By adopting the name of our core product offering, PatientPoint, as our company name, we are simplifying our brand to better represent our core mission of enabling physician practices to deliver value-added services to patients at the point of care. Under the PatientPoint brand, we will continue to broaden our product line and find new ways to leverage self-service technology to help physicians eliminate inefficient, paper-based processes, reduce administrative costs and minimize wait times while also improving care delivery.

 

PatientPoint Inc. also has launched a new Web site, patientpointkiosk.com, and says it will conduct all future business activity using the new PatientPoint name and brand.

The conference and expo's purpose was to create a communications platform for the self-service industry and we believe that we succeeded in this effort. Consensus was that it should become an annual event, so we have commenced planning for next year's event. However, as successful as the conference was, there has been a feeling that the industry needs additional communications, marketing and information platforms.

The kiosk industry Web portal and resource center is dedicated to providing information and promoting professional solutions for kiosk suppliers, manufacturers, products, services and other related technology applications. It will contain a directory of participating vendors, suppliers and solution providers and will feature product information in its virtual showroom, under a variety of categories. It will have a news gallery, featuring local and international kiosk news, case studies and white papers. It will also host special product launch, new technology or future vision pages.

BizCommunity.com says other sponsors of JustTouchIT — The Forum include South African digital signage company Public Display Technologies and kiosk solutions provider iOmeida. The Web site says other international kiosk players, including IBM, are expected to participate in the initiative.

NCR Corp. today announced the deployment of its Blockbuster Express DVD-rental kiosks in 200 Duane Reade drugstore locations in Manhattan. The kiosks offer DVD rentals for $1 per night and will be installed in 200 locations over the next several months, most of them by the end of the year, NCR says. Some of the kiosks already are operating at Duane Reade locations.

Alex Camara, vice president and general manager of NCR Entertainment, says the kiosks' convenience factor is well-suited to Duane Reade's customer experience.

DVD rental kiosks are a great fit in high-traffic urban areas because they take up a very small retail footprint. Paired with a convenience or drug store location, it gives consumers a very convenient way to pick up their favorite entertainment titles while they shop for everyday items. New Yorkers think of Duane Reade for convenience. Our DVD kiosks provide Duane Reade with additional convenience for its customers.

NCR says the Blockbuster Express kiosks offer the largest selection of new-release and classic titles in the DVD-rental kiosk market, with more than 900-disc capacity.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Other numbers from VDC:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

The Self-Service & Kiosk Association has published a new Best Practices for the self-service and kiosk industry. The document, "Best Practices: Kiosk Cash Management," is the twelfth in a series the Association began publishing exclusively for its members in 2008. It addresses significant security issues that have the potential to result in shrinkage with cash-accepting kiosks.

"One of the most important roles an association can play for its members is that of educator. These Best Practices have been developed many of the industry-leading experts who are part of SSKA, and certainly go a very long way to keeping deployers and vendors abreast of the best, most current thinking," said David Drain, executive direction of the Association.

Other titles include:

Best Practices: Top Five Mistakes of Kiosk Deployment
It's easy to make mistakes when executing a complicated kiosk project. Find out which are the most common and the best ways to avoid them.

Best Practices: Kiosk Graphical User Interfaces (GUI)
To ensure a positive customer experience with any kiosk projects, attention must be paid to the Graphical User Interface (GUI). Find out the hallmarks of a user-friendly GUI and how to implement them during a kiosk rollout.

Best Practices: Kiosk Enclosures
The sheer number of options for kiosk enclosures can be overwhelming. Learn what details are important to consider, including choosing materials and ensuring legal compliance.

Best Practices: Power Protection of Electronic Kiosks
Kiosks that are unprotected from power surges and other disruptions can experience serious problems, including revenue losses. Learn how to safeguard kiosks from such unexpected disturbances.

Best Practices: Kiosk and Digital Signage Rollout
Rollout of a digital-media project, whether it's a kiosk or digital signage, requires detailed project management. Study the ten crucial steps to a successful rollout here.

Best Practices: Selecting Kiosk Touchscreens
There are many different types of touchscreens available for kiosks. We break down the different technologies here — find out which offerings are best-suited to your project.

Best Practices: Photo Kiosks
Learn the basics of successfully deploying photo kiosks — one of the most popular types of self-service technology — including security, remote monitoring and GUI.

Best Practices: Kiosk Acceptance and Managing Change
Successful kiosk deployments go beyond simply rolling out the machines — deployers must be able to manage how customers, as well as employees, perceive and welcome the kiosks in order to maximize their use.

Best Practices: System Security for Kiosks and Other Self-Service Devices
Securing kiosks and other self-service technology is of paramount importance, especially for machines that access the Internet. Learn the best ways to ensure your kiosks and your customers' data are fully protected.

Best Practices: Remote Monitoring of Kiosks and Other Self-Service Devices
Kiosk projects can become overwhelming to manage, especially those that are rolled out on a large scale. Learn how remote-monitoring technology can help reduce the costs of maintaining your project.

Best Practices: Kiosk Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act
During kiosk rollout, deployers must consider compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Learn the basics of the ADA here, as well as the best ways to ensure your machine’s compliance with the regulations.

Those documents are available to association members for free download from www.SelfService.org.

The Self-Service and Kiosk Association exists to identify and promote the interests of companies engaged in the electronic, self-service kiosk industry. The Association serves its members by providing member news, research, best practice case studies, networking opportunities and forums for discussing important industry issues. With international membership the Association is in a unique position to promote the growth and health of our entire industry around the world.

Contact: David Drain Executive Director, davidd@networldalliance.com; 502-241-7545, ext. 252.

To be recognized by a publication that is so well-regarded by our peers and professionals in this industry is truly an honor. We are thrilled to be included as one of Tradeshow Week's Fast 50 shows, and now with our fourth award honoring the shows, we are excited to join an extremely elite group of less than 20 events that have received this award four or more times.

Our attendees, exhibitors and speakers have shown us that, unequivocally, their objectives are being met, and all indicate that our show is the place they support to grow their businesses. By using their objectives as our guide, we're ensuring that the quality and utility of our offering remains high and that our event continues to grow.

The nonprofit organization Secure POS Vendor Alliance, or SPVA, has announced five new member companies. The SPVA was created by Hypercom, Ingenico S.A. and VeriFone to encourage security standards compliance and the defense of security breaches in the payments industry.

The new member companies are Atos Worldline, Heartland Payment Systems, Moneris Solutions, Radiant Systems Inc. and Witham Laboratories.

Princeton, N.J.-based Heartland Payment Systems experienced one of the biggest data security breaches in history last year when its servers were hacked.

“Membership in the SPVA reinforces our commitment to advancing security within our industry (and) enables us to gain firsthand knowledge of current security threats and proactively shape future security guidelines,” said Antoine van Diem, general manager of technologies and products for Atos Worldline, in a news release from SPVA.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — CVS/pharmacy and Eastman Kodak Company have announced a new long-term agreement naming Kodak as the national chain’s provider of in-store photo-processing systems, including the KODAK Adaptive Picture Exchange, or APEX dry lab system, KODAK Picture Kiosk, and Kodak Service and Support.
 
The agreement enables CVS/pharmacy to build on its leadership position within the photo retailing category by providing customers with multiple in-store photo-service options and an expanded portfolio of premium, high-value photo products, such as KODAK Picture Movie DVDs and Photo Books.
 
“CVS/pharmacy has a longstanding reputation for quality products and services, and consumers recognize and trust the quality associated with the Kodak brand. We believe our strong relationship with Kodak will continue to resonate with our consumers and help us to continue our growth in this important category,” said Grant Pill, vice president for CVS/Pharmacy.
 
An integral strategy for CVS/pharmacy will be to implement Kodak’s latest G4X consumer kiosks in stores and to significantly expand its fleet of KODAK APEX dry lab systems. The KODAK APEX system is a modular, behind-the-counter thermal dry lab system, which combines a number of new products into one powerful, integrated and industry-leading retailer solution.
 
“CVS/pharmacy has been a great business partner for Kodak. This new agreement will build on our already successful partnership by enabling more growth in premium photo products and by broadening the reach of Kodak’s state-of-the-art APEX system at CVS/pharmacy locations,” said Mike Saturnia, vice president of sales for Eastman Kodak Company. “Kodak is proud to be working with this innovative retailer to optimize its photo services fleet with advanced dry lab and photo kiosk systems.”
 
In 2008, CVS/pharmacy was the first national retailer to offer customers both KODAK Picture Movie DVDs and Photo Books. These innovative photo-processing products turn customers’ photos into hard-cover books and movies in minutes using the KODAK Picture Kiosk. Both of these products are now available in more than 5,600 CVS/pharmacy stores nationwide.

TradingMarkets.com: NCR Corporation, has named Alex C. Camara as the company's new vice president and general manager of NCR Entertainment Solutions. The role includes responsibility for NCR's Blockbuster Express DVD rental operations. Camara previously was with Coinstar as senior VP and general manager of Coinstar coin and Entertainment. According to reports, he has more than 25 years of experience in leadership roles in operations, sales, supply chain, business development and general management within the retail industry and self-service technology.
 
Click to continue

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Self-Service and Kiosk Association has published its 2009 Self-Service Consumer Survey, a comprehensive report that reveals what consumers like and dislike about self-service technology — and what they want more of.

The editorial staff of SSKA, along with research firm Second To None, interviewed more than 1,000 consumers to see how they feel about self-service technology and its various applications. The report contains the results of the survey, along with more than 45 charts and graphs, as well as expert commentary from various industry voices.

"The findings reflect larger trends we’ve observed over 10 years, with a few interesting developments," writes editor James Bickers in the report's introduction. "For instance, the generalization that older people are resistant to new technologies is eroding — pivotal knowledge for you, if you want to continue to delight those audiences."

Other findings in the data-rich publication include:

When asked "When being served as a customer, which of the following is most important to you," 40 percent of respondents chose "quality of service" as their No. 1 concern.
Respondents’ top three reasons for using self-service technology were: "Self-service is faster," "Self-service is more convenient" and "I like self-service technology."
The report also includes commentary from experts in self-service from various vertical markets: healthcare, travel, financial, hospitality, retail and the public sector. Experts include Bill Nuti of NCR, Norma Wolcott from IBM, Colleen Arnold of Air Canada, Bart Foster with SoloHealth and others.

For more information and to purchase the report, visit http://www.selfservice.org/2009research.

 

About Second To None

Second To None, Inc. is a multi-disciplinary customer experience  and customer satisfaction measurement firm specializing in mystery shopping, competitive analysis and merchandising and brand audits. We assist Fortune 1000 brands in measuring, understanding and optimizing their brand performance across all points of customer interaction by providing actionable forward-looking information about the customer experience. For more information, visit www.second-to-none.com.

LAS VEGAS — During an educational session at the KioskCom Self Service Expo Thursday, attendees sampled exclusive results of consumer research that reveals what they like and dislike when using self-service.

The session, "What Self-Service Technology Do Customers Really Want," moderated by SSKA executive director David Drain, focused on a study sponsored by the association and included in a new report, "2009 Self-Service Consumer Survey." Drain gave attendees a peek at some of the results of the study, including:

When asked "When being served as a customer, which of the following is most important to you," 40 percent of respondents chose "quality of service" as their No. 1 concern.
Respondents’ top three reasons for using self-service technology were: "Self-service is faster," "Self-service is more convenient" and "I like self-service technology."
When asked their No.1 reason for choosing full-service provided by an employee over self-service, 50 percent responded, "Self-service devices are not available."
Coupled with these insights into consumer preferences was data presented by Janet Sherlock of AMR Research, which showed more than 60 percent of retailers surveyed will add or improve on their self-service offerings this year or are planning a 2010 initiative. AMR’s data also provided a snapshot of the self-service functionalities retailers consider when planning deployments. Taking the top positions on the list were gift registry, price check, inventory location/availability, expanded product information, "endless aisle" order processing, self-checkout and loyalty program/mailing list sign-up. Sherlock pointed to the QSR dining space as the next big market to make self-service solutions a part of its standard offerings.

Also during the session, Jared Miller, senior director of customer self-service for Continental Airlines, discussed the company’s self-service strategies and successes. With service to nearly as many international as domestic locations, Miller said Continental focuses on catering to a diverse customer base and providing a consistent user experience across all channels.

"Our self-service offerings have to be able to speak to these customers in a manner they’re comfortable with," Miller said. "It’s a continual conversation, if you will, with the customer across every touchpoint."

Miller also discussed the future of mobile self-service technology in the airline industry and predicted a standardized mobile boarding pass acceptance system within a few years.

Before the doors to the KioskCom Self Service Expo and The Digital Signage Show even open, organizers and members of the Self-Service and Kiosk Association will take advantage of the networking opportunities central to attending an industry tradeshow.
 
The SSKA will hold an Advisory Board meeting the morning of Tuesday, May 5. Following the meeting, the association will host a luncheon for members and for nonmember deployers and vendors who may interested in joining the association.
 
“Not only will you enjoy a great lunch and the opportunity to network with other professionals, you'll also hear a brief update on SSKA activities,” said David Drain, SSKA executive director.
 
Both events will be held at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, the same venue that hosts the show May 6-7. Registration for the luncheon is $30. Register online at www.networldalliance.com/sskaluncheon.

NORTH CANTON, Ohio — Diebold Inc. announced Wednesday that Kevin J. Krakora, a Diebold executive vice president and chief financial officer, has stepped down following the receipt of a "Wells notice" from the Division of Enforcement of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with an ongoing investigation of the company's financial-reporting practices.
 
Diebold's prior CFO along with other former employees in the company's finance organization also received Wells notices.  Diebold says the Wells notices relate to items addressed in the company's previously filed restated financial statements.
 
The Wells notices indicate that the SEC is considering recommending that civil enforcement actions be brought against the named individuals, alleging that they violated various provisions of the federal securities laws.
 
Under the SEC's procedures, recipients of a Wells notice have the opportunity to respond to the SEC before a formal recommendation is made to the SEC regarding any civil enforcement action.
Krakora will continue to serve the company in a non-financial reporting capacity, pending resolution of the SEC matter. Leslie A. Pierce, vice president and corporate controller, is fulfilling the role of interim CFO.
 
Diebold says it is continuing to cooperate with the SEC in connection with its previously disclosed investigation. As part of this process, the company has had preliminary discussions with the SEC concerning resolution, including the possibility of entering into a settlement agreement.  It is possible that the SEC will issue a Wells notice to the company in connection with the investigation.
 
Pierce joined Diebold in 1990 as a senior accountant. Before joining Diebold, Pierce had four years of public accounting experience at KPMG in Cleveland. She holds a bachelor's degree in accounting from Kent State University and is a certified public accountant.

NORTH CANTON, Ohio — Diebold Inc., a member of the Self-Service & Kiosk Association, is making leadership changes as part of an organizational realignment within its security division.
 
Bradley J. Stephenson, vice president, physical security solutions, has been promoted to vice president of Diebold's security division, where he will focus on increasing the value of Diebold's security solutions to customers and accelerating market growth in the Americas. He is now responsible for the company's enterprise security and fire-services operations, government solutions group, monitoring services, security research and development, product management, and security marketing and business development.
 
According to a news release, Dennis M. Moriarty, senior vice president, global security division, is leaving the company.
 
"This change is designed to drive efficiencies through defined business processes, targeted geographic focus and organizational optimization," said Tom Swidarski, Diebold's president and chief executive. "We have an enormous amount of confidence in Brad Stephenson's ability to deliver results in his new responsibilities. His wealth of experience in running various businesses within Diebold across a number of different industries will prove to be valuable in this broadened leadership role."
 
Stephenson has been with Diebold for more than 35 years, serving in a variety of senior management and technical positions including general manager of card systems, fire services and Nexus Software. Stephenson led the company's electronic security division from 1996 to 1999, developing security products to meet the needs of financial services and retail clients. Prior to moving to the security division's corporate headquarters in 1995, Stephenson had more than 20 years of experience in various customer-facing roles.
 
A West Michigan native, Stephenson earned a bachelor's degree in computer information systems from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Mich.
 
Moriarty was appointed vice president of Diebold's global security division in 2005. He joined Diebold in 1996 as Eastern Division vice president, where he led the sales, service and systems organizations. He also served as vice president of Customer Business Solutions within Diebold North America.  Prior to joining Diebold, Moriarty served in senior leadership positions at Pitney Bowes Corp. in Stamford, Conn.

• Art Flowers
• Bank of Bermuda
• CoolNerd Media Inc.
• Delta Air Lines Inc.
• Fifth Third Bank
• George Weston Bakeries
• Heritage Revenue Systems
• K & G Enterprises LLC
• Kaufman Surplus
• Lackmann Culinary Services
• Lighthouse International
• Macon County Greyhound Park
• Metropolitan National Bank
• Museum of Science and Industry
• Prontodvd
• Qpay
• The Marlin Company
• Tiffany & Company
• U.S. Navy

 

• Access to SSKA's Expert Panel
• Contact information of other deployer members for networking purposes
• The ability to participate in Deployer's Council meetings and conference calls
• Entrance to the association's members-only library of Best Practices documents
• Deployer Quarterly newsletters
• Webinars with featured industry experts
• Networking with leaders in the industry
• Discounts on research reports
• Complimentary individual consulting and referrals

• 7Cs Winery LLC
• Adventist Health System
• Ambassadors
• American Airlines
• American Casino and Entertainment Properties
• American Kiosk Management
• American Medallion Designs Inc.
• American Museum of Natural History
• AT&T Mobility
• Austin Energy
• Bank of Eastern Oregon
• Cabela's
• Canadian Tire Corporation
• Discount Tire Co.
• Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group
• Financial Service Centers Cooperative
• Fontainebleau Las Vegas
• Grand Pacific Resorts
• Harrah’s Entertainment
• Lighting4sale
• Local Government Federal Credit Union
• Lowe’s Companies
• Macy’s West Department Stores
• Mahvelous Mailboxes!
• Marathon Staffing
• Marshall University
• Memory Maker Photo Jewelry
• Niche Wear LLC
• Palace Sports & Entertainment
• PCA Services Inc.
• Sodexo
• Southwest Medical Associates
• Toys R Us
• Villanova University
• Washington's Lottery

• President – Stu Armstrong, EnQii North AmericaVice
• President, Vendors – Charles Ansley, Symon Communications and Dick Trask, Scala
• Vice President, Users – Margot Myers, United States Postal Service
• Vice President, Integrators & Pro A/V  – Tom Johnson, Digital AV
• Vice President, Network Operators – Rocky Gunderson, SeeSaw Networks
• Vice President, Agencies/Brands – Jacquelyn Corbett Cyr, Espresso | Brand Infiltration

DUBAI · Self Service Expo Middle East and Vending Middle East's expo and conference is scheduled for Feb. 6-7, 2008, in Dubai.

 

• Increase the awareness and understanding of digital signage, including growing integration with self-service and POS systems.
• Increase the visibility of the Association, its role in digital signage and its members who offer digital signage hardware, software and/or services.
• Be a resource to the membership to answer questions about digital signage.

• Brian Ardinger, Nanonation
• James Bickers, DigitalSignageToday.com
• Jimmy Dun, Dynasign
• Bob Fincher, NetWorld Alliance
• David Little, Keywest Technology
• Wayne McKeen, AVI
• Margot Myers, U.S. Postal Service
• Greg Nank, Chief Manufacturing
• Miller Newton, Netkey
• Doug Peter, St. Clair
• Alex Richardson, Selling Machine Partners
• Wayne Ruttle, ADFLOW Networks

Winners were announced yesterday for the 2007 KioskCom Self Service Excellence Awards. Below are finalists by category, with winners indicated. In the coming weeks, we will profile the winners in a special series.

 

SAN ANTONIO · The winners of the 2006 Self-Service World Outstanding Achievement Awards were announced Friday morning in a ceremony held at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center.

• Gold · Shopping Solutions/Giant Food Stores (St. Clair Interactive)
• Silver · Build-A-Bear Workshop's gift card kiosk (Nanonation)
• Bronze · Photo.Teller (Whitech USA)

• Gold · Barclays Bank Branch Kiosk (Wincor Nixdorf U.K.)
• Silver · Cox Communications Xpress Pay Kiosk (Source Technologies)

• Gold · MediKiosk (Westchester Medical Group, Galvanon)
• Silver · PhreesiaPad (Phreesia Inc., Analytical Design Solutions Inc., KioWare)

• Gold · DMV Self-Service Kiosk (Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles, JCM American)
• Silver · Cash machines for social payments (Bundesagentur fur Arbeit, Wincor Nixdorf Intl.)
• Bronze · City of Milwaukee Automated Payment Center (Citation Management, Pay-Ease LLC)

• Gold · Amtrak Ticketing Kiosk (Amtrak/SITA, KIOSK Information Systems)
• Silver · Continental Properties Kiosk (Nanonation)
• Bronze · Alamo Check-in Kiosk (Alamo Rent-A-Car, KIOSK Information Systems)

• Gold · DMV Self-Service Kiosk (Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles, JCM American)
• Silver · Cox Communications Xpress Pay Kiosk (Source Technologies)
• Bronze · Avery Dennison Human Resources Kiosk (Netkey Inc.)

• PhreesiaPad (Phreesia Inc., Analytical Design Solutions Inc., KioWare)

• DMV Self-Service Kiosk (Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles, JCM American)

 

Thousands of retailers are set to descend on Chicago's McCormick Place, May 21-24, for the annual Retail Systems Conference & Exposition. The show includes 212 exhibitors, a special customer-facing section for the self-service and kiosk industry, guest speakers from top retailers and social networking events.

Self-service innovators Retaligent Systems will show the latest upgrades to their Clarience 1:1 automated retail systems. The scalable system currently offers 20 different modules, applications that can be used in a variety of combinations, across a variety of platforms, including PDA and EDA software for remote management, smart phone applications that can scan bar codes and kiosks that customers can use to have different sizes and colors of clothes delivered to them in the changing rooms.

"What we've basically done is taken the Retaligent Platform and used it as pervasive-interaction architecture," Retaligent CEO Bryan Amaral said. "And any one of our solutions can be used within that store. The associate-facing tools are leveraging the same technologies a consumer can on the smart phone."

Netkey, one of the original creators of dedicated web-based kiosk commerce software, will show an array of automated multi-channel marketing solutions that they've regularly deployed at major retailers including Home Depot and Border's Books and Music.

"The Netkey platform allows retailers to generate ROI by getting to market faster with self-service kiosk and digital signage applications that help sell, while at the same time reducing the cost of operating these store technologies," Netkey director of marketing Bob Ventresca said.

Other key self-service exhibitors include:

Diebold-ISS, the national IT and computer maintenance network, showcasing its new Call Forward technology, designed to improve customer checkout time.

Epson America, Inc., a leader in printer technology, will showcase their POS peripherals.

Hand Held Products, a leader in transaction terminals and POS peripherals, will show the Image Kiosk 8560 mini-kiosk with customizable multifunction user interface.

HP, the veteran computer hardware firm, will show myriad applications including middleware, multichannel marketing tools and RFID technology.

IBM, the business-to-business computing and logistics giant, will display several retail technologies including gift registries, consulting services and data mining solutions.

La Garde will show its award-winning multichannel CISP-compliant online storefront shopping cart solution, StoreFront (www.storefront.net).

Microsoft Corporation will exhibit a variety of retail solutions including its popular .NET commerce platform.

New Edge Networks will showcase their commercial networking capabilities for connecting a variety of POS, financial and data networks.

Nippon Primex Inc., a Japanese printer manufacturer, will proffer its line of POS and kiosk printers.

The Self-Service & Kiosk Association, (owned by this site's publisher, Networld Alliance) discussing its numerous sales and networking benefits with potential members.

Star Micronics America, a leader in the printer industry, will show its line of commercial and self-service printers.

NCR/Teradata, a firm dedicated to data warehousing and analytics, will demonstrate its solutions for e-commerce and self-service.

VeriFone, Inc., a recent entrant into the self-service/kiosk space, will display its numerous POS applications, and its new multimedia mini-kiosks.

LOUISVILLE, KY.·Self-Service World is now accepting entries for the 2006 Outstanding Achievement Awards.

The envelope is open and The Self-Service and Kiosk Association has selected three new advisory board members and re-elected three incumbents. The election comes at what most in the industry believe will be an important era for self service.

One of the worst winter storms of the year couldn't stop exhibitors and attendees from descending on the Doubletree Hotel in Orlando, Fla., for The Self-Service & Kiosk Show, the biannual trade show focused on how self-service technology can help end-markets improve their business processes and increase customer satisfaction. In addition to two solid days of seminars and workshops, attendees had full access to a show floor filled with the latest self-service devices, all plugged in and ready for a test-drive.

In his seminar at The Self-Service & Kiosk Show on Feb. 13, Alex Richardson laid out the trends he's seeing in assisted selling devices in retail. Richardson, founder of software giant and SSKA member Netkey and now managing director for Selling Machine Partners, began with a brief history of the kiosk industry, then jumped forward to discuss how some major retailers are implementing self-service technology.