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News Archive |
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Friday, 30 March 2007
Videobusiness.com: Over the next five years, DVD kiosks could generate as much as $1 billion in revenue, representing 10 percent of the traditional rental market, according to a survey commissioned by kiosk firm TNR Entertainment Corp.
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Friday, 30 March 2007
Insidetxbiz.com: Sorbara's Shop n' Save, an independent grocery chain with five stores in the Pittsburgh area, has deployed Fujitsu U-Scan self-checkout systems from Plano-based StoreNext Retail Technologies LLC. The rollout project, which began in November 2006, was completed within six weeks.
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Friday, 30 March 2007
Burnaby, Canada · TIO Networks Corp. announced the activation of its 2000th location.
TIO Express, the company's clerk assisted payment program has contributed to the aggressive expansion of TIO locations due to its cost effective deployment model and rapid absorption among a number of TIO's clients. TIO Express enables location partners to cost effectively leverage TIO's real time Internet-based bill payment processing gateway and accept payment for time sensitive services.
"Considering it took the company over four years to reach its 1000th location milestone, we are very pleased with having reached our 2000 location milestone in just a few additional months," said Hamed Shahbazi, chairman and CEO of TIO Networks Corp.
TIO is actively deploying to new locations and expanding existing territories through TIO Networks and third-party funded self-serve kiosks and hybrid ATM devices.
Thursday, 29 March 2007
*Editor's note: This article is part of a series that profiles the winners of the Self Service Expo Excellence Award winners. Awards were given April 26, 2006 in Las Vegas.
Finding self-service deployments that meet real-world needs is not the norm, so say industry experts and insiders. So when niche deployments come along that address market voids, self-service gurus get excited.
Such was the case during this spring's KioskCom awards, presented in Las Vegas during Self Service Expo, formerly known as KioskCom.
North Carolina-based self-service hardware and software developer Source Technologies Inc. captivated judges in both categories.
On the government side, through a deal with Swanson Services Corp., Source designed a kiosk that allows family members and friends of prison inmates to deposit funds that inmates can later access for the purchase of sundries and clothes.
Swanson provides commissaries and management software to correctional facilities, in addition to other types of institutions. For this particular deployment, Swanson wanted a self-service alternative · a solution that would free corrections officers and jailers from handling money and crediting inmate accounts.
With the Cobra Cashier Inmate Account Deposit Kiosk, Swanson resolved its dilemma. The company now offers its corrections customers a one-stop solution, said Bill Lynch, Source's vice president of self-service solutions.
"Swanson has accounting software to keep track of what is being spent in the jail, but the problem is, 'How do I replenish the funds?'" Lynch said. "Fewer and fewer jails want to have access to the cash. Swanson's challenge was that it needed to figure out a way to free jailers of the day-to-day hassle of handling cash, while also providing a reliable service."
Starting with its 5-Series kiosk, which is primarily used for bill-payment deployments, Source incorporated Swanson's accounting software and a transaction fee to create the Cobra Cashier. The 5-Series note/cash-acceptance function met Swanson's need on the funds-deposit front. The kiosk also accepts debit and credit, but cash acceptance was the necessity.
Once funds are deposited, inmates can access the funds in their accounts to purchase goods from within the jail or prison.
"What's intriguing is that the jails love it," Lynch said. "Swanson and Source manage the entire process · the jail doesn't have to do anything."
The idea of bundling services was a plus from Swanson's perspective.
Chuck Swanson III, vice president of information systems for Swanson, said his company had already developed a kiosk solution when it met Source. But Source's ability to bundle services, so that the institution could be completely removed from the cycle, was something new.
Swanson also said that sites where the Cobra Cashier is deployed have realized a 40 to 50 percent reduction in the amount of cash they're handling.
"It'™s been quite a time-saver for them," Swanson said.
That's not only because of the reduction in cash handling but also because jailers and corrections officers no longer have to mess with counterfeit bills. The kiosk validates the currency before it's accepted, Swanson said.
Swanson and Source have to date deployed between 15 and 25 Cobra Cashier kiosks.
Francie Mendelsohn of Summit Research Associates, one of KioskCom's judges for the government category, said the Cobra Cashier kiosk was the most-memorable self-service deployment she tested during the expo.
"Of all stuff I judged, that one impressed me immensely, because there is a real need for it and they deployed it in a really effective way," she said.
Another judge, Bob Fincher of NetWorld Alliance, concurred, saying the kiosk stirred "a real strong social consciousness."
"I also thought it was extremely well done, from a hardware and software perspective,"he said.
24-hour banking access
Another Source deployment that impressed judges was the self-service banking kiosk Source designed for Quorum Federal Credit Union. Quorum is a $560 million financial institution in Purchase, N.Y., that has been dabbling in branch automation and self-service for the last several years.
When Quorum began working with Source last spring, it came to the table with self-service knowledge. The credit union has been providing 24-hour banking access at kiosks and ATMs in commercial locations for numerous years. What it lacked, however, was a partner who could assure the reliability of its kiosk network.
"They were having issues with machines being down, etc.," Lynch said. "We had existing hardware and were able to leverage our Series-7 kiosk to essentially replicate what they already had."
At Quorum, 90 percent of the transactions handled by a teller in a traditional branch have been moved to the self-service channel. Using more than 25 financial kiosks developed by Source, Quorum has expanded its network with 23 percent fewer staff than would have normally been required.
What makes the deployment unique, Lynch said, is that the kiosks are not linked to Quorum's ATM network. By keeping ATMs and kiosks separate, Quorum is able to offer more transactions, and the separate networking has improved uptime.
Judges agreed, saying that 24-hour access to banking information is a necessity in today's economy.
"Source Technologies hit the bull's eye when they developed the application using their concourse Series-7 Kiosk," said judge Robert Porter of Euro Kiosks Networks. "This one was very straight forward. It identified the need of the customer and provides all the services that a person-to-person transaction does while reducing cost to the credit union. The Series-7 has a check reader, MICR/OCR with check retention, and is built like a safe with a digital-combination lock with an audit trail. It has everything that Quorum customers needed to complete transactions."
Rufus Connell of Frost & Sullivan also judged the financial kiosk, and he, too, was impressed with the deployment's peripherals.
"I was really focused on look and feel and hardware design," Connell said. "One of the things that stood out about this deployment was that it had a lot of peripherals that could be integrated with it. And it used lights to help guide users so they knew which peripherals to use for which transactions. It was very customer friendly."
Thursday, 29 March 2007
LOUISVILLE, Ky. · ATM Marketplace, a site dedicated to the financial self-service industry, has launched a miniguide about the current state of retail ATM deployments in the United States.
Industry pressures and dropping per-ATM transaction volumes have put a kink in many independent sales organizations' styles, but the market is not doomed, industry insiders say.
In its newest publication, "Retail ATMs," ATM Marketplace takes a step back to review the off-premises ATM market in the United States · a market that continues to top the world, from an off-premises perspective.
The 29-page report was written by Valerie Killifer, an ATM Marketplace contributor, in partnership with Willoughby, Ohio-based WRG Services Inc., a full-service ATM provider.
As U.S. consumers' comfort with self-service technology continues to exceed expectations, new doors of opportunity are opening for independent ATM deployments. From advanced functions like check-cashing to the identification of new, viable locations for retail ATM placements, independent operators have more options now than when the market boon hit the United States in 1996.
"I think people are starting to take a different view of ATMs today than when we started in the industry 10 years ago," said Mike Stevenson, WRG's chief executive. "Then it was a business advantage to have an ATM. Today, people are starting to realize it's a disadvantage not to have one."
Download this miniguide.
Thursday, 29 March 2007
This year's Digital Signage 2007 conference featured two days of speakers, presentations and panel discussions, all touting the bright future of digital signage in the years to come but also outlining its challenges.
Content is king' was the overriding message of this year's conference. Virtually all of the presentations discussed how content, its relevancy and ability to hold an audience, will determine the viability of digital signage as it grows into an even bigger presence on the selling floor.
"There's an immediate cause and effect. The more relevant and recent your information is, people will pay that much more attention," said Jeff Porter, executive vice president, Dynamic Signage, Scala Broadcast Multimedia.
Featured speakers included Aerva's president and founder, Sanjay Manandhar and Synergex Corporation vice president of Corporate Strategy Eric So. Porter moderated a panel discussion titled "Choosing the right vendor partners for your digital signage."
The author is editor of Self-ServiceWorld.com and KioskMarketplace.com.
Thursday, 29 March 2007
Kten.com: A Tulsa airport has become the second test site in the nation for vending machines that will accept credit cards for payment.
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Thursday, 29 March 2007
RFID World opened in Dallas on Monday, with about 3,000 attendees and 200 booths. Plano, Texas-based Media Cart demonstrated its smart shopping cart in RFID-reader manufacturer ThingMagic's booth. Media Cart C EO Steve Carpenter called it a "kiosk on wheels," which will save shoppers time and money. He said the cart was created to help customers locate products in a store, learn more information about particular products and check out more easily. The carts were deployed March 27 in a northeast grocery store chain on a pilot basis.
The shopping cart is outfitted with a screen on the opposite end of the shopper with a control pad on the cart's handle. Using an RFID reader, the cart will display advertising in the bottom portion of the screen as it passes RFID tags mounted on shelves. For example, an ad for a particular brand of bottled water will appear when the shopper goes near the bottled water aisle. Shoppers can also use the barcode to scan items before placing them in the cart to keep a running total. Once the designated check-out lane is reached, the cart communicates wirelessly to the POS system for quick check out.
Other features include store map and product locator, recipes, shopping lists and cross promotions. The carts only cost retailers about $150 each since Media Cart's main source of revenue comes from advertising. Carpenter said the company has 31 brands participating in the pilot.
The writer is executive director of The Self-Service & Kiosk Association.
Wednesday, 28 March 2007
CHICAGO · NEC Display Solutions of America Inc. announced a digital signage deployment project with Hospitality Partners and Omnivex software to provide a dynamic signage and wayfinding solution for Hyatt Regency Chicago.
The installation included 40-inch NEC MultiSync LCD4010 and 32-inch NEC MultiSync LCD3210 displays to cover the public areas and 228,000-sq. ft. of meeting space at the Hyatt.
Due to the high-traffic volume, traditional means of directional information were not providing timely updates as information changed. The Hyatt chose Hospitality Partners to integrate a full digital-signage, wayfinding solution to meet the needs of hotel visitors better.
"Not only are the NEC LCD displays and digital signage software functional and beneficial to hotel guests, but they also provide an elegantly pleasing addition to the hotel decor," said Martin Kwitschau, CEO of Hospitality Partners. "The display's sleek frame and the screen quality enable an extremely high-color scheme, which allows images on the display to match each location within the hotel. The displays look great and serve a useful purpose."
The combination of NEC LCD displays and Omnivex software eliminates or decreases the need for guests to read printed signs or consult hotel management for directions to their meeting rooms. The solution also can display real-time traffic, forecasted weather, or up-to-the-minute flight status. The Omnivex software customizes all content based on time of day, location, client requests and has the capability to direct individual meeting attendees to the proper meeting room by using RFID technology.
Wednesday, 28 March 2007
WESTMONT, Ill. · Pendum Inc., a provider of ATM maintenance and armored service, announced a partnership with NRT Technology Corp. to provide service to NRT's line of multifunction kiosks for the gaming industry. The pairing of NRT hardware with Pendum's service capabilities is designed to serve casinos and other establishments seeking to maximize gaming activity and transaction revenue.
NRT's QuickJack Plus system allows gaming patrons to perform several tasks at a single user-friendly kiosk. Each QuickJack Plus unit is a fully functional ATM, giving patrons convenient access to their cash. The kiosk also has the capability to redeem slot machine tickets for cash, perform bill breaking and exchange foreign currencies. Furthermore, QuickJack Plus can be programmed to interact seamlessly with a casino's loyalty program. It was named the "Most Innovative Gaming Product" of 2003, and most major casinos in the United States already feature the QuickJack system.
As a strategic partner to NRT, Pendum is responsible for second-line hardware maintenance on QuickJack machines in nearly every U.S. market.
Due to the gaming industry's 24-hour operation and QuickJack's ease of use, the kiosks typically process an extremely high level of transactions compared to traditional ATMs in nongaming environments.
"The always-open nature of the casino environment demands that NRT machines stay available to customers at all times, and we embrace the challenge," said Fred Wich, vice chairman of Pendum. "As we continue to expand our presence in the gaming industry, we're proud to partner with a first-class company such as NRT."
Wednesday, 28 March 2007
WESTMONT, Ill. · Pendum Inc., a provider of ATM maintenance and armored service, announced a partnership with NRT Technology Corp. to provide service to NRT's line of multifunction kiosks for the gaming industry. The pairing of NRT hardware with Pendum's service capabilities is designed to serve casinos and other establishments seeking to maximize gaming activity and transaction revenue.
NRT's QuickJack Plus system allows gaming patrons to perform several tasks at a single user-friendly kiosk. Each QuickJack Plus unit is a fully functional ATM, giving patrons convenient access to their cash. The kiosk also has the capability to redeem slot machine tickets for cash, perform bill breaking and exchange foreign currencies. Furthermore, QuickJack Plus can be programmed to interact seamlessly with a casino's loyalty program. It was named the "Most Innovative Gaming Product" of 2003, and most major casinos in the United States already feature the QuickJack system.
As a strategic partner to NRT, Pendum is responsible for second-line hardware maintenance on QuickJack machines in nearly every U.S. market.
Due to the gaming industry's 24-hour operation and QuickJack's ease of use, the kiosks typically process an extremely high level of transactions compared to traditional ATMs in nongaming environments.
"The always-open nature of the casino environment demands that NRT machines stay available to customers at all times, and we embrace the challenge," said Fred Wich, vice chairman of Pendum. "As we continue to expand our presence in the gaming industry, we're proud to partner with a first-class company such as NRT."
Wednesday, 28 March 2007
Impart Media Group Inc., a provider of end-to-end networked digital signage solutions, and Advanced Method, a designer of rich-media content, have announced a new interactive touchscreen kiosk called Concierge, which is tailored to a hotel's specific needs, with a variety of tools and features that will enrich the guest experience.
The functional benefits built within Concierge include:
- Up-to-date meeting and event schedules with wayfinding maps.
- Hotel amenities and restaurant menus.
- Local guide with third party ad space.
- Motion graphics, audio and video features.
- Remote content management system with real-time updates.
The kiosk's displayed information can be mirrored on multiple screens at the hotel property or even used in conjunction with the hotel's guest services intranet. The hotel has complete control over all content, with instant updates to the kiosk via an online content management system.
The equipment includes mobile freestanding or wall-hung enclosures, 32-inch or 42-inch vertical touchscreen LCD displays, and the Impart IQ Interactive media player. Wireless options also are available to conveniently connect to the hotel's broadband Internet or LAN.
Concierge will start shipping in quantity, May 2007.
Tuesday, 27 March 2007
CHESHIRE, England · Felix, the U.K. company behind Max Box multifunction retail ATM kiosks, has announced two new agreements with OmniCash Ltd., an independent ATM deployer.
The first agreement involves OmniCash servicing and maintaining the NanoCash ATMs that Felix has installed in its Maxi Max Box kiosks, while the second will see OmniCash become the exclusive distributor of the NanoCash machine within the Max Box in the pub and convenience-retail sectors.
OmniCash and Felix will work together to find new sites within those two sectors (and others on a non-exclusive basis) to deploy the NanoCash ATM Max Box. While Felix still plans on the same rate of machine deployment, it anticipates an increase in the number of pub and convenience-store sector opportunities.
The partnerships further complement the contract Felix signed last month with Bank Machine Ltd., the largest independent ATM operator in the United Kingdom.
Tuesday, 27 March 2007
Insurancejournal.com: The Connecticut Supreme Court has adopted a new legal rule making it easier for plaintiffs to sue businesses for negligence alleged in self-service operations. The new rule puts the burden on businesses to recognize the possibility of foreseeable hazards they should take reasonable steps to address.
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Tuesday, 27 March 2007
As KioskCom enters its second decade, organizers are bringing several changes to the annual Las Vegas event, including a new name. The event, formerly known simply as KioskCom, is now KioskCom's Self Service Expo.
KioskCom is expecting about 2,500 attendees this year, and organizers say they plan to gear this year's event toward those show participants, particularly the first-timers.
Computer kiosks will be on hand to help visitors customize their show itineraries. Companies showcasing at the event have classified their services into specific areas, and visitors will be able to search the 150-plus exhibitors as well as products, sessions, speakers and events.
"We want to allow visitors to target what they need to see right away, so there's not so much wandering around," said Lawrence Dvorchik, senior show manager of KioskCom. "This year's show is very much oriented for the first-time user."
Prefacing the show on Tuesday, April 24, is a new feature of KioskCom, the Executive Deployer Summit. The Summit, titled "Phase 2 and Beyond: Improving upon an existing kiosk and self-service deployment," is set up in a meeting-like format and provides company executives a with a venue to exchange ideas and discuss their deployment challenges and successes.
Held in a town-hall format, the Summit will be moderated by Janet Webster of the United States Postal Service and Chuck Berger of DVDPlay.
"The Executive Deployer Summit is not a typical session or seminar, it's designed to initiate conversations and networking in a low-pressure setting," Dvorchik said. "There are no media, analysts or consultants. It's 100 percent deployers."
For the second year, the show will present "Self-Service Street," a featured area that highlights future applications and out-of-the-box ideas. Five pavilions designed to replicate in-store environments, including a mock-airport terminal centered on self-service tech from IBM, for example, will be on display. In additional to IBM, other Self-Service Street exhibitors include the United States Postal Service, Ecast, Source Technologies and Pay By Touch.
This year, attendees also will be able to vote for the best Self-Service Street exhibit, further enhancing their involvement in the conference.
The self-service equivalent to the Academy Awards will take place with the presentation of the KioskCom Self Service Excellence Awards. The awards were launched in 2002 "to honor the most successful and innovative self-service and interactive digital media solutions."
More than 150 companies across multiple industries have received awards. Past winners include BMW, Sony, FedEx, Daimler Chrysler and ExxonMobil.
In addition to the exhibit-hall floor, KioskCom also features seminars and educational sessions that revolve around new trends in digital-media deployments, integration troubleshooting and automated vending.
Dvorchik says KioskCom worked to change the way the educational sessions were running. "We want to explain things from a deployer and end-user standpoint, and not limit anything to one industry."
As part of the "something for everyone" approach, a series of Tech Talks will be held daily in the Tech Talks Theatre on the show floor; each Tech Talk will be geared toward one topic, either digital-media development, operating systems or cash-flow management.
The educational sessions and Tech Talks also are designed to be more interactive.
Two keynote addresses will take place during the conference, one on Wednesday, April 25, and one on Thursday, April 26.
Bob Goodwin of Gartner will cover future trends and how the industry is changing for the modern marketplace.
In a left-brained contrast, Steven Hart and John Kenny of DRAFTFCB will give a presentation about kiosks and integrated marketing from an agency perspective.
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What you need to know
Event: KioskCom's Self Service Expo
Where: Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV
When: April 25-26, 2007
Contact: visit www.kioskcom.com for complete information and registration
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KioskCom's Self Service Express Tour (separate registration required) takes participants on a kiosk and digital-signage tour around Las Vegas, a city booming with many kiosk and digital-signage deployments. Attendees will hop on the KioskCom Express Tour Bus and be delivered to various kiosks around town, viewing, using and field testing them in their natural environment. Kirk Nelson of ArcaTech Systems will be the guide for this second-annual tour.
Tour stops include: Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino (digital signage with advertising, kiosks), Palms Casino Resort (live-action self-service wagers) and Hooters Casino Hotel (digital signage with advertising, multiapplication kiosks for gaming and non-gaming).
The show will give particular focus to several industries.
"The mainstays are retail and hospitality," Dvorchik said. "But we're seeing much more in healthcare and food service. Anywhere where the process can be better, from reducing customer wait time to providing faster and more efficient credit checks."
Here are some of the featured exhibitors that can be seen at this year's Kioskcom:
BEMATECH
Bematech is a global provider of self-service printing solutions and complete POS systems. Its line of 2-inch, 3-inch and 4-inch thermal kiosk printers provides eight different physical configurations to easily fit into tight kiosk internal space. The company got its big start with the boom of ATMs, and naturally moved into kiosks. Bematech has sold and fielded worldwide more than 700,000 printers since its inception in 1993.
COIN ACCEPTORS INC.
Coin Acceptors Inc. is a world leader in the design and manufacturing of payment and control systems for automated point-of-sale industries around the globe. The company offers a full range of coin, bill and card solutions to meet specific applications.
COMARK CORP.
Comark manufactures unique kiosk solutions for both indoor and outdoor applications. The systems are designed for ease of use and are configured with high-resolution touchscreen displays, performance processors and a variety of unique enclosure styles.
Free-standing, desktop, pendant or pedestal mounting solutions are available. Options include embedded printers, thermal control, custom paint and silk-screening for private branding opportunities.
CORPORATE SAFE SPECIALISTS
CSS is an industry leader providing innovative security solutions to restaurants and retail stores internationally. CSS safes, smart safes and kiosks feature electronic or biometric locks and can be configured to provide closed-loop cash management processes to minimize risk of theft. CSS is the only manufacturer of safes to offer 24/7 customer phone support and has a U.S. service network that can provide on-site service within four hours.
DIEBOLD PREMIER SERVICES
Diebold Premier Services provides installation and maintenance services to kiosk manufacturers and their partners. With a national service organization of more than 4,000 Diebold-employed service associates, award-winning training, parts and logistics capabilities, help desk support and depot repair, Diebold delivers measurably successful service programs to ensure an outstanding customer experience.
EPSON AMERICA INC.
Epson's high-quality thermal kiosk printers offer small footprints, fast printing and complete solutions for all kiosk applications. The EU-T300 series kiosk printers provide reliable, cost-effective drop-in solutions for basic kiosk printing applications. The EU-T400 series kiosk printers feature best-in-class components and vertical or horizontal chassis and receipt presenter. They offer front loading for extra large paper rolls and high-speed printing of text and graphics on a wide variety of paper sizes and thicknesses.
FRANK MAYER & ASSOCIATES INC.
Frank Mayer & Associates Inc. is an industry leader in interactive kiosk solutions specializing in custom kiosk design, integration and technology. Turnkey programs include retail, entertainment, human resources, automotive and many more. The company has more than 20 years kiosk experience.
FREEDOM SHOPPING LLC
Freedom Shopping is an item-level RFID tagging product that is the foundation of an intuitive retail system that is easy to deploy and even easier to shop with. Any merchandise you can imagine can be sold with Freedom Shopping, as there are no physical limitations on the product. Shoppers simply approach a checkout kiosk with the desired items, and a helpful voice and easy-to-use interface walks them through two steps to complete the transaction.
FUJITSU COMPONENTS AMERICA INC.
Fujitsu offers resistive touch panels and ultra-compact thermal printer mechanisms and subassemblies for kiosk applications. Durable 2- and 3-inch printers feature controller boards, cutters, presenters, retractors, an easy-load mechanism, integrated paper holders and flexible mounting options. The advanced-technology resistive touch panels are available in up to 17.3-inch diagonal, have 86-percent standard transmissivity and offer high-performance operation and viewing for both finger and stylus applications. Panels with 92-percent transmissivity and optical enhancements address outdoor applications.
HEMISPHERE WEST INTERNATIONAL
For more than 10 years, Hemisphere West has been supporting the kiosk/self-service industry with currency validation/handling products. This year, HWI is highlighting the complete line of LG cash dispensers.
IBM CORP.
IBM's innovative self service solutions can help a business transform the customer experience. Visit booth 255 to see how IBM redefines self-service with its self-checkout, kiosk and other self service solutions.
INFONOX
Infonox provides ready to deploy solutions and platforms for delivering financial and non-financial services to end-points. Infonox has enabled leading financial service providers to create their own "hub and spoke" models and then rapidly deploy revenue-generating products and services on self-service as well as full-service transactional endpoints. Infonox dramatically reduces service delivery costs while increasing and enhancing customer methodology, and the company's products link devices, transaction services, backend payment providers and back-office operations in an on-demand fashion.
KEYWEST TECHNOLOGY
Keywest Technology manufactures an innovate line of interactive digital signage products called MediaXtreme used in venues like retail centers, hotels, schools, museums and corporate centers to name a few. The MediaXtreme media server lives up to its name by playing today's most popular multimedia files. The MediaXtreme saves production time by using a specialized digital signage editor. MediaXtreme also includes a "no worry" support warranty that covers the customer in real time for any need.
KODAK SERVICE & SUPPORT
KODAK Service & Support is one of the largest, most experienced service organizations in the industry. With more than 4,000 employees, KS&S is equipped to handle service and support needs as a single point of contact for any equipment manufacturer's products including kiosks, scanners, storage systems, micrographic equipment and commercial print.
NANONATION
Nanonation creates self-service software solutions that drive sales and fuel profits. Whether in a store, a lobby, or an executive suite at a sporting arena, Nanonation offers powerful ways to interact with customers. Their list of clients includes the NHL's Minnesota Wild, Mazda, Burger King, Douglas Theatres and Petro Travel Centers. Through a multimedia-merchandising platform, Nanonation can integrate multi-channel digital media with a backend that enables clients to monitor, measure, and manage each customer interaction.
NIDEC SANKYO AMERICA CORP.
Nidec Sankyo is the world-leader in card readers. With unique internal production of key components and advanced technologies, Nidec Sankyo has been at the forefront of the industry for more than 30 years.
PARABIT SYSTEMS INC.
Parabit is a turn-key kiosk manufacturer, offering stock and custom designs as well as prototyping and mass production of kiosks. Kiosks are engineered while keeping a balance between design and serviceability. Parabit provides 24/7 installation, on-site service and remote tech support.
PRACTICAL AUTOMATION
Practical Automation Inc. is celebrating its 40th anniversary as a manufacturer of direct thermal printers for kiosks, computerized ticketing and industrial applications. Its modular kiosk printer product offerings simplify kiosk integration. Kiosk printers include the ITK and KITX/KITL models with options and features that support unattended operations in a kiosk or similar environment.
SEEPOINT
SeePoint Technology is a leading provider of interactive, Internet-ready, fully integrated touchscreen kiosk computer systems. See Point designs, manufactures and deploys vandal resistant hardware solutions for businesses and other organizations that enable Internet access, self-service transactions, information dissemination and data collection.
ST.CLAIR INTERACTIVE
St. Clair is celebrating 25 years in the self-service software space, including self-service and kiosk software for applications, remote operations and content processing. St. Clair has worked with more than 350 clients on 540 customer-facing projects in 11 countries. The provide: award-winning, easy-to-use applications; networked transactions and operations; remote monitoring and updating; reporting and analysis; content acquisition, automated production. and distribution.
STACOSWITCH
StacoSwitch, an ISO-certified company known for dependable aircraft and Mil-spec switches for over half a century, offers complete kiosk services including hardware components and software applications. StacoSwitch also can custom design rugged industrial keyboards and touchpads, tactile feedback touchscreens and software solutions to provide one-stop shopping for kiosk needs.
STAR MICRONICS AMERICA INC.
Star Micronics is one of the world's largest printer manufacturers. Star offers a wide range of kiosk printers with a variety of features and accessories to fit the requirements of any kiosk application. From adjustable-width printers to 2-inch, 3-inch and 4-inch width kiosk printers, Star has the kiosk printing solution from airline boarding passes to ATMs to lottery and gaming applications.
TELSOURCE CORP.
Telsource Corporation enhances each retailer's ability to increase revenue and customer loyalty by providing wall-to-wall total store care solutions that maximize operations and customer satisfaction. the LVS Interactive Display system provides an alternative to large, expensive kiosks. Features include power-over-Ethernet, resistive touchscreens, magnetic stripe readers, bar code scanners, sound, printing capability and more. The LVS fully integrates with Web content and centralized inventory resulting in increased merchandising opportunities and great same-store sales.
Tuesday, 27 March 2007
HOUSTON · In the first-ever comprehensive national survey of the DVD rental kiosk industry sector, 60 percent of current DVD renters expressed interest in renting from self-service DVD movie rental kiosks.
This represents a potential market approaching $1 billion over the next five years, applying selected data from the nationwide survey recently completed by TNR Entertainment Corp., owner and operator of DVD rental kiosks in supermarkets and grocery stores.
"There are several compelling factors supporting this significant migration from conventional rental venues. In addition to the strong national consumer interest highlighted in the survey, we have proven consumer demand in existing kiosk installations, exploding retailer adoption of the kiosk rental model, and the thousands of potential retail rooftops nationally · which translates into millions of future transactions,'' said Richard B. Cohen, chief executive of TNR Entertainment.
Among the findings in TNR's survey:
- Grocery retail-based DVD rental kiosks have broad consumer appeal among men and women of all ages and life stage classifications, especially those 30 to 54 years of age, and families with children.
- The rental kiosk value proposition to consumers is simple and compelling, driven by both lower movie rental costs and unmatched convenience · the "single trip" benefit.
- Reflecting the growth potential for the kiosk market, awareness is still developing · approximately one-third of all consumers surveyed indicated awareness of the self-serve DVD kiosk concept, but only 5 percent of the respondents had rented through one. Awareness and rental usage in more developed markets is substantially higher.
- Kiosk adopters would most likely migrate from traditional "brick and mortar" rental sources to the grocery or rental kiosk.
- More than one-third of DVD renters are frequent grocery shoppers, many visiting their grocery store on a daily basis.
Tuesday, 27 March 2007
MUMBAI, India · NCR Corp. has signed a contract with Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corp. (HSBC) to manage its fleet of off-site centers in the Western and Southern regions of India.
According to a news release, NCR will provide first- and second-line maintenance, caretaker services, site maintenance, and supply and cash-replenishment services.
The managed-services contract with HSBC is expected to ensure that the bank does not have to spend time and in-house resources on day-to-day operational management of its ATM network.
Monday, 26 March 2007
SEATTLE — 3M announced the release of Network Edition 3.5, providing the ability to distribute and play back media files, schedule playlists, and monitor a network of digital signs from any networked computer.
The 3M Network Edition 3.5 release includes the introduction of new server-class Network Edition software products for flexible network management options, expanded and enhanced Active Information Modules dynamic content offerings, and augmented network management and security features.
"The Network Edition 3.5 release is just one more step towards providing a balanced, powerful suite of products and services developed to answer customers' requirements and the demands of our rapidly growing digital signage market," said Jeff Dowell, sales manager, 3M Digital Signage.
Monday, 26 March 2007
Breakingtravelnews.com: Amadeus has implemented e-ticketing for over 100 airlines serving the UK. Amadeus deployers in the UK are already issuing 80 percent of all tickets as electronic tickets and this latest announcement brings Amadeus users closer to meeting IATA's goal, which states that all airline tickets should be issued as e-tickets by the end of 2007.
Read more
Monday, 26 March 2007
Canada.com: Canada may not have two-tier health care, but the Scarborough Hospital is plunging into self-service health care. No, it's not handing out suture kits or defibrillators to patients, but rather installing computer kiosks that will allow a patient to update his or her condition, in eight different languages, while waiting to be seen by the triage nurse or admitted into the ER.
Monday, 26 March 2007
Dmnews.com: The North Face introduced a new in-store kiosk that is the first consumer-facing retail application deployed on Windows Vista and features full-screen video and interactive displays. Brick-and-mortar stores can deliver an unparalleled customer experience, which is why so many multichannel merchants are looking to grow their retail business. However, the expense inherent in operating stores also means that many don't stock a brand's full range of products.
Read more
Friday, 23 March 2007
Pallyn International, Inc. is a service and engineering organization providing end-to-end communications solutions for domestic and international applications. We pride ourselves in using our extensive experience and integrity to provide our customers with the best possible solutions at the greatest value.
Solutions include: "Satellite broadband" 2-way satellite networks "VSAT" IP multicast "broadcast video and radio" digital content distribution "VoIP" digital signage
Friday, 23 March 2007
Computerworld.com: North Dakota is set to ban the forced implantation of RFID chips into people. Both chambers of the legislature earlier this month handily passed a bill that would make it a Class A misdemeanor to force someone to have an RFID device implanted into his/her body.
Friday, 23 March 2007
The Star (Malaysia): Under an ambitious plan by Malaysia's Road Transport Department, driver's license renewal will be offered at kiosks and online. The department's deputy director-general Solah Mat Hassan said the online renewal service, expected to be available from next month, is for holders of competent driving licenses, and can be accessed through kiosks situated at testing centers around the country.
Read more
Thursday, 22 March 2007
DOTHAN, Ala. · Movie Gallery announced that it is extending its movie kiosk program, which operates automated movie vending machines in supermarkets, malls and other high traffic areas.
The company currently has approximately 74 kiosk units in operation under the Hollywood Video brand and plans to rollout approximately 200 additional units during the course of 2007. The kiosk units provide around the clock availability of movies with minimal overhead and fixed costs.
Movie Gallery also announced that it will launch an online video rental service in mid-to-late 2007. The pilot phase implementation will be a low-cost friends and family program that will provide existing customers with another easy way to rent movies. The company believes that this new channel will complement its retail brick and mortar business and enhance consumer convenience and satisfaction.
"While we firmly believe that our retail brick and mortar stores will remain the foundation of our business, over the past three years we have been diligently pursuing alternative delivery platforms to further complement our base business," said Joe Malugen, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Movie Gallery.
Thursday, 22 March 2007
Amhersbergecho.com: The town council of Amherstburg, Ontario, has re-affirmed its position to implement a new customer-service kiosk at the Amherstburg Municipal Building. The kiosk would allow offer convenience for residents who would otherwise have difficulty seeing administrative staff.
Read more
Thursday, 22 March 2007
Boston.com: The Legal Sea Foods restaurant chain is introducing hand-held devices that let customers pay at their tables. The move comes in response to growing concern about credit-card fraud and as a way to cut down on the time customers wait for bills.
Thursday, 22 March 2007
Washingtontimes.com: Giant Food is converting seafood and floral departments in more than 25 percent of its stores to self-serve stations. About 55 seafood and 62 floral departments will be converted in "low-volume stores," said Giant spokesman Barry Scher.
Read more
Wednesday, 21 March 2007
*Editor's note: This article is part of a series that profiles the winners of the Self Service Expo Excellence Award winners.
In the self-service world, the D2 Palm Treo 680 digital-signage deployment made significant waves when it hit Times Square in November. The project once again made news in April when it was tapped by Self Service Expo for deployment excellence.
D2 Sales's Palm Treo project was recognized during the KioskCom expo for having the "best digital signage deployment." The project included a $25-million marketing campaign headed up by AKQA, a media and technology advertising agency.
As part of its campaign, which included billboards and street teams riding on Segways, AKQA leaned on D2 for the design of interactive bus-shelter kiosks that used touchscreens that simulated interaction with the new Treos.
In each shelter, D2 replaced one wall with an orange ad for the Treo 680 · though the actual device in the ad was a 42-inch Panasonic flatscreen programmed to display the 680's Web-site browsing abilities.
The bus shelters were chosen based on targeted demographic audiences. D2 and AKQA also joined forces with Google, Yahoo!, eBay and Fandango · brands known and trusted by Palm's targeted demographic, according to D2 and AKQA.
A computer stored behind each Treo sign powered the digital sign. The computers were built by D2 to withstand extreme heat and cold. Each was connected wirelessly to a network.
D2 also promoted the Treo in Times Square through an orange vinyl wrap that covered the side of a Times Square building. When passersby walked by the orange Treo wall, they were prompted to use text messaging to control content displayed on the sign.
"The benefit of this is that it works as a beautiful promotional device on a drive-by basis, or to passersby," said Sandy Nix, president of D2 Sales.
The results of the project were immediate, said Brian Hubbard, a member of the installation crew. He said passersby began texting the sign before they were even finished with the installation.
Nix said the texting feature gives advertisers a gauge for judging a campaign's success.
"We want to see if there are increases in the metrics and the campaign will be deemed a success," she said.
Pro-Tech takes honors in retail software solution
Pro-Tech's ProductSelect software is a program that links kiosks and human interaction with digital signage and advertising in a retail setting.
Suwanne, Ga.-based Pro-Tech is a kiosk integrator that specializes in outdoor units. The company is best known for its Subway self-ordering kiosks.
At KioskCom, ProductSelect was demonstrated using a program for Go-Lite, a high-end outdoor shoe company.
The software allows the kiosk to function as an informational system, allowing customers to navigate through product listings using a touchscreen and picture menu.
And additional marketing and promotions are incorporated to pique consumer interest. When a customer selects a Go-Lite shoe, for instance, an advertisement specific to the shoe and the user runs on a digital sign above the kiosk. So, a 20-something man selecting a mid-priced Go-Lite shoe might be shown footage of a 20-something trail-runner who's wearing the shoes.
"Kiosks and digital signage have been around for years, but they have operated as separate entities," said Stephen Gregorie, vice president of customer experience and marketing for Pro-Tech. "With ProductSelect, we have integrated the two, and now a brand or retailer can deliver advertising messages to a targeted demographic based on specific user preferences."
Norwegian kiosk provider takes top honor for enclosure design
Norway's NIT took home KioskCom's Excellence Award for Best Hardware/Enclosure Design for its iTouch kiosk, a desktop model that includes a 19-inch touchscreen positioned at a 30 degree angle.
The iTouch can be mounted on different surfaces and was designed to meet the needs of the gaming industry. According to NIT, the design makes it a viable candidate for kiosk deployments in office buildings, hotel rooms and libraries.
The iTouch comes equipped with components from Fujitsu Siemens, 3M, Flextronics and Magtek, whose hybrid magnetic-stripe/smart-card/RFID reader is used in the kiosk. The internal PC is powered by the Intel DualCore. It is wirelessly enabled.
Wednesday, 21 March 2007
ATM Marketplace is a sister site of SelfService.org.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. ATM Marketplace, a site dedicated to the financial self-service industry, has launched a guide that takes an in-depth look at multivendor ATM software in the United States and throughout the world.
The 53-page report, entitled "ATM software: Awakening the ATM channel," was written by ATM Marketplace editor Tracy Kitten in partnership with Edinburgh, Scotland-based KAL, an independent financial self-service and branch software provider.
Deployers, as they shift their ATM operating systems from OS/2 to Windows, are realizing new opportunities for their ATM channels. No longer locked to one original equipment manufacturer for software, today's open-OS environment is offering new opportunities.
"Although the industry has spent a long time talking about the shift to Windows, most of the United States ' ATMs still run on OS/2," Kitten said. "That, however, is quickly changing. And, as it does, financial institutions are learning that they have more options available to them where software is concerned."
Industry consolidation has played a significant role in that revelation, Kitten said. As FIs have merged and/or been acquired, ATM networks have become blended. In fact, finding an ATM network that compromises machines from a sole hardware vendor is a rarity in today's market place.
Today's ATM networks are diverse, but open standards are allowing deployers to operate their blended networks on single platforms using multivendor software.
Download this guide.
Wednesday, 21 March 2007
Amonline.com: MasterCard Worldwide and USA Technologies announced that Great Plains Coca-Cola Bottling Co. will begin equipping vending machines with USA Technologies' e-Port G6 cashless transaction solution to accept MasterCard PayPass contactless payments. Great Plains Coca-Cola Bottling Co., which vends beverages and snacks throughout central and northeast Oklahoma and northwest Arkansas, is the third major U.S. bottling company to convert to cashless and contactless vending in recent months.
Read more
Wednesday, 21 March 2007
Managinginformation.com: The Alameda Free Library, located in Alameda, Calif., has embarked on a new era of patron service and circulation efficiency with the opening of its new main-branch library building and two branch libraries, complete with a new and comprehensive Lib~Chip RFID check-out system from Libramation.
Read more
Wednesday, 21 March 2007
BELIZE · Continental Airlines announced recently that it has successfully installed self check-in kiosks at the International Airport in Belize. Continental is the first airline to offer self check-in kiosks in Belize.
"These self check-in kiosks allow our passengers greater convenience by enabling them to have greater control at the airport and to help them avoid lines and wait times, which are part of our goal to make flying on Continental an enjoyable experience for our passengers," said Salvador Marrero, director for Continental Airlines in Central America.
Passengers may also use the kiosks to buy Continental currency, and purchase audio headsets, beer, cocktails and wine on board. Continental's self check-in kiosks offer service in English, Spanish, French and German. A total of five self check-in kiosks were installed in Belize, bringing the total number to more than 1,000 kiosks at 165 airports worldwide.
Tuesday, 20 March 2007
Idtechex.com: In the last few weeks, orders for more than $100 million worth of contactless cards and associated systems have been placed. The business is surging, with the percentage of smart cards that are contactless rising to 16 percent of deliveries in 2007, after being stuck at around 5 percent for the preceding 20 years.
Read more
Tuesday, 20 March 2007
Prepaid-press.com: The contactless card tag consists of a semiconductor chip or set of chips and an antenna that relays radio frequency signals into and out of the chip at the point of the transaction. This passive RFID technology creates a fear factor for most people who don't understand how it works. In some cases, however, this fear is reasonable.
Read more
Monday, 19 March 2007
Htlounge.net: RFID Ltd. upgraded its BagChip system for tracking air passengers' baggage by using RFID chips to include designer luggage tags. The tags, part of the BagChipElite system, are designed to match the colors and overall look of luggage designed by manufacturers like Chanel, Dior, Gucci, Prada and Louis Vuitton.
Read more
Monday, 19 March 2007
Stpns.net: The community of Quemado, N.M., expects to be home to New Mexico's first state-of-the-art full-service banking kiosk. First Financial Credit Union in Quemado plans to place an ATM "that will provide instant-cash delivery, plus a touchscreen computer terminal with live tele-conferencing capabilities."
Read more
Monday, 19 March 2007
Sbpost.ie: An Irish music company backed by former Cranberries guitarist Noel Hogan has signed a major deal to supply interactive music kiosks to Golden Discs, the biggest Ireland-based music chain. Digital Jet International will supply Golden Discs with its Digital Jet Kiosk, a machine that allows customers to download music, videos, ring tones and games onto MP3 players, computers and mobile phones.
Read more
Monday, 19 March 2007
CHARLOTTE, N.C. · Source Technologies, provider of integrated solutions for managing financial transactions and other secure business processes, announced a partnership with ChoicePay, an electronic bill-payment solutions provider.
According to a news release, the partnership creates a network of self-service bill-payment kiosks that will be placed in payment centers, convenience stores and supermarkets. ChoicePay kiosks will accept cash for payment to local, regional and/or national billers active on the kiosk. Source Technologies will integrate the ChoicePay multibiller, billpay functionality into its concourse kiosk line.
"ChoicePay believes that unattended walk-up payments are an essential part of any comprehensive electronic bill payment strategy," said Greg Adelson, ChoicePay's president. "Kiosks offer a complimentary and/or alternative solution to existing attended walk-in options with the flexibility of placement where cash paying consumers live or work. Providing the consumer a multitude of biller payee options allows for greater convenience to pay monthly bills without the need to visit many different locations or pay with money orders."
Monday, 19 March 2007
BEAVERTON, Ore. · Planar Systems, Inc. announced the availability of the m57L, a large-format direct-view LCD display. The m57L is the newest addition to Planar's line of commercial-grade LCD displays, which includes the 40-inch Bobcat X and the 46-inch Bay Cat X.
Incorporating the latest generation LCD panel, the 57-inch m57L is a direct-view professional-grade display, engineered for commercial applications such as control rooms, public information display and corporate boardrooms. While similar to commercial 60-inch plasma monitors in diagonal size and form factor, the m57L also delivers ultra-high resolution (1920 x 1080) and incorporates other features, such as resistance to image quality degradation, higher brightness and broad source compatibility.
The combination of high-performing components and a rugged enclosure help make the m57L LCD display more resistant to Temporary Image Retention issues or other long-term image degradation effects found in comparable displays in the marketplace. The panel is also designed to perform equally well in either landscape or portrait orientations.
Monday, 19 March 2007
The Self-Service & Kiosk Association completed its 2007 election for the Advisory Board. Each year, half of the board positions are open for election to a two-year term. This year's winners include both incumbents and newcomers.
Nick Daddabbo of Ultimate Technology, Edward McGunn of Corporate Safe Specialists and V. Miller Newton of Netkey were among the incumbents who won re-election. Craig Keefner of KIOSK Information Systems, also elected to the board, has a long history with the Association, serving as the first executive director from 2001-2003. First-time board members include Anila Jobanputra from Esprida Corporation, Bill Lynch of Source Technologies and Phil Metz of Solectron.
The Advisory Board will next meet on April 24 in Las Vegas in conjunction with KioskCom's Self-Service Expo.
Biographies of those elected:
 Nick Daddabbo - Ultimate Technology
Nick is currently the Kiosk, POS and OEM product manager for Ultimate Technology Corporation. Prior to moving to UTC, Nick was the Kiosk Solution Manager for Hand Held Products. Nick holds an MBA from Syracuse University in Information Technology and Marketing. Now he is ushering Ultimate Technology into the kiosk space, being asked to manage the creation and growth of the business.
 Anila Jobanputra - Esprida Corporation
Anila Jobanputra is president of Esprida Corporation, a provider of remote management software for the self-service industry. She founded Esprida in 2005 to focus on remote management software for large scale enterprises after founding and operating TouchPoint Solutions and growing it into an award winning industry leader in self-service.
 Craig Keefner - KIOSK Information Systems
Craig Keefner has been in the kiosk industry for 15 years beginning with the Club Wedd Bridal Registry project for Target Stores. He was the founder of the first industry website, www.kiosks.org, and is currently employed by KIOSK Information Systems in Colorado as the channel manager working with hardware and software technology partners.
 Bill Lynch - Source Technologies
After joining Source Technologies as regional sales manager, Bill Lynch quickly became director of Strategic Alliances and was recognized as Sales Person of the Year in 2003. In his current role as Vice President of Self Service, Source Technologies' fastest growing line of business, Lynch defines and implements sales strategies for the company's CONCOURSE family of kiosks.
 Edward McGunn - Corporate Safe Specialists
Ed McGunn is a third-generation safe builder and owner/CEO of Corporate Safe Specialists since 1988. He is a member of a number of organizations, including the National Safemans Organization, Better Business Bureau, and Petroleum Convenience Alliance for Technology Standards and the Self-Service & Kiosk Association. Ed was elected to the SSKA Advisory Board in 2005 and was named First Vice President in 2006.
 Phil Metz Ph.D - Solectron
As vice president of Self-Service Automation, Phil Metz is responsible for growing Solectron's kiosk business and delivering value to customers. He joined Solectron in 1999, with more than 20 years of experience in strategic marketing and business development for technology companies. Metz holds a Ph.D. in physics from Rutgers University and a master's degree in business administration in marketing from New York Institute of Technology.
 V. Miller Newton - Netkey
V. Miller Newton is chief executive officer of Netkey, a provider of software for the management and operation of self-service kiosks and digital signage. Prior to Netkey, Miller was executive vice president of sales and marketing for TMP Worldwide, now Monster Worldwide, operator of Monster.com, where he was instrumental in taking TMPW public in 1996. Miller served as CEO of Monster, where he grew the company from $400,000 to $45 million and from 50 to 230 employees in fewer than 24 months. Miller attended the University of South Florida where he majored in marketing and management.
Monday, 19 March 2007
Davidson Elementary School opened its doors in 1993. Until last year, visitors to the North Carolina school would fill out a visitor form with a pen and receive a temporary hall pass from an office staffer.
In August 2006, the school installed the LobbyGuard system. Today, visitors can check themselves in · and the school can keep tabs on who is trying to get in, using the kiosk's sophisticated background check functionality.
"The old way of doing things did not provide some of the securities that our current system provides," said principal Celeste Ellis. "Just recently, the background check alerted us on two instances of questionable persons."
When someone wants to pay a visit to Davidson Elementary, that person swipes his driver's license on the lobby kiosk. It snaps a picture and prepares a one-use visitor badge, while simultaneously checking sex offender registries and the school's internal "do not allow" list. If the visitor is a match for one of those lists, the badge isn't printed and the office is alerted.
A silent sentry
LobbyGuard Solutions LLC was formed in 2005, but the product that bears its name had been in development since 2002, according to president Kevin Allen. He said his company had modest growth its first year, with a big surge in 2006 · the company saw installations of its visitor management kiosk jump from 90 to 250.
Roughly half of those kiosks are located in schools, with the rest primarily in government buildings. In addition, the company has a few corporate clients (Michelin, Verizon Wireless) that use the kiosk for employee management. Allen said his kiosks list for $10,000, with a 40-percent discount issued to government agencies and a 50-percent discount for schools. The only other cost is a $400 annual fee, which covers all tech support and software upgrades.
In the case of schools, the aim of the kiosk is twofold: Deny access to unwanted visitors, and streamline the process for dealing with the wanted ones.
Allen said his company maintains its own database comprised of the separate sex offender registries of all 50 states · about a half-million offenders across the country.
"The other day, I counted · I've received 35 calls that said, "Hey, I wanted you to know, we stopped someone today," he said. "And that's not to say that there weren't a lot more that didn't call me."
Schools are also concerned about parental custody issues, which Allen said are much more common than encountering a sexual predator. Schools using the LobbyGuard system create their own lists of who is not allowed, chiefly to deal with parents that have been denied access to their children. "Those kinds of issues get caught all the time," he said.
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The LobbyGuard system awaits visitors at North Carolina's Davidson Elementary School.
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In the principal's office, workers monitor the kiosk through a Web-based interface. Whenever a red flag is raised about a visitor, an alert pops up on the administrator's screen; it contains the name and photo of the visitor, along with a full background log explaining why they failed the check. If the visitor has a criminal record, its details are shown on screen, as well.
"Fortunately for us, on each of those (two) cases, the alerts turned out to be fine," Ellis said. "Even so, it caused us to re-visit how we treat situations where we are alerted of possible concerns."
Frequent visitors can be issued a key tag that allows quick entry; a scan of the tag eliminates the need to print a new badge.
The LobbyGuard system is also at work in government buildings throughout Nashville, Tenn. Chief security administrator Steven Shaw purchased 22 of the kiosks; he has 11 already deployed, with plans to take the other 11 to outlying cities.
Visitors to a government building receive a temporary badge with their photo, name, and visit-specific details like what floor they will be visiting. To exit the building, the visitor must return to the same location near the door and return the badge. At the end of the business day, the system is "zeroed out" to let management know that everyone who entered the building has left (or alert them if, in fact, that is not the case).
Shaw said the machines are currently being used strictly for visitor management, but he can foresee a time when he will also use them to handle employee traffic.
"They're like cell phones," he said. "Once you've had it, you can never go without it again."
Requirements for a LobbyGuard kiosk are modest · all the machine needs is a broadband connection. Allen said the software is written in C# for the .NET framework, and communicates with a Microsoft SQL Server. He also said his company is working on adding new features in the coming six months, like a fingerprint scanner and signature pad.
Friday, 16 March 2007
Hindu.com: In an attempt to curb piracy in digital content, Giri Trading Agency, part of the South India Music Companies Association, has launched Anytime Digital Download kiosk in the Chennai Airport. The kiosk, with a touch-screen facility, would have a database of film, classical Indian music, devotional songs, video clips and ring tones that could be downloaded onto iPods, USB-mp3 players and pen drives.
Read more
Friday, 16 March 2007
ST. LOUIS, Mo. · idX Corporation, a provider of store fixtures, logistics and project management for the retail, hospitality and financial markets, is launching idX London.
The new branch is a joint marketing venture between idX and its long-time U.K. fixture manufacturing partner, Leicester-based Clements Retail Innovations. Alister Comrie will lead the initiative as idX director of global development, Europe.
"It's rare in the current business climate to find a retail fixture company growing at the phenomenal rate of idX," said Comrie. "I look forward to carrying this success across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa."
idX's first global venture began 18 months ago with the opening of its Shanghai office. The office provides a one-stop shop for retailers looking to open stores in Asia. According to idX, their London location will help clients in Europe or entering European markets to reap the same benefits.
Thursday, 15 March 2007
Philippine News: Winston Garcia, president and general manager of the Philippine Government Service Insurance System, unveiled the Wireless Automated Processing System, or G-W@PS kiosk, at the Philippine consulates in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, and Chicago. The unmanned electronic kiosk operates within a virtual private network connected to the GSIS system in the Philippines.
Read more
Thursday, 15 March 2007
WARRINGTON, England · Hand Held Products announced the launch of the Image Kiosk 8560 interactive mini-kiosk. The device allows a multitude of applications within the manufacturing, transportation and retail sectors, making it unique in the market. Users benefit from its self-service customer access, Windows CE integration, and real time communication while maintaining a low cost of ownership.
The Image Kiosk 8560, powered by Adaptus Image Scanning Technology 5.0 allows manufacturers to control access to secure areas, locate key assets in their inventory or check part numbers. This increases security and improve productivity while reducing costs.
It also allows transporters and airport professionals to control the access to lounges, for example, and enables users to check the status of their frequent flyer program or receive targeted promotions. It can be used at the check-in counters or departure halls to read 2D barcodes on boarding passes, or to display information and maps.
Retailers also enable shoppers to check prices, product information, store maps and loyalty program status on their own. They can display targeted promotional messages to influence the customer at the point of decision and increase basket value.
"Today's manufacturers, transporters and retailers are looking for ways to become more efficient and better serve their customer base," said Eric de Greef, business manager for mobility systems at Hand Held Products EMEA. "The Image Kiosk 8560 is the solution for users who value an ergonomic and durable solution, all at a low price point."
Thursday, 15 March 2007
AVI is a pioneer in the digital signage industry. Our management team brings decades of experience in high technology, media, and advertising industries. AVI is a customer-focused organization delivering products and solutions to companies looking for solutions to real business needs.
Thursday, 15 March 2007
LAS VEGAS · The fourth annual DIMA Photo Kiosk Shoot-Out crowed eight winners at PMA 07 in Las Vegas. The contest was divided into four categories and the winners were chosen from a field of 33 kiosks by a panel of kiosk experts and a panel of everyday consumers. The expert panel was comprised of Francie Mendolsohn of Summit Research Associates, Lawrence Dvorchik of KioskCom and Robert Porter of Euro Kiosks Network.
The winners from the expert panel are as follows:
Digital order station winner
Storefront Digital Order Station
Instant print winner
Storefront Instant Print Winner
Software only winner
Storefront PhotoKiosk
Other than photo winner
Lucidiom Luci
And the winners as chosen by the consumer panel:
Digital order station winner
Kodak Picture Kiosk G4 Order Station
Instant print winner
Kodak Picture Kiosk G4 Digital Station
Software only winner
Storefront PhotoKiosk
Other than photo winner
Kodak Picture Kiosk G4 24" Print Station
Thursday, 15 March 2007
Realtime Shredding, Inc. president Amanda Verrie was featured on MSNBC's Elevator Pitch, a three-minute online show where entrepreneurs have 60 seconds to pitch their product to venture capitalists. The investors can then ask questions and give the pitcher feedback on his/her presentation.
Realtime Shredding manufactures industrial-strength shredding kiosks that are deployed in banks, business centers and retail stores. Verrie's goal in the pitch was to raise $500,000 from the capitalists for a sales and marketing plan.
Click here to view the video. Scroll halfway down the page to the Elevator Pitch section.
Wednesday, 14 March 2007
Vancouver-based Storefront.com won four out of the potential eight awards in the 2007 DIMA Photo Kiosk Shoot-Out, which was held on Wednesday, March 7 in Las Vegas. 33 photo kiosks were entered in the contest, which consisted of four categories and was judged by an expert panel and a consumer panel.
In the expert category, Storefront.com took home the awards for top Digital Order Station, Instant Print Station and Software. They were also voted best software by the consumer panel as well.
"We are the software guys," said Storefront.com president and CTO Murray MacDonald. "Lots of people are buying third party hardware and using our software. It's not so much about the kiosk, it's about keeping that lab running."
Other winners include Kodak, which won the other three categories as voted by the consumers, and Lucidiom's Luci design station, which the expert panel voted tops in the "Other Than Photo" category.
Wednesday, 14 March 2007
Statesman.com: Cadbury Schweppes PLC and MasterCard Inc. are testing 750 vending machines in the Dallas area, New York and Chicago to determine whether people spend more at vending machines that accept plastic. So far, the determination has been that they do spend more.
Read more
Wednesday, 14 March 2007
YORK, Pa. · Livewire International Inc., supplier of interactive self-service software solutions, and Analytical Design Solutions Inc., developmers of Kioware software, have signed a strategic business alliance.
According to a news release, the partnership integrates the companies' core competencies.
"The unique features and ease-of-use of the KioWare product will enable Livewire to deliver the industry's most innovative and comprehensive solutions," said David McCracken, Livewire's president. "The current state of the self-service industry is one of numerous single-function point solutions requiring excessive custom development to effect enterprise-level solutions. We believe that the future of interactive self-service will increasingly rely on more fully integrated technologies to reduce implementation times, ease system management, and produce higher return on investment."
Livewire's portfolio of technology solutions will enable ADSI to add transactional features to its line of kiosk software, and KioWare will be used by Livewire to power its self-service applications. Together the companies will integrate their remote-monitoring and content-management software suites to extend the KioWare product line.
"ADSI is pleased to partner with technology leader Livewire, whose visionary commitment to the self-service experience has inspired new uses for interactive technology," said James Kruper, president of ADSI. "The integration of both companies' software into the KioWare product will result in the broadest portfolio of kiosk software offerings available today."
In addition to technology integration, the alliance allows both companies to co-market services and share development and sales resources.
Livewire and KioWare will share a booth April 24-27 during KioskCom's Self-Service Expo in Las Vegas.
Wednesday, 14 March 2007
MINNEAPOLIS — Wireless Ronin Technologies announced that it has entered into an agreement with Sign Biz, Inc. to resell RoninCast digital signage software as the content management application for its LobbyPOP brand division.
More than 170 digital imaging dealers in the Sign Biz network will now have access to the RoninCast digital signage system for their business clients. Sign Biz operates a chain of imaging sign companies that serve more than 500,000 small businesses.
Under this agreement the LobbyPOP program will augment the Sign Biz member program. Sign Biz members will manage the sales, installation and project management of sign programs, while LobbyPOP will provide training, support, content, and maintenance related to the RoninCast digital signage software.
Wednesday, 14 March 2007
Minicom is a leading manufacturer of digital and analog KVM solutions and is the principal expert in Audio/Video and Serial distribution systems for digital signage.
Wednesday, 14 March 2007
LOMBARD, Ill. — The Defense Commissary Agency has awarded ADUSA, Inc. a contract to put self-ordering deli kiosks in its new Naval Base San Diego commissary, helping introduce thousands of military personnel and their families to the benefits of self-ordering shopping for perhaps the first time.
Commissaries are the grocery store of choice for military families, and this partnership between ADUSA and DeCA represents DeCA's initial implementation of self-ordering kiosks.
The first two deli kiosks will be installed in a commissary by early April 2007. DeCA and ADUSA personnel will monitor how well these kiosks are accepted by the shoppers, and how often they're used. According to Tom Milks, director of sales for DeCA, "We will evaluate a number of points with respect to these first kiosks, and will hopefully be able to build a case for additional deployments. Self-ordering is really the way of the future in retail and we're anxious to expose our clientele to its benefits."
When the ribbon is cut to officially open the San Diego store on April 20, it will be the largest U.S. military commissary in the world and the first DeCA store to contain many of the agency's "store of the future" concepts. The infusion of state-of-the-art technology, expanded departments, a health and wellness section, information kiosks and a store-within-a-store layout that serves both convenience and full-cart shoppers are several enhancements that will make San Diego the flagship for a new generation of commissaries.
Wednesday, 14 March 2007
CAMBRIDGE, England · Kiosk Europe Expo 2007 has announced its conference program. The slate features in-depth talks and analysis from top executives from companies such as Wincor Nixdorf and Kodak.
The conference will be divided into two key areas, one for business and the other for technology. Delegates will be free to attend either at their discretion, and also will have the opportunity to take part in a guided tour through the Self-Service Solutions Parlour, experiencing a wide range of self-service solutions first-hand.
The event will be held on May 8-10 in Essen, Germany, and organizers plan it to be a pan-European trade show for the kiosk industry.
Wednesday, 14 March 2007
ORLANDO, Fla. - Cygnus eTransactions Group Inc. announced it has been named a member of the NCR RealPartner program by NCR Corporation. As a member, Cygnus will resell NCR RealPOS point-of-sale POS workstations and NCR EasyPoint self-serve kiosks.
The NCR RealPartner program is a tiered marketing program that provides NCR channel and alliance partners with the sales, marketing and support tools they need to be successful with NCR products and services.
Cygnus is integrating its ceStation POS and ceOsk self-service ticketing applications with NCR hardware to provide an industry leading ticketing solution for the recreation and entertainment industry.
NCR's POS workstations and self-service kiosks offer a variety of configuration and hardware options including space-saving designs, enhanced serviceability tailored for a range of applications, along with industry leading hardware maintenance and technical support.
Tuesday, 13 March 2007
PR.com: RFID Centre Asia is opening the first RFID kiosk in Jakarta, Indonesia. The new RFID kiosk will be a one-stop RFID store, helping companies across various industry verticals, government agencies, research organizations and universities select, test and buy a range of RFID products and services from various RFID vendors.
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Tuesday, 13 March 2007
Egovmonitor.com: The Identity and Passport Service has issued British travelers with the first 48-page '"jumbo'" biometrics ePassports from seven regional offices. Ideal for frequent globetrotters, the eJumbo is the latest version of the U.K. passport, combining the security enhancements of the 32-page ePassport introduced last year with 16 extra pages of space for visas.
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Tuesday, 13 March 2007
MANCHESTER, England · Felix Corp. has announced the launch of a new service, Flowers In 24.
According to a news release, Flowers In 24 allows customers to order a wide range of flowers and bouquets and have them delivered direct to any U.K. address within 24 hours. The service will go live on the MAX BOX kiosk network in pubs and retailers this week, to coincide with Mother's Day.
Felix believes this new digital-retail product will be a huge hit · especially in pubs, where customers can place orders up to 11 p.m.
"The convenience factor of this new application is fantastic," said Andy Egan, founder and chief executive of Felix. "Finding yourself in a sticky spot, having forgotten your loved one's birthday or an anniversary due the next day, is a situation most of us have been in at one time or another. But now, instead of a mad dash to the 24-hour petrol station in the hope of picking a limp bunch of tulips, you'll be able to relax, enjoy your pint and order a fantastic bunch of flowers before closing time."
Tuesday, 13 March 2007
GlobalShop, the annual retail-design and in-store marketing show, used its 2007 edition to showcase the latest technology advances. Stores have come to rely increasingly on electronic hardware components to do the jobs once the exclusive bailiwick of chrome and cardboard. Accordingly, illuminating many booths of the more than 900 exhibitors were digital signs awash in content demonstrations, turning the exhibit hall into a miniature of the Las Vegas strip just outside.
Organizers expected the 2007 event, held March 7-9 at the Sands Expo Center, to be the largest yet, with attendance predicted to be about 14,000, representing about 90 percent of the top 100 retail chains.
GlobalShop's first event was in 1993, and is now one of the world's largest annual store design and visual merchandising exposition and conferences.
POPAI's Digitial Signage Group sponsored Digital Signage Day, which featured industry experts addressing various topics relevant to the industry, including "In-store Media Measurements," "How Do I Use Digital Media to Deliver Value?" and "Transformation of Human Information Processing."
"Digital media experienced an 120 percent increase over last year signifying tremendous growth in this area," said Doug Hope, group vice president of GlobalShop 2007 and the show's founder, in a pre-show release. "We are very excited to be able to offer GlobalShop attendees an in-depth look at the digital signage segment and other growing retail trends, such as scent marketing."
Competing with Zoom
 idX's booth gave customers a place to take a load off, keeping with the Vegas fad by offering visitors an oxygen bar in addition to their Shop Robotic vending system.
Designed in partnership with Teknovation, the eight-foot long vending kiosk was the center of attention for visitors, who watched intently as the vacuum-powered robotic arm grabbed iPods and digital cameras from the spring-loaded racks.
The Shop Robotic is comparable to the vending kiosks of Zoom Systems, although Teknovation CEO Jason Nawding said the Shop Robotic is more appealing to the consumer. "We've focused on the product presentation, bringing the products right up against the glass so it feels like the customer can almost reach out and grab it," Rawding said.
The products ranged from cell phones to shampoo and were brightly illuminated by LED lights. On the outside, a flush-mounted interactive touchscreen gave product information as well as allowed the customer to make their selection.
3D taking shape
A small crowd was constantly huddled around Wireless Ronin's 3D flatscreen sign, which featured a specialized display film for a depth effect. The 3D content had to be specially designed as well. "It costs about $1,000 a second to create 3D content, however," said Bob Aho, regional vice president for Wireless Ronin.
Inside Ronin's booth was their most notable contribution to the show, a remote-controlled digital menu board system which featured three 48-inch flatscreens. Wendy's was used as an example for the menu boards, which showed Jr. Bacon Cheeseburgers rotating around boxes of fries and Frostys.
 The all-in-one system has the CPU built inside the screen so no external hardware is needed. Wireless Ronin has been working with Wand Corporation to integrate the signs with a POS system.
"The digital signage allows restaurants to adjust their menus to local demographics," said Scot Sinnen, central regional VP and a Globalshop panel member for digital signage. "They'™re incredibly flexible, dynamic, and they give customers something to look at other than the price."
The digital signs have been piloted in a Minneapolis Wendy's and have already been used in Minnesota Wild hockey promotions, flashing live game scores and offering game-related discounts.
Taking a swing at Wii
Vistors showed off their golf skills at Frank Mayer and Associates' Nintendo Wii kiosk, which allowed people to demo a golf game on the movement-based gaming system. The kiosk was used in Wii tour events for the release of the system in 2006. The sleek, white kiosk contained a flatscreen TV and plastic housing for the Wii.
 Frank Mayer also had a replica display of their video game in-store displays that is used in Wal-Mart stores. The gondola-style shelving unit featured six flatscreen TVs for game demos and lockable glass doors for game viewing and storage.
Frank Mayer also re-released their surfboard-style BMW informational kiosk that became popular at its inception several years ago. The company has been refurbishing the kiosks as BMW comes out with new models.
"The ROI is great," said David Zoerb, senior vice president of marketing sevices. "If you make the investment, we can keep refreshing the kiosks and lengthen the life."
On the show floor
3M's latest signage development came from their sub-brand Vikuiti and allows images to be projected in specific shapes. Die-cut film, made from millions of tiny glass beads, is put on a glass surface while a projector shoots an image onto the glass. (3M used their company logo as an example.) The image only shows up on the film, creating an outline of the logo with moving pictures inside of it.
Brookview Technologies and HoloFX collaborated to create an interactive window for Infiniti that was used at the 2006 Toronto International Car Show. Content was projected on a glass panel equipped with touch-responsive film. HoloFX president and CEO Jeffery Moscoe says the screen is ideal for retailers, who can keep all hardware inside the store but still have interactive advertising on the street.
The content, an interactive buyer's guide for Infiniti, was developed by HoloFX while the touchscreen window was created by Brookview Technologies. The touch window was also used in a 2006 Polo Ralph Lauren campaign.
Electrosonic partnered with Panasonic to create an RFID-powered interactive dressing room guide. A vertical flatscreen showed a woman who would "change clothes" according to what garment was held in front of the screen. Most notably, the system would then send customers coupons and special offers to their cell phones via Bluetooth based on the clothes they had brought in front of the screen. The back end of the system gave retailers statistics on what clothes were frequently "tried on."
Gesturetek introduced their ScreenXtreme advertising system, which takes video of people walking by and places their image in the ad. The ads also contain interactive elements, like floating Skittles or bubbles that move when triggered by the human image.
The interactive display company also featured a demonstration of Holopoint, a non-touch controller for interactive displays that moves a mouse arrow by waving your hand. The application is designed for museums and science centers, but has also been used for product demonstrations by Ford Motor Company.
Retail technology specialists MTI Interactive brought several smart displays to GlobalShop, each aimed at providing information to the customer and feedback to the retailer. Their cell phone retail station has magnetic switches that trigger digital signage content when a phone is picked up. The Immersion vibrating touchscreen also has a manager mode that allows for easy changes in the planogram and employee sales training. The fixture has already been rolled-out to 1,000 T-Mobile stores.
They also have 100 contracted service employees around the country for system repairs, bridging the labor gap between expensive IT contractors and what Vice President Jason Goldberg calls "dusters and fluffers" store merchandisers who don't do repairs. MTI's maintenance crew also performs monthly check-ups on MTI stations in their reigon.
"When you integrate everything into a one-stop shop they only have one butt to kick," Goldberg said.
Nanonation featured an interactive touchscreen guide that was placed on Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas cruise liner last May. The guide featured a live-action female tour guide who showed passengers details on activities on the ship and day-trips. Nanonation designed the software and shot all video, according to Brian Ardinger, director of business development.
Soundtube Entertainment debuted a speaker-less sound system that can be installed on kiosks to prevent vandalism and improve sleekness, according to Devin Howells, creative director for Soundtube. A small, round transducer can be placed on wood, plastic or glass and "sends vibrations through the panels, essentially making them the speakers," Howells said.
Video Visions, Inc. attracted the attention of convention visitors with three rotating flatscreen monitors which the company calls Plasmaxx. The LCD screens rotate while the picture uses counter-rotation technology to stay upright. Though Plasmaxx screens have only been shown in US tradeshows, they have been deployed in Venezuela for whiskey advertising, with the sign rotating the bottle vertically as it pours a drink.
Vira showed their latest in cell phone retail technology, with an interactive touchscreen that displays product information based on what cell phone the customer picks up off the display. Using RFID, the back end of the system provides retailers with information such as which cell phones were picked up more frequently and how long customers held the phones in their hands. Customers could also bring other phones from around the store in front of the touchscreen to receive product information.
Monday, 12 March 2007
CALGARY, Canada · Calgary Health Region's 24,000 employees will have greater access to personal human resources information via new IBM self-service kiosks installed in hospitals, clinics and offices.
IBM worked closely with the Calgary Health Region to design a kiosk that met its needs. IBM migrated the Region's applications to the new hardware and monitors, and manages and provides help-desk-support services for 100 kiosks the Region is deploying.
The IBM Anyplace Kiosk has an LCD-touchscreen display, keyboard and trackball, a built-in printer and a telephone preset to automatically dial help-desk support when the handset is lifted.
Using the kiosks, employees can access their human resources application, e-mail, company intranet and other related Web sites to submit health benefits claims, confirm or make changes to benefits coverage, or print out pay advice.
"We wanted to provide our employees with easy access to their human resources information, regardless of whether they work at a desk with a PC or not," said Margaret Munsch, a senior vice president at Calgary Health Region. "By providing self-service kiosks, our regional clinical and corporate employees, including clinical staff, porters, housekeeping and other support staff can quickly access their personal information anytime, regardless of which of our sites they may be working at on a given day."
Users identify themselves by logging onto the kiosk with a secure, personal ID.
Monday, 12 March 2007
TELFORD, Pa. · Accu-Sort Systems Inc. has announced the introduction of the EZReader-HF RFID tag reader. Upon startup, the EZReader-HF sets frequency and match. In addition, both the EZReader-HF and its antenna store operating parameters for the current installation. If either the reader or antenna needs to be replaced, the new component reads the setup parameters from the installed device, eliminating the need to configure operating parameters, greatly reducing replacement time and cost, said Troy Herman, Accu-Sort manager for North American distribution.
In an RFID installation, the reader sends RF commands to the tag and receives data from the tag via an antenna. EZReader-HF operates at 13.56 MHz and communicates via on-board Ethernet TCP/IP or EtherNet/IP to other devices in a customer's facility, making it a plug-and-play device. It connects directly to Accu-Sort's FAST Monitor system software, which monitors the condition of multiple automatic identification systems throughout a facility and stores operating data in a central database. FAST Monitor also provides remote diagnostics capability, allowing systems to be monitored and analyzed from anywhere in the world.
The new EZReader-HF can be used as a stand-alone device or can be controlled by a host system. The stand-alone functionality allows the user to hook a sensor directly into the reader to indicate the presence of a tag, allowing for hands-free and host-free identification, the company said.
Monday, 12 March 2007
Foodproductiondaily.com: Printronix claims its new SL4M printer supports the widest selection of ultra-high frequency (UHF) RFID tags in the industry. This allows a single platform to support the various applications and requirements for RFID labeling in the logistics supply chain.
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Monday, 12 March 2007
Embeddedtechjournal.com: ThingMagic Inc. has introduced the Mercury5e embedded RFID reader, which utilizes the Intel RFID Transceiver R1000 chip. The new chip integrates a number of components into a single integrated RFID circuit, and enables digital-signal processing and analog-data processing on the same chip.
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Monday, 12 March 2007
Videostoremag.com: TNR Entertainment Group is launching a sweepstakes offering free movie rentals for a year. Starting March 16, TNR will hold a drawing and give one randomly chosen shopper the equivalent of free movie rentals for a year at the 1,500 The New Release-branded, $1-per-night rental machines across the country.
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Thursday, 08 March 2007
CHARLOTTE, N.C. · Source Technologies announced the general availability of CheckPartner Enterprise, offering functionality similar to the company's CheckPartner departmental, but with enhanced capabilities for extended-enterprise deployments.
CheckPartner Enterprise allows remote users to request, receive approval and print disbursements locally, even via the Internet, while maintaining centralized visibility and control. When used together with Source Technologies' encryption-enabled magnetic ink character recognition laser printers, CheckPartner Enterprise helps companies virtually eliminate official check fraud. The expanded enterprise capabilities enable an organization to use CheckPartner Enterprise's payment capabilities, regardless of location.
For financial institutions working with mortgage-closing attorneys and title companies, CheckPartner Enterprise's remote funding functionality and security capabilities lets them extend check printing to the closing agent's office. Printing closing checks on-demand eliminates wire transfers and check couriering. It also reduces check-amount errors and the expensive void-reissue-reconcile cycle common to mortgage lending.
"CheckPartner Enterprise is the first commercially available platform that lets companies of all sizes print checks securely at any location," said Glen Fossella, vice president of marketing for Source Technologies. "Not only can companies give check printing autonomy to remote branch locations, it also lets them collaborate with trusted partners on disbursements of all kinds, resulting in lower costs and more responsive customer service."
Thursday, 08 March 2007
LAS VEGAS · Rimage Corp. announced the launch of its Digital Manufacturing Center platform designed exclusively for on-demand digital-content delivery at retail.
The Rimage system produces Hybrid DVDs · a new format that combines photos with a musical soundtrack or video introduction · plus conventional photo CDs and music CDs from a complete catalog of music on demand. All these products are produced on the Rimage Digital Manufacturing Center, automatically, complete with full color direct-to-disc imprinting.
"Many of our customers have asked us for an all-in-one digital content solution for retail applications," said Manny Almeida, chief operating officer for Rimage. "We are looking forward to working with our partners in the retail and photo marketing categories and helping them realize new revenue streams using the Rimage Digital Manufacturing Center."
According to Rimage, implementing the Digital Manufacturing Center in a retail environment is seamless, since the system features flexible hardware and interface configurations to meet a wide range of installation requirements. Retail-specific programming interfaces help retailers quickly integrate the Rimage Digital Manufacturing Center with existing photo labs, customer-facing kiosks and other workflow processes. The Rimage system also has a consumer-friendly user interface for kiosk-based applications.
Thursday, 08 March 2007
The Associated Press: US Airways on March 6 said its operations were returning to normal after computer glitches started shutting down hundreds of check-in kiosks over the weekend. US Airways spokesman Phil Gee said technicians are continuing to fix computer systems in several cities where travelers experienced delays. Meanwhile, the carrier asked its customers to use Web-based check-ins.
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Thursday, 08 March 2007
Wirelessnetdesignline.com: A startup nurtured as part of Intel Capital has announced a low-cost integrated RFID reader chip for the UHF band. The sub-$40 cost, 8x8 millimeter size and 1.5 watt power consumption of the R1000 chip could enable a new class of portable readers, but it's unclear whether the long anticipated ramp of this sector will be based on UHF devices, analysts said.
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Thursday, 08 March 2007
SAN JOSE , Calif. · DVDPlay announced that David Borlo has been named vice president of business development. In his new role, Borlo will be responsible for managing the development and implementation of the company's global-sales strategy. By partnering with national grocery store chains, convenience stores and fast food chains, Borlo plans to grow DVDPlay's installed base 300 percent in the next two years.
Prior to joining DVDPlay, Borlo was founder and chief executive of Allure Fusion Media, a proprietary software solution company that specializes in creating digital networks for advertising, promotional and POS marketing. He has consulted as a digital media specialist for global retailers and global agencies, led innovation in digital signage and serves as a director for start-up companies. Borlo began his industry career at Earwax Productions in San Francisco .
Thursday, 08 March 2007
Las Vegas : idX and Teknovation released their Shop Robotic vending system at the 2007 GlobalShop show in Las Vegas . The sleek eight-foot kiosk was displayed vending everything from iPods to shampoo and laundry detergent. idX created the enclosure, while teknovation developed the vending software and vacuum distribution arm.
Teknovation president Jason Rawding says the vending kiosk rivals those of San Francisco-based Zoom Systems, although the Shop Robotic presents the products directly against the glass and under bright LED lighting.
The vending kiosk has been tested in a Ramada hotel in England , but Alister Comrie of idX says the company is planning to distribute the Shop Robotic in the US immediately.
Wednesday, 07 March 2007
Washingtontechnology.com: An incident that may have exposed new security risks inherent in RFID technology has gained the attention of the Computer Emergency Response Team within the Homeland Security Department.
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Wednesday, 07 March 2007
Rfdesignline.com: AeroScout Inc., a specialist developer of Wi-Fi-based active RFID solutions, has secured $21 million in a Series C round led by Menlo Ventures. Both Menlo Ventures and Greylock Partners have joined the AeroScout investor syndicate in this round, and existing investors Star Ventures, Pitango, Cisco Systems and Intel Capital also participated.
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Wednesday, 07 March 2007
Rfdesignline.com: As the RFID technology market moves beyond early adopters, vendors and integrators are fielding customer questions about the security of RFID systems. Concerns over RFID security were stoked last year when a team of university researchers in the Netherlands published a paper describing how RFID tags could provide a conduit for miscreants to launch attacks on back-end network infrastructure.
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Wednesday, 07 March 2007
Fortwayne.com: Strapped for cash and far from their bank's ATMs, consumers have little choice but to pay fees to use a competing machine. National City on March 5 launched three checking accounts to address that pet peeve. The Cleveland-based bank will allow customers who open one of the accounts to use any competitor's ATM at no charge.
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Tuesday, 06 March 2007
Stabroeknews.com: The British High Commission has introduced a biometrics program that will serve as a prerequisite for processing visa applications submitted online. The form will be available online.
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Tuesday, 06 March 2007
Witntv.com: US Airways Group Inc. says it will continue to pull additional ticket agents and ask passengers to use Web-based check-in kiosks. The Arizona-based airline is still fixing malfunctioning check-in kiosks that created long lines and delayed travelers throughout the first weekend of March.
Tuesday, 06 March 2007
Southbendtribune.com: With Redbox' DVD-rental kiosks entering the scene at more stores, questions about what might happen to traditional rental stores are being raised. Will more customers flock to the new rental kiosks or will they stick with the traditional way of renting movies?
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Monday, 05 March 2007
WBT News: A problem with a computerized reservation system caused delays for US Airways passengers March 4, airline officials said. Airline passengers at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport found delays of up to an hour and a half after automated kiosks did not work.
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Monday, 05 March 2007
Istanbul, Turkey · KT technology, a pan-European-based kiosk manufacturer, announced the release of its first POS interactive wall-mounted T3 kiosk.
The T3 is designed to be a wall-mounted enclosure. Its style is similar to the bigger T2 kiosk. The terminal is produced from grade A 1.5-milimeter steel, making it ideal for unsupervised areas, the company says. Its modular housing allows it to host a full device system for electronic payments, bill acceptors and printing receipts or vouchers.
The first wall units are expected to roll out in European retail forecourts as interactive POS terminals.
Monday, 05 March 2007
LAS VEGAS · RoboServer Systems Corp. debuted its Line Buster Assisted Server System March 5 at the Las Vegas Nightclub, Restaurant, and Hospitality Expo in Las Vegas.
According to a news release, the LineBuster Assisted Server System is a countertop ordering system with two screens that allows customers to place orders on one screen while restaurant staff reviews orders on a second screen.
Having two screens, RoboServer says, allows restaurans to maintain involvement in the customer-ordering process, while providing customer independence, convenience and speed of self-service ordering.
LineBuster gives customers the option of self-service ordering, assisted ordering or ordering with restaurant staff. This System also allows restaurants to gradually train their customers to use self-service technology on their own.
Industry research suggests self-serve technology can cut customer wait-time by as much as 33 percent.
Friday, 02 March 2007
CNN Money: While U.S. retailers like Wal-Mart are still struggling to put RFID tags on boxes and pallets so they can track merchandise in bulk, Dutch bookseller Selexyz may be the first merchant to tag every single item on its shelves with the wireless technology.
That means no more taking inventory by hand, no more lost books, and fewer returns to publishers. Selexyz, the Netherlands's largest book chain, has been testing an RFID inventory-management system at an outlet in the town of Almere. The store's sales have been 25 percent higher than those of the average store since the system was installed in April, and all 42 Selexyz outlets should have RFID tracking in place by mid-2008.
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Friday, 02 March 2007
Mercury News: One month after fast-pass security kiosks opened at San Jose's airport, only about one-third of the Bay Area travelers who have applied to join the program have been cleared to speed through checkpoints. Although the kiosks are averaging about 20 to 25 users a day at Mineta San Jose International, some fliers who applied for the cards when enrollment kiosks opened in October still haven't received them.
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Friday, 02 March 2007
Washington Post: For all its public devotion to innovation, the computer industry has been unwilling to break one rule -- it takes a keyboard and mouse to use a home computer. But Hewlett-Packard is throwing that principle aside in its new TouchSmart IQ770 desktop. This computer's screen responds to the touch of your finger. While the ease of use is soothing, what lies beneath the LCD may not be able to keep up.
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Friday, 02 March 2007
DENVER -- Kroenke Sports Enterprises, owner of the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche, will bring single game and event ticket sales in-house for some of its venues using touchscreen kiosks in metro Denver Dick's Sporting Goods stores.
"We believe that we can save our fans money and provide the service our fans expect by operating our own ticketing system," KSE executive vice president Paul Andrews said. "Providing lower service fees and increased knowledge of our venues and events is something we believe is appealing to Denver's sports and entertainment fans."
The 2007 season of Colorado Rapids soccer, including the 2007 Major League Soccer All-Star Game, will be the first set of events to go on sale using the in-house system. The Rapids' season begins April 7 at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, a stadium that holds 18,000 for sporting events and up to 27,000 for concerts. Concerts taking place at the Paramount Theatre after July 1 also will be sold through the in-house system. Events at Pepsi Center and CityLights Pavilion will continue to be ticketed by Ticketmaster.
Friday, 02 March 2007
NORTH CANTON, Ohio -- DVDPlay, Inc., the leading operator of DVD rental kiosks, has signed an exclusive service agreement with Diebold, Incorporated to provide installation, maintenance and support for DVDPlay's rapidly growing network of DVD movie- rental kiosks. The agreement will cover more than 3,000 kiosks DVDPlay plans to have installed by the end of 2007.
"DVD movie-rental kiosks provide our customers with the convenience of renting a DVD in locations where they shop for other products," said Chuck Berger, chairman and CEO of DVDPlay. "Our goal is to have virtually 100 percent uptime at our kiosks and address any problems in hours, not days. Diebold Premier Services helped us to create a strong service support strategy to deliver on that commitment."
The DVDPlay kiosks under the agreement are installed in supermarkets and high-traffic retail locations throughout North America. The kiosks feature patent-pending software that enables dynamic pricing, promotion, inventory management, advertising and movie trailer insertions while capturing key business metrics. Diebold technicians will be dispatched from Diebold service centers across the country to address installation, service and repair issues.
"Diebold's service organization has supported self-service technology in ATMs for years," Berger said. "The company's project managers can help us identify service-related issues ahead of time, and its technicians already understand the technology involved."
DVDPlay kiosks enable customers to rent DVDs through an interface resembling an online checkout. The kiosks feature an inventory of DVDs that is updated every week with the latest releases. DVDPlay rental kiosks can provide consumers with DVD rentals at more competitive pricing than large movie rental chains.
Thursday, 01 March 2007
InformationWeek: Lawmakers in the state of Washington are considering restrictions on RFID technology. State Rep. Jeff Morris has introduced an Electronic Bill of Rights that would outlaw the collection, storage and disclosure of radio frequency identification information without notifying consumers. The bill states that all companies using active and passive RFID devices would have to either disable the devices or gain consumer consent.
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Thursday, 01 March 2007
WARRINGTON, England · Hand Held Products has announced the launch of its self-service Image Kiosk 8560, which scans barcodes and allows users to check information in real time.
According to a news release, the kiosk is designed to improve efficiency, productivity and customer service in retail, manufacturing and transportation.
The Image Kiosk 8560 is an interactive device that allows a multitude of applications. It's powered by Adaptus Image Scanning Technology 5.0, which allows manufacturers to control access to secure areas as well as locate key assets in their inventory and check part numbers. Also, it allows transporters and airport professionals to control access to lounges and enables users to check the status of their frequent flyer programs andreceive targeted promotions. It also can be used at the check-in counters and departure halls to read 2-D barcodes on boarding passes, or to display information and maps.
The Image Kiosk 8560 allows retailers to enable shoppers to check prices, product information, store maps and loyalty-program status. They can display targeted promotional messages to influence the customer at the point of decision and increase basket value.
Thursday, 01 March 2007
MAITLAND, Fla. · Galvanon, an NCR Corp.company, announced that Carolinas HealthCare System has deployed the MediKiosk patient self-service solution to streamline patient check in. CHS, the largest healthcare system in the Carolinas and third-largest not-for-profit system in the United States, has launched the MediKiosk at the Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, N.C.
MediKiosk provides patient check-in and checkout processes by allowing patients to identify themselves upon arrival, view and confirm demographic and insurance information, electronically sign consent documents, enter medical history information and make co-payments.
Patients can choose to interact with the kiosk in either English or Spanish. Patient information flows to the hospital's back-end system, reducing administrative costs and minimizing the risk of error.
Galvanon's MediKiosk is part of a suite of products that allows hospitals and clinics to provide patient self-service capabilities such as pre-registration via the Web, online bill payment and wireless patient check in.
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