Financial institutions have been forced to change the way they do business and interact with customers to help rebuild trust in the banking industry and encourage customer loyalty. The banks that are succeeding are those that are now investing in technologies that offer customers instant access to an increased number of services and facilities and greater autonomy over their finances.

The addition of Mr. Stillman to our advisory board will provide valuable insight that comes with experience and a pioneering mentality as it relates to a large-scale self-service deployment. Rich’s understanding of working with retailers and managing a network of self-service kiosks will aid in our pursuit to provide a complete solution for the first and last mile distribution of small- to medium-sized parcels.

We had a strong year of growth, having achieved substantial improvements on both the top and bottom line of the company. Most importantly, we found a way to grow the company’s revenue while reducing capital expenditures to record lows, demonstrating a substantial strengthening of our business model. Although we continue to operate in a difficult economic climate, TIO’s last-minute bill payment processing services continue to be in high demand. The company expects to continue to grow revenues and is working hard to accelerate its growth with a very strong line-up of opportunities and initiatives.

At Cox, our focus is always on the customer. The ability of customers to pay their bills at TIO retail locations and self-service kiosks is one more way that our customers can conveniently do business with Cox.

Comark Corp. has announced the release of a multimedia kiosk that allows customers to capture live video or photos in various backdrops using green screen technology and then share the content via e-mail or a printed postcard.

According to a news release from Comark, the kiosk features a built-in proximity sensor and a motion detector equipped camera to attract customers and save power during times of inactivity. The solution includes a 32-inch high-resolution LCD for advertising content, a 19-inch LCD touchscreen and a stainless-steel keyboard with a trackball mouse. Multiple software configurations and payment peripherals are available as well, the company says.

American Industrial Systems Inc., a manufacturer of LCD monitors and displays, has announced the expansion of its line of LED-backlit displays. The company says the LED display technology offers long life, high durability and low power consumption when compared to standard CCFL backlights and is available on 17-inch, 19-inch and 21.5-inch LCD screens.

The company says the product line supports multiple configurations and applications:

Several mechanical designs are available featuring LED displays including open frames, chassis, panel mount, rugged series, panel PC and tablet PC. All of AIS' industrial displays are built for long lifetime support and availability, high performance and reliable operation in industrial, commercial and military application. Additional options such as sunlight readable transflective films, privacy films, touchscreens, wide voltage-range boards, wide temperature range modules, and shock/vibration enhancements are all but a few of AIS’ line of enhancement technologies to cater the display to your exact application requirements.

NCR Corp. has announced the opening of a new manufacturing plant in Manaus, Amazonas in Brazil. The company said in a news release that the facility will support the market demand for NCR's SelfServ ATMs in Brazil, the Caribbean and throughout Latin America. The company announced it would build the plant earlier this year.

Bob Tramontano, NCR's vice president of marketing, says the Brazilian market is poised for rapid growth:

Surveys with the retail banking industry show that the Brazilian ATM market is to grow 16 percent by 2012, which warrants that significant investments are made. NCR’s investment of R$73 million (US $42 million) will help shape the future of manufacturing in Brazil as we build, design and engineer specific products to meet the needs of our customers in the region.

NCR says the new facility will create 250 new jobs in Manaus.

Anyone who has worked with Tom Tullie, as I have in the past, understands the intense focus and leadership he brings to an organization. We are delighted he has agreed to take the helm as we ramp into the next phase.

Atlanta-based SoloHealth today announced an agreement with Kroger that will expand the SoloHealth EyeSite kiosk to 10 Kroger locations in the metro Atlanta area. The touchscreen EyeSite kiosk offers shoppers a free vision screening and risk assessment with a customized results report, as well as free eye health information and lists of local eye care providers.

Bart Foster, founder and CEO of SoloHealth, says many people neglect eye health without realizing the damages:

Eyes deteriorate so slowly that people often don't realize their vision is changing. The EyeSite kiosks are a great way for people to check their vision and get related eye-health information. Our goal is to get people to think about their eyes as part of their overall health and to take the appropriate steps to minimize eye health risks.

In recent months, the EyeSite kiosk also has expanded to 30 grocery locations in the St. Louis area and has been featured in a segment on the popular CBS talk show "The Doctors."

Curiosk Marketing Solutions Inc., a provider of wine and spirits information kiosks, has announced that Alex Richardson, founder and former CEO of kiosk and digital signage software provider Netkey, has joined Curiosk's advisory board. Richardson is now managing director of New York-based Selling Machine Partners.

Having Alex join our advisory board adds a tremendous layer of expertise and provides our business partners with an enhanced level of confidence that Curiosk can and will become the No. 1, top-of-mind solution for retailers seeking an affordable solution for the wine aisle. In addition to his technology insights, Alex’s strategic leadership will help us to reach our goals and maintain our reputation for innovation and customer focus.

• Check in/out within 30 seconds
• Encode room keys
• Upgrade and change rooms
• View, print and e-mail bills and receipts
• Check in and print boarding passes for flights
• Change credit cards
• Scan passports and licenses

This hotel solution has allowed us to further expand our offerings and bring to both guests and management an entirely new level of service. NEXTEP’s ability to deliver enjoyable guest experiences and provide seamlessly integrated management systems directly to hotel lobbies is a natural extension of our experience and success in the foodservice and hospitality industries. We look forward to showcasing our newest software product at the International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show. 

Investing in drive-thru self-serve technology has helped us increase our sales and differentiate our customer service from the competition. Customers love the easy-to-use and frustration-free self-service ordering experience. In an industry driven by measurable sales and customer satisfaction, the rapid payback we've experience shows that the systems play a significant role in helping out drive-thru operations thrive.

• A 32-inch, sunlight-readable, interactive touchscreen designed for optimum viewing ability.
• An ambient light sensor that automatically adjusts the screen’s brightness level, depending on the brightness of the surroundings.
• A special screen feature called Display Positioning System (DPS) that displays the information right where the driver touches the screen, keeping the interaction at eye level.
• A proximity sensor that detects an approaching vehicle and displays a welcome screen and voice prompt, so the device is ready to accept orders as soon as the car or truck pulls up.
• A barcode scanner and credit-card reader that enable payment as soon as food is ordered.
• A webcam option that allows restaurant staff to view the customer placing the order.
• A thermal-management system, which can be used in all outdoor environments and operates in temperatures from -4 degrees Fahrenheit to 122 degrees Fahrenheit.

With the LPP, we wish to help partners continue to develop the in-depth technical expertise, market knowledge and highly specialized skill sets needed to implement, deploy and support the cutting-edge solutions expected by our end-customers. Over the years, local partnerships have proved successful, but today we are pleased to launch a dedicated and comprehensive indirect channel program, which will enable the industry to take full advantage of IER's innovations through unmatched worldwide local services and skills.

 

Harrah's is a model example of a visionary company committed to success through the use of technology and integration of industry best practices. The true leaders in the casino industry are distinguishing themselves from their competitors as they extend the use of the self-serve format to their foodservice venues through systems that incorporate reliable and failsafe technology, intuitive user interfaces and creative and appealing screen design content.

At this week's KioskCom Self Service Expo, representatives from technology research firm VDC Research Group Inc. discussed the state of the self-service industry as it moves toward a new year.

In a session entitled "Analyst Alert: Analysis of the Self-Service Kiosk Industry and Usability Studies," VDC executive vice president Chris Rezendes said the firm's data indicates the self-service industry has remained relatively healthy through the economic struggles of the past 18 months. VDC's figures, derived from a survey of 400 self-service deployers, indicate that North American deployers invested nearly $3 billion in self-service hardware, software and services in 2008.

"Self-service delivery-platform budgets survived the recession so far," Rezendes told attendees. "Your peers are continuing to invest in self-service projects."

Rezendes also told attendees that the self-service market is becoming more fragmented, which means deployers have to be smarter about the applications they roll out and the providers they work with.

"If you're considering deploying a self-service delivery platform, a kiosk for example, we think your decision has only gotten more complicated," he said. "The onus is now on (deployers) to clearly define what you want to do with the kiosk."

But coupled with that clear strategy must be room for flexibility and the goal of expanding a self-service deployment's functionality to serve multiple business needs, Rezendes said.

"You must have a razor-sharp definition of the primary application you're rolling out," he said. "At the same time, don't get caught deploying a solution that only supports that application. If you're going to invest in a platform, think of it as just that — a platform that will provide you with flexibility."

And Rezendes said self-service will only become more important to operators' bottom lines as consumers continue to deal with a shaky financial landscape — they have fewer dollars but more information than ever before.

"When they show up in your store or on your floor, they take leverage from you," he said. "Self-service is part of regaining that leverage at the point of decision."

Other numbers from VDC:

• Spending in the North American self-service market is expected to reach $5.6 billion by in 2013.
• According to VDC's survey results, 55 percent of respondents have deployed self-service solutions, and 39 percent plan to do so within the next 12 to 24 months.
• Self-service deployers cited customer empowerment, operations improvement and cost savings as their top-three deployment drivers.

Mary’s operations expertise, leadership skills and passion for providing our clients and customers the highest level of service have been instrumental in the growth and success of redbox. Redbox congratulates Mary on being named one of the most influential women in the home entertainment industry and for contributing to the ongoing success of redbox.

Esprida is continually evolving its products to ensure its clients are growing their businesses through substantial cost savings and improved management and performance of self-service deployments. Both Esprida Enterprise and Esprida LiveControl are optimally primed to do just this with newly enhanced platforms.

The reason we love ecoATM is that it essentially hits on every measurement we're talking about.

• A choice between laser barcode scanning or imaging technology
• Networking options, including wireless and Ethernet support
• A slim profile, at 2.43 inches by 6.17 centimeters
• Flexible mounting options – shelves, walls, tables and end-caps
• 12.1-inch color LCD touchscreen
• Microsoft Windows CE operating system
• Compatibility with Motorola’s Mobility Services Platform (MSP)
• Stereo speakers, microphone and headset jacks

The MK4000 enables the deployment of intuitive, on-demand, rich multimedia applications that provide your customers with instant and constant access to information — when and where they need it — eliminating wait times that can result in lost sales, well as customer attrition.

Dynamic Card Solutions (DCS), a provider of instant card-issuance hardware and software, debuted its prototype instant-issuance kiosk system at last week's BAI Retail Delivery conference. DCS' Ron Zanotti demonstrated the solution, which he said capitalizes on the personalization trend in the card market and allows financial institutions to create a one-to-one marketing solution and enhance relationships with their customers.

To use the solution, users simply verify their identities by entering an account number and a secondary form of identification, such as an account PIN. They then are able to choose from a variety of gallery images, which DCS can customize to include photos of local scenes or sports teams, for instance. A user can also create a card featuring a personal photograph uploaded to her account on the FI's Web site.

Zanotti says DCS showcased the prototype at BAI as a way to gauge the industry's interest in such a solution. Based on interest expressed by attendees from banks and credit unions, Zanotti says the company likely will move forward with development of the kiosk, with a potential launch in the second or third quarter of 2010.

The "automated card machine," as DCS has coined it, was manufactured by KIOSK Information Systems, and its user interface was developed in-house by DCS.

Nanonation, a Lincoln, Neb.-based provider of software for kiosks and digital signage, has announced it will showcase enhancements to its products at this week's KioskCom Self Service Expo. According to a news release from Nanonation, the company will show attendees new technologies to deploy and manage digital marketing assets across a variety of customer touchpoints. The company's booth also will feature stations where attendees can see a firsthand demonstration of its CommandPoint tools to monitor, manage and measure enterprise deployments.

Brian Ardinger, Nanonation's chief marketing officer, says the company's exhibit will give attendees an idea of how its customer experience technologies can benefit their enterprises:

We’ve enhanced our software platform to provide a wider range of customer experience technologies than ever before. These technologies enable businesses to cut costs, leverage investments, and deliver differentiated experiences across the enterprise. This show will give marketers and IT professionals a way to see, feel, and experience real-world examples.

Nanonation says the new product features it will exhibit include:

• User interface and functionality enhancements to its software platform
• Enhanced data-tagging intelligence to automate and improve content management
• Intelligent, SKU-activated merchandising solutions for customers and employees
• Digital menu board solutions for hospitality environments
• Customer-driven digital signage
• Mobile integration solutions, including Microsoft Tag and SMS messaging
• Digital audio solutions for management of the in-store audio experience

The company also has announced that CEO Bradley Walker will moderate a panel, "Creating the Intelligent Customer Experience," Tuesday at 10:30 and that Ardinger wil present a "Tech Talk" on the show floor entitled "Better Shopper Marketing Through Technology: Creating Innovative, Immersive and Intelligent Customer Experiences."

Nanonation is a platinum sponsor of the KioskCom event and will showcase its solutions in booth #307.

Home Media Magazine reports that MOD Systems will deploy its Retail Digital Content Distribution System, a digital movie-download kiosk, at six Blockbuster and Hollywood Video stores in Dallas, Seattle and Portland, Ore., by Nov. 13. During the trial deployment, the kiosks will offer more than 1,000 new release and catalog titles from Paramount, Warner Bros. and other studios, the report says.

Using the MOD kiosks, customers can download movie content to SD cards and then view the content on devices with SD card slots. The company tells Home Media that rentals will be tested at different prices, and customers will have access to the content for 30 days after purchase. Once a movie is viewed, it will be available for 48 hours before the included digital-rights management technology locks it, preventing further viewing.

An increasing number of physician practices are adopting self-service for functions such as patient registration, bill payment and appointment scheduling. Through this important collaboration, patients who are members of health plans that partner with Express Scripts will have access to prescription management options that make it more cost-effective and convenient for them to comply with their medication plans. At the same time, the initiative will provide Express Scripts with a centralized method for communicating with their member population at the point of care.

In addition to reducing shrinkage, effective bottom-of-basket detection can contribute to faster checkout and enhanced customer satisfaction. We’re pleased to add this advanced loss-prevention technology to the list of third-party NCR-compatible solutions.

The thing that makes these kiosks really interesting is their ability to bring so many aspects of the fundraising process together in one place. You can educate people about the institution's mission, share information about people or groups that have contributed in the past and give them a chance to participate themselves. I think that there will always be a place for traditional recognition elements like donor walls, but we believe that interactive components like these are a great complement to these types of installations and can even be integrated with them, and we're looking forward to creating similar systems for other institutions.

• Check in/out within 30 seconds
• Encode room keys
• Upgrade and change rooms
• View, print and e-mail bills and receipts
• Check in and print boarding passes for flights
• Change credit cards
• Scan passports and licenses

ABC reports that earlier this year, as part of his administration's efforts to reform the U.S. healthcare system, President Obama pledged to ensure that all medical records in the United States would be electronic within five years. The plan is sure to have far-reaching effects on the healthcare industry as a whole, and it also is likely to create opportunities for technology providers in the space.

Patient check-in kiosks have existed in doctors' offices for some time, but they've not become as ubiquitous as in other verticals yet. But Josh Napua, vice president of kiosk solutions for Fujitsu's Frontech of North America division, says the impending government mandates are likely to drive more deployments.

"Healthcare has always been thought of as being sort of behind on IT technology," Napua said. "But obviously with the infusion of the Obama initiative for electronic medical records, I think there's a growing interest, to say the least, in trying to figure out a lot of these solutions in healthcare."

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Fujitsu's latest patient self-service offering, the Med-Serv 50/60 kiosk, incorporates state-of-the art biometric technology, another trend that is picking up speed in the kiosk industry. The kiosk's PalmSecure palm-vein sensor, which also can be implemented in other hardware configurations, allows a patient to sign in at the healthcare provider's office by simply holding her hand close to the kiosk's touchscreen, which then captures an image of the palm's vein pattern and encrypts it. Fujitsu is working with several medical centers, including a 22-location clinic network in Springfield, Ill., and George Washington University, to execute pilot rollouts of the kiosk, whose hardware is manufactured by KIOSK Information Systems.

Patients can choose to forgo the palm-vein scan and use other methods to sign in, but Napua says providers have been pleasantly surprised to find most users prefer the biometric option.

Fujitsu's Med-Serv 50/60 kiosk features the company's PalmSecure biometric technology, allowing patients, physicians and medical staff to sign in quickly and securely.

"At the beginning, the patient always has the option to check in either using their credit card, a password, which is typically a Social Security Number, or a biometric palm (scan)," Napua said. "Ninety-nine percent of the patients have been opting for the palm biometrics."

Another important advantage of the PalmSecure technology is that it can be used to verify the identity of physicians and medical staff themselves to gain access to medical records systems. Napua says this implementation allows for better protection of patients' private and sensitive information.

"One of the problems that has been publicly noted, especially in Hollywood, is the fact that these records are accessible by anybody who's in the hospital," he said. "They've had problems where people who should not have been were accessing patients' records. So there's another big move for implementing single sign-on solutions, which means being able to use just one security password or biometric to access multiple applications in a hospital or clinic. Because people lose passwords, people lose their badges, people give their passwords to other people, all of that."

And the palm-vein biometric technology, which Napua says is the only one of its kind certified by the international biometric standards consortium Common Criteria, is particularly suited to a healthcare environment because it is contactless and even can capture a person's vein pattern through material, such as a physician's latex glove.

Napua also says the palm-vein scanning is among the most accurate and cost-effective solutions when compared to other biometric technologies. He says fingerprint-scanning, which has been common in biometric deployments thus far, is on the low end of the spectrum in terms of cost but also is the least accurate biometric technology. On the other hand, iris scanning, also a well-known biometric iteration, is the most accurate but also the most costly. Palm-vein scanning, however, accomplishes both goals, Napua says.

"So now position the palm-vein sensor — it is on the low end of that spectrum in terms of cost, competing with that fingerprint sensor, but it is as accurate as an iris scanner," he said. "So you sort of get the best of both worlds with this palm-vein sensor."

Global Entry kiosk program

Another government initiative driving the growth of biometric deployments is the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Global Entry Trusted Traveler program. The project's pilot phase was launched in June 2008 and is now in 20 airports nationwide.

The kiosks employ fingerprint- and iris-scanning biometrics, along with a series of declaration questions, to confirm the identity of registered travelers and move them through customs more quickly and efficiently than the traditional method, where customs agents deal with each traveler individually.

According to a news release from the DHS, travelers who wish to register with the Global Entry program must submit their biometric data, pay a $100 fee and go through a background check and an interview with Customs and Border Protection officers.

As of August, 16,000 members were enrolled in the program and the kiosks had been used more than 51,000 times, according to the DHS. The kiosk and biometric solutions are provided by KIOSK Information Systems and CSC, neither of which chose to comment on the topic for this article.

 

Managing digital marketing assets across a variety of customer touch points will be the focus of Nanonation as it exhibits at KioskCom Self Service Expo and The Digital Signage Show next week. The Lincoln, Neb.-based software company will showcase a number of new technologies for both kiosks and digital signage.

• User interface and functionality enhancements to Nanonation’s software platform
• Intelligent, SKU-activated merchandising solutions for customers and employees
• Digital Menu Board solutions for hospitality environments
• Customer-driven digital signage and mobile integration such as Microsoft Tag
• Digital audio solutions for management of the in-store audio experience
• Enhanced data tagging intelligence to automate and enhance content management

In addition Bradley Walker, Nanonation’s CEO, will be moderating a panel on Tuesday at 10:30 A.M. entitled “Creating the Intelligent Customer Experience.” Panel participants for the session will include representatives from Target and Outcast Media.

Brian Ardinger, Nanonation’s CMO, will present at 2:00 P.M. at a session titled “Better Shopper Marketing Through Technology: Creating Innovative, Immersive & Intelligent Customer Experiences.” Each session will delve into specific industry case studies and insights gained from the past decade of work in the digital media marketplace.

NCR Corp. announced this morning that it has purchased the assets of Netkey, a digital signage and kiosk software provider based in East Haven , Conn. Terms of the sale were not disclosed.

Netkey’s software platform is used to manage digital signage networks as well as self-service applications like gift registry, guided selling, endless aisle and human resources functions.

Netkey has more than 75,000 kiosks and digital signs installed by more than 400 clients in the retail, finance, transportation and government sectors. Many of these customers also use NCR ’s kiosk, self-checkout or point-of-sale solutions.

NCR will combine Netkey’s software platform with its own software to create an enterprise software solution to accompany NCR’s hardware portfolio and suite of services. NCR will continue to provide multivendor hardware support with the Netkey solution.

Mike Webster, vice president and general manager for NCR ’s retail line of business, commented on the acquisition:

Consumers increasingly expect to interact with companies when and how they wish, and businesses are responding by offering their customers a seamless experience across the channel of their choice. This acquisition will enable NCR to help its customers across multiple industries with kiosk and digital signage solutions that deliver more effective transactions, promotions and information as part of a merged-channel strategy.

DVD-rental kiosk brand redbox today announced two-year distribution agreements with NCircle Entertainment, a children's entertainment distributor, and Summit Entertainment, a full-service, worldwide film studio.
 
Redbox says the deals will allow its customers increased access to NCircle and Summit titles at all of its locations nationwide. NCircle's titles have won Parent's Choice and Emmy awards and include brands such as The Jim Henson Company's ”Sid the Science Kid" and Dr. Seuss' "The Cat in The Hat Knows a Lot About That," among many others. Summit's titles include feature films such as the popular "Twilight" series and the hit film "Knowing."

Unlike some Hollywood movie studios, Summit will make its new release titles available to redbox customers on their street dates, says redbox president Mitch Lowe:

We are very pleased to enter into this agreement with Summit, as it underscores our commitment to creating winning relationships for our customers and studio partners. This agreement ensures that we will continue to deliver engaging and popular Summit movie titles to consumers at our kiosks when they are first released at an affordable price.

Debbie Ries, NCircle's senior vice president and general manager, believes the deal with redbox will help increase DVD sales for the company, a topic that also has been contentious in redbox' dealings with some major movie studios:

We will increase the visibility and reach of our titles nationwide through this two-year distribution agreement with redbox. Redbox rentals allow the consumer to try before they buy. We are confident that the positive rental experience at redbox, coupled with the quality and appeal of our content, will translate into increased DVD sales at retail. This agreement is an exciting opportunity for NCircle, redbox and the consumer.

Redbox did not disclose terms of either deal, but did say the Summit agreement will begin Jan. 1, 2010.