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News Archive |
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Wednesday, 21 October 2009
Hercules Networks, a provider of cell phone-charging kiosks, today announced that its founder and CEO, Paul King, has been recognized as a finalist for BusinesWeek Magazine's "Top 25 U.S. Entrepreneurs under 25" list.
Hercules' cell phone-charging kiosks provide a rapid, ten-minute charge for most models of cell phones, smart phones, mp3 players and other mobile devices. The kiosks feature an LCD display that allows advertising partners to reach a captive audience while customers charge their mobile devices.
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.
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
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, 12 June 2009
NEW YORK — Hercules Networks, a technology firm that produces Automated Charging Machines, or ACMs, has been selected by AT&T to provide ACMs for the TDBankNorth Arena, home of the Boston Celtics. The cell phone-charging kiosks are to be branded with AT&T’s logo and color scheme.
According to a news release, arena customers will be able to use the AT&T Charging Station to get a free rapid 10-minute charge. While they wait, they can watch the LCD screen that sits at eye level and plays AT&T’s latest commercials.
“AT&T has always been at the forefront of exciting sponsorship opportunities and has once again hit the ball out of the park with this one,” said Hercules Networks’ CEO Paul King. “Giving consumers a service while promoting your brand is a win-win, and something they pay attention to and remember. We are excited to bring this concept to other stadiums and venues.”
Hercules Networks has a line of ACMs that charge consumers cell phones while they are on-the-go. A rapid 10-minute charge gives the consumer a quick boost of juice and gives advertisers a captive audience.
“In today’s changing world, it is hard enough to have someone captive for one minute. We offer 10 minutes of captive, uninterrupted messaging,” King said.
Tuesday, 12 May 2009
SAN FRANSISCO — 3i Consulting, a developer of complementary mobile solutions for the SAP platform, announced yesterday the availability of the world’s first employee self-service portal designed specifically for SAP’s enterprise resource management and BlackBerry platforms.
The solution is powered by 3i’s Mobile Workplace technology and provides mobile access to common employee self-service functionalities, such as SAP Workflow tasks, creation and updating of employee banking, address and benefits information, time-sheet entry and leave requests.
“2009 is shaping up to be an exciting year for SAP mobility, as there is an increasing focus on cost reduction and the ability to streamline non-income-producing activities, such as HR functionality, is pushed further into the spotlight,” said David Sherman, director of sales for 3i Consulting, in a press release.
A QuickStart trial of the Mobile Workplace platform is available at 3i-consulting.com.
Wednesday, 06 May 2009
LAS VEGAS — The Advertising Council, the nation’s leading producer of public service advertising campaigns, and The MediaTile Company, a provider of cellular digital signage solutions, have announced a partnership to provide a free, new service for network operators to easily add public service advertisements (PSAs) to their digital signage programming schedules.
“PSA Casting” is planned for release in the fall of 2009 and will provide royalty-free access to a rich library of PSAs, previously available only to traditional media networks. The announcement was made at The Digital Signage Show in Las Vegas this morning. Information can be obtained on the show floor in the Ad Council booth, number 934, or by visiting www.psacasting.org.
“This partnership with MediaTile is a wonderful opportunity to share and promote our campaigns with digital signage operators,” said Tim Davis, EVP of media, The Advertising Council. “We’re excited about PSA Casting and the potential of this new technology to effectively distribute our ads to the growing number of digital signage networks. With this initiative, we will be able to engage broader audiences throughout the country with our public service messages.”
The MediaTile Company is supporting the PSA Casting initiative by providing its expertise in hosting and delivery of media-based content for digital signage networks. MediaTile will use its Web-based Mediacast content delivery and management system as the engine both to host and provide PSAs on-demand to digital signage networks of all types, regardless of their underlying technology platform. MediaTile will also utilize its recently announced Mediaservices organization to format PSAs into digital signage compatible file formats.
“We are delighted to be part of this broad industry initiative that will positively affect the lives of millions of viewers,” said Simon Wilson, chief executive of The MediaTile Company. “Delivering PSAs for the Ad Council is both an honor and a privilege, and we’re eager to support their efforts in improving awareness of critical social issues. Together, we will help non-profit organizations and government agencies extend their integrated communication campaigns beyond traditional media to include the ‘Fifth Screen’ — digital signage.”
The Digital Signage Show, which is co-located with KioskCom Self Service Expo, is where thousands of professional buyers of digital signage and kiosks from multiple vertical industries, along with digital out of home network owners and advertising agencies, have gathered.
“We’re ecstatic to provide a venue to showcase and launch an industry initiative that supports important social issues,” said Lawrence Dvorchik, general manager of The Digital Signage Show and KioskCom.
Thursday, 30 April 2009
SAN DIEGO, Calif. — NCR Corp. is allowing consumers to deposit checks safely from wherever they can get reception on their data-enabled mobile phones, such as an iPhone or Blackberry.
The company today announced an agreement with Mitek Systems Inc., an innovator of image analytics and mobile imaging software, to integrate Mitek’s ImageNet Mobile Deposit software into NCR’s APTRA Passport family of remote deposit capture solutions.
For businesses, this software will allow direct deposit of checks by using a mobile phone’s camera as a scanner, capturing an image of both sides of the check and transmitting those images to the financial institution for deposit. The software is ideal for small-services-based businesses, such as insurance agencies or home repair, that need to process low-volumes of checks from remote locations.
The new NCR APTRA Mobile Passport solution complements the APTRA Commercial Passport remote deposit capture software that allows deposits using check scanners to be sent directly to the FI or via the online banking Web site.
The combined solution gives FIs the ability to provide accountholders with quicker availability to funds and an extra level of convenience, while automatically migrating all images and data into NCR ImageMark Transaction Manager’s single processing platform to provide data validation, balancing and exceptions processing, NCR’s Software-as-a-Service Passport validation or other backend validation systems.
Tuesday, 21 April 2009
Travel Agent: Amadeus has announced a test of a new device, Pass and Fly, as part of a pilot project that simplifies passenger recognition, the crediting of airport passenger points and airplane boarding, through the use of a mobile phone that is near-field-communication-enabled. Amadeus says it is the first time in air travel that NFC, a short-range, wireless connectivity technology, has been used to enable mobile boarding passes. Nice Côte d’Azur Airport, Air France, Amadeus and IER, a technology company, have partnered to test the new mobile boarding pass until Oct. 30.
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Tuesday, 14 April 2009
European Investor: As of tomorrow, Scandinavian Airlines customers will be able to travel using only their mobile phones. "Currently, approximately 10 percent of SAS passengers check in via SMS, but our goal for 2011 is that 80 percent of our customers check in off-airport, which means online or via their mobile," said Lars Sandahl Sørensen, a senior vice president for SAS. "It is very important for us that our customers have the smoothest and simplest travel experience possible with us. We are therefore looking forward to rolling out the service later this year, once we have evaluated the trial."
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Friday, 20 March 2009
ATLANTA — Delta Air Lines today announced a partnership with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to launch paperless check-in for domestic travel on nonstop Delta, Northwest and Delta Connection flights departing from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
Customers will have the option of using their mobile device to check-in and receive an electronic boarding pass via their Web-enabled devices.
"Delta is taking another step to eliminate lines from airports by putting more time-saving technology in the hands of our customers," said Josh Weiss, Delta’s managing director, delta.com and self-service. "With the introduction of paperless check-in at our largest hub, Atlanta-departing customers can now quickly check in and receive a boarding pass 24 hours in advance of their flight literally from anywhere with no paper required."
Customers traveling in the United States and checking in for a nonstop flight from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport may simply download their boarding pass to their mobile devices via delta.com or nwa.com and proceed directly to the airport security screening area. Customers checking bags should drop their bags at the baggage drop counter location prior to proceeding to the security checkpoint.
At the security checkpoint, TSA will scan the electronic boarding pass, check the customer’s ID and process the customer through security. Customers can then proceed to their departure gate, present their electronic boarding pass to the gate agent at boarding time and board with their designated zone.
Other airports currently offering mobile check-in to Delta and Northwest customers include Las Vegas, Memphis and Minneapolis-St. Paul; Detroit and Indianapolis (Northwest only); and New York-LaGuardia (Delta only).
Wednesday, 18 March 2009
SHENZHEN, China -- Universal Travel Group, a China-based travel services provider, has announced plans to add cell phone recharge functionality to its portfolio of TRIPEASY kiosks.
According to a news release, TRIPEASY kiosks, developed by Universal Travel Group, provide information in response to users' travel-related inquiries.
The kiosks will begin offering cell phone recharge beginning April 1. According to ChinaNews.com, there were approximately 540 million cell phone users in China in 2007, a number that is expected to grow to 730 million by 2010. In addition, large tier one cities, such as Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Chongqing, where Universal Travel has a strong presence, have about 50 million cell phone users combined. Moreover, these users require a recharge inquiry every month.
While the company has a current membership base of 2.5 million people, with recharge functionality, it expects traffic at its kiosks to more than double from current levels via return trips to its kiosks by cell phone recharge customers. The increased traffic could generate significant opportunities for the company to promote and sell its traditional air ticketing, hotel booking and packaged tours businesses.
The TRIPEASY kiosks accept bank cards and provide secured payment functions to finalize transactions. Universal Travel will continue its efforts to add functionality to increase its kiosks' traffic flow including utilities payment, lottery purchase and transportation IC card recharge.
The company plans to have several hundred kiosks in place by mid-2009.
"We are pleased to take the next step in rolling out our revolutionary TRIPEASY kiosks by adding increased functionality, which we expect will significantly drive customer traffic," said Jiangping Jiang, chairwoman and chief executive of Universal Travel Group. "We are looking for the kiosks to make a significant contribution to achieving our growth objectives in 2009. Also, as our kiosks attract a more targeted audience interested in travel-related products and services, and users embrace the concept, we expect to gain marketing efficiencies in the process."
Thursday, 05 February 2009
NATICK, Mass. -- The challenges of selling retail automation solutions during a recession were apparent at the 2009 National Retail Federation conference in New York City, according to a news release from VDC Research.
One prevalent theme at the show, according to the release, centered on customer-facing solutions -- especially the intersection of mobile commerce, self-service and customer intelligence solutions. A growing collection of suppliers and operators offered variations on strategies that incorporated one or more elements of multi-channel marketing and/or self-service operations, and the technologies that support them.
2009 will see continued integration of m-commerce and self-service to deliver a fresh approach to customer engagement. Changes in consumer priorities, budgets and access to information will put pressure on retailers to meet the expectations of these customers. Self-service solutions - including those with mobile components -- are being considered a high potential tool to enable associates, and customers themselves, to enhance experiences.
The release cites Intel's proof-of-concept system as technology that offers interactive digital signage and either a manned or self-service POS system. The proof-of-concept system can be deployed as interactive POS terminals or self-service kiosk.
At the same time, the release noted the significance of Source Technologies' launch of its ServPoint family of self-service kiosks. The ServPoint family is available in a wide range of configurations and can be designed to address several applications and vertical markets from a largely common platform.
Fujitsu was also named in the release as a self-service innovator at NRF. The company unveiled several of its new U-Serv self-service kiosk solutions. The solutions ranged from its entry-level solution, the U-Serve 50, to its higher-end solution, the U-Serve 75. According to the release, Fujitsu's U-Serve product line, "offers the necessary flexibility to address multiple vertical markets and applications." Applications that were on display at the show included self-service ordering, movie/event ticketing and guided/assisted selling.
Wednesday, 28 January 2009
International Supermarket News: Beginning February 11, Carrefour will work together with the country's leading mobile operators to put in place a series of large scale Near Field Communication trials that will see consumers using NFC phones to make payments via the contactless MasterCard version, of its own brand credit/loyalty card, known as Pass. At the same time it has also signed a deal to install between 1,000 and 1,500 self-checkout machines, incorporating the ability to handle a wide range of advanced payments technologies including NFC.
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Friday, 23 January 2009
The Financial (Tibilisi, The Republic of Georgia): Cathay Pacific Airways, a Hong Kong-based airline, has launched Mobile Check-In, a new self-service solution that enables travelers to check in for their flights on Web-enabled mobile phones. The solution then sends a two-dimensional barcode to the mobile phone, which can be scanned by airline personnel via handheld scanners. The barcodes eliminate the need for a paper boarding pass. Travelers can access the solution by opening the Web browser on their mobile device and typing "m.cathaypacific.com" as the URL.
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Wednesday, 21 January 2009
MINNEAPOLIS -- Multi-Tech Systems Inc., a data communications and telecommunications technology manufacturer based in Minneapolis, and Symstream Americas Inc., a Texas-based wireless technology company, have announced the release of their SocketModem SS embedded cellular wireless modem, according to a news release.
Designed to reduce ATM fleet management cost on Symstream enabled GSM/3G networks, the SocketModem SS (Model MTSMC-G1-SS) cellular wireless modem incorporates Multi-Tech Systems' cellular wireless hardware and Symstream's internationally patented data transfer protocol that is fully supported by Symstream's management and gateway system.
According to the release, the SocketModem SS offers greater flexibility and connectivity for ATM terminals, kiosks and POS terminals as it provides connectivity throughout the carrier's larger GSM (voice) wireless network as distinct from their packet data network. Now shipping in the USA utilizing the AT&T GSM network, the SocketModem SS will be available in Asia and Europe in Q1 of this year.
An added benefit of the SocketModem SS is that it is plug compatible with the Multi-Tech dial-up SocketModem currently used in many of the leading ATMs in the U.S. marketplace, therefore allowing a simple, cost effective upgrade to this new powerful cost saving wireless modem. An external model is also planned supporting Ethernet, RS-232 and USB interfaces.
The SocketModem SS, when connected to the Symstream network, also provides access to the comprehensive Symstream Souran management system which supports remote operation and a high level of performance monitoring allowing network and fleet operators to potentially reduce their overall costs and provide greater uptime for their ATM fleet. Souran is a carrier grade management platform that offers flexible connectivity to ATM terminals, kiosks and point-of-sale terminals. Souran management offers GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, HSDPA and optional HSUPA capabilities designed to operate on a variety of platforms from a central point.
"Multi-Tech and Symstream's synergies and cooperative relationship ensure that our customers will continue to receive a quality product in a timely manner," said Mark Gamon, Symstream's sales and marketing director. "Multi-Tech's excellent in-house hardware design team, global recognition for their product quality, and also international sales and support network combined with Symstream's world-leading wireless technology, will create an end-to-end solution and strengthen our entry to serve the worldwide financial market."
Friday, 16 January 2009
The (Singapore) Straits Times: Earlier this week, Sony Ericsson unveiled its new PlayNow kiosk solution that lets mobile phone users download digital music and movies to their phones and pay for them with a stored-value card. But not everyone is singing the praises of the self-service solution. Irene Tham, a technology blogger, explains why she thinks the kiosk was "a let down."
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Wednesday, 14 January 2009
CNET Asia: Consumers in Asia who use Sony Ericsson mobile phones can now download digital movies to their handsets via the Sony Ericsson's new PlayNow kiosks. The kiosks are deployed in select retail stores. Users can choose from a digital catalog containing full-length movies, TV series, games and DRM-free music. The service is part of a content licensing partnership with Sony Pictures Enetertainment.
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Friday, 19 December 2008
TORONTO -- Digital signage and smartphones are being combined to facilitate the first real-time giant video game application on Toronto's Eaton Centre Media Tower at Yonge-Dundas Square.
Using Rogers Wireless BlackBerry Pearl Flip smartphones, the public can communicate with the Outdoor Broadcast Network's massive video board located in the square. OBN secured the exclusive rights to "Dial to Play" software distributed by iGotcha Media and took the idea to Rogers Wireless through its agencies, MediaCom and Publicis. The software has been integrated into the operating system of the 40-inch x 30-inch digital display on the tower, enabling smartphone users to interact with it.
Rogers will station event teams at the square until the end of the year, inviting up to 10 people at a time to try out one of the new BlackBerry Flip smartphones, which use voice recognition to play the game in real time. Each player controls an avatar by shouting "Flip" into a mobile phone to make the character's hand reach up to a Christmas stocking and grab phones that appear to tumble from the sky. OBN has incorporated the game into the regular programming run of advertising on the digital display.
Friday, 19 December 2008
CNN: A pair of German researchers have designed a prototype kiosk that gives iPhone users their first taste of the semantic Web. The semantic Web is just one component of what many tech analysts are calling "Web 3.0" -- the next generation of online interaction. Generally, it refers to an emerging Internet experience in which all things on the Web will be described with descriptor languages so computers can "understand" what they are. An object marked as baseball bat could be identified by the computer and the Web could immediately display related data, such as information on catchers' mits, baseballs, uniforms, etc. After the user places his iPhone on the kiosk surface, a circle appears around it displaying -- among other things -artists and albums similar to the MP3 tunes loaded on the iPhone.
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Monday, 08 December 2008
SCOTTS VALLEY, Calif. -- MediaTile, provider of cellular digital signage solutions, has announced that Heather Whalen has joined as vice president of North American sales in support of the company's continued growth and demand for its popular and unique "Digital Sign in a Box" and "Kiosk in a Box" solutions.
"I'm delighted to be part of the MediaTile team and to help drive the accelerated adoption of cellular digital signage and media services in key market segments and enterprises," said Whalen.
Whalen is responsible for MediaTile's North American sales strategy, distribution network and segment-based sales teams.
"Heather is a digital signage veteran with a rich background in both the industry and in building award-winning national sales teams," said Simon Wilson, chief executive of MediaTile. "Her past experience in management with cellular carriers and digital signage providers is a perfect fit with MediaTile's product offering and business value proposition."
Before joining MediaTile, Whalen held a variety of leadership positions at Symon Communications, Cingular Wireless, AT&T Wireless and Xerox Corp. Her 17 years of sales, operations and management experience has enabled her to build winning sales teams and accelerated product adoption.
Tuesday, 28 October 2008
(New Zealand) One News: Queues at airport check-in gates could be a thing of the past, now that Air New Zealand has announced a $30 million revamp of its domestic terminals. Beginning next week, Air New Zealand will do away with the old check-in counters and introduce do-it-yourself kiosks, where passengers can print off their own bag tags and take their luggage to the bag drop themselves. Travellers' boarding passes can be sent to them via mobile in order to get people through the airport faster.
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Monday, 27 October 2008
(United Arab Emirates) Business 24/7: After paperless tickets, the future of air travel could involve bar-coded boarding passes on mobile phones as the airline industry continues its quest to tap cost-effective technological innovations. Dominique El Bez, portfolio marketing director of Sita, an IT business solutions provider to the air transport industry, says the introduction of the mobile phone barcoded boarding pass (m-BCBP) could not only help airlines save millions of dollars on flight delay costs, but could ensure passengers a hassle-free journey.
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Thursday, 09 October 2008
Luxury Travel Magazine: From Oct. 13, 2008, Lufthansa passengers flying from London Heathrow will be able to use mobile boarding passes on all Lufthansa non-stop flights to Germany, as well as to most onward destinations in Europe. The service will be gradually introduced from additional U.K. and European departure points over the coming months. The U.K. launch follows the successful introduction of mobile boarding passes on all domestic German routes in the summer and last month on about 1,000 daily flights out of Germany to almost 400 European destinations.
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Thursday, 09 October 2008
OAKLAND, Calif. — Earlier this year, a select group of San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District riders took part in a first-in-the-nation trial to pay for their fares and food, receive discounts and check account balances using just their new mobile phone containing a contactless chip that enables transactions without a traditional plastic card.
BART, First Data and ViVOtech have since released the results of the trial conducted in the San Francisco area from Jan. 28 to May 30, 2008, which demonstrates high use when both transit fare and retail payments are combined in the same phone.
The results show that BART riders who took part in the trial extensively used their contactless, Near Field Communication (NFC) enabled phones to pay for their BART fares and meals at participating Jack in the Box restaurants.
The results also show that participants at BART stations frequently tapped smart advertisements in BART stations with their NFC phones. These posters contained directions to nearby Jack in the Box restaurants.
The data shows that trial participants took close to 9,000 trips on BART during the trial. To pay at BART stations, they simply tapped their NFC-equipped mobile phones, provided by Sprint, on top of the BART fare gates. This represents an average of 50 trips per participant during the four-month trial. Participants also topped-up their BART card balances more than 800 times using the over-the-air (OTA) feature of their NFC-equipped phones averaging five BART top-ups per mobile phone during the trial. More than 80 percent of trial participants indicated that the mobile wallet application was easy to use.
"We're very excited that our trial was so successful," BART's longest serving board member, James Fang, said. "NFC devices are all the rage in Asia, and if all goes well, millions of Americans will have access to these NFC-enabled phones starting in two years. With so many people turning to transit to avoid the ever-skyrocketing price of gas, we must do everything we can to break down the barriers that stand in the way of them using BART. The NFC-enabled phone simplifies their lives because they never need to dig for a BART ticket again, and they can bypass those fumbling for change at the ticket machine, and instead, go directly through the faregates — knowing they always have the correct fare on their phones."
Another value of this trial was to test the combination of transit and Jack in the Box meal purchases using the mobile phones as well as to drive traffic to merchants using NFC-enabled smart posters. During the trial, participants tapped their phones several hundred times on smart posters located throughout the BART terminal to obtain directions to the nearest Jack in the Box restaurant from the BART station.
ViVOtech developed the wallet software for the NFC mobile phones and the OTA card provisioning servers that Sprint used for the trial. This enabled participants to remotely download their BART fare and Jack Ca$h gift cards onto their mobile phones, check their card balances, review previous transactions, automatically top up their cards and use their phones to pay for BART fares and Jack in the Box food. ViVOtech also provided the contactless payment devices that read the NFC-enabled chips at Jack in the Box restaurants.
Friday, 03 October 2008
The Sydney (Australia) Morning Herald: A generation of children is growing up that will not remember paper airline tickets — and it's possible the next generation will not remember boarding passes, either. It is now possible to book a flight, check in, get a boarding pass and board a plane without a single piece of paper other than your photo identification. Airlines, including KLM, Air France, Lufthansa and Air Canada, have introduced mobile-phone boarding passes.
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Monday, 25 August 2008
MediaWeek: Paul King, the chief executive of Hercules Networks, was all set to be a lawyer. Three years ago, his bags were packed for Northwestern University, but he couldn't shake his "big idea": a network of cell phone and PDA recharger kiosks that would be as ubiquitous as ATMs. Days before he was supposed to show up at Northwestern, King changed his career plans and became an out-of-home media entrepreneur instead. "My parents disowned me for a little while," recalls King. "But I knew I only had one shot at this."
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Thursday, 21 August 2008
SOUTHLAKE, Texas — Checking in for your flight from a taxi, in a café, even while dropping the kids off at school is now a reality with the launch of Sabre Airline Solutions' new Mobile Check-In.
Launched in conjunction with Italian carrier, AirOne, Sabre's latest innovative breakthrough allows passengers to check-in for a flight, and even select their seats, using a Web-enabled mobile phone. Mobile Check-In is part of the SabreSonic suite, Sabre's flagship customer sales and service solution, and integrates with other SabreSonic self-service check-in options including Web and kiosk check-in, providing airlines with the broadest range of check-in options across all customer touch points.
"Self-service check-in is now a priority for many airlines as they look for ways to cut costs," said Gordon Locke, vice president of Airline Marketing for Sabre Holdings. "Sabre's Mobile Check-In solution not only provides the cost benefits, more importantly it improves the customer experience, making check-in more accessible, easier and faster — a real bonus for time-constrained corporate travelers."
Tuesday, 12 August 2008
The (Lynchburg, Va.) News & Advance: Chuck Kain was on a tight budget when he took a vacation to Myrtle Beach, S.C., last month. Before buying food and souvenirs, he checked on his cell phone to make sure he had enough money in his checking account. Kain, 30, also looked at his last transactions without visiting a bank, going to the ATM or being tied to his computer. "I used it in the middle of a campground when I didn't have a laptop," he said. It's mobile banking, the newest way for consumers to do personal banking — on their mobile devices.
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Monday, 28 July 2008
CNN: Are consumers getting the most out of their phones? Shopping for mobile content in cyberspace — music, games, applications, for example — can be scary. Malware, pirated content, push advertising and general anarchy in the sheer quantity of information often are overwhelming. That's why Jonathan Serbin quit his job at one of China's biggest mobile phone retailers to start his own company, Duo Guo. Like a real-world, multiplatform, non-proprietary incarnation of the hype surrounding Apple's App Store for the iPhone, Duo Guo offers physical, public kiosks of digital mobile content — complete with human customer service.
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Monday, 23 June 2008
READING, U.K. — Access IS, the data input technology company, has introduced a fixed-position, high-speed imager that captures barcodes from mobile phones or PDAs in less than one second.
Designed for use at self-service kiosks or turnstiles, or for flatbed installation in desk or podium applications, the LSR108 is a rugged, omni-directional imager with no moving parts that is designed to give years of trouble-free operation. It can be configured with data format settings and interfaced to the host system through either RS232 or USB using a single, detachable cable.
In retail, delivering barcoded vouchers to mobile phones is an economical way to drive up sales. At events, the LSR108 allows low-cost, secure and rapid access to venues when integrated with turnstile access systems.
An interactive mode allows the host application to control functions of the reader and integral Flash memory means that the imager is software-upgradable as new features become available. The LSR108 reads all popular linear, PDF417 and 2D symbologies.
Tuesday, 17 June 2008
LINCOLN, Neb. — Nanonation has announced a partnership with Impact Mobile to deliver a variety of mobile media solutions to the hospitality and retail markets.
The partnership enables Nanonation to integrate a variety of mobile applications into digital signage and kiosk networks. The applications enable consumers to interact with digital screens via standard text messaging to create new and engaging customer experiences.
The solution leverages Nanonation’s award-winning enterprise software platform for the content delivery, management and measurement of the screens with Impact Mobile’s mobile media technology and applications.
Wednesday, 28 May 2008
JAPAN — McDonalds now lets Japanese customers pay for their Big Macs and Happy Meals with their mobile phones. After nearly a year in development, McDonalds Japan has announced the deployment of its e-wallet coupon and payment system, using Felica and NTT DoComo RFID readers.
Under the so-called Kazasu Kuupon (no contact coupon) program, DoCoMo subscribers are supposed to download an application and register on McDonalds Japan’s mobile Web site first. They will then receive digital vouchers on their mobile phones, which when tapped against an RFID reader placed at McDonalds counters will redeem the coupons. The McDonald's tally will show up on the clients’ next DoCoMo phone bill.
Moreover, customers can also pay food orders via their mobile phones, provided they are enrolled in DoCoMo’s mobile e-wallet system “iD.”
The Japan-only technology is currently being tested in 175 McDonalds Tokyo stores as of May 20. The company plans to rapidly expand the program to a total of 3,800 retail shops by 2009.
Tuesday, 08 April 2008
DAYTON, Ohio – NCR Corp., a leading provider of self-service solutions, today introduced CVM Mobility, a suite of services that lets patients use their mobile phones or other mobile devices to receive appointment reminders and other alerts, pay bills and access lab results.
Patients may opt in for all of these features based on personal preference through NCR’s CVM Online Self-Service portal solution. CVM Mobility is designed to help reduce missed appointments, enhance collections and improve staff productivity for healthcare organizations while providing added convenience to patients.
According to the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions’ 2008 Survey of Healthcare Consumers, 60 percent of patients want online access to their physicians, medical records, test results and same-day appointments. In addition, one in four respondents indicated they would pay more to physicians for these digital services.
“On-the-go consumers expect to be able to conduct an increasing number of everyday transactions via their mobile devices, which are, by and large, Internet-capable,” said Chakri Toleti, vice president of health-care industry marketing at NCR. “At the same time, health care organizations are starting to understand how mobile-phone services can minimize no-shows, expedite communications with patients and impact the bottom line.”
To notify patients of appointments, pending bills or other announcements, CVM Mobility transmits reminders and alerts as text messages in the widely used SMS (Short Message Service) protocol or as voice messages to mobile, home or office phones. Patients also can use their Internet-capable mobile devices to pay outstanding medical bills or balances. In addition, CVM Mobility also offers secure, HIPAA-compliant delivery of normal laboratory or test results by mobile phone, minimizing outbound dialing duties for healthcare staff.
CVM Mobility is part of a comprehensive suite of products that allows hospitals and clinics to provide patient self-service capabilities such as the NCR MediKiosk patient check-in solution, preregistration via the Web, Online BillPay, eSignature for digital capture of patient signatures and eClipboards, NCR’s wireless patient check-in solution.
Thursday, 31 January 2008
The Economic Times: Mobile driven remittances may quickly become the norm in India. Soon, customers will be able to transfer funds from their mobile phone to friends or relatives, bypassing other remittance routes like net-banking and money orders. In fact, the recipient need not even have a bank account or ATM card.
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Wednesday, 30 January 2008
Centredaily.com: Consumers across the U.S. are ready to accept a broad set of mobile commerce applications, according to new research from Dove Consulting, a division of Hitachi Consulting. The research, sponsored by PSCU Financial Services, was conducted using focus groups in multiple cities and gauged consumer interest in and predicted future use of three major mobile applications: mobile banking, mobile payment at the point-of-sale and mobile person-to-person payments.
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Wednesday, 30 January 2008
Ciol.com: A report by Juniper Research finds that the rush by banks and mobile operators to deliver financial services to the mobile phone will result in just over 612 million mobile phone users generating over $587 billion worth of financial transactions by 2011.
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Friday, 04 January 2008
DAYTON, Ohio — NCR Corp., in partnership with ViVOtech, has introduced a suite of contactless payment terminals for the point of sale. These solutions enable mobile and contactless payment at a variety of customer touch points, including retail checkout, restaurant drive-thru and the diner’s table.
Demonstrations of the new technology will take place Jan. 13-16 during the National Retail Foundation's Annual Convention & Expo in New York.
“NCR’s unparalleled experience in payment transactions, combined with ViVOtech’s expertise in contactless technology, provides retailers with the latest contactless payment options and a platform for future near field communication applications,” said Greg Egan, NCR vice president for Retail Assisted Service Solutions. “This line of NCR RealPOS contactless readers is designed to help merchants achieve a successful contactless and mobile payments program, and provide a new level of service to their customers.”
Wednesday, 12 December 2007
The Economic Times: Mobile phone users now can buy their favorite movie, music or even game directly from retail outlets without access to the Internet. Customers can walk into any India-based Media Magic retail outlets and select the content, pay for it and have it downloaded on their handsets. Alternatively, customers can download the authorized content themselves through the store's touchscreen kiosks.
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Wednesday, 05 December 2007
USA Today: Continental Airlines passengers in Houston will be able to board flights using just a cell phone or personal-digital assistant instead of a regular boarding pass in a three-month test program launched recently at Bush Intercontinental Airport. The program could expand to airlines and airports nationwide. If a passenger's cell phone or mobile device loses power, the passenger can get a paper boarding pass from a kiosk or a Continental agent.
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Tuesday, 13 November 2007
SCHAUMBURG, Ill. · Motorola Inc. has announced that it has made an equity investment in ViVOtech Inc., a leader in contactless and mobile phone payment technologies. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Unlike other contactless technology offerings available on the mobile application market today, ViVOtech's platform is designed for easy collaboration among issuers, mobile operators and technology providers to deliver the most intuitive and integrated consumer experience across a range of new customer services.
"Motorola continues to invest in new technologies that enable consumers to expand the value and functionality of the mobile phone," said Reese Schroeder, managing director, Motorola Ventures. "This investment reflects Motorola's commitment to building and participating in a world class mobile commerce ecosystem."
Today's consumers are looking for simplified and more secure ways to pay for goods and services. Near Field Communication (NFC) technology is broadening the usefulness of mobile devices through short-range wireless connectivity which enables the phone to interact with payment systems for a wide variety of transactions, including those at the point-of-sale, ATMs and kiosks. Additionally, this connectivity allows for location-based personalized loyalty, coupon and promotion programs, and user authentication for check-in at airline and hotel self-service stations. ViVOtech's NFC technology offerings enable these new mobile features to provide payment transactions at merchant locations all over the world.
Monday, 29 October 2007
Orlando Business Journal: AirTran Airways has introduced a new Mobile Web program that allows customers to view their flight status, check in for flights and select seats using their personal mobile devices and cell phones. When checking in through their mobile devices, customers can obtain printed boarding passes at ByePass kiosks or AirTran ticket counters. AirTran plans to add more capabilities in the future.
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Sunday, 14 October 2007
The San Francisco Chronicle: In recent years, the airline boarding pass has gone from a bulky packet of paper you received in the mail to an e-mail that you can print out at home. But the incredible shrinking boarding pass may not be done evolving. Soon, it may become a tiny digital barcode that sits on your cell phone screen. The International Air Transport Association, which represents 240 airlines, said it has taken a step toward allowing passengers to check in for flights using a barcode sent to their cell phones via e-mail or text message, making the process truly paperless.
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Sunday, 14 October 2007
The San Francisco Chronicle: In recent years, the airline boarding pass has gone from a bulky packet of paper you received in the mail to an e-mail that you can print out at home. But the incredible shrinking boarding pass may not be done evolving. Soon, it may become a tiny digital barcode that sits on your cell phone screen. The International Air Transport Association, which represents 240 airlines, said it has taken a step toward allowing passengers to check in for flights using a barcode sent to their cell phones via e-mail or text message, making the process truly paperless.
Read more
Thursday, 04 October 2007
GlobeandMail.com: NTT DoCoMo Inc., Japan's largest mobile phone operator, hopes to one day sell a handset that lets you make electronic payments while it stays in your pocket. Using mobile phones to pay for goods electronically is common in Japan, the world's biggest market of third-generation mobile users, where phones are swiped at ticket gates or vending machines to pay for train fares or drinks. DoComo's prototype cell phone would allow you to do all that without taking it out of your pocket.
Read more
Monday, 17 September 2007
The Associated Press: It's a discouraging sight for busy travelers: throngs of people huddled around a lone power outlet at an airport gate, all of them hoping to recharge their BlackBerries, laptops and other gadgets. Across the country, airports are trying to bring precious energy more conveniently to millions of travelers who rely on a plethora of battery-powered devices. Their solution: kiosks.
Tuesday, 11 September 2007
RFID Journal: 100 consumers who shop at the C1000 grocery store in Molenaarsgraaf, the Netherlands, have begun paying for transactions with mobile phones equipped with Near Field Communications RFID chips. The group is participating in a six-month pilot conducted by Schuitema, the nation's second largest retail chain, which · in an effort to improve efficiency at the checkout counter · is testing RFID in one of its 450 C1000 stores. In the Molenaarsgraaf store, RFID interrogators have been added to check-out terminals, a machine that accepts empty returnable bottles and kiosks used by consumers to make charitable donations.
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Tuesday, 14 August 2007
Mobile Choice Magazine: Prepay mobile users can now top up their phones at handy new self-service kiosks. Payzone has joined forces with The Hub to launch a network of self-service kiosks that allow consumers to quickly top-up their prepay mobiles.
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Tuesday, 24 July 2007
Asian Journal Online: Mobile network operator Smart Communication Inc. has launched an automated service that makes it easier for subscribers to load airtime and mobile banking credits to their mobile phones. Called "Load Connect," the self-service top-up kiosk is expected to streamline operations at Smart Communication wireless centers, where between 220,000 and 670,000 reloading transactions take place each month.
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Thursday, 19 July 2007
The Dallas Morning News: The Texas Rangers are among a handful of Major League Baseball teams expected to launch Tickets@Phone, a technology that sends a barcode to a mobile phone or device that's read by a scanner to gain entry to a game. The new technology allows fans to buy tickets online at the last minute and avoid lines at the will-call window. Six ticket kiosks that debuted this season at the stadium have also been gaining traffic. The Rangers plan to add more kiosks next year.
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Friday, 22 June 2007
Yahoo! News: Touchscreens featured on the iPhone and LG Prada use "projected capacitive" technology which features a mesh of metal wires between two layers of glass that registers a touch when the electrical field is broken.
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Tuesday, 22 May 2007
Techon.com: A group of 20 companies including NICT (National Institute of Information and Communications Technology), Sony Corp. and Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. has jointly developed and proposed a high-speed radio transmission technology using 60 GHz millimeter-wave to the IEEE802 LAN/MAN Standards Committee (LMSC). Expected applications are video transmission between AV equipment at home and high-speed video downloads from kiosks at stations and other locations.
Read more.
Tuesday, 15 May 2007
Financial Times: A passenger survey led by the International Air Transport Association found that only 2 percent of the passengers surveyed had checked in for flights using text messaging on their mobile phones. But that percentage is expected to rise as more airlines introduce mobile check in.
Friday, 11 May 2007
ESSEN, Germany · MusicGenome presented its Smart Multi-Terminal May 8-11 at the Kiosk Europe Expo. The terminal, a digital media kiosk, was developed in cooperation with IBM.
According to a news release, the new kiosk is designed to recognize personal music and movie tastes based on users' selections. The kiosk offers cross-content-recommendations with an 80 percent success rate. It also supports traditional music searches and has a barcode scanner for product recognition.
Users can view and build their profiles via the Internet and/or cell phone.
Tuesday, 17 April 2007
Cardtechnology.com: East Japan Railway commuters could download train tickets and recharge their Mobile Suica e-cash purse over the air to their phones, which they can tap to pass through transit gates or make purchases. But 13 months after the much-anticipated launch of Mobile Suica, a contactless mobile-wallet phone in January 2006 only 350,000 customers had signed up for the service.
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Thursday, 12 April 2007
Morerfid.com: In its latest analysis of the near-field communication market, ABI Research forecasts that by 2012, some 292 million handsets - just over 20 percent of the global mobile handset market - will ship with built-in NFC capabilities. 2007 will be critical for NFC technology as key standards and operator trials complete the foundations for the first real deployments.
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Monday, 19 March 2007
Sbpost.ie: An Irish music company backed by former Cranberries guitarist Noel Hogan has signed a major deal to supply interactive music kiosks to Golden Discs, the biggest Ireland-based music chain. Digital Jet International will supply Golden Discs with its Digital Jet Kiosk, a machine that allows customers to download music, videos, ring tones and games onto MP3 players, computers and mobile phones.
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Wednesday, 28 February 2007
Internetnews.com: ViVOTech is looking to bring RFID rapid payment to the cell phone. After years of development, it has begun to strike deals with credit card companies and retail outlets to support cardless and contactless purchases, just by waving a cell phone.
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Monday, 29 January 2007
Bordermail.com.au: Mobile phones may be ringing a slow death knell for the payphone but Telstra is hoping a marriage between two aging technologies can extend its lease on life. The telco and ANZ have announced a partnership that could help financially prop up some of the nation's less profitable payphones.
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Monday, 22 January 2007
DavisFreeberg.com: When I was a kid, people took the time to figure out a way to short-circuit Coke machines into giving away free sodas by spitting water into the slot for dollar bills. Considering that Zoom Systems is catering to a much higher end of the retail market with their iPod and cell phone kiosks, it shouldn't be much of a surprise that hackers have already figured out a way to get around the theft protections built into the Zoom vending machines.
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Monday, 11 December 2006
SUNNYVALE, Calif. - Palm Inc. launched a $25 million worldwide marketing campaign to generate mainstream awareness of its Treo smartphone line. The six-month campaign highlights Palm's new Treo 680 smartphone and encompasses a fully integrated media mix consisting of print, out-of-home, online, mobile and viral-marketing components. AKQA, a leading interactive marketing agency, developed the campaign, which combines non-traditional marketing approaches with tried-and-true media.
The campaign includes Palm's first-ever SMS-activated kiosks, which enable people to select and view category-specific content on larger-than-life Treo smartphones. The kiosks contain a live monitor in place of the Treo screen; it also displays canned and dynamic content. The interactive kiosks are located at bus stops and window fronts in major metropolitan cities, including Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco.
"By aligning with passion brands such as Amazon, Orbitz and Yahoo!, we're demonstrating that Treo smartphones do much more than the average cell phone," said Scott Hancock, director of marketing communications for Palm. "We're showing people how easy it is to interact with these sites while mobile. For instance, one ad might simply say 'Buy tickets on Fandango' or 'Orbitz and go,' with the corresponding logo appearing on the home screen of the Treo smartphone."
Monday, 27 November 2006
METimes.com: Text-message payment is blooming in Vietnam. After Vietnam's recent entry into the World Trade Organization, tech firm activity is elevating. One of those firms is PeaceSoft, an electronic market site that has developed ATM- and text-message payment systems through which its users can purchase products online.
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Monday, 23 October 2006
Advertising Age: The technology inside mobile phones is now so complex that it deserves an advertising medium that reflects its processing power. Airport passengers in Lisbon have been able to experience such a medium, thanks to a new campaign from Nokia. The interactive street-furniture installation is for Nokia's N-90. The moment it detects a pedestrian, it springs into life. The monolith-like installation first swivels either right or left to ensure that the creative message is directly in front of the consumer. It then snaps a photograph of the person and displays it on a screen.
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Thursday, 14 September 2006
CHICAGO, Ill. - Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, which operates 216 facilities in 44 countries, announced it is now offering its Gold Passport members the ability to check in to their rooms prior to arrival using Web-based handheld devices. Now available at participating Hyatt properties in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean, this new offering also allows guests to select their room types, upgrades and other amenities.
"As the landscape of hotel check-in continues to evolve, we are seeing more and more travelers taking advantage of lobby kiosks and Web-based applications that give complete control over the process and as a result, greater peace of mind during the stresses of travel," said Matt Adams, vice president of operations for Hyatt Hotels Corp. "If a guest's flight is delayed or a traveler wants to upgrade to a Regency Club room, it's now possible to check in via the palm of the hand."
Friday, 16 June 2006
TORONTO -- Digital View, provider of digital signage and digital media networks, and Pattison Outdoor Advertising, Canada's largest out-of-home media firm, are launching a unique interactive advertising experience for consumers. Shoppers in some of Canada's busiest malls are now able to choose which TV commercials they'd like to view during a special promotion, using their cell phones like remote controls.
The first client to sign up is Nike Canada, which kicked off this year's world soccer championships blitz with a series of long-form TV spots featuring some of the planet's best-known soccer players. This groundbreaking digital signage was tested first in Toronto's Yorkdale Mall and is now running at Bramalea Town Centre, Montréal's Mall Champlain and Montréal Eaton Centre, as well as Vancouver's Oakridge Centre and Metropolis at Metrotown malls.
Engaged by a large LCD, directional speakers and vinyl floor graphics, consumers are encouraged to select, via text-messaging, any one of the five "Joga Bonito" Nike Soccer videos that rotate on the screen.
"This is exciting on a number of levels," Digital View chief operating officer Stuart Armstrong said. "Not only does this allow consumers to choose what they want to see, they're also more deeply engaged with the brand advertisers through the text-messaging process."
The text message request routes through wireless carriers to a custom SMS receiver device that controls the output of Digital View's Remote Player 300 digital signage player. The video that is chosen is then played in full audiovisual mode.
The program is able to track the popularity of the videos by counting requests, and also engages consumers by sending them return messages, encouraging them to visit a dedicated Web site and to opt in to receive other Nike news via SMS text messaging.
Wednesday, 14 June 2006
HOUSTON - qtags has created a new advertising program called GoodyBag that delivers promotional offers via a spam-free, no-charge shortcode program. The GoodyBag program is deploying in NYC's Times Square on a 32-foot by 38-foot digital video board and will feature national and regional advertisers. The board is part of the Smart Sign Media digital advertising network.
The GoodyBag ad program hosts multiple advertising messages in a single text word. Each time the word is texted, a different advertiser's 145-character message will be sent to the texter's mobile phone, offering a special goody."
Read more.
Tuesday, 16 May 2006
Boston, Mass. — Nanonation, a leading provider of customer experience software for kiosks and digital signage, and LocaModa, Inc., a technology company enabling mobile consumers to use cell phones as remote controls to interact with out-of-home networks, announced a partnership to deploy mobile-enabled interactive digital signage.
Nanonation and LocaModa are previewing several mobile-enabled digital signage applications at the Digital Signage Expo, Chicago, May 17-18, 2006. The applications create an engaging experience for mobile consumers who can use a cell phone like a remote control to surf multi-media content on internet-connected signage, typically in storefront windows. As a result, brands can now reach consumers in-the-moment of purchase consideration, while consumers
remain in control of the experience.
LocaModa has opened up its StreetSurfer platform interfaces to Nanonation in order to enable mobile solutions based on Nanonation's Nanopoint platform. Now Nanopoint can extend the reach and power of the web to storefront windows, creating a closed loop between brands and the mobile consumer.
Bradley Walker, CEO of Nanonation, commented, "Brands are actively seeking ways to engage mobile consumers and to dynamically measure the results. Embedding LocaModa's technology into Nanopoint allows us to leverage the ubiquity of cell phones and deliver innovative and measurable solutions that address our customers' requirements."
"We've designed our StreetSurfer platform with an open architecture to enable innovators such as Nanonation to add mobile interactivity to their own solutions," said Stephen Randall, CEO and founder of LocaModa. "We're delighted to announce Nanonation as our first platform partner."
LocaModa's solutions work on any cell phone and any network without requiring any downloadable software. The combination of LocaModa StreetSurfer and Nanonation's Nanopoint self service platform results in a cross platform solution that addresses a variety of mobile-enabled applications and vertical markets such as retail, automotive, travel
and tourism markets and beverage market sectors.
StreetSurfer and Nanopoint systems are designed to run on affordable hardware to create innovative interactive storefront applications that not only help to convert passers-by into relationships, but also create measurable web-based interactions.
Nanonation's client list includes Mazda, Minnesota Wild, Douglas Theatres, Nebraska Book Company, Burger King, Petro, Yahoo, and many others in the retail, hospitality, entertainment, and education markets.
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