager, allowing the retailer to interface its point of sale with its choice of loyalty programs.
Monday, 08 October 2007
IBM's popular Anyplace kiosk isn't exactly at the point where it does anything. But it's getting closer.
Seeing and projecting significant growth in a marketplace where people desire to do for themselves, IBM Corp. is rolling out a new generation of its widely-used kiosks with technology such as wireless Internet access, 3-D imagery and other capabilities aimed at putting more convenience and control at users' fingertips.
The New York-based company expects the rollout, unveiled Sept. 25, to attract a new wave of self-reliant, tech-savvy users while satisfying the growing needs of an ever-demanding public.
Analysts predict the effort will further revolutionize the booming kiosk industry.
"It sends a message to the industry that kiosks are actually vital and interesting parts of the overall shopping experience," said Rob Garf, vice president of retail strategies for Boston-based AMR Research. "Their offering speaks to usability and customer acceptance. It's not this cumbersome piece of hardware, but technology that can help the consumer."
Worldwide distribution of the enhanced machines began this week with a number of companies lining up to purchase the equipment, said Juhi Jotwani, IBM's director of marketing and strategy for retail store solutions.
Growing self-service
The next-generation Anyplace kiosk rollout stems from an IBM-initiated study that detailed the rising popularity of self-service kiosks. The report, which surveyed 1,000 U.S. consumers, found a 50 percent jump in use of the machines over the past year. And 70 percent of those polled said they expect more from self-service options.
The survey also found most people use self-service devices because they translate to spending less time in line, they are relatively easy to use and they provide privacy for certain transactions.
In addition to the kiosk upgrades, IBM also announced a new strategy to pool the ideas of businesses for future development and unveiled a new line of point-of-sale and self-checkout systems designed to smooth the process of changing product prices, initiating special offers and incentives for customers at checkout and customizing the software to their needs.
Greg Buzek, president of IHL Consulting, said the new systems could have a significant positive impact on businesses looking to market their wares and services outside their stores. For instance, a company without a store in a mall can broaden its reach by setting up a kiosk in a mall that enables shoppers to peruse items they sale and purchase them via the machine.
Buzek also sees opportunity for companies to place kiosks in stores selling their products that can provide instant information and details about the goods. And with a wireless connection that does not tap a store's own setup, businesses, many of which previously expressed concern about security risks, only have to provide power to the machine.
"I've been going back and forth trying to fix a faucet," Buzek said. "If I would've had a kiosk to say, What is this piece called and where do I find it,' that would be very valuable to me."
Increasing user-value has driven IBM's latest advances. Graphics capabilities allow companies to show video clips such as how-to lessons, and the imagery is set up for users to enable certain keys that provide a three-dimensional view of a product, setting or environment that traditional machines lack.
"We've just cracked the surface of the opportunities," Jotwani said. "I see kiosks becoming pervasive and using them in many aspects of our lives. They're about making our busy lives simpler."
Kiosks: Anyplace, anywhere in the future
As use of ATMs rose in the late 1970s, companies such as IBM saw further everyday uses for the machines. The company ventured into the related self-service kiosk field some 20 years ago. It quickly vaulted to industry-leader status, devising landmark technology that gave consumers more control in the marketplace. The company's machines and software, most notably the 4-year-old flagship Anyplace kiosk, are commonplace in businesses worldwide.
The introduction of the Anyplace kiosk, with sizes ranging from 15-inch to 19-inch screens, afforded businesses versatility in squeezing the products into small spaces or making on-screen visibility greater for customers. The machines, outfitted with 40GB hard drives and slots for memory upgrades, represented a significant leap forward in the self-service arena because the components · screen, functional parts and card-processing swipe slot · were encased in a single shell.
The idea for Anyplace stemmed from feedback from IBM customers who sought a self-service device smaller than those that existed and could withstand the harshness of a consumer environment. The company sought to create a unit with the power and capabilities of a personal computer but lacking its bulkiness.
After 18 months of development, Anyplace was launched in January 2005 and quickly put into use worldwide. The units have an expected product life of seven years in public environments.
"They're built like a tank," said Bruce Rasa, self service team leader for Anyplace kiosk. He was part of the machine's development and implementation team.
While a number of companies and industries took part in pilot kiosk programs early on, most opted to see how the technology would catch on. But as more and more consumers began to gravitate toward the equipment, starting with bank ATMs, those businesses initially deciding to look on from the sidelines have since entered the market by installing self-service equipment.
IBM does not disclose specific sales figures, but Rasa said tens of thousands of Anyplace kiosks have been sold since its introduction.
IBM officials say they anticipate their technological upgrades will make Anyplace an easier sell and will usher in more widespread uses to include non-retail sectors, such as healthcare facilities that could allow patients to look up information and companies that could position machines at off-site areas to communicate with employees spending much of their workdays there.
The new Anyplace kiosks have been in development for 18 months. The updated models feature screens as large as 19 inches, run on less power and allow for advertising. A digital marquee also can be positioned atop the kiosks for running messages or special offers.
The machines are built with the environment in mind, IBM officials say. Powder coating has been used instead of paint on many metal and plastic parts to prevent potentially harmful emissions that can occur in the painting process. And the machines have been designed with expansion in mind so upgrades are possible to prevent companies from having to discard the products years from now.
Garf considers IBM's technological progression part of the natural evolution of the kiosk. He anticipates further advances in the coming years.
"With any technology, the sky's the limit," Garf said. "As soon as the technology gets out there, there is newer stuff being planned."
Monday, 08 October 2007
NewsOK.com: Over the past year, Star Chasers Oklahoma, the statewide local franchiser of Carl's Jr., has installed touchscreen kiosks in 31 of its 39 restaurants in Oklahoma and Wichita Falls, Texas, making it one of the few quick-service restaurant chains in the country to use the self-service model at a franchisee or corporate level.
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Monday, 08 October 2007
Supply Chain Digest: Wal-Mart, like many other retailers, is increasingly counting on customer self-service to help it reduce operating costs and maybe even reduce the time customers spend waiting to go through point-of-sale lines. Some recent visits to Wal-Mart superstores in the Ohio area indicated Wal-Mart, again like other retailers, also is battling shrinkage issues with the program.
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Monday, 08 October 2007
Inside Retailing Online: While they've been a long time coming, self-service check-out points are certain to become commonplace in Australian retail outlets. A number of extensive trials and studies show shoppers are warming to the concept. One recent research study indicates that around 4 million Australians would be more likely to shop at a store that offers self-checkout facilities as opposed to ones that don't.
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Monday, 08 October 2007
Newsday.com: At least 2,000 Long Island Rail Road passengers were billed twice for tickets purchased with credit cards and certain types of debit cards at station kiosks, officials said. LIRR officials said the billing problem was caused by a software glitch in all of its 269 automated machines throughout Long Island and New York City. Most of the riders have been reimbursed, and the rest will be soon, officials said.
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Monday, 08 October 2007
Afterdawn.com: A city councilman in Union City, Ind., wants to force the owner of a McDonald's franchise to either remove the Redbox DVD rental kiosk that sits outside, or stock it with nothing but G-rated movies.
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Friday, 05 October 2007
TalkingRetail.com: Meijer, the privately-owned Midwestern US supermarket chain, has taken self-checkout technology to a new level with the installation of self-checkout lanes for larger food shops. Meijer's new units are installed in the middle of the store's regular checkout lanes. Under the system, scanned items travel down a moving belt to the end of the checkout lane where customers can then bag them after payment has been made. Among the country's other leading grocery chains, Wal-Mart and Kmart have installed self-checkouts but Target, the market's second largest chain, is not using the technology.
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Friday, 05 October 2007
The Dallas (Texas) Morning News: We've all heard that we can lose 10 pounds a year by cutting out that once-a-day can of soda or candy bar habit. But have you heard about the weight-loss tip associated with self-checkout lanes? The average American woman could lose more than 4 pounds a year by resisting the urge to purchase impulse candies, snacks and sodas at the supermarket checkout, according to a study by IHL Consulting Group.
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Friday, 05 October 2007
Wired: The Government Accountability Office, which has been looking into what happened to about 18,000 votes in a controversial Florida election, released a preliminary report saying it can't exclude the possibility that touchscreen voting machines were responsible for the undervotes in that race. The GAO says that initial tests on the voting machines conducted by Florida election officials after the election were insufficient and that the GAO needs to conduct more tests.
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Thursday, 04 October 2007
GlobeandMail.com: NTT DoCoMo Inc., Japan's largest mobile phone operator, hopes to one day sell a handset that lets you make electronic payments while it stays in your pocket. Using mobile phones to pay for goods electronically is common in Japan, the world's biggest market of third-generation mobile users, where phones are swiped at ticket gates or vending machines to pay for train fares or drinks. DoComo's prototype cell phone would allow you to do all that without taking it out of your pocket.
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Thursday, 04 October 2007
HARRISBURG, Pa. - The new Elo TouchSystems 1729L 17"? LCD integrated multifunction touchscreen from Tyco Electronics offers more field-installable options than previous members of its family. The 1729L was developed to provide a versatile interface for applications in retail POS markets such as department stores, convenience stores, hospitality and fast food service.
Following on the success of the 1229L 12"? and 1529L 15"? LCD multifunction touchscreens, the new 1729L 17" can be configured by the customer in the field to include three options from a choice of: Magnetic Stripe Reader; vacuum fluorescent, rear-facing LED customer display; biometric fingerprint recognition device; and speaker bar with/without a built-in single or omni-directional barcode scanner.
The 1729L is currently available with a choice of Elo touch technologies: AccuTouch five-wire resistive technology can be activated with fingernails, gloves, credit cards or any stylus; IntelliTouch surface wave technology is a pure glass touchscreen to provide the ultimate in optics and can be activated with fingers or gloves.
Thursday, 04 October 2007
Video Business: When online digital content originally debuted in the marketplace, many predicted the impending demise of retail. For many of us, though, those predictions bring to mind Mark Twain's famous quote: "The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated." If you recall, some predicted "bricks and mortar" banks would disappear with the introduction of the ATM. Instead, ATMs have radically changed the banking experience, and consumers rely on a mix of tellers, self-service ATMs and online banking to meet their needs. Digital entertainment in retail will follow a similar model. Though not all the pieces are in place today, the opportunities are becoming clearer, the technology more widely available, and business strategies and best practices are being developed.
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Wednesday, 03 October 2007
Today's Zaman: Turkey's leading financial institution for individual loans, Akbank, has introduced its latest service, the "Loan Machine," to Turkish customers. Customers will now easily be able to obtain a credit card or individual loan without having to pay a visit to a bank office. Every step required in a loan or credit card application, from providing documentation and personal information to picture taking, can be conducted through the new self-service kiosk.
Wednesday, 03 October 2007
The Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal: Customer-Facing Media, a maker of electronic kiosks that's targeting the supermarket industry, has bagged its first client: Supervalu Inc. The small company, founded by two brothers in 2002, reached an agreement with the grocery giant that will place its kiosks in 55 Twin Cities-area Cub Foods stores by the end of next month. After the Cub roll-out is complete, the firm expects its products to land in 543 additional stores either owned or supplied by Eden Prairie-based Supervalu. The firm hopes to have its kiosks in 2,000 stores by the end of next year.
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Wednesday, 03 October 2007
The Australian: A major airline union will launch a global campaign on YouTube aimed at enlisting customer support against Qantas moves to slash the base pay of new customer service staff by more than $3,000. Union officials said the airline had argued that the introduction of self-service kiosks for passengers meant that new staff required fewer skills and were performing a different job, therefore they should be reclassified at a lower pay rate.
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Tuesday, 02 October 2007
CNNMoney.com: GE Homeland Protection Inc. has announced it has begun a development program designed to create an automated air passenger identification system potentially more effective and less costly than the manual processes employed at today's airport screening lanes. The aviation identity kiosk development program seeks to supplement advances in passenger screening already attained by GE Security's Checkpoint of the Future initiative, bringing an advanced technology solution to the head of the security lane where passengers' government-issued ID photos are currently compared by security officials with faces and the names on boarding passes.
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Tuesday, 02 October 2007
The Australian: Jetstar Airways has signed a $3 million agreement with IBM Corp. to establish and support the carrier's domestic Web check-in and kiosk solutions. Jetstar and IBM Global Business Services will introduce Internet check-in capability and 32 airport check-in kiosk units during the first implementation phase at Jetstar's major domestic gateway airports.
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Tuesday, 02 October 2007
The Minneapolis-St. Paul (Minn.) Business Journal: Target Corp. has announced that it would debut in-store kiosks to help customers create shopping and gift-giving lists. Minneapolis-based retailer Target launched its TargetLists system - computer kiosks that contain lists of products a customer can generate. Customers can go online and browse products, create lists, then add items or track items purchased. The system also allows a user to share lists with others, and create lists for occasions like birthdays or holidays. The lists can then be printed out at in-store kiosks or at home.
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Monday, 01 October 2007
For years, KioskCom's Self Service Expo (formerly known simply as KioskCom) focused on the pillar of the self-service industry · kiosks. But the advent of other self-service-related technologies has pushed the trade show to include digital signage, something those in the self-service industry see as a part of their future.
"We want to continue to expand our show and we want to be representative of what (technologies) are out there," said Lawrence Dvorchik, Self Service Expo's general manager.
According to a survey of April's Las Vegas Self Service Expo attendees, 41 percent of the attendees surveyed said they are deploying digital signage and 36 percent plan to deploy signage within 12 to 18 months.
Increased interest in digital signage is why it will be in full effect when Self Service Expo makes its inaugural trip to New York City in October. Debuting at the trade show is "Digital Signage Drive," an area of the show's exhibit floor that will show attendees the latest digital signage technology solutions.
Sponsored by Nanonation & ULTIMedia USA, Digital Signage Drive will demonstrate how interactive digital displays enable customers to become engaged with products, and how digital signage can help extend a retailer's marketing reach well beyond the display panel.
In addition to digital signage, special speakers will be present, as well as exhibitors from across the industry. Most importantly, significant product and developments announcements will be made at the show, Dvorchik said.
Networking opportunities will be available at the show, particularly with special discussion groups. The Birds of a Feather roundtable discussion groups will allow deployers to network and discuss critical business issues confronting self-service companies. For the first time ever, the Self Service Expo has arranged for industry leaders and deployers to share their experiences and answer specific questions over lunch both days of the show. Representatives from Nanonation and St. Clair Interactive will facilitate discussions on topics such as customer experience, lessons learned from a longtime company, interactive digital signage and return on investment.
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Self Service Expo
Oct. 23-24
Jacob Javits Convention Center
New York , NY
For more information, visit www.selfserviceexpo.com
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Tech Talk seminars will be another way for show attendees to interact with industry leaders. The sessions within the Tech Talks Theater focus on more specific applications and technologies critical to successful kiosk, digital signage and other self-service hot topics for success. Some of the seminars include:
- Digital Signage: The Next Generation
- Closed Loop Cash Management Process
- All About Digital Signage Software: The Foundation of your Signage Network
- Selling Digital On-Demand Products in a Retail Environment
- Building a Better Kiosk
At the show, keynote speakers and session instructors will cater to those in the retail, food service, travel, entertainment, financial, government and healthcare industries, among others. Dvorchik said the show's educational content regarding those industries will be updated to represent the current issues in the self-service industry.
Kerry Bodine, a principal analyst for Forrester Research and one of two keynote speakers at Self Service Expo, will focus her talk on improving customer service. Businesses that don't adopt a user-centered design approach put themselves at serious risk, she said.
"In order to attain their business objectives, [businesses] must help customers accomplish their goals · and customers can only achieve their goals when self-service channels provide essential content and function, then help users find and consume it," Bodine said.
The other keynote will focus on the strategic impact of self-service on an organization.
Organizers are projecting more than 100 exhibitors and more than 1,000 attendees at the New York show, said Mark Freed, vice president of sales for Self Service Expo.
The show, which Dvorchik said is an effort to make the Self Service Expo more accessible to those on the East Coast, is one of several shows planned for the next few months. Later this year and into early next year, Self Service Expo will present shows in London and Beijing.
The move to international shows comes as the expo continues to make its shows prime territory for networking with top companies in self-service.
"Hopefully, these shows lead to more partnerships and projects," Dvorchik said.
Monday, 01 October 2007
GRAFTON, Wis. - Frank Mayer & Associates Inc. has announced it won one Gold, two Silver and one Bronze Design of the Times awards. The Design of the Times Awards Competition recognizes the in-store marketing industry's best displays and retail promotions.
Frank Mayer & Associates Inc. received the awards for its Disney Mobile Phone Display, Horizon Hobby FS One Kiosk, Nintendo Wii Tour Interactive display and the Microsoft Games for Windows display.
Monday, 01 October 2007
BOSTON · Modiv Media Inc., a provider of retail interactive media delivery solutions, has announced the launch of Modiv Shopper, Modiv DeliVision and Modiv Mobile, a multitouch platform that delivers consumer-convenient media through in-store self-service solutions and on-the-go shoppers' mobile phones. The new products enable brand marketers and retailers to connect and engage with individual consumers when they are at their "moment of decision," making it possible to create truly personalized relationships. By reaching customers at the right times and right locations, retailers and brand marketers can better influence buying behaviors and drive sales throughout the shopping experience.
"More than ever, the way shoppers shop and the way media is delivered are changing," said Robert Wesley, president and CEO of Modiv Media. "Today, 40 percent of shoppers are using self-service checkout at retail stores when available, and 240-plus million U.S. mobile phone subscribers are beginning to use their mobile phones as personal convenience devices. Reaching consumer purchasers at these touch points · and at the most critical moments - is proving to be the best way to take shopping to the next level. Modiv Media's products let brand marketers and retailers reach the target they seek and give customers relevant coupons and offers the way they want to receive it."
Modiv Media's multitouch products are designed to orchestrate relevant retail messages and improve the customer shopping experience at exactly the right moment and exactly the right place to increase brand and store loyalty:
- Modiv Shopper offers truly relevant consumer-driven media and retail operational efficiencies through a time-saving scan-and-bag handheld for shoppers. As shoppers walk through the store aisles with their own personal shopper handheld, they also save money with the targeted offers and advertisements based on their shopping history, redemption history, in-store location tracking and just-purchased items.
- Modiv DeliVision enhances the deli customer experience and increases deli revenue with a solution that combines queue optimization, convenient self-service deli-kiosk ordering and targeted marketing. By consolidating electronic and in-person deli counter lines and orders, retailers improve operational efficiencies while customers receive additional promotions and options to fulfill their deli orders in a timely and cost-effective manner, leading to better customer satisfaction.
- Modiv Mobile influences brand shopping decisions by delivering relevant information and promotions to on-the-go shoppers' mobile phones via opt-in campaigns and personalized offers. Delivering targeted and relevant alerts, coupons and promotions to customers' mobile phones help increase store sales and traffic while building strong one-to-one relationships.
Monday, 01 October 2007
BALTIMORE, Md. · The North American photo kiosk market is poised to continue its growth streak, thanks largely to the emergence of the diverse gifting and creative product mix, reports Frost & Sullivan.
With an anticipated compound annual growth rate of 57 percent through 2013, the gifting and creative mix could well increase its share of all transactions to 20 percent by 2013.
For these levels of growth to be achieved, industry leaders in both the vendor and retail markets must work toward increasing customer awareness of the photo kiosks and their growing product mixes.
New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, U.S. Photo Kiosk Markets, reveals that this market earned revenues of $2.15 billion in 2006 and estimates this to reach $13.0 billion in 2013.
"Retailers no longer battle for the meager profits earned from the traditional 4x6 prints, but focus their efforts on encouraging customers to create lasting souvenirs in the form of photo-books, calendars and other image enhanced keepsakes,"� said Rufus Connell, Frost & Sullivan's information & communications technologies vice president.
Besides offering consumers an additional means to print and share their images, the gifting and creative product mix provides retailers a significantly better ROI than the 4x6 prints. Vendors too have taken note, and innovative software and improved workflow now are helping consumers take advantage of the ever-growing possibilities that exist beyond traditional photo kiosk use.
However, the industry is not without its challenges, the biggest of which is how to get the consumers to print a greater percentage of the images captured on digital cameras and also camera phones. According to the PhotoImaging Manufacturers and Distributors Association, less than 20 percent of images captured on these devices are printed. Frost & Sullivan is of the opinion that this is the single biggest restraint to the photo kiosk industry and expects this to be a formidable obstacle over the next few years.
"Having said that, the emerging gifting and creative market could gradually change this trend," Connell said. "Since the trend today is to not share our photos by print, but to share them through e-mail or on computer screens, photo merchandise will be seen as an attractive and effective way to both share and preserve our images."
Monday, 01 October 2007
Ad-Hoc News: Financial Services Centers Cooperative Inc., a credit union shared branch network, has announced that credit union services will be delivered through approximately 2,000 financial self-service kiosks and located in 7-Eleven store locations across the U.S. Through the use of the kiosks, transactions such as depositing checks, withdrawing cash, making loan payments, transferring cash between accounts, obtaining credit advances, making balance inquiries and obtaining copies of recent history statements will be available.
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Monday, 01 October 2007
Dayton (Ohio) Daily News: The official spin-off Monday of NCR Corp.'s moneymaking Teradata Data Warehousing Division is an invigorating time for Dayton and the company, said Bill Nuti, president and chief executive officer of NCR.
"We're quite proud of the fact that we have added another company to the S&P 500 · in Teradata · to the area," Nuti said.
NCR on Jan. 8 announced its planned third-quarter spin-off of Teradata, which NCR has owned since 1991 and watched become one of the world's leading enterprise data warehousing companies. Teradata Corp. common stock begins trading Monday on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol of TDC. NCR's common stock will continue to trade on the NYSE under the symbol NCR.
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