One question many potential kiosk deployers ask is whether they should invest in a custom unit uniquely designed and manufactured for them, or start with a modular kiosk? A modular kiosk is a standard, module-based product out of
the manufacturer’s catalogue that can be tweaked based on the options list.
The appeal of custom
The appeal of custom is understandably strong for many companies. By working with a kiosk provider’s design and
engineering staff, executives can request and receive virtually any look and feel. Moreover, they can order from a range of options for functionality without concern as to whether a standard cabinet can accommodate them. Biometrics? No problem. Height adjustment? Can
do. Want to include special sanitising technology? Again, this too is possible. That kind of approach may be exactly
what some projects require, and those projects are among the favourites for designers and engineers in any kind
of manufacturing firm. In reality only a minority of projects truly require a custom approach. Most can succeed well when a deployer talks to a representative, describes the needs and makes decisions on how best to configure the
recommended kiosk.
Essence of modular
We’re surrounded by modular products – that is, single products that comprise distinct, pre-assembled components.
The vehicle you drive may have rolled off one assembly line, but preceding it were dozens more where each of the vehicle’s modular components were built. The seats may have been constructed in one city, dashboards and transmissions in another. At the climactic event, all of them
are ready in the right place at the right time to be bolted onto the car exactly where they need to be. Henry Ford gets
credit for mass assembly, but there could be no mass assembly without modularity. And chances are, it wouldn’t be because there was anything wrong with the kiosk,
it would be because they brought a Ferrari to a monster truck rally. It can take up to 12 weeks in a typical custom project to meet with the client stakeholders, develop concept drawings, refine them, create engineering
It can take up to 12 weeks in a typical custom project to meet with the client stakeholders, develop concept drawings, refine them, create engineering
drawings and build a prototype. Then, the prototype must be tested and undergo any necessary modifications before the
unit is ready for mass production. With modular kiosks, a manufacturer needs only the time it takes, if any, to acquire
any out of stock components before it can begin building. That state of readiness
That state of readiness potentially takes lead time down to a
couple of weeks.
Keep maintenance in mind
Although a kiosk manufacturer typically tries to consider every circumstance that may occur, some things just can’t be
predicted. Still, designing a kiosk with an eye to modularity can help to avoid costly surprises. Modular design also includes planning for any maintenance that may be needed.
Consider a case for example, where a monitor fails on a seven-year-old kiosk that is otherwise functioning perfectly.
Chances are that particular model of monitor will no longer be available, but a flexible design will allow for quick replacement with a current model. So rather than having to scrap an otherwise perfectly good kiosk with a new one, you
simply replace it with an equivalent model (module).
Sometimes working with a client to help them get the best return on their investment includes telling that client their ideas for a kiosk won’t accomplish their goals and they’d be better off with a simpler, more realistic design. Those are
the times where it may be best for a kiosk manufacturer to be honest with a client, even if it works against their own short-term interests.
Hybrid approach
Even if a kiosk deployer chooses to go with a custom design instead of a vendor’s standard offerings, it pays to keep modularity in mind to accommodate changing needs. For example, a deployer might want to design a kiosk to accept bill payments but will omit a receipt printer to save money.
A modular design would allow for the easy addition of a printer with a minimum of effort if they change their
mind at a later date. Alternatively, regulatory changes might call for changes in peripherals by a certain date, but the
deployer wants to get their network deployed now and make those additional changes later.
Many kiosk manufacturers offer brackets and add-on kits to accommodate these types of changes. And sometimes
the peripheral that needs to be added doesn’t fit with the existing kiosk design, but the deployer wants to avoid having to replace the entire unit. That’s where the talent of a manufacturer’s design team can shine.
In the case of a thin kiosk for example, replacing a flat access door with a ‘bubble’ door may allow for the incorporation of
an additional component without having to replace the enclosure. Designing that door with a lift-off hinge allows for a quick swap. Or suppose a deployer wants to add a second digital screen to a project at a minimum of cost. A freestanding mount to support that can be added to the
project with a minimum of disruption.
Editor Note: The acquisition of KIOSK by Posiflex is official. In a blockbuster deal Posiflex is expanding from its historical POS transactional market into the self-service kiosk market in a huge way. With a Posiflex market cap of over $11 Billion, KIOSK becomes part of a company over twice the size of NCR, the other major kiosk player.
From our vantage point this acquisition will provide all types of advantages to KIOSK and help it grow market share faster. KIOSK had been purchased by Alerion Capital three years and their principal aim seemed to be to accelerate the profit and then turn the company after three years. I expect Posiflex will make some very positive investments which should allow KIOSK to truly become the dominant state-of-the-art manufacturer. We spoke with Weaver and yes he is staying (and we expect the COO Dan Houck will stay as well). Well played!
KIOSK Information Systems Uniting with Taiwan Posiflex
Two dominant transaction solution providers combine technological strengths to advance global leadership in service automation industry
NEW TAIPEI CITY, Taiwan–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Taiwanese Point-of-Sales terminal brand leader Posiflexannounced today that they have entered into a purchase agreement with KIOSK Information Systems (KIOSK), a world leader in self-service solutions. Posiflex will offer KIOSK a cash purchase for all outstanding ordinary shares, for a total consideration of approximately $US 105 million. Both companies are industry forerunners known for best-in-class POS and self-service platforms. Combining these complementary strengths positions Posiflex for continued growth tied to emerging “Internet of Things” (IoT) applications within the service automation industry.
“By combining Posiflex and KIOSK’s dual-value proposition in this domain, we are confident in emerging as the leader in this growing market.”
Retailers, financial service providers, hospitality and logistics service providers are key among an even wider industry audience driving steady and steep demand in transaction automation. Deployers are increasingly incorporating self-service as a “must-have” element of today’s Omnichannel consumer experience; increasing touch points, reducing costs – all while simultaneously collecting valuable transaction data. KIOSK is unique among its’ competitors in its ability to provide a complete end-to-end solution encompassing custom design engineering, manufacturing, software development, field services, and highly secure managed services. This “total solution” approach to services has fueled KIOSK’s continued growth and reinforced analyst’s rankings of KIOSK as the dominant North American provider and #3 globally.
As the IoT is driving improved asset utilization, better logistics management, and better customer experiences, self-service automation platforms become an increasingly integral element of Omnichannel sales strategies. Utilizing IoT data from transactions provides valuable insight for customer-specific data collection and enables customized point of sales marketing. Posiflex CEO Owen Chen adds that, “By combining Posiflex and KIOSK’s dual-value proposition in this domain, we are confident in emerging as a distant leader in this growing market.”
Post-transaction plans are to retain and empower the current KIOSK Management Team with no operational or organizational restructuring required as result of the transaction. Tom Weaver, KIOSK’s current CEO, will now hold dual Board of Director roles for both Posiflex and KIOSK. This will accelerate efforts of the current management team to execute KIOSK’s strategic growth plans, leveraging key Posiflex resources. Access to a global sales network and highly relevant engineering / integration capabilities are among many strategic leverage points created by combining the companies.
Leveraging Posiflex’s international channel reach throughout Greater China, Asian Countries, Russia, India, and Europe; KIOSK is uniquely positioned to ensure sustainable market growth not only in North America, but also the global marketplace. Further, Posiflex will provide substantial advantage for KIOSK tied to upgrading critical components and peripheral modules. This ultimately enhances KIOSK’s future solution offerings with even more advanced product and service coverage capabilities.
KIOSK CEO Tom Weaver adds, “We firmly believe that joining forces with Posiflex fully supports our growth objectives and represents the best interests of our customers and employees. Having overnight access to Posiflex’s international presence and complementary technology resource adds distinct competitive advantage and differentiation. This combined scale opens new doors to growing world markets and further advances KIOSK’s ability to provide comprehensive and state-of-the-art solutions.”
This transaction was advised by KPMG Corporate Finance LLC, and is expected to close in 2016-Q3.
About Posiflex:
Founded in 1984, Posiflex Technology, Inc. has designed and manufactured its own-branded and world-class POS solutions. Recognized as a pioneer and leader in the industry, Posiflex has been awarded more than 30 patents for innovative design. The company’s products are manufactured in two ISO 9001/9002/14001 facilities in Taiwan and sold worldwide through retail, hospitality, banking, healthcare, kiosks and many other verticals. Posiflex’s offices are in the USA, Germany, China, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, Dubai and Argentina along with the global distribution networks to provide direct and timely support to its customers around the world. For more information: www.posiflex.com.
About KIOSK Information Systems:
As the Market Leader in Self-service Solutions, KIOSK provides proven expertise in design engineering; application development, integration, manufacturing, field support, and managed services for even the most sophisticated self-service platforms. An exceptionally broad portfolio of standard and custom KIOSK designs are deployed among Top 100 Retailers and Fortune 500 clients in virtually all self-service vertical markets.www.kiosk.com, 800.509.5471.
TAIPEI — Posiflex Technology Inc. (振樺電子), a Taiwan-based Point-of-Sales terminal brand, has agreed to acquire KIOSK Information Systems in the United States, the largest self-services solution provider in North America.
Under the acquisition agreement, Posiflex will spend US$105 million to acquire KIOSK, marking the largest acquisition deal in the industrial computer sector in Taiwan. Posiflex’s board of directors has approved the acquisition.
Market analysts said that the deal showed Posiflex’s ambitions to expand by swallowing a large company like KIOSK; the consideration of the deal is almost five times the Taiwanese suitor’s paid-in capital.
According to the Taiwan Stock Exchange, Posiflex is capitalized at NT$676 million (US$21.6 million), and had started procedures for listing on the local main board since November 2012. Before the main board’s listing, Posiflex had been listed on the over-the-counter market since July 2005.
Commenting on the acquisition deal, Posiflex said that KIOSK ranks as the third largest self-services solution provider in the world. The U.S. firm’s clients come from a wide range of industries globally, like telecom services, retail, logistics and financial services, Posiflex said.
Among the prominent clients of KIOSK are AT&T, IKEA, PepsiCo., McDonald’s and U.S. Postal Services, Posiflex added.
The suitor said that the acquisition agreement was reached because KOISK’s major shareholder, a private equity fund, was planning to dispose of the U.S. firm for profit. Through the acquisition, Posiflex said that it expects to enter the self-services business by taking advantage of the suitor’s existing lead in the Point of Sales terminal technology.
In the past three years, KIOSK posted more than 30 percent in compound annual growth rate (CAGR) with its gross margin ranging between 35 percent and 40 percent, Posiflex said. In the first seven months of this year, KIOSK’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization topped US$7 million, Posiflex added.
Analysts said that after the acquisition, Posiflex is expected to see its revenue for next year double from this year. In the first seven months of this year, Posiflex posted NT$1.78 billion in consolidated sales, up 6.18 percent from a year earlier.
“By combining Posiflex and KIOSK’s dual-value proposition in this domain, we are confident in emerging as a distant leader in this growing market,” Posiflex Chief Executive Officer Owen Chen said in a statement.
Posiflex said that it will assign its own funds to pay for 20 percent of the total consideration in the deal, while it will be seeking bank loans to pay for the remaining amount. The company said that it could issue new shares and convertible bonds to repay its bank loans in the future.
After the acquisition is completed, Tom Weaver, KIOSK’s current CEO, will hold dual board of director roles for both Posiflex and KIOSK.
Guoman Hotels are a 5 star hotel brand and Thistle Hotels are a 4 star hotel chain both are part of the GLH Hotels
Management Group. They both offer a full service hotel offering for corporate and leisure guests, offering jointly over 9000 bedrooms worldwide. Protouch were called upon to deliver an ‘out of home’ full service technology solution within the UK, which would encompass both hardware, kiosk software management and support service that monitor the entire network in real-time, 24/7, 365 days per year.
Benefits:
Printer capacity for presentations, boarding passes, rail and theatre tickets
Easy internet and software access for all guests
Full MS Office 2013 suite of software and social media apps
Privacy protected instant history deletion
USB capability extraction
Industry: Hospitality
Customer Size: 35 hotels in the UK and all new hotels as and when they open
The Client: Thistle has over 31 hotels in the UK whilst Guoman have 6 properties predominately based in central London with some oversees hotels. Both Guoman and Thistle hotels serve both corporate and leisure customers with a selection of services including over 50 restaurants, more than 300 meeting rooms including conferencing and banqueting facilities and 37 health and leisure private clubs.
The Need: GLH group identified a requirement for hotel guests to be able to have a greater technology access beyond the typical WIFI connectivity, which would allow the ability to perform both work and leisure technology based activities.
Selection was based strongly on using a robust, yet tried and tested solution along with the sleek nature and look of the screen finish, thus making it only natural to choose Protouch as the Thistle hotels partner.
The Solution: Selection was based strongly on using a robust, yet tried and tested solution along with the sleek nature and look of the screen finish, thus making it only natural to choose Protouch as Thistle hotels partner.
The Protouch solution for Thistle hotels consists of touch screen monitors, keyboard and mouse with a full suite of MS Office 2013, access to the internet and printer facilities, social apps for leisure; delivering a full service out of home/office technology experience. The uniqueness of this offering protects users as when the session is complete the guest simply clicks on ‘end session’ and the system returns to the original formatting as on the day it was installed, which allows each user to have a unique experience not encumbered by the previous users activity or browsing sessions.
With multiple units in each hotel presenting geographically and architecturally differing properties a roll-out programme was designed to encompass the individual ergonomic needs of each hotel. It was identified that guests would require a mix of a suitably quiet place to work or an equally relaxing environment for more casual internet browsing.
The hardware provided delivers a high durability solution for mass usage and ease of use like a personal computer. Both Protouch and Thistle can access PKM software and also have visibility of utilisation rates to improve usage and point of positioning in the hotel environ. The PKM software has a pro-active approach to network management, by allowing for alerts to be sent if needed such as paper low, power outage, cash box removal and much more.
New reader is smaller with higher level of security.
Click to see full image
FAQ’s
What is the iUC150B availability?
It is available now for kiosk integration with both RBA and UIA applications.
What is the intended iUN configuration for the iUC150B?
It is intended to work with: IUP250 V3.0 & iUR250 V3.0. It is fully backward compatible with PCI V3.0
components. In the future when the iUP250 V4 and iUR250 V4 are available it will also work with them.
The PCI certification level is on a per component basis.
What are the primary differences between devices and the benefits of the iUC150B?
Major differences are the smaller form factor (allowing kiosk real estate savings) and PCI V4.0 certification
(higher security, SRED compliant).
Which SDK’s support the iUC150B? Any other special requirements?
Yes, SDK Core = 9.26.2.01 Addon Unattended = 6.4.0.01. Please see your SE for complete requirements.
When is the iUC150 EOL ?
The current plan is to announce the iUC150 EOL in January 2017.
Small towns across the country are rapidly realizing that interactive digital solutions, namely digital kiosks, have the capabilities to serve as the answer to many of the aforementioned questions, among others.
Source: meridiankiosks.com
Picture this: your company has an out of town meeting, your child has a sports tournament, or your family plans a weekend getaway. As a result, you find yourself in a bustling small town you’ve never before visited. The downtown area is filled with shops and restaurants, but you aren’t quite sure what to do or where to start, and you’re overflowing with questions. Which restaurants are kid-friendly? What do their menus look like? Which direction is the store your friend told you to check out? Is there a local park?
The predicament you’re facing when you arrive in this unfamiliar small town is one that towns across the country are constantly considering—once visitors arrive, will they be able to easily get around? If so, will they be able to find something they’re interested in, be willing to explore, and support local restaurants and businesses?
In an effort to address some of these questions, cities and towns both large and small have begun exploring and investing in interactive digital solutions. You may have heard the term ‘smart cities’ used to describe those implementing interactive technology throughout their cities. Though typically not to the same scale as major cities, small towns across the country are rapidly realizing that interactive digital solutions, namely digital kiosks, have the capabilities to serve as the answer to many of the aforementioned questions, among others.
At stores and online, health care moves closer to customers
by Tom Murphy
In this Thursday, May 30, 2019 photo, family Nurse Practitioner Serena Lopez exits an exam room at the new HealthHUB inside a CVS store in Spring, Texas. HealthHUB locations offer a broader range of health care services, new product categories, digital tools and on-demand health kiosks, trusted advice and personalized care. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Health care is moving closer to patients.
Drugstores are expanding the care and support they offer, and telemedicine is bringing doctors and therapists to the family room couch as the system shifts to help people stay healthy and attract customers who want convenience.
CVS Health offered the latest example on Tuesday, announcing plans to expand a new store format that will provide dietitians, help people monitor chronic diseases and add community rooms that can be used for yoga classes. The drugstore chain, which quit selling tobacco several years ago, said it will open 1,500 of these so-called HealthHub stores nationally by the end of 2021.
“The ultimate goal is bring more health services into people’s communities where they can access them as part of their daily life,” Executive Vice President Dr. Alan Lotvin said.
CVS rival Walgreens is experimenting with primary care clinics, and insurers are expanding coverage of things like dietitian visits, hoping that keeping people healthy will reduce costs and keep them out of expensive hospitals.
The added convenience sounds good in theory, but these newer care options will have to earn patient trust, said Harvard researcher Dr. Ateev Mehrotra, who has studied retail clinics.
In this Thursday, May 30, 2019 photo, the entrance to a CVS store with the new HealthHUB is shown in Spring, Texas. CVS Health is pushing deeper into health services with plans to add dietitians, medical equipment and space for the occasional yoga class to 1,500 stores over the next few years. Its HealthHub stores will have about twice as much space devoted to health care as other locations and will aim to help people with chronic conditions like diabetes. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
“This is going to take a lot of cultural change for patients to feel that this is a reasonable option for them,” he said.
CVS Health, based in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, runs more than 9,800 retail locations nationally. Late last year, it added health insurance when it acquired one of the nation’s biggest insurers, Aetna, in a roughly $69 billion deal that is still being reviewed by a federal judge.
Soon after announcing that deal, CVS officials started talking about plans to provide more health care help to customers. Late last year, the company started testing HealthHub stores in Houston.
Aside from visits with dietitians, these stores also give customers a chance to get screened for eye problems caused by diabetes, talk to a pharmacist about their treatment plan or get help tracking their blood pressure.
CVS Health said it will add more of these stores to the Houston market this year and expand to Atlanta, the Philadelphia area and Tampa. The company plans to run 1,500 HealthHub stores by the end of 2021.
Separately, Walgreens will start adding primary care clinics next to some of its stores in the Houston area through a partnership with VillageMD. It’s also testing clinics in Kansas City that focus on older patients through a deal with the insurer Humana.
Walgreens, which still sells tobacco, wants to create what its leaders call “health care neighborhoods” with its stores and improve access to primary care.
In this Thursday, May 30, 2019 photo, a kiosk is shown inside a CVS store with the new HealthHUB in Spring, Texas. HealthHUB locations offer a broader range of health care services, new product categories, digital tools and on-demand health kiosks, trusted advice and personalized care. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
“We have an aging population,” Walgreens executive Dr. Pat Carroll said. “It is difficult in many communities to actually find a primary care physician.”
As they expand into care, the drugstore chains will face competition that includes major doctor groups and hospital systems that have their own support staff working to keep patients healthy.
The management of chronic illnesses has become a big source of health care spending, noted Mehrotra, the Harvard researcher.
“This is sort of the pot at the end of the rainbow that everyone wants to get to,” he said.
In this Dec. 4, 2017, file photo, the CVS Health logo appears above a trading post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. CVS Health is pushing deeper into customer health again with plans to add dietitians, medical equipment and space for the occasional yoga class to 1,500 stores. The drugstore chain that quit selling tobacco several years ago said Tuesday, June 4, 2019, it will expand a store model it started testing recently. Its HealthHub stores will have around twice as much space devoted to health care as other locations and will aim to help people with chronic conditions like diabetes stay healthy. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)
In this Thursday, May 30, 2019 photo, a sign advertises services available at a CVS store with the new HealthHUB in Spring, Texas. HealthHUB locations offer a broader range of health care services, new product categories, digital tools and on-demand health kiosks, trusted advice and personalized care. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
In this Thursday, May 30, 2019 photo, the new HealthHUB is shown inside a CVS store in Spring, Texas. The drugstore chain that quit selling tobacco several years ago said Tuesday, June 4 it will expand the store model it started testing recently. Its HealthHub stores will have around twice as much space devoted to health care as other locations and will aim to help people with chronic conditions like diabetes stay healthy. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
In this Thursday, May 30, 2019 photo, a sign shows services available at a CVS store with the new HealthHUB in Spring, Texas. HealthHUB locations offer a broader range of health care services, new product categories, digital tools and on-demand health kiosks, trusted advice and personalized care. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
This Friday, Jan. 26, 2018, file photo shows a CVS Pharmacy in Pittsburgh. CVS Health is pushing deeper into health services with plans to add dietitians, medical equipment and space for the occasional yoga class to 1,500 stores over the next few years, the chain announced Tuesday, June 4, 2019. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
In this Thursday, May 30, 2019 photo, a CVS store with the new HealthHUB is shown in Spring, Texas. CVS Health is pushing deeper into health services with plans to add dietitians, medical equipment and space for the occasional yoga class to 1,500 stores over the next few years. The drugstore chain’s HealthHub stores will have about twice as much space devoted to health care as other locations and will aim to help people with chronic conditions like diabetes. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
In this Dec. 4, 2017, file photo, the CVS Health logo appears above a trading post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. CVS Health is pushing deeper into customer health again with plans to add dietitians, medical equipment and space for the occasional yoga class to 1,500 stores. The drugstore chain that quit selling tobacco several years ago said Tuesday, June 4, 2019, it will expand a store model it started testing recently. Its HealthHub stores will have around twice as much space devoted to health care as other locations and will aim to help people with chronic conditions like diabetes stay healthy. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)
In this Thursday, May 30, 2019 photo, a sign advertises services available at a CVS store with the new HealthHUB in Spring, Texas. HealthHUB locations offer a broader range of health care services, new product categories, digital tools and on-demand health kiosks, trusted advice and personalized care. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Mehrotra also said these growing options for care may have to overcome patient reluctance. He said people have grown comfortable using drugstores for flu shots or to treat colds. But asking a drugstore to help manage diabetes is another matter.
In that case, patients worry about whether their regular doctor will be notified of the drugstore care, and they may want to see the same person each time they visit.
Another physician, New Hampshire-based internist Kevin Pho, said he also worries that drugstores may use their health care services to drum up prescription business or sales in the rest of their store.
CVS is offering additional health care in stores many customers already visit routinely and is focused on putting those customers on “a path to better health,” Executive Vice President Kevin Hourican said.
In this Thursday, May 30, 2019 photo, a sign advertises wellness services available at a CVS store with the new HealthHUB Thursday, in Spring, Texas. HealthHUB locations offer a broader range of health care services, new product categories, digital tools and on-demand health kiosks, trusted advice and personalized care. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Frequent CVS customer Grace Bennett said she thinks the expanded health care services are a “fantastic step.”
The 28-year-old New Yorker has diabetes that led to eye surgery. She said screenings for that condition and other health care services available through the drugstores will make it easier for people to get help without having to juggle schedules or worry about finding an open appointment.
“I think they’ll be helpful to a whole lot of people,” she said.
Going thru grocery store pictures recently and it is amazing some of the new technology that is being used. Here are a just of couple of cool stuff being done.
Tesco Homeplus Subway Virtual Store: a large, wall-length billboard was installed in the station, designed to look like a series of supermarket shelves and displaying images and prices of a range of common products. each sign also includes a QR code. users scan the code of any product they would like to purchase, thereby adding it to their online shopping cart. after the web transaction is completed, the products are delivered to the user’s home within the day.
Want a side of Apple with your supermarket runs? British grocery store chain Sainsbury’s is testing out new shopping carts with solar-powered iPad docks and speakers (iPads not included). The trial, first rolled out at a Sainsbury’s location in Kensington, West London, will allow customers to watch…
Here are some cool everyday ways you could use Google Glass in the future.
Let’s play!
smart shopping cart by SK telecom – pilot testing of a ‘smart cart’ program in china’s shanghai lotus supermarket with a shopping art service that integrates with smartphones to provide store and product information tailored to user’s needs.
Wal-mart produce section self-tag with Mettler. Mettler also “owns” the deli. Competing vendor (sort of competing) is NCR. These are relatively expensive systems.
Although kiosk technology is becoming commonplace in a variety of verticals, areas where it has had a particular impact include both human resources and health care.
On the human resources side, many companies are placing job application kiosks in retail stores or other highly trafficked areas, allowing them to recruit workers around the clock without having to staff a hiring booth. In addition, a kiosk in the break room or other employee area allows workers to check schedules and payroll information, request days off or make changes to their personnel file.
For health care providers, a waiting room kiosk allows patients to fill out forms or make payments on their account, taking some of the burden off the front desk staff. A kiosk in a pharmacy can perform functions ranging from blood pressure checks to telehealth consultations, while a kiosk in a hospital setting lets doctors easily check patient record, submit prescriptions for medications or schedule tests.
With the advent of tablet computers, the kiosk arena is becoming populated with units that feature a tablet at their core as well as units built from the ground up. When considering the addition of a kiosk network to supplement the HR department or modernize a health care facility, which is the better option? A full-fledged kiosk, or a tablet-based model?
Determining the need
Of course, like many things in the business world (and life in general) the answer is “it all depends.” Both have their advantages and drawbacks.
Factors to consider when choosing between a full-fledged kiosk and a tablet-based model is the function the unit is expected to perform, the space available and the number of people expected to use the device. One of the biggest factors to consider is the deployer’s budget.
tablet kiosk enclosure
“Tablets can be portable, very small, and placed nearly anywhere,” said Frank Olea, CEO of Olea Kiosks.
“The cost is low so placing multiple units becomes very easy,” Olea said. “Tablets can have one device hardwire-powered, and their built-in cameras can be coaxed into performing functions such as reading ID cards or barcodes.”
Click for full size
Olea Kiosks offers a complete line of tablet and full-size kiosks. Its tablet line can be mounted on a tabletop, a wall or on a freestanding mount, and units come with a card reader. On the full-size kiosk side, Olea offers several models specifically designed for the HR and health care spaces; its Verona model is the only pushbutton height-adjustable kiosk on the market. The units can be raised or lowered by 10 inches at the push of a button, making them easily accessible by a person of any height or ability.
The relative simplicity of a tablet can keep maintenance costs to a minimum. The ability to detach a tablet from its mount opens up additional opportunities, allowing a job applicant to take the device to their seat to fill out forms or giving doctors the ability to sit with patients and map out treatment plans.
On the down side, though, the ability to detach a tablet from its mount does create a greater risk of damage or theft. Some tablet management software systems leverage the unit’s GPS functionality to send an alert text or email if the device is taken outside a predefined area.
Full size kiosks, on the other hand, will cost more than a tablet kiosk but can do everything a tablet-based kiosk can do and more. Additional processing power can make it easier to implement advanced features such as telehealth services or one-on-one conferencing with the corporate HR department.
Although kiosks are certainly larger and take up a bit more space, the footprint of a freestanding tablet kiosk is only slightly smaller than a traditional kiosk, making space considerations a relatively minor concern.
“If you want to create more of a presence for your check-in area, a few full-sized kiosks lined up is often all that is required,” Olea said. “Also, a full-size kiosk can come equipped with more devices if needed like card scanners, barcode readers, printers and keyboards.”
Protecting privacy
One area of concern that can influence the choice of kiosk is compliance with privacy regulations in handling personal information. This can be particularly relevant in a health care facility, where running afoul of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) can result in fines running into the hundreds or thousands of dollars.
An advantage that a kiosk has over a tablet is that things like privacy filters can be embedded between the touch glass and the LCD screen, Olea said.
“On a tablet, anything you do would have to be on the screen surface itself and is very easily damaged and picked off,” he said. “Also, kiosks can feature printers with a retract function so if a patient does not take their print out the printer and retract the print and deposit it inside of the kiosk for safe disposal later.”
Still, there are privacy screens that can be incorporated into tablet kiosks to help protect user privacy.
Whichever route a deployer chooses, of critical importance will be compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. It’s in that area that full-size kiosks may have an edge. Full size kiosks can include headphone jacks with volume control and easily connect with external devices such as Braille keyboards or the Nav-Pad, a device that allows someone with impaired vision, restricted mobility or limited fine motor skills to use the kiosk through a series of highly tactile buttons and audio prompts.
The larger and brighter screens of a traditional kiosk also aid in the ADA compliance for self-service devices.
“ADA is becoming a major concern here in California and we suspect will become much more of an issue in other states as kiosks become more commonplace in the healthcare and HR fields,” Olea said.
“No longer can you get away with a kiosk just being ‘reachable’,” he said. “Most companies will say their product is ADA compliant, but they fail to mention they’ve only covered a very small spectrum of individuals with disabilities.Sure, someone in a wheelchair can reach the screen, but serving people with disabilities goes far beyond that.”
At the end of the day, the best way to provide a self-service solution that is accessible by all types of users, is compliant with privacy rules and helps improve operations for the deployer is to work with an experienced kiosk vendor who is well-versed in the ever-changing regulatory environment. Olea Kiosks stands ready to help.
There’s a saying in the business world along the lines of “The pioneers get the arrows.” Nowhere is that more applicable than in the world of kiosk software.
But before we get head down that road let’s remind ourselves of some of the current dedicated software companies.
KioWare – kiosk lockdown & secure browser with monitoring
Nanonation – custom kiosk software & digital signage
With kiosks now becoming an integral part of society, and poised to take an even more dominant position in the marketplace this year, it might be interesting to take a few minutes to pay homage to the pioneers of kiosk software.
And while it’s impossible to name every player who made their mark in the early days of the kiosk, there are a few whose impact still resonates throughout the industry.
The beginnings
Of course, one of the key drivers behind the development of kiosk software was the explosion of computer industry, beginning in the late 1970s. While computers had been around for decades, products such as the MITS Altair 8800, the IMSAI 8080 and the Apple 1 not only made computers more affordable than their predecessors, they gave birth to the concept of desktop computers.
And with the subsequent release of the spreadsheet program VisiCalc and the word processing program WordMaster, later WordStar, by 1980 computers had taken their place as a critical business tool.
As the computer industry grew, companies such as IBM, NCR and other hardware manufacturers began looking for applications for their products beyond the desktop. One of those applications was self-service.
But making those applications practical required the development of software to make their use worthwhile, giving birth to the kiosk software industry.
Alex in his younger days…
“Back then the biggest player was a company called Lexitech, founded by Alex Richardson in 1983,” said Ron Bowers, senior vice president of business development with kiosk and store merchandising provider Frank Mayer and Associates, Inc.
“Alex initiated the beginning stages of that through his work in the basement of a building at Yale University during his attendance there,” Bowers said. “He was behind the effort to help self-service technology grow from a curiosity to practical applications.”
What an old Lexitech hat looks like.
At the time, IBM was holding large symposiums on college campuses, and they were looking for ways to provide information to attendees about seminars and conferences that were happening in various buildings, so the company approached Richardson to begin working the initial concepts for a solution. Richardson then brought in merchandiser Frank Mayer and Associates to help bring the concept to fruition.
“So the first program we did with them was this university solution,” Bowers said. “It resided on a huge IBM desktop computer that had very limited capabilities, but it was extremely cutting edge; way ahead of its time.”
That proto-kiosk was keyboard-controlled and offered little in the way of user experience, but it was able to access and provide information, giving a hint of what was possible with a self-service device. A subsequent effort involved creating a program for the city of New York for applicants to access information about job availability and submit an application.
Expanding from there
The kiosk industry, like many other technology-based industries that depend on interactions with customers, is like a two-sided coin.
On the one side is the technology component, where a piece of hardware performs a specific function. On the other is the customer behavior component, or knowing what the customer is seeking and the motivation behind their decisions. Companies don’t always bring the two sides together.
Lexitech recognized that dichotomy, Bowers said.
“Most of the other software companies that came out of that university connection were more interested in database management,” Bowers said. “Lexitech was the first to really get the idea that as an enterprise solution (the kiosk) was going to have to fulfill expectations and meet a need arising out of the consumer’s ability to shop in multiple layers and what motivates them to purchase.”
Lexitech brought a different direction to software development. It was no longer simply just the number crunching for which computers had traditionally been used; it was data crunching for an enterprise solution that involved both the retailer and the consumer, offering insights about products, features, benefits, specs and so forth to inform and educate the consumer.
“That is bringing the consumer and the product and the retailer together, and then being able to access that information through some type of a device,” Bowers said. “Back then the device was a freestanding kiosk. “
Lexitech eventually became Netkey and then sometime later NCR purchased them. Here is an Netkey_Solutions_Brochure.
Taking it to the masses
In the early days of the industry, kiosks were typically boxy affairs that were custom-built for each application, with the software written specifically for that particular application. The software component alone could cost a deployer $100,000 or more.
Much of that changed with the entry of St. Clair Videotex Design into the software arena. The company was founded in 1982 by Doug Peter, whose background was in advertising, brand marketing and public relations.
Chris back on old project for KIS and St. Clair
“St. Clair evolved and grew out of a design/graphics support for a larger marketing company,” said Chris Peter.
“(My father) Doug Peter was tired of doing endless ad buys (billboards, tv spots, etc.) and was looking for a way to measurably market and interact with consumers/public,” he said. “He wanted a system that was not only not intimidating but appealing to use, with real measurable results on the interaction that could be actioned on.”
St. Clair Videotex Design eventually evolved into St. Clair Interactive. At the time, kiosks were beginning to gain traction in the marketplace and seeing wider deployments, though the infrastructure, software and hardware solutions were painfully limited.
“Doug offered another perspective very similar to what Alex did at Lexitech,” Bowers said.
“He brought in the disciplines of advertising marketing and marketing strategy to the software,” he said. “I don’t use this term lightly, but I believe Alex was a genius for his time and place and what he brought into the mainstream because it did not exist before he did it. The same thing was true with Doug and his team.”
Peter brought in a different way of thinking, a different way of developing and a different way of presenting fact-based services to GUI and self-service merchandising, Bowers said, and that accomplished a number of goals. It helped build a brand for the retailer, and from a consumer standpoint, it began to offer them new and exciting ways to shop.
“It was growing by leaps and bounds because now it was bringing into the fold new strategies of inventory management, new strategies for introducing loyalty programs and managing and measuring sales promotions,” Bowers said.
In addition to bringing that advertising sensibility into kiosk software, Peter accomplished something equally important, developing a solution that would help reshape the industry.
“What allowed us to flourish and grow was that we didn’t just provide one niche solution (which was the general approach then, build out your solution, then sell it),” Chris Peter said.
“After we’d done our seventh Gift Registry solution, we realized that we could ‘template’ solutions,” he said. “Even the niche players had extensive professional service and customization costs associated with deployments, so we built out the base solution for solutions like Gift Registry, Catalog Shopping and so forth as well as Operations and Content Management tools that could control all of the base templates. This allowed our sales approach to become ‘what would you like to do’ instead of ‘here’s what it can do’, and I believe this was very successful for St. Clair.”
The corporate shift
Lexitech and St. Clair interactive weren’t the only software companies in the early days of the kiosk industry, although they were certainly two of the most influential. KioWare, PROVISIO (Sitekiosk) and others were also early entrants into the world of kiosk software.
“There was another company called Rocky Mountain Multimedia run by Dave Heyliger and Degasoft/Kudos,” said Nigel Seed, who served as the CEO of NetShift Software. “So those were some of the key competitors in that era.”
RMM was the first and only software application (Kiosk in a Box) that shipped as bonus software with every Elotouch touchscreen monitor. RMM still sells and ships its Pro Version.
Excerpt from Frost and Sullivan 1998 report
Several of the largest companies to start the industry were companies like ATCOM/Info which ruled with their internet access pyramid, North Communications, Marcole Gift Registry, King Product, NeoProducts and more. Here is a list of companies by Frost and Sullivan n late 90s. Old Companies PDF and worth noting that several are current members of the Kiosk Industry Assocation (Gibco, TouchSource, Elotouch, USA Tech, KIOSK Information Systems and DynaTouch.
And following in the footsteps of Apple’s iconic “1984” Super Bowl commercial, many of those companies were small, scrappy players on the forefront of technological development.
“Going down memory lane, a company that comes to my mind as one of the first and main players for kiosk software was KioskLogix and their Netstop software,” said Heinz Horstmann, CEO of PROVISIO, the company behind SiteKiosk.
“When others were still in the beginning stages of kiosk development they had developed a software product for pay-per-use and other kiosks and public Windows computers that was available as canned download software which was easy to install and configure,” Horstmann said. “Netstop was one of the first kiosk software products that was successful on a national and international level.”
But as often happens in any emerging industry, large corporate concerns began looking at what those small players were doing and made decisions that would ultimately end up killing off many of the early entrants.
“I think all of us thought our customers would want to license a robust piece of commercial software,” Seed said. “To my horror I found a lot of the companies I was dealing with trying to license my software took a look at what we did and decided they could do it themselves.”
In addition, in the late 1990s Lexitech secured a patent on aspects of its kiosk software and began aggressively seeking to assert its rights under the patent. Some companies ended up folding, while others agreed to pay Lexitech a licensing fee. [You can still buy software today which bears the Netkey patent].
“Because of that, there was this poisonous aspect to the early start of the business that really didn’t help anyone in the end,” Seed said.
So as the industry began to take shape, it went through its ups and downs and some of the smaller players couldn’t hang on through the droughts. Others depended on specific hardware, some wanted control of the content, and some solutions didn’t integrate with other store systems, and so forth.
“As it has always been, the kiosk market was very feast or famine,” said Chris Peter. “Attending Kiosk Com and other shows, it was always a surprise to see who was new this year, and who wasn’t here from the year before.”
And in the eyes of many experts, the golden years for kiosk software developers were over after pay-per-use kiosks and public PCs became obsolete in North America and Europe, Horstmann said.
Many of those early players are gone, although some, such as KioWare and PROVISO, still survive and even thrive. Lexitech, which Alex Richardson renamed Netkey in 2000, was acquired by NCR in 2009. St. Clair Interactive, which won “Best Kiosk Software” awards for several years throughout its existence, is still operating, although in a much smaller form.
The widespread adoption of smartphones and the prevalence of their accompanying apps has certainly changed the direction of the kiosk industry, although kiosks continue to have a key role in the marketplace.
“If you ride the train every day you’re going to you’re going to use your mobile application to purchase the ticket,” said Bryan Fairfield, CEO of kiosk and digital signage software provider Nanonation.
“If you only ride it once a month, you’re probably not going to download their app,” Fairfield said. “In those cases, you might use an interactive (kiosk).”
Today, software has changed from the custom monolith model of companies such as St. Clair and Lexitech to more vertically and niche-oriented software, with many applications now based in the cloud. Devices that once were problematic, such as cash recyclers and kiosk printers, are now addressable via the network. Connected devices.
With the emergence of Chrome OS, the large base of windows legacy devices running on the Intel platform are finding new life. And many of the kiosks being deployed today are tablet-based, making mobile device management increasingly important.
Subscription-based cloud services are becoming increasingly popular to get set up and running fast and to avoid high IT infrastructure costs for self-service and interactive digital signage deployments.
And now we audibly and verbally talk to a cloud-based AI to hear the latest weather and find out “where’s my stuff” orders. Amazon Alexa and Google Home are becoming the interface.
“The focus continues to be on the cloud and how well kiosk software developers will be able to remotely deliver a tailored user experience for different industries,” Horstmann said. “Kiosk software solutions have to provide more than just security features and peripheral device support but also advanced remote management, monitoring and cloud-based content management solutions for a growing number of devices like tablets and interactive displays. “
Customers also have higher expectations for kiosk software in terms of scalability and ease-of-use, Horstmann said. Many companies are not willing to go through a lengthy setup and configuration process.
And today rather than having to write to some closed-door standards from the IBMs and NCRs of the world via NRF committees, we utilize the cloud with Html5 and JSON tying devices together on the Internet. The old giants just try to keep up. POS and self-order application development cycles are measured in days and months, not years anymore.
Hardware is no longer restricted to the stock Dell corporate PC with a 4:3 touchscreen. Kiosks now offer widescreen displays, tablets, content management, remote management and power over ethernet (POE) and the cloud. Forget big computers and requirements for USB always. Even Windows is becoming less important. All types of traffic analysis methods, authentication and beacons for realt time location. And then there is speech.
Jim Kruper of KioWare notes, “As far as software direction goes we see it heading in the direction of IOT which is really saying that kiosks will be connecting to a much more broader universe of devices. In addition, we see security features using biometrics finally becoming more mainstream as well as video technology that uses emotion detection and AI to drive user interaction.”
“Technology is changing every quarter,” Bowers said.
“New capabilities are becoming available and integrating with devices such as touch screens kiosks,” he said. “The important factor is it’s no longer the devices; it’s no longer kiosks or touch screens or digital signs. It’s the experience that comes out of the utilization of hardware; this retail marketing strategy which is much more effective much more insightful and much easier to respond to the changing interests and habits of today’s connected consumer.”
Kiosk History – going back pretty far is annotated history of kiosk industry we have been keeping for many years.
COMMENTS
Hi Craig – thanks for the trip down memory lane! The industry certainly has morphed and expanded over the years, it’s fascinating to see who is still viable as a provider, and who has fallen by the wayside.
In some ways, what we used to think of as “kiosk software” providing services to the public became “apps” on a smart phone giving access to an individual. Same workflow, just very different form factors. Yet, there are certain use cases where public access kiosk remains the best option for delivering information or automated service to the widest possible audience.
Hope things are well, keep up the good work! – Bob Ventresca (OG kiosk software dinosaur)
In our companion piece Richard Slawsky takes a look at one of the very first examples of technology developed.
Insider Note: The beginnings of the kiosk industry periodically come up for debate. The writers of the world seems to all have the same preoccupation with “who’s first”. This is the argument for Plato, which was a school project basically and never “rolled out” to the public. Back then technology often started in the universities but the bigger question was how much of that actually was commercialized. In the kiosk world with kiosk people you are talking Florsheim or really Minitel and the French. We’ve always shortchanged the French (except their cooking…).
Although touchscreen kiosks are nearly ubiquitous today, it wasn’t that long ago that the technology was virtually unheard of. And while it may be difficult to pin the title of “Father of the Interactive Kiosk” on any one person, there is someone who can lay legitimate claim to the title.
In 1973, before he was a doctor, entrepreneur and pioneer in the field of workplace drug testing, Murray Lappe was a pre-med student at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. Science fiction fans will recognize UIUC as the birthplace of HAL, the emotionally disturbed computer from 2001: A Space Odyssey. In the 1970s, Illinois was a hotbed of computing, with companies including Netscape and game maker subLOGIC having their roots in the university.
As a junior high and high school student in the Evanston School District in the suburbs of Chicago in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Lappe had taken classes in Fortran, writing programs using the punch cards that were the building blocks of coding in those days. So as a college student, it was an easy transition to the Programmed Logic for Automatic Teaching Operations, or PLATO, computer-assisted instruction system. PLATO operated on the university’s ILLIAC I computer, providing computer-based learning via thousands of graphics terminals around the campus and around the world.
“My freshman year probably more than half of my classes were on PLATO,” Lappe said during a conversation in early February.
“Chemistry, biology and physics were all PLATO learning classes,” he said. “We would go in to a classroom of terminals and pick up on our assignments wherever we left off. There might be a teaching assistant or someone, sitting in the front of the room if you had questions, but they were mostly self-guided.”
Although as a double major in math and life sciences Lappe was swamped in schoolwork, his advisor recommended he participate in some sort of extracurricular activity to enhance his chances of being accepted into medical school. His solution was to form the campus pre-med club, an organization for students like himself who also needed to participate in some form of activity. The pre-med club was one of about 3,000 or so organizations on the Illinois campus at the time.
The group limped along doing the occasional community service project, but in the summer before his senior year Lappe was invited by the Dean of Students to participate in a three-day retreat where attendees would brainstorm ways to improve extracurricular activities on campus.
During that retreat, Lappe found himself participating in a roundtable discussion on ways students could promote their organizations other than buying an ad in the school newspaper. Among the suggestions were a bulletin board where groups could post fliers promoting their group.
Lappe took the concept a step further, suggesting putting a list of those organizations into the PLATO system and developing a user interface to allow students to search out organizations based on their interests.
“We kicked the idea around, and it got some interest,” Lappe said. “After the session, the Dean suggested I apply for a grant to see if we could make it happen.”
Two weeks later, Lappe had a $2,500 check to develop the project. He spent the next few months sketching out ideas for an interface and developing the algorithm that would guide the search process. Once he’d hammered out the basic concept, he hired a computer science student, Mark Nudelman, to write the software.
“Murray started the design of the front page and sort of sketched out bits of the rest of the user interface,” Nudelman said during a mid-February interview. “I then fleshed it out and did all the coding.”
Over the course of the next six months they developed the PLATO Hotline, incorporating the ability to look up schedules for movies and other events around campus along with student organizations.
The final piece of the puzzle was the interface by which users would interact with the system. Donald Blitzer, then a professor of electrical engineering at the university, had developed a plasma touchscreen display in the early 1970s. Those displays were already being used on campus for the PLATO classes.
“I wanted to make it as simple as possible for people who had never used a computer before,” Lappe said. “I didn’t want it to look or feel like a computer.”
Lappe scrapped the idea of incorporating a keyboard, working with Nudelman to incorporate as much functionality as possible with the touchscreen alone. The end result was a simple interface with a “touch to begin” button launching the search process.
The PLATO Hotline debuted just a few weeks before Lappe’s graduation, set up in the middle of the student union building.
“It became a fascination,” Lappe said. “In the first 30 days 50,000 people had used it. There would be 50 people at any one time, 24 hours a day, waiting in line to try it out.”
For Lappe, two things happened just a few days after the launch. One, he was accepted into medical school. And two, he received a call from Control Data Corp., offering him a job. CDC was the hardware manufacturer on whose mainframe computers the PLATO system was built. The company had recently purchased the rights to market PLATO as a commercial product.
Although Lappe desperately wanted to go to work for CDC, he realized this might be his only shot at attending medical school, and opted instead to attend Northwestern University and prepare for a career as a doctor.
Lappe left the University of Illinois just weeks after the launch of the PLATO Hotline, but the interactive kiosk remained a fixture of the student union for several years. Although the original kiosk featured a printer, that was soon dropped. A keyboard was added not long after launch, enabling users to enter their personal information for followup contact.
Nudelman moved to California immediately after college, spending the bulk of his time in Silicon Valley. Most of his time these days is spent consulting for technology companies, primarily for Roku. As for Lappe, the next thing he knew it was 1984 and the Macintosh was paving the way for the computer revolution. He ended up practicing medicine for several years, but the computer bug eventually caught up with him.
“That Macintosh was staring at me every day, and I was just waiting for the opportunity to find a computer problem that would let me quit medicine and go back to computing,” he said.
“And about eight years into my career the federal government passed a mandate that all transportation workers had to be tested for drugs,” he said. “And in that regulation there was a role for a physician to process the results from the laboratories that would do these drug tests. And it became immediately obvious to me that there was an opportunity to write software for a new industry.”
In 1998, Lappe founded eScreen, which provides drug screening management and automated hiring program solutions for companies around the country. In essence, his career has come full circle, putting him back in the center of the computer industry.
Still, he does wonder how things might have worked out if he had taken that offer from CDC. And he still feels a twinge of pride when encountering a touchscreen kiosk, which happens more and more every day.
“I’ve been telling my kids since they were little every time we go to an airport and walk up to one those board pass kiosks, that it all started with the PLATO Hotline,” Lappe said.
“I’m sure it was going to happen one way or another,” he said. “It wasn’t particularly novel. All the pieces were there; it was just a matter of putting them together.”
Kiosk History Extended
Elographics was founded in 1971. Now known as ELO.
The PLATO system was designed in 1977. Florsheim ran their store deployment in 1984 which was 600 stores and was first “endless aisle” kiosk.
1980 Alcatel Minitel terminal
Minitel rolled out in 1982 and experimentally in 1978. This was Videotext service over phone lines. It was an electronic phone book for the French public.
1982 was first opportunity for the US public to use a touchscreen at the 1982 World’s Fair (Elographics).
1983 Lexitech was founded by Alex Richardson
1985 touchscreens begin to proliferate thanks to Microtouch and Elographics (now Raychem).
In 1991, the first commercial kiosk with internet connection was displayed at Comdex. The application was for locating missing children.[1]The first true documentation of a kiosk was the 1995 report by Los Alamos National Laboratory which detailed what the interactive kiosk consisted of. This was first announced on comp.infosystems.kiosks by Arthur the original usenet moderator.
And for reference in 1955 Seeburg and Emerson release their “telejuke” which is sold to bars and includes a TV and a jukebox in a single enclosure. Link.
One of the trends in 2018 is the emergence of the emergency kiosk. Typically it has the typical informational side to it but then it is just as capable serving as an emergency terminal.
Some of the situations where campus-wide communication system is considered:
Education facilities including high schools, universities, junior and technical vocational schools.
Anywhere where a large number of people are congregating which can be a retail mall location outdoor where people are walking around.
Some specified features of emergency kiosks include:
LCD or similar screen that the City can easily upload information, advertisements or emergency notifications from a control room
CCTV that is remotely accessible by a control room
Incorporation of an approved automated external defibrillator (“AED”) approved by the City
First Aid equipment
Air quality and micro climate sensors
Advanced features include automatic activation upon retrieval, voice and text use instructions, automated self-tests, etc.
Emergency kiosk provides for a mechanism to connect with 9-1-1
Panic Functions
Public WiFi
Footfall analytics (traffic)
Able to interface with transportation systems
Emergency kiosk shall include surveillance cameras
Emergency kiosk to include intercom, microphone, speakers to allow for two-way communication
Emergency kiosk should be climate controlled, if necessary.
Shooter detection systems
College-wide communication systems
Zoning
connectivity to mobile Apps and devices to speed evacuation with safe route notification.
Editors Note: Thanks to Olea Kiosks for sending update to us here at Kiosk Industry. Olea provides bill pay services.
Update: March 22, 2018 @ 4:00pm ET
Bill Pay TIO Networks Provides Second Update on Suspension of Operations
After careful consideration, PayPal has decided to not restore TIO’s services and will wind down TIO’s business accordingly. We thank you for your patience as we made this difficult decision. We apologize for the inconvenience the discontinuation of services has caused our billing partners, retailers, agents, and their customers – and we appreciate your partnership and support for the past 20 years.
As previously announced, the PayPal platform is not impacted in any way and PayPal’s customers’ data remains secure. PayPal remains committed to our mission to democratize financial services and provide secure, convenient and affordable ways to move and manage money to those who are underserved by the financial system.
If you are a TIO biller, retailer or agent and have any questions or would like to speak to someone about this situation, please feel free to contact the TIO call center at (866) 710-0846.
If you are an affected customer that received a notice about the TIO security incident, and have any questions, you can still reach out to the Experian call center Monday to Friday 6:00 AM – 6:00 PM PT, and Saturday and Sunday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM PT at (855) 272-6796 (toll-free) for domestic callers or (479) 788-5000 (toll) for international callers.
Update: December 1, 2017 4:30PM ET
TIO Networks Provides Update on Suspension of Operations
As announced on November 10, the operations of TIO Networks were suspended to protect customer data as part of an ongoing investigation of security vulnerabilities of the TIO platform. We have been working tirelessly to conduct a thorough review and get to the bottom of the situation. Now we have a clearer picture.
The ongoing investigation has uncovered evidence of unauthorized access to TIO’s network, including locations that stored personal information of some of TIO’s customers and customers of TIO billers.
TIO has begun working with the companies it services to notify potentially affected individuals. We are working with a consumer credit reporting agency to provide free credit monitoring memberships. Individuals who are affected will be contacted directly and receive instructions to sign up for monitoring.
We greatly appreciate the support of our billing partners, retailers, agents and consumers during this time. We will continue to communicate important updates to customers.
If you are an affected customer that received the customer notice, and have any questions, you can reach the Experian call center Monday to Friday 6:00 AM – 6:00 PM PT, and Saturday and Sunday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM PT at (855) 272-6796 (toll-free) for domestic callers or (479) 788-5000 (toll) for international callers.
If you are a biller, retailer or agent and have any questions or would like to speak to someone about this situation, please feel free to contact the TIO call center at (866) 710-0846.
How to Design a Responsive Kiosk User Interface – Part 1
A responsive kiosk user interface is a crucial component of developing a kiosk application that’s a pleasure for your customers to use. If your kiosk’s user interface appears sluggish, you can expect your customers will opt for interacting with a cashier, which defeats the purpose of having a self-service kiosk. This is a multi-faceted topic that includes design considerations at both the kiosk and system level. For this reason I’ll be breaking this article up into a 2-part series, the first of which will cover design considerations at the kiosk level.
The illusion of responsiveness matters
Sometimes delays are inevitable and the user will have to wait while your kiosk application performs some necessary background processing. In this case you can still give the illusion of responsiveness by displaying an animation indicating that the kiosk is processing their request (i.e. a spinner or progress bar). In too many cases the kiosk’s user interface will freeze while some background process is going on which is disconcerting to the user. The video below illustrates this point when the user presses the BACK button and the kiosk application hangs and then switches screens a couple seconds later.
Your kiosk should utilize responsive hardware and a sufficient internet connection
If your kiosk is running overly outdated hardware or the internet connection is slow it’s unlikely that your kiosk application will perform as intended. This is why it’s important to test your kiosk application onsite and ensure that it performs adequately. Making use of local storage can reduce the need to synchronize data with offsite servers, thereby lowering bandwidth requirements, which can also help offset a slower internet connection.
Run parallel processes in the background with threading
Modern processors support launching multiple processes to accomplish tasks in parallel, thereby allowing your kiosk application to perform work in the background. In .NET this is often referred to as worker threads because they work in the background without significantly slowing the user interface. You can utilize worker threads in your kiosk application to ensure that your kiosk’s user interface is always responsive. Examples of tasks you might perform with worker threads include caching data, calling 3rd party web services, or interacting with peripheral hardware.
Utilize local storage for caching transient data
Data which only needs to be stored temporarily and is then discarded is referred to as transient data. An example of transient data in a bill pay kiosk application might be a list of customers with outstanding water bills. Customers would use the kiosk to search for and pay their water bill, but once the bill is paid the kiosk application no longer needs to include the customer’s once outstanding bill in its searchable list. Transient data will ideally be stored in memory for quick retrieval, but a local database will also suffice if the data is too large to store it all in memory.
Use a splash screen for preliminary processing
When your kiosk application is first run or a new user session begins you can create a splash screen where the kiosk application has a chance to preform any preliminary caching or processing. This preliminary processing avoids performing these operations while the user is actually trying to interact with the kiosk and ensures that the user interface stays responsive. During this splash screen the user might see a popup window with a message stating that their session is being prepared and some animation indicating that the kiosk application is loading like a progress bar or spinner.
Use vector scalable graphics
Vector graphics use mathematical calculations to represent graphical images and are infinitely scalable, although there are some limits to how small they can scale. Vector graphics also require a smaller memory footprint, especially for larger resolution images, and allow you to easily scale to larger screen sizes while maintaining performance.
If you’re developing your kiosk application in HTML5 consider these optimizations
If you’re using HTML5 to develop your kiosk application then consider taking advantage of the new touch features in HTML5. You’ll also want to preload the entire application including all html templates, data models and scripts so the app isn’t wasting the user’s time doing requests mid-usersession. A good example of this is using client-side MVVM frameworks.
Hardware accelerated elements like the canvas utilizes the machines resources like GPU and VRAM. When doing animations or graphic intensive logic, using these will be much more responsive than using regular HTML/JS and even Flash.
Web sockets: Instead of polling the server for updates, have the server reach out to the client for necessary server->client communication. For example your transaction was finished processing. The server can then initiate the connection to the client to notify the client of the result. This is a more responsive approach to polling the server or having a request waiting open for a response.
Conclusion
Part 2 of this 2-part series will cover design considerations at the system level in order to ensure your kiosk user interface stays responsive. This will include topics like utilizing 3rd party services, building a solid domain model and synchronizing data. Also, if you develop kiosk user interfaces then checkout my complementary article about� creating a touch friendly kiosk user interface design.
Do you need custom development for your kiosk project?
As you begin you kiosk project, you may wonder if you need custom development. Here are a few questions that will help you determine how “custom” your project is, and what level of custom development might be needed.
You will first want to identify the purpose and function of your kiosk. If your kiosk is intended to provide users with access to an existing website or application, your project likely may not need custom development! You will want to use kiosk system software in order to lock down your device, but you can configure that software out of the box to secure a website or application. Out of the box kiosk software can provide high levels of customization or can be deployed with only minimal changes – it is completely up to you.
If your kiosk will require interaction with an input device (you want users to submit payment, for example), you can still make this happen without custom development. Either identify the external device options you would like to incorporate (make, model, specifications etc), and match that up with the kiosk system software which supports one of the devices on your list. If you can’t find your device on the supported device list, you will want to reach out to the kiosk system software company to see if the device can be added. KioWare, for instance, adds devices primarily based on customer request and many devices are already supported via existing APIs. Still, no custom development work is required. If your timing is tight, and you need your device integration escalated, payment may be required, depending on the organization with which you are working.
Tips for when you might need custom development for your kiosk project
So when do you need custom development for your kiosk? You might (definitely) need custom development when you . . .
If you are using an existing website or application but want the information to populate or integrate with a non existent or unrelated database, you might need custom development.
If you want fancy attract screens or custom start pages, toolbars, or keyboards, but do not have the development or design resources to create them, you might need custom development.
If your project exists only in your head, and you do not have an existing website or application, you might need custom development.
If you are integrating complex hardware in a manner that has previously not been seen, you might need custom development.
Requesting a quote for a custom kiosk development project
Ready to get started, but not sure what information you should pull together before calling for quotes? Here is a link to (PDF) questionnaire to assist you with any calls you might make to get an accurate and consistent custom development quote.
Just two years into the state’s experiment in the legalization of marijuana for recreational use, Colorado businesses are on track see more than $1.3 billion in revenue from the sale of weed and related products. That’s a whopping 30 percent higher than the $1 billion those businesses took in last year.
Those results are similar to what’s being seen in Washington, the second state to go 420-friendly. Washington reached the $1 billion mark in July 2016, just 12 months after the first legal sale of recreational pot.
And that growth is sure to continue, especially as more and more states hop aboard the cannabis train.
But as with any business, a growing customer base brings with it an opportunity to serve those customers with technology. Cannabis and kiosks are proving to be a perfect match.
Growing like a weed
With the results of November’s election, the use of both recreational and medicinal marijuana has been entirely legalized in eight states, with medical marijuana legal in 28 states.
While the approach of the incoming administration in regards to legalized marijuana remains to be seen, it’s likely that the movement has passed the point of no return.
Still, there are some sticky issues associated with the sale of marijuana. First and foremost is that despite it being legal at the state level, federal law still considers marijuana to be a Schedule 1 drug, putting it on the same level with heroin, LSD and ecstasy.
Because federal law prohibits financial institutions from processing payments from the sale of a Schedule 1 drug, for the most part the cannabis industry is an all-cash affair. Credit and debit card transactions just aren’t allowed.
Unfortunately, conducting business on an all-cash basis is fraught with risk. First and foremost is that having large amounts of cash on the premises makes a marijuana business a prime target for a robbery.
In June 2016, for example, a security guard at a suburban Denver dispensary was shot and killed during a robbery attempt. The killing of the guard, former Marine Travis Mason, was the first known on-the-job death at a licensed marijuana business in Colorado.
The same month, a medical marijuana dispensary owner in the Los Angeles area survived a shootout with two would-be robbers wearing masks and armored vests. The owner escaped unharmed, although the robbers were wounded when the owner fired his own weapon.
In addition to the outside threat, dispensary owners also face the potential of internal theft. Despite the amount of money flowing into the pot industry, dispensary workers start at or near the minimum wage. Handling thousands of dollars a day while taking home $10-12 an hour is likely to prove to be an overwhelming temptation for some seeking to supplement their income.
And that’s where the kiosk industry can help.
Fresno, Calif.-based Cannabis Cash Solutions, for example, is providing cash-handling kiosks for marijuana dispensaries that eliminate the need for employees to handle money. In addition, the devices store the cash in a secure vault until pickup by a manager or an armored car service
“What we’re doing with the kiosks is taking the money straight from the customer’s hands and putting it right into the vaults in our kiosks,” said Cannabis Cash Solutions CEO Andrew Savala. “The marijuana business doesn’t touch the cash at all.”
With Cannabis Cash Solutions kiosks, customers come up to the dispensary counter and interact with the dispensary’s “budtender,” who explains the different product choices available. Once the customer has made their choice the budtender directs them to the counter-mounted kiosk, where they insert their cash payment into a bill acceptor and receive their change. The kiosk recycles the cash inserted for use as change, minimizing the need for replenishing the change fund.
“Customers are still able to have that one-one-one interaction with the budtender,” Savala said. “The budtender can still spend as much time with them as they need answering the customer’s questions, they just don’t handle the cash.”
[Editor note – A total of 3.6 million vending machines will be online by 2020. CPI is the leader. Reference.]
And Denver-based ordering and payment platform provider Jane LLC has deployed its kiosks in Oregon, Nevada and Colorado, with plans to expand to California, Alaska and several other states. With Jane’s kiosks, customers can make their choice from a list of products displayed on the device’s touchscreen and pay at the kiosk. The customer then takes the receipt to the pickup counter to receive their purchase.
“We have been received with open arms in some locations, where others shut the door, priding themselves on the theory of ‘one-on-one customer experience, that’s our specialty and we don’t want to lose that.’,” said Karla Guarino, VP of Marketing/Operations with Jane LLC. “Every state has different rules and regulations which all have to be worked through. It’s an ongoing process, but an exciting one!”
Jane also offers a mobile app for iOS and Android devices. With the app, customers place an order via their mobile device and enter their order number at the kiosks when they arrive at the dispensary. Those customers are also issued a receipt to be taken to the counter.
Jane’s devices also include EMV compliant card readers that are ready to accept transactions in anticipation of the eventual legalization of credit and debit card transactions for marijuana.
“We have been working very closely with our banking partner to ensure our processes are 100% compliant and ready to accept transactions at any time,” Guarino said.
On the horizon
San Francisco-based cannabis investor network The ArcView Group predicts legal sales to top $22.8 billion by 2020, meaning the opportunities for kiosk deployments are only going to continue to expand, both in the United States and around the world. In addition, the expected growth is driving the development of new solutions for the industry.
Several companies have introduced kiosks that actually dispense marijuana, verifying customers via biometrics. Most of those efforts have struggled, though.
Tempe, Ariz.-based American Green recalled all of its Zazzz cannabis vending machines in December 2015 in response to feedback from dispensary vendors and customers, and is retooling its automated vending program.
And Los Angeles-based vending kiosk provider Medbox rebranded itself as Notis Global in February 2016, shifting its focus to cultivation, production and consulting.
Still, the technology that would be required to dispense packages of marijuana is already being used to dispense other products. There may come a time when marijuana vending kiosks are as commonplace as those renting DVDs.
“I was reading an article recently about a company deploying kiosks to dispense packages of tea,” Estaitieh said. “If a kiosk can dispense tea it could easily dispense marijuana.”
The current struggle for acceptance of those types of kiosks may be due to the fact that they have been primarily located in dispensaries. If a customer is already in a dispensary, they may be inclined to simply go to the counter and talk with a bud tender.
Depending on traffic, though, there may be a day when customers will prefer to use a kiosk for convenience. And as medical marijuana becomes more accepted around the country, pharmacies may look at those types of kiosks as a way to compete with dispensaries.
There also may be opportunities for marijuana-dispensing kiosks outside the United States as other countries seek to cash in on changing attitudes. Jamaica, for example, is in talks on a plan to install cannabis kiosks at airports and seaports as part of a plan to boost government revenues.
Jamaica decriminalized the possession of small amounts of marijuana in 2015 and has legalized the use of medical marijuana, part of a plan to market the Caribbean nation as a destination for “wellness tourism” and the accompanying flow of cash.
“The thought is that if you are coming out of the airport, there is a kiosk that you can go to,” Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA) Chairman Hyacinth Lightbourne told the Jamaican publication The Gleaner.
“It would primarily be for people who have a prescription and, in effect, you’re doing it for medicinal purposes with a permit from the Ministry of Health,” Lightbourne said. “If they don’t have a prescription, then they can do what we call ‘self-declare,’ and this will allow them [to purchase] two ounces while they are here.”
Despite this progress, most financial services providers still see compliance as a hurdle. Only about 300 of the more than 11,000 banks currently operating in the U.S. work with legal pot vendors.
“Paradoxically, most of the institutions nationwide that offer business to marijuana suppliers are small and very unhealthy; most are the ones desperate for income,” said Lamine Zarrad, founder and CEO of Tokken, a Denver-based blockchain startup.
Tokken sees the marijuana industry’s situation as comparable to other industries, and thus it can apply solutions that other markets use. Tokken uses bitcoin blockchain to peg marijuana transaction information to its blockchain so that banks and regulators have an immutable, time-stamped record. Information about each transaction is hashed and input on the bitcoin blockchain. In this way consumers, businesses, banks, regulators and law enforcement agencies can view the system and ensure there’s no tampering, Zarrad said.
NRA Chicago Restaurant Kiosks and Conversational AI in May
NRA is our next show (May in Chicago). Visit our NRA page. We’ll be in the Tech Pavilion in booth 6475. If you are interested in a free pass, would like to meet or just reconnecting, drop me an email or call (720-324-1837). We will also be holding Kiosk Association ADA and Accessibility meeting and dinner Sunday night.
Click for full size
At the show and booth we will have around 10+ companies represented. We’ll have tablet kiosks from imageHolders and countertop from Pyramid doing Storm Interface accessibility demo. Also an outdoor capable portable digital signage A-Frame. Pitney Bowes will be in the booth to talk service, installation and monitoring for your self-service devices.
Note from Craig:
We’ll be exhibiting in Chicago May 20th-23rd at the National Restaurant Show and if you are considering attending we can offer you a free customer invite pass as thanks for stopping by in NY. Our booth is in the Tech Pavilion again (6475). If you are interested in a free pass or just reconnecting drop me an email or call (720-324-1837).
We’ll have 10 or so solutions we’ll be demonstrating (we have a larger 10×20). Kiosks, tablets, menu boards, service/installation and accessibility. Information on the show is best viewed on the NRA site here.
Accessibility and Conversational AI Voice assisted self order are featured.
Self-Order with Accessibility by Storm Interface (Pyramid Kiosks)
assistive tech swair storm
Self-order systems are utilizing the AudioPad from Storm Interface. Major users include Mcdonald’s, Southwest Airlines, and Marriott.
Nicky Shaw, the US Managing Director, will be in the KMA booth so stop by and speak with her.
Storm in Mcdonald’s News
Follow Up 10/18 — from Wall Street Journal
The technology will be added to all existing kiosks in company-owned restaurants in California, and 25% of existing kiosks in other U.S. states. [company-owned restaurants]
McDonald’s only operates around 5% of its roughly 14,000 U.S. restaurants, the company said. The rest are run by franchisees.
The company said it would add the new accessibility function to all new kiosks installed in any U.S. restaurant after July 1, including those sold to franchised restaurants.
imageHOLDERS is very well-known in Europe and has opened offices and manufacturing capability in the U.S. Elevating your customers’ digital experience with best-in-class kiosk solutions. imageHOLDERS design and build innovative business solutions, making technology more accessible.
SapientX We Are Building the Next Generation of Conversational AI Voice Assistants and Conversational Avatars
Current voice systems have surprisingly poor accuracy. Our patent pending system is up to 99% accurate!
We speak 40 languages and dialects allowing us to serve 5.5 billion potential users.
Our conversational interface needs no user training, functions with or without the internet and will never sell sensitive user data.
Note that these will demo the self-order app in conjunction with AudioPad accessibility as well.
Too often kiosk service or Point-Of-Sale service, installation, training, and logistics are an afterthought or just another wrap-up detail. For long-running projects it is crucial. For pilots, it is crucial. The kiosk association is happy to introduce Pitney Bowes as one of our Gold sponsors. They will have multiple people at the upcoming National Restaurant Association tradeshow and if you want to meet with them there send a note to [email protected] — if you need a pass we can help too.
Service Delivery Innovation: Smart, strategic support solutions for your clients and technology
By partnering with Service Delivery Innovation by Pitney Bowes, companies can streamline operations, deploy new capabilities, scale, and accelerate growth. Pitney Bowes has the experience, expertise and service infrastructure to help her plan strategically, act quickly and compete effectively.
Real Life Case Study – Complete case study on customer order kiosks’ positive impact on a relatively small retail shop. Most of us like to think in terms of 14,000 kiosks at Mcdonald’s and relegate small businesses to the footnotes. It’s a challenge aggregating tens of thousands of SMBs literally and dealing with an overall number literally 3X the number of Mcdonald’s. This is a small bubble tea shop in Kansas City and they have been killing it with 100-200+ orders a day through their kiosks.
Proudly serving as Chairperson of the KMA Accessibility Committee!
Pete Thompson
A commercially minded engineer who has the ability to communicate confidently at every level and the technical knowledge and organizational skills to ensure that projects are delivered on time and on budget.
Pete Thompson
Vice President of Sales | imageHOLDERS | North America Book a meeting with me
M: +1 (778) 222 5694
T: +1 (604) 475 7776
E: [email protected]
W: imageHOLDERS
A: Unit 105 -84 North Bend Street, Coquitlam BC Canada V3K 6H1 LinkedIn
Making the most of the NRA show by Toastab — To help save yourself time during the show, do some research beforehand. You can find the exhibit floor plan here, a complete exhibitor list here, and the schedule here.
TPGi will demonstrate JAWS for Kiosk at the National Restaurant Association, Booth 6966, on May 20-23, 2023, in Chicago, Illinois. Join us also for a webinar on May 2, 2023 with Matt Ater, Vice President at Vispero, about the process of developing an accessible smart payment experience. From Yahoo Finance 4/25
Award-winning software for self-service devices enables restaurants to increase revenue and improve customer experience.
CLEARWATER, Fla., April 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Vispero™ and TPGi® are pleased to announce that the most popular screen reader worldwide, JAWS®, is now available in kiosks and other self-service devices. This software will allow all enterprises, including restaurants, to increase their revenue by capturing the overlooked, underserved market of customers with visual impairments. It empowers users who are blind or have low vision to enjoy increased independence when performing tasks such as ordering at a quick-service restaurant or café.
Award-winning software for self-service devices enables restaurants to increase revenue and improve customer experience
CLEARWATER, Fla., April 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Vispero™ and TPGi® are pleased to announce that the most popular screen reader worldwide, JAWS®, is now available in kiosks and other self-service devices. This software will allow all enterprises, including restaurants, to increase their revenue by capturing the overlooked, underserved market of customers with visual impairments. It empowers users who are blind or have low vision to enjoy increased independence when performing tasks such as ordering at a quick-service restaurant or café.
JAWS for Kiosk software is an enterprise-supported screen reader which provides a text-to-speech audio output on self-service kiosks. It can be used with both Microsoft Windows and Android® operating systems. JAWS for Kiosk provides customizable, context-specific instructional messaging to assist users with disabilities and is available in more than 40 languages with a variety of voice options.
This innovative accessibility breakthrough has already been selected by some of the largest companies in the world and is highly scalable. The software has won three industry awards, including a Living the Values Award from one of the largest Quick-Service Restaurant (QSR) companies in the world as a Global Technology Provider that puts customers first and creates an inclusive environment.
“We are committed to making the world a more accessible place, and this innovation is an important part of our strategy to do just that,” said Bob Ciminera, CEO of Vispero.
TPGi will demonstrate JAWS for Kiosk at the National Restaurant Association, Booth 6966, on May 20-23, 2023, in Chicago, Illinois.
Join us also for a webinar on May 2, 2023 with Matt Ater, Vice President at Vispero, about the process of developing an accessible smart payment experience.
Vispero is the global leader in assistive technology products for those with vision impairments. Freedom Scientific, TPGi, Enhanced Vision, and Optelec, all Vispero brands, have a long history of innovation for customers with accessibility needs. Today our product portfolio is considered one of the most diverse and reliable on the market. For more information, visit www.vispero.com.
About TPGi
TPGi provides digital accessibility software and services to help businesses reduce risk, grow revenue, and improve user experience. With over 20 years of experience and 21 employees actively influencing accessibility standards on the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), TPGi offers the most robust knowledge base and accessibility expertise in the industry as well as award-winning self-service kiosk software. Our tailored approach has enabled 1000+ customers to achieve the best outcomes for their business, their employees, and their consumers. Trust the experts to guide your accessibility journey.
4/28 – Good writeup on CPO on BlackCat — From the NCR notices, it appears that DFW (assuming Dallas Fort Worth) data center is the core of the attack. However, since that serves many POS systems in the hospitality industry the impact is widespread. It is important in IT and cyber security to understand the dependencies for all systems.”
4/27 — A major user of Aloha is Wendy’s. They may have dodged a bullet as the ransomware targeted the cloud and Wendy’s has not yet transitioned the local restaurants to their new cloud system.
4/24 — From Ruggless at NRN — A spokesman for the Atlanta-based NCR said the company’s “team continues our 24/7 efforts to execute on our recovery plan to re-establish secure access to impacted Aloha applications.
Online ordering has resumed for the subset of CMC customers impacted by the outage.
each site’s sales and clock-in/out time information from the outage period was stored on the back-of-house controller, and customers could begin syncing that.
The NCR Back Office applet in Pulse will not come online until the Pulse mobile app is restored, the company warned.
4/20 — Major chain with over 500 locations says the situation is still unresolved
4/18 By NRN — A restaurant operator in the Midwest said Tuesday that the incident continued to affect offline credit card processing, scheduling software and communications with inventory software. Paneras is doing scheduling manually, which is a real expensive hassle according to NRN contact.
4/18 Outages like this are critical to our industry especially SMB entities that don’t get the love that a Walmart or Amazon might. Even though if Dunkin is involved, that’s 12B in sales (one brand of Inspire Brands we should add).
4/17 NCR posted — NCR downplayed the “incident” while not providing any timeline for solution (or payoff).
4/16 we posted
4/15 Bleeping Computer posted
Here is the original “breaking news” from Bleeping Computer — lots of followup echos (many AI-generated I think).
It’s Sunday April 16th and apparently, the Aloha point of sale platform is suffering an POS outage. Not very reassuring for their mega customers like Walmart and Amazon whole foods either. NCR just went thru major reorganization after their stock bottomed out (along with Diebold for that matter) and a lot of personnel were shifted around or “retired”. Much the same thing happened to Rackspace and others when “cost-cutting” meant retiring “overpriced” expertise which turned out to be underpaid.
NRA show in Chicago in a month and mega booth for Aloha. It should be interesting.
In summary brief
The outage began last Wednesday with customers unable to utilize the system.
NCR disclosed yesterday the outage caused by ransomware attack
NCR said that this outage impacts a subset of their Aloha POS hospitality customers and only a “limited number of ancillary Aloha applications.”
BlackCat claimed responsibility
Credentials for NCR customers were stolen and would be published if not paid
limited to specific functionality in Aloha cloud-based services and Counterpoint.
no customer systems or networks are involved
None of our ATM, digital banking, payments, or other retail products are processed at this data center.
Lots of outlets picked it up and reported today (Monday)
“Ransomware attacks on POS platforms can have disastrous impacts on the hospitality industry, leading to service downtime and long-term disruption,” said Simon Chassar, chief revenue officer at Claroty. “Our research shows that 51% of the food and beverage sector reported substantial disruption when hit by a ransomware attack in 2021.
This incident affects: North America (Aloha Insight-US, Aloha Keyless Licensing-US, Aloha Loyalty-US, Aloha Stored Value-US, Aloha Update-US, Command Center-US, Command Center WebOrder-US, Configuration Center-US, Configuration Center API-US, Customer Voice-US, Mobile Pay API-US, NCR Back Office (NBO)-US, Pulse Realtime-US, Pulse Realtime API-US, Radiant POS Management-US, Restaurant Guard Audit-US), Asia Pacific (Online Ordering Classic-APAC, Online Ordering API-APAC), and Europe (Online Ordering Classic-EU, Online Ordering API-EU).
Ransomware & Active Directory — How to protect by Ransomeware.org
140,000 outlets worldwide include Dunkin’ Donuts, Brewdog, etc
Worth noting Dunkin Donuts is one of several brands owned and operated by Inspire Brands – Dunkin, Sonic, Jimmy Johns, Arbys, Baskin Robbins.. 32,000 restaurants with 3300 franchisees. Dunkin is 12B in sales.
Shades of Target Stores — The likely scenario [in most ransomware attacks] is that they have full administrative access to your Active Directory. With domain admin level access, they have the keys to everything, including your back up. We see adversaries head straight for the backups, which they destroy, before they go ahead and do the rest of the damage. Best case scenario, you have your backups intact.
Excerpt
“We have a clear path to recovery and we are executing against it. We are working around the clock to restore full service for our customers,” NCR told BleepingComputer. “In addition, we are providing our customers with dedicated assistance and workarounds to support their operations as we work toward full restoration.”
4/18/2023 10:30AM MT AlohaPOS — FOH manager here with large corporate restaurant. Most of us don’t code, as I’m sure you lucky bastards are aware, so we’ve gone fully old school. Pen, paper, and spreadsheets. Payroll from Tuesday/Wednesday of last week is a mess, because we weren’t able to edit punches or job codes. Basically we’ve overpaid quite a few folks. Additionally, we have several new employees we were unable to add to the system…so getting them paid has been more of a headache than usual. We quickly adapted and implemented checks and balances in operations, though. The biggest issues I’m facing: unable to chase inventory, and unable to chase dollars. Just been flying blind and hoping no one decided to steal this week…whilst frantically documenting every innocuous detail.
Anyone know how much BlackCat asked for? What they expected NCR to shell out?
Resources
NRN post 4/18 – Ron Ruggless is senior editor there and highly respected.
Some “sponsored content” noted on Hospitality Technology and Jay Burdette, Sr. Director, Panasonic Connect North America
Excerpt
One example where technology is already supporting many businesses in this way is through self-ordering kiosks. Customers gain a personalized ordering channel that also decreases their wait time, while employees can be deployed more strategically to focus on other important tasks and customer service activities. In this new restaurant reality, businesses need to be able to quickly pivot, identify their individual opportunities, and make the appropriate investments. Knowing how to support your team throughout the entire journey is also key.
In brief summary highlights for Panasonic Connect
Engaging with customers
Technology is key component for employees and customers
Later this summer we will outfit three additional NFL Stadiums with Olea Kiosks. Our small business is starting to become not very small at all – and I attribute it to three factors:
1) We’ve focused extremely hard on rightsizing our value to our customers
We’re not the least expensive. But we provide the most value per dollar spent. For example, onsite deployment times with Olea are significantly faster (weeks faster) than with other options, saving a ton of money in onsite labor costs and project management.
2) We’ve specialized our team
Every single customer has a salesperson focused on helping them win business, and a project manager to keep their projects humming. We’ve been running this service for a couple years now and it has only gotten better for our customers. Plus, we don’t charge for it. This is our investment in the partnership.
3) We’ve been selective with who we onboard
Olea doesn’t have thousands of customers, we have dozens. We find the groups we can do the most for and focus our energy on making those relationships count. This largely prevents us from overloading our team, so they have the bandwidth to provide great service to our customers (and get to go home on time). We all win as a result.
We aren’t perfect, but we have a village of people that put their best foot forward every day. We are grateful to those of you who continue to trust our family business.
Editor Notes: One of the most experienced digital signage and kiosk software companies is Sitekiosk.
Introduction
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With SiteKiosk’s easy-to-use online editor, you can create your own interactive user interfaces in just a few clicks! And don’t worry about your customer’s data – our software ensures that it’s cleared after each session at the remote client.
If you don’t have time to design your kiosk and digital signage interfaces, we’ve got you covered! Contact our office and we’ll create custom kiosk apps and provide comprehensive support during the implementation of your project.
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What are the benefits of using SiteKiosk Online digital signage and kiosk software?
There are several benefits to using SiteKiosk Online digital signage and kiosk software. Here are a few:
Customization: SiteKiosk allows you to create and customize interactive content for your kiosks and digital displays, giving you complete control over the customer experience.
Remote Management: With SiteKiosk, you can manage your kiosks and digital displays remotely from a central dashboard, saving you time and resources.
User Analytics: SiteKiosk provides detailed user analytics, allowing you to track user behavior and engagement with your kiosks and digital displays. This information can help you optimize your content and improve your ROI.
Security: SiteKiosk includes advanced security features such as secure browser settings, user authentication, and virus protection, ensuring that your kiosks and digital displays are secure and protected from unauthorized access.
Scalability: SiteKiosk is scalable, allowing you to add new devices and expand your network as your business grows.
Overall, SiteKiosk Online digital signage and kiosk software provides businesses with a comprehensive platform for creating and managing interactive kiosks and digital signage displays, while also offering advanced features for remote management, analytics, and security.
One of the best things about SiteKiosk Online is how easy it is to use. With a simple and intuitive interface, you’ll be up and running in no time. You don’t have to be a tech expert to get the most out of this software, as it has been designed with the end user in mind.
SiteKiosk Online is packed with features that will make a huge difference to your business. For example, you can use it to create a secure and stable environment for your customers to access information or make purchases. It also allows you to restrict access to certain websites or applications, which is perfect if you want to ensure your employees or users are using company resources efficiently.
But that’s not all – SiteKiosk also offers a range of customization options, allowing you to tailor the software to your specific needs. You can choose from a variety of templates to create a unique user experience, and even add your own branding to make it truly your own.
SiteKiosk makes it easy to accept payments from your customers using your existing online payment system. And thanks to its powerful analytics tools, you can track customer behavior and usage patterns to make informed decisions about how to improve your kiosk operations.
If you’re looking for a powerful and user-friendly software that can take your public computers to the next level, look no further than SiteKiosk. With its wide range of features and customization options, it’s the perfect tool for businesses of all sizes. Give it a try today and see for yourself how it can revolutionize your operations!
For more information and to request a demo click here
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“I’ve come to learn in life that what comes easy, won’t last and that what lasts, won’t come easy. It’s always going to be a challenging journey for something that is worthwhile. We started with the simple goal of needing to connect an ATM cash machine to the internet. We wanted it to be fast, and we wanted it to be easy. We worked harder and harder at making it easier for our customers. We chose to focus on areas intentionally, where others may not have even been looking. Today, the vision is the same: “make it easy.” The goal has changed: “connect the world.” I’m glad that it has been a challenging journey. I’m happy that we’ve all worked hard to simplify doing business with us. In essence, the challenges are what have continued to thrust the solution forward toward success. We believe that success is best enjoyed when we work really hard for it. At the same time, we value it more the harder we work, and our team has embraced that attitude in everything we do. We work tirelessly for you.
We’re never done innovating, and we’re always working to improve our business. Thank you for trusting us and being the most important part of our journey.”
Chris Baird, President & CEO
OptConnect’s fully managed connectivity solution provides greater reliability, security, and peace of mind knowing you have a partner who is always available to help you and your business succeed. Watch this short video to learn more.
OPTCONNECT BLOG
CHOOSING A POINT OF SALE SYSTEM By: Stefan Tapia
Not all POS systems are made equal and not all are designed to fit your specific business needs. This means that you’ll want to evaluate each component of a POS system to ensure it’s the right fit for you.Read More
KIOSK SECURITY: ARE YOU PREPARED By: Micah Larsen
Now that more kiosks are being deployed around the world, there is an even greater risk for hacking. As kiosks are often unattended and physically accessible to hackers, it’s important that you make sure your kiosks are as secure as they can be.Read More
EVENTS
IoT Fuse – (04/23-04/25)
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Accelerating Your Cellular and Software Development with Managed Services
April 25th, 2:15-2:45
MCC Room #202
NAMA – (04/24-04/26)
Las Vegas, Nevada Booth #1514
PRODUCT PROFILE: THE OPTCONNECT NEO By: Aaron Reeder
In 2016, OptConnect saw the need for a fully functional cellular router in a small form factor, especially in markets like the kiosk, digital sign, and vending segments. Click below to find out more about OptConnect neo.Read More
COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT MANAGED CONNECTIVITY By: Andrew DeLaMare
Connectivity is an integral part of any machine’s functionality. Whatever the purpose of the equipment is, it has to be connected in order to work properly. So, what exactly is connectivity and what does it take for it to really work?Read More
GALLERY
PRESS
Self-Serve Kiosks Reduce Friction,
but IoT Learning Can Throw a Curve
Kiosk Marketplace (2/28/2019)
Read More
OptConnect Highlight
“I recommend OptConnect because it’s a great value and it provides our customers with peace of mind. It’s one less thing to worry about. OptConnect is very responsive to our customer’s needs and that’s very important to us.”
Joe Rogan
Chief Financial Officer – 365 Retail Markets
AUO has a complete generation of G3.5 to G8.5 TFT-LCD fabs, with over two decades of technological know-how and product expertise. AUO’s product portfolio ranges from 1.1 to 85 inch displays for all types of applications.
AUO delivers a total solution through its comprehensive portfolio of display technologies and diversified product combinations, including customer-oriented concepts such as full set system and touch screen integration. Our goal is to provide high quality, highly reliable products with AUO’s continuing service for our customers.
One of the exciting new products for us is the new SDM-Ready series of displays (S & L).
Below is just one segment that AUO works in and that is the Retail environment and generally large format displays.
Screens that inform, engage and drive business
AUO PID total solutions can provide shoppers with the latest product information, promotions and upcoming sales / events all through dynamic content.
Video Wall Displays with dynamic content
Video Wall Displays, placed thoughtfully, are great tools to increase store traffic. They can showcase the latest products and promotional items, all the while re-enforcing the brand and creating lasting impressions.
Increase sales revenue
Product promotions, explanatory messaging and calls to action are powerful tools for retail operators to introduce new products and services and realize bottom-line objectives. The right messaging, shown at just the right moment in the consumer journey, can have a powerful influence on sales. Retailers are placing screens in the shopper aisles and at checkout and service counters.
Up-to-date information to attract shoppers
In shopping malls or other retail environments, AUO Ultra-Slim Dual-Sided Displays can offer relevant information such as way-finding, weather updates, exchange rates, new store openings or promotions.
The QSR space is heating up rapidly and that’s only one industry. The situation in California of $15 per hour may end up driving the adoption of Kiosks and other automation quicker than anticipated.
Other ramifications could include people already making $15 – 20 per hour. Logic say’s they will want a raise as well. Why should they be getting “minimum wage” when someone working the most basic of jobs is getting the same? It stands to reason we’re looking at wages going up almost across the board.
In the end business will raise their rates to cover the extra expense, or, the smart companies adopt automation and other cost saving techniques as much as possible in order to keep costs down and selling prices low.
California’s plans to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2022 could spur a move in the restaurant industry toward automation.
Nice article on impact of minimum wage and automation.
This change should open the floodgates of automation exploration. Those that can invest now and keep costs low during the transition will weather the storm long enough for competition to go under because they didn’t plan ahead.
Related Links
The Real Impact of Minimum Wage Legislation – link
Manufacturer of angling equipment, BUBBA came to Frank Mayer and Associates, Inc. with several guidelines to consider when developing merchandising display designs, including a design that would fit a small retail footprint, a look that endorsed the sport fishing lifestyle, and imagery that could be easily updated in the field.
The company also required an interactive component to allow consumers to use the product and understand the ergonomics associated with the BUBBA knife’s handle and blade.
Custom peg hooks and slat wall designs not only allow for heavier electric knives without sagging but offer unique product configurations based on each dealer’s needs.
Frank Mayer and Associates, Inc. delivered on all BUBBA’s requests, and hundreds of units were shipped to dealer locations across the country.
Scottsdale, AZ (October 2, 2018) – World-class kiosk manufacturer ZIVELO (best known for providing kiosks to McDonald’s across North America) is proud to announce the completion of a Distribution Partnership with BlueStar to streamline the company’s ability to meet increasing demand.
Founded in 1929 with a network of over 12,000 value added resellers, Bluestar is a leading global technology distributor of a variety of solutions, including Point-of-Sale, ADC, RFID, Digital Signage, kiosks, and more.
“We are excited to align with ZIVELO to bring enhanced kiosk technology to our customers within the channel,” says Mark Fraker, VP of marketing with BlueStar. “Through this partnership, BlueStar will be more capable than ever of filling the needs of our resellers in all verticals, providing complete kiosk solutions to fit any demand or situation.”
ZIVELO, a public computing technology company that offers self-service kiosks and digital signage solutions to multiple key industries, is poised to leverage this best-in-class partnership to meet the needs of the Channel.
“With rapidly growing demand for ZIVELO from the Channel, we are pleased to announce our strategic distribution partnership with BlueStar. Channel partners will now be able to leverage BlueStar’s best-in-class distribution capabilities to provide ZIVELO’s full-service turn-key solutions to their clients” says Ryan Lagace, ZIVELO’s VP of Strategic Partnerships.
With BlueStar’s strong purchasing power and global distribution capabilities, ZIVELO looks to improve efficiencies and meet demand in their robust QSR and Retail verticals, while expanding verticals such as banking, healthcare, hospitality, many more with our new Value Added Reseller (VAR) partners.
“This has been a groundbreaking year for ZIVELO” says ZIVELO CEO, Healey Cypher. “ZIVELO has been long-established as a global leader in beautiful world-class kiosk hardware. With this year’s addition of OakOS – the first kiosk-only SDK and operating system – plus new services and financing arms, ZIVELO is truly a full-service kiosk partner for any company looking to join the self-service revolution.”
For more information about ZIVELO, visit www.zivelo.com.
About ZIVELO
ZIVELO’s mission is to revolutionize the way brands use technology to interact with their consumers on-premise and in the physical world. Founded in 2008, ZIVELO has rapidly grown to become the leading self-service technology brand offering a sleek and sophisticated product design, intuitive user experience, and cutting-edge modular hardware solutions. In 2018, ZIVELO acquired Oak Labs, the creators of OakOS – the world’s first operating system for public computing experiences. Through the acquisition, ZIVELO now provides brands with an end-to-end solution for the roll-out of kiosks and digital signage, including hardware, sortware, services, and financing. ZIVELO is headquartered in Scottsdale, AZ, with offices in San Francisco, CA and Seattle, WA. For more information, please visit http://www.zivelo.com/.
About BlueStar
BlueStar is the leading global distributor of solutions-based Digital Identification, Mobility, Point-of-Sale, RFID, Digital Signage, and Security technology. BlueStar works exclusively with value-added resellers, providing them with complete solutions, business development and marketing support. The company brings unequaled expertise to the market, offers award-winning technical support and is an authorized service center for a growing number of manufacturers. BlueStar is the exclusive distributor for the In-a-Box Solutions Series, delivering hardware, software and critical accessories in one bundle with technology solutions across all verticals. For more information, please contact BlueStar at 1-800-354-9776 or visit www.bluestarinc.com.
Spearheaded by Bitcoin ATM operators DigitalMint and Coinsource, the CCC looks to enhance cryptocurrency regulations while establishing consumer-centric frameworks for strengthened public protections and safety.
CHICAGO, Aug. 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Leaders across the cash-to-crypto industry, including Bitcoin ATM (BTM) operators DigitalMint and Coinsource, blockchain analysis platform Chainalysis, and others, today announce the formation of the Cryptocurrency Compliance Cooperative (“CCC”). A collaborative association, the mission of the CCC is to create a safer environment for all consumers and legitimize the cash-to-cryptocurrency industry by bolstering compliance standards that are deemed by many to be currently insufficient.
“The nefarious use cases plaguing this industry are well documented by several law enforcement agencies, and include fraud, elder abuse, and drug and human trafficking,” said Seth Sattler, Director of Compliance for DigitalMint and leading contributor of the Cryptocurrency Compliance Cooperative. “While a small number of Bitcoin ATM operators go above and beyond with know your customer (KYC) and anti-money laundering (AML) protocols, others in the cash-to-crypto industry simply turn a blind eye and are complacent to these bad actors by simply applying the bare minimum customer protections, which in many cases allow for completely anonymous transactions.”
Organizations encouraged to apply to the CCC include cash-based cryptocurrency MSBs, regulatory bodies, financial institutions, suppliers, non-governmental and law enforcement agencies. Meeting on a minimum quarterly basis, the CCC will allow members to stay abreast of regulatory updates, new industry standards and research. Moreover, members will share best practices and learn how to collaborate with industry leaders, regulators, and law enforcement on how to enforce deeper and more robust compliance protocols. In addition, the CCC will also look to stay ahead of developments and trends among threat actors, learning how to best mitigate fraud through the application of ever improving technology and forensic tools.
“Unfortunately, many BTM operators feel that merely asking for a cell phone number is enough due diligence to absolve them of their mandated KYC requirements,” said Bo Oney, Executive Vice President of Operations and Head of Compliance at Coinsource. “Such lax provisions provide a safe haven for bad actors to abuse the machines for nefarious purposes. The CCC is seeking to bolster regulatory requirements for the benefit of all BTM users and operators. This will require input from the most knowledgeable in the industry, all with the goal of making the cash-to-crypto space as safe as possible for consumers.”
Since their first deployment in the U.S. in 2014, BTMs and other cash-to-crypto point-of-sale locations have helped individuals effortlessly access the world of cryptocurrencies. These machines, which resemble a traditional ATM, allow users to purchase cryptocurrencies with cash and, according to How Many Bitcoin ATMs, have surpassed 42,000 installations across the U.S.
“Lax compliance policies and high rates of illicit activity have long plagued the reputation of Bitcoin ATMs,” said Caitlin Barnett, Director of Regulation & Compliance, Chainalysis. “We are thrilled to support this initiative led by two leaders in the space to build trust in Bitcoin ATMs and promote more financial freedom with less risk.”
According to an independent report conducted by the State of New Jersey Commission of Investigation, nearly 75% of the BTM operators with kiosks in the state allowed certain transactions to take place without requiring the customer to provide any information outside of a cellphone number. Over half of these operators allowed for cryptocurrency transactions up to $900 with just a cellphone number, or in some cases, no information at all. Due to the prevalence and accessibility of prepaid cellphones, commonly known as “burners”, simply relying on the collection of a phone number to satisfy FinCEN KYC requirements is not a reliable way for operators to confirm identity and eliminates any reasonable transaction monitoring method to detect agents that assist with laundering illicit proceeds on behalf of nefarious actors.
“We must do better,” added Mr. Sattler. “This isn’t just an industry group – this is a movement. It’s our hope that others heed our call and join this cooperative as we push for enhanced and modernized regulations in the best interest of public safety.”
About the Cryptocurrency Compliance Cooperative (CCC) The Cryptocurrency Compliance Cooperative (CCC) is a collaborative association that advocates on behalf of the cash-to-cryptocurrency industry to establish universally accepted compliance standards, best practices, and regulatory controls. These standards include BSA/AML controls, technology utilization, KYC and CIP requirements, and law enforcement communication standards. Our organization fosters an environment of cooperation between respected BTM operators, regulatory agencies, traditional financial institutions, and technology solutions within the industry to accomplish our mission. Through this medium of beneficial discussion between parties that directly impact or are impacted by the cash-to-cryptocurrency industry, the CCC will nurture legitimacy and acceptance around the globe.
Cash-to-crypto industry leaders have announced the formation of the Cryptocurrency Compliance Cooperative (CCC).
The mission of the collaborative association is to create a safer environment for consumers through legitimizing the cash-to-cryptocurrency industry.
According to the latest data from Coin ATM Radar, the number of Bitcoin ATMs (BTMs) now stands at over 22,000 in the United States alone.
Cash-to-crypto industry leaders have announced the formation of the Cryptocurrency Compliance Cooperative (CCC).
Founder members include Bitcoin ATM (BTM) operators DigitalMint and Coinsource, as well as blockchain analysis platform Chainalysis, among others. The mission of the collaborative association is to create a safer environment for consumers through legitimizing the cash-to-cryptocurrency industry. They hope to achieve this by bolstering compliance standards that many currently consider insufficient.
“While a small number of Bitcoin ATM operators go above and beyond with know your customer (KYC) and anti-money laundering (AML) protocols, others in the cash-to-crypto industry simply turn a blind eye and are complacent to these bad actors by simply applying the bare minimum customer protections, which in many cases allow for completely anonymous transactions,” said DigitalMint Director of Compliance Seth Sattler, a leading contributor of the Cryptocurrency Compliance Cooperative.
CCC membership
The CCC is encouraging applications from a breadth of organizations. These include cash-based cryptocurrency MSBs, regulatory bodies, financial institutions, suppliers, non-governmental and law enforcement agencies.
The CCC will meet on a quarterly basis, and update members on regulatory developments, new industry standards and research. Members will also share best practices and learn how to collaborate with industry leaders, regulators, and law enforcement. The Cooperative also intends to stay ahead of potential threats, learning to mitigate fraud through the application of improving technology and tools.
BTMs
Bitcoin ATMs (BTMs) and other cash-to-crypto point-of-sale locations enable users to purchase cryptocurrencies with cash. They have helped individuals effortlessly access the world of cryptocurrencies since their first deployment in the US in 2014. By March of this year, the number of BTMs worldwide had risen 20% from the year prior, reaching nearly 17,000. According to the latest data from Coin ATM Radar, that figure now stands at over 22,000 in the United States alone.
Aside from the crypto ATM companies mentioned above, others also contributed to these swelling figures. For instance, in May, crypto ATM network Bitcoin Depot launched over 350 crypto ATMs across the United States. These ATMs were the latest of the 2,500 Bitcoin Depot had rolled out in the prior six months. Then in July, Bitcoin Depot expanded its network of crypto ATMs through Circle K locations throughout the US and Canada.
Three blind Maryland residents and the National Federation of the Blind are suing Walmart.
Source: www.baltimoresun.com
The plaintiffs are seeking a permanent injunction that would require Walmart to make its self-service kiosks throughout the U.S. accessible to blind customers; a declaration that Walmart has been violating the ADA; and court costs and attorneys’ fees.
According to the suit, Morales and Boyd were checking out at a self-service kiosk when Morales handed an employee her debit card and instructed the employee to enter her pin number on the keypad. She expected to pay about $80 for her items, according to the suit. During the transaction, the screen prompted the users to take money from the machine, the suit claims. When Morales and Boyd left the store, they asked a bystander to read the receipt and realized Morales was charged about $120.
They re-entered the store and called police, and the $40 was ultimately returned, according to the complaint.
The bitcoin vending kiosks often get called “Bitcoin ATMs”. They get called “BTMs” for that matter. Noted on Fox8 —
In Brief Summary
Bitcoin of America did not have a license for Ohio for “money transmission” terminals
Three arrested including the CEO
50 Bitcoin “ATMs” seized (Mostly neighborhood gas stations)
BOA has around 2,500 “ATMs” in 31 states
8 victims but “tip of the iceberg”
They are all charged with one count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, one count of conspiracy, eight counts of money laundering, eight counts of receiving stolen property, 33 counts of license requirement violation, five counts of tampering with records, one count of possessing criminal tools and one count of taxation.
The news5cleveland people have a nice video summarizing everything.
Video
Excerpt
Prosecutors say the machines were frequently, and in some cases exclusively, used as a middleman between scammers and their victims. All the while, prosecutors say Bitcoin of America took 20% off the top of every illegal transaction.
The Secret Service also says that the company’s lack of licensing and compliance with the law allowed for funds taken from Northeast Ohio to go to criminal groups in Russia and to neo-Nazi groups.
Insight
The 20% markup was in addition to the standard transaction fee markup which was ??. Was there anything limiting the size of the transaction? Unknown.
California has proposed limiting the transaction fee markup the bitcoin kiosk operators can charge. 2% or $5.
Many of the bitcoin kiosks are operated in underserved communities and are a positive factor for the stores there.
Seems related to Cannabis and cash in that regulatory controls have been avoided. Congress seems more interested in disagreeing with each other than working with each other.
New York Mets fans attending games at the team’s Citi Field home field can now purchase snacks and beverages at a self-checkout kiosk that uses a biometrics-based identity verification system to process payments — and check that buyers of alcoholic drinks are of legal drinking age.
The Mets have teamed up with food and beverage provider Aramark, biometric identity verification provider Clear and self-checkout kiosk provider Mashgin on the project.
It was a familiar update at the weekly pipeline review meeting.
“What happened? We know this kiosk rollout was their top strategic priority this year!”
“Once the corporate portion of the project crossed $3 million, it got stalled by the CFO. The investment exceeded their CapEx budget this year. He called all of his bank relationships and even tried equipment lenders, but no one will finance kiosks. Plus, there is the franchisee problem. Corporate is making franchisees buy their own kiosks, but the franchisees are pushing back at the costs. They need a monthly payment plan to make the kiosk investment viable.”
“So this project is dead until, somehow, these guys can get financing.”
Bring the Opportunity Back to Life
Financing is table stakes. In 2015, more than 78% of businesses used non-credit-card financing when acquiring technology and equipment. By 2020, total U.S. investment in equipment and software is expected to reach $1.8 Trillion, of which $1.24 Trillion will be financed. Providers across the self-service technology spectrum—digital signage, kiosks, automated retail, robotics, etc.—are recognizing the benefits of having a finance option available to help customers solve the problem of affordability and cash management.
The 50% upfront-50% paid-on-delivery model is getting increasing resistance in this era of low interest rates, strong competition, tax optimization, and the need for operational and financial agility. There are still hundreds of solutions providers who are failing to include financing in their overall solutions. And many that do, are only offering it to customers who ask.
How Financing Works
There are several reasons why traditional lenders avoid funding self-service technology projects. The solutions are highly custom, there’s no clear aftermarket for the solution components (from the lender’s perspective), and the equipment is relatively mobile. Hence, lenders consider these projects to be non-secured, high-risk endeavors.
However, many of your customers have strong cash flows and good credit. In most cases, they have the financial strength to secure financing in the form of a loan or lease for their self-service and automation investments. As a result, they can shift a large upfront capital expenditure to a lower monthly payment over several years. This approach often makes their solution more affordable in the immediate term and also takes risk out of the business case for their project.
When to Introduce Financing
Waiting to introduce financing until you’re “closing the deal” could be a wasted opportunity as the customer may have already adopted the mindset that the project is not affordable for them. This becomes an additional hurdle to overcome for what was otherwise a worthwhile project for the customer and an attractive sale for the solution provider.
Introduce finance options as soon as possible to give customers more time to consider the viability of the overall investment, rather than what they had originally budgeted. This can often result in the buyer expanding the scope of the solution, meaning a bigger sale for you.
Promotions and Bundles
Many customers consider financing to be a complicated process, so being able to offer a simple financing option will help put customers at ease. The customer is already exploring a complex solution that may include hardware, software, installation, services, maintenance, connectivity, security, warranty, insurance, and other features. By shifting your customer’s payment to a financed monthly payment, they can consolidate all of their one-time and ongoing costs into a single monthly payment that is much easier to comprehend and manage.
Chances are you aren’t—and don’t want to be—in the business of providing finance. You’ll need to identify a financing partner who can fit into your solution and sales process. Such a partner should understand financing from your customer’s point of view, and help your sales team use it effectively as a sales tool. You can also work with your financing partner to design custom, promotional financing programs that will differentiate your offering from your competitors.
What is Available?
There are banks and finance companies that will offer lease or loan-to-own programs with multiple term options. All projects and customers are unique, so you’ll want to engage with these lenders in advance to understand what they can finance—types of customers and equipment, sizes of projects, etc.
About the Author
Impresa provides financing exclusively to the digital signage, kiosk, automated retail and self-service technology market. Its financing enables customers to overcome the significant upfront cost hurdle by bundling all project costs into a predictable monthly OpEx cost. It covers the full spectrum of deal sizes ($4,000-$15M+) and credit profiles (low to high risk) to meet its clients’ diverse range of financing needs. Impresa works with its solution provider partners to create custom promotional financing programs. It’s online and automated application and underwriting process drives a faster, simpler and easier financing experience.
Find out more about offering finance, and how to make the most of it, at impresafinancial.com, or contact [email protected] to set up a demo.
Welcome to new member SUZOHAPP. SUZOHAPP is a world leader in the manufacturing and distribution of gaming, amusement, and sports betting products. Serving operators and OEMs for over 60 years, SUZOHAPP carries a vast portfolio of components available for immediate distribution and for developing custom-built solutions.
Products and Services
PayComplete — PayComplete is the market leader in unified transaction solutions for the retail, hospitality, transportation and financial services industries. With its highly innovative Connect SaaS platform, intelligent devices and enhanced services, PayComplete enables organizations to achieve a truly integrated transaction experience across all customer touch points, device types and payment methods.
SUZOHAPP has maintained a long legacy of quality products and high-level customer service. We take pride in our global network of vendors, suppliers, and partners. Together, we are able to source, distribute, and offer thousands of products in order to better serve our increasingly global customer-base. Simplify your sourcing with SUZOHAPP!
NEW YORK, Jan. 7, 2016 /PRNewswire/ — Zipdrug and CityMD Partner to Revolutionize Prescription Delivery for Millions of New Yorkers. Partnership Brings…
Source: www.prnewswire.com
With this partnership, Zipdrug is unveiling digital kiosks and placing them within CityMD locations, beginning in Manhattan at CityMD’s Murray Hill location. After seeing a doctor, CityMD patients can order medication delivery from any pharmacy directly through these on-site kiosks. Once an order is placed and medications are ready for pickup from the patient’s preferred pharmacy, a HIPAA-trained, drug-screened, and background-checked messenger will promptly deliver prescriptions to their location of choice. Medications typically arrive at patients’ doorsteps on average of 16 minutes within Manhattan after they are ready for pick-up and Zipdrug users can track delivery progress in real-time on an interactive map.
Goodbye to the pharmacy line. Hello, drug-delivery dude.
A New York City-based company, co-founded by former ad exec and serial entrepreneur Stu Libby, is angling to get your prescriptions straight to your door. It is called Zipdrug, and it not only has an app (and a phone line for the app-averse), but it also has a messenger service that will bring the meds directly to you.
It’s another small win in this decade’s hype-laden, entrepreneur-led war on wasted time. And the latest move in which entrepreneurs chip away at life’s little pain points.
Libby, who formerly co-founded a fast-growing company called Solve Media–it created ads out of sites’ Captcha text boxes–says he himself had spent far too many hours waiting in pharmacy lines for his heartburn medications. And after a family member was hospitalized for a severe heart ailment, he realized the shortcomings of being counseled about the importance of taking prescribed medications: A hospital can’t ensure any departing patient gets them into her hands. A little research taught him that one-third of all prescriptions go unfilled–and that increasing compliance is a big issue for doctors. So a year ago he set out to build Zipdrug.
Zipdrug aims to eliminate the pharmacy visit altogether, by automating prescription ordering through an app, and then deploying a drug-screened, background-checked, HIPAA-trained messenger to pick up and deliver prescriptions to the patient’s home. On average, the delivery takes 16 minutes in Manhattan (by comparison, according to Libby, the average patient’s wait time at a pharmacy is 45 minutes).
The upstart, which has two other founders, Kyro Beshay and Webster Ross, is still finding its footing in New York. It recently moved into a new office near Penn Station, and is hiring rapidly after taking in $2.6 million in seed funding last November, from the likes of Red Sea Ventures and Notation Capital. On January 7, it is announcing a partnership with rapidly expanding New York drop-in clinic system CityMD; Zipdrug information and sign-up help will be available in some of CityMD’s 52 locations early this year. Automated kiosks help patients sign up for Zipdrug after checking out from any participating clinic’s visit.
The goal, of course, is for Zipdrug to find lots of potential new customers–and to integrate itself into a trusted system.
“I love CityMD, and go by one in my neighborhood all the time,” says LIbby. “They really care about a streamlined, quality customer experience. Working with CityMD is also a great way to get to know New York. We are a new company–we didn’t start to deliver until this summer–and our greatest challenge and goal is to meet many customers and show them how premium this experience is.”
For CityMD, the Zipdrug partnership is a way to potentially improve its customer experience–and gain some control over what happens after a patient thanks the doctor and goes home. “All the touch points in our office, we can control and innovate,” says Ned Shami, chief strategy officer at CityMD and one of the company’s co-founders. “But something we’ve been looking at this year is, what happens when they leave our office?” CityMD was founded in 2010 by Richard Park along with Shami, and has grown over the past five years to more than 50 locations around the New York metropolitan area. Soon it will expand to the West Coast, starting with Seattle.
Delivery via Zipdrug is free for the first order, and $10 thereafter. Libby says that fee is likely to be offset by the fact that his company and delivery staff are savvy to discounts, coupons, and best prices for various drugs, and know to seek them out while the average patient may not.
Is the on-demand economy really ready to handle life-and-death medications? On the surface, Zipdrug may resemble a classic “what could go wrong?” startup pitch, and conjure up images of bike messengers skimming stimulants or muscle relaxants from granny’s delivery. But Zipdrug says its contractors won’t deliver certain controlled substances, including narcotics and attention deficit disorder medication.
There’s a huge potential market for Zipdrug in Baby Boomers.
latimesblogs.latimes.com
TempDefend Protection as a Service TM Packages
is committed to working with all U.S manufactured solutions.
“I’ve come to learn in life that what comes easy, won’t last and that what lasts, won’t come easy. It’s always going to be a challenging journey for something that is worthwhile. We started with the simple goal of needing to connect an ATM cash machine to the internet. We wanted it to be fast, and we wanted it to be easy. We worked harder and harder at making it easier for our customers. We chose to focus on areas intentionally, where others may not have even been looking. Today, the vision is the same: “make it easy.” The goal has changed: “connect the world.” I’m glad that it has been a challenging journey. I’m happy that we’ve all worked hard to simplify doing business with us. In essence, the challenges are what have continued to thrust the solution forward toward success. We believe that success is best enjoyed when we work really hard for it. At the same time, we value it more the harder we work, and our team has embraced that attitude in everything we do. We work tirelessly for you.
