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News Archive |
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Wednesday, 30 September 2009
Window.i was released today at The Digital Signage Show Europe by PointandPress, a software programming company. The modular system uses low-energy touchpanels to enables users to control menus and access information through glass windows.
The windows are just now moving from a pilot project from the Glasgow (Scotland) City Council to a full rollout. PointandPress’ Simon Court said security is the biggest issue with U.K. deployments, as vandalism is common with digital signage projects in public spaces. The Window.i solutions in Glasgow are housed in pod enclosures to minimize damage to components.
The LED-lit touch panels are placed on the inside of glass windows and connect via USB cable to a screen behind the windows. Screens have the option of being high-brightness models to improve viewing under high ambient light conditions.
Wednesday, 30 September 2009
Star Micronics announced today at KioskCom Europe it has been selected as 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.
Premier said the reason for the change was to improve customer service and turn to newer, greener solutions. Customers can enter their booking information into the kiosks and swipe their credit card to check in, which cuts back on queues at the reception counter.
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The Premier Inn kiosk at KioskCom Europe.
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The primary printer used for the project is the Star Micronics TUP992. The printer holds a large-capacity roll measuring up to .25cm and is capable of two-color output at 150mm per second.
At the reception desk, Premier selected the TSP800 printer from Star.
"Reducing queues at busy times and providing an improved service to our customers is key,” said Trefor Price, project manager at Whitbread PLC, Premier’s parent company. “At the reception desk, the TSP800 allows us to not only save space and reduce CO2 emissions, but provide a more efficient billing service to our customers."
Wednesday, 30 September 2009
As the line between self-service and digital signage continues to blur, interactive technology provider DT Research has announced the deployment of its WebDT signage system at Taiwan's Taipei Bus Station, the country's largest transportation terminal.
According to a news release from DT Research, the WebDT solution combines a high-definition digital display with touch interactivity, allowing users to explore the station and surrounding area on the 47-inch screen.
DT Research also will provide its WebDT Content Manger software, allowing for real-time information updates.
The Taipei Bus Station opened in August as part of the city's Main Station Zone project to promote urban renewal. In addition to the multiline transportation terminal, the station offers a luxury hotel, residential condominiums with 24-hour concierge service, office buildings, a shopping center and a movie theater.
Wednesday, 30 September 2009
Rixty, a provider of an alternative payments platform that lets users purchase entertainment with online credits, has announced a partnership with Offerpal Media to add its service to Coinstar Inc.'s coin-exchange kiosks.
According to a news release from Rixty, online gamers can use Coinstar kiosks to convert their cash to credits for use on social networks such as Facebook, MySpace and Bebo. As with many of Coinstar's prepaid-card offerings, the Rixty transactions will be fee-free.
Anu Shukla, founder and chief executive of Offerpal Media, says the service will allow online game developers access to potential users who lack traditional payment capabilities:
The addition of Rixty to the Offerpal monetization platform gives consumers more ways than ever before to get and use virtual currency, while also putting cash back into developers' pockets. This partnership provides a direct link between real money and virtual currency for the consumer, and it helps developers monetize a large audience base that might not have access to traditional payment methods, but (who) find it simple to use Rixty's prepaid payment system.
Offerpal Media offers its virtual currency-monetization platform through more than 1,200 online publishers.
Wednesday, 30 September 2009
INSIDE Contactless, a provider of contactless chip technologies based in Aix-en-Provence, France, has announced a partnership with Paris-based MobiNear, a provider of mobile communications solutions.
According to a news release from INSIDE Contactless, the two companies will install INSIDE's near-field communication capabilities on MobiNear Box kiosks, allowing customers to use their contactless cards and NFC-enabled mobile phones to access MobiNear's PayGO platform. PayGo offers a range of applications, including payment-processing, loyalty-card functions and ticketing.
Christian Chabrerie, founder and chief executive of MobiNear, says the company chose INSIDE's technology because it was easy and cost-effective to integrate:
The MobiNear Box kiosk is our first solution to include NFC in addition to Bluetooth, BlueNFC and Wi-Fi interfaces, and we chose to work with INSIDE because they are the world leader in NFC technology. INSIDE's NFC reader module provided a turnkey solution we were able to easily integrate into our MobiNear Box. This significantly reduced the development time and cost required to add NFC capabilities to our platform.
Tuesday, 29 September 2009
 SITA is the world`s leading specialist in air transport communication and information technology (IT) solutions. Working closely with the air transport community, we innovate and develop IT applications and communication services across every aspect of the business.
Tuesday, 29 September 2009
Meridian Kiosks was recently featured in a cover story in Business Solutions magazine.
Company CEO Chris Gilder is pictured on the cover and interviewed in the story "Turn Touch Screens Into Kiosk Sales," which touches on how the company expects to exceed 100 percent revenue growth in 2009.
"The first thing VARs should be asking clients is if they're looking at deploying self-service solutions," Gilder says in the article. "Then ask if they've looked at the benefits. Many times, the potential client for self-service doesn't understand the benefits of enhancing the customer experience through self-service devices."
Read the entire article.
Tuesday, 29 September 2009
Atlanta-based SoloHealth has announced that regional grocery chain Schnucks Markets Inc. will deploy SoloHealth's EyeSite vision-screening kiosks at 30 of its St. Louis-area stores.
Bart Foster, founder and chief executive of SoloHealth, says many people don't realize they may be at risk for eye problems:
Too often, people don't realize that their vision may deteriorate so slowly that it may be imperceptible. They may think they have 20/20 vision, but in reality, eye disease may be forming. In fact, of the 175,000 people tested in our home base of Atlanta, 25 percent had never had an eye exam despite, in many cases, having risk factors such as family history of eye disease. By partnering with Schnucks, we hope to encourage those in the St. Louis area to take a brief moment to stop by our free kiosks and make their vision health a priority. By taking care of our eyes today, we can help to preserve the gift of sight for years to come.
The EyeSite kiosk provides a free, interactive vision test that assesses risk of eye disease and provides relevant eye health information and lists of local eye care providers. The kiosk prints a customized report of the test's results for users to share with their eye care professionals.
Monday, 28 September 2009
In spite of an economy that has many industries struggling, kiosk growth hasn't taken a negative turn, according to the latest version of Summit Research Associate Inc.'s annual report, "Kiosks and Interactive Technology – Global Statistics and Trends." But it hasn't skyrocketed, either.
"We have seen a significant change in the formerly impressive growth in projects across several market sectors," said Summit's founder, Francie Mendelsohn, in the report. "The state of the industry can be characterized as being in somewhat of a 'holding pattern.'"
But Mendelsohn says the near future is looking healthier for the kiosk industry. She predicts a return to a normalized level of deployments and pilot projects some time in 2010.
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Installed base
According to Summit's research, the worldwide kiosk installed base reached 1.82 million in 2008 and is expected to grow only slightly to 1.85 million by the end of 2009. Summit forecasts that number will grow to 1.9 million by the end of 2010 and to 2 million in 2011.
North America — This region persistently dominates the global kiosk market, representing two-thirds of the installed base, with 1.2 million deployments in 2008. According to Summit's findings, the majority of these deployments continue to be in the United States.
"The U.S. market continues to overshadow every other region," the report states. "It accounts for 53 percent of all kiosks deployed today. The huge dominance shows no signs of change in the next three years."
Europe — With an installed base of 321,000 kiosks, European kiosk deployments represent 18 percent of the global market. According to Summit, the region's deployment figures last year had fallen to third place but have since recovered.
"Europe again has resumed its place as the second-most populated kiosk region," the report says.
In terms of the future, Summit anticipates a "renewed level of activity" in Europe, specifically in Russia, where there has been upswing in the deployment of financial-services kiosks.
Asia-Pacific — This region closely trails Europe, with 271,000 kiosks, or 15 percent of the global installed base. Summit reports that, despite Asia's smaller number of kiosk players, several large deployments will precipitate steady growth in the region.
"Eventually, the Asia-Pacific region will eclipse the other regions," Mendelsohn writes in her analysis. "Chaliyuan, the manufacturer of phone battery-recharge kiosks, (has) installed more than 65,000 units in Beijing alone. When projects of similar size and scope are launched in this region, they will become a worthy competitor to North American dominance, and there is little doubt that the A-P region will one day be the industry leader."
"ROW" — With only 33,000 kiosks installed, the rest of the world, or ROW, as the Summit report refers to it, represents only 2 percent of the global kiosk market.
Mendelsohn specifically discusses Africa, the Middle East, India and South America in the report's ROW projections and says the majority of the deployments in those regions are financial-services kiosks. The report cites infrastructure issues, such as unreliable power supplies on the African continent, and low labor costs as prohibitive factors in the growth of self-service in these developing parts of the world.
Growth projections
Though its kiosk deployments lag behind those of the other regions, the report indicates that ROW will see the most kiosk expansion through 2011, with a projected growth rate of 17 percent, compared to 13 percent for North American and 12 percent each for Europe and Asia-Pacific.
"The ROW's growth is due primarily to the fact that they have far fewer kiosks deployed than the other world regions," Mendelsohn writes in the report. "The European and Asia-Pacific regions will have double-digit growth, very close to that of North America; but their total installed base numbers will not come within sight of North America in the foreseeable future."
Trends
Mendelsohn also analyzes kiosk activity in each market sector and comments on emerging trends. Among some of the highlights:
Retail — Summit reports an increasing number of auto sales establishments using product-information kiosks, as well as a number of retailers testing "sommelier in a box" wine-information kiosks.
The report also examines the quick-service restaurant segment and its hesitance to adopt kiosk technology. Mendelsohn outlines several contributing factors to this trend, including a lack of effective advanced marketing and employee education; failure to integrate self-service systems with a store's POS network; and software platforms that are too complicated.
The report indicates, however, that self-order kiosk technology has been successful in convenience stores, and Mendelsohn says there is still potential for these solutions in the foodservice industry.
Entertainment — Summit reviews an application that some in the industry expected to see flourish — digital-download kiosks. But the application has floundered, and Mendelsohn says the advancement of MP3 players and online music downloads is the reason.
"The deployment and use of music-listening and track-downloading kiosks has not grown as expected," she writes. "As sometimes happens, other technological breakthroughs have changed the dynamics in a striking and fundamental way."
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More highlights from 'Kiosk and Interactive Technology – Global Statistics and Trends'
• The average kiosk sees 94 users per day, a 29-percent decrease since 2006.
• Cash and credit card acceptors are the most-used payment peripherals. North American and European deployers use credit card acceptors most often, while Asia-Pacific and ROW deployers use cash acceptors most often.
• Most deployers — 31 percent — use third-party maintenance providers, while 28 percent report using the original solutions provider; 15 percent handle kiosk maintenance in-house.
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Mendelsohn says digital-download applications may be able to survive if they can evolve to exist on multifunctional devices that offer additional applications, such as those that offer photo processing or ringtone downloads.
Also in its entertainment-kiosk outlook, Summit predicts a deceleration in the growth of the booming DVD-rental segment.
"Will the future for DVD-rental kiosks continue to remain so bright? In the long term, no," Mendelsohn writes. "The reason is that technology is changing at a tremendous pace, and it is becoming possible to download a full-length movie directly to a consumer's PC or television in a few minutes."
Travel and Tourism — The two most notable trends Summit explores in the travel kiosk segment are 1) the deployment of common-use self-service, or CUSS, kiosks in environments such as convention centers and hotels and 2) the integration of mobile technology in self-service, specifically relating to airline check-in.
CUSS kiosks allow passengers to check in for flights, regardless of the airline they are flying.
"The kiosks have two main applications, usually represented by two buttons," according to the report. "One is for the traditional hotel check-in and checkout; the other allows the printing of the guest's boarding pass before heading to the airport. All major airlines are represented."
As for mobile integration, Summit reports that Air Canada has offered paperless boarding passes since 2007; Continental Airlines is the first U.S. carrier to test the technology.
Mendelsohn says the airport-kiosk segment will eventually be eclipsed by mobile capabilities.
The message
So what story does Summit's most recent data tell? Mendelsohn says the picture may seem dismal, but there are some bright spots.
"This year is certainly unlike any other we have experienced since Summit began in 1994," she writes in the report. "But there are definitely some pockets of activity. … Not everyone has suffered."
Mendelsohn also thinks deployers and solutions providers can enjoy a little breathing room, now that the credit crunch appears to be letting up.
"Those who have the financial wherewithal to ride it out — and I think the worst is behind us — will do OK," she writes. "You could argue quite easily that this is the best time to deploy kiosks. You're having to do more with less employees, and what better way to do that than to deploy kiosks?"
The figures in Summit's "Kiosks and Interactive Technology — Global Statistics and Trends" were compiled from independent research and testing, as well as from an extensive survey sent to more than 700 companies in the industry, which saw more than a 50-percent response rate. For more information, visit summit-res.com.
Monday, 28 September 2009
Los Angeles-based IridoTech Inc. has introduced IridoLab, a health-evaluation kiosk system that uses biometric iris scans to help users monitor their well-being.
According to a news release from IridoTech, IridoLab uses a dual-eye camera to complete iris scans and evaluates them using iris-based biometrics and techniques in Iridodiagnostics:
In short, a customer approaches an IridoLab kiosk ... and scans both eyes at once using our dual-eye camera system in as little as 10 seconds. Then the computer searches the pictures for specific biometric characteristics of the iris and compares the obtained readings to statistical norms, producing the IridoLab Evaluation Report.
IridoTech says a summary of the report is free to the customer and that a detailed report can be purchased and viewed or printed at the kiosk or online. IridoTech says the field of Iridodiagnostics is typically categorized as a complementary and alternative medicine, or CAM.
The company says it will begin taking orders for the IridoLab in November.
Friday, 25 September 2009
Tempe, Ariz.-based Phoenix Kiosk has announced a new line of self-service kiosks.
According to a news release from Phoenix, its new CORE kiosks are available in wall-mounted or freestanding models, and deployers have a choice of materials and colors for the enclosure's front panel.
Alan Work, Phoenix Kiosk's chief executive, says the new product line offers deployers a modern, yet practical, option:
The CORE line offers a sleek new look for kiosks, and we are proud to make these products available to the market. The CORE line presents important characteristics for kiosk design and manufacturing and clearly demonstrates how we differ from those in our industry by using unique materials and aesthetic designs that are highly functional and contemporary.
Phoenix says the CORE kiosks also are available with a "Glowgo" option to give the appearance of a laser-etched acrylic logo on the kiosk's enclosure, backlit by a colored LED.
Thursday, 24 September 2009
Hoeft & Wessel, a German information technology and engineering company, has announced it will deploy 720 of its Almex stationary self-service ticketing kiosks for Transports Publics Genovois, or TPG.
In a news release announcing the deal, Hoeft & Wessel says the kiosks' unique solar-power technology will afford the deployer a new level of flexibility:
200 machines feature a new, pioneering technology that makes it possible to reduce electricity consumption. Solar cells are sufficient for an independent power supply, making the new terminals completely independent from the electricity grid. As a result, transport companies are given absolute freedom in choosing their locations.
The company says it also will provide application software for the ticketing kiosks, which will be deployed in 2010 and 2011.
Thursday, 24 September 2009
CUSTOM Engineering, a manufacturer of POS and kiosk printing solutions based in Italy, has introduced several new ticket printers to its product line.
According to a news release from CUSTOM, the KPM150 is a compact ticket printer ideal for parking and transportation ticketing kiosks. The product's features include an adjustable printing width and a print speed of 180mm/sec.
Also new to the company's offerings is the KPM300H heavy-duty ticket printer, which prints at a speed of 250mm/sec. Both the KPM150 and the KPM300H feature optional RFID reader/writers and optional barcode scanners.
The TK200 is a thermal barcode printer designed for applications such as cinema and theater ticketing. The product connects directly to a PC via USB and serial ports and prints graphics, text and barcodes at a speed of 250mm/sec.
All of CUSTOM's ticket printers feature remote monitoring capabilities, including remote upload and update of fonts and logos and automatic e-mail alerts.
In addition to its new ticket printers, CUSTOM has announced the availability of its latest thermal kiosk printer, the KMP216H II. Equipped with a new processor, this model provides more power than its standard counterpart, according to the news release. The KMP216H II prints in 300 dpi resolution at a speed of 180 mm/sec and features a dual paper roll feed. Like CUSTOM's ticket printers, the thermal kiosk printer also features remote monitoring and updating capabilities.
Thursday, 24 September 2009
Lombard, Ill.-based ADUSA, a provider of self-order kiosks for retail and foodservice operators, has announced its recognition as a Certified Retail Technology Provider by the Retail Solutions Providers Association, or RSPA.
According to a news release from ADUSA, RSPA launched its certification program in July to assure retailers and the public they are working with a distinguished solutions provider. Joe Finizio, RSPA's president and chief executive, says the certification program is the first of its kind:
RSPA is very pleased to bring an industry association-supported certification program to the retail technology marketplace. This program was developed to set and maintain the bar of professionalism for retail technology vendors and resellers. ADUSA has provided its worthy of this certification by demonstrating superior products and customer service.
Wednesday, 23 September 2009
Business Mirror reports that PROlife legislators in the Philippines are pushing for the early passage of a bill that would provide standards for visually impaired users at ATMs in the country.
The legislation, know as the ATM Visually Impaired-Friendly Act, calls for the addition of a nonvisual method for reading or relaying messages that appear on ATM screens.
If passed, every banking institution in the country will be required to maintain certain specification at each ATM in its network and ensure equal access for all individuals. ATMs will be required to transmit messages through visual and audio systems.
Wednesday, 23 September 2009
Salt Lake City-based Companion Systems, a provider of ATM surrounds, enclosures and kiosks, is partnering with Union Bank N.A., for what Companion Systems is calling the largest ATM-surrounds recycling project in the United States.
Over the next few months, Companion Systems plans to remove existing ATM surrounds for Union Bank and then recycle all of the removed materials according to current methods and standards. The project will reportedly include updating and recycling approximately 450 of Union Bank’s ATM-surround products in California.
Union Bank has 335 branch offices in California, Washington and Oregon; two international offices; and facilities in six other states.
Union Bank senior vice president Ralph Lindsay says Union Bank required that the ATM-surrounds company it signed with be able to recycle all of the materials:
Companion Systems’ ability to effectively recycle the products from our old surrounds was a requirement of the Union Bank bid. Our company has an active recycling program and a serious interest in protecting and preserving the environment. Companion demonstrated an innovative approach that corresponds with our corporate objectives.
All ATM-surround parts and materials can be repurposed into viable commercial and consumer products. Steel, aluminum and plastic parts can be recycled by most waste-recycling facilities. Fiberglass recycling is a relatively new process in which fiberglass can be ground and separated into fine particles. The fiberglass particles can be used to make picnic tables, sea walls, park benches, railroad ties, fencing and bumper stops.
Wednesday, 23 September 2009
Key Innovations Ltd. has announced it will exhibit the KSD9000 self-service payment terminal at the National Association of Convenience Stores, or NACS, tradeshow next month in Las Vegas.
According to a news release from Key Innovations, the KSD9000 is a vandal-resistant secured payment terminal with a high-resolution color display. The display features menu-related soft keys, a PIN pad, a credit/debit card reader and a contactless card reader.
The NACS event will take place Oct. 20-23 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Wednesday, 23 September 2009
Financial Service Centers Cooperative Inc. has announced the launch of its Ultimate Tailgate Sweepstakes to promote the use of its Vcom self-service kiosks at 7-Eleven stores in California. According to a news release from FSCC, the contest begins Oct. 1 and will award five kiosk users with the "Ultimate Tailgate" party:
Five winners will be selected to each win a $1,000 Visa gift card. Credit union members will be entered into the sweepstakes by authenticating themselves at a Vcom terminal located in any participating 7-Eleven store in California.
FSCC says contest entrants must be members of credit unions that participate in the CU Service Centers network with FSCC.
Sara Canepa Bang, FSCC's president and chief executive, says the promotion is an incentive for members to use the self-service units:
We want to reward members who use the 7-Eleven locations as the quick, easy and convenient way to access their credit union accounts. It also is of great benefit to our member credit unions, as transaction costs at Vcom terminals are lower than traditional outlets.
FSCC's Vcom kiosks allow credit union members to deposit checks, withdraw cash, make loan payments, transfer money, advance cash, and obtain balance inquiries and recent transaction history.
Tuesday, 22 September 2009
NEXTEP SYSTEMS has announced the deployment of its Casino Express touchscreen buffet-entry kiosks at Casino Queen, in East St. Louis, Ill., and The Rivers, in Pittsburg.
According to a news release from NEXTEP, casino guests use the kiosks to enter the number of diners in their party and prepay for their buffet meals with cash, credit, debit or casino loyalty credit. The kiosks then issue a receipt the guests use to gain entry to the buffet. The kiosk also offers the casino an optional reservation module to incorporate.
Jeff Breazeale, NEXTEP's sales director, says casino dining establishments are particularly well-suited to deploy kiosk solutions:
Casino foodservice represents an ideal candidate for self-service. Casino dining concepts have high traffic, long hours of operation and relatively high labor costs, resulting in a three- to six-month payback period.
NEXTEP says Casino Queen deployed three of the Casino Express kiosks at its Market Street Buffet, while The Rivers installed four of the devices at its Grand View Buffet.
Monday, 21 September 2009
Diminishing tradeshow attendance has been one of the many byproducts of the global recession. But the show must go on, as they say, and Phil Hunter, director of the European installment of KioskCom's Self Service Expo and The Digital Signage Show, says now it's more important than ever to get the word out.
There were 321,000 kiosks installed in Europe in 2008, versus 1.2 million in North America, according to Summit Research Associates' latest report, "Kiosk and Interactive Technology, Global Statistics and Trends." But Hunter says that, as some areas of Europe seemingly begin to come out of the recession, the self-service and kiosk market there has a real opportunity to flourish.
He expects that potential for growth to be the theme of this year's show, held at Olympia in London, Sept. 30 through Oct. 1. And even though things may be looking up, Hunter says, scarred business operators will continue to search for ways to save money, possibly leading to a new acceptance of self-service technology.
"Even though that's on the cusp of happening now, I think people are still going to be very conscious about saving money, about cutting costs." Hunter said. "With these kinds of opportunities, with a sea change in things like the economy, it makes people review things, it makes people look at things in different ways and, hopefully, precipitates a change in their attitudes."
Hunter also says the show's organizers feel a responsibility to help educate European businesses about the benefits of self-service, as the region's traditional lag behind North America suggests a limited understanding of the business case for kiosks.
"Not only is adoption over here lower than in the U.S., but I think also the perception isn't good either," Hunter said. "I think there is a need to raise the perception levels of the benefits of self-service. So, I think there's a job to be done there."
Exhibitors, sessions
Hunter says most of the exhibitors at KioskCom Europe are from that region, providing an opportunity for U.S. attendees to connect with solutions providers they might not otherwise meet. But some U.S.-based companies will make the trek, as well, offering attendees a diverse picture of what the global self-service and digital signage industries have to offer.
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Sessions and speakers
Some of KioskCom Europe's notable sessions and speakers include:
"Digital out-of-home — The state of the industry today and tomorrow" — Bill Yackey, DigitalSignageToday.com
"Multichannel retailers — How self-service kiosks are increasing sales revenues" — Rohit Patni, YesPay
"Cisco Digital Media System — Digital signage in action" — David Scott, Cisco Digital Media Solutions
"Showcase Cinemas — A complete solution from start to finish" — Barry Thurston, Showcase Cinemas
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A few notable exhibitors at the Europe show include:
• ArcaTech Systems, a U.S.-based maker of cash dispensers, cash recyclers, check image scanners, encrypting PIN pads and coin-dispensing systems.
• Credit Call, a PCI DSS-certified credit card-payment gateway that specializes in allowing kiosks, Web sites and most other unattended terminals to securely accept credit and debit cards.
• Eurocoin, a European supplier of hardware and peripherals to kiosk manufacturers. Eurocoin's product range includes TFT displays, 3M Touchscreens, Motorola barcode scanners, thermal printers and more.
• Ingenico U.K., a leader in payment solutions with more than 15 million terminals deployed worldwide.
• Media Tile, a U.S.-based provider of digital signage platforms and cellular-based solutions.
• Nexcom, a provider of digital signage platforms, ranging from low-cost, entry-level products to high-end solutions.
• Protouch Manufacturing Ltd., a supplier of touchscreen kiosks, monitors and PCs, EPoS systems and large-format digital signage.
• Verifone, a provider of payments solutions, including customer-facing terminals, PIN pads, unattended and contactless peripherals, kiosks and PAYware software.
Also among KioskCom Europe's programming is a new feature for the digital signage audience, Hunter says. Minicom, which also will exhibit at the show, is set to host a "digital signage tour," which will offer attendees a look at "hand-picked" exhibitors to gain insight on the digital signage supply chain and issues like content creation and traffic management. Minicom also hosted the tour at London's Screenmedia Expo and Orlando's Infocomm conferences this year.
Monday, 21 September 2009
Medical Check In Systems Inc. has announced the deployment of its Customer Service Check In kiosks in court and probation offices across the state of Virginia. In a news release, Medical Check In Systems says the deployment is part of Virginia' efforts to reduce overhead costs, meet budget cuts, improve customer service and track visitor statistics.
In the release, Medical Check In Systems describes how the kiosks will simplify the process of obtaining government services for the public:
The touchscreens now in place at some Virginia offices take a visitor name and ask the reason for their visit. The information is then posted on the computers of the office, where each department can respond with the proper person to handle the request. Using the system, the visitor can directly notify the right person for the job from the minute they walk in.
The company says its Customer Check In solution also has been deployed in state offices in Rock Hill, S.C., Michigan City, Ind., and Tulsa, Okla.
Monday, 21 September 2009
United Kingdom-based Protouch, manufacturer and distributor of touchscreen kiosk solutions, has announced it will exhibit three designs from its Xen kiosk series at London's KioskCom Self Service Expo, which runs Sept. 30-Oct. 1.
In a news release, Protouch says its Xen kiosks can house applications ranging from ticketing to bill-payment, as well as offer customizable options for components and accessories.
In addition to the company's exhibit at KioskCom, Protouch's managing director, Tom Quarry, will speak at one of the event's sessions, "EPoS for the Store of the Future":
The seminar will see Tom discussing Protouch's award-winning EPoS kiosk hardware, focusing on the Kiddicare case study. Attendees will learn how this award-winning kiosk can manage more customers with less staff costs, as well as increasing customer spend and enhancing the sales processed in the store.
Monday, 21 September 2009
Incentient, a Jericho, N.Y.-based transaction-services provider, has announced the launch of its SmartCellar touchscreen self-service device at New York City's SD26 restaurant.
According to a news release from Incentient, the SmartCellar is a wireless, handheld device that gives restaurant patrons access to an establishment's wine list, allowing them to search for wine by price, grape, year, country, region, characteristics, appellation and more.
SD26's owner, Tony May, says the restaurant chose the SmartCellar solution to complement its unique wine offerings:
At SD26, the electronic wine list will allow our customers to easily and intuitively navigate our expansive collection of more than 10,000 bottles. SD26's innovative approach to wine selection and SmartCellar's customizable wine program makes finding the perfect wine for every meal more enjoyable and accessible for all wine lovers.
Incentient says the SmartCellar features automatic inventory updates and multilingual capabilities and can be customized to match any operation's look and feel.
Monday, 21 September 2009
Quick Chek, a chain of fresh food stores in New England, has announced a pilot installation of self-checkout lanes in one of its Phillipsburg, N.J., locations. The self-checkout terminals, which the store has dubbed the "Quick Chek Fast Lanes," are manufactured by NCR Corp. and began operating in the store Aug. 26.
Maria Fidelibus, vice president of technology for Quick Check, says the brand wanted to expand on its reputation for customer service:
Along with being held in high regard for our wide array of fresh food products and famed fresh coffee program, Quick Chek customers also know us for the high level of personalized service we offer. Our new "Quick Chek Fast Lane" pilot program is intended as an extension of that solid customer service offering, and we are thrilled to partner with NCR in this industry-pioneering initiative.
Quick Chek is a family-operated brand and has 120 locations in New Jersey and southern New York.
Monday, 21 September 2009
IRVINE, Calif. — Just Enjoy LLC has announced the launch of its new mobile dining application and service, JUST ENJOY Social Dining. Just Enjoy’s mission is to provide restaurant owners a platform for managing their business, launching targeted promotions and reducing operating costs while being easy to integrate into an existing POS system and giving consumers the opportunity to take control of their dining experience.
"People have been using mobile technology to make reservations and online ordering for some time now," said Juan Guevara, co-founder and president of Just Enjoy. "But all these applications really do is either get you to the door and say goodbye or greet you and take your order — all without ever getting to really know you or your preferences. With JUST ENJOY it’s like having a good friend that knows you, facilitates your visit to the restaurant and more importantly stays with you to ensure you enjoy the occasion."
The JUST ENJOY application remembers user preferences and is continuously learning and categorizing likes and dislikes across restaurants using the JUST ENJOY service. "This helps eliminate typical dining frustrations such as figuring out what to order, comparing prices or even service errors," said co-founder and CTO Yuriy Kumanov. "Customers will also have the ability to share their dining history, preferences and reviews on JustEnjoy.com, creating a new social media platform for restaurant patrons."
The complete family of JUST ENJOY products is offered to full-service and fast-service restaurants, casinos and resorts as a subscription-based solution to help them enhance their patrons' customer experience and expand the venue offerings via games and other interactive customer entertainment. JUST ENJOY is also a management tool for managers and operators, giving them detailed real-time information on customer preferences and providing a platform for targeted marketing.
Friday, 18 September 2009
TouchSystems, an Austin, Texas-based provider of touch-enabled solutions, has introduced its rugged Industrial Chassis Design, or ICD, Panel PC.
According to a news release from TouchSystems, the ICD Panel PC is available with several screen sizes and can be customized to individual kiosks' application requirements. The company says the interactive PC is resistant to chemicals, dirt, liquids and other contaminants and is ideal for rugged or industrial deployments.
Carol Nordin, senior vice president of TouchSystems, says the company developed the product to meet a growing demand for rugged, flexible solutions:
We've built our reputation on our drive to consistently deliver the most reliable, cost-effective touch solutions to our customers. We saw a demand for an extremely rugged, high-performance interactive solution with market versatility and flexible design options. The new ICD line delivers all of these features without the hefty price tag.
Friday, 18 September 2009
VeriFone Holdings Inc. has announced the first Washington, D.C.-area deployment of its VeriFone Transportation Systems passenger information modules, which are self-service payment and digital display stations for use in taxis.
According to a news release from VeriFone, the deployment is with Barwood Taxi of Kensington, which handles approximately 1.2 million rides each year.
Lee Barnes, president and chief executive of Barwood Taxi, says riders have come to expect the time-saving technology:
Offering a self-service payment option is a mark of good customer service today. VeriFone's technology will enhance passengers' experience with Barwood and save time for both customers and drivers.
Barwood will deploy 200 of the terminals and plans to have them in its entire fleet of 435 taxis by the end of the year, the news release says.
Friday, 18 September 2009
Access IS, an electronic equipment manufacturer based in the United Kingdom, has introduced a barcode imager designed for integration with kiosks. According to a news release from Access IS, the barcode imager features a rugged, waterproof design and can read 2D barcodes on PDAs, mobile phones or paper documents in less than a second.
Access IS says the product's ability to read barcodes from handheld devices will meet a growing demand for mobile interactivity:
The demand for mobile barcodes is growing quickly. Sending tickets and vouchers to mobile phones for redemption at kiosks, turnstiles and counters reduces operating costs and is convenient for consumers. Vouchers and coupons sent to mobile phones can also be used to increase retail sales through sales promotions.
Access IS will exhibit the barcode imager and other products at KioskCom's Self Service Expo Europe Sept. 30-Oct. 1.
Friday, 18 September 2009
The San Francisco International Airport has announced the debut of its "Climate Passport" kiosks, which offer travelers a way to calculate the carbon footprint of the flights and purchase carbon offsets to benefit environmental efforts in San Francisco and California.
According to a news release from the airport, it is working with 3Degrees, a San Francisco-based carbon and renewable energy marketing firm that will manage the sourcing of the purchased carbon offsets and ensure the corresponding reduction of greenhouse gases.
San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom says the initiative, which is the first of its kind in the United States, also will have an economic impact on the city:
We created a program that enables travelers to voluntarily offset the emissions from their trip through supporting local projects that reduce greenhouse gases. The Climate Passport kiosks are good for the climate and good for San Francisco's economy.
In addition to the on-site kiosks, which are located in the airport's international terminal and terminal three, travelers can access the Climate Passport program through the facility's Web site, flysfo.com.
Friday, 18 September 2009
YESpay International, a payments services company based in the United Kingdom, has announced it will exhibit at the KioskCom Self Service Expo Europe, Sept. 30–Oct. 1 in London.
According to a news release, YESpay provides an accredited and PCI DSS-approved chip-and-PIN payment solution for kiosks, including DVD-rental, photo printing and ticketing applications, among others.
In addition to exhibiting, YESpay will host two educational sessions during the tradeshow.
Thursday, 17 September 2009
Troy, Mich.-based NEXTEP SYSTEMS has announced that Baesler's Market in Terra Haute, Ind., has deployed NEXTEP's Deli 1-2-3 touchscreen self-order kiosk system. According to a news release from NEXTEP, the Deli 1-2-3 system incorporates two freestanding self-order kiosks, an order status monitor and order display system.
NEXTEP, which also provides self-order systems for the restaurant industry, has seen more interest in self-order technology from the grocery segment, says president and cofounder Tommy Woycik:
These implementations for Baesler's Market delis reflect a growing demand for NEXTEP SYSTEMS' technology from grocery operations all across America. NEXTEP solutions are enabling grocers to improve productivity, eliminate potential customer walk-aways, and increase revenue and up-sell opportunities within the deli environment.
Baesler's president and owner Bob Baesler says the store has seen increased revenue and more efficiency since the deployment:
The size of average orders in our deli has increased, and our customer service in the deli is also growing and improving, thanks to our NEXTEP ordering system. Our deli customers like using the self-order kiosks, and the system allows them to get their shopping done much quicker, which is a real plus.
NEXTEP also has deployed its self-service solutions at several metro Detroit retail locations.
Thursday, 17 September 2009
Payments processor TIO Networks Corp. and self-service bill-payment provider Nexxo Financial Corp. have announced they will expand an existing partnership and launch TIO's expedited bill-payment processing on 100 of Nexxo's financial-services kiosks. Nexxo caters primarily to the Hispanic market, with deployments in Latin America and the Western United States, and calls its financial kiosks "Cajeros," which means "cashier" in English.
David Alvarez, Nexxo's chief executive, says the addition of bill-payment will create an added convenience for Nexxo's customers, who are largely unbanked or underbanked and routinely use the kiosks' money-transfer functionality:
It is an exciting development in the evolution of Nexxo to be able to offer more services on our Cajeros. Customers can now benefit even more from being a Nexxo Financial customer with the convenience and ease of paying their bills in addition to conducting money wire transactions.
In December 2008, TIO deployed Nexxo's money-transfer services on its existing bill-payment kiosks in retail outlets in several Southwestern cities.
Thursday, 17 September 2009
According to an announcement from NCR Corp., US Airways will be the first airline to deploy NCR's TouchPort 80 outdoor passenger check-in kiosk. NCR says the airline will deploy 54 of the kiosks in 15 U.S. cities and St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.
The TouchPort 80 features a rugged design for curbside deployment, with a water-resistant enclosure and an integrated thermoelectric device to regulate the kiosk's temperature.
Theresa Heinz, vice president and general manager of NCR Travel and Gaming, says the curbside kiosks will give US Airways an edge among consumers who have come to expect self-service wherever they go:
By extending the self-service convenience to travelers outside of the airport, US Airways is further differentiating itself among increasingly discerning consumers who expect to serve themselves how, where and when they choose.
NCR says its self-service check-in kiosks are installed at more than 300 airports globally.
Thursday, 17 September 2009
VeriFone Holdings Inc., a provider of secure electronic payment solutions, has announced that Mexico's largest bank, Bancomer, will deploy VeriFone's recently released ATM-kiosk hybrid at one of the country's largest drug store chains.
The MX ATM functions as a cash-dispensing ATM and offers value-added self-service options, such as mobile top-up, bill payment, money transfer, coupon printing, coupon redemption and reloading of prepaid cards. Fernando Lopez, senior vice president and general manager for VeriFone's Latin American and Caribbean operations, says the deployment will cater to the growing unbanked and underbanked Hispanic market:
Bancomer is using (the) MX ATM to dramatically expand services to the unbanked and underbanked by locating payment kiosks in convenient retail outlets. (The) MX ATM is purpose-built to ensure integrity of remote operations and can be customized to meet the specific needs of different organizations.
According to VeriFone, Bancomer will complete a $10 million expansion of the deployment in 2010, which will represent 10 percent of the financial institution's ATM-network footprint.
Wednesday, 16 September 2009
ADUSA, a Lombard, Ill.-based self-order kiosk provider, has announced the deployment of its S4G Fresh Foods kiosks at Angelo Caputo's Fresh Market, a small grocery chain also based in Illinois.
Robertino Presta, chief executive of Angelo Caputo's, says the brand chose to deploy a second round of Fresh Foods kiosks after a positive customer reaction to its initial installation:
The response to the kiosk in our Naperville (Illinois) store has been excellent, so we've decided to offer the technology to our customers at additional stores.
According to a news release from ADUSA, grocery customers can use the Fresh Foods kiosks to order a full range of items in the fresh foods section of Angelo Caputo's, including meats and cheeses and prepared salads, entrees and side dishes.
Wednesday, 16 September 2009
New survey results from NCR Corp. and BuzzBack Market Research indicate Canadian shoppers want more self-service in retail.
According to an NCR news release, nearly 40 percent of Canadians surveyed say they would welcome a self-service kiosk in retail stores to help them locate products, as opposed to having to track down a staff member. Additional survey results indicate Canadians are using more cash, researching products on the Internet more frequently and shopping multiple retailers to find the best price, all of which is part of a broader trend of shoppers adjusting to an uncertain economy, NCR says.
Additionally, 35 percent of Canadians say their likelihood to use self-service has increased over the past year. That consumer desire for self-service is a trend retailers should take advantage of, NCR says:
Retailers who adopt a broader range of self-service technology improve service and enhance the customer experience by redeploying staff in areas of their store where customers need more personal attention. This delivers great cost savings by allowing retailers to invest in the areas that matter most to the customer. For example, self-checkout systems decrease customer queue time by 40 percent.
The survey of more than 500 Canadian respondents is part of NCR's larger 2009 self-service study, which assessed 8,400 consumers around the world and found that 85 percent prefer to shop with a retailer that offers the ability to interact via the online, mobile and self-service channels versus one that does not.
Wednesday, 16 September 2009
NCR Corp. says it will deploy its Blockbuster Express DVD-rental kiosk in Publix Super Markets, which it says is the largest employee-owned grocery chain in the United States.
According to a news release from NCR, installation in most Florida Publix stores will be complete by Nov. 1, and rollouts have begun in select Publix stores in Atlanta, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina.
As part of the agreement, NCR also will convert MovieCube rental kiosks to Blockbuster Express machines in 300 Publix stores. NCR acquired the MovieCube brand in its buyout of TNR Entertainment in April.
Maria Brous, director of media and community relations for Publix Super Markets, says the Blockbuster Express rollout is part of the brand's commitment to providing its customers with value and convenience:
At Publix, we strive to continuously offer our customers value and service. By partnering with NCR, we are offering our customers the convenience of DVD rentals as part of their traditional shopping experience. The initial feedback we have received from our customers is that they enjoy the wide selection of movies, each of the transaction and the time-saving aspect of one-stop shopping. DVD movie rentals at Publix are just another way we meet the changing needs of our customers.
NCR has said it will invest up to $60 million in its DVD-rental operations in 2009 and expects to deploy more than 2,500 DVD-rental kiosks this year.
Tuesday, 15 September 2009
According to a new report from NextGen Research, "Next Generation Kiosks and Self-Service Technology: Providing the Customer a Better Experience While Increasing Efficiency, Controlling Costs," the global kiosk market will grow from an installed base of around 1 million units this year to more than 2.5 million units globally in 2014. NextGen is the technology arm of market-intelligence company ABI Research.
In a news release announcing the report, NextGen says two thirds of kiosk deployments globally are in the United States and that the U.S. will continue to see the most growth over the next five years. NextGen also expects Europe and Asia to grow in deployments, while adoption elsewhere is projected to remain slow.
Larry Fisher, NextGen's research director, says the growth of kiosks and self-service is a reflection of a larger trend in consumer preferences:
Self-service is driving consumer behavior. Kiosks are an extension of a broader self-service trend, where consumers want more control of their environment. The growth of online banking is an example showing that customers want to transact on their own schedule; kiosks will follow the same growth trajectory, as customers can choose when and how they transact.
Tuesday, 15 September 2009
Chicago-based interactive design agency 15 letters Inc. has announced it will design a line of interactive, educational kiosks for the Chicago Botanic Garden's new 38,000 square-foot Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Plant Conservation Center.
According to a news release from 15 letters, the deployment will include eight touchscreen kiosks, each designed with a workbench and speakers and featuring participatory games, videos and simulations. Each kiosk will be located in front of a glass wall separating the eight laboratories from the visitors gallery.
Mark Rattin, president and creative director for 15 letters, says the deployment is evidence of an interactive-education trend among museums and research centers:
The interactive exhibits are designed to be accessible to a broad audience and stimulate knowledge through play. … We created interactive, game-like simulations that will allow visitors to manipulate an environment and see the outcomes of their actions. This hands-on approach to education is becoming more commonplace as museums and research centers are encouraging the development of the next generation of scientists.
The kiosks each will be connected to a central content-management system, allowing the facility's scientists to edit and add new content at any time.
The Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Plant Conservation Center will open to the public Sept. 23.
Tuesday, 15 September 2009
Self-service provider NCR Corp. has announced it will make ADFLOW Networks an authorized reseller for its SelfServ 60 customer-facing touchpoint kiosk. According to a news release from NCR, the deal will bring NCR's self-service solution together with ADFLOW's digital signage and software technology to create an interactive retail kiosk.
Steve Kartonchik, ADFLOW's executive vice president of sales and marketing, says the solution will enable retailers to better reach customers at the point-of-decision:
Capturing attention and engaging customers through interaction at the point-of-decision is critical in achieving true one-to-one marketing. NCR, which leads how the world connects, interacts and transacts with business, and ADFLOW Networks, with its innovative assisted-selling solutions, offer retailers a means to redefine the in-store customer shopping experience while increasing sales, boosting store productivity and enhancing operational efficiency. We are delighted to be working with NCR to deliver these exciting solutions to the marketplace.
NCR says the solution also will utilize ADFLOW's Retail Analytics reporting system, giving retailers valuable insight into customer buying behavior.
Monday, 14 September 2009
Self-service greets the average consumer in countless environments — at the bank, the supermarket, the airport, the movie theater and the list goes on. But one area where it would seem to make just as much sense — the quick-service restaurant, or QSR, industry — has, for the most part, ignored the kiosk movement.
But a recently announced partnership between self-order kiosk company EMN8 and tech giant IBM might suggest an impending change to that trend. After all, self-service has quickly become ubiquitous in the retail vertical with the weight of IBM and similar companies behind it.
"We expect the pace to pick up," said Perse Faily, EMN8's chief executive. "I think you'll see a lot of pilots this coming year, you'll see some expansions."
Faily's San Diego-based company has operated in the kiosk industry since 2002 and, for most of that time, has focused exclusively on the QSR space. The company has worked with brands such as Jack in the Box and Arby's to deploy its proprietary self-order kiosk technology.
EMN8 and IBM have had what Faily calls a "nascent," reseller-type of relationship for some time, but now Big Blue will take over manufacturing of EMN8's OrderM8 4000 kiosk, as well as future technology the companies plan to develop together.
"There are two driving purposes for that," Faily said. "One is that we continue to be focused on driving cost out of the solution to make sure that we deliver the highest-value solution in the marketplace, and so they were critical in terms of hitting our cost targets, and we had set some very aggressive cost targets. Secondarily … we wanted to have a partner who could scale with us."
IBM also will put part of its sales force behind EMN8's solution, and clients now will enjoy the benefits of IBM's Total Store support strategy.
"As a young company, we've been focused on first establishing a national footprint from a services standpoint, and IBM enables us to do that," Faily said. "We also want a partner that we can actually hold accountable, as opposed to building sort of a patchwork of service providers across the country."
Dan Perlick, director of end-user services for IBM's Integrated Technology Services division, says the company's Total Store capabilities, specifically developed around the needs of deployers in the retail vertical, will provide some real benefits for operators in a high-volume, often hectic QSR setting.
"In any of those environments where you have a point-of-sale presence, it's a different type of environment, and that's why we developed the Total Store model six to eight years ago," he said. "To develop a solution focus, bring our capabilities to that environment and then have the delivery infrastructure behind it to make sure we can deliver the equipment on-time, get it enabled on-time and get it supported in a highly available environment."
Neither EMN8 nor IBM would disclose the terms of their agreement.
Why EMN8?
IBM explored several options before staking its claim in the QSR space, Perlick says, and the company came to the conclusion that EMN8's application was the "best in breed."
"From our diligence, we feel that EMN8 has the best software and application for this environment that has been vetted and tested and improved on," he said. "It provides the greatest end-user experience within the restaurant. Combine that with our infrastructure, manufacturing and services under Total Store … it just became a natural fit. Leverage their application, leverage our production and services capabilities to produce a turnkey solution for quick service or fast casual dining."
Faily and EMN8 know Perlick's comments are high praise, considering the source.
"Obviously, we're very flattered," Faily said. "We know that IBM went through an extensive process, in terms of selecting us as a partner, and from our perspective, we consider the partnership with IBM a significant milestone for our company."
EMN8 also explored other options before deciding IBM was the right fit, according to Faily.
"We both actually did some diligence in the marketplace," she said. "I think they evaluated all their alternatives, and we evaluated also alternative service providers and partners, and I think we both came to the conclusion that it was really the right match."
Future of the deal
In addition to the manufacture and sale of EMN8's flagship OrderM8 kiosk, the companies plan to develop future self-service applications. First up is incorporating EMN8's application with IBM's AnyPlace kiosk.
"One of the things that we're doing is we're actively working to align our technology roadmaps," Faily said. "One of the things that's first on the docket is actually having a next-generation kiosk with the IBM APK embedded in it. That is one of our soonest, if you will, joint products that we're going to be releasing to the marketplace."
Faily says the companies are "well on the path" of having the next-generation model complete and to expect its introduction later this year.
Beyond foodservice kiosks, though, IBM may have designs on taking EMN8's application elsewhere, and Perlick says the companies could be conducting pilots in as little as six months.
"We are looking at other avenues to leverage their application in the self-service environment, outside of the restaurant space. We're doing some market analysis and working with potentially some client on some pilots and so forth. We think their application and our kiosk capabilities and manufacturing could scale and could be replicated in other retail environments."
Though it's historically focused on the QSR segment, Faily says EMN8 is willing to follow where IBM leads.
"We'll certainly leverage IBM's capabilities to take our solution in that direction," she said. "As a company, our focus is going to remain on our QSR customers, but we're certainly open to IBM taking our solution elsewhere."
Monday, 14 September 2009
Envelop Media, a technology startup based in West Liberty, Ky., has announced the deployment of a kiosk-display case hybrid prototype as part of the "Magna Carta and the Foundations of Freedom" exhibit at the Fraunces Tavern Museum in New York City.
According to a news release from Envelop, the Clarifier is a glass-enclosed display case with a multimedia touch interface incorporated into the glass. It features "electric glass" technology that, when turned on, creates projection surfaces to display content and, when turned off, makes the glass clear, allowing the user to view the items inside the case. The touch interface provides information about the displayed objects and even can conduct transactions.
Scott Templeton, chief executive of Envelop, says the company believes the Clarifier may be the kiosk format of the future:
Kiosks are great technology, but the industry has always been challenged by telling consumers what they can do on a kiosk and with creating a single device for multiple users. The Clarifier draws the consumers' immediate attention with the display items and the touch interfaces accommodate multiple users and can tell a story or sell a product. This device is the future of the kiosk industry.
Envelop says it also is working with the Kentucky Science and Technology Corp. and Kentucky's Morehead State University to bring the Clarifier to market.
Monday, 14 September 2009
Kirk Nelson, associate vice president of OEM solutions for ArcaTech Systems, says ArcaTech will again exhibit at November's KioskCom Self Service Expo in New York.
A provider of cash-automation technologies and services, the Mebane, N.C.-based company will give attendees a look at its cash-handling products, as well as a line of encrypted PIN pads, Nelson said:
We will be displaying a wide range of currency handling and 3DES encrypting PIN pads for transaction automation in kiosks, which are powered by ArcaTech. (Attendees can) see all the creative ways that cash-enabled kiosks can be used to increase customer acceptance, trust and usage.
The KioskCom Self Service Expo is co-located with The Digital Signage Show at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City Nov. 10-11.
Monday, 14 September 2009
The Eastman Kodak Company has introduced its newest photo kiosk model, the KODAK Picture Kiosk G4XE Order Station.
In a news release, the company says the G4XE offers performance increases and higher energy efficiency than older kiosk models. It is available with a countertop footprint for instant photo printing or as a stand-alone station for submitting photo orders. KODAK says the G4XE processes typical photo orders more than 44 percent faster than older models and can create KODAK Picture Movie DVDs 70 percent faster.
KODAK says these features, coupled with higher efficiencies, will equal higher customer satisfaction and cost savings for retailers:
This speed advantage translates directly into reduced consumer queuing, more premium product potential, higher overall throughput capability and higher customer satisfaction. In addition, with its substantially lower power usage, the G4XE saves retailers up to 25 percent in electricity cost to run the device … .
According to the release, the G4XE supports KODAK Picture Kiosk Software version 2.0, which includes attract loops to draw customers to the machine.
Monday, 14 September 2009
 RedDotNet is an innovator and the leader in interactive, multimedia solutions that are changing the way retailers and suppliers connect with their customers.
RedDotNet develops, manufactures and manages end-to-end solutions for the retail environment. The RedDotNet solution includes:
- The Dot™, the company’s
flagship product
- Content Server, located in-store
- Network Operations Center (NOC), the virtual nerve center of the platform
Applications include a wide range of products, and there are currently 15,000+ Dots in over 800 stores in the United States.
RedDotNet has been at the forefront of interactive, multimedia technology since 2002. Strategic relationships include: All Music Guide (AMG) - leading business-to-business provider of entertainment, descriptive content and content management technology.
Friday, 11 September 2009
In an announcement that Pilot Travel Centers, the largest United States travel center operator, will deploy NCR Corp.'s new advanced point-of-sale solution in its locations nationwide, NCR also has announced the deployment of its self-service kiosks in every Pilot store:
In addition to the checkout, NCR POS technology is utilized in Pilot's restaurants, and NCR self-service kiosks are available in every Pilot store. One kiosk serves as a Truck Driver Kiosk, enabling truck drivers to obtain receipts for many of their transactions in the Pilot store without having to wait in line at the checkout. A second kiosk in each Pilot store is dedicated to human resources applications.
Pilot Travel Centers operates 306 stores in 29 U.S. states.
Friday, 11 September 2009
IER, a developer of self-service solutions for the transportation vertical, has announced it will install 46 self-check-in kiosks at the Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport, in addition to the 15 it initially deployed at the location. According to a news release from IER, the order for the deployment comes from AirIT, an integrator of information technology to the air-transportation industry.
IER says the kiosks, which will be both desk-mounted and standalone, will be equipped with its common-use self-service, or CUSS, platform, enabling their shared use by passengers, regardless of which airline they're using.
Bob Swensen, operations manager in charge of the airport's $1.3 billion terminal-area modernization program, says the deployment will help advance the CUSS initiative that the International Air Transport Association has spearheaded:
IER has demonstrated close support to our airport and our airlines to enable CUSS to become a reality in San Jose. SJC (the San Jose airport) is truly a common-use airport from counter to gate, and the expansion of the use of CUSS kiosks is a key part of our vision to create a very efficient airport benefiting passengers and partners alike.
According to the release, IER is collaborating with the IATA to bring CUSS to more and more airports:
As CUSS check-in undergoes an accelerated phase, IER has been involved with IATA in creating the CUSS standard and has gained an extensive experience in this field resulting in a comprehensive range of solutions including hardware, middleware and customized self-service applications.
Thursday, 10 September 2009
Esprida Corp., a provider of remote-management software, has introduced its enhanced line-up of products. According to a news release from the company, the full-service Esprida Enterprise is an on-premises, self-hosted solution, while the enhanced Esprida LiveControl platform is a software-as-a-service, or SaaS, model.
The company says its Esprida Enterprise solution is a Web standards-based platform that includes open application programmable interfaces for integration and data exchange with third-party hardware and applications. The product's other features include asset management, dynamic grouping, device configuration, software and media updates, diagnostic testing, self-heal repairing and automated maintenance, among others.
Esprida LiveControl is built on the Esprida Enterprise platform and includes many of the same features but exists in a shared, hosted environment.
Anila Jobanputra, president and founder of Esprida Corp., says the enhancements to both products will help self-service deployers realize more costs savings and great efficiency.
Esprida is continually evolving its products to ensure its clients are growing their business 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 that with newly enhance platforms.
Esprida says both platforms also include its patent-pending business rules engine, enabling contextual alerts, application updates and support for multiple escalation paths.
Thursday, 10 September 2009
Expedited bill-payment processor TIO Networks Corp. today announced its transaction revenue results for the fourth quarter ended July 2009.
With $4.6 million in revenue from 1.8 million transactions, TIO achieved quarterly transaction growth of 5 percent over Q3 2009 and 17 percent over Q4 2008. The company says it has processed nearly 600,000 transactions through its 18,000 endpoints over the last 30 days, valued at $48 million.
The preliminary figures will be confirmed when TIO releases its Q4 and annual earnings for the fiscal year ended July 31, the company says.
Thursday, 10 September 2009
ADUSA, a self-order kiosk provider, has announced that Schnuck Markets Inc., owner and operators of more than 200 grocery stores and pharmacies, is adding to its fleet of ADUSA's S4G Fresh Foods kiosks. According to a news release from ADUSA, Schnuck installed the kiosks in its new St. Louis store, Culinaria, which opened last month.
Larry Maggio, director of marketing services for Schnuck Markets, says shoppers have responded positively to the Fresh Foods ordering kiosks deployed in its other stores:
A growing number of our customers are using the kiosks to place their orders, and the response continues to be very positive. They are really taking advantage of the added convenience and the easy access to all of the products we offer in the fresh foods and made-to-order areas of our store.
Thursday, 10 September 2009
Coinstar Inc. has announced in a news release the sale of its entertainment-service business, which comprises gumball machines, children's rides and video games.
Paul Davis, Coinstar's chief executive, says the sale helps the company make good on its promise to investors to focus on its retail self-service initiatives – namely, its coin-counting kiosk and the redbox DVD-rental brand:
As we discussed on our second-quarter conference call, we are focused on leveraging our strength in self-service automated retail to drive growth and increase shareholder value. Our core DVD and coin kiosk businesses provide a solid foundation and, with the sale of our entertainment services business, we are better positioned to maximize the substantial market opportunity in automated retail.
Coinstar sold its entertainment arm to Louisville, Colo.-based National Entertainment Network, a company which the news release says was just formed in August in anticipation of the acquisition.
Wednesday, 09 September 2009
Kiosk and digital signage software provider Nanonation has announced a partnership with LodgeNet Interactive Corp. to provide digital signage software and services to the hospitality and healthcare verticals. Nanonation says in a news release that the deal will allow LodgeNet to add expanded digital signage capabilities, such as interior wayfinding, video walls and integrated meeting room signage, to its traditional informational and promotional digital display solutions.
Bradley Walker, Nanonation's CEO, says collaboration between the two companies will allow clients to create better customer experiences and save money:
Nanonation's software is engineered to drive sales, fuel profits and enhance the guest experience. Our platform seamlessly integrated digital media content while monitoring, measuring and managing customer interactions. Partnering with a complete solution provider like LodgeNet enables more businesses to take advantage of technologies that make a difference in creating compelling experiences, while enhancing the bottom line.
Wednesday, 09 September 2009
EuroTouch Kiosks has announced the availability of its FlexiMega digital display platform in North America:
As part of our ongoing commitment to our digital signage program, we are pleased to introduce our new FlexiMega series with new front-opening access. This unit differs from the standard units on the market, with its aluminum construction, contemporary, curved front and back fascia and with the entire front door opening for complete access serviceability.
EuroTouch says the platform is available in multiple sizes and colors and with or without touchscreens. The product comes standard in a silver color and sizes of either 40 inches, 46 inches or 52 inches.
Wednesday, 09 September 2009
United Kingdom-based software solutions provider Acquire has announced the deployment of six large-format interactive digital wayfinding kiosks at the new Gloucester Quays waterside shopping and leisure center in the U.K. The displays run on Acquire's Kiosk Developer software and were installed by ASG Media.
Acquire describes the "digital pods" in a news release announcing the deployment:
At 2000mm by 800 mm and just 250mm deep, the double-sided, portrait-oriented pods, manufactured by Esprit Digital and operated by ASG Media, are designed to minimize sightlines (while) ensuring impact and media presence. The pods, using Acquire to display their interactive content, show a mix of advertising and other rich media in order to provide shoppers with a touchscreen-enabled digital sign. Integrating two 57-inch full-HD LCD panels, the pods feature dynamic content designed and developed by the creative team at Working Solutions.
Acquire also says that, in addition to their wayfinding capabilities, the kiosks display live weather, traffic and shopping mall news feeds, as well as a Visa gift card balance reader. All of the interactive content is designed by Working Solutions Ltd.
Wednesday, 09 September 2009
Turnkey kiosk provider Self-Service Networks has announced an agreement with Tanger Factory Outlet Centers to deploy Self-Service Networks' GiftWise kiosks across five of Tanger's shopping centers.
Laura Atwell, vice president of marketing for Tanger Outlets, says in a news release that the kiosks will provide an additional gift card point of purchase that's more convenient for shoppers:
We are excited to add the GiftWise solution to our gift card sales strategy. GiftWise gives us an effective way to expand the visibility of our gift card program, while offering improved convenience for our shoppers.
Self-Service Networks says the all-weather turnkey solution includes installation services, technology support, on-site maintenance, a customized GUI and integration with Tanger's gift card solution program manager.
Tuesday, 08 September 2009
According to reports from London's The Independent, Coinstar is testing its DVDXpress kiosk brand at 18 Tesco locations in the U.K. The paper says that if the trial is successful, Coinstar plans a national rollout.
A Coinstar spokesperson spoke to The Independent regarding the success of U.S. DVD-rental kiosks:
The main reason for the success of the kiosks is convenience. It fits in with the way people live, with limited time. You could pop out to buy groceries and decide to pick up a DVD, too. … People who use the kiosks tend to be casual viewers who don’t want to be tied down to subscriptions or membership fees. They want to be able to do it on impulse with the minimum of fuss. The price is low because it's a kiosk and you haven't got the rent and staff costs of a store.
Tuesday, 08 September 2009
Cash-management solution and kiosk provider Corporate Safe Specialists has announced its inclusion on Inc. Magazine's top 5,000 list of fastest-growing private companies in the United States for the second consecutive year. In a news release, CSS says it was ranked 2,429th on the list overall and 42nd in the security industry.
Ed McGunn, CSS' president and chief executive, attributes the company's recognition as a leader to its innovation and customer service:
Corporate Safe's success can be attributed to our unyielding dedication to provide our customers innovative solutions to directly meet their cash-management needs in today's rapidly changing business environment. This, coupled with the leading customer service in the industry, is the fundamental force driving our growth and success.
Corporate Safe Specialists was founded in 1988 by McGunn, Rosemary Leonard and Lisa Marth.
Tuesday, 08 September 2009
Coinstar Inc. has announced that chief financial officer John Harvey is leaving the company after only three months in the position.
In a news release, Coinstar says Harvey came to the decision for personal reasons and will remain with the company as it searches for a new CFO:
John Harvey has decided to leave the company because of the extensive time his position required for him to spend away from his family. Harvey, appointed CFO in June 2009, has been commuting between Bellevue, Wash., and Chicago on a weekly basis. The company will begin a search immediately to replace Harvey, who has committed to assist the company with transition matters, including continuing as CFO through the reporting of third quarter financial results in November.
Harvey says in the release that he will seek opportunities in the Chicago area.
Friday, 04 September 2009
When Rick Malone founded KIOSK Information Systems in 1993, it may have made sense to locate it in Los Angeles, where he’d grown up, attended college and spent the early stages of his professional life.
But he opted for another “L.A.” — Louisville Area, as in Louisville, Colo. — and that choice says a great deal about his values. Malone believes quality of life is a huge factor in attracting and retaining the sort of talent he values.
“Our culture is very family-oriented, and Colorado is a great place to live and raise a family,” Malone said. “We take our business very seriously. We work hard and don’t waste time.” But his employees, from management to hourly workers, are encouraged to put family first, he said. “We are very tolerant of that, and it’s helped create longevity with our employees.”
Malone, 52 and president and chief executive of the privately held company, is one of three 2009 inductees into the Self-Service & Kiosk Association Hall of Fame.
A self-described “serial entrepreneur,” he didn’t set out to run a kiosk company. After earning an engineering degree from Loyola Marymount University, he worked for small PC companies with growth potential, then moved into software and hardware for point-of-sale systems. He eventually joined a start-up company that manufactured POS systems and sold out to investors three years in. He started KIOSK Information Systems in October of 1993.
“I’d done point-of-sale kiosks off and on, and I saw the potential,” he said.
Today, the company has about 80 employees and, with an estimated 100,000 units in the field, is the largest kiosk producer in North America. It provides custom and standard OEM systems to a world-class list of clients — names like Wal-Mart, Fujitsu, Dell, Hewlett-Packard and AT&T, as well as governmental agencies such as the U.S. Postal Service and the U.S. Transportation Security Administration.
Malone notes that the kiosk industry took longer to reach critical mass than analysts projected in the early 1990s, perhaps because “the complexity of executing kiosk projects has been grossly underestimated."
“When I began the business, it took a long time to explain to people," he said. "Now they know. Today, self-service technology is obviously an integral part of our society.”
Many of the companies that have competed with KIOSK have done self-service as a side business, Malone said.
“We were formed to be a kiosk company and only that,” he said. “We have focused on that from then until now. Consequently, our expertise is hard to keep up with.”
Malone says KIOSK Information Systems remains heavily focused on product development with an emphasis on understanding the possible pitfalls of any particular deployment.
“We tell our customers there’s nothing hard about it — except the thousands of details,” he said.
Each KIOSK client has a dedicated project manager, and Malone encourages those managers to be candid.
“We have checklists of what can go wrong,” he said. “But beyond that, each project has idiosyncrasies. We have to be able to anticipate issues and adjust on the fly. We take a very consultative role with our customers, and sometimes we have to reel them in and say no.”
One secret to Malone’s success, said Doug Peter, president of St. Clair Interactive Communications Inc., is his ability to focus on problem-solving. Peter has known Malone for about a dozen years, after a mutual contact brought them together for a project. They hit it off, Peter said, and their companies have collaborated on more than 30 projects since.
Peter laughed when recalling a project for Wal-Mart, which wanted a kiosk that resembled its children’s playhouses.
“I was looking for a creative solution,” he said. “I was focused on the colors and the roofline and so on. Rick, being an engineer, wanted to make sure the framework was solid and the ergonomics were right. We must’ve gone around and around on 15 designs, and the end result was wonderful. It was an interesting contrast of styles.”
Playfully noting — as Malone predicted — that he made it into the Hall of Fame first (in 2006), Peter laughed again and said: “We’ve been known to yell at each other and also to have a beer together. I value his partnership.”
Malone and his wife, Rita, have two sons in college. He enjoys all varieties of fishing and is a good golfer. (Asked about his handicap, he said, “It depends on whether we’re betting,” before giving up the number — 8.)
He is excited about the industry’s move toward specialization.
“I used to tell people it’s really a product-development industry, and when it gets good, it becomes its own business. For example, look at redbox and DVDs — it emerged from the kiosk industry and now it’s its own field. It became a large segment of the industry. I think we’ll see more of that.”
Malone is grateful for the Hall-of-Fame honor and says he’s proud to be associated with such a group of innovators. He's also proud to run a company that is recognized for its expertise and its culture. KIOSK has been mentioned in Inc. 500's list of fastest-growing companies and Deloitte & Touche’s Technology Fast 500.
“We are a very free-spirited company,” Malone said. “One of the good things about having your own business is you get to hire people who are like you. That’s a control point you don’t have in larger companies, or where you don’t call the shots.”
Friday, 04 September 2009
Maysteel, a Wisconson-based provider of metal enclosures for self-service and POS devices, has announced it will close its current plant and open two new facilities, the first in a series of actions that the company says will increase its competitiveness.
According to a news release from Maysteel, the company acquired a 160,000 square-foot manufacturing plant in Creedmoor, N.C., and a 40,000 square-foot assembly facility in Racine, Wis.
While the new Wisconsin facility will focus on supporting value-added integration for traditional metal fabrication customers, Maysteel says the move to North Carolina will help it cater more specifically to the Southeast region:
The acquisition of the Creedmoor facility demonstrates a commitment by Maysteel to invest to extend its manufacturing footprint. The current Creedmoor volume, combined with planned transfers from Maysteel's Wisconsin facilities, will make the Creedmoor plant a competitive sourcing option for the Southeast.
Maysteel will close its plant in Menomonee Falls, Wis., and will transfer current manufacturing projects to the two new facilities and another Wisconsin plant.
Friday, 04 September 2009
Intel has announced in a news release that it is developing two new retail self-service devices.
In addition to a back-to-back kiosk that allows customers to browse catalogues of inventory, read product reviews and check social networks for wish lists from friends and family, Intel has created a self-checkout terminal that it says offers customers unique options:
Mobile phone integration allows shoppers to send grocery lists to their phones and retrieve and scan electronic coupons. The rich graphical user interface can also be used as a kiosk, providing customers with useful information like a receipt look-up option. The kiosk also provides effective cross-selling opportunities for the grocer and frees resources to help customers on the floor.
According to the release, both products feature the Intel vPro platform with intel Active Management Technology that the company says offers low maintenance costs, remote manageability and average energy-cost savings of 70 percent.
Friday, 04 September 2009
The United States Army has deployed 10 "OneStop Army" kiosks at high-personnel-traffic locations at Fort Lewis in Washington state.
According to an article on the Army's Web site, www.army.mil, the kiosks, made by DynaTouch, feature an Interactive Customer Evaluation, or ICE, system, as well as payroll information, on- and off-post housing details, recreational information and more. The machines are equipped with touchscreens, keyboards, printers and volume and text-size controls.
DiAnn Sanders, management and program analyst with the Plans, Analysis and Integration Office of the Army, says the kiosks were designed to be user-friendly for all Fort Lewis residents:
We wanted to make sure the kiosk machines (are) able to service everybody on the installation. So if you're a retiree and want to know the services available, this kiosk is loaded with information that covers every service on Fort Lewis. It helps you make appointments … for example.
Sanders also says the deployment is meant to help Fort Lewis soldiers make an impact in their community:
We want to tell every customer, you're the proponent for this machine on Fort Lewis. We want your feedback. We want to (tell) soldiers … that this is the information that will be helpful to you and your family.
Friday, 04 September 2009
Motorola Inc. has introduced the MK4000 micro kiosk, which it says can feature a variety of customer- and employee-facing self-service applications.
In terms of the retail vertical, Motorola says in a news release that the MK4000 is ideal for applications such as price-checking, gift card balance inquiry, product ordering and coupon printing. The kiosk also can feature customer check-in applications for environments such as airports, car rental agencies, sports stadiums and theme parks.
Motorola says the MK4000 also is ideal for the hospitality and healthcare verticals, as well as for use as an employee-facing workforce-management tool:
For example, employees can view training videos or presentations on new products or policies, punch in and out and access on-demand information to assist customers.
When not in use, the MK4000 also can display brand messaging and advertisements and offer customers value-add information.
The MK4000 features a 12.1-inch touchscreen, stereo speakers, a variety of scanner-integration options and microphone and headset jacks. The device is a mere 2.5 inches thick and is compatible with Motorola's Mobility Service Platform.
Friday, 04 September 2009
EAnytime, a manufacturer of dry-cleaning kiosks and various medial self-service devices, has announced it will release version 5.0 of its eAMDS self-service Methadone-dispensing system in January 2010.
In a news release, eAnytime says the eAMDS is a unique self-service offering for the medical community:
The eAMDS is the only fully computerized system that features barcode scanning for identification, finger scanning for verification and an alternate verification number for patients unable to scan their fingers. The eAMDS can be operated standalone or serve as a front-end to a patient care or accounting system, with information passed to the systems with (an) eAnytime-provided interface. The eAMDS is a proven, efficient and cost-effective Methadone dispensing system.
According to the release, eAnytime also will introduce next-generation versions of its wall-mounted patient direction kiosk and patient payment kiosk.
Wednesday, 02 September 2009
Microsoft Corp. has announced a preview release of its Windows 7-based Windows Embedded Standard 2011 platform, commonly used in self-service and kiosk applications. The preview is publicly available for download here.
According to a news release from Microsoft, the latest version of the Windows Embedded platform possesses many of the same features and functionality of the Windows 7 operating system and can be customized to meet the specific needs of OEMs and technology developers.
Instead of investing in platform development, Windows Embedded Standard 2011 allows OEMs to choose only the components they need to tailor the platform to meet the unique requirements of their device. Familiar, easy-to-use development tools and embedded-enabling features help to further reduce development costs and increase speed-to-market for thin-client, point-of-service, kiosk, medical, multifunction printers and other devices.
Kevin Dallas, general manager of the Windows Embedded Business at Microsoft, says the just-announced community technology preview, or CTP, will allow customers to provide feedback on the product before its general release, expected in the second half of 2010:
To meet the demand for improved user experiences and connectivity among today's rapidly growing categories of specialized devices, Microsoft has strategically planned the release of Windows 7-based technologies to OEMs in the embedded marketplace. The availability of the Windows Embedded Standard 2011 CTP empowers our worldwide ecosystem of OEMs, partners and developers to take advantage of the next-generation platform's enhanced Windows 7-based features and provide feedback prior to its general release to manufacturing. We encourage the embedded community to take full advantage of the CTP's availability and join in our excitement as we look ahead to the future availability of Windows Embedded platforms incorporating Windows 7 technology.
Prior to the platform's general release next year, Microsoft will make available a Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist certification, preparation kit and training courseware, as well as a series of five free webinars that will explore the enhanced features and capabilities of Windows Embedded Standard 2011. Webinar participants can register here.
Wednesday, 02 September 2009
Seiko Instruments USA Inc., maker of thermal printers and other electronic components, has announced the appointment of Satoshi Kanesaka as its new president and chief executive. Kanesaka replaces Akira Yamamoto, who is retiring after leading Seiko Instruments USA for eight years.
According to a news release issued by Seiko Instruments, Kanesaka has more than 25 years of management, technology and international business experience. Before joining Seiko Instruments, Kanesaka held leadership roles in executive management, international marketing and sales and engineering in Europe, Asia and North America. He most recently served as executive manager of corporate planning for Chiba, Japan-based Seiko Instruments Inc., the parent company of Seiko Instruments USA.
Kanesaka holds a degree in precise mechanical engineering from the Tokyo University School of Engineering and served as an adjunct professor at Chiba University.
Wednesday, 02 September 2009
ELO Media has announced the debut of its newest DVmatic DVD-rental kiosk, the DVmatic 550XL. According to a news release from the company, enhanced features include advanced security, simplified maintenance and a new software interface.
Dan Kenyon, vice president of sales and marketing for ELO Media, says the new, "next-generation" version of the DVmatic has some of the same features other DVD-rental kiosk brands have touted:
The next-generation DVmatic software offers online reservations, the ability to rent from one kiosk and return to another within the same network, advanced Web-based customer and owner Web sites, various membership options, coupon promotional codes, advertising options and Blu-Ray capabilities. The DVmatic holds up to 550 titles for either movies or games.
Kenyon also says ELO Media now offers a "seller financing" program that may make owning a kiosk more affordable for potential ELO customers:
We feel that with the launch of our new software and financing (being) ever so difficult, it is the perfect time to introduce our new 'seller financing' initiative and expand our customer base. Entrepreneurs are sometimes anxious entering this business because of the significant cash outlay. However, if you could start this business for a few hundred dollars per month, with a minimal down payment, it becomes a much easier decision and is almost like leasing a car — suddenly, it's a lot more economical.
Tuesday, 01 September 2009
 AML (American Microsystems, Ltd.) was founded in 1983 to respond to a need in the Auto ID marketplace for high performance, easy to use, and cost-effective bar code and data collection products. Since 1983, AML and its business partners have helped companies worldwide to increase business efficiency and productivity - in manufacturing, warehousing, retail, health care, finance, government, and educational automatic data collection applications.
AML barcode and Auto ID data collection products are designed specifically for inventory tracking, supply chain management and bar code data processing applications. AML products include wireless handheld computers (with support for 802.11b LAN radio frequency as well as GSM/GPRS mobile computing), portable batch hand held terminals, programmable stationary terminals (for fixed station, wired, or wireless industrial data collection applications), vehicle mount terminals, wireless application design software, NiceLabel Pro and NiceLabel Express barcode label design software, and a broad selection of bar code scanners and readers (Laser, CCD, Wand, credit card readers, and card readers). All AML bar code and wireless data capture products are manufactured in the USA.
Tuesday, 01 September 2009
Kiosk hardware and software provider Source Technologies has announced the addition of Software-as-a-Service, or SaaS, as a delivery model for its portfolio of printing solutions.
According to a news release from the company, the software is called Software-as-a-Service for Secure Print and enables users to securely print documents with centralized administration and control.
Source Technologies says its new delivery method requires lower acquisition costs compared to traditional software solutions, and Doug Salvador, Source's vice president of marketing, says that value proposition will appeal to strapped business operators:
With today's economic climate, organizations are facing extremely tight capital expenditure budgets, yet their mission-critical projects must continue. Taking advantage of our service-oriented solution lowers the cost of ownership for these projects and gives organizations the opportunity to reallocate funds to other areas of their business.
Source Technologies says the software-delivery method is built on Web-based technology, making it easy to configure and keep current, and that the solution is ideal for printing checks and negotiable documents, healthcare and employee forms, information- or time-sensitive documents, prescriptions, shipping labels, invoices and distribution pick tickets.
Tuesday, 01 September 2009
Mebane, N.C.-based ArcaTech Systems, a supplier of cash-automation solutions, has been named to Inc. magazine's 2009 list of the fastest-growing private companies in the United States for the for the third consecutive time.
Known as the Inc. 5000, the list has been published since 2007.
ArcaTech’s cash recyclers, dispensers and transaction technology components are used in a range of applications for banks, retail stores, gaming and parking facilities, car washes and companies that develop kiosks for self-service checkout and bill payment.
Inc. magazine ranks Inc. 5000 companies according to revenue growth over the preceding three years.
Mort O'Sullivan, president and founder of ArcaTech, says ArcaTech’s financial success has been fueled by partnerships with companies such as NCR Corp., Diebold Inc., Fujitsu, Sagem Denmark and CTS Cashpro:
We’re an Inc. 5000 company because of our customers, and we’re committed to serving them. We’re enhancing our service and investing in client support systems — in short, using our growth to fuel ongoing, dramatic improvements in the way we work with customers.
Tuesday, 01 September 2009
Clearwave Corp., manufacturer of the Clearwave real-time, self-service healthcare check-in solution, has announced that the Atlanta Women's Health Group has installed Clearwave's kiosks in each of it 26 locations.
According to a news release, the Clearwave kiosk allows medical facilities to remotely verify a patient's insurance eligibility and allows patients to check in prior to their appointments.
Richard C. Zane, chief executive of Atlanta Women's Health Group, says the Clearwave kiosks have allowed the organization to operate more efficiently and improve the patient experience:
The speed in which we receive a patient's eligibility information and the ease of use for our staff are among the compelling reasons we decided to install Clearwave's solution throughout our practice's locations. Other deciding factors include Clearwave's ability to integrate with our existing practice-management system and, most importantly, we are now able to provide a more sophisticated and streamlined check-in process for our patients.
Tuesday, 01 September 2009
Opinionmeter International, a maker of survey kiosks and other consumer survey technology, has announced a partnership with New York City's Metropolitan Hospital Center to deploy Opinionmeter's touchscreen tablets and kiosks. Metropolitan will use the technology to survey patient and staff members about their knowledge of patient safety.
According to a news release from Opinionmeter, Metropolitan obtained a grant from the HHC Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the New York City Health and Hospitals Corp., to fund the survey effort, which will help the institution promote the Joint Commission's National Patient Safety Goals, or NPSGs:
The purpose of the Joint Commission's National Patient Safety Goals is to promote improvements in patient safety, which would include improving the accuracy of patient identification, the effectiveness of communication among caregivers and the safety of using medications. In addition, they seek to reduce the risk of healthcare-associated infections, encourage patients' active involvement in their own care as a patient safety strategy and improve recognition and response to changes in (a) patient's condition.
Irene Quinones, associate director of patient safety and cultural competency for Metropolitan Hospital Center, says Opinionmeter's survey capabilities will help providers promote patient involvement, which it believes is a crucial part of the patient experience:
The Joint Commission has made patient involvement a priority by including the issue in its National Patient Safety Goals. We strongly believe in doing whatever we can to educate the patient and to involve them in their medical care. The Opinionmeter technology allows us to do this. We are delighted with the findings from our patient surveys, and we are expanding its inclusion to other areas.
Metropolitan also will use Opinionmeter's technology to obtain patient feedback about the provider experience at outpatient clinics, the release says.
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