Will Shaw, director of production and marketing for Oblate Media, says the technology will help the organization reach young people more effectively:

We are hoping to plant a seed — the idea that the priesthood may be their calling. (Candidates for priesthood) start thinking about serving the church at a young age. Many teens who visit our centers are in Catholic schools, and some of them are already kicking the idea of entering the priesthood around. The assumption is that these young people are interested in technology. We are trying to cast the bread out as far as we can.

Digital Signage Expo: Tandberg and .advancedMethod have combined their respective technologies to develop the Instant Expert/Translation Station, an interactive video kiosk that variously serves as a connection to live experts or digital signage. The kiosk/video station will allow instant video contact with a subject expert or an interpreter at the touch of a button.
According to Seattle-based .advancedMethod, the system offers a retailer, mass transit hub or any other customer-facing facility the ability to have an “instant expert” on hand at any time. It can be used anywhere a retailer or organization needs more of a presence without hiring additional employees. The companies will demonstrate the product at InfoComm 09 next week.
 
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MIDRAND, South Africa — IBM, supplier of the IBM AnyPlace Kiosk, has confirmed that it will be the sole platinum sponsor of South Africa’s first definitive kiosk conference, JusTTouchIT 2009. IBM joins a growing list of top IT companies and vendors already committed to the conference. JusTouchIT 2009 will take place July 29-30 at the Eskom Convention Centre in Midrand, a municipality in Johannesburg, South Africa.
 
Kevin Kitchin, IBM Retail Store Solutions brand specialist, said IBM is committed to the growth of the kiosk industry in South Africa and will throw its weight behind such initiatives whenever possible.
 
“The organizers of JusTTouchIT 2009 have assembled an impressive list of international speakers, including one of our own international experts on self-service and kiosks,” said Kitchin.
 
IT integration and support giant GijimaAST is a silver sponsor of the conference and will present a paper on the importance of maintenance and support for an industry that needs to have 24/7 availability.
 
The conference’s keynote speaker will be Robert Porter, CEO of Euro Kiosks Network, an alliance of more than 100 kiosk companies across Europe.
 
“We have every confidence that JusTTouchit will deliver a highly professional conference focused on educating attendees on the latest trends in self-service technologies,” Porter said.

Porter’s keynote address will look at global trends and success stories in the industry, and he also will make an in-depth presentation on photo kiosks, the fastest growing kiosk segment in the world. Porter recently was one of the judges for the photo kiosk software awards at PMA ’09, the Photo Marketing Association’s annual convention in Las Vegas. Porter’s photo kiosk presentation at JusTTouchIT is sponsored by the PMA.
 
“We are pleased to offer our full support and endorsement for the upcoming JusTTouchIT South African kiosk conference,” said Porter.
 
David Ives, director, developer and platform strategy group for Microsoft South Africa, will be the second-day keynote speaker and will address innovations in touch-based computing, such as Microsoft Surface and Active Walls.
 
“This and many other innovations will change the way we interact with technology, with an intention that we make a difference in people’s lives,” said Ives. “This presentation will share what innovation is being researched locally and abroad and the impact this is likely to have on people and the world of service management.”
 
Other speakers at the conference include:
 
• Marcelo Hermida of Wincor Nixdorf, who will present the history of financial services kiosks in South Africa, and a look at their future
• Graham Roebuck, also of Wincor Nixdorf, who will present a joint SAP/Wincor Nixdorf paper on kiosks in an employee self-service environment
• Matshepo Kekana, of the Guateng (South Africa) Shared Services Centre (GSSC), who will present a paper on kiosks as a means of e-government service delivery
• Richard McIntyre, CEO of Crystal Touch, who will speak on kiosk network management, monitoring and content deployment
• Fred Scherf, founder and former executive of Deposita, who will speak on cash in a self-service environment
• Cornel Van Lingen, CEO of Public Display Technologies South Africa, who will speak on interactivity and digital signage
 
There will be additional international input from John Anderson of Yeahpoint Australia, a well-established kiosk company with extensive deployments in Australia and underdeveloped environments in Southeast Asia. Yeahpoint has recently opened offices in South Africa.
 
In addition to the above partners and speakers, exhibitors at the conference will include Epson Printers, Custom Printers, Nomad Electronic Fund Transfer systems, kiosk enclosure builder Heartwood Craft and major South African I.T. company Business Connexion.

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.