As we sought to adopt technology that would increase our efficiency, the expertise of NEXTEP SYSTEMS and the extent of its work with casino environments convinced us they were the right supplier for us. We believe NEXTEP will have a tremendous positive impact on both our revenue and customer satisfaction. With the system now in place, we expect our average order size to increase, customer wait times to decrease and that we will be able to provide better overall service to our guests during peak periods.

Working Solutions Ltd. has released the latest version of its CyberBrowser Internet browser for kiosks, the company announced in a news release.

Working Solutions says the product is developed exclusively for use in kiosk applications:

Because it concentrates on kiosk requirements and not desktop user functions, CyberBrowser's streamlined setup makes for a rapid configuration, providing a user-friendly interface that is designed exclusively for interactive, touchscreen kiosks. Capable of displaying exactly the same Web content as Microsoft's Internet Explorer, CyberBrowser enables the kiosk owner to decide which features and Web site their users will be allowed to access.

According to the release, CyberBrowser's features include an attraction mode, start page, surfing permissions and download management, among others. The product also integrates Sentinel, the security software behind the Acquire Kiosk Developer Solution. Working Solutions says Sentinel is a separate, secure software that locks down the kiosk and prevents unwanted access from either local or remote agencies.

Working Solutions says CyberBrower can be purchased at the new Web site, CyberBrowser.net.

ID TECH, a manufacturer of custom and standard POS and self-service peripherals, has announced the release of its SecureMag magnetic-stripe reader.

According to a news release from ID TECH, SecureMag supports Triple DES and AES encryption technology with Derived Unique Key per Transaction (DUKPT) key management. The product can function as a standard reader or be permanently configured as a secure encrypted reader and provides for factory or customer key-injection options. Each reader has a unique, protected internal serial number, assigned for tracking and security purposes.

Gerry Knight, business development director for ID TECH, says protecting card data from the first step of the transaction is critical to combating the overall issue of card fraud:

"Data encryption from the magnetic reader is a significant step in protecting customers' card data, and we believe that SecureMag provides the best solution to this critical step in closing that loophole in point-of-sale transactions."

Epson, a supplier of POS and print solutions, today announced it will launch a new line of transaction printers that includes a compact, thermal printer with all-front access for use in specialty POS and kiosk applications. According to a news release from Epson, the new printer will be released sometime in the next two quarters, along with two other models for use in retail applications.

Epson says that in a 2009 brand-awareness study, 79 percent of resellers said that Epson's range and variety of printers gave them a sales advantage when selling to retailers. Keith Kratzberg, senior vice president of commercial sales and marketing for Epson America, says the new line of printers will offer its partners even more options:

Resellers are extremely important to our success. We listened to the feedback throughout the channel, and we designed new products to meet market demands. Whether the customer needs a simple plug-and-play printer or a highly configurable printer for use across a large retail enterprise, our partners will have an Epson solution. This new lineup of products will generate new revenue streams for our channel partners and help them cultivate and grow their businesses.

Epson says that, according to a 2009 IHL retail study, the company holds a 41 percent share of the thermal printer POS installed base.

A new deli kiosk from NEXTEP was recently featured on WTWO-TV in Terra Haute.

"Once people use this system, they will not order any other way," said deli manager Cindy Clark "Every one of them just raves about it."

You can watch the video here.

"We are extremely proud of this accomplishment and recognize that it is the ongoing energy from all of Phoenix Kiosk's employees that helped to get us here. This is yet another validation that the determination we have as a team to stay the course and keep our eyes on our values is paying off."

Target applications include POS, ticketing, banking and kiosks systems used in retail, transportation, gaming, convenience and hospitality environments. Its quiet operation and durability make it equally suitable for use in medical devices and scientific equipment.

• Review finances
• Plan for the association's new Web site
• Discuss successful webinars and plan future ones
• Review results from its deployer member survey
• Review deployer-membership growth and discuss ways to reach new vendors
• Hear reports from its Best Practices, Marketing and Public Relations and Research and Statistics committees and task forces
• Make strategic plans for the next three years

Regardless of its size, a kiosk rollout can be a serious expense, and return on investment can be difficult to predict. But some deployers are beginning to discover a less expensive option in the midst of challenging economic conditions: refurbished kiosks.

While refurbished kiosks represent only a small part of today's self-service market, refurbished ATMs have been popular for some time.

Mississippi-based Triton Systems recently opened its ATMGurus business, which specializes in providing ATM parts and repair, as well as refurbished units.

"The whole idea is, in today's economy, if you can buy that product, it's like buying a car or anything else, you make that economical decision," said Dan Swain, general manger of ATMGurus.  
 
Swain's colleague, James Phillips, says that for a time refurbished ATMs were scarce in the marketplace because the technology was so new and popular, mirroring the lack of refurbished kiosks deployed right now.

"Triton has offered (refurbished) units for many, many years. It's not something that really was at the forefront of our business, though," Phillips said. "When we first got into that business in the early 90s, it was a very explosive market. Used ATMs really weren't necessary — the marketplace was exploding so much, everybody was purchasing new machines and so forth."

But, Phillips says, once the ATM became ever-present, many operators began discovering the benefits of refurbished units.

"As the market has grown, the ATM has become more ubiquitous across all niches and marketplaces, and you've seen transaction volumes at the ATM drop," he said. "So as the transaction volumes have dropped off considerably in the last decade or so, you've seen the need for lower-priced equipment become more and more important, especially for the ISOs out there who live off surcharge income and so forth. So to maximize their profits and keep their cost of ownership as low as possible, used or refurbished ATMs have become much more prevalent."

Refurbished kiosk deployments growing

Though they may not be as popular as new units, Sandy Nix, president and CEO of Mequon, Wis.-based D2 Sales and Service, says she's seen the number of requests for refurbished units increase in the last 12 to 18 months.

"Definitely. Everyone is much, much more careful with how they're spending the precious budgets that they have," Nix said. "And so we're finding a lot more folks are at least considering it as an option."

Nix says refurbished models account for as much as 10 percent to 15 percent of D2's business. The units typically are pre-owned kiosks that have been returned at the end of another client's lease term. If the unit is in good condition overall, D2 then cleans it, runs diagnostics on the equipment and assesses what needs to be restored or removed. 

"Anything that isn't top-notch gets either repaired or replaced," she said, "so they're in what we refer to as 'like-new' condition."

D2 also offers the same warranty, services and support on refurbished units as it does on new models. Nix says the cost of a refurbished model can be anywhere from half that of a new one to 35-percent less and that prices are determined based on the kiosk's age and condition, the type of equipment in the kiosk and the price of comparable new equipment.

"We have very close to the same level of uptime (on the refurbished units), and we offer the warranties at virtually the same price as on a new unit, because we have that much confidence in the product we're putting out," Nix said.

Though a brand-new, shiny kiosk may seem like the better choice, Nix says refurbished kiosks can be a good fit for a business that just wants to do a trial deployment or simply needs a more economical option.

"They tend to be folks who are either looking to test a concept or, for some similar reason, want something that is a very economical alternative," she said.

• The fundamental differences between digital signage and interactive applications
• What each approach can learn from the other
• Where the boundaries for conversion are likely to be and why
• How these items impact decision-making and infrastructure

Successful digital signage implementations require the collaboration of a number of disciplines. Understanding how these disciplines interact and overlap is the first step to developing a sound strategy to incorporate a digital signage network that aligns with the company's specific business objectives. Our hope is that our attendees gain valuable insights from these discussions that can help them make informed decisions and move forward with more successful deployments.

Olea Inc. today announced that Frank Olea has been named CEO of the company; former CEO Fernando Olea will take the position of Chairman. According to a news release, Frank Olea has overseen the company's kiosk product division for more than 15 years.

Olea provides custom self-service kiosks, as well as standard off-the-shelf models. The company also has traditionally manufactured tradeshow exhibits for its client, but Frank Olea says under his leadership, Olea will narrow its focus:

The company is now entirely focused from top to bottom on kiosks and self-service systems. The move to make me CEO is going to allow me to focus more on the company's future and the products we offer.

Olea Inc. has been in the self-service business for more than 35 years and is based on Los Angeles.

Roosevelt, N.Y.-based Parabit Systems Inc., a kiosk and digital signage provider, will partner with SelfServiceWorld.com to host a free webinar, "Communication through the Integration of Kiosks and Digital Signage," on Tuesday, Oct. 27.

During the webinar, Rob Leiponis, founder and president of Parabit, and Ralph Tragale, assistant director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, will discuss their partnership to deploy "Welcome Centers" at John F. Kennedy International, Newark Liberty International and LaGuardia airports. The Port Authority commissioned Parabit last year to develop, construct and install the Welcome Centers, which use interactive kiosks, digital signage and other technologies to provide information and airport services to travelers.

The presenters will share with attendees their strategies for integrating kiosk and digital signage solutions and how utilizing these technologies in the transportation vertical can help improve customer service, create new revenue opportunities and streamline operations.

Participants can register to attend the free webinar here.

Empower is very pleased to have been selected by the BC Sports Hall of Fame when they were looking for a new generation of interactive kiosks… . The BC Sports Hall of Fame has taken initiative to be the first museum of its kind to implement this display technology. The project is a true partnership and illustrates how technology can assist in bringing sport history to life.

Ticketmaster has announced a multiyear extension of its partnership with Honolulu's Neal S. Blaisdell complex that will involve the installation of several touchscreen ticketing kiosks. The Neal S. Blaisdell complex includes venues such as Blaisdell Arena, Blaisdell Concert Hall and the Waikiki Shell.

Ticketmaster says its touchscreen kiosks enable users to securely purchase event tickets 24 hours a day and pick up tickets already purchased online or by telephone. The company says the kiosks have an average transaction time of less than three minutes.

Shirley Alexander, general manager of Ticketmaster Hawaii, says the partnership established the company's dedication to tourism in the Hawaiian Islands:

We are pleased to extend our longstanding partnership with the city and county of Honolulu's premier venues in order to promote live entertainment in Honolulu, as well as tourism on the islands in general. While expanding this alliance, we intend to broaden Ticketmaster's reach even further by building upon our partnerships with the Hawaii Visitors Bureau and others so that, in the long run, we will all benefit from this relationship.

At the conference, Bay will discuss how the MOD Retail Digital Content Distribution System helps retailers bring an expansive library of digital content into their stores, enabling consumers to browse, pay and download content from touchscreen kiosks. He will also address the future of movie and music downloads to flash-based storage and revenue opportunities in digital content delivery for retailers, device manufacturers and content providers.

Seiko Instruments USA Inc.'s Thermal Printer Division and Arrow Electronics have announced a distribution partnership for the Americas. According to a news release from Seiko, the agreement means that Arrow's OEM Computing Solutions group will provide a full range of engineering integration and logistics services and Seiko will provide its kiosk printers, mobile printers and thermal print mechanisms.

Kaz Onishi, vice president and general manager of Seiko Instruments USA, says the partnership will benefit manufacturers and integrators in the kiosk and ATM markets, among others:

Arrow offers very high-caliber outsourcing capabilities and a robust line-up of complementary technologies. Arrow can support the full gamut of customers, from small integrators to multinational OEMs. This is a great fit for our best-in-class printers, and most importantly, it is a big win for the customer.

Arrow's OEM Computing Solutions group's capabilities include product design, prototype development, compliance, documentation, manufacturing and integration, logistics, post-sales services and financing. Arrow operates state-of-the-art, value-added and logistics centers in the United States, Mexico, China and Hungary.

According to a report from Britain's Daily Mail Online, Tesco has opened the country's first all self-checkout store. Tesco Express, located in King's Langley, Northampton, has five self-checkout terminals and no traditional checkout lanes, the report says, a model Tesco refers to as "assisted self-service."

The U.K.-based chain already operates stores in the assisted-checkout model in the United States, with its Fresh & Easy brand in California, Nevada and Arizona.

Self-service adoption in European countries has traditionally lagged behind that of North America, though, and the Daily Mail reports that some in the United Kingdom are critical of the new model:

Local Liberal Democrat County Coordinator Richard Church, who represents the Kingsley ward, said he was unimpressed with the self-scan store.

He said: 'If you like to speak to a real person when you do your shopping, you won't like it. At the moment, there are helpful assistants to tell you how to swipe the barcodes and make your payments, but that won't last.'

But a Tesco spokesperson told the Daily Mail that staff always will be available to assist customers:

It's a lot quicker, but some people have never used them before, so a member of staff is there to assist. If needs be, there can be five members of staff assisting customers. We have had no negative feedback so far.

The Daily Mail says Tesco is the biggest supermarket employer in the country, with a workforce of more than 220,000.

According to a report from Afterdawn.com, redbox is testing DVD-sales kiosks in five Los Angeles-area locations. The Web site reports the DVD-rental brand is offering new and catalog releases for about $20 each. The company has branded the DVD-sales kiosks, which look similar to its rental kiosks but are black, under the name "Vidigo."

Also according to the report, redbox president Mitch Lowe says the company will begin testing smaller sell-through kiosks at convenience stores in the future.

NCR Corp. has announced the release of the SelfServ Entertainment 2381, the company's first DVD-rental kiosk for outdoor deployment.

Alex Camara, vice president and general manager of NCR's entertainment solutions, says the rugged new kiosk model will allow the company to expand the deployment of its Blockbuster Express DVD-rental kiosks to different, more accessible locations: 

Each day, consumers around the world conduct more than 60 million transactions on NCR devices, making us the global leader in self-service technology. We've used our knowledge of consumer self-service technology to make the SelfServ Entertainment 2381 the most secure and the highest capacity outdoor kiosk on the market. This new technology will enable us to work with even more partners as we roll out our Blockbuster Express-branded DVD-rental kiosks to new locations, including convenience stores and gas stations. Consumers will benefit from easier access to their favorite new releases and classic DVDs in accessible, 24-hour locations.

The kiosk features a 19-inch, sunlight-readable touchscreen display and an optional 26-inch LCD digital signage topper for inventory promotion or brand advertising. The company says all of the SelfServ Entertainment 2381 units are equipped with an ATM-grade, anti-skimming magnetic stripe card reader to help prevent fraud.

NCR has said it expects to invest as much as $60 million in its DVD-rental kiosk operations and to deploy more than 2,500 of the Blockbuster Express kiosks this year. The company recently has announced Blockbuster Express deployments with Publix and Big Y, both grocery chains in the northeast United States, as well as with Tedeschi Food Shops, a U.S. convenience-store chain.

For as long as most of us can remember, when we visit a new destination the primary source for local information has always included a hotel's leaflet dispenser. Working with MuchMore, we looked at the model and recognized there were many ways to offer better user choice and operational and commercial benefits.

OnSite Media, a maker of interactive technology for the travel vertical, and Showcase Technology, a hospitality technology provider, have announced a partnership to provide interactive kiosks for more than 20,000 hotel locations.

According to a news release from the two companies, the new kiosk application will combine OnSite's Concierge "automated travel assistant" and Showcase's NetStop software system. The kiosks will feature a 24-hour digital concierge and special offers, discounts and incentives from advertisers.

Pual Rajewski, CEO of Showcase Technology, says the partnership represents a milestone for the OnSite Concierge application:

The new software package that bundles OnSite Concierge with NetStop enhances our capabilities to better serve the needs of our customers, such as hotels and airport business centers. It is also the first time that OnSite Concierge has been available in Europe and Asia.

The partnership is a three-year agreement, according to the release, and all existing NetStop customers will be offered the OnSite concierge as a free upgrade to their current services.

The two companies also will exhibit the new product at next week's Best Western North American Convention in Phoenix.

USA Technologies Inc., a provider of networked cashless payments systems for vending machines and kiosks, today announced it has surpassed $5 million in cashless micro-transactions processed through its network in a single month. The company reached the milestone in September, when it processed a record 2.7 million transactions.

Stephen P. Herbert, president and COO of USA Technologies, says the milestone illustrates that consumers will continue the trend toward cashless transactions:

The $5 million processing milestone … (confirms) that consumers overwhelmingly prefer to use their credit and debit cards for everyday purchases and are increasingly more comfortable using them at self-service retail outlets like vending machines.

USA Technologies supports cashless transactions on 57,000 devices in the U.S. and Canada for more than 600 clients, the company says.

NCR Corp. has announced the deployment of the PatientPoint self-service kiosk at Orlando Internal Medicine's eight-provider practice in Orlando, Fla.

According to a news release from NCR, the PatientPoint self-service solution is provided by Greatwater Software, an NCR reseller. NCR says Greatwater has built on NCR's MediKiosk hardware and software platform to integrate additional applications, such as prescription adherence management and clinical trials enrollment. The system's standard applications include appointment check-in, processing co-payments and health-record updating.

Dr. Pradeep Vangala, president of Orlando Internal Medicine, says the self-service solution already is helping the practice increase revenue:

All providers face the challenger of improving the speed and efficiency of payment collection, particularly at a time when patient bad debt continues to increase. By utilizing self-service, we've not only increased the amount of patient co-payments and deductibles captured at the time of service, but we're also receiving more prompt and accurate reimbursement from payers.

MOD Systems Inc., a provider of digital movie and music download kiosks for retailers, today announced that Larry Smith, the company's senior vice president of sales, marketing and business development, will present at next week's Digital Hollywood Fall 2009 conference.

According to a news release from MOD Systems, Smith will participate in a panel discussion called "Downloads, Movies, DVDs – Everywhere Video to the Consumer," Wednesday, Oct. 21 at the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel.

As Hollywood movie studios ponder how to combat falling DVD sales and the onset of digital distribution, MOD says the panel will examine the multiple ways consumers might obtain content in the future:

In this panel, experts will discuss how the latest modes of content delivery are making video available to consumers in new places and in new ways. From home broadband download to media-on-demand in retail, the future of video purchase and rental is poised to change. Will packaged media disappear? Will kiosks or broadband downloads rule supreme? This session will address these questions and more, as industry experts look to a future with video when and where consumers want it.

MOD says Smith has more than 25 years experience in the entertainment, technology and retail industries in North America and Europe. Joining him on the session's panel will be representatives from Sonic Solutions/CinemaNow, Entone, Gigantic Digital Cinema, redbox, Avail-TVN and DivX.

Library Automation Technologies Inc. has announced updates to its line of library self-checkout solutions that allow libraries to communicate with patrons via digital display technology during idle times. According to a news release from LAT, library clients can use their existing LAT-Central enterprise management systems to control the content displayed.

Oleg Boyarsky, president and CEO of LAT, says the upgrade will help libraries meet the marketing demands they increasingly face:

Libraries are changing and are evolving with the times. Like commercial enterprises, libraries must now market their value to their patrons. Instead of buying monitors, computers or creating a separate infrastructure to do that, we allow them the same capability using the equipment they already have.

LAT says the digital signage upgrade is free to existing customers.

This webinar tackles the age-old question of ROI. Now, more than ever, companies need to justify their expenditures. Our three panelists will present three different ways in which they measure and substantiate the success of their investments in self-service kiosk technology.

 

The show floor of KioskCom's Self Service Expo and The Digital Signage Show Europe was smaller than last year, but that didn’t seem to affect the impressions of the more than 40 exhibitors present. While some commented that foot traffic was slow, many still appreciated the extra focus they got to have with attendees.

Jim Dalziel of Kiosk Manufacturing Systems, a longtime KioskCom exhibitor, said attendees were “more serious” about upcoming self-service projects and were asking more involved questions.

Cisco's Dos Dosanjh speaks at KioskCom Europe.

1. Lack of motivation: There has to be a reason for the customer to watch or interact with the screen.
2. Lack of targeted content to a targeted audience: Many industry pundits are now saying “relevance is king,” meaning no matter how good the content is on the screen, if it doesn’t resonate with the viewer it is worthless.
3. Results are not measured: If no measurement takes place, there is no way to judge the effectiveness of the campaign.

Down a third

Here are some other headlines from the tradeshow floor:

Nexcom showed its NDiS 540 and NDiS 162 media players, following an announcement that the company was partnering with software provider Scala. The joint venture is intended to pair Nexcom’s media players with Scala software to simplify the digital signage solution for customers.  Nexcom used the NDiS 540 to power a four-screen video wall, highlighting its quad-DVI output functionality. Nexcom also released its own simplified digital signage software at the show. Customers can choose which software package they need pre-installed on the player.

ProTouch, a supplier of electronic point-of-sale kiosks, announced a partnership at KioskCom Europe with YesPay, a provider of card payment-processing services. The partnership resulted in several kiosk solutions designed to offer retailers the ability to process self-service card payments. Protouch said the solutions will be geared toward supermarkets, rail stations and cinemas that want to offer self-service chip-and-PIN credit and debit card payments.

Star Micronics showed a check-in kiosk designed for Premier Inn, equipped with the Star Micronics TUP992 kiosk printer. Star also announced that it is the exclusive kiosk printer manufacturer for Premier Inn, which is rolling out self-service check-in kiosks across its chain of hotels, as well as replacing traditional A4 laser printers at the reception desks with Star TSP800 printers.

One of the busiest booths was that of U-Touch, which showed a 103-inch, optical touch-enabled Panasonic plasma screen. The large-scale touchscreen may look familiar — it was used by both CNN and BBC to show exit poll results for the 2008 presidential election.

Clemthek is a vending-solutions company that got much attention showing two versions of the ShopRobotic automated vending machine. Used to sell everything from sodas to iPhones, the machines featured touchscreen selection, endcap digital signage and the ability to vend both refrigerated and nonrefrigerated items from the same machine.

The company's short haul airlines manager Bruce Parton describes the situation as a "full-blown system meltdown," never seen before. He says computer company IBM's performance has fallen well short of expectation. … Mr. Parton says at this stage, Air New Zealand does not know what caused the disruption, and the company will address that with IBM on Monday.

Beyond the fear of losing customers, many retailers worry that cheap redbox rentals will hurt film revenue so much that studios will ultimately have to scale back future movie production. Hollywood trade unions are believed to be prepping a consumer campaign of the own to similarly insists that redbox harms the entertainment business.

Tedeschi Food Shops, a convenience store chain with nearly 200 locations in the Northeast United States, will deploy Blockbuster Express DVD-rental kiosks chain-wide, according to a report from Convenience Store/Petroleum, a magazine that covers the c-store segment.

Tedeschi already has the Blockbuster Express units, developed by NCR Corp., in 89 of its stores and plans to deploy 27 more by the end of October. The chain says it expects installation to be completed by the end of the year.

The ng Connect Program today announced a new proof of concept developed by The MediaTile Co. in collaboration with Alcatel-Lucent. The program members have announced the first "HumanKiosk" prototype, a digital signage solution with integrated 4GVideoPresence technology.

According to a news release from MediaTile, the HumanKiosk will enable brands, retailers and other vendors to influence consumers where and when they shop. It combines out-of-home digital promotions with a way to connect personally with consumers who are purchasing products in-store, at the point of decision.

With more than 155 million estimated viewers each month in the U.S. now watching digital signage networks as part of their daily routine, adding 4G/LTE into the equation means these viewers will be able to interact directly with the vendors whose products are onscreen. 4G/LTE and technologies, such as 4GVideoPresence, will fundamentally change the digital signage market as we know it today, and allow brands to re-engage and interact with consumers in a more personal, face-to-face manner.

By adding 4G/LTE networking directly into digital signage solutions, such as those developed by ng Connect member MediaTile, network operators will be able to provide a new level of experiential content for their customers. With more and more customers deploying 3G networks today, providing a built-in roadmap to the future with 4G/LTE adds tremendous business value and investment protection to digital signage about which customers are already ecstatic.

Bay said test kiosks should be in stores by Nov. 15, though he wouldn't give many other details. Consumers will be able to visit the kiosks, search and download films to an SD card, the same cards used to store digital photos on digital cameras. The cards can be placed in SD card slots found on some TVs, PCs, DVD players, mobile phone and other devices for movie playback.

D2 Sales, a maker of kiosk and digital signage technology, has announced Boston's Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates will deploy D2's My Patient Passport Express kiosk for its patient check-in program. In August, a New York University medical facility also deployed D2's kiosk solution.

Sandy Nix, D2's chief executive, says patients ultimately benefit from the enhanced convenience kiosk check-in offers:

D2's purpose-built healthcare kiosks allow patients a choice when registering, updating their records and making co-pay payments, providing a quicker and more efficient check-in process. We are delighted Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates chose to partner with D2 in bringing this added convenience to their patients and staff.

According to a news release from D2 Sales, patients can use the HIPAA-compliant check-in kiosks to sign in for their appointments, make future appointments, make credit card payments, sign documents electronically and update their medical history.

EcoATM, a San Diego-based maker of automated "eCycling" stations, has announced the deployment of its first kiosk for electronic waste recycling at the Nebraska Furniture Mart in Omaha, Neb.

According to a news release from ecoATM, the kiosk offers to buy back used mobile phones, giving consumers a financial incentive to recycle the devices. The kiosk soon will support other consumer electronics as well, ecoATM says.

Mark Bowles, ecoATM's chief executive, says consumers have responded thus far:

We are extremely pleased with the initial results and consumers' delight with the system. EcoATM's solution finally makes it easy for consumers to give their used phones a second life or to recycle them. Over 100 million used but still valuable phones are quietly retired to closets and drawers each year in the U.S., where they decay into zero value and then enter our landfills years later. Our automated ecoATM provides consumers and retailers an easy, convenient, incentivized method to convert those devices into real money instead of toxic waste.

In addition to the Nebraska deployment, ecoATM has announced it is a finalist for San Diego's Most Innovative New Product Awards, a competition run by the city's CONNECT organization, which promotes innovation as a foundation of the region's economy. EcoATM says the award winners will be announced in December.

The company says it plans to launch additional "eCycling" stations with retailers in San Diego, Boston, Dallas and Seattle.

YesPay announced this week at KioskCom Europe that HMV, a leading retailer of music, DVDs and video games in the United Kingdom, has introduced kiosks into its stores. The deployment was completed in conjunction with YesPay, a payments-service company, and its partner Neo Products U.K., which specializes in touchscreen kiosks.

Customers can use the kiosks to locate stock, view sample clips and order content for home delivery. They also can download .mp3 files for immediate transfer and storage to media players.

YesPay will integrate its EMBOSS chip-and-PIN service into the kiosks to facilitate payments. The technology accepts all U.K. credit and debit cards, allowing prompt and secure payment.

“With customer demands increasing and people wanting to buy music in new ways, it’s important to ensure that with new shopping methods, payments are met securely,” said Dave Elston, e-commerce manager at HMV.

The EyeSite kiosk, developed by Atlanta-based SoloHealth, is scheduled to appear on Thursday's episode of "The Doctors," a popular CBS talk show featuring four renowned physicians, according to SoloHealth founder and chief executive Bart Foster.

EyeSite offers free vision screenings for customers and provides eye-health information, along with a customized, printed evaluation and information on local eye care providers. EyeSite recently announced a 30-unit retail deployment in St. Louis.

VIDEO: SoloHealth EyeSite kiosk demonstration

The episode featuring the EyeSite kiosk will air Thursday, Oct. 1 in syndication.

ProTouch, a supplier of electronic point of sale kiosks, has announced a partnership at KioskCom Europe with YesPay, a provider of card payment-processing services. The partnership resulted in several kiosk solutions designed to offer retailers the ability to offer self-service card payments.

According to Retail Banking Reaearch, the number of self-service checkouts is set to quadruple over the next five years.

With self-service payments becoming the norm, we wanted to give retailers an easy-to-deploy solution that ticks all the boxes and that you could practically buy off the shelf.

YesPay’s EMBOSS payment service is fully preaccredited with multiple card acquirers within the U.K. and Republic of Ireland and is PCI DSS Level 1-approved. The system delivers transaction authorization in three to five seconds, and at the end of the day retailers can access and download real-time transaction reports.