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News Archive |
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Friday, 28 September 2007
ROCHESTER, N.Y. · Eastman Kodak Company has announced the KODAK Picture Kiosk GS Compact, an entry-level, self-service digital picture printing solution, which opens business opportunities for new retail locations, including smaller and non-traditional environments. Well-suited for locations with print demand of 30-50 prints a day, the GS Compact is a smaller countertop unit that combines flexible placement with fast and simple installation.
The GS Compact supports 4x6, bordered 5x7 and 6x8 print sizes without changing media and an 11-second print time for 4x6 prints. The GS Compact also includes enhanced ID photo capabilities, which make it easier for retailers to meet size requirements for different countries. In addition to standard prints, consumers can make enlargements and print packages and can print pictures from Bluetooth imaging-enabled mobile devices.
In addition to the GS Compact, Kodak has announced the KODAK 805 Photo Printer, which is optimized for lower print volume environments. The KODAK 805 Photo Printer enables retailers to offer their consumers 8x10 and 8x12 enlargements, collages and calendars in seconds.
Friday, 28 September 2007
Slashfood.com: Ice cream out of a vending machine isn't totally innovative · we've seen things like packaged ice cream bars, popsicles and "drumstick"-types before. However, Moo Bella has taken ice cream enjoyment one step further by dispensing freshly scooped ice cream in 12 different flavors, with three different mix-ins. That means you can create a custom flavor for yourself from a touchscreen kiosk.
Read more
Friday, 28 September 2007
DAYTON, Ohio · NCR Corp. says it now is offering Intel dual-core processor technology within its ATM and point-of-sale solutions.
According to a news release, newly ordered ATMs will feature the dual-core processors, with upgrade kits available for existing NCR Personas ATMs.
Using the Intel processor technology within the ATM casing can provide up to 40 percent faster processing capacity with enhanced power savings, NCR says. The company collaborated with Intel to implement the new technology across NCR's broader range of products, including its next-generation POS terminal, the NCR RealPOS 80XRT, which was introduced earlier this year.
The enhanced electrical efficiency supports cooler and quieter systems, while enabling the transfer of power only to those areas of the processor that need it, thereby ensuring that the terminals operate more efficiently. The built-in Intel Smart Cache also are touted for providing enhanced performance.
"The market has quickly recognized the value of the new dual-core technology in providing enhanced power savings while still maximizing performance, scalability and investment protection for the future," said Alan Chow, NCR's chief technology officer. "Leading financial institutions and retail businesses worldwide are seeking ways to decrease carbon footprints and conserve resources, while enhancing the efficiencies of technologies and processes within their reach. The energy savings now available by integrating dual-core technology within NCR ATMs and RealPOS solutions is just one of the ways NCR is helping our customers achieve a vision of sustainability."
Friday, 28 September 2007
MALVERN, Pa. · USA Technologies has announced that Fantasy Entertainment, a supplier of photo and imaging kiosks, has equipped 1,000 of its self-service photo booths nationwide with e-Port cashless payment technology.
"The results of giving our customers the ability to use credit and debit cards are so impressive that we hope to expand the e-Port deployment to 2,000 photo booths within the next 18 months," said Dale Valvo, president of Fantasy Entertainment.
Photo booths equipped with USA Technologies' e-Port cashless solution allow consumers to use credit and debit cards when making payments, whether with traditional magnetic swipe or "tap and go" contactless cards.
Photo booths already account for more than 20 percent of all currently installed kiosks. Summit Research estimates there nearly will be 1.7 million kiosks worldwide by 2009. USA Technologies' e-Port also gives Fantasy Entertainment the ability to monitor remotely photo booth performance and data 24x7. The e-Port Connect service enables merchants to remotely manage and mobilize online and by wireless their unattended cashless points-of-sale locations, providing merchant services, networking and communication services, technical support and consumer help desk, and electronic transfer of funds.
Fantasy Entertainment's 3,000 self-service kiosks are located in shopping and entertainment centers, malls, theme parks, zoos, aquariums, hotels and resorts nationwide. They include high-tech interactive photo systems where consumers can reproduce their image in multiple categories, create artist quality sketches of portraits and photo strips on easily separated perforated sheets.
Thursday, 27 September 2007
CHARLOTTE, N.C. · At the upcoming ATM, Debit & Prepaid Forum in Carlsbad, Calif., from Oct. 3-5, 2007, Bill Lynch of Source Technologies will host a presentation on self-service technologies for the banking industry. The presentation, titled "Self-Service Banking Kiosks,"will include commentary on the benefits of transactional kiosks and showcase best practices of kiosk deployment.
Self-service banking kiosks start where ATMs stop, adding greater functionality and convenience for customers. This session will describe two important ways in which financial institutions can utilize kiosks to enhance the customer experience. Case studies will be used to describe how these kiosks are being utilized in real-world situations with compelling results. Discussion also will include full-function banking kiosks that replicate the capabilities of a teller as well as assisted self-service kiosks that can be placed in branches to improve the efficiency of tellers by streamlining various basic transactions.
Bill Lynch serves as an advisory board member for the Self-Service & Kiosk Association and director of transactional self-service solutions for Source Technologies. Lynch has authored several articles focusing on industry trends and has been quoted as an expert in several banking and self service publications.
Thursday, 27 September 2007
The Wall Street Journal: A change in copy-protection rules governing DVDs is likely to quickly unlock a new market for selling movie discs via kiosks, where digital copies can be burned onto blank DVDs on the spot.
Read more (Subscription required.)
Thursday, 27 September 2007
ZDNet: IBM Corp. is rolling out new kiosks and point of sale systems designed to make self-service more enjoyable via video and 3D capabilities. IBM obviously wants to ride this wave and has created the Self Service Alliance, a program that's designed to drive adoption of self-service technology. In a survey of 1,000 consumers, IBM showed 50 percent growth in the use of self-service options. And 70 percent of consumers expect companies to offer more self-service. The caveat: The experience has to be worth the effort. If not, self-service just makes a company look like it favors saving a few pennies over customer service.
Read more
Wednesday, 26 September 2007
YORK, Pa.·Analytical Design Solutions Inc. has announced that in August it passed the 10,000-license milestone for its KioWare Kiosk System Software.
The company developed KioWare in 2001 to deploy browser-based applications into a kiosk environment easily and inexpensively, securing the operating system and allowing users to access only the application. The KioWare product line ranges from basic browser-lockdown to server-based remote monitoring. KioWare is sold in more than 40 countries for use in fields such as healthcare, financial institutions, education, and governments.
In other news, the company expanded its offices to accommodate new employees in the areas of software development, quality assurance, customer support, sales and technical support.
Wednesday, 26 September 2007
MONTREAL·The Royal Canadian Mint and Coinstar Inc. have announced the deployment of Coinstar Center kiosks in Quebec.
New to the province, Coinstar has deployed about 90 kiosks at participating Metro and Super C grocery stores, bringing the total number of Coinstar kiosks in Canada to more than 300. Cost to use the service is 9.8 percent of the total value of the coins.
"Recycling coins is a cost-effective and efficient way to provide coins to the marketplace," said Ian E. Bennett, president and CEO of the Royal Canadian Mint. "The Mint, along with Coinstar, is making it possible for Canadians to recycle their spare change and turn it into cash·fast."
"Coinstar pioneered self-service coin counting in the early 1990s in the United States, and now we're very pleased to bring the Coinstar service to Canada and to the residents of Quebec," said Alex Camara, senior vice president and general manager of Worldwide Coin at Coinstar Inc. "In cooperation with the Royal Canadian Mint, we can not only help recycle the vast number of coins out of circulation, but help consumers easily turn their coins into cash without the hassle of sorting, wrapping and rolling."
Wednesday, 26 September 2007
SALISBURY, Md.·Accustomed to bypassing the main U.S. Post Office's long waiting line, Suzi McKeen was dumbfounded to learn that her reliable Automated Postal Center had disappeared.
The U.S. Post Office on Route 50 decided to remove its ACP because customers weren't using the machine enough for it to meet the standard threshold income, said Freda Sauter, U.S. Postal Service spokeswoman for the Baltimore district.
Read more
See also: Recently, the postal service announced it would begin using cash drawings to entice customers to use machines in other locations.
Tuesday, 25 September 2007
The Consumerist: Best Buy has added a disclaimer that warns customers that the in-store kiosk doesn't display the same prices as the public Web site. In May, Best Buy was caught using a duplicate Web site to fool customers who tried to compare Internet prices with in-store prices.
Read more
Tuesday, 25 September 2007
PORTSMOUTH, R.I. · The semester is in full swing at Baton Rouge Community College, where returning students will notice technological advancements designed to empower them, officials said in a news release.
BRCC chose Self-Service Networks to deliver self-service kiosks that help students perform a range of services such as class registration and tuition payment.
This new technology complements Self-Service Networks first project with BRCC where it created an interactive directory enabling students to find specific class locations and faculty offices. The directory also includes campus maps, which help students and visitors easily find a destination.
Tuesday, 25 September 2007
HispanicBusiness.com: IBM, which already delivers self-service technology to Circuit City, Food Lion, Lowes Foods and a host of other retailers, is making another big push into the market with the international launch of the second-generation Anyplace Kiosk. Designed and tested at IBM's facilities in Research Triangle Park, the new Anyplace is faster, more versatile and comes with more customization possibilities.
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Tuesday, 25 September 2007
ARMONK, N.Y. · IBM Corp. has announced a new initiative designed to help businesses across multiple industries connect to today's technology-savvy consumer, who · according to a new IBM survey · is increasingly self-sufficient.
As part of the IBM Consumer Services Initiative, the company is delivering new technologies and services, including a self-service kiosk with built-in wireless capabilities and 3-D imagery, a new line of point-of-sale and self-checkout systems and a services practice focused on delivering customer-facing solutions.
IBM also introduced the Self Service Alliance, a program intended to drive innovation and create new uses for self-service technologies through collaboration and standards-based technologies.
As part of its ongoing consumer research efforts, IBM detailed results of a U.S. consumer survey that showed 50-percent growth in the use of self-service technology in the past year, with 70 percent of respondents saying they expect businesses to offer more self-service options. Among the 1,000 people surveyed, the most stated reasons for using self-service were access to information and services outside of normal business, less time standing in line, ease-of-use and greater privacy for certain transactions.
"Consumer expectations have accelerated rapidly over the past 10 years · like no other time in history, with no sign of a slow down in sight," said Steve Ladwig, general manager, IBM Retail Store Solutions. "Consumers are demanding even greater flexibility and choice, creating opportunities for companies of all sizes to innovate and change the way consumers connect, interact and transact business. This new generation of standards-based kiosks and self-checkout technologies will enable Business Partners to develop entirely new applications and create new connections between businesses and consumers. The future possibilities for self-service technologies are endless."
One of the first products of this global initiative is the new compact self-service kiosk product line with built-in wireless capabilities and an industry-first 19-inch screen. The IBM AnyPlace Kiosk wireless capability allows it to be deployed quickly and easily in almost any environment. Enabled by a wireless cellular WAN card from Sprint or other third-party wireless providers, consumers can connect to the Internet via kiosks inside stores, airports, hotels and more, significantly increasing their options by blending online experiences with the in-person experience.
The IBM AnyPlace Kiosk product family also includes 17-inch and 15-inch models, offering customers instant access to information, innovative services and online commerce with dual video support capabilities such as digital signage. With a rich multimedia format that includes full-motion video, high-quality audio, realistic 3-D graphics and advanced infrared touchscreen technology, these kiosks offer businesses an even greater opportunity to help influence consumer decisions and increase employee productivity without requiring additional real estate. In line with the IBM Green IT initiative, the new systems are powered by AMD high-performance, low-power Mobile Sempron and Turion dual-core processors.
As part of the IBM AnyPlace product line, IBM also introduced its first point-of-sale (POS) system capable of operating as a kiosk, point-of-sale terminal or both. As with the IBM AnyPlace Kiosk, all AnyPlace units feature integrated wireless, optional WAN and a range of integrated touchscreens, including 15- and 19-inch sizes.
Another focus area of this global initiative is the new IBM Self Checkout system, which includes software for control and flexibility when deploying self-checkout. The new IBM Checkout Environment for Consumer-Service offers retailers a complete application and toolkit for customization that opens up opportunities for the IBM Business Partner network to customize, sell and implement IBM Self Checkout solutions.
IBM is a leader in providing self-service kiosks to hotels and airlines, making it a leader in helping clients provide consumers with more choices than any other vendor for check-in and other business transactions.
"In the past, consumers were typically passive participants in health care. They'd visit their doctor once a year, obtain measurements and hope they were healthier than the year before," said Andrew Pelosi, Virgin Life Care vice president of marketing and consumer engagement. "Today, as employers share the burden of rising health-care costs, consumers are looking for ways to take control of their health. The HealthZone allows them to do this by providing immediate access to validated health data that can be used to set goals, track progress and make educated decisions to live healthier lives."
Monday, 24 September 2007
Wen Chang knows the environment needs some help. With people now reacting to global warming, wasteful energy consumption and other green-related topics, Chang, president of Atman Hospitality Group Inc., decided his handful of hotels needed to take the lead on environmental education.
Atman Hospitality Group is deploying kiosks at its San Francisco, Calif., Gaia Napa Valley Hotel & Spa that offer guests an opportunity to be conscious of their energy and water usage. Large electricity, water and carbon-dioxide-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 see from their in-room televisions how much electricity, water and carbon dioxide they and the rest of the hotel is using and emitting.
"Many customers are jubilant and feel like they are a part of saving our environment." Chang said.
Gaia spent $51,000 for the kiosks and software, but the ROI has been strong, Chang said. The hotel has seen a 26-percent drop on energy costs and 45 percent on water costs.
"The kiosks themselves did not save the money, but the guests changing their habits are what saved us money," he said.
Demand for green
GreenTouchscreen is the touchscreen kiosk division of Quality Attributes Software, an Ames, Iowa, company founded in 2003. GreenTouchscreen provides software for educational kiosks designed to inform schools, hotels, governments and airports about their energy usage, said Craig Engelbrecht, chief marketing officer for Quality Attributes Software/GreenTouchscreen. GreenTouchscreen provided the software for Gaia Napa Valley Hotel & Spa.
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Gaia Napa Valley Hotel & Spa's GreenTouchscreen kiosk displays real time energy, water and carbon dioxide usage.
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GreenTouchscreen's first deployment occurred at Iowa's Central College in 2003. The touchscreen kiosk was placed at the school's Vermeer Science Center. In addition to a building directory, the kiosk displayed information about the building's renewable energy sources and how the building's architecture creates an ideal learning area.
This deployment led to many more in the higher-education arena. One of the other notable deployments occurred at the University of South Carolina, a leader in environmental education. In 2003, USC received Green Campus recognition from the National Wildlife Federation's Campus Biology. The college campus bus routes are served by biodiesal buses, and electric cars are used by maintenance and grounds staff.
USC relays the importance of these environment-friendly policies through its West Quad Residence Hall kiosk. The West Quad residence area contains apartment-style rooms for about 500 students. The rooms are supplied with Energy Star appliances, low flow plumbing and recycled furniture. The kiosk in this area shares data with students about their electricity, steam and water usage and gives them tips on how to improve their living practices.
GreenTouchscreens also deploys similar kiosks in K-12 schools. In addition to energy information, those kiosks can include school building and district information, classroom schedules, a virtual tour of the campus, weather information, a calendar and other school-related features.
Most schools are using the kiosks for environmental awareness, Engelbrecht said. He said, however, the company is working closely with an international building automation controls company to develop a green curriculum to package with its software solutions.
In addition to educational facilities, GreenTouchscreen has deployed kiosks in museums, libraries, hospitals, shopping centers and hotels.
"With the demand out there, we will continue to deploy these kiosks in places where people want to know how they are doing with energy usage," Engelbrecht said.
Environment friendly?
GreenTouchscreen creates the software for the energy informational kiosks, but the kiosk hardware is produced by other manufacturers. Though the kiosks teach people to conserve energy, it's ironic that the kiosk hardware itself is not environmentally friendly, Engelbrecht said.
"As we continue to grow, strategic partnerships with sustainable hardware manufacturers will be a high priority," he said. "The biggest hurdle is waiting for manufacturing companies to catch up to the maturing green market."
Making technology more friendly to the environment was the subject of a recent Forrester Research study. An executive summary of the report revealed that IT sourcing and operations professionals are unaware of vendors' efforts to design and market more environmentally responsible products and services. Many are aware, however, of IT's rising energy consumption and are interested in improving the energy efficiency of their data centers and other computing infrastructure. Tech suppliers will find a receptive audience for more vocal green evangelism, especially as they tune their messages to resonate with a range of attitudes among their enterprise customers.
The report's author, Christopher Mines, said, "We heard two reasons why green matters: efficiency and corporate responsibility. Most IT decision-makers told us that a green purchase would only happen in the context of cost reduction. These are hard-headed, ROI-driven business decisions."
Monday, 24 September 2007
 Microcom Corporation is a leading manufacturer of bar code printers and printer solutions for kiosk, OEM, and specialty applications. From the design concept to final production, Microcom can customize a thermal printing solution tailored to your needs. In addition to Printing equipment, Microcom Corporation offers direct thermal and thermal transfer labels, tickets, tags, and ribbons. Our customers rely on Microcom printers to produce billions of tickets, tags, and labels each year.
Monday, 24 September 2007
BURNABY, British Columbia · TIO Networks Corp., along with Jackson Energy Authority, will launch a new self-service automated bill payment service to allow the utility's cash-preferred customers to pay their bills via cash-accepting touchscreen ATM terminals at local retail stores participating in the TIO Network.
Commencing in the winter of 2007, Jackson Energy Authority customers can make self-service automated bill payments, in English or Spanish, through the network on the ATM terminal. Payments are made by inserting cash directly into the terminal's bill acceptor. Once the cash is accepted, TIO uses an Internet link to ensure real time posting to the customer's account.
The touchscreen ATM terminals will soon be available in over 10 retail locations throughout the area. TIO Networks will apply a $2.00 convenience fee for this service.
Monday, 24 September 2007
BEAVERTON, Ore. · Planar Systems Inc. has announced the addition of transparent and segment electroluminescent displays to its family of high-performance EL displays. Featuring the same visual performance characteristics of Planar's EL displays, this new technology offers added benefits of transparency and the ability to cut or shape the display. The TASEL technology introduction demonstrates Planar's continued investment in the future of electroluminescent products, building on the company's strategy to deliver specialty display solutions.
Transparent displays are ideal for markets in which design aesthetics are a crucial component in communicating product innovation and quality. Feedback from product and industrial designers of transportation systems, premier pro-consumer electronics and architectural projects have identified TASEL's unique characteristics as an enabling technology that removes constraints imposed by flat, rectangular, non-transparent displays. Planar's TASEL display technology can be integrated into a variety of enclosures and used in products that need a unique look for product differentiation. These displays upgrade product appearance from more traditional LED or TN LCD display technologies.
"Our innovative electroluminescent technology enables glass displays to be curved into different shapes and configurations, opening up markets with new OEM customers," said Doug Barnes, general manager and vice president of the industrial business unit, Planar Systems. "Product designers seem inspired by this breakthrough to reimagine how they incorporate displays into projects."
Monday, 24 September 2007
Media Daily News: NBC is promoting its late-night lineup on kiosks that allow users to download songs to mobile phones or burn them to CDs.
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Monday, 24 September 2007
APA: Azerbaijan's Labor and Social Protection Ministry will for the first time install computer-based information kiosks in public areas which will allow job seekers to have access to the database of vacant jobs.
Read more
Monday, 24 September 2007
SciFi.com: If you've never been able to realize your own personal modeling fantasies, a booth at Shinjuku's Takashimaya department store in Tokyo, Japan might do the trick. Anne's Fitting Room is an interactive holographic display that will let anyone play dress-up with Japanese supermodel Anne Watanabe using World's "Untitled" fashion line. The display uses the Free Format technology developed by a Danish company called viZoo to achieve the effect, and is considered to be a first in the fashion world.
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Monday, 24 September 2007
EXTON, Pa. · IDS Menus, a division of International Display Systems Inc., has announced the recent successful installation of its digital menu board system for South Coast Winery Restaurant, located in Orange County, Calif. South Coast Winery Restaurant's sister property is South Coast Winery Resort & Spa, located in Temecula, California. Founded in 2002, South Coast Winery Resort & Spa is a luxury destination for fine wine, gourmet dining, spa facilities, private villas and more.
Eight LCD screens were installed in the breakfast and lunch areas of the restaurant. IDS Menus was called upon by South Coast to provide a state-of-the art menu display with user-friendly content management tools. With their foodservice marketing expertise and the help of the South Coast staff, IDS' designers created a mix of menu layouts and full screen promotional video.
Friday, 21 September 2007
US Exhibits is focused on providing the resources and information needed to the retail and trade show industry. Standard "easy to order" products, rental products, current articles, industry news, and links to quality vendors are a few examples. http://www.usexhibits.com is a place to regularly visit and keep up to date on the retail and trade show industry.
Friday, 21 September 2007
 Apollo Display Technologies is a unique manufacturer & distributor specializing in LCD technology. Since the beginning of the LCD module industry, Apollo has served the OEM market as a technical, stocking distributor and value added manufacturer of LCD products and services.
Apollo is a leading manufacturer of controllers, value-add enhancements and kit solutions for passive and active TFT LCD's.
Optrex is a world leader in passive and active TFT LCD's and Apollo is their largest North American, franchised, stocking distributor.
Friday, 21 September 2007
 Felix Group plc is an aggregator and software developer of digital based leisure, entertainment and retail content which is vended over its own estate of kiosks as well as licensed and delivered via other broadband enabled devices.
Digital content includes; photo printing, mobile downloads, jukebox, order and payment point for flowers and other gifts as well as Felix`s original concept "Everyone`s A Winner" a pay to use platform which rewards consumers with prizes and promotional offers worth at least double the participation fee.
Coming soon: MP3 & MP4 downloads, Wireless access vouchers, prepaid calling cards, contactless payments and much more.
Friday, 21 September 2007
PHOENIX, Ariz. · SuperShuttle has introduced a kiosk for its shared-ride ground transportation at Baltimore-Washington International Airport. Passengers using SuperShuttle transportation will be able to book, confirm and pay for their reservations at the SuperShuttle Kiosk located in the ground transportation area, next to the SuperShuttle service counters.
Other airports in the SuperShuttle system including Dulles and Reagan in the Washington, D.C. area, Denver International, Denver; George Bush International, Houston; Austin-Bergstrom International, Austin, Texas; Kansas City International Airport, Kansas City, Mo.; Minneapolis-St. Paul International and Sacramento International in California will all be adding kiosk over the next 10-12 months.
Friday, 21 September 2007
CHICAGO · PROVISIO, a developer of kiosk software solutions, has released a new version of its remote management solution for kiosks, SiteRemote (Version 2.0). Some of the new features are:
- Integration of Google Maps and Virtual Earth to identify the location of your remote kiosk machines
- Support of Windows Remote Desktop functionality
- Support for SQL express databases and Small Business Server/Domain Controller
- Customized alert messages
- Customized login page for your business
Friday, 21 September 2007
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. · Esprida Corp. has released a remote device management software platform that speeds response times and reduces infrastructure costs. The new scalability benchmark delivers direct operational benefits to organizations with large deployments, according to a press release.
"This new level of enterprise scalability speeds communication and minimizes the infrastructure needed in very demanding environments," said Anila Jobanputra, president of Esprida. "With our more robust software, organizations with thousands of devices and multiple users achieve greater visibility into operations through more frequent status updates, quicker access to that data and the ability to handle more concurrent requests. Both response times and cost considerations are identified as key challenges for many leading organizations. We're pleased our software is able to address both those issues."
Esprida remote management software is used by several standards-setting organizations and agencies to run large-scale, mission-critical applications in a variety of industries including retail, banking and federal and state governments.
Thursday, 20 September 2007
TORRANCE, Calif.·Seiko Instruments USA Inc. has introduced the APU-9347 3-inch direct thermal kiosk printer.
Developed for self-service applications, the printer delivers a minimum 150 kilometers of output and 1,000,000 cuts, representing a 50-percent life span improvement for the print mechanism and auto-cutter.
"The APU-9347 is a product of our commitment to listening to what customers want and developing innovative solutions to meet those needs," said Bob Falco, manager of Seiko Instruments Micro Printer Division, in a release. "The APU-9347 is an extremely reliable and cost-effective direct thermal printer for kiosk and ATM self-service applications."
Requiring no additional parts to support a 10-inch diameter paper roll, the printer accelerates transaction times with up to 8-inches (200 millimeters) per second print speeds, using tension control and a brake mechanism to avoid paper jams and wrinkled or illegible output.
The unit offers 203 dpi resolution, and supports a wide range of paper thicknesses and formats, for printing receipts, tickets, and labels. Connectivity is by USB or serial.
Thursday, 20 September 2007
KHNL.com: Federal probation officers in Hawaii have another tool to keep tabs on felons out on probation. A kiosk equipped with a 'pupil-ometer,' a biometrics program that can detect drug use by scanning the eye, has been set up under a pilot program. The ID of the felon being scanned is verified by fingerprint scan, and the felon's eyes are examined by the machine. Positive response for drug use is followed up by a traditional urine or other drug test.
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Thursday, 20 September 2007
MyFoxOrlando.com: West Melbourne (Fla.) Police have arrested a man and charged him with several counts of child pornography and battery on a child under the age of 12. Officers say the man developed 140 photos, some of which depicted sex acts and situations with a child, at a photo kiosk in a local Wal-Mart. The man apparently didn't realize the machine ran out of paper during his session, and when an employee refilled the kiosk, the remaining prints emerged. Other photos had been cleared from the kiosks had been removed, but computer technicians were able to undelete them.
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Thursday, 20 September 2007
eWeek.com: With Borders just seven months away from having to fly on its own without Amazon.com, the nation's second-largest bookseller has quietly launched its beta site. Eventually, kiosks will be involved: A customer wanting to plan a trip to Hawaii could go to the travel section and then to the Hawaii section. A nearby kiosk would use partner services to book flights, arrange hotel rooms and print out relevant brochures. Someone visiting the romance section might use a kiosk to access a dating service or possibly even connect with someone in that section, during a wine-and-cheese gathering for customers. But in the preliminary beta site triggered live on Sept. 6, only the most faint hints of the new strategy are evident.
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Thursday, 20 September 2007
Gazette.net: When library patrons were granted free parking privileges in Bethesda, Md., they soon found themselves competing for spots with folks trying to snag free space while they did other business. Now, a kiosk is on guard. Library users park, note the number of the space and enter into the self-service device when they enter the building. Periodically, a parking enforcement officer matches numbers from the machine with occupied spots, and tickets cars that have been signed in at the kiosk. Each sign-in is good for two hours.
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Wednesday, 19 September 2007
MercuryNews.com: As air travelers grow increasingly frustrated with perceived poor service from carriers, executives with those companies are turning to self-service in new roles to provide more convenience and to reduce waits. One example: Continental Airlines has installed self-service kiosks inside secure areas at hub airports in Houston, Cleveland and Newark, N.J., to help rebook passengers whose flights have been delayed.
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Wednesday, 19 September 2007
The (Philadelphia) Intelligencer: A man, a "paid" stamp and a bathroom almost cheated the self-service ordering functionality of a Philadelphia area Wawa.
Customer Ronald F. Simon used a kiosk to order a few sandwiches, a drink and some other items. But instead of taking the receipt to the cashier to pay and have the receipt marked accordingly, Simon went into the store bathroom, emerged with the receipt freshly stamped, and tried to collect his food.
Employees didn't remember ringing him out and called police. They do not know how he managed to procure a Wawa stamp.
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Wednesday, 19 September 2007
The annual show for owners and operators of c-stores, which highlights everything from adult magazines and energy drinks to self-service kiosks and ATMs, has announced that former White House counselor Karl Rove will be the closing general session speaker for the 2007 event.
Rove, the controversial strategist and advisor credited with taking George W. Bush from the Texas statehouse to a two-term presidency, will speak at NACS on Friday, November 9. He will offer insight into the 2008 general election and the current administration.
Former NACS speakers include Rudy Giuliani, Colin Powell, John Major, Madeleine Albright, Tommy Franks and Bob Dole.
Wednesday, 19 September 2007
PADERBORN, Germany·Jargen Wilde, a member of the four-person board of directors of Wincor Nixdorf AG, has announced his resignation effective following the Jan. 28, 2008, annual general meeting.
Wilde, who is responsible for the company's retail segment, cited health reasons. The seat will not be filled, reducing the number of the board to three.
Dr. Herbert Machill will succeed Wilde at the helm of Wincor Nixdorf's international business with retail companies. Machill, who currently is in charge of industry line services at T-Systems Enterprise Services, will take up his new position on Oct. 1, 2007.
"We are very pleased that in Dr. Machill we have found an IT industry expert who will enrich our management team with his experience in solutions and professional services," said Eckard Heidloff, president and CEO.
Heidloff also praised Wilde. "Jargen Wilde has not only built up our retail business successfully but has also played a crucial part in shaping Wincor Nixdorf as a whole," Heidloff said.
Tuesday, 18 September 2007
TradingMarkets.com: Teradata, a division of NCR Corp., announced today the enhancement of its Teradata Customer Management Solutions portfolio with a software module known as CRM Epiphany Inbound Marketing. The software is licensed from new Teradata alliance partner Infor, provider of enterprise software. By integrating the Infor tool with its Customer Management Solutions portfolio, Teradata is able to deliver relevant, personalized recommendations in real time, while the customer is online or using a self-service device, such as a kiosk.
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Monday, 17 September 2007
Deploying a kiosk is not as simple as placing one in the corner of a store with the hope that customers will use it. It is important to begin strategically planning for the deployment as soon as the idea develops. Months of planning and getting pointers from experienced deployers are just two of the things that will help make your future deployment successful. Many of these tidbits may seem obvious, but they are often taken for granted, sometimes by those who have years of self-service experience.
1) Define the objective
When filling out a job "sum" template, some people skip over the part where the objective would be placed. But the objective portion is arguably one of the critical parts of a "sum", a part where employers can discover whether a potential employee might be successful in the work place.
The same can be said for the deployment of kiosks. Researching self-service technologies and understanding the pros and cons can be critical to a successful deployment.
It's important to understand what experience you are trying to create for the business and the customer, said Brian Ardinger, vice president of business development at Nanonation, a provider of customer-experience software for kiosks and digital signage.
"The way you fail is by not measuring what you hope to accomplish before your deployment," he said.
2) Make sure you have companywide support
One of the worst things a company can do is to implement a kiosk at one of its stores without consulting the store manager and staff. To make a kiosk deployment successful, you have to have support from all parties involved within the company, said Bill Lynch, Source Technologies' vice president of self-service solutions.
One of the ways this can be accomplished is by appointing a project manager for each deployment, Lynch said. That person can lay out the company's deployment vision for store-level employees and minimize confusion about the company's goals for the project.
At the very least, send out a memo.
3) Find a good partner
For first-time deployers, it's also important to have an honest assessment of your company's capabilities. Many people find that kiosks require a wide range of knowledge and specialized hardware. Therefore, it is often better to bring in a partner, Lynch said.
"There are so many nuances to this business that you almost have to bring in a partner when deploying a kiosk," he said.
You also want to make sure the partner has experience in the type of kiosk you plan to deploy, says Stephen Gregorie, vice president of customer experience and marketing at Pro-Tech Solutions, a self-service software and kiosk provider. His company, for instance, specializes in outdoor kiosks. He said a business once put an outdoor kiosk directly in the sunlight without realizing the toll that would take. Add in the wear and tear of people using the kiosk, and the business quickly had a “dead boat anchor�? rather than a working kiosk.
It's important to get a partner that understands your environment and will take care of maintenance and upkeep, Gregorie said. "That way you can focus on your business, rather than if the machine is going to work."
4) Keep customers in mind
The customer is always right. This mantra needs to be a serious consideration when deploying a kiosk, Gregorie said.
"People are waking up to the fact that if you don't cater to the customer, they will bolt," he said.
Airports are usually crowded and noisy, so customers often can be irritated when they have to wait in long lines to check in to their flights. However, many airlines do very well at getting people in and out of the check-in kiosk lines, Gregorie said. That customer satisfaction breeds customer loyalty.
It is important to realize there are many types of customers and you need to understand their individual needs, Ardinger said.
"You need to ask yourself why they would want to interact with this machine," he said.
5) Location matters
If the only spot you have in your business to put a kiosk is in an isolated corner, you may want to think twice about your deployment. It's important to take a look at placement and the logistics of the kiosk before you let it loose, Ardinger said.
He said you need to look at the traffic flow, whether signage will be needed to draw attention to the machine, whether it will be a standalone kiosk or embedded in another device, and, finally, whether the machine will be easy to service based on its location.
Only after taking a hard look at those things will you be able to judge whether you can deploy a kiosk effectively, Ardinger said.
"These are not the type of systems you can just go buy at Best Buy and plop them down into your store," he said.
Monday, 17 September 2007
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. · Arrow Enterprise Computing Solutions, a business unit of Arrow Electronics Inc., has announced it received the highest ratings among value-added distributors in four categories of CMP Channel's 22nd Annual CRN Sourcing Study. Arrow ECS was recognized by solution providers across the industry as the No. 1 value-added distributor for Ease-of-Doing Business, Product Exclusivity, Breadth of Product Line and Post-Sales Support Configuration and Integration.
"Solution providers feel strongly they are receiving outstanding service from Arrow ECS in these key areas," said Kevin Gilroy, president of Arrow ECS. "A top priority for Arrow ECS is to support solution providers in areas such as these that enable them to focus on their business and grow faster than the market.
"This recognition indicates that Arrow ECS is supporting partners throughout their sales cycle. I congratulate all of the teams at Arrow ECS on this achievement."
Arrow ECS helps its reseller partners grow their business by providing a high level of support for all of their business needs, whether it's business planning, customized solutions, quoting, marketing, financing or configuration.
The CRN Sourcing Study recognizes distributors, manufacturers and alternative sources with which solution providers are most satisfied and most commonly do business. The 2007 study was conducted online in August and included nearly 1,200 purchasers at small, medium and large resellers and system integrators.
Monday, 17 September 2007
The Associated Press: It's a discouraging sight for busy travelers: throngs of people huddled around a lone power outlet at an airport gate, all of them hoping to recharge their BlackBerries, laptops and other gadgets. Across the country, airports are trying to bring precious energy more conveniently to millions of travelers who rely on a plethora of battery-powered devices. Their solution: kiosks.
Monday, 17 September 2007
Video Business: Redbox, a kiosk-based DVD rental company, says its purchase of two technology patents will protect its business model going forward. One patent, called "Automated Merchandise Dispensing and Retrieval System,"� is for a system that allows consumers to rent DVDs from any of its 4,800 kiosks and return it to another one. A second patent, called "Article Dispensing System,"� is for a system that allows Redbox's field team to restock kiosks more efficiently by inserting a pre-packed unit each week.
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Monday, 17 September 2007
Chicago Tribune: The Transportation Security Administration is working with six airports to provide another option for harried travelers with prohibited items. The Mailsafe Express program allows passengers to mail prohibited items or have them held at the airport for their return without ever leaving the security line. A TSA officer escorts the passenger to an ATM-looking kiosk and puts the prohibited item in an envelope and in the kiosk.
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Friday, 14 September 2007
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. · Kern County, California has announced the installation of outdoor touchscreen interactive visitor information kiosks at the Flying J Travel Plaza, in Lebec, California. The installation incorporates the collaborative technologies and efforts of four display companies, Jupiterbay, Kortek, NextWindow and Display Devices.
The large-format display is the first of the roughly nine kiosks that are anticipated to placed throughout Kern County. In addition to general countywide dining, lodging and attraction visitor information, each kiosk will feature site-specific information as well, including such sites as the Mojave Space Center and the Bakersfield Airport.
Kern County Executive Director, Rick Davis, said that he had a virtual tourism kiosk in mind when he first attended KioskCom and saw the Kortek all-in-one 46-inch interactive display, which ultimately would become the model for the Kern County installation.
Friday, 14 September 2007
Smarter Travel: As the automatic doors part, you step into your familiar old airport. Except it's not familiar at all. Gone are the ticket clerks, baggage handlers and other airline personnel you've long depended on to get you and your luggage to your destination. You walk up to a kiosk and check in for your flight by waving your cell phone at a laser, then drop your suitcase into a chute and proceed to security. You're ready to fly and it's only been three minutes, but you haven't interacted with a soul. The fictitious scenario above could become reality if the proposals for Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport come to fruition.
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Friday, 14 September 2007
Computer Business Review: CR2 has announced that Kazakhstan-based Halyk Bank has selected BankWorld as a provider for their multichannel self-service solution. The bank has chosen CR2's BankWorld to manage its entire self-service channels including ATM, Internet, kiosk and mobile services.
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Friday, 14 September 2007
World Golf News: Range Revolution Inc. has announced its RR72 Simu-Game, an interactive kiosk capable of rating the accuracy and performance of an individual golfer's shots.
Friday, 14 September 2007
Tampa Bay (Fla.) Business Journal: Publix Super Markets has added kiosks in its GreenWise Markets that offer tips and recipes related to fresh foods and health-related products. The Healthnotes Connect Fresh Ideas kiosks are an extension of healthy living resources Publix offers in-store and online, such as nutritional shelf-tags to highlight certain foods that are especially healthy.
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Thursday, 13 September 2007
Business Week: It is strange to me that common practice in the service sector is still to test potential innovations with simple, written concept statements. Worse still are the companies that follow with an expensive pilot only to find that their promising concept missed the mark · because it focused on the button rather than on what the button meant to the person pushing it. When innovators at the Mayo Clinic wanted to create a self-service check-in experience as part of its world-renowned health-care service, they worked with paper and patients' imaginations to understand how users would expect it to work.
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Thursday, 13 September 2007
GLENDALE, Calif. · FutureLogic Inc., a manufacturer of thermal ticket printers for cashless gaming, has announced it has launched a completely redesigned and enhanced Web site. Developed to help users find answers to questions quickly and easily, the new site includes major improvements in the areas of content, navigation and search functions.
"Because the Internet plays such an important role in our communication and customer service strategy, we've re-engineered our Web site to ensure that our key audiences can access crucial information faster and with greater ease than ever before,"� said Nick Micalizzi, vice president of sales and marketing for FutureLogic Inc.
The user-friendly interface lets users perform a text search on the entire site, and other enhanced features make it easier to navigate major Web site categories. Market-specific product information also is available to help site visitors narrow their searchs. Additional sections include a file exchange service, industry news, events and activities, and other timely information.
Thursday, 13 September 2007
TORONTO · Curiosk Marketing Solutions Inc. has released its new in-store, touchscreen wine information kiosk. Launched at the Wine Rack in downtown Toronto, the kiosk displays product information on screen after a scan of a wine bottle's barcode. The patent-pending system then allows customers to create a personalized greeting card designed to fit over the neck of the bottle.
"Since customers pay a nominal amount for the card ($2.95), retailers can put in the Curiosk system with very little risk or cost," said David Weinberg, president and founder of Curiosk. "With this low cost of entry, we hope to rapidly penetrate the North American wine retail market. By using our kiosks, customers will learn about their wine selection · such as tasting notes, food pairing notes and cellaring information · and be able to take the information home to share with others."
Wednesday, 12 September 2007
San Diego Union Tribune: Amid the ongoing controversy about the security of electronic voting machines, the vast majority of California voters have some degree of confidence that their votes are being counted accurately, according to a new Field Poll. In August, Secretary of State Debra Bowen banned most touchscreen voting machines in California "to begin rebuilding the voter confidence in the systems we use to conduct elections."� The Field Poll indicates that voter confidence already is fairly high among likely voters.
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Wednesday, 12 September 2007
WARSAW, Ind. · The Fort Wayne/Allen County Convention and Visitors Bureau has partnered with Video and Sound Productions to launch interactive kiosks to promote the community.
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Christopher Sanchez, Video and Sound Production's executive producer, demonstrates the new touchscreen kiosks to Fort Wayne residents.
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The interactive information centers will be located in high-traffic locations such as Fort Wayne's Spiece Field House, the Grand Wayne Center and the airport.
The touchscreen kiosks allow people to learn more about the community, tourist attractions and places to do business in and around Fort Wayne. The interactive kiosks feature pictures, graphics, video, audio, unique animations and printing capabilities.
Wednesday, 12 September 2007
PARIS · The United States' third largest city, Chicago, soon may adopt a rent-a-bike scheme similar to the one launched this summer in Paris, mayor Richard M. Daley said during a recent trip to the French capital.
The mayor, himself a cyclist, said he was "greatly impressed" with the Paris network of self-service bicycles, which has clocked up more than 3.7 million rides since its launch in mid-July.
Following talks with his Paris counterpart, Bertrand Delanoe, Daley said Chicago may launch a similar system "very shortly," though he said his city of three million people was less "cycle-compatible" than Paris.
He also pointed out that advertising giant JC Decaux, which covers the cost of the Paris venture in exchange for exclusive rights to 1,600 advertising locations across the city, already operates a network of billboards in Chicago.
The "Velib" scheme in Paris has 10,000 bicycles at 750 hire points dotted around Paris, with plans for 20,000 bikes at 1,400 hire points by year's end.
Riders can pick up a bike at any time of the day or night, after lodging a 150-euro (210 U.S. dollars) safety deposit. The first half hour is free, with prices rising to one euro (1.4 U.S. dollars) for every extra half hour.
Tuesday, 11 September 2007
Kiosks are not the coveted self-service devices they once were in the air-travel industry, say some industry experts. But despite the advent of biometrics, RFID and other novel devices, airline and airport executives still say self-service kiosks have their place in airports · and aren't expected to go anywhere anytime soon.
Different from last year's disCUSS conference, which focused on the common-use self-service platform, travel execs at this year's Check-In conference talked airport and airline self-service. This year's show, held Sept. 6 and 7, in Las Vegas and produced by England-based PPS Publications in partnership with Las Vegas' McCarran International Airport, focused on a multitude of check-in technologies for the travel industry, including mobile-phone check-in.
For McCarran Airport, kiosks have been the key to managing the sixth-busiest airport in the United States, says Dave Bourgon, McCarran's airline systems manager. The Las Vegas airport has 180 kiosks, 19 of which are off-site, at hotels and the Las Vegas Convention Center. McCarran also is the only U.S. airport to have 100 percent common-use self-service, more commonly known as CUSS, kiosk usage.
Those kiosks and the thousands of others deployed at the world's airports will be in use five to 10 years from now, Bourgon says. Many of the airport kiosk's current uses, such as passport validation and iris scanning, are not yet compatible with other technologies, therefore “you pretty much have to use the check-in kiosks," he said.
Self-service is expected to start popping up in other parts of the airport beyond the check-in area as well, says Paul Fijen, program manager of passenger services and outstations for KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.
Though Fijen said mobile devices and the Internet will in the future be primary channels of air travel check-in, kiosks will still be used for printing boarding passes, changing seats, displaying airport maps and getting destination information.
What will the overall self-service experience look like in the future? Nik Abadijan, IT manager for Germany-based Lufthansa Airlines, says it's fruitless to guess.
"Because technology is changing at such a fast rate, I think it would be foolish to say that one technology will be more dominant than another," Abadijan said.
Selling the cell
Mobile check-in is one technology that is starting to make headway with airlines and airports. Neither is ready to anoint mobile devices as the No.1 means of check-in, but each is undoubtedly excited about the potential mobile devices offer.
Air Canada began exploring mobile check-in in 2005. The airline's research showed that people were buying mobile devices at a rate 20 times faster than laptop computers. That astounding statistic led Air Canada to earnestly begin work on its mobile check-in program, said Patrice Ouellette, director of customer service platforms for Air Canada.
Air Canada's mobile check-in successfully launched in June 2006. For mobile users, Air Canada created a separate Web site, designed to fit small mobile devices. Travelers can use the site to check-in, check flight status, modify seat assignments and select upgrades. In the future, Air Canada says it plans to allow mobile users to also order snacks.
Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport is one that is embracing mobile self-service. In addition to check-in, the Amsterdam airport expects to send gate, seat and schedule reminders, as well as flight changes, to mobile devices. Maps with the estimated walking time to a person's gate also will be included, the airport says.
Technologies are being developed that will send the image of a barcode to mobile devices, similar to the ones found on paper boarding passes. The passenger would then have the bar code read by the airline before boarding. That technology is being tested around the world, but it is doubtful the system would be used in the United States. Currently, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration requires a paper boarding pass.
Preparing for the self-service future
Instead of a one-size fits all strategy, airline executives say in the future they will be catering to a wide range of groups and sensibilities.
According to global travel company Amadeus, the main travel groups of the future will include active seniors, cosmopolitan commuters, global clans and global executives. All four of those groups are expected to be looking for different travel experiences. For example, seniors will look for culture and leisure travel and will be conscious of comfort and price. Global clans, generally made up of immigrants traveling to see family, will look for economy on long-haul flights. Global executives will be traveling for key business meetings and will want the ability to work while in a relaxing environment.
"Travelers want more control, comfort, security and personalization," said Robert Buckman, Amadeus' director of distribution strategy for airlines.
The bottom line for airlines and airports is to provide customers with what they want, and make it convenient for them to use, said Charles "Duffy" Mees, chief information officer for JetBlue Airways.
"If you make it too easy for them to avoid self-service, they will not use it," Mees said.
Tuesday, 11 September 2007
WEST CHESTER, Pa. - MEI has announced that the newly deployed power supply kiosk stations at the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) utilize MEI Series 2000 cash acceptors, allowing passengers to pay with cash to power-up their portable devices before or after flight.
The new kiosk, developed by the Dallas-based TELeasy Corporation, is called the "PUMP" station, which stands for "Power-Up My Portable." The PUMP stations provide enough individual power outlet sockets for rows of twenty-four seats, and are located at airline gates.
Passengers use the PUMP station's touch-screen to select which time interval they prefer, then use cash, credit, or debit cards to pay. The cost is $2 for 30 minutes or $3 for one hour. Customers then sit at one of the seats connected to the PUMP station to power-up their laptop, iPod, cell phone, or other portable electronic device. Passengers can use one of several PUMP stations located at six different DFW Airport gates. The PUMP stations at DFW Airport are demonstrating heavy usage — more than 7,000 transactions since being installed in November 2006.
According to Mansur Plumber, CEO of TELasy Corporation, PUMP transactions between cash and credit cards are equally split making the system's cash acceptor a critical component. "We thought there would be a higher credit card ratio, but we see cash still used quite a bit for small transactions. Experience shows us that you can never underestimate the importance of cash to the success of your kiosk."
The MEI Series 2000 cash acceptor accepts all bill denominations from $1 to $100 and is suited for kiosks, self-checkout systems and other unattended POS systems. The MEI brand bill acceptor makes unattended cash transactions faster, easier, safer and more reliable.
Tuesday, 11 September 2007
Sacramento (Calif.) Business Journal: The first 100 of 300 new pay-and-display parking kiosks have been deployed in downtown and midtown Sacramento. Drivers walk to the kiosk, pay for parking, then return to their vehicles to display the receipt, which has a peel and stick backing. Users tape the receipt to the inside of the street side window. Unexpired time is transferable to other parking spots downtown.
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Tuesday, 11 September 2007
MONTREAL, Quebec · Integration New Media Inc. has announced that its flagship INM Reach technology is being leveraged as part of a suite-based, enhanced media/hospitality program for use by patrons attending this year's U.S. Open tennis tournament.
For this event, INM worked with partner Opera Glass Networks to deliver a media experience, deployed on IBM's AnyPlace kiosks, that helps improve communications with its guests to access weekend schedules and find information about entertainment options.
"This is the third time this year that we've teamed up with OGN to provide our INM Reach technology for sporting event kiosks," said Vahe Kassardjian, president of INM. "These innovative kiosks have been well received at each event by both the attendees and our partners."
The IBM Anyplace kosk hardware is paired with a custom software solution by OGN that includes the INM Reach technology to natively display high-resolution PDFs.
The use of INM Reach allows guests to maneuver easily through their multipage PDF itineraries with simple screen taps, and quickly zoom-in on key content. INM Reach provides OGN with the ability to update agenda content on the fly, without touching any code, to accommodate any last minute changes.
Tuesday, 11 September 2007
(Albany, N.Y.) WXXA 23: New York State is rolling out a new tool in the effort to locate missing children · an interactive kiosk aimed at getting out the word about them. At first glance, the kiosk at Albany International Airport looks like some kind of advertisement. It is in a way · advertising the names and faces of the dozens of missing children in New York State.
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Tuesday, 11 September 2007
RFID Journal: 100 consumers who shop at the C1000 grocery store in Molenaarsgraaf, the Netherlands, have begun paying for transactions with mobile phones equipped with Near Field Communications RFID chips. The group is participating in a six-month pilot conducted by Schuitema, the nation's second largest retail chain, which · in an effort to improve efficiency at the checkout counter · is testing RFID in one of its 450 C1000 stores. In the Molenaarsgraaf store, RFID interrogators have been added to check-out terminals, a machine that accepts empty returnable bottles and kiosks used by consumers to make charitable donations.
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Tuesday, 11 September 2007
ARMONK, N.Y. · IBM Corp. agreed to provide hardware and software services for Eastman Kodak Co.'s Kodak Picture kiosks in South America. Financial terms of the agreement weren't disclosed.
IBM will provide desk support and create virtual project offices for Kodak in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela and Peru. IBM will manage the services for Kodak from call centers in Argentina and Brazil.
Tuesday, 11 September 2007
Air Transport World: Air France will pilot a program by year end that will use biometric information encrypted on a small card to enable a passenger to obtain a boarding pass from a kiosk in the terminal and will provide access to a boarding portal.
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Monday, 10 September 2007
MUMBAI, India · Saregama India is selling its music to mobile consumers through digital kiosks. Currently launched in Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai, in association with Nokia stores, the 25 kiosks have a music library comprising nearly 30,000 tracks.
Consumers connect to the kiosks using USB cords and download songs to their music devices after paying for each download.
Saregama India is the sole content provider of all major music companies like EMI Virgin, Venus, HOM Records and other major national players in the industry for this initiative.
In 2004, music from Saregama's catalog was made available for digital download on global sites like iTunes, MSN Music, Napster, Real Networks, Musicmatch, Virgin Digital and eMusic Sound Buzz.
Monday, 10 September 2007
The Greensboro (N.C.) News and Record: The U.S. Postal Service wants its customers to handle their own postage - and is offering cash prizes to those who do. At post offices nationwide, customers will get a chance at $250 daily cash prizes and a grand prize of $10,000 when they use the Automatic Postal Center kiosks instead of the counter.
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Monday, 10 September 2007
FRANKLIN, Tenn. · IHL Consulting Group has released its 2007 North American Self-Checkout Systems Market Study, which focuses on statistics of self-checkout purchases from a user's perspective. The study, now in its seventh year, is based on information gathered during a survey of 1,000 North American respondents.
Some key findings of the report include:
- 98 percent of all respondents have used self-checkout.
- In 2006, consumers spent more than $137 billion on self-checkout transactions at retailers, up 24 percent from 2005, namely because of increased usage in supercenters, warehouse clubs and DIY stores.
- 44 percent of respondents say they really like self-checkout. Only 9 percent say they will not use the technology.
Click here for more information.
Friday, 07 September 2007
Skyline kiosks are perfect for marketers that want big, bold graphics integral to their product or demonstration kiosk. With a variety of graphic options and a host of repositionable accessories, you can create nearly any look to meet any need.
Friday, 07 September 2007
TORRANCE, Calif. · Seiko Instruments USA Inc. 's Micro Printer division has added two models to its line of CAP9000 direct thermal printer mechanisms. The new 2-inch and 4-inch print-width models follow the same design as the 3-inch device, which integrates receipt and ticket-printing applications.
In addition to the CAP9000 models (with auto-cutter), Seiko also has introduced the LTP9000 models (without auto-cutter) as general purpose heavy-duty printer mechanisms.
CAP9000 mechanisms can print up to 10 inches per second and support extreme temperatures (-20° to 60° C) to ensure reliable operation in outdoor environments. The printers are designed with a small footprint, with curved or straight-paper path options, and a choice of a USB, Serial or Parallel interface.
Friday, 07 September 2007
ITWeb.com: Many South African companies have not adopted self-service technology, namely because of the complexity and perceived risks associated in implementing it, says John Ziniades, chief executive of Consology. Ziniades says companies should look for five indicators when determining whether they are ready to move forward with a self-service launch.
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Friday, 07 September 2007
The (Montpelier, Vt.) Times-Argus: Vermont's Department of Motor Vehicles has deployed kiosks in each of its five permanent branch offices and Montpelier, Vt., headquarters. The department began installing the kiosks, which allow motorists to renew auto registrations themselves, about two years ago, says Bonnie Rutledge, commissioner of the department. Now the self-service terminals are located in each DMV office in the state.
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Thursday, 06 September 2007
East Bay (Calif.) Business Times: After growing eight-fold in the past 18 months, TNR Entertainment Corp. is shaking up its executive team and putting the brakes on fast-track expansion plans. The Houston-based operator of DVD-rental kiosks has experienced an exodus of its executive team in the last two weeks with the exit of chief executive Richard Cohen, chief operating officer Jeffrey Karbowiak and chief marketing officer Tony Sciolla.
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Wednesday, 05 September 2007
Associated Press: A group of taxi drivers launched a two-day strike Wednesday, right in the middle of the New York Fashion Week and the U.S. Open tennis tournament, to protest a city plan to require GPS tracking in cabs. The New York Taxi Workers Alliance called the strike in the nation's largest city to protest new rules requiring all cabs to have global positioning systems and touchscreen monitors that will let passengers pay by credit card. Some cabbies fear the GPS systems could be used to track their movements and that they could get stuck paying hefty fees for credit card processing.
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Learn more about the strike and the drivers' concerns
Wednesday, 05 September 2007
RALIEGH, N.C. · IBM has announced that it has teamed with Man-Dell Food Stores to deploy new IBM Scan-and-Bag and point-of-sale technology in five Key Food locations the company owns in the New York City area.
Man-Dell replaced NCR ScanMaster systems with new IBM SurePOS 700 Series systems running the IBM 4690 operating system, and later added the powerful new "Scan-and-Bag" self-checkout terminals from IBM.
"IBM Self Checkout offers customers a faster, more reliable and more flexible shopping experience," said Scott Schubert, MIS director of Man-Dell Food Stores. "We estimate that 28 percent of our shoppers now use self-checkout on a daily basis, which proves that busy shoppers want a speedy 'in and out' experience, without dealing with long lines."
Wednesday, 05 September 2007
SignonSanDiego.com: Patrons at Oceanside's Civic Center public library could be checking out their own books · using self-service machines · in February. The library has the $120,000 needed to buy five machines and 29,000 RFID tags that make the self-checkout system work, but it needs $80,000 for 215,000 more tags.
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Wednesday, 05 September 2007
Seattlepi.com: A man was in line at a self-service checkout stand at The Home Depot on Utah Avenue South in Seattle on Thursday, ready to buy a pry bar and a hacksaw, according to a Seattle police report. But, as a manager told an officer, the man accidentally hit the button on the computer screen for Spanish. That was the tipping point for this consumer. So, instead of asking for help, he let loose a blow with the pry bar and shattered the computer.
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Tuesday, 04 September 2007
As Fred Lochner and his family rounded mile five on a Wisconsin horseback trail, the sky above him began to get dark and the wind picked up. A thunderstorm was imminent. Lochner, an avid outdoorsman, pulled out a shoddy map of the park, but because of the map's poor quality had trouble finding his way to the lodge. His family did make it back eventually, but needless to say, they were soaking wet.
From that experience, Lochner, founder of Imperial Multimedia, developed the idea for a park kiosk that would allow users to print maps and get trail information. The result was a rollout of Information Stations, which were deployed in Virginia State Parks earlier this year.
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The Information Stations, created by Imperial Multimedia, print trail maps with GPS waypoints and marked trails.
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The Virginia State Parks have more than seven million visitors each year and have over 500 miles of trails.
The kiosks are free and provide interactive information about those trails as well as activities and park amenities. They also allow visitors to print park maps and wildlife guides right. Users even have access to video of park destinations to help them decide where to plan their trip.
Trail information is GIS (Global Information System) based, which means users have access to satellite and topographic maps, as well as standard trail maps. Maps are marked with thousands of GPS waypoints that Lochner said can guide users around the park, and hopefully keep people from getting stuck in thunderstorms.
"The kiosks are actually very green," Lochner said. "Typically there is a hinged box that holds all the maps and people just take a handful. When they realize someone else in their group already has the map or they grabbed too many, the paper goes in the trash. With the kiosk they only print off the maps they need."
The maps are printed on eight-inch thermal printers from Telpar. The printers are equipped with an auto-retract feature that sucks the paper back into the machine if no one takes the map after a certain amount of time. Lochner said customers notice and really like that feature.
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Information Station features
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5,000 pictures
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Five hours of video content
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Topographic and shaded relief maps
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Aerial imagery of 31 State Parks
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Virtual tours and GPS waypoints for 500 of trails
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Directory of local amenities and attractions
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The kiosks are equipped with infrared touchscreens, which provide the best protection from vandalism and the elements, Lochner said. A Pentium 4 computer with a high-powered graphics card powers the kiosks. There are embedded solid-state air conditioners that regulate temperature and humidity.
"I was working on a unit in the summer when the heat index was 115 degrees," Lochner said. "The kiosk was still printing maps."
Local involvement
The kiosks are also designed to help the park personnel as well as park visitors. Typically the park rangers are the ones having to answer wayfinding questions. Lochner said people were also asking park staff questions about amenities surrounding the park, such as restaurants, lodging and even movie theatres.
The local business involvement is part of Imperial Multimedia’s plan to boost economic development in the area through the Information Stations. Financially, the kiosks are maintained by local support from area businesses in the form of permission-based advertising. For example, if a user wants to find a hotel nearby they have access to a list of local hotels, all of which who helped sponsor the kiosks.
"Sometimes people don't want to grill hot dogs over the fire every night and don't know what else is around the park," Lochner said. "My kids wanted pizza and a movie one night when we were staying at a Virginia park."
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A screen shot from the Virginia State Parks kiosks. The kiosks are feautred in 31 State Parks.
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The project was originally funded by local private partners. The Dominion Foundation donated $300,000 to get the project started in Virginia. Lochner said that Dominion has a history of being very supportive of parks and that their employees have built footbridges and amphitheatres at parks in the past. Local power company Appalachian Power also donated a significant amount of money for the kiosk launch.
In the development stage, Imperial commissioned acquisition teams to hike all 500 miles of trail in the Virginia State Parks to find information for the kiosk content. Some Imperial employees were on the teams, but they also tapped several Eagle Scouts from the University of Virginia who had photography and wilderness experience. The teams marked GPS waypoints on the trails, took photos of wildlife in certain areas and documented areas of interest both on paper and on video.
The Information Stations were first deployed as part of a 2003 test pilot project in Wisconsin, home of Imperial Multimedia. Imperial ran a three-year pilot in the Wisconsin State Parks. Like the current financing situation in Virginia, the Wisconsin test pilot was underwritten by local sponsors who received permission-based advertising.
That same year, Imperial showed the kiosk at National Park Directors Convention where the Virginia Department of Conservation & Recreation picked up on the concept.
Currently, Lochner and Imperial are working with the DCR to expand the deployment. The original agreement was to have 31 kiosks in place by the end of 2007. Imperial has already surpassed that number and is now adding multiple kiosks per park.
Lochner said that the kiosks' red and white theme will stay the same across all deployments in an effort to build a brand identity.
Imperial is continuing to extend its park kiosk services by developing projects with kayak tour and outfitting companies and wildlife refuges.
"One refuge we're working with is remote access only," Lochner said. “People hike or canoe there and bam·there's a kiosk right there in the middle of nowhere."
Tuesday, 04 September 2007
Albotas: According to some reports, Apple will this week unveil its new iTunes kiosks that will be set up through various retail outlets in North America. No word has yet been released about how many or in what stores the kiosks will be placed, but reportedly the kiosks will allow users to directly dock iPod/iPhones for the download of songs on a whim.
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Tuesday, 04 September 2007
The (Malaysia) Star Online: While the excitement (and anxiety) of waiting for your prints to come back have diminished somewhat with the advent of digital photography, FujiFilm Malaysia hopes to inject some of the magic back into making trips to photo printing stores with its new Fujifilm Digital Kiosk 7000 series photo-processing kiosks. FujiFilm has 130 digital kiosks in Malaysia and says it expects to have up to 500 by March 2008.
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