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News Archive |
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Tuesday, 31 July 2007
SEATTLE · Impart Media Group Inc. announced the installation of its first concierge kiosk at the Lake View Hotel on Mackinac Island in Michigan.
According to a news release, the kiosk provides up-to-date meeting and event schedules with directional maps, hotel amenities, restaurant menus, a local guide with third-party ad space and a remote content management system with real-time updates. Displayed information can be mirrored on multiple screens and can be utilized in conjunction with the hotel's guest-services intranet.
"The Concierge is built to support the efforts of the hotel in creating a memorable guest experience," said Advanced Method's Devon Imamura, one of the kiosk's lead developers. "This is a win-win situation because guests can now get the information they need right at their fingertips and the hotel can generate revenue."
Tuesday, 31 July 2007
The Bakersfield Californian: The first in a series of kiosks designed to promote Kern County, Calif., tourist attractions is on its way. The first two kiosks are set to roll out now, with seven more on the way.
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Tuesday, 31 July 2007
Managing satellite, terrestrial, wireless, and blended private media networks designed for strategic business purposes. Diversified Media Group, serves retail and corporate marketers, trainers and communicators who recognize the efficiencies and profitable opportunities of utilizing highly customizable, easy-to-control, state-of-the-art communications. We specialize in implementing and managing broadband satellite, terrestrial, wireless, and blended private media networks designed for strategic business purposes:
- Dynamic Digital Signage - For centrally controlled multipoint sales promotion, education and entertainment at stores, malls, universities, stadiums and other public gathering locations
- Retail Marketing Strategies - DMG has developed exclusive offers for retailers and others where customers wait in lines, including MSNBC Everywhere and Go Anyware.
- Live Business Television - For internal audiences such as corporate executives, employees, sales teams, shareholder meeting attendees or suppliers
- Distance Learning and Special Symposiums - For employee and sales force training worldwide
- Video-on-Demand - For entertainment, education or corporate communication
- Business Communications Continuity - DMG can provide instantaneous switchover from your communications backbone to our two-way satellite network to ensure the continuous transmission of vital data in the event of any disaster
- Secure Data and File Transfer - Available to DMG-networked customers for disseminating proprietary information from multiple locations to a central database or vice versa.
Monday, 30 July 2007
Associated Press: A group representing thousands of taxi drivers said Wednesday it will idle cabs in September if the city goes ahead with a plan to require installation of GPS tracking systems. Starting Oct. 1, as the city's 13,000 taxis come up for inspections they must have the GPS equipment along with touchscreen monitors that will let passengers pay by credit card, check on news stories and look up restaurant and entertainment information.
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Monday, 30 July 2007
Business of Cinema: With a severe drop in CD sales, retail outlets are using other options to sustain their stores. Planet M, a music store in India, says it soon expects to introduce digital-music downloading in its stores. Through the kiosks, customers can download the songs available in the store.
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Monday, 30 July 2007
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. · The president and chief executive of GA Services LLC, George Harris, says the future of remote management is all about control through automation.
During a podcast "Remotely Intelligent," produced by Esprida Corp., Harris says "there will continue to be demand for break-fix, but the trend now is to move more toward automated access and control of devices."
Harris says the implication for remote management is clear: "It's easier to have a technician sitting at a monitor checking on the welfare of a device without sending someone out. Large companies are not going to have people standing around taking two or three calls a day or week. They are going to have to rely on technology to give them the edge · to provide service from a remote capability. And if and when a technician is required, they'll have the capability to deploy the technician at the right time and place."
Click here to listen to the podcast.
Monday, 30 July 2007
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. · The president and chief executive of GA Services LLC, George Harris, says the future of remote management is all about control through automation.
During a podcast "Remotely Intelligent," produced by Esprida Corp., Harris says "there will continue to be demand for break-fix, but the trend now is to move more toward automated access and control of devices."
Harris says the implication for remote management is clear: "It's easier to have a technician sitting at a monitor checking on the welfare of a device without sending someone out. Large companies are not going to have people standing around taking two or three calls a day or week. They are going to have to rely on technology to give them the edge · to provide service from a remote capability. And if and when a technician is required, they'll have the capability to deploy the technician at the right time and place."
Click here to listen to the podcast.
Monday, 30 July 2007
NEWARK, Calif. · Tranax Technologies Inc. and Columbus Data Services have parterned to provide a new gift-card function for self-service devices.
According to a news release, the solution is designed for retail and financial-institution markets.
The program will feature Tranax's gift card-dispensing Hybrid ATM platform, which is based on the Tranax Mini-Bank x4000 and HK2000 sidecar. Processing and gift-card support will be provided by CDS.
The Tranax sidecar features a bill acceptor and card dispenser, which supports cash or debit cards. Existing Mini-Bank x4000s also can be upgraded to provide the solution.
The gift card program, called ZIPPAY, features a gift card that can be used anywhere debit cards are accepted.
Monday, 30 July 2007
Pay-at-the-pump technology turns 20 years old this year, and it has been a success by anybody’s standards. In 1994, 13 percent of c-stores offered the time-saver; today, that number has risen to 93 percent.
But perhaps it has worked a little too well. Margins on gasoline are razor-thin, compared to the higher profits made on items sold in the store. And pay-at-the-pump has meant a drastic decrease in store traffic. Andre van der Velk owns four c-stores in California, two independent and two Shell; he said two-thirds of his gasoline customers never set foot in his stores.
"There is a constant drive for the operator to get people to come into the store and buy," he said.
That drive has been the motivation for traditional pump-toppers · static signs advertising in-store specials · and is now the force behind a number of companies building digital signage networks at gas station islands.
Pay-at-the-pump a ‘necessary evil’
In May 2007, USA Today published a list of the top 25 "Eureka moments" of the last quarter-century, the 25 inventions that have had the most profound impact on consumer behavior. On a list made up of world-shaking inventions such as the laptop, the cell phone and the debit card, pay-at-the-pump ranked #9.
"Pay-at-the-pump is essential for anyone who sells speed, and virtually all convenience stores do," said Jeff Lenard, director of communications for the National Association of Convenience Stores. "Some may call it a necessary evil, but it is necessary."
Several companies are now trying to turn this necessary evil into a profit center by installing digital screens at the pump, and using those screens to display promotions for in-store items, mixed in with entertainment and news content.
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A Gas Station TV installation, showing national content from ESPN.
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Founded in 2006, Michigan-based Gas Station TV (GSTV) quickly landed a contract to be the exclusive screen provider for Murphy Oil. So far, the company has placed about 1,000 screens at c-stores in Atlanta, Dallas and Houston. GSTV chief executive David Leider said the screens feature national content from ABC, mixed in with original GSTV content that takes aim at local interests.
The screens are provided to the c-store owner at no charge; GSTV pays the bills by selling ad space to national accounts such as Chevrolet, Progressive Insurance, Dodge, 1-800-Flowers and Quicken Loans. The network is managed by GSTV, and runs Scala's InfoChannel software.
PumpMedia, which won the exclusive contract for Chevron’s video at the pump program, uses a similar business model and value proposition, with one difference: C-store operators can opt to pay for the screens and eliminate the outside advertising. Under the ad-subsidized model, the storeowner gets 75 percent of the screen's loop time, and PumpMedia sells ads on the other 25 percent.
Peter Tawil, president of PumpMedia, said the idea for his company came to him in 1999, when he was working in television advertising. While fueling his car one day, he heard audio advertisements for in-store products and services being played over the station’s loudspeaker.
"The guy had a shoe shine inside, a magazine rack, a small restaurant," he said. "He had it all going, and he was smart "he was promoting all of his products inside the store. When I heard that, I thought, "Okay, that's smart, but if you can do it with audio, wouldn't it be more powerful if it had video attached to it?"
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A PumpTop TV installation, featuring hardware from Westinghouse.
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Larger companies are getting in on the action, too. Daktronics is part owner of Fuelcast Network, a joint effort with VST International to get digital signage onto self-service gas pumps, and Westinghouse recently announced an exclusive arrangement with AdtekMedia to provide technology for that company's PumpTop TV program.
‘They will take any ad that they can’
Pump-top digital signage is still in its infancy, still at the stage where there are any number of small players trying to eke out an existence selling screens and ad space on them. Ken Goldberg, chief executive of Real Digital Media (which, along with Avocent, supplies the technology for PumpMedia), said he recently took some c-store clients on a road trip to survey the competitor's landscape. They found three different regional pump-top networks, each with their own proprietary hardware set-up and content strategy.
"The content that (the clients) saw was not in line with what they wanted their customer to see," he said. "One of the ads was a preacher talking about a local church · they certainly don't want religious messages coming out of the pumps."
On one of the screens, they spied an ad for the pizza restaurant down the street · a direct competitor from the pizzeria inside the c-store.
"They will take any ad that they can, including Reverend Billy Bob and cheap pizza," Goldberg said. "And there are a lot of them. You might put ten bucks in your gas tank and you'll see three ads."
All of which hints at a market that is ripe for consolidation. Clearly, there is great potential in using digital signage at the pump, but widespread adoption · particularly by large chains associated with big-name brands · will require a uniformity of experience and a heightened understanding of how to handle brand assets.
"In an old-fashioned way, this is what the industry has been doing with pump-toppers since the 1970s," said van der Valk. "This is just a technology advancement of the old pump-topper. The only reason it is taking so long is that the oil industry is very protective of what they put above their logo."
Friday, 27 July 2007
LOUISVILLE, Colo.· KIOSK Information Systems has formally launched Self-Service Quotes, a Web-based interactive service that allows companies to enter unique configuration inquiries and receive quotes instantly.
According to a news release, users are guided through questions about project pricing, configuration, and service, software and option analysis for their self-service projects.
"The intent is to provide another level of customer service and simplified shopping," said Tom Weaver, vice president of sales and marketing for KIOSK. "Customers can experiment with multiple configurations and receive instant and accurate financial feedback as they process choices."
The quote generator is intended for deployments between one and 10 kiosks, with larger volume quotes coming from KIOSK's direct sales force.
Since the pilot program began in April, KIOSK says it has received thousands of requests for quotes worth a total of about $30 million.
Friday, 27 July 2007
SAN FRANCISCO · Atman Hospitality Group Inc. is deploying kiosks at its Gaia Napa Valley Hotel & Spa that offer guests an opportunity to be conscious of their own energy and water usage.
"Promoting awareness of sustainability, Gaia's GreenTouchscreen kiosks show guests and visitors how much we are saving in water, electricity and CO2 emissions,"� said hotel-group president
Wen I. Chang, in a news release.
Large electricity, water and CO2-usage/emission meters above the kiosk provide status of the building's efficiency. Historical-use charts compare Gaia Napa Valley Hotel & Spa to typical hotels and equate the resulting savings. Hotel guests can even see how much electricity, water and CO2 their rooms are using/emitting from their in-room televisions.
Thursday, 26 July 2007
WLS-TV (Chicago): Chicago's airports are offering disabled travelers a high-tech option for communicating their needs. A new kiosk now allows travelers who are deaf or hard of hearing to place video phone calls to request services. They also can use it to communicate with friends or family by sign language. Eleven of the kiosks are expected to be installed at Chicago's O'Hare and Midway airports by next year.
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Thursday, 26 July 2007
News.com.au: Tourists who want to hop on a ferry to visit New York's first lady, the Statue of Liberty, will wait only a fraction of the time for tickets and a seat on the boat under changes planned by the new owners of the service. Under the new system, visitors will be able to make reservations for specific departure slots, print tickets at home, then arrive up to 60 minutes before they embark. Tickets would also be available at self-serve kiosks in Times Square and other tourist spots around the city.
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Thursday, 26 July 2007
News.com.au: Tourists who want to hop on a ferry to visit New York's first lady, the Statue of Liberty, will wait only a fraction of the time for tickets and a seat on the boat under changes planned by the new owners of the service. Under the new system, visitors will be able to make reservations for specific departure slots, print tickets at home, then arrive up to 60 minutes before they embark. Tickets would also be available at self-serve kiosks in Times Square and other tourist spots around the city.
Read more
Thursday, 26 July 2007
NEUILLY-SUR-SEINE, France · Ingenico, supplier of transaction and secure payment solutions, and Sagem Security, a subsidiary of SAFRAN, are evaluating options to combinecombining their electronic payment solutions activities.
The proposed transaction includes Sagem's payment-terminal businesses, Sagem Monetel and Sagem Denmark and respective subsidiaries.
The deal would include the issuance of new Ingenico shares to Sagem Security, which also would become a significant shareholder in Ingenico.
The companies say they have signed a non-binding agreement and are now in exclusive negotiations.
The deal is expected to be complete by the end of the year. Ingenico expects to provide an update about the deal when it releases its first-half earnings results in September.
Sagem Security and Ingenico say the deal will allow them to benefit from technological cooperation, particularly in the areas of biometrics applications for payment solutions.
Sagem Security says it plans to remain involved over the long term in the terminal payment sector through its security business and role as a shareholder in Ingenico.
Wednesday, 25 July 2007
The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer: Hamburger chain Wendy's is searching for its next great burger recipe. As part of its 25-city "Great Taste Tour," Wendy's has set up computer kiosks for customers to create the perfect burger.
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Wednesday, 25 July 2007
The Military Family Network: Thousands of service members deployed overseas in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom are using EagleCash cards when making financial transactions, military officials say. Card users use kiosks to check account balances, transfer funds and withdraw cash. There are now more than 100 EagleCash kiosks and 1,200 transaction points across Iraq's areas of operation.
Read
Wednesday, 25 July 2007
Omaha (Neb.) World-Herald: Slide a debit card into an ATM and can get some cash. Slide a debit card into a new machine in Mercy Hospital's emergency room and get some heavy-duty painkillers or antibiotics. Mercy is the first hospital in the Omaha area, and one of a handful of healthcare centers in Iowa, to get a pharmacy kiosk aimed at outpatients.
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Wednesday, 25 July 2007
MELVILLE, N.Y. · Arrow Electronics Inc. reported second quarter 2007 net income of $99.2 million on sales of $4.04 billion, compared with net income of $92.8 million on sales of $3.44 billion in the second quarter of 2006. Sales increased 17 percent year over year.
"We have made strong strategic moves over the last 18 months that have resulted in a more diverse revenue stream, a broader geographic footprint and increased opportunities in fast-growing product segments," said William E. Mitchell, chairman, president and chief executive.
During the second quarter, Arrow recorded a net restructuring charge of $2.9 million ($2 million net of related taxes or 2 cents per share). The comapny said the charge related to initiatives to improve operating efficiencies. The company also recorded an integration charge of $.5 million related to the acquisition of KeyLink.
Wednesday, 25 July 2007
PADERBORN, Germany · Wincor Nixdorf International AG says it expects its annual outlook, announced at the beginning of the year for fiscal year 2006/2007, to be on target.
The company said its net sales rose by 12 percent during the first nine months of the year, from €1.4 million (U.S. $1.9 million) to €1.6 million (U.S. $2.2 million). Consolidated net sales for just the third quarter rose 5 percent from the third quarter of FY 2005/2006.
Profit for the period jumped 29 percent, from €59 million (U.S. $81.5 million) to €76 million (U.S. $105 million).
"We are confident that our upgraded forecast for the full annual period will be met,"� said president and chief executive Eckard Heidloff. "We anticipate that revenue will grow by 9 percent and EBITA by 15 percent."
Growth in Europe, Asia and Americas
Wincor Nixdorf's growth in net sales was driven by dynamic business growth in Europe. In Germany, net sales rose by 8 percent, contributing 27 percent to the company's overall net sales.
In Europe · excluding Germany, which at 54 percent remains the company's greatest region for revenue · net sales increased 15 percent from the first three months of FY '05/'06. During 3Q, net sales in Europe jumped 11 percent.
Calculated on the basis of U.S. dollars, net sales in Asia-Pacific and Africa for the first nine months increased 20 percent when compared with the same period last year. In terms of euros, the increase was only 11 percent. The region contributed 12 percent to the company's total net sales.
Business in the Americas improved from last year, but some projections have not been met. Net sales for the first nine months improved 10 percent in terms of the U.S. dollar and only 2 percent in terms of the euro. Overall, the Americas accounted for 7 percent of overall net sales, a drop from the 19 percent the region contributed a year ago.
The banking segment increased its net sales by 17 percent during the first nine months, with growth driven by large-scale rollouts in the United Kingdom, Italy and Eastern Europe.
Net sales for the retail segment increased 3 percent for the first nine months.
Wednesday, 25 July 2007
NORTH CANTON, Ohio · Diebold Inc. is delaying the release of its second quarter earnings. The earnings originally were expected to be announced July 31.
The company says the delay relates to Diebold's practice of recognizing certain revenue on a "bill and hold" basis within its North American business. In connection with questions that have come up during the ongoing formal investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission, Diebold has decided to proactively seek guidance from the SEC.
Diebold says it expects to issue its 2Q earnings results as soon as possible following a response from the SEC.
Diebold says it also may delay filing of its quarterly report, depending on the timing of the response. The regular deadline for that filing is Aug. 9.
Wednesday, 25 July 2007
SANTA ANA, Calif. - CVD has signed a deal with ULTIMedia to distribute ULTIMedia's pre-configured interactive kiosks.
CVD and ULTIMedia are part of the "Point of Information" industry, which combines the technologies of digital signage and self-service with point-of-sale positioning to offer retailers.
Earlier this year, ULTIMedia announced its entry into the U.S. market by creating ULTIMedia USA and opening a corporate office in New York City.
According to a news release, ULTIMedia USA and CVD will share an operations center.
Tuesday, 24 July 2007
Asian Journal Online: Mobile network operator Smart Communication Inc. has launched an automated service that makes it easier for subscribers to load airtime and mobile banking credits to their mobile phones. Called "Load Connect," the self-service top-up kiosk is expected to streamline operations at Smart Communication wireless centers, where between 220,000 and 670,000 reloading transactions take place each month.
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Tuesday, 24 July 2007
LAS VEGAS · Bally Technologies Inc. announced it has signed a contract with Foxwoods Resort Casino to supply 7,200 iVIEW slot-machine displays and Bally's Power Bonusing technology.
Foxwoods plans to introduce the Bally iVIEW interactive displays with proprietary features that provide custom rewards and messaging.
According to a news release, the iVIEW displays are designed to allow Foxwoods to communicate with its players by highlighting bonusing features, special events, player-loyalty programs and convenience services.
Monday, 23 July 2007
SAN JOSE, Calif. · Zippi Networks Inc. has announced a partnership to deploy OpenTech Alliance's INSOMNIAC self-service kiosks at select Extra Space storage facilities. The deployment of these kiosks to storage facilities enables consumers to secure a storage locker without the need for an on-site manager to facilitate the transaction.
According to a news release, the Zippi Kiosk turns any public storage facility into an online sales drop-off point as well. The kiosk doubles as a convenient warehouse for Zippi affiliates who conduct regular sales at a specific location. Anyone with an item or items to sell on eBay or other online sales site can register the contact and item at the kiosk. A Zippi affiliate later puts the item up for auction online, completes the sale, and Zippi sends the original seller a check.
Monday, 23 July 2007
The (Beckley, W.Va.) Register-Herald: Low vision is a visual impairment not correctable by regular eyeglasses, contact lenses, medicine or surgery. It interferes with a person's ability to perform everyday activities. In an effort to increase awareness about low vision, The Eye Site, a traveling exhibit that includes five interactive kiosks, is touring the United States.
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Monday, 23 July 2007
On June 7, a team of researchers at MIT announced it had successfully demonstrated its "WiTricity" concept, when it lit up a 60W light bulb with a power source that was seven feet away · with no wires.
The wireless transfer of electricity has been a sci-fi dream up to this point; and truly, if electricity could simply be "in the air" in the same way radio waves and Wi-Fi signals are, it would change the world. According to one of the scientists who worked on the project, it is a dream that is rapidly approaching reality.
"It is scalable, and we think our current performance is not too far from what would be needed for real-world usage," said Andre Kurs, one of six engineers on the team. "There is still work to be done, and it is difficult to predict when and where this will be applied. Possibly, this technology will find its way into some sort of application within a few years."
"If the phrase 'holy grail' wasn't the most awful, over-abused cliche in the book, I'd be inclined to say something like, 'wireless power is the holy grail of all retail technology,'" said Bill Gerba, president of WireSpring Technologies.
Wireless transfer of electricity would certainly remove certain stumbling blocks such as awkward wiring and location issues from kiosk deployments, said Rufus Connell of the consulting firm Frost & Sullivan. However, he said it is difficult to estimate when that technology could be provided and branded for kiosk use.
How wireless electricity works
The technology under WiTricity's hood could fill several books, all of which would require advanced degrees to comprehend, but a simple analogy might be an opera singer, facing a table of glasses filled with different amounts of liquid. If she belts out a sufficiently loud note at a single frequency, it might be able to shatter one of those glasses · but only the one whose contents have the corresponding frequency. All of the other glasses · and everything else in the room, for that matter · would be unscathed.
In the MIT experiment, two copper coils were set up · one a "sender" and one a "receiver." The sender coil was attached to the power source, while the receiver coil was attached to the light bulb. When turned on, the sender coil emits electricity in the form of a magnetic field, oscillating at a specific frequency. The receiver coil picks up the transmission, while the rest of the environment is unaffected. One specific opera singer, sending energy to one specific wine glass.
Strictly speaking, wireless transfer of power is not new · electromagnetic induction, the process that takes place when you set your cordless phone in its charger base, is technically wireless, although it requires extremely close proximity. And scientists are still arguing about the merits of Nikolai Tesla's work in Colorado Springs at the turn of the 19th century, when he built his eponymous coils that sent power not only through the air but the ground.
The MIT team said its discovery is different from all previous efforts because it uses "magnetically coupled resonance," which means it will not only be safe, but it will be fairly efficient.
"In order for the power transfer to be efficient, we design the system such that the rate of energy transfer between the emitter and the receiver is greater than the rate of energy dissipation," Kurs said. "This way, the device can 'capture' the energy and use it for useful work before too much of it gets wasted away."
The other major breakthrough here is the nature of the power's delivery · in a word, it is omni-directional. Tesla coils and cordless phone chargers require precise positioning of both ends of the delivery chain; WiTricity imagines a world in which the power is in the air, and can be snagged by any device that needs it.
"As long as (a laptop) is in a room equipped with a source of such wireless power, it would charge automatically without having to be plugged in," writes Prof. Peter Fisher in a white paper on the experiment. "In fact, it would not even need a battery to operate inside of such a room."
Is it practical · and is it safe?
The WiTricity demonstration is still too recent, and too focused, to produce any definitive conclusions · a 60W light bulb is very different from a plasma screen, after all. Kurs said his team has been focused on smaller transfers of power, but he said it will be possible to power a digital display wirelessly · he just can't say when, exactly.
"With the WiTricity method, they anticipate transmitting power over distances of about a meter, which is much less than ideal but still very impressive," said electrical engineer Charles Lidstone. "I wonder what level of wirelessness represents the best trade-off between convenience, efficiency, safety, cost and whatever else you can think of. In the end, its usefulness will depend on how well implemented a future product is, I think."
If the technology is improved and honed to a point where it can be "product-ized," it stands to turn any number of industries on their respective ears. Digital signage and retail technology in general will undoubtedly be some of the first in line, as power cables are the bane of many an installation.
"(Wiring issues are) a big impediment to development in the retail sector right now, because most stores have aisles and aisles of shelves with no power in them," said Dave Haynes of the digital signage company Digital View. "The only solution, in most cases, is dropping wire down from the ceiling and that generally looks like crap."
Wireless power would also make it possible for deployers to pull off creative installations, such as in the middle of a shopping mall. "Understandably, mall and high-end building operators are not real wild about cutting trenches into their marble floors to get power to a display planned for the middle of a walkway," Haynes said.
Gerba said such a technology, if it were reliable and safe, would not only reduce installation and maintenance costs, it would make possible some installation ideas that have been merely dreams up to this point · like placing small screens in close proximity to certain products on shelves, then moving the screens around as needed.
So, what about safety? To most, the idea of electricity swirling through the air is unsettling at best, downright terrifying at worst.
"I am fairly certain I would be loath to spend much time around a wireless power transmitter," Haynes said. "I get all these weird, Stephen King ideas about AV installers turning into Magnetic Men superheroes."
But the MIT team points out that magnetic fields interact very weakly with most common materials, and extremely weakly with biological materials (i.e. people and animals). Everybody hears the opera singer's voice, but only the intended recipients can convert it into power.
"Unlike Tesla coils, our scheme does not rely on high electric fields," Kurs said. "The safety issue certainly needs to be explored further very carefully, but our calculations indicate that it is possible to design a wireless power transfer system that operates within the IEEE's safety guidelines."
Friday, 20 July 2007
MILPITAS, Calif. · Solectron Corp., which was recently purchased by Flextronics, has announced that pharmacy-automation supplier Parata Systems LLC has chosen Solectron to manufacture Parata's kiosks. Solectron's Creedmoor, N.C. facility will manufacture the system.
Parata's kiosks give consumers a self-service option for picking up refill prescriptions, in some cases even when the pharmacy is closed. Installed at the pharmacy counter, Parata's kiosks hold up to 448 prescriptions.
Friday, 20 July 2007
Media Buyer Planner: NBC Universal has reached an agreement with Premier Retail Networks in which NBC U will sell package deals, bundling time on its network with space on PRN's Supermarket Checkout TV.
Supermarket Checkout TV has a presence in more than 1,000 stores, including chains such as Shop Rite and Albertson's, and NBC U said the deal with PRN will yield 45 million impressions a year. More details of the deal, including ad specifics, are expected to be announced soon.
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Friday, 20 July 2007
Computerworld Malaysia: The Sakae Sushi chain of restaurants in Kuala Lumpur has installed IBM touchscreen kiosks to replace the chain's older interactive menu systems. Patrons can now place orders directly with the kitchen at the kiosks.
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Thursday, 19 July 2007
The Dallas Morning News: The Texas Rangers are among a handful of Major League Baseball teams expected to launch Tickets@Phone, a technology that sends a barcode to a mobile phone or device that's read by a scanner to gain entry to a game. The new technology allows fans to buy tickets online at the last minute and avoid lines at the will-call window. Six ticket kiosks that debuted this season at the stadium have also been gaining traffic. The Rangers plan to add more kiosks next year.
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Thursday, 19 July 2007
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. · Polar Frog Digital is expanding its DVD-manufacturing-on-demand library to include college sports programming. In the deal, Polar Frog will distribute programming from Collegiate Images, to include a variety of men's and women's sports. Polar Frog will deliver archived games through its MediaIgloo DVD kiosk in the United States.
The launch of Polar Frog burn-on-demand DVD kiosks is expected to coincide with the start of the college football season.
Thursday, 19 July 2007
Silicon.com: The financial services industry has discovered that introducing self-service technology in bank branches can cut wait times and alter consumers' perceptions for the better. First Citizens Bank has implemented NCR Corp. kiosks in two of its branches and plans to deploy the kiosks across 40 of its branches before the end of next year.
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Thursday, 19 July 2007
MINNEAPOLIS · Customer-Facing Media has introduced a new in-store network for retail environments. Consumers interact with the network through a kiosk that offers content such as meal-planning ideas, recipes, shopping lists and coupons.
According to a news release, CFM has signed agreements to roll out its Touch ‘n Save network to 543 retail grocery stores this summer in Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Virginia and Washington D.C. The company expects to have kiosks in more than 2,000 stores by the end of 2008.
Thursday, 19 July 2007
Seacoast Online: Amtrak says a number of its stations will see new self-service ticketing machines. The new units are expected to feature upgraded touchscreens and brighter graphics. The machines also comply with Americans with Disabilities Act requirements, with the goal to make them more user-friendly for passengers with disabilities.
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Wednesday, 18 July 2007
MAITLAND, Fla. · Galvanon, an NCR Corp. company, has introduced eSignature, an electronic-document solution that allows healthcare organizations to digitally capture, authenticate and store documents that require a patient's signature.
eSignature enables hospitals and clinics to move toward a paperless workflow by eliminating the need to manually print, copy, file, scan and store patient documents, including admission and consent forms, privacy statements and other notices. Signatures are legally binding and stored so they cannot be altered or changed.
Advent Health System plans to implement eSignature at an additional 25 facilities
Wednesday, 18 July 2007
YORK, Penn. · A new version of KioWare Lite and KioWare Kiosk Basic software is now being shipped out, according to a company news release.
KioWare's new software features include support for Windows Vista, a temporary licensing option that expires after a specified time period (ideal for rented computers and tradeshows), and a custom dialog-box blocking that allows users to pick and choose which dialog boxes to block.
Tuesday, 17 July 2007
MUMBAI, India · NCR Corp. has announced an alliance with Symstream Technology Group Ltd. to introduce wireless connectivity solutions for ATMs in India.
By deploying Symstream II, a wireless modem for mobile connectivity, banks in India can deploy ATMs in remote sites, offering banking services to unbanked rural populations, the companies say.
Unlike traditional dial-up, wireless ATM transactions are two to three times faster. As transactions on the ATM channel become more convenient in developing countries, the demand for ATM access at off-premises locations is expected to increase.
NCR also says the introduction of advanced functions, such as bill payment, automated deposits and cash-recycling, at ATMs are likely to have greater impact over the next couple of years in developing countries.
Tuesday, 17 July 2007
Magenta Research is the industry-recognized leader in the adaptive distribution and switching of video/audio/serial signals over Cat5 cable, and more recently, DVI over fiber and/or Cat6. For more than 9 years, Magenta has developed the highest performance, most flexible video-over-Cat5 product line, the MultiView Series.
The company utilizes patent-pending RepliSyncTM and complex, state-variable signal EQ technologies to enable UXGA video distribution at 1,500 feet (475m) and QXGA video at 1,000 ft, (305m). MultiView Series transmitters, receivers, switchers and distributive systems have been installed in a large variety of A/V applications, especially dynamic signage for airport, retail, fast food, museum, casino, theatre, courtroom and corporate applications.
Based in New Milford, Connecticut, Magenta utilizes a network of international distributors, manufacturers representatives and Pro AV dealers to market its enabling technology worldwide.
Monday, 16 July 2007
Edmonton Sun: As questions mount about Canada's mission in Afghanistan, a traveling exhibit featuring informational kiosks is making its way across the country to inform citizens. The exhibit includes an informational kiosk called "Protecting Canadians · Rebuilding Afghanistan," which highlights Canada's contribution to the war-torn nation.
Read more
Monday, 16 July 2007
The Sydney (Australia) Morning Herald: Wasting a lunch hour to deposit money could soon be a thing of the past, thanks to new self-service kiosks. Ross Checkley, vice-president of financial solutions for NCR Corp., said an agreement to place the kiosks with one of the country's four major banks is being finalized. The kiosks are expected to appear in Australian banks by the first quarter of 2008.
Read more
Monday, 16 July 2007
The New York Times: A Parisian bike program is gaining in popularity among American tourists. More than 10,600 bicycles are available for rental at 750 self-service docking stations throughout the city. The kiosks provide access in eight languages. By the end of the year, about 20,600 of the kiosks, which accept credit and debit, are expected to available throughout Paris.
Read more
Monday, 16 July 2007
This article is part of a series that profiles recipients of the Self Service Excellence Awards. For a complete list of Excellence Award winners, click here. The writer is editor of Kiosk Marketplace and Self Service World. Tracy Kitten, editor of ATM Marketplace, contributed to this story.
Judged by a panel of experts in the self-service and kiosk industries, the winners of the Self Service Excellence awards were announced during a ceremony April 25 during Self-Service Expo (formerly known as KioskCom) in Las Vegas.
Gilbarco and Intermedia's partnership yields foodservice kiosk award
In the Best Food Service category, Gilbarco Veeder-Root took the prize with its Express Ordering Kiosk. Gilbarco, which acquired Intermedia Kiosks in February, also was nominated in the Best Retail category. The winning application, Express Ordering · installed at roughly 900 convenience stores, 12 universities and 360 supermarkets · allows customers to order food at kiosks or over the Internet.
Several of the kiosks are installed at about 30 Buc-ees c-stores in Texas. At Buc-ees, the kiosks are used at the pump as well as inside the store. Buc-ees also uses the kiosk for a kitchen-management system, which passes completed orders back to the kitchen.
Finally, the enterprise-level kiosk facilitates Web-based pricing and program changes, and delivers the ability to monitor performance from the head office.
"One of the most time-saving uses for customers of the Buc-ees kiosk is that you can order your food while you are pumping your gas and then go inside to pick up your order," said Chris Montergomery, general manager of Intermedia. "With this kiosk, you have a blurring of the lines between restaurants, gas stations and supermarkets."
Montgomery said that these kiosks also will improve store traffic at gas stations and c-stores, since many of the customers who now pay for their gas with credit cards never step foot in the store.
Freedom Shopping's RFID self-checkout kiosk declared an innovation
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Michael Daily, senior management partner for Freedom Shopping, and the award-winning kiosk.
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Marketed as an "all-in-one minimarket," Freedom Shopping LLC's RFID self-checkout retail kiosk captured the Best New Innovation award at this year's expo. Freedom Shopping uses RFID technology to market goods, facilitate self-checkout and reduce theft within all types of retail locations.
"We started out by solving the problem at the checkout by eliminating the barcode and placing an RFID strip in its place," said Freedom's senior managing partner. "At the end of the checkout, the strip is detected and automatically checked."
The retail kiosk incorporates a variety of payment features, including a biometrics reader for identification. It also comes equipped with built-in digital signage for product promotion. When products are placed on the scanner, the RFID tag is read and promotions for that product or similar products are displayed on the screen. And should any customer try to walk off with unscanned goods, the security gate, also RFID-enabled, sets off an alarm.
The system can be remotely managed as well.
T-Mobile's Fave 5 named a tradeshow "fave"
T-Mobile USA and Livewire International teamed up earlier this year to create an innovative promotional campaign, the Fave 5. The Fave 5 calling plan allows customers to call up to five people for an unlimited number of minutes. The success of T-Mobile's campaign resulted in T-Mobile receiving the Best Other Industry deployment award at the expo.
Using street-level cross-promotions, in addition to traditional advertising methods, T-Mobile sought to sell customers on its Fave 5 calling plan by placing kiosks at basketball-focused events staged at mall and NBA arenas.
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Livewire's kiosk was part of T-Mobile's Fave 5 promotional campaign.
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Livewire created a custom solution for these events that allowed consumers to enter into a basketball-shooting competition in which the winner had a chance to win one of several giveaways from T-Mobile's marketing partners.
The solution consisted of four wireless kiosks housed within large basketball-like enclosures. The kiosks were integrated with a central computer and four remote display controllers.
Livewire's software enabled participants to enter contact information and choose from different icons that represented them in the shooting competition. These icons were then displayed on digital screens about the baskets. Players faced off against one another in a 30-second competitions, and the person with the most baskets won. At the completion of the 30 seconds, an NBA-like ticket would be printed for each player with offerings from T-mobile. The winner's icons would then display on the cell phone and the player could push a button to have its icon spin until it randomly selected a displayed prize.
"We were pleased to be involved in such an innovative project," said Dave McCracken, president of Livewire. "The feedback has been extremely positive."
Friday, 13 July 2007
Fin24 (Africa): South African Airways this week encouraged travelers to book and pay for flights on its website rather than at its ticket kiosks at airports and in big shopping centers. Effective August 1, a service charge of R200 (approximately $28) would be levied on all domestic tickets bought at the airline's ticket outlets.
Read more
Friday, 13 July 2007
FREMONT, Calif. · Belview Technologies released a special edition PROMAC PP6500 All-In-One Touch computer. Their new edition features compact flash card solution and Microsoft WEPOS (Windows Embedded for Point Of Service) operating system, which is specifically designed for vertical markets.
The touchscreen computer is designed for a full line of point-of-service systems, including self-checkout counters, information kiosks, POS systems and food ordering kiosks.
Thursday, 12 July 2007
Current.com.au: Australian retail giant Harvey Norman plans to roll out Fujifilm self-service digital photo printing kiosks within their stores nationally. In addition, they will place touchscreen music kiosks from Australia's Abuzz Technologies in their stores. "As Australia's leading electronics and IT retailer, it is only fitting that we meet this new area of demand," said Rutland Smith, Harvey Norman general manager.
Thursday, 12 July 2007
RFID Journal: Gedenim, a French clothing retail chain specializing in jeans, is using RFID loyalty cards in and effort to attract young shoppers to its stores. The system went live in 10 of its 15 Paris-area stores in May 2007. Airtag, a contactless solutions supplier located in France, provided the loyalty card system. Gedenim intends to continue deploying the system in all 15 of its stores over the next 12 months.
Read more
Thursday, 12 July 2007
 MINNEAPOLIS · Chief Manufacturing announced the launch of its Cinematic Series of automated mounting solutions. The line includes swing-arm mounts, flat panel and projector lifts, and table stands.
The Cinematic series offers programmable viewing angles and fine-tuned viewing adjustments. The CM1 Automated Swing Arm Mount can extend a screen from the wall and rotate it to the desired angle. The CM2 Automated Pop-Up Lift raises and lowers screens up to 61 inches and 200 lbs., and the CM3 Automated Swivel Table Stand is a tabletop solution with a free-standing base and integrated IR sensor.
Thursday, 12 July 2007
The New York Sun: A growing number of arts organizations are capitalizing on e-mailing, text messaging and online social networking as ways to build audiences. The Brooklyn Museum has installed kiosks in its galleries for visitors to sign digital guest books and post their musings on art directly to the museum's Web site.
Read more
Wednesday, 11 July 2007
PARIS · Sensitive Object and Tyco Electronics' Elo TouchSystems have announced a cross-license agreement to further the development of their technologies and expand their respective product offerings.
Sensitive Object owns technology based on the recognition of sound waves in solid objects called ReverSysTM. According to a news release, ReverSysTM can be used in everything from home—automation applications and control panels to touchscreens and intelligent-communicating objects. With ReverSysTM, touching an object on a particular spot generates a vibration with an acoustic signature unique to that spot.
According to the terms of the deal, Sensitive Object and Tyco Electronics will have access to each other's IP portfolio covering acoustic technologies.
Wednesday, 11 July 2007
LONDON · The United Kingdom's Bristol International airport is switching to SITA's AirportConnect common use terminal equipment open IT platform.
According to a news release, the platform includes self-service check-in kiosks designed to handle anywhere from 6 million to 9 million passengers. SITA has reportedly already started work on its five-year, $2 million project, which will bring CUTE to the airport.
The project involves the deployment of 58 CUTE work stations and eight common use self-service check-in kiosks. The kiosks also support Web check-in and are equipped with passport and visa readers.
Wednesday, 11 July 2007
InterGovWorld.com: Terrorism, escalating crime and illegal immigration have pushed the British government closer to dropping a tight electronic curtain over its borders. At London's Heathrow Airport, passengers are using the miSense program · a program that comprises a check-in kiosk and a biometric electronic-immigration system named miSenseplus. The kiosk uses biometric data to verify passengers from check-in through boarding. The kiosk scans the code on the first page of a passport as well as the passenger's fingerprint.
Read more
Tuesday, 10 July 2007
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. · The president and chief executive of GA Services LLC, George Harris, says the future of service is all about control through automation. On the podcast 'Remotely Intelligent,' produced by Esprida Corp., Harris says "the trend now is to move more toward automated access and control of devices."
Harris says the implication for business is clear.
"It's easier to have a technician sitting at a monitor checking on the welfare of a device without sending someone out," he said. "Large companies are not going to have people standing around taking two or three calls a day or week. They are going to have to rely on technology to give them the edge · to provide service from a remote capability. And if and when a technician is required, they'll have the capability to deploy the technician at the right time and place".
To listen to the podcast, click here.
Tuesday, 10 July 2007
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. · Polar Frog Digital is placing its DVD manufacturing on-demand solutions, called MediaIgloo, into airports.
According to a news release, kiosks have been placed in the Raleigh-Durham, N.C. and Burbank, Calif., airports inside CNBC stores.
Polar Frog Digital says it also expects to launch its on-demand kiosks at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport by the end of July.
MediaIgloo allows customers to browse thousands of movies and shows from a local-source library and customize DVDs within minutes. Polar Frog Digital has licensed content from more than 50 studios and offers more than 5,000 unique DVD titles.
Tuesday, 10 July 2007
MEBANE, N.C. - ArcaTech Systems has opened new customer-support facilities in Northern Ireland and Russia. The new operations are expected to support growth in those markets.
The Russian office is located in Moscow and the Northern Ireland facility is located in County Fermanagh between Belfast and Dublin. Both facilities provide local support services, parts warehousing and repair facilities. ArcaTech's products include cash dispensers and recyclers, check scanners, encrypting PIN pads and other components for transaction-automation systems.
The expansion of ArcaTech's operations builds on a successful first-half of 2007 for the company's U.S. operations.
Tuesday, 10 July 2007
DAYTON, Ohio · Dorothy Lane Market has signed a deal with Pay By Touch to place its biometric personalized marketing and payment systems in groceries by the end of July.
By including Pay By Touch, the store's loyalty program, Club DLM, is expected evolve to "Club DLM 2.U," through which upgraded members can receive personalized offers from a kiosk.
To date, grocers who have adopted Pay By Touch's personalized marketing system are Green Hills Market in New York, Foodtown in New York and New Jersey and Shop n' Save in Pennsylvania.
Tuesday, 10 July 2007
The Associated Press: Videogame giant Nintendo is making a pitch to turn its portable DS Lite into a baseball staple, bringing interactive technology to fans through a pilot program being tested this season at the Seattle Mariners' Safeco Field. The innovative program is called the Nintendo Fan Network. For a fee, the network uploads a program onto a user's DS Lite and allows him to order food and drinks, watch a live television feed of the game, access stats and scores, and play trivia all from the comfort of his seat.
Read more
Tuesday, 10 July 2007
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National Retail Federation and DigitalSignageToday.com announced a partnership to create a special pavilion for the NRF 97th Annual Convention & EXPO, January 13-16, 2008 in New York. The "Customer Experience Pavilion," which will be featured on the show floor and will provide a hands-on environment where retailers can see real-world strategies and solutions available. The purpose of the pavilion is to help visitors make more meaningful connections with customers.
Different areas of the pavilion will demonstrate how retailers can improve the customer experience, increase sales, merchandise more effectively, educate employees, generate customer and employee loyalty and integrate technology seamlessly into a store environment.
"We have enormous empathy with the challenges retailers face and real-world technology is available now that will help them connect with their customers in a way their customers prefer," said Bob Fincher, general manager of DigitalSignageToday.com.
Monday, 09 July 2007
The Times of India: Thanks to a new government venture, Bangalore citizens now have access to land records via a kiosk that is expected to be set up at the local high courts. Users just enter property details and then pick up copies of their documents.
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Monday, 09 July 2007
CRN Australia: Photo kiosk developer Whitech has sold 35 percent of its company to Fujifilm Holdings Australasia. Whitech's suite of PhotoTeller software is marketed with Fujifilm's Digital Photo Center kiosks, which are now said to provide consumers the most popular method of picture ordering in Australian retail stores.
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Monday, 09 July 2007
The Associated Press: Pay-at-the-table systems are popular in Europe and other parts of the world, but they haven't yet caught on in the United States, largely because equipment makers haven't been able to point to a reason why restaurateurs should invest in the gear. Manufacturers now see an opportunity. A rise in the number of "skimming" scams, in which waiters use hand-held computers to quietly record customers' credit card information and sell it, is creating a sense of urgency. The concern is pushing managers to speed the flow of diners during peak hours.
Read more
Monday, 09 July 2007
In golf's Ryder Cup, each team selects a captain that serves as the adviser and coach for the other 12 members. The captain is usually a veteran and has had some great achievements in his career. If the kiosk industry had a Ryder Cup team, Alex Richardson would be its captain.
One of Richardson's great achievements came this past year when he helped develop an interactive store window that combined projected digital signage and touchscreen interactivity. The window helped earn him the Innovator of the Year award, which was granted at the Self Service Expo in Las Vegas on April 25.
The "interactive store window," as it has been dubbed, was first used by a luxury apparel brand at its New York store in August of last year. The retail brand has deployed the window in other stores across Europe this summer for a Wimbledon promotion.
For Richardson, attracting consumers to a store is all about relevance. He compares shopping to doing a Google search. Consumers pass the store windows; if it's relevant to them, they go in. If its not, they pass by.
"Interactivity makes the window relevant for each customer," Richardson said. "But store window design can be deceptively complicated. You can't slap a TV behind a store window and expect a good customer experience."
Richardson works as the managing director for Selling Machine Partners. He consults with companies that either use self-service or digital signage or are considering adding them to their business model. He said the consulting approach reduces the cost of these types of deployments because the applications are being developed within the company, rather than hiring several outside agencies for hardware, software, installation, etc.
"We help retailers use technology to build their brand. We analyze the company's needs, create a strategy, then execute it," Richardson said.
To date, he has managed more than 200 large technology deployments for customers such as Microsoft, Yahoo and the Special Olympics World Games.
Richardson believes that the best innovation is sparked by ideas and action. We are constantly coming up with new ideas by rallying teams and asking "How do you make these digital signage applications work?" Richardson said.
"Alex has been a driving force in evangelizing the power of self-service to the marketplace," said Brian Ardinger, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of Nanonation. "Whether it's putting together marketing programs or speaking at industry events, he has given a lot of himself in the pursuit of communicating the benefits of self-service."
After graduating from Yale's School of Management, Alex worked in Congress with then-Rep. Christopher Dodd and at Ogilvy & Mather Advertising/New York, where he was introduced to interactive advertising.
After several other consulting positions Richardson founded Netkey, which now serves as an industry standard for deploying and managing large-scale self-service projects. He said the core mission was to "turn the monitor around," or let customers do check-outs themselves to cut wait times and improve experience.
Richardson was granted two patents on the Netkey software application, which modified a standard Internet browser to be retail and kiosk hardened. In addition to the patents, Richardson received the Frost & Sullivan Market Engineering Award in 2000 for outstanding contributions to the kiosk industry.
"At that time, people were trying to use Netscape as their kiosk Web browser, and it just wasn't working," Richardson said.
Richardson has served on the Advisory Board of the Self-Service & Kiosk Association for five years and is now serving in his second consecutive term as president of the Association.
"Alex's background in the self service industry and his reputation as a marketing genius have served him admirably as the president of the association," said Greg Swistak, director of the Custom Solutions Group for Elo Touchsystems and former executive director of the SSKA. "We are fortunate to have such a dynamic individual at the helm, and such a darn sharp dresser, too."
Richardson is married with a 10-year-old son. When not working he is an avid snow skier and is a member of the National Ski Patrol. He also spends a lot of time with his family.
After growing up on a farm in Virginia, he received a BA in physics and economics from Connecticut College and later earned an MBA in marketing and finance from Yale University.
The man who is out to "change the world of store windows," as he says, is already looking to the future. I continue to ask myself "how do we attract that next generation of shoppers for our clients · that's what keeps me up at night."
Friday, 06 July 2007
 Symstream is a fast and secure, cost-effective worldwide wireless solutions which allows the deployment of ATMs and EFTPOS devices into new locations that simply have not been possible, due to the lack of either wireline infrastructure or the prohibitive costs of using satellite or other forms of data communication.
Symstream technology is the only new communications product available today that can be deployed virtually anywhere in the world without having to build or fund new network infrastructure. All other existing communications technologies are limited by the reach or coverage of the relevant network infrastructure which is required to deliver the particular communications technology.
Friday, 06 July 2007
DAYTON, Ohio · Kanzaki Specialty Papers, Inc. has entered into an agreement with NCR Corp. to license NCR's simultaneous two-sided thermal paper technology. This license gives Kanzaki the ability to make, use and sell NCR's patented two-sided thermal paper worldwide.
Applications for two-sided thermal printing include, but are not limited to, point-of-sale receipts, ATM statement printing and banking receipts, event ticketing, lottery and gaming tickets, and self-service kiosk applications including airline boarding passes.
Friday, 06 July 2007
PADERBORN, Germany · Wincor Nixdorf Retail Consulting and SAP Germany AG & Co. KG are expanding their partnership even further. Wincor Nixdorf Retail Consulting is a subsidiary of Wincor Nixdorf AG that specializes in SAP consulting for retail businesses. Effective immediately, Retail Consulting will be licensing SAP solutions and has become a Value Added Partner of SAP Germany for the small and medium-sized business segment.
With this step, Wincor Nixdorf will now offer its customers SAP solutions and services from a single source, from software to services, integration and the operation of the solutions.
Friday, 06 July 2007
This Week in Consumer Electronics: Sony Electronics plans to test new vending kiosks that showcase and sell Sony products, including MP3 players, digital cameras, PlayStation games and PSP players. The kiosks will be maintained and operated by Zoom Systems.
Read more
Thursday, 05 July 2007
CNNMoney.com: By August, Redbox will push its DVD-rental kiosks into new McDonald's markets, including Boise, Ind.; Des Moines, Iowa; Indianapolis; Kansas City, Mo.; Louisville, Ky.; Nashville, Tenn.; Portland-Eugene, Ore.; and Las Vegas.
Read more
Thursday, 05 July 2007
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Giant Eagle is preparing to dim the lights on its 100 Iggle Video locations to make way for hundreds of automated kiosks. A company spokesman described the move, which is expected to occur over the next nine months, as coming in response to industry trends and consumer demand, neither of which has favored the traditional movie rental market in recent years. Replacing the Iggle Videos will be redbox DVD rental machines.
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Thursday, 05 July 2007
WindowsforDevices.com: Hand Held Products released its latest Windows CE 5.0-powered self-service mini-kiosk for retail environments. The Image Kiosk 8570 features both a barcode reader and an integrated magnetic stripe reader. The company said the magnetic stripe reader distinguishes the Image Kiosk 8570 from the previously-announced Image Kiosk 8560. The new device is intended for non-payment transactions such as accessing loyalty card accounts or looking up gift card balances.
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Tuesday, 03 July 2007
Current.com.au: Camera House is expected to be the first Australian retailer to sign on with Hewlett-Packard for HP's new line photo kiosks. Camera House is planning a rollout at 49 of its stores. HP has been conducting an in-store trial program for its photo-kiosk debut with a number of retailers, including Camera House, Harvey Norman, Officeworks and K-Mart.
Read more
Tuesday, 03 July 2007
The (India) Economic Times: Microsoft chairman Bill Gates has offered to help the Maharasthra government set up agro-kiosks to serve farmers. "The agro-kiosks will help farmers get the latest information on weather, cropping patterns, and trends in agricultural produce prices very quickly and efficiently," said Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh.
Monday, 02 July 2007
Who is the hottest name in self-service?
That is the question SelfService.org and Self-Service World magazine want you to help answer. Through a comprehensive Web analysis, Self-Service World has identified the 10 kiosk names with the most Internet buzz. But we want our readers to have the final say on which is the hottest. Cast your vote now for the hottest kiosks out there and see our August issue for results. (Click here for a free subscription to Self-Service World.)
Monday, 02 July 2007
MINNEAPOLIS · Chief Manufacturing announced it was named "Industry Leader for Mounts" in CEPro magazine's analysis of the most popular brands. According to the survey of the highest grossing integrators in North America, Chief is preferred more than 2-to-1 over all other mounting brands.
"This vote of confidence in Chief products from CEPro's top 100 integrators really validates our focus on customer service and innovative products specifically designed for professional installers" said Scott Gill, president of CSAV Inc, the parent company of the Chief brand. "We'd like to sincerely thank all of our dealers for their continued support of Chief."
Monday, 02 July 2007
Delhi (India) Newsline: The Delhi Cabinet plans to approve an initiative to place 40 Wi-Fi enabled kiosks in the middle of Central Park, where users without laptops could surf the Internet and shop online for free.
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Monday, 02 July 2007
Kiosk deployers need to make sure everything works before they put their equipment out for customer use. That may seem obvious, but it's not something every deployer does, says Francie Mendelsohn, president of Summit Research Associates.
Summit Research addresses this and other faux pas of deploying and utilizing interactive kiosks in its latest report, "Interactive Kiosks: Best Practices." The report updates information released from a similar study six years ago. The current report, however, is even more relevant, Mendelsohn said.
"I'm surprised to see that companies are making the same mistakes over and over again," she said.
Kiosk best practices start with FIRE: fast, interesting, relevant and easy, Mendelsohn said. Without those key ingredients, deployments are destined to fail.
In a world of impatience, it's important that kiosks function quickly. The amount of time taken to load a page can determine the long-term viability of a kiosk and the satisfaction (and retention) of its users. An Internet-based kiosk should only take about 3 or 4 seconds to load each page, Mendelsohn said.
It's also important that the kiosks capture the attention of the user, and that content be fresh and without error. If screens feature calendars from last year or text with multiple spelling errors, they're likely to dissuade customers from using them.
In addition, kiosks must be easy to use. Mendelsohn said she is still surprised to see companies that have failed to learn from others. Those businesses often deploy a complex machine that requires customers to receive extensive help from employees. Not that working with employees is bad · the report makes it clear that designated "kiosk ambassadors" should be used when new products are introduced. But deployments should not be so complicated and dynamic that they're not intuitive.
"In general, a kiosk should not require a person to show people how to use it," Mendelsohn said.
Printing is another topic of debate. Printers offer many benefits, including dispensing coupons, tickets and receipts. But printers also jam and break and are usually the biggest reason for kiosk failure, Mendelsohn said.
Redbox has taken the lead on removing printers from all of its DVD-rental kiosks, she said. That’s because Redbox printers often produced unwanted litter after receipts were left behind. Now if a customer wants a receipt, Redbox e-mails or snail-mails it to him.
Summit's report details other best practices, but one thing the report doesn’t mention, Mendelsohn said, is the important role of having an objective user test a new kiosk application before it is deployed.
"Companies are so in love with what they've done that they can't step back and let someone else take a look," she said. "They need to realize that kiosks always need to be updated and tweaked. You need to be flexible and make adjustments."
For more information about "Interactive Kiosks: Best Practices," click here.
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