Before launching the SDK into the wild, Square worked with a number of select partners to build custom POS solutions by using Square’s technology. The aforementioned Shake Shack has recently been testing cashier-less stores, which it calls the “Shack of the Future,” in New York City. Working with the development agency Fuzz, the burger chain built a self-service kiosk that let customers order their food and pay all by themselves. Even though it used Square’s infrastructure of security and payment support, these experimental restaurants were able to drive down wait times with a solution that was effectively customized just for them.
Taco Bell is trying to convince customers to order via kiosks instead of cashiers at restaurants across the US — and it’s drawing inspiration from an unlikely source
From Business Insider Aug 3, 2018
Taco Bell is installing kiosks in all of its restaurants.
Hollis Johnson
Taco Bell is set to install self-ordering kiosks at all locations across the United States by the end of 2019.
The fast-food chain turned to the airline industry to better understand how customers reacted when confronted with machines instead of human employees.
Taco Bell ‘s biggest takeaway was that airlines made a major mistake by not having employees around to help customers understand how to use kiosks — a misstep the chain plans to avoid.
Kiosk Financing – ZIVELO Introduces Financing Options For Clients
SCOTTSDALE, AZ | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | SEATTLE, WA (August 10, 2018) – ZIVELO has partnered with Ascentium Capital, the nation’s largest private, independent finance company, to provide financing options to clients. Key benefits include payments as low as $29/month for the first 3 months, 100% financing, no down payment required, 1-page application approval for up to $250K in financing with additional financing up to $1.5 Million if needed, and terms up to 36 months which can be extended up to 60 upon request.The business case for kiosks has made self-service an absolute must-have. Brands are seeing a 20-30% basket lift from kiosk orders and a payback rate in as fast as a handful of months. Yet, historically, building and deploying kiosk programs has been way too challenging. ZIVELO’s goal is for our clients to easily roll-out kiosk programs using our turn-key trio of beautifully designed hardware, integrated services, and a selection of curated applications our clients can deploy in a matter of days. And today, we are excited to announce we’re making it even easier to deploy kiosks: simple financing options. Working in partnership with Ascentium, it’s possible to make hundreds of dollars in increased sales with all-in financing programs for much, much less.For more information about ZIVELO, our solutions, and financing options, visit www.zivelo.com.
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. ZIVELO is headquartered in Scottsdale, AZ, with offices in San Francisco, CA and Seattle, WA. For more information, please visit http://www.zivelo.com/.
I was maybe 15 or 16 when I went with my dad to buy the next family car.
It was the late 90s, so the purchasing experience was done in that traditional way of which we’ve grown nostalgic. I remember a collection of thick, glossy pamphlets from each car brand accumulating on our kitchen table, and I’d flip through pages of different models, reading about the various features each offered. When my father had finally narrowed down his “Favorites” list, we set aside a Saturday to visit the dealerships.
Each appointment involved poking around the car, listening to the sales person’s pitch, and taking a test drive. When a winner was finally chosen, we sat down to do that usual song and dance to secure the best price.
Fast forward to 2018. Think of the most recent time you bought a car. Did you refer to those glossy brochures or did you go straight to the Internet to visit the brand’s homepage and find your nearby dealer location?
Did you read reviews, view photos, and look up the fairest pricing?
The car buying method has changed immensely, with digital sales tools creating an omnichannel experience that helps prospective clients come to a dealership armed with more insight than what was typically found in the catalogs.
But how can car brands capitalize on the modern-day consumer’s demand for convenience and immediate information while also benefitting their bottom line?
AV solutions designer and manufacturer creates city center hub with all weather-rated solution
Featuring an Xtreme™ High Bright Outdoor Display, the Smart City Kiosk is an all weather-rated solution ideal for sharing community information, travel, and weather details, as well as wayfinding, advertising, entertainment, and more.
AURORA, Ill. – August 15, 2018 – Peerless-AV®, an award-winning designer and manufacturer of innovative audio and video solutions and accessories, is pleased to announce its Smart City Kiosk (KOP2549-XHB, KOP2555-XHB).
With a focus on functionality and aesthetics, the Smart City Kiosk is designed to be modern, approachable, practical, and endure the rigors of everyday use when unattended. The new all weather-rated solution is ideal for sharing community information, travel, and weather details, as well as wayfinding, advertising, entertainment, and more.
The Smart City Kiosk includes an Xtreme™ High Bright Outdoor Display with full HD1080p resolution for a bright crisp picture, even in direct sunlight. In addition, an optional 10-point IR touch overlay makes the kiosk interactive for all users.
Featuring a curved, modular design that seamlessly blends into any city or town set-up, the Smart City Kiosk offers quick access to the display for maintenance without disturbing any adjacent units. Plus, installation is easy, without the need for cranes or forklifts.
Additional key Smart City benefits include:
An aesthetically-pleasing, elegant minimalistic design
Fully sealed display requiring no air conditioners or fans for cooling
Sealed media storage area protected with PermaFlo® filter and cooling fans to prevent the ingress of dust and water
Ability to customize with paint colors for the legs, roof, and base, leg design shape, touch overlay, camera, and more
No additional layer between the display and enclosure
Standard design that is easily deployable and ready to ship
Integration services offered by Peerless-AV
Dependable operation
“When designing our new Smart City Kiosk, we focused heavily on the features that would be useful for all stakeholders – cities/towns, citizens and visitors, and integrators,” said Brian McClimans, Vice President of Sales for Americas and APAC, Peerless-AV. “This kiosk can be used for wayfinding, contacting emergency facilities, sharing important town information like details on restaurants, local attractions, and events, providing up-to-date public transportation news, introducing interesting city facts, and even games. Plus, with an all-weather, rugged design and the ability to implement data collection sensors, the Smart City Kiosk offers something for everyone. Towns can manage resources appropriately and communicate with citizens, visitors and the community can learn more about the city, and integrators can easily install and maintain the kiosk.”
Available in 49″, 55″, and soon 65”, the Smart City Kiosk can withstand winds up to 140 mph, making it usable in any city or town for a range of applications, such as retail, government, corporate, hospitality, stadium, and university settings.
For over 75 years, passion and innovation continue to drive Peerless-AV forward. We proudly design and manufacture the highest quality products, ranging from outdoor displays to complete kiosk solutions, digital signage mounts to wireless systems. Whether a full-scale global deployment or custom project, Peerless-AV develops meaningful relationships and delivers world-class service. In partnership with Peerless-AV, you are trusting an award-winning team of experts who will support your business every step of the way. For more information, visit peerless-av.com.
The 30 kiosks placed at DTE payment centers and select Rite Aid pharmacies in locations around Detroit and Michigan accept all forms of payment, including cash. The targeted customer is someone who might not have a credit card or bank account.
Early returns are strong, company executives say. Of the utility’s 200,000 walk-in payment transactions, 25,000 used a DivDat kiosk last month. The use of its kiosks grows between 10% and 15% month-over-month. More than 90% of customers who use the kiosk one time use it again.
For Bierkle, the goal is broader than Michigan.
“We want to eliminate convenience fees nationally,” he said in an interview at the Ferndale headquarters for DivDat, short for “diversified data.” “We don’t think it’s right.”
He imagines a future of conveniently located kiosks where customers could pay a variety of bills, from water to electric to phone, in one spot without charge. Unlike a payment center, these kiosks would be located in retail stores like Rite Aids that are open on nights and weekends.
A separate trial program inside several area churches also is under way, he said.
The growing use of cash-collecting kiosks in Michigan comes as the Obama administration launched a new initiative last week to boost banking access for millions of Americans who don’t currently have checking or savings accounts.
“For many, it is hard to imagine how it would be possible manage financial affairs without basic products like a checking account or a credit card,” Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew said Tuesday in an announcement about new public-private efforts to reach low-income populations. “But the consequences of exclusion are real, and expanding access to financial services is important at every level of the global economy.”
The recent financial lending crisis and recession have shined a light on the potential dangers for consumers who shell out higher rates and fees for access to last-ditch credit. Millions of Americans don’t have a sufficient enough financial history to receive a credit score, which can unlock traditional forms of lending, according to Lew.
Bierkle says DTE customers already are using the blue-and-gray kiosk in a number of ways its creators did not necessarily anticipate.
Some customers are prepaying their bills to ensure they don’t lose service if times get tight. Others pay a little at various times during the month.
Ted Williams, 61, who lives on Detroit’s east side and works in inventory at Ford, said he uses the kiosks at DTE payment centers when the lines grow too long or at a Rite Aid near the city airport when he stops in to pick up a prescription.
“It’s very easy to use,” Williams said. “I wait until the last minute so I go in to drop off my check.”
Caregivers including parents of children living away from home and adult children of elderly people are also using the system to pay bills remotely for others.
There is also evidence, Bierkle said, that the millennial generation in some cases prefers cash, making the kiosk attractive beyond those who may be without a bank account or credit card.
But there are hurdles left to clear to move the business beyond its early stages.
“We have two challenges,” he said. One is building awareness about the availability of the kiosks and another is reducing concerns that installing kiosks means putting customer-service employees out of work.
For Bierkle, the kiosks are a natural evolution for his family’s business that started in early 1971 as a data processing company. Later, it developed a variety of bill-paying services for companies that progressed from the mail to faxes to the Internet.
“I consider it wildly successful,” Ronald Gillmore, kiosk program manager for DTE, said in an interview.
The program collects about $3.5 million a month for the utility.
“We’re probably going to look at expanding the network,” Gillmore said. DTE has 2.1 million electric customers and 1.2 million gas customers (and some overlap), the company said.
It can still be a challenge to persuade some older customers to adapt to the new technology, Gillmore said. But once they do, most become repeat customers, he said.
By Craig Keefner — See Storm’s entire range of Assistive Technology Products (ATP) and find out more about exciting new product launches scheduled for later this year. These ATP devices are ADA compliant and RNIB Accredited, designed to offer menu navigation by means of audible content description. They allow users with impaired vision, reading difficulties or impaired fine motor skills to navigate through menus or directories that would typically be presented on a visual display or touch screen. Designed for use as the tactile/audio interface for any accessible self-service application such as kiosks, ticketing machines etc.
Sunlight-readable displays (or high bright) are a core component of outdoor kiosks and self-service. Along with the enclosure and typically the PC, the high bright display is a main economic component and reliability is paramount. And that means in some very challenging environments. A parking lot unprotected in Dallas Texas in the summertime can get well over 130 degrees.
Panelbrite is one of our members and is the premier outdoor display provider (along with Litemax). I personally have many years of experience with their products and I have never been disappointed, only pleased.
Here is a background primer on Panelbrite with Keith Grapes.
Touchscreen News – US TDS Touch Introduces Fanless PCAP Touchscreen
US TDS Touch introducing a 700-1500 NIT fanless series of open PCAP touchscreen display modules with ultra-low power consumption and automatic ambient light. Sizes range from 10.1 inches to 32 inches. The overall module is highly integrated with modular design, high resolution, high contrast, high brightness, and greatly enhances the layering of the picture.
PCAP Touchscreen Product Features:
Ultra-high brightness industrial grade LED backlight, integrated heat sink structure, stable and energy saving
The front panel is flat, IP65 standard, waterproof and dustproof. Brushed with aluminum profile metal, light
and compact, changing the appearance of traditional high-brightness modules
The backlight uses industrial grade components, intelligent constant temperature, automatic ambient light
perception, high reliability, good stability, automatic brightness adjustment, energy saving and environmental
protection, especially suitable for working in harsh environments
The 10-point PCAP touch screen adopts a 3MM cover plate with a hardness of 7H, and the surface is anti-glare and tempered. Insulation and riot, anti-purple line. The image is clearly visible and suitable for public
applications in semi-outdoor or unattended environment
Industrial grade UL certified power adapter for high temperature protection, surge protection, leakage
protection, over-voltage protection
Highly expandable structure, back VASEB hole position 75X75MM, 100X100MM two group hole position, can be used with OPS host and MINIBOX
Customized open-end highlighting machine for Android system and Windows system
One takeaway — A best practice example would be to adopt the same cleaning schedule as your customer counter. In the morning wipe the kiosk touchscreen with something like Easy Screen and ideally at the end of business wipe it again. Every day. Also any contact points, and while you are at it, do your mobile phone too!
Global Payments to Acquire SICOM Systems, a Leading Provider of Enterprise Technology Solutions to Restaurants
ATLANTA–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Global Payments Inc. (NYSE: GPN), a leading worldwide provider of payment technology and software solutions, announced today an agreement to acquire SICOM Systems, Inc. from LLR Partners. SICOM provides enterprise, cloud-based software as a service (SaaS) solutions and other technologies to quick service and fast casual restaurants, as well as food service management providers, worldwide.
“The acquisition of SICOM aligns perfectly with our software-driven payments strategy and establishes Global Payments as a leader in one of the largest addressable markets we serve today”
“The acquisition of SICOM aligns perfectly with our software-driven payments strategy and establishes Global Payments as a leader in one of the largest addressable markets we serve today,” said Jeff Sloan, Global Payments’ Chief Executive Officer. “SICOM’s technologies are highly complementary to our existing Xenial solutions, with the combination providing Global Payments’ market-leading technology solutions across the entirety of the restaurant vertical market. The transaction also allows us to expand our owned software solutions into food service management, a large addressable market globally with attractive fundamentals, while further accelerating our business mix toward technology enablement.”
Under the terms of the acquisition agreement, Global Payments will acquire SICOM in a cash transaction valued at approximately $415 million. Global Payments will finance the acquisition with its existing credit facility and cash on hand. The transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals, is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2018. Global Payments expects the transaction to have an immaterial impact on 2018 financial results.
About Global Payments
Global Payments Inc. (NYSE: GPN) is a leading worldwide provider of payment technology and software solutions delivering innovative services to our customers globally. Our technologies, services and employee expertise enable us to provide a broad range of solutions that allow our customers to accept all payment types and operate their businesses more efficiently across a variety of distribution channels in many markets around the world.
Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia with approximately 11,000 employees worldwide, Global Payments is a member of the S&P 500 with customers and partners in 31 countries throughout North America, Europe, the Asia-Pacific region and Brazil. For more information about Global Payments, our Service. Driven. Commerce brand and our technologies, please visit www.globalpaymentsinc.com.
About SICOM Systems, Inc.
SICOM Systems, Inc. is a leading best-of-breed provider of end-to-end technologies and services for quick service and fast casual restaurants, as well as food service management companies. The company offers front-of-house, middle-of-house and back-of-house solutions that are helping leading restaurant brands around the globe streamline their operations. Founded in 1987, SICOM is headquartered in Lansdale, Pa. and can be found online at www.SICOM.com.
About LLR Partners
LLR Partners is a lower middle market private equity firm committed to creating long-term value by growing our portfolio companies. LLR invests in select industries, with a focus on technology and services businesses. Founded in 1999 and with more than $3.5 billion raised across five funds, LLR is a flexible provider of capital for growth, recapitalizations and buyouts. For more information about LLR and advice for scaling growth companies, please visit www.llrpartners.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Investors are cautioned that some of the statements we use in this release contain forward-looking statements and are made pursuant to the “safe-harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements that are not historical facts, including revenue, earnings estimates and management’s expectations regarding future events and developments, statements about the benefits of the proposed acquisition of SICOM including future financing and operating results, the combined company’s plans, objectives, expectations and intentions and other statements that are not historical facts, are forward-looking statements and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties.
Important factors that may cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated by such forward-looking statements include our ability to safeguard our data; increased competition from larger companies and non-traditional competitors, our ability to update our services in a timely manner; our ability to maintain Visa and MasterCard registration and financial institution sponsorship; our reliance on financial institutions to provide clearing services in connection with our settlement activities; our potential failure to comply with card network requirements; potential systems interruptions or failures; software defects or undetected errors; increased attrition of merchants, referral partners or independent sales organizations; our ability to increase our share of existing markets and expand into new markets; a decline in the use of cards for payment generally; unanticipated increases in chargeback liability; increases in credit card network fees; change in laws, regulations or network rules or interpretations thereof; foreign currency exchange and interest rate risks; political, economic and regulatory changes in the foreign countries in which we operate; future performance, integration and conversion of acquired operations, including without limitation difficulties and delays in integrating or fully realizing cost savings and other benefits of our acquisitions at all or within the expected time period; fully realizing anticipated annual interest expense savings from refinancing our corporate debt facilities; our loss of key personnel and other risk factors presented in Item 1- Risk Factors of our Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 and any subsequent SEC filings, which we advise you to review.
Additional important factors that could cause actual events or results to differ from those anticipated by our forward-looking statements or historical performance associated with the proposed acquisition of SICOM include the ability to meet closing conditions at all or on the expected terms and schedule, business disruption during the pendency of the acquisition or thereafter making it more difficult to maintain business and operational relationships, including the possibility that our announcement of the acquisition could disrupt SICOM’s relationships with financial institutions, customers, employees or other partners; and difficulties and delays in fully realizing benefits of the acquisition.
Our forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and should not be relied upon as representing our plans and expectations as of any subsequent date. We undertake no obligation to revise any of these statements to reflect future circumstances or the occurrence of unanticipated events.
Contacts
Global Payments Inc.
Investor Contact:
Winnie Smith, 770-829-8478 [email protected]
or
Media Contact:
Kimberly Mann, 770-829-8755 [email protected]
Nice story on facial and recognition and how Fraud-IQ is helping retail in loss prevention.
Excerpt:
Merchandise returns cost retailers in the United States more than $350 million in sales last year, including up to $22.8 billion attributed directly to fraudulent returns and abuse, estimates data analytics firm Appriss.
“Fraud is such a big number in retail, one that largely goes unchecked,” says Peter Trepp, CEO of FaceFirst, a software firm that provides a security face recognition platform for use in industries including retail, air transportation, casinos, sports and event venues. The company recently unveiled Fraud-IQ, which it calls the first facial recognition product built specifically for use against retail return fraud.
“It’s hard to find tools to combat fraud,” Trepp says. “Part of this is because criminals have become so sophisticated. We think [facial recognition] is a contribution to battle this.”
The new Fraud-IQ works in two ways to assist retailers. “First, it can identify people entering the store without a package and then showing up at the return counter with goods to return,” Trepp says, “and the second works against repeat offenders.”
New York City’s high-speed WiFi kiosks have been around for a while, but just how many people are using them? Quite a few, in fact. The LinkNYC team ha
Excerpt from Engadget – The LinkNYC team has revealed that there were over 5 million registered WiFi users as of September 2018, with over a billion sessions spread across the 1,700-plus units in the city. People make over 500,000 calls every month, too, although it’s not clear how many of those were ice cream truck pranksters. You can safely presume that there’s plenty of demand.
Dylan Waddle – EMV & Mobile Payment Technology, Business Growth Strategy, PCI Compliance, IOT, SAAS
The M3t EMV Cloud Kernel is designed to easily connect unattended kiosk terminals and POS solutions to a level II / III approved kernel for processing credit and debit card transactions. The kernel was certified for use in the U.S. in January of 2018 and is now connected to over 3,000 terminals across the country. As a cloud based solution our technology no longer relies on a specific operating platform on the terminal itself, providing our customers ultimate flexibility.
Vispero is the world’s largest assistive technology provider for the visually impaired. Although officially formed in 2016, our brands Freedom Scientific, Enhanced Vision, Optelec, and The Paciello Group, share a long, rich history as industry leaders dating back to 1975.
We develop and deliver innovative solutions that enable blind and low vision individuals to reach their full potential – to gain an education, obtain employment, succeed in professional careers, and live independently throughout their lives.
Vispero ADA
Vispero is proud to operate in 90 countries worldwide, with products localized in over 24 languages.
As the prevalence of age-related eye diseases like macular degeneration steadily rise, assistive technology plays an increasingly vital role, resulting in a growing demand for low vision devices and services. Vispero is uniquely positioned to address these challenges head-on by providing the tools necessary to meet the needs of the low vision population through our far-reaching distribution network.
Our family of brands deliver a superior line of optical and video magnifiers; wearables; scanning and reading devices; and easy-to-use software. Vispero’s partnership with key organizations and advocacy groups keep us in the forefront of the low vision industry.
For More Information
Click here for our Contact page or complete the information below.
In the past week, Denver International Airport, Lynden Pindling International Airport in The Bahamas, and Queen Beatrix International Airport in Aruba have all announced they will join the ranks of the 25 North American airports currently offering expedited border control processing to international travelers via Automated Passport Control (APC) Kiosks.
YVR’s BorderXpress Automated Passport Control (APC) system allows eligible travelers to clear US Customs and Border Protection formalities quickly, securely and without preregistration. Our solution reduces wait times by up to 50% and significantly improves the international arrival experience.
According to Acuity’s latest count, there are 737 operational APC kiosks in North America with another 164 targeted to go live by Spring 2015. This is up from just 280 In February 2014 and will bring the total number of APC Kiosks located in the United States, Canada, and now in the Caribbean, to 901 by early next year.
Acuity expects APC Kiosk numbers to continue to grow rapidly as they migrate across the Americas to Europe, Asia, and the Middle East conservatively projecting the global market for APC Kiosks will reach 8,000 by 2018.
The Vancouver Airport Authority, the original developer of APC Kiosks, leads the market with deployments at 17 airports representing more than 60% of total kiosk market share. SITA is a distant second with 126 APC Kiosks installed at five airports.
For more details, check out Acuity’s latest research publication, the “APC Kiosk Deployment List”. This list — presented in spreadsheet format — provides details for each known deployment including the number of kiosks, locations, installation date, vendors, costs, etc., as well as vendor market share information.
After nearly two decades of relying almost exclusively on e-commerce, Amazon said Wednesday it will soon open temporary holiday kiosks at the Westfield Galleria at Roseville and a San Francisco mall. The big Internet retailer said the kiosks will give shoppers a better opportunity to try out and purchase Kindle e-readers and other Amazon electronic devices.
A relatively new transportation innovation, San Francisco-based Uber first drove into the senior care space in October when it launched its uberASSIST offering.
Frank Olea blog goes into court kiosks. I think another experience some have had when dealing with government is the time and paperwork can be overwhelming. Nice to have a proxy.
Outdoor kiosks are typically two, sometimes three times the cost of indoor kiosks. The reasons are varied but can best be summarized as follows:
Kiosk Design: An outdoor kiosk needs to be designed from the ground up as a watertight enclosure. It is generally not cost-effective to try to modify an indoor kiosk model to be outdoors compliant. The primary reason for this is that the kiosk needs to have all seams watertight and must be insulated on the inner walls to protect from heat and cold. Outdoor kiosks also need to be much more durable in construction as they will more often than not, be in unsupervised environments. After all is said and done, the outdoor enclosure (the cabinet only) is twice the cost of a comparable indoor unit.
Kiosk Display: The monitor must not be susceptible to .sunlight washout.. The effect is most commonly seen on ATM machines in the sunlight: you cannot read what.s on the screen due to direct or indirect sunlight. The solution is high backlighting and this can only be done on LCD monitors. LCD monitors in themselves are a bit more expensive than CRT monitors, although the cost differences are narrowing. High backlighting more than triples the cost of a LCD. For example, a 15. LCD with touch screen and with high backlighting and will cost about $2,000. The decision to use high backlighting is up to the customer but if they decline, we will want that in writing. Before you ask, we will not deliver outdoor kiosks without the LCD solution. We will never provide a CRT solution. The CRT approach has proven to yield unsatisfactory results and we want no part of that since an unsatisfactory monitor solution is virtually assured.
HVAC: The kiosk may well require a heater/air conditioner installed to maintain an acceptable temperature and humidity inside the kiosk. Depending on the environment, we may have to use various degrees of air treatment methods, which may add up to $3,200 to the cost of the kiosk. There are some areas in the country that may allow outdoor solutions without HVAC or your outdoor installation may be in-wall where you can take advantage of air conditioning in the building for your kiosk. The issue, however, is not only heat but also humidity. Protecting the electronics inside the kiosk is expensive.
UL Testing: Any kiosk that goes outdoors MUST pass the official UL tests for outdoor electronic enclosures. These UL tests ensure that the units are truly waterproof and more importantly, are shockproof in the rain and snow. Liability is the issue here. We will not build an outdoor unit without this testing, so don.t even ask us to do so. If you get an outdoor kiosk from KIOSK or our other sponsors, it will be UL tested. UL testing cost at one time was $1,500 to 3,500 for the first kiosk and $250 to $350 for every kiosk of identical design thereafter.
PC Hardware: Because of heat generated by the components inside the kiosk (mostly by the LCD and the PC), we recommend the use of a very small form factor, low heat generating PC. This adds to the PC cost a bit but lowers the amount of heat that must be removed by the air treatment/conditioner system. Bigger PCs generate more heat and more heat means more expensive and capable air treatment/conditioning which costs more, etc., etc.
Kiosk installation: This is an extra and un-calculated cost of outdoor kiosks. Typically, outdoor kiosks need to be bolted to the ground, which implies that they have a level cement slab on which to be mounted. There must be power and whatever other connectivity you will need, delivered to the kiosk (frequently underground and through the cement slab). The power cables and connections must also be watertight and in agreement with local electrical standards which vary from state to state. The site preparation for this could be costly and time-consuming, as you will have building permits, specific guidance from the state or local government, specific subcontractors that must be used and related costs and delays to complete this.
Dual 55 Outdoor Display to Be Exhibited in Chicago Restaurant Kiosk Show
The latest dual 55 outdoor digital display by Keyser will be on display at the upcoming NRA show in Chicago in booth 6576 Tech Pavilion. If you would like to schedule a meeting or get more information you email [email protected]
55”Dual Flex High Bright Outdoor Display
dual 55 outdoor display click for full size
Keyser Industries, Inc. is proud to report that their patented application, the Keyser FLEX Outdoor Digital Display System, now showcases a new full turnkey 55” LCD outdoor display with the most cost-effective design that allows all customers growing into digital, to never grow out of it while also enhancing the overall customer experience. Keyser’s 3000Nit LCD display with an Android 7.0 Operating System, is specialized for high commercial performance and its high bright output remains polarized in any climate while also combating unwanted glare thanks to its high impact reflective coating. Our weather tight, anti-reflective safety glass features a pristine optically bonded seal, built to withstand the harshest weather conditions, prevents moisture, dirt and debris from deeply impacting the displays’ performance while still maintaining a stunning HD image in direct sunlight!
Keyser’s LCD displays are the greatest compliment to any digital drive-thru system because it improves the customer’s order accuracy, decreases wait time, amplifies sales and minimizes the worry that comes with your business investing in digital due to Keyser’s most-competitive pricing. As always, Keyser display systems are made in the USA. “Your display needs should be served by the innovator not the imitator.” For further information and quotes on Keyser’s 55” Outdoor LCD Display see https://explorekeyser.com or email [email protected] to learn more about Keyser’s vast product line and capabilities.
Keyser Industries, Inc. is proud to report that their patented application, the Keyser FLEX Outdoor Digital Display System, now showcases a new full turnkey 55” LCD outdoor display with the most cost-effective design that allows all customers growing into digital, to never grow out of it while also enhancing the overall customer experience. Keyser’s 3000Nit LCD display with an Android 8.1 Operating System, is specialized for high commercial performance and its high bright output remains polarized in any climate while also combating unwanted glare thanks to its high impact reflective coating. Our weather tight, anti-reflective safety glass features a pristine optically bonded seal, built to withstand the harshest weather conditions, prevents moisture, dirt and debris from deeply impacting the displays’ performance while still maintaining a stunning HD image in direct sunlight!
Keyser’s LCD displays are the greatest compliment to any digital drive-thru system because it improves the customer’s order accuracy, decreases wait time, amplifies sales and minimizes the worry that comes with your business investing in digital due to Keyser’s most-competitive pricing. As always, Keyser display systems are made in the USA. “Your display needs should be served by the innovator not the imitator.
Nice to see the units at DHS CBP from KIOSK in place. That custom design was a departure of sorts for KIS but it has shown its resilience, though it has changed over the years. DHS also utilized (or utilizes) the original Thinman design in the Global Entry program.
Focused on both expediting travel processes and making them more touchless for CBP’s four programs
Global Entry, NEXUS, Sentri and FAST. There are 9.9 million members, and 3.5 million applications are expected in 2022, the most ever in a year.
22 Countries
processing times reduced from between 45 and 60 seconds to under 10 seconds.
The touchless process includes verbal customs declarations, instead of using the touchscreen, and does not provide a physical receipt.
pilot of GE Touchless biometric kiosks at LAX from September through January was highly successful
CBP launched its Simplified Arrival biometric checks for all international arriving passengers at LAX in late-2020.
Excerpt
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is nearing completion on an upgrade of the software for its biometric ‘facial comparison’ kiosks, while also rolling out new touchless ones.
The main innovations CBP has invested in are remote interviews, enrollment on arrival, touchless processes and face biometric kiosks, Millich explains.
KioWare for Windows version 8.16 is now available with support for Omron’s Facial Recognition Device. It also now allows for the transferring files from connected phones or tablets to the kiosk.
Facial recognition is becoming commonplace and being used in multiple scenarios. Recently Hertz announced facial recognition being used now in renting a car (courtesy technology of CLEAR).
Facial recognition technology can be used to estimate a user’s age, facial expression (such as anger, happiness, neutral, sadness, and surprise), facial identity, gender, and more. When used with KioWare, the kiosk can serve different content based on predefined characteristics and behaviors.
Other Kiosk software features in this release
Support for Chrome 70
Website Icons are fine to use now
You can lock the cursor to a display
New auto start program control
Innova hardware support
ChipDNA Version 2.07 support
Read the full press release by KioWare and the new Facial Recognition support.
Craig is a senior staff writer for Kiosk Industry Group Association. He has 25 years of experience in the industry. He contributed to this article.
[contact-form to=”[email protected]” subject=”Comments Facial Recog”][contact-field label=”How Can We Help You” type=”textarea”][/contact-form]
Jury Verdict Against NCR For Misappropriation of Confidential Information
January 7, 2019 – KT Group a Hong Kong based kiosk manufacturer obtained jury verdicts in the Southern District of New York in its nearly 4-year quest for vindication against NCR Corporation, a publicly traded Fortune 500 company, with assistance of its New York based law firm Garson, Segal, Steinmetz, Fladgate.
The case centered on the design of the SelfServ 90 or SS90, NCR’s award-winning flagship card only self-checkout kiosk which can be seen in Tesco stores in the UK, Muji in Japan, Globus in Russia, SPAR in Europe and airports all across the US.
The jury found that NCR was liable for using or disclosing the mechanical drawings provided by KT under the presumed blanket of confidence provided by the non-disclosure agreements and used it for its own benefit.
Moreover, the jury also found NCR liable for misappropriating the mechanical drawings of KT and in so doing, GS2Law proved to the jury that the NCR team, led by Dusty Lutz, the head of NCR’s retail store transformation division, acted with bad faith i.e. with malice, wilfulness, a dishonest purpose or fraud.
NCR advanced its multiple defences including that the non-disclosure agreements permitted harvesting of information for its own use, and that standard terms and conditions in NCR’s purchase order in it’s supplier system superseded the agreements. GS2Law demonstrated that the defences did not hold water.
This is a rare case where a small company has not only managed to bring a large corporation to task but also to show that a company like NCR and its senior executives had done so willfully and dishonestly.
KT Group has for past four years had to wait for its decision but finally came the day said Kenneth Larsen CEO and we can finally share our success based on the jury verdict which in basis supported what KT Group knew from the onset that its theory that NCR knowingly continued to misappropriate confidential information and breached mutual non disclosure agreement signed by us in good faith from the get-go this further goes to demonstrate that small yet dynamic companies like KT Group are able to set standard for its work high enough that the likes of NCR felt the need to continue using our manufacturing intellectual property even though they breached non disclosure of it which further supports our testament of quality manufactured kiosks.
Delivery, kiosks and other digital efforts are taking more prominent roles at Yum! Brands, moves that serve as a good reflection of overall trends in the quick service restaurant (QSR) space. Yum operates the Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and KFC chains, and the company’s fourth-quarter results, released Thursday (Feb. 7), provided details about where those […]
Kiosks, too, are another area of innovation targeted by Yum in 2019. By 2020, Gibbs said, “our goal is to have 5,000 restaurants with kiosks.”
Indeed, according to that PYMNTS research, “larger chains are more likely than smaller ones to have in-store kiosks, and they’re also more likely to offer their own mobile apps.” That said, only 3 percent of QSR managers said that self-service kiosks stand as the most common method for placing orders.
Loyalty, too, is another feature that QSR customers want more of, with nearly 80 percent of them saying such programs are important to the future of success of QSRs. That compared with about 48 percent of QSR managers who said the same. Yum, according to its Q4 conference call, seems to be increasingly tilting toward those customer perceptions.
Preface – We’re at an inflection point in physical retail experiences:
2019 may very well be marked as a turning point. For the first time in five years same-store sales are stable (versus declining), break-out e-commerce brands continue solidify their positions of growth by opening physical stores, and as retailers turn to their previously under-capitalized fleet of stores (after-all, they were investing in the big growth of ecommerce when 90%+ of their sales still happen in stores).
Click to see full image
Success stories like Target, which invested $7BN in 2017 into capital improvements, are encouraging other retailers like Ulta, Home Depot, and more to follow suit. (For any haters/mathematicians, while the absolute square footage of retail closures is still closing at a notable pace because of big brands like Bon Ton, Toys”R”Us, and others shuttering their doors – it’s the continued results of a consumer flight to quality).
So, now that it’s come to it, what do you do? How do you revamp your stores? Many times when we sit down with retail executive teams considering building out the future of their store fleets, the words on the board begin to look like a TechCrunch word cloud. “AR! VR! Chatbots! A.I.! Drones!”
Seriously.
But the reality should be, well, different. When considering deploying retail technology your team’s decisions should center around one singular ideology: human interactions have to come first, and technology should come second. And that technology, by the way, should beautifully integrate into authentic store experiences. Consumer expectations are still out-pacing a lot of the retail experience of today.
The retail market itself is on the cusp of massive change as it sprints to meet these demands. In this white paper, discover ways to thoughtfully execute retail-technology solutions that enable experiences that delight customers, empower associates, provide unprecedented analytics, and measurable sales growth.
[easy_sign_up title=”To quick download the whitepaper we do ask for some contact information to discourage autobots and also in case our sponsors would like to contact you.” fnln=”0″ esu_class=”my-class” esu_label=”Zivelo Whitepaper” esu_r_url=”https://kioskindustry.org//wp-content/uploads/2019/02/ZIVELO_Whitepaper_Retail_2018_v3.1.pdf”]
Northern Quest Resort & Casino, located in Spokane, Washington, offers luxurious accommodations, Vegas-style gambling, a spa, and over one dozen restaurants, bars, and lounges. One of the most popular spots in the resort is EPIC Sports Bar, a comfortable sports bar featuring upscale pub fare.
Open daily at 7 am, EPIC’s guests can enjoy viewing sporting events at any time of day – breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Like all sports bars, EPIC’s crowds and varying event types make high quality displays a must for patrons. However, constructing and maintaining a large screen was a challenge. The bar originally relied on an old TV screen, which was then upgraded to a movie screen and two sizable projectors that would play content. However it was difficult, if not impossible to clean the screen and when the HVAC system was in use, the screen would shake. Further, the projectors proved to be quite noisy and replacement costs were astronomical.
The Solution
With these issues in place, Northern Quest Resort & Casino decided to seek out a digital signage option for EPIC that would best showcase sporting events and entertainment, while meeting the resort’s high aesthetic standards.
Click for full image
In summer 2017, the resort began conducting research, turning to its longstanding installation partner, YESCO, for help with the project. YESCO next sought to find a display and mount that would best meet EPIC’s needs. Based on past experience and a strong partnership, YESCO selected Samsung for its IFH LED displays. With trusted recommendations, along with video wall expertise, quality hardware, and a comfortable price point, YESCO chose Peerless-AVas the mount manufacturer for the project.
An additional benefit of working with Peerless-AV was SEAMLESS by Peerless-AV ® , the company’s LED video wall integration program that provided start-to-finish support throughout the project. Peerless-AV’s dedicated SEAMLESS LED Solutions Team sets the bar for high quality design, incorporating a dynamic group of structural and mechanical engineers, product managers, project managers, installers, and sales and service personnel, which were all available to YESCO and Northern Quest Resort & Casino.
Download the full case study
[easy_sign_up title=”To quick download the whitepaper we do ask for some contact information to discourage autobots and also in case our sponsors would like to contact you.” fnln=”0″ esu_class=”my-class” esu_label=”Peerless EPIC Case Study” esu_r_url=”https://kioskindustry.org//wp-content/uploads/2019/02/EPIC-Sports-Bar-Northern-Quest-Casino-Resort_Case-Study.pdf”]
Mystery Facial Recognition and Taylor Swift Solved
Brian Becker, head of marketing at ISM Connect, told Gizmodo in an email on Friday that Swift’s tour used the company’s tech. When asked if ISM Connect had supplied its kiosk to Swift’s Rose Bowl show, Becker responded: “Yes, Taylor Swift’s tour used ISM Connect technology to improve the fan experience and the safety and security of the event.” Becker also detailed how the surveillance system, called FanGuard, worked:
“We positioned large screens at each of the entrance points in the venues that hosted Taylor’s tour. We were contracted to support security for the tour and on-the-ground venue teams. Each screen also included smart cameras designed to identify only those individuals who present a security risk based on pre-existing information. The cameras are used to reliably identify persons of interest and improve safety. This included known stalkers who might threaten Taylor Swift or present a threat to fans attending the event.”
NEW YORK — Facial-detection technology that Amazon is marketing to law enforcement often misidentifies women, particularly those with darker skin, according to researchers from MIT and the University of Toronto.
Amazon’s website credits Rekognition for helping the Washington County Sheriff Office in Oregon speed up how long it took to identify suspects from hundreds of thousands of photo records.
SiteKiosk 9.1 is now available with Windows 10 and Chrome support
Miami, Florida (PRUnderground) December 23rd, 2015
The latest release of SiteKiosk Windows supports Windows 10 and features a Chrome-based browser with customizable browser toolbar, a content filter with top-level domain filtering, new onscreen keyboards with size-adjustment option and more. Free trial available at www.provisio.com
PROVISIO’s kiosk software, SiteKiosk, locks down your computers and devices in public locations like retail stores, hotels, banks and lobbies.
The software restricts user access to display only your allowed websites, applications or multi-media campaigns in a secured environment. It also protects user data. SiteKiosk provides a large selection of customizable start page templates, browser skins, on-screen keyboards, Internet content filter, an intuitive configuration tool and many other features. The out-of-the-box software can be easily installed and configured within minutes.
PROVISIO also provides a remote management and monitoring solution at www.siteremote.net which allows you to publish engaging multi-media campaigns to your remote SiteKiosk clients and maintain your machines.
Visit www.provisio.com to learn more about the new kiosk software release and PROVISIO’s software solutions for self-service and digital signage devices. Free trial versions are available for all software products.
About PROVISIO
PROVISIO is a market-leading software development company providing turnkey secure kiosk, digital signage and remote management software solutions. PROVISIO products are sold in more than 50 countries through offices in the U.S. and Europe. Fortune 500 companies, including Verizon Wireless, Hilton Hotels, BMW, T-Mobile and Citibank, have chosen the company’s easy-to-use and scalable software solutions for deployments of 1,000+ machines. PROVISIO has the largest installed base of kiosk software products worldwide.
A continuation of the process at the VA for the check-in kiosks continued. An RFP for 40 units was issued in September and the VA decided to sole-source the RFP to Vecna, the incumbent vendor.
Some of the reasons they decided to sole source according to VA
The needed timeframe was too close to do additional testing
The magstripe, thermal receipt printer and insurance card scanner could not be reconfigured except by Vecna.
It’s clear that we are disappointed that the VA feels compelled to invest in a proprietary solution especially given their EHR. With over 6500 units installed paying $7500 a unit for mostly industry-wide hardware is unfortunate.
There was no visible effort to actually increase competition or conduct market research checking with the other bidders or of the Association. KMA contacted the contracting officers and pointed out several areas of concern including ADA and accessibility nature of the current design. We did not get a response. We do note they read our email.
As far as we can tell from UL resources, these units are not UL certified.
Below is the official justification document (4 pages) though it appears the final page(s) have been removed.
Our guess is that time of need weighed too heavily on them and that they really had no choice. At some point the VA facility will be completed in Denver (albeit a billion dollars in cost overruns) and maybe we can see the kiosks there.
KMA is a member of the National Retail Federation. Joins us at the Big Show.
The NRF Big Show was a big success for KMA. We were hoping to get some brands to sign up as part of our new Retail Advisory Council and we signed up companies such as Tommy Hilfiger and the New York Mets.
NRF Highlights Links
The NRF’s 2019 Big Show Features Innovative Solutions – and Robot Attendees – Apparel News
Original article – pre-show
We’re pleased to announce that KMA will be exhibiting at the BigShow in NY in January 2019. Booth 1725 on the main floor.
We will have example kiosks (one of them courtesy of Olea Kiosks) and it will be running application by Appetize.
Get a firsthand look at Appetize’s modern, enterprise point of sale software on Olea’s Austin countertop self-service kiosk at NRF! With the Kiosk Manufacturer Association, we’re bringing cutting-edge self-service technology to the retail industry. Make sure to swing by Booth #1725 to meet the team and get a demo of the product!
A second tablet display will be debuting a new retail application that has recently been deployed by FAO Schwartz.
As part of NRF we will be recruiting participants for our Retail Advisory Council. Simply put we are looking for companies which have an interest in self-service in general and also accessibility and may or may not have some input for us. This type of broad input and review is modeled on ANSI standards for process. We hope to see you there.
For more information on Retail Kiosks in general please visit our Retail Market page. Included is recent data by Frost & Sullivan on “Revenue and Unit Shipment Forecast Discussion by Vertical”. Retail is the largest vertical market for self-service kiosks to summarize.
At The Booth! Nanonation’s newest application makes for a seamless car buying experience – for kids, that is! F.A.O. Schwarz, an iconic toy store, has kiosk-like stations equipped with iPads with an engaging user experience that allows guests to build their own model car. From choosing the body, paint, wheels, and accessories, to the accompanied auto body shop sound effects, the interactive experience is the first part of a two-stage process. In stage two the guest works with the team in the F.A.O. garage to put together the model car they just designed. The collaboration between Nanonation and F.A.O. Schwarz is experience retail at its best.
News For NRF 2019
Members and Sponsors who (in one form or another) will be attending or represented the Show
NRF Booth Backdrop for Kiosk Manufacturer Association
Interested in Meeting at Show?
[contact-form to=”[email protected]” subject=”Comments General”][contact-field label=”What can we do for you?” type=”textarea” required=”1″][contact-field label=”Email Address” type=”email” required=”1″][/contact-form]
