Panasonic Connect Complete Drive-Thru Update – July 2023
Panasonic Connect
Thanks to its sheer size, Panasonic Connect is one of the few if not only companies that offers and supports a complete restaurant technology portfolio. An example of that is the Panasonic Connect Drive-Thru Solution.
All in all, Panasonic Connect offers technology solutions that meet the market’s needs.
Panasonic Connect’s Drive-Thru Solution
The drive-thru operation has become a quick-service restaurant’s biggest source of revenue, accounting for over 70% of sales (QSR Magazine). To give customers the experience they expect, it’s critical that every piece of technology works optimally together – which means crystal clear communication, accurate orders, and minimal wait times. That’s why Panasonic Connect has created a family of next-generation drive-thru solutions.
Your guests will be greeted with stunning visuals on Digital Menu Boards. They’ll receive accurate orders and friendly service with the Attune HD Communications System. They’ll even experience reduced wait times thanks to TOUGHBOOK® Line-Busting tablets and Stingray® Point-of-Sale Systems.
Panasonic Connect also understands that ongoing support is essential for running your drive-thru smoothly. The Panasonic Connect Professional Services Group is your partner from installation and deployment to ongoing support and maintenance.
The Attune HD® Drive-Thru Communications System delivers industry-leading sound quality. No more asking, “I’m sorry, can you repeat that?” With 4 levels of noise-canceling technology, your staff will hear customer orders—and nothing else. When communications are this clear and easy to understand, you’ll see improved order accuracy and friendlier interactions with your guests. Plus, the Regional Manager Headset Feature allows you to proactively interact with crew members without having to enter the store.
Increase Order Accuracy
Enhance Customer Satisfaction
Improve Speed of Service
Stingray® Point-of-Sale Solutions
Our Stingray® Point-of-Sale Terminals have a legacy that spans over 40 years. Thanks to unmatched durability and reliability, they have become the workhorse of the quick-service restaurant industry. This experience has enabled us to develop a family of versatile point-of-sale terminals designed to meet the heavy demands of today’s drive-thru lanes.
Flexible Configuration
Unmatched Durability • Software Agnostic
Line-Busting TOUGHBOOK® Tablets
Deploying the line-busting, fully rugged TOUGHBOOK® allows crew members to reduce the wait time and speed up the entire ordering process in the drive-thru lane. The earlier your staff engages with guests, the more likely they are to remain in the drive-thru lane.
18 Hour Battery Life
1,000 Nit Brightness for Use in Sunlight
Software Agnostic
Weather-resistant to Work in Rain
Digital Menu Boards
Promote your restaurant’s offerings with rich content on vivid, eye-catching displays. A digital menu board offers an engaging experience from the moment your guests arrive. Your operation will experience increased order accuracy and reduced wait times thanks to your customers’ ability to easily read and confirm their order.
Weather-resistant Outdoor Digital Signage
Easy-to-Update, Dynamic Content
Dayparting
Brilliant display
Installation, Support & Maintenance
Panasonic Connect Professional Services Group has installed, deployed, and supported a wide range of drive-thru technology. Whether we’re setting up a single location, multiple locations across the country, or engaging in long-term service and support, you can count on the industry’s most reliable teams to provide a seamless experience.
Went to Pala this weekend and was sad to see the kiosks we made like 15 years ago finally got pulled. They got replaced by these Everi machines which we also designed. We did them for Atrient who was bought by Everi. I think they did a nice job in updating them with the lighting. These weren’t my favorite design but they did a good job with it I think. Interested in talking to Frank? Email [email protected]
AV innovators will be traveling from around the world to share the latest products at InfoComm 2023 in Orlando. Peerless-AV is cannot wait to showcase the current product lineup, including dvLED video wall mounts, outdoor TVs/displays, kiosks and digital menu boards, new launches, and more at Booth 1329.
Here are just a few of the products we will be exhibiting at InfoComm 2023 below!
Mounts & Mounting Systems
There will be a variety of mounting solutions showcased at the Peerless-AV booth this year. The Outdoor Flat Wall Mount designed exclusively for the 75″ Xtreme™ High Bright Outdoor Display will be on display, featuring a corrosion-resistant coating that helps create durability for year-round use.
Attendees can also see the SEAMLESS Bespoke Curved dvLED Mounting System, perfect for unique and complex dvLED video wall installations of all sizes and locations. See the “Latest Editions” section below for even more exciting showcases to expect!
Outdoor TVs & Displays
The Neptune™ Partial Sun Outdoor Smart TVs will be on display this year. Available in 55″, 65″, and 75″, Neptune’s maintenance-free design and weatherproof features offer high-quality entertainment no matter the environment. Ideal applications include hotel pool decks, restaurant patios, stadium bars, and more.
InfoComm attendees can also see the 75″ Xtreme™ High Bright Outdoor Display with new generation 65″ and 55″ display models highlighted this year. The new models offer a patented thermal exhaust system that keeps internal components cooled, even when placed in extreme heat. The Xtreme™ High Bright also features anti-theft technology for added security. These commercial displays are ideal for any professional application – From transportation, retail, QSR, and beyond.
Kiosks and Digital Menu Boards
Peerless-AV is also excited to bring the newly launched Dual-Sided Smart City Kiosk to InfoComm this year! This next-generation Smart City Kiosk was designed in response to customer feedback and demand. Each kiosk is complete with two 55″ Xtreme™ High Bright Outdoor Displays with full HD1080p resolution.
Outdoor Digital Menu Boards will also be exhibited. These all-weather-rated solutions provide a sleek upgrade from static signage, while also maintaining low operating costs and a simple installation process. Compatible with leading 55″ outdoor commercial displays, the Outdoor Digital Menu Boards are a game-changer for drive-thru services everywhere.
Latest Editions
Peerless-AV will be debuting the newly launched Kitted Series Universal dvLED Mounting Systems at Booth 1329. Visitors can get a first look at all the innovative features this mounting system has to offer. The Universal Mounting System supports a variety of latching displays and is custom-built to each unique display specification. Equipped with an easy-to-follow wall template and quick-connect clamps, this mounting system ensures a simple and quick installation.
InfoComm visitors can also view the Trim Kit accessory which works to complete the sleek finish the Kitted Series Universal dvLED Mounting System provides.
To see our full showcase of products and the latest AV technology, visit InfoComm 2023 Booth 1329!
Samsung adds another integration/software partner to its QSR kiosk ecosystem. Rolling Stone pizza is the front page brag for Applova. Integrated with clover, Square, Go Daddy, power, Toast, NCR Aloha and Oracle micros. Applova also uses the Elotouch countertop it looks like (or did). Hard to say which OS for ELO but the Samsung looks like Tizen. PAX E500 and Verifone (uggh) devices. Here is their pricing page (aka request a quote).
Applova has pretty large range of products including: Order ahead, self-ordering kiosks, online ordering, curbside ordering, digital contactless menus, kitchen display system, and analytics.
PALO ALTO, Calif–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Applova Inc., the emerging leader in restaurant digital ordering technology, announces a collaborative partnership with Samsung Electronics America Inc. to launch the all-inclusive kiosk to provide state-of-the-art contactless ordering and payment solutions. This turnkey solution allows restaurants — including quick-service restaurants (QSRs), cafes, and casual diners — to streamline operations, capture more sales, and hit profit targets.
“Samsung’s partnership with Applova gives restaurant owners more opportunity to achieve these goals as it ensures patrons have more convenient and memorable interactions using the all-inclusive kiosk while simultaneously future-proofing their businesses to combat common challenges such as inflation, food waste, labor shortages, and hiring.”
With the integrated Applova software, Samsung kiosks have immense potential to transform restaurants and help businesses soar to new heights by delivering end-to-end automation to manage every aspect of transactional ordering. The all-in-one kiosks come equipped with a high-definition touch-screen, card terminal, printers, and more. Samsung touch-screen display enhances customers’ purchasing experience with clear and crisp visuals to attract customers. Applova’s intelligent user interface provides personalized, multi-tier upselling on every transaction by making recommendations of targeted and relevant add-ons. Clover merchants can easily install the kiosk solution and seamlessly synchronize it with their dashboard.
“Applova kiosk solution allows restaurants to engage with their customers in a way that elevates the experience for everyone involved — including their customers and staff,” said Dinesh Saparamadu, CEO and Founder, Applova. “Our kiosks have proven to reduce queues, increase consumer spending, drive customer engagement, and repeat orders through loyalty programs, all while providing substantial business ROI.”
“Elevating dining experiences is more than serving quality meals—restaurateurs must deliver fast service and build meaningful connections with their customers,” said Chris Mertens, Vice President of U.S. Sales, B2B Displays, Samsung. “Samsung’s partnership with Applova gives restaurant owners more opportunity to achieve these goals as it ensures patrons have more convenient and memorable interactions using the all-inclusive kiosk while simultaneously future-proofing their businesses to combat common challenges such as inflation, food waste, labor shortages, and hiring.”
About Applova Inc.: Headquartered in Silicon Valley, Applova Inc. is a leading provider of innovative digital ordering solutions designed to empower restaurants of all sizes to create more value and run their businesses better. With a portfolio of self-order kiosks, online storefronts, mobile order-ahead, and POS solutions, the Applova team works with leading-edge technologies to build unparalleled products that give restaurants a competitive advantage. Applova is constantly expanding the features and capabilities of digital ordering solutions to help restaurants leverage new sales channels while driving customer engagement.
We recently did a review and questionnaire for KISTI on some new technology for outdoor. To be sure this is PRE-LAUNCH-ENGINEERING review. Availability in Korea should be in fall. Whether it makes it to the US or Europe is another question altogether. Our guess is people such as LG, Samsung and even BOE are keeping an eye on these people. Hard to say what the price will be.
As we said — expected to launch later this year in Korea; the new model has a number of unique features:
Integrated voice recognition (so it likely comes with a speaker of sorts). We haven’t seen anyone else in the smart city space (or hotel space or transportation space) sporting voice recognition. Storm Interface manufactures a specially designed microphone for speech with exceptional voice discrimination. Think of loud rap music coming from car/driver ordering via voice at the drive thru. Ambient noise has always been the biggest issue. Hearing in a noisy environment has always been a problem for that matter.
Expect to see next-generation noise-cancellation microphones along with directional speakers?
The unit will also feature a sliding interface based on the eye level of user. Shifts up for taller, shifts down for shorter. It makes it more readable and also eliminate glare from above (see our article on Whole Foods SCO with Marks and Spencer blinding screen).
That eliminates having to use some sort of mechanical actuator. Good example is the touch to go higher/touch to go lower Olea adjustable height patient kiosks.
Instead of wheelchairs, maybe the new outdoor is designed for sporty Tesla or one of those monster Escalades by Cadillac
Would work for wheelchairs though
Study Notes
done in collaboration with the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and KISTI and the related posts can be found on the website of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups.\
Notes are problematic unless you read Korean. Image-based. You can screencap and then upload and open with Google docs and it will translate as well. 14 pages is bit too much work.
Probable Base — ITGO — IRON-SafeTouch(O)-55S2F is a unique, technology-leading ITGO Outdoor Interactive Digital Signage solution with SafeTouch™ technology, Anti-Solar™ technology and enhanced cooling system. This product is certified by Public Procurement Service of Korea. — http://www.itgocorp.com/en/bbs/board.php?bo_table=pro01_en&wr_id=2
Vispero/TPGi Listed in AWS Marketplace for the U.S. Intelligence Community
Couple of news items for screen reader news, both from Vispero, the leader with JAWS Kiosk software. From PRnewswire — Vispero/TPGi Software now available to 18 U.S. Intelligence Agencies in AWS Marketplace
JAWS Kiosk AWS Marketplace
CLEARWATER, Fla., June 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Vispero® and TPGi®, global leaders in accessibility software and services, today announced the availability of their offerings in the AWS Marketplace for the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC). The AWS Marketplace for the U.S. IC offerings includes a broad array of common software infrastructure, developer tools, and business software products that support the unique needs of the U.S. IC through improved security, increased mission impact, and cost savings. TPGi’s Accessibility Resource Center (ARC) software allows companies of all sizes to manage accessibility programs via one powerful integrated dashboard and to access a central repository of over 600 KnowledgeBase articles from worldwide experts in accessibility.
“We are pleased to offer our software in the AWS Marketplace for the U.S. IC to help government agencies assure their digital assets are usable by all employees and citizens while complying with Section 508 and accessibility standards,” said Matt Ater, Vice President of Vispero.AWS Marketplace for the U.S. IC provides the same purchasing convenience, open and transparent license terms and conditions, and a variety of pricing models, including hourly usage and annual subscription, as the commercial AWS Marketplace. It also supports Bring-Your-Own-License (BYOL) so that agencies can more easily migrate existing software licenses and applications to the cloud. For more information on AWS Marketplace for the U.S. IC, contact [email protected].
About Vispero
Vispero is a 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.
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 businesses, their employees, and their consumers.
SOURCE TPGi LLC
Disability:IN show in Orlando in July
jaws kiosk
Join Vispero® and TPGi at the #DisabilityInclusion event of the year. You can stop by our booth and check out Matt Ater speak during “Creating A Culture Beat: Drumming Up Support for Digital Accessibility.”
June 15, 2023 — New updated dates for US Access Board NPRMs for EV and POS. Also, ANSI has just released their new EV standards, which include ADA considerations. Thanks to Steve Taylor with TaylorPOS for reminding us of the NPRM dates.
Note there are two different listings for the EV item. The links provided for the NPRM on electric vehicle charging stations are from two different unified agendas – the Fall 2022 and the Spring 2023 agenda. Please refer to the September 2023 date in the Spring 2023 agenda, as this represents the most recent projected date for publication.
Interesting that the FCC is looking at Conferencing platforms and accessibility. Video conferencing platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Webex could be subject to accessibility requirements under a proposal from FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. Link on AVIXA
Accessibility Guidelines for Self-Service Transaction Machines
This rulemaking would amend the Architectural and Transportation Compliance Board’s existing accessibility guidelines for buildings and facilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA), located at 36 CFR part 1191, to include guidelines for the accessibility of fixed self-service transaction machines, self-service kiosks, information transaction machines, and point-of-sale devices. The U.S. Department of Transportation and U.S. Department of Justice are expected, via separate rulemakings, to adopt these amended guidelines as enforceable standards for devices and equipment covered by the ADA. RIN: 3014-AA44
Accessibility Guidelines for Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
Electric vehicle (EV) charging stations are becoming commonplace with the rising production and use of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, there are nearly 50,000 public EV charging stations with almost 127,000 charging ports across the country. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, signed into law in November 2021, allocates $7.5 billion to construct a national network of 500,000 EV charging stations to accelerate the adoption of EVs. It is expected that the installation and use of EV charging stations will continue to expand; however, at present, there are no federal regulations specifying accessibility requirements for EV charging stations to ensure that they are accessible to and useable by persons with disabilities. The Access Board thus intends to publish a notice of proposed rulemaking to supplement its Accessibility Guidelines under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) with scoping and technical requirements for electric vehicle charging stations. RIN: 3014-AA48
Timetable:
Action
Date
FR Cite
NPRM
07/00/2023
ANSI Publishes Roadmap of Standards and Codes for Electric Vehicles at Scale
New York, June 14, 2023: The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) announced today the publication of the Roadmap of Standards and Codes for Electric Vehicles at Scaledeveloped by the Institute’s Electric Vehicles Standards Panel (EVSP). The roadmap’s primary focus is on light-duty, on-road plug-in electric vehicles (EVs) that are recharged via a connection to the electrical grid, as well as the supporting charging infrastructure needed to power them. Medium and heavy-duty EVs are also covered, as is wireless charging. A total of 37 standardization gaps are identified with corresponding recommendations across the topical areas of vehicle systems, charging infrastructure, grid integration, and cybersecurity. It is hoped that the roadmap will see broad adoption by the user community and will facilitate a more coherent and coordinated approach to the future development of standards for EVs.
The Kiosk Manufacturer Association (KMA) is an Associate Sponsor. (UL is the premier sponsor)
ADA Excerpt:
(c) The American with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), and implementing regulations, apply to EV charging stations by prohibiting discrimination on the basis of disability by public and private entities. EV charging stations must comply with applicable accessibility standards adopted by the Department of Transportation into its ADA regulations (49 CFR part 37) in 2006, and adopted by the Department of Justice into its ADA regulations (28 CFR parts 35 and 36) in 2010. 45 The U.S. Access Board, an independent federal agency that issues accessibility guidelines under the Americans with Disabilities Act(ADA), Architectural Barriers Act(ABA), Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and other laws, has provided a technical assistance document “Design Recommendations for Accessible Electric Vehicle Charging Stations” 46 to assist in the design and construction of electric vehicle (EV)
charging stations that are accessible to and usable by people with disabilities. In the Fall 2022 Unified Agenda and at recent Board Meetings, the Access Board announced that it anticipates a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for EVSE towards the end of the summer of 2023. Noting the expected continuing expansion and use of EV charging stations, the Board noted in relevant part that: [T]here are no federal regulations specifying accessibility requirements for EV charging stations to ensure that they are accessible to and useable by persons with disabilities. The Access Board thus intends to publish a notice of proposed rulemaking to supplement its Accessibility Guidelines under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) with scoping and technical requirements for electric vehicle charging stations.
47 44 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2023-03500/p-385 45 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2023-03500/p-465 46 The Access Board, “Design Recommendations for Accessible Electric Vehicle Charging Stations” last updated 7/21/2022, Accessed 3/13/2023 https://www.access-board.gov/tad/ev/ 47 The Access Board, “Accessibility Guidelines for Electric Vehicle Charging Stations,” RIN: 3014-AA48, Fall 2022,Accessed 2/13/2023 https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaViewRule?pubId=202210&RIN=3014-AA48
ANSI EVSP Roadmap of Standards and Codes for Electric Vehicles at Scale Page 101 of 170
The DOE Clean Cities Coalition Network provides best practices for installing ADA-compliant EV charging stations. 48
In addition, the California Division of the State Architect has developed accessibility requirements for EV charging, which are part of the California Building Code. 49
The 2021 International Building Code® (IBC®), section 1107, provides that no less than 5% of vehicle spaces at an EV charging site, and not fewer than one space for each type of EV charging system, shall be accessible. 50 This is not required for R-2, R-3, and R-4 occupancies. In terms of standards activity, ICC A117.1—2017 Accessible And Usable Buildings And Facilities, section 502.11, provides requirements that EV charging stations comply with requirements for operable parts (card readers) and are free of obstructions between the charging station and the adjacent parking space. 51 As noted, there is some policy activity anticipated. At this time, no codes and standards gap has been identified.
Welcome to Verneek our latest Advisory Board member. Verneek’s One Quin provides enterprises with one holistic consumer-facing AI solution to accurately answer personalized questions through voice activation or text anywhere.
Retail AI Assist by Verneek
The Verneek platform is unique in answering specific questions reliably based on dynamic enterprise data that gets automatically augmented with relevant public information. The platform’s first use case is Quin Shopping AI which helps shoppers make better and faster decisions throughout their online or in-store journeys. Quin can fulfill any sophisticated shopping request, ranging from finding available product assortments or recipes that match a whole suite of health or budget constraints to general health or customer service. Quin combs through all relevant public and participating retailers’ proprietary data in real-time to deliver a profoundly personalized AI shopping experience.
Retail AI Assist Verneek Facts
Recently completed extended pilot at Sprouts Grocery
NVIDIA Partner
Android, Flex, Windows or Apple
Verneek is the Nvidia-recommended enterprise Voice AI. Can set up joint call.
AI works across 12 languages including 4 Spanish dialects
Sales Impact- 67% of retail customers leave a store without finding an item they were looking for, even though that product was on the shelf. The Verneek AI assist has a 49% question-to-purchase conversion rate. In control store test results, AI stores drove about a 1% increase in sales.
Verneek handles slang and regional terms, which can be its own language or dialect.
In Boston chocolate sprinkles you put on ice cream are called “Jimmies”. Verneek captures these region terms and build them into the AI.
Verneek is seeing some powerful and actionable insights from the questions themselves. The questions being asked identify what people are struggling with as they navigate a physical space that in many cases is unknown or untracked.
Verneek has been asked to be part the AI in Grocery Webinar as an industry disruptor next week.
One of Verneek founders was interviewed on this week’s NRF podcast.
Verneek is the first tech company on the NRF podcast in their 300+ episodes
Retail Gets Real episode 311: Verneek co-founder Nasrin Mostafazadeh on using AI for a better shopping experience.
Retail Gets Real episode 311: Verneek co-founder Nasrin Mostafazadeh on using AI for a better shopping experience
Nasrin Mostafazadeh, co-founder of Verneek.
Imagine shopping in any store and having an expert right by your side to share everything about that store and any product it contains. It will offer suggestions based on your needs and guide you to the exact items you want at the best price. That’s the promise of Quin, an artificial intelligence tool from AI company Verneek.
“Quin Shopping AI is basically this very holistic AI that is going to be your trusted source of information, your trusted advisor, your trusted ally, wherever you go as a shopper,” Verneek co-founder Nasrin Mostafazadeh says on this episode of NRF’s Retail Gets Real podcast.
“It can help answer any and every question that you have throughout your journey, whether online, whether in a store, or wherever else you end up being.”
Shoppers who walk into a Quin-enabled store will see a sign that says, “Hi, I’m Quin, you’re shopping AI. Ask me anything.” After scanning the QR code, shoppers can compare products, get nutritional information, find out about a store’s return policies, ask which aisle has the peanut butter or get recipes for a family of four under $30 tailored to dietary preferences or food sensitivities.
AI Working Group
Learn more about AI development in retail and NRF’s AI Working Group.
“All these very sophisticated questions are things that are already on the minds of your average Americans, but they literally never had help,” Mostafazadeh says. “They were left to their own devices when they would walk into the store. They just are left with … 40,000 products that they had to just navigate and make decisions as to what they can and cannot buy given their health or budget constraints or even … their preferences.”
Retail is a natural fit for holistic, generative AI such as Quin, according to Mostafazadeh. “We really wanted to apply our technology first and foremost in a domain that really will interface with every average American. And what better world than retail, because everyone uses it anywhere, at any time. That was really one of the reasons why we gravitated toward picking retail as the first contender.”
She knew customers would embrace Quin, but Mostafazadeh was less sure of the reaction among retail staff and managers.
“To our surprise, the store managers and store associates are actually our biggest allies,” she says. “All these expert questions are the ones that store associates and store managers love to delegate to Quin. They see it as a way of increasing their productivity and increasing their accuracy.”
NRF Nexus
Explore practical applications of AI in retail from industry leaders at NRF Nexus, July 10-12, 2023.
Mostafazadeh says Quin allows retailers to differentiate themselves from their competitors.
“The bottom line for retailers is that they’re super low margin, so they are all homed in on increasing sales. Now that we’ve been in the market and we’ve collected all the data, we have actually shown that we have increased the sales in these retailers significantly,” she says.
“And we have also decreased the operation cost significantly by virtue of the store associates and store workers being able to focus on their own day-to-day jobs. Retailers love that part.”
Listen to the full podcast to hear about Mostafazadeh’s career path in robotics and AI, the monkey/banana dilemma that generative technology got stuck on until ChatGPT and Mostafazadeh’s thoughts on the real threats and opportunities AI represents.
The purpose of this solicitation is to establish a source or sources of supply for the purchase of Medical Kiosk for the South Carolina Department of Corrections Medical Division. [01-1015-1] SAP — This will be one of the reference RFPs in our upcoming “Anatomy of an RFP”.
Seeking a stationary platform with IT solution that provides:
• Patient intake and registration Measurement of: Blood pressure, Heart rate, Respiratory rate, Oxygen saturation
• Analysis of: Collected vital signs- to indicate urgent need for formal medical evaluation or Indication of potential infection using parameters regarding measured components of wellness
Additional Requirements — Solution must:
6. Be simple to use, not requiring extensive data entry or system manipulation
7. Provide stable platform that is durable enough for placement in correctional system, primarily in inmate living units
8. Provide platform that can be cleaned and sterilized
9. Provide data storage with potential for future integrations into SCDC systems (i.e web app, EMR, etc.)
10. Provide self-calibrating camera in accordance with ISO 9001:2015 standards
Camera should have quality control protocols that ensure the following tests are completed:
• Power and communication with all components and Infrastructure,
• Resolution & Accuracy Test of RGB Camera.
• If an error message is displayed on screen, then an internal notification should be sent to system administrators.
• Should a camera require recalibration, a thermal reference needs to be deployed, and the platform repair will need to be completed per the QC protocol prior to enabling further scans.
• Capability to estimate heart rate via video analysis of the frequency of chromatic shift of skin tone to ±2 beats per minute
• Have the ability to estimate Breathing Rate via video analysis of micromotion of the head and thorax to ±1 breaths per minute
• Have the ability to estimate Blood Oxygen Saturation (Sp02) via video analysis of the degree of chromatic shift of skin tone to ±2%
• Have the ability to measure blood pressure via phase analysis of chromatic shift of skin tone to within 10% in 85% of measurements.
• Provide analytics of anonymized population data via secure web accessible dashboard with hierarchical access controls from site to district level overview:
Daily, weekly or monthly population statistics for all Vital Signs measurements per kiosk, per room, per site, and per district
• Number of anomaly indications by kiosk, room, site and district and as a function of time
• Trends of vital signs measurements hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly, by kiosk, room, site, district.
• Provide the following controls through accessible secure dashboard
• Settings for thresholds for detection of Temperature, Heart Rate, Breathing
• Rate, Sp02 and Blood Pressure, per kiosk, per site and per district
• Policy settings for Thermal, Vital/Thermal or Vitai only function of kiosks
• Remote delivery of software updates
• Configure the entry of new kiosks onto the kiosk cloud information system
• Set notification policy and content per site, and per district
• Restart and shut down individual kiosks
• Onsite Installation and Training Requirements
• SCDC will require onsite installation and training for each machine at institutions and additional non-institutional areas for all machines purchased
• Training will be no less than one (1) hour per kiosk per location
Maintenance and Support-
• Require awarded vendor to include one year of maintenance and support to include all software updates for the first year at no additional cost
• Maintenance and support to include all software updates must be available at a charge to be provided for years 2 — 5.
Additional Items at no cost to SCDC
5. Provide a local storage site (in Columbia area) where all units will be shipped to and prepared for installation (or rent of such location) o
6. Shipping of all units to storage location
7. Hardware Requirements (must meet or exceed the following):
8. Thermal Camera Preferred:
Flir A500 EST or Equal
III. SCOPE OF WORK/SPECIFICATIONS
Preferred Brand: DraganFly Innovations USA Inc. Medical Kiosk
Kiosk will be Delivered to 9 different Correctional Institutions throughout South Carolina (Specific Delivery Addresses Listed in Delivery / Performance Location) Section Below:
Lee CI (2) Kiosk
Broad River CI (3) Kiosk
Kirkland CI R&E (3) Kiosk
Turbeville CI (1) Kiosk
Camille Graham CI (2) Kiosk
Perry CI (1) Kiosk
Ridgeland CI (1) Kiosk
McCormick CI (1) Kiosk
Lieber CI (1) Kiosk
**All pricing should include all FREIGHT and DELIVERY CHARGES **
Seeking a stationary platform with IT solution that provides:
Analysis of: Collected vital signs- to indicate urgent need for formal medical evaluation or Indication of potential infection using parameters regarding measured components of wellness
Additional Requirements — Solution must:
Be simple to use, not requiring extensive data entry or system manipulation
Provide stable platform that is durable enough for placement in correctional system, primarily in inmate living units
Provide platform that can be cleaned and sterilized
Provide data storage with potential for future integrations into SCDC systems (i.e web app, EMR, etc.)
Provide self-calibrating camera in accordance with ISO 9001:2015 standards
Camera should have quality control protocols that ensure the following tests are completed:
Power and communication with all components and Infrastructure, Resolution & Accuracy Test of RGB Camera.
If an error message is displayed on screen, then an internal notification should be sent to system administrators.
Should a camera require recalibration, a thermal reference needs to be deployed, and the platform repair will need to be completed per the QC protocol prior to enabling further scans.
Capability to estimate heart rate via video analysis of the frequency of chromatic shift of skin tone to ±2 beats per minute
Have the ability to estimate Breathing Rate via video analysis of micromotion of the head and thorax to ±1 breaths per minute
Have the ability to estimate Blood Oxygen Saturation (Sp02) via video analysis of the degree of chromatic shift of skin tone to ±2%
Have the ability to measure blood pressure via phase analysis of chromatic shift of skin tone to within 10% in 85% of measurements.
Provide analytics of anonymized population data via secure web accessible dashboard with hierarchical access controls from site to district level overview:
Daily, weekly or monthly population statistics for all Vital Signs measurements per kiosk, per room, per site, and per district
Number of anomaly indications by kiosk, room, site and district and as a function of time
Trends of vital signs measurements hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly, by kiosk, room, site, district.
Provide the following controls through accessible secure dashboard
Settings for thresholds for detection of Temperature, Heart Rate, Breathing
Rate, Sp02 and Blood Pressure, per kiosk, per site and per district
Policy settings for Thermal, Vital/Thermal or Vital only function of kiosks
Remote delivery of software updates
Configure the entry of new kiosks onto the kiosk cloud information system
Set notification policy and content per site, and per district
Restart and shut down individual kiosks
Onsite Installation and Training Requirements o
SCDC will require onsite installation and training for each machine in institutions and additional non-institutional areas for all machines purchased
Training will be no less than one (1) hour per kiosk per location
Maintenance and Support–
Require awarded vendor to include one year of maintenance and support to include all software updates for the first year at no additional cost
Maintenance and support to include all software updates must be available at a charge to be provided for yeas 2 — 5.
Additional Items at no cost to SCDC
Provide a local storage site (in Columbia area) where all units will be shipped to and prepared for installation (or rent of such location)
Shipping of all units to storage location
Hardware Requirements (must meet or exceed the following):
Thermal Camera Preferred:
Flir A500 EST or Equal
Digital I/O connector type
M 12 12-pin A-coded, Male (shared with external power) o Digital Inputs
2x opto-isolated, Vin(low)= 0—1.5 V, Vin(high)= 3—25 V o Digital Outputs
3x opto-isolated, 0—48 V DC, max. 350 mA; solid-state opto relay; Ix dedicated as fault output (NC) o Ethernet Interface
•
Wired, Wi-Fi
WiFi-
Yes. RP-SMA, female connector
EMC-
ETSI EN 301 489-1 (radio), ETSI EN 301 489-17 (radio), EN 61000-4-8 (magnetic field), FCC 47 CFR Part 15 Class B (emission US), ISO 13766-1 (EMC – Earthmoving and building construction machinery), EN ISO 14982 (EMC – Agricultural and forestry machinery) o Measurement Frequency
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
The ultimate all-in-one kiosk and digital signage software for your kiosks, digital displays, public computers, tablets, and laptops! Say goodbye to complicated setups and difficult management – with SiteKiosk Online, everything is taken care of for you. Our cloud-based platform allows you to easily set up tamper-proof, public-facing computers and displays in any public location. Plus, you can manage and monitor them all from one convenient dashboard in your own Cloud account.
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.
Get started with SiteKiosk today with our 30-day free trial account. Simplify your kiosk and digital signage management with SiteKiosk – the easy choice for your business!
What are the benefits of using SiteKiosk Online digital signage and kiosk software?
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!
Join us at DSE 2023. We are an official media sponsor and have a couple of full conference passes we will give away ($2795 value). We also have free passes for the exhibit floor. Probably a safe bet that Sixteen-Nine will put on their mixer again this year (more info to follow). For more information you can always email [email protected]
DSE and LDI will be side by side in 2023! Here’s what this means for you.
We are so excited to provide even more networking, more technology, more inspiration for a bigger experience for DSE 2023! The two events will co-locate to offer shared experiences, while maintaining separate exhibit and conference spaces. The future of visual display solutions, entertainment production technology, and experiential events intersects here, with hundreds of exhibitors and an expected 14,000-plus attendees.
Digital Signage Experience explores every aspect of digital and interactive display technology, from concept and design to content and analytics. No matter what business you’re in or where you are on the adoption curve, DSE caters to your needs right now, providing access to hundreds of leading vendors of digital display, interactive technology and content solutions.
HiEV Charger, an LG Affiliated Company, Has Unveiled Its New Portfolio of Convenient and Reliable Electric Vehicle Chargers
SEOUL, May 25, 2023 — LG Electronics (LG) is expanding its electric vehicle (EV) charger solutions business, a move expected to solidify further the company’s position in the fast-growing EV charger segment. LG held a ceremony yesterday to celebrate the commencement of EV charger products manufactured by HiEV Charger (formerly known as AppleMango). HiEV Charger, an EV charging solution company, was acquired by LG, GS Energy and GS Neotek in 2022.
LG EV Charging Stations
HiEV Charger unveiled its product portfolio during the ceremony, which features four different chargers: two 7kW models (wall-mounted and stand-type) and two fast-charging models (100kW and 200kW). All of the new products offer convenient installation and are suitable for use in multiple environments, such as homes, office buildings and a diverse range of other commercial facilities.
The newly introduced EV chargers boast an array of safety-enhancing features. In addition to being water- and dust-resistant, the chargers are equipped with functions designed to provide electrical and thermal protection throughout the charging process. The new chargers also have a slim depth that supports the efficient use of space, while the inclusion of two connectors means two EVs can be charged simultaneously. Simple management is provided through features like connector lock detection and remote updates.
By combining its know-how and technical prowess from the B2C and B2B sectors, LG is able to deliver differentiated solutions and enhanced customer experiences. The company’s well-established capabilities in manufacturing, quality control, after-sales service and supply chain management create the foundation necessary to achieve sustained success in the EV charging solution business. Looking beyond the domestic market, LG is currently planning EV charging product launches and related collaborations in countries around the world.
The global EV charging market is expected to grow to USD 186 billion by 2030, according to Roland Berger, a global management consulting firm. The market expansion is being driven by several factors, including the ongoing implementation of regulations aimed at protecting the environment, and the continuous progress of vehicle electrification.
LG EV Charging Stations
“The start of EV charger production marks a significant milestone for LG, propelling us on a journey to becoming a total EV charging solutions provider,” said Suh Heung-kyu, vice president and head of the Electric Vehicle Charging business division of LG Electronics Business Solutions Company. “We will focus on delivering convenient and fast EV charging solutions for EV owners and differentiated EV charging solutions offering diverse form factors and new services for our valued partners.”
For a lockdown browser, we recommend Sitekiosk. Also known as a secure browser because it protects your computer from almost any type of manipulation by hackers trying to break in. Inserting USB drives for example or calling up javascript tools to hijack the computer or media player.
For public kiosks, kiosk software offers several important benefits and features:
: Kiosk browsers limit users to specific websites or web applications, preventing access to unauthorized content47.
: The software locks down the device, restricting access to the operating system and other applications.
: Administrators can implement whitelisting to allow only approved websites, reducing the risk of users encountering malicious content.
: Kiosk mode can be configured to reset sessions after inactivity or user logout, clearing browsing history, cookies, and cache to protect user privacy37.
: The kiosk mode can be tailored to show only necessary options, improving usability for public users7.
: Kiosk browsers typically run in full-screen mode, providing an immersive experience without distracting browser elements.
: Administrators can monitor and control devices from a central dashboard, enabling real-time updates and troubleshooting.
: Some kiosk software provides insights into user behavior and device performance.
Public kiosks using lockdown are commonly used in various settings, including:
Information kiosks in malls, museums, or airports
Self-service payment stations
Ticketing and check-in kiosks
Digital signage and advertising displays
Public internet access points in libraries or community centers6
While kiosk lockdown offers many advantages for public kiosks, it’s important to note that basic browser “kiosk modes” may not provide sufficient security and management features for unattended public use. More comprehensive kiosk software solutions are often necessary to address the unique challenges of public kiosk deployments
DENVER, Colo., June 8, 2023 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Kiosk Innovations, a U.S. based digital kiosk manufacturing company, would like to inform the various stakeholders within the healthcare industry about the importance of digital kiosks in the medical field and emphasize the need for ADA compliance to ensure equal access and inclusion for all patients. Consulting with experts, such as Kiosk Innovations, can maximize inclusion and efficiency in implementing self-service solutions.
Digital kiosks serve an increasingly wide variety of tasks in today’s society. It is no question these terminals can efficiently provide services in healthcare by completing tasks such as wayfinding directions as well as self-service check into Epic’s Welcome or other EHR systems. Being the patients first impression of a medical group, it is important that these devices are noticeable, welcoming, and easy to use for patients to ensure the patient’s journey is fluid which ultimately increases adoption rates in this technology and helps instill confidence in patients.
It is important to understand the demographic of the typical healthcare patient. In many cases these individuals are older and/or may have a higher rate of disability (whether temporary or permanent) than the average US population. Healthcare providers have both an ethical and legal obligation to provide the same level of service to patients with common disabilities. ADA compliance is clearance and reach for those who are wheelchair bound, an audible form of navigation and either tactile or voice recognition for those who are visually impaired, or visual cues for those with auditory impairments.
To fulfill your legal obligations and be ADA compliant, one must understand what information is being communicated, what tasks are to be completed, and provide equal access to this information and an equal amount of privacy. Not providing an equally accessible solution can result in legal ramifications, ethical shortcomings, reputational damage, and a lower adoption rate.
ADA compliance should not just be a legal requirement. Providing equal access and inclusion is right for so many more reasons than just legal ramifications. Ensuring a digital self-service solution is ADA-compliant ensures individuals remain autonomous. This allows a much larger range of patience that can complete tasks more efficiently, and having a larger pool of patience that can help themselves helps drive organizational efficiencies.
The purpose of self service is to drive efficiency to patients and the organization, the greater accessibility the larger the pool of users, the larger the pool of users, the more efficiency gained. Self-service is a tool; the consultant at Kiosk Innovations can help guide you toward a solution that maximizes inclusion for your patients and efficiency for your organization.
Based in Denver, Colorado, Kiosk Innovations is an employee-owned company that supports and nurtures the essence of what is required to give customers the quality solutions they need – INNOVATION. We are proud to produce unique and original designs that not only stand out from their surroundings, but incorporate ever-changing technological advancements as they are introduced to the industry.
With more than 30 years of experience, the Kiosk Innovations team has extensive knowledge of evolving kiosk applications, and we design and manufacture everything in-house to ensure tight quality control while keeping costs competitive. Combining first-rate knowledge and field experience with creative vision and passion, Kiosk Innovations strives to provide the very best customer service and experience.
Just when you think it might be safe to go outside you start seeing Blockbuster in the news transforming itself and now Redbox kiosk expandingto Dollar General Stores. Not surprising though. If you watch movies why pay $100/month for Comcast or Centurylink just to see the movie “stutter” from time to time. At roughly $2 a movie that’s two movies a night for a month.
Excerpt
With 39 titles expected to enter the physical rental pipeline this year, the Redbox kiosk business is growing again under Chicken Soup, which announced Monday the addition of 1,500 new stations positioned nationally at Dollar General Stores over the next two years.
By the time the rollout is completed, Dollar General will host around 5,000 Redbox kiosks.
The Redbox kiosks business peaked in 2012 with 43,500 locations. Chicken Soup said there are currently around 32,000 outlets.
Just in time for NRA, Nation’s Restaurant News Intelligence releases new Market Leader Report. Here is the signup link to get full report. For its newly released 2023 Restaurant Technology Outlook, Nation’s Restaurant News Intelligence surveyed nearly 400 restaurant operators about their current tech stacks, long-term strategies and biggest challenges. The result is a comprehensive look at the mindset of today’s operators, plus clear signals for where restaurant tech trends are headed next.
In Brief Summary
Budgets are tight
Loyalty programs still the holy grail
AI is interesting
Cost and Functionality biggest wants for Tech
In fact, the cost was the main obstacle to adopting new technologies, with 58% of respondents citing it as a key concern. The top three were lack of staff to manage and implement technology (45%) and lack of integration with current systems (41%). Respondents were also likely to say they were overwhelmed by the available options (20%) or lacked necessary knowledge about the options available to them (24%).
The idea of having one tech partner versus having multiple tech partners is an issue.
Customer sales and frequency #1 and then lower operating costs.
Panasonic Connect also did a “Post Murtec-2023” insight article on hospitality tech. Here is the article link and also Panasonic Connect link
What are some of the biggest challenges facing restaurant operators today, and how can technology help address them? We see evolving technology continuing to be the primary challenge for restaurant operators. Moving to cloud-based systems is challenging, and one of the key areas for us is providing solutions that support their transition. Our goal is to provide solutions that help protect the operators’ investment in technology throughout the journey. This shift towards lightweight clients in the restaurant, in co-existence with legacy systems, is at the core of our product strategy.
Jay burdette Panasonic
Jay Burdette, senior director of Panasonic Connect of North America, a provider of POS, drive-thru, hand-held and signage technologies, recently talked with Nation’s Restaurant News about how restaurant operators can leverage networks of integrated tech solutions to drive sales and improve operations throughout their restaurants. He also discussed how the evolution of artificial intelligence and the shift toward cloud-based, fully virtualized environments are shaping the future of restaurants. Our restaurant technology solutions also allow operators to use their labor resources more efficiently. The staff can be more consistent and effective in their work which can help to reduce waste and when engaging with customers.
What are some of ways Panasonic Connect helps restaurants navigate those challenges? We offer durable and reliable POS Terminals, High-Definition Audio Drive-Thru Communications Systems, Digital Signage with Content Management Solutions, and TOUGHBOOK® tablets. These restaurant technologies allow operators to have more control over their vast network of devices, including POS, KDS, and Kiosk. How do those tools streamline restaurant operations? What impact can they have during a busy shift in the restaurant?
Our eco-system of technology solutions is built to handle the heavy demands of the restaurant. This highly reliable and durable equipment provides improved uptime in the restaurant. Restaurant staff does not need to stop taking orders because the headset battery needs to be replaced, or a crew member is outside changing the static menu board, or a POS terminal is out of use because it is waiting to be serviced. … Our Attune Drive-Thru Communication System provides high-definition sound quality which enables the staff to hear their customer’s orders the first time, without asking for them to repeat it and adding to improved order accuracy and increased customer satisfaction.
Our restaurant technologies benefit the industry’s nature for its fast-paced and heavy demand environment. Restaurant operators require durable and rugged equipment yet looks sleek and stylish. With our flexible mounting options, our products can fit into the restaurant’s design to meet their unique needs.
Date is 26 -27 April at Olympia in London is Retail Technology. Given the turnout this year the odds are pretty good that next year we make our once-a-year trip to London. Rumor has it the pubs are open… If you want any assistance setting up a meeting or scheduling you can email [email protected]
8400+ Retail & brand professionals in attendance – offers limitless opportunities to network and meet the right people to help improve your retail business.
300+ Exhibitors – showcasing the latest retail tech solutions to help meet your customer’s demands and future-proof your business.
100+ Speakers on stage – hear from game-changing leaders, to keep you up-to-date with the latest trends and challenges.
All this and much, much, more…
And yes, it’s free to attend.
VIDEO 2022 Highlights
More Posts and Resources
Kiosk Software – KioWare announces Europe & UK presence.(Opens in a new browser tab)
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.
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.
Our interactive kiosks and device enclosures help companies drive revenue, improve efficiency and overcome sticking points in their user journey.
Our sleek and intuitive designs ensure the technology enables and empowers employees and consumers alike.
STANDARD KIOSK PRODUCTS — The Core Range includes the following five series:
H-Series
The H-Series stands for Halo-Series and is the cornerstone of our state-of-the-art product range, providing the complete modularity of tablet and screen enclosures. The H-Series is ideally suited for being used as a self-check-in, self-service POS, registration, endless aisle, and wayfinding kiosk.
K-Series
The K-Series is our classic floor-standing self-service kiosk, designed to encourage maximum interactions with the user. Stylish and welcoming, with ample space for your branding and device integrations, the K-Series is ideally suited to be used as a banking kiosk, key-drop services, and a check-in kiosk.
P-Series
The P-Series represents our Podium-Series and offers an aesthetically clean yet contemporary styling complementary to its environment. It accommodates various configurations and components while minimizing the overall footprint and optimizing user engagement. The P-Series incorporates our modular kiosk enclosure solution and offers a range of innovative check-in airport kiosks, visitor management kiosks, and more. The series has proven use cases in retail, airlines, leisure, and gambling.
S-Series
The S-Series is our wall-only digital kiosk solution. The series ranges in size from an 8″ tablet to a 10.5” table with the option of one additional component. It is ideal for being used as a visitor management kiosk, check-in kiosk and retail kiosk solution.
T-Series
The T-Series is a unique, multi-screen check-in kiosk solution integrating multiple screen terminals into a single-floor standing kiosk pedestal unit. It allows for multiple customer interactions while utilizing the space in the best configuration possible. This is an ideal kiosk for visitor management in places such as gyms, gambling, and a wide range of retail where there is a high volume of users and limited space.
All Core Range models are fully brandable and highly configurable to suit a wide range of components & peripheral devices. Each range series are robust, easy to maintain, future-proof, and lock securely for hidden cable management.
We design and build innovative, interactive kiosks to make technology more accessible for all types of customers in virtually every industry worldwide.
imageHOLDERS innovation has been recognized around the world. Notably, we were recognized for international trade and awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in 2021. We are proud of our service and product and honored for this to be consistently realized.
WINNERS OF
The Queen’s awards for enterprise: International Trade 2021
imageHOLDERS is one of the 205 organisations nationally to be recognised with a prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise. imageHOLDERS has been recognised for its excellence in international trade.
Here are the short links for our latest in ADA kiosk news. For more information on any of these technologies and/or products send an email to [email protected]
LAST CALL for comments on ANSI EV roadmap which includes accessibility and ADA
JAWS For Kiosks at NRA – Booth 6966 – Also companion webinar May 2 (registration link included). You can attend webinar on May 2, 2023 with Matt Ater, Vice President at Vispero, about the process of developing an accessible smart payment experience. Register for the webinar today.
BeMyEyes adds AI visual scan via mobile with conversational description of what “it” sees. Great aid for visually impaired.
ADA & AI — EEOC’s Artificial Intelligence Guidelines and the Risk of Class Action Litigation
Deadline May 1st for ANSI EV Infrastructure comments which include accessibility standards
South Korea has been a large market for ADA and assistive technology (much like Japan) and one of their products that has been in development for the last couple of years has been released.
Braille Tablet with Tactile Navigation
NEW Braille Tablet with Tactile Display — DOT KIOSK — Dot Kiosk is a fully modular accessible hub. We’ve rolled out this smart infrastructure solution for all 114 stations and national museums in S.Korea. Also, we’re also rolling out this system for Vienna International Airport this June. As we have our own patented tactile/braille display, we’d like to collaborate our work with a US partner who complies with ADA standards. It would provide an intuitive assistive technology solution for all users, including senior citizens and foreign language speakers.
A person stands at a large interactive touch screen kiosk, engaging with content that seamlessly transitions from digital images of a dragon to tactile elements akin to a Braille tablet. The modern setting features yellow steps in the background, enhancing the vibrant atmosphere.
A persons hand rests on a tactile display screen with raised dots, likely part of a braille tablet for the visually impaired. A section of a computer screen and keypad can be seen nearby.
A person pressing a green button on a machine equipped with several buttons and switches, alongside a braille tablet. The panel includes a red button and a display with Korean text. The individual is wearing a beige top and black pants.
Multiple articles on the new Alaska Air announced policy of removing check-in kiosks and forcing mobile only. We don’t fly very often and are in the TSA program. Still, we tend to print boarding pass to have as safety valve in case we forgot to charge the mobile. Thanks to Hilton Schwartz of Canada ADA pointing out some news.
Notable articles
Live And Lets Fly 4/19 — By late 2024, Alaska plans to introduce facial ID recognition which will streamline the process even further. My Prediction: This Will Not End Well For Alaska [reasons given] — Do you still print boarding passes or use check-in kiosks at airports or is it all done on your smart phone?
Removing Portland kiosks — Alaska has already eliminated check-in kiosks in Las Vegas; Indianapolis; Cleveland; Missoula; and Boise. The airline of course says this isn’t about cost, it’s about the environment, since this will “cut down on paper use” as they encourage you to use larger full sheets of paper from your home printer.
The first airline to introduce check-in kiosks at the airport will be the first to get rid of them. Alaska Airlines is removing the kiosks this year from its main airports, including Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Anchorage. It’s part of a plan announced Tuesday to spend $2.5 billion over three years on to upgrade passenger technology in airport lobbies. The plan is to transition to a fully self-service experience for check-in and baggage drop-off, with the goal of getting passengers through a lobby and to the security line in five minutes or less, the company said.
The check-in kiosks will be replaced with iPad stations — essentially an iPad and credit card reader on a stand — where the passenger can pay for a checked bag and print the paper bag tag.
The next step involves adding self-service stations, beginning in spring 2024, where the passengers can drop off their bags. The machine will scan the passenger’s face, identification, and bags before the passenger places the bag on a conveyor belt to be loaded onto the aircraft.
Alaska is continuing to experiment with an electronic bag tag, as well, as the first U.S. customer of Amsterdam-based startup Bagtag since 2022. Through that program, travelers can purchase the reusable electronic tag and attach it at home, using their phone to connect it with the airline’s baggage system.
Long-time kiosk veteran Ed Crowley has become Managing Director for Cyntra. Cyntra is software-centric and focused on QSRs. We’ve included a picture of some Burger King “dashboard” reporting. Ed started in the kiosk industry back in June 2000 when he joined Ed Caldwell at 5Point. TeamLinux which did a lot of work for NCR was also in the mix. Ed stepped up as the main sponsor when Kiosk Industry reinitialized the Kiosk Hall of Fame. Ironically working for Cyntra is working for Sanjeev Varshney who started Cyntra in 2019 after long stint with Ralph Lauren. Cyntra provides software we think for NCR.
Ed has often gone by “Kiosk Gypsy” and that is because, over the years, he has attended and traveled to more shows than anybody we can think of. Thanks!
From LinkedIn
After a few months of consulting for some former and new clients, I am very pleased to announce that I have joined the new Cyntra (CyntraLabs) team working alongside Sanjeev, Himanshu and the domestic and international teams in building a strong solutions team focusing on QSR, restaurant, retail markets, along with a solid RFID practice. I will focus on building North American sales, business and partner development and enterprise client engagements. We will officially launch the new Cyntra at the National Restaurant Association (NRA) show next month in Chicago, highlighting our new Solutions as a Service (SaaS), focusing on self-service kiosks, POS, mobile POS, reporting and analytics, and RFID practice and legacy integration services. This position will still allow me to fulfill all my consulting obligations and duties to ensure a smooth transition.
As many of you know, I have been in the kiosk, digital signage, wayfinding, managed services and consulting business for well over 25 years, founding or co-founding five successful startup organizations My last endeavor as a consultant and then a full-time employee for Harbor Retail was very rewarding, helping to build the retail experience and convenience solutions technical teams and aligning these digital solutions to meet Harbor’s market strategy and growth.
This new opportunity will allow me to feel that entrepreneurial excitement again and assist the Cyntra team in evolving and promoting these next-generation self-service, mobile and RFID solutions to offer our clients some true Rapid Operational Value.
Please visit Cyntra at the National Restaurant Association (NRA) Show in Chicago next month, May 20th-24th. We will be in the North Building, Tech Pavillion, Booth 6578 and you can get NRA show information here –> https://www.nationalrestaurantshow.com/
Nice April Fools poke by Bart Foster on LinkedIn proclaiming thousands of deployments of SoloHealth vision screening units. Solohealth was (and still sort of is) a super major project, and there are lots of stories around the project. Included is one from the 2008 KioskCom Expo and Digital Signage Show in Vegas. We worked on the kiosk (original engineering, design and manufacture) while at Kiosk Information Systems. The software initially was done by Netkey. Shortly after the award, Netkey was able to point to this project and sell itself for a pretty penny to NCR (Dusty Lutz managed) before eventually vanishing. Here is old NCR page, datasheet and 2009 press release. It should be mentioned that Dell played a big role in this project. Not sure how downstream that played with NCR.
The vision kiosks check near and distance visual acuity, educate people on the important of eye health, and if necessary, suggest nearby eye doctors where a comprehensive eye exam can be administered.
APRIL FOOLS! ⚡️🎉
Believe it or not, this picture was taken in April of 2008 — 15 yrs ago. Despite having the right technology, the right regulatory approvals, the right team, and the right partners, the vision kiosk didn’t scale. As the Founder & CEO of SoloHealth, I was devastated and felt like a failure. 👎🏻
What I believed was “inevitable” was met with resistance from powerful associations, representing independent eye doctors, who worried the kiosks were going to replace them.
Instead of giving up, SoloHealth (now Pursuant Health) kept pushing. We added blood pressure, body mass index, and a series of health risk assessments; creating the SoloHealth Station. Eventually we scaled nationwide.
For all the innovators trying to bring disruptive technology to market, keep pushing and “Accelerate the Inevitable” 🚀
Lessons Learned
There is no substitute when dealing with a very complex project for using an extremely competent engineering and design company (in this case Kiosk Information Systems).
Back Stories from KioskCom (feel free to send us your own)
Click for full size — vision screening kiosks Solohealth
Craig Keefner – one of my favorite stories is the Awards competition and Solohealth. The company I worked (Kiosk Information Systems) for did the initial engineering, design and manufacture. We entered the Solohealth unit in the competition for Best of Show. It was 30 minutes before the judges were due to stop by and one of the LCDs inside failed. The eye diagnosis mech was actually two LCDs, one external and one internal which is really cool. Anyway, I needed a 17″ Dell LCD and needed it badly. I scanned the show floor and spotted one unattached on the Eloutouch/SITA counter with nobody around. I grabbed it, left a short note, and ran to the booth where we furiously installed it and 30 seconds after we finished — the judges showed up. Bart Foster was ecstatic. We won first place…
Original RFP excerpt
SoloHealth LLC (“SoloHealth™”), is an early stage company positioned to capitalize on the growing consumer preference for self-directed health care services. SoloHealth™ is commercializing technology originally developed within Ciba Vision, a Novartis company. SoloHealth’s inaugural product, EyeSite™, is an interactive kiosk that provides a free customized vision report and then directs consumers to an eye care professional nearby. For more information about SoloHealth, please visit www.solo-health.com.
SoloHealth invites your company (“you” or “your” or “Candidate”) to participate in a Request-for-Proposal (“RFP”) for Kiosk manufacturing services to SoloHealth and its affiliated companies (see Appendix “A” for affiliate definition).
SoloHealth wishes to engage suppliers to partner with to manufacturing the EyeSite™ product line of kiosks (“EyeSite” Gen 4.0) for the U.S. and potential for global distribution. These kiosks will be placed in across the nation starting in one geography and placed in multiple classes of trade (i.e. mass merchandiser, malls, drug store, hospital, etc.). A staggered national geographic rollout of kiosks is initially anticipated. The kiosks will incorporate software developed by Netkey, remotely monitored and control via the Netkey platform and networked via Netkey’s manager software platform.
Information necessary for you to review and respond to this RFP is provided below.
Comments
Alex Richardson — Thx Craig-a fun project with Bart–a true visionary. A lot of smart people in NYC and Silicon Valley work on fixing “small” problems. This Self Service Vision Solution attacked a “big” problem in the eye care marketplace.
McDonalds kiosk 2001 Kiosk Information Systems Denver
Robert Ventresca — Hi Craig – all is well here, hope same for you. Bart notes that the Solohealth vision screening kiosk program had all the right management, components and partners. Looking back on some of the other projects we at Netkey (and others in the industry) were involved in during that time, it’s pretty clear that many of the kiosk initiatives that didn’t take off were likely just a bit ahead of their time in the pre-smartphone age. If you think of a kiosk as a publicly-accessible, multi-user app (detached from a phone), folks are much more familiar with the self-service workflow paradigm to accomplish a task today than in the early 2000’s. Not to say there weren’t successful kiosk projects then, it just wasn’t as widespread as expected. I used a kiosk at Mcdonald’s today to order my Filet-O-Fish for lunch on Good Friday. That would have been unheard of in a high-volume fast-food restaurant in 2008!
Videos
Press Release
ATLANTA – April 29, 2008 – At the recent KioskCom Self Service Expo in Las Vegas, SoloHealth walked away a clear winner in the eyes of the self-service industry. They achieved an admirable “hat trick” of awards, being recognized by industry judges for the Best Healthcare Deployment, Best New Innovation, and Best in Show Awards for their self-service vision-testing kiosk. These awards are judged by a team of 12 seasoned deployers from Amtrak to Wal-Mart, and are scrutinized very carefully in terms of business model concept, application software, and kiosk hardware design and performance.
“We were very pleased, but not at all surprised, to see SoloHealth’s EyeSite kiosk so enthusiastically recognized at this event, said Tom Weaver, CMO for KIOSK Information Systems (manufacturer of EyeSite). KIOSK sees literally hundreds of new self-service applications, and this one is definitely a stand-out on many levels. The application is clearly compelling, valuable, and intuitive to consumers positioning it for very quick adoption and high usage rates. Further, SoloHealth has executed a textbook example of ROI acceleration by coupling strategic digital signage advertising with their primary interactive consumer application.”
Utilizing a third overhead digital signage screen, the kiosk draws consumers with informative video, attract loops, and in-store offers from participating vision care ad sponsors. A laser printer incorporated into the kiosk provides consumers with their customized test results, a call to action for booking an eye care appointment, and printed coupons for vision care products. “Incorporating these application elements that provide immediate consumer value ensure an attractive return for advertisers and sponsors, and ultimately the retail placement location,” said Bart Foster, CEO and Founder for SoloHealth. “Aside from the primary goals of educating consumers on the importance of eye health and encouraging regular exams, SoloHealth has answered the underlying demand of incorporating quick ROI for everyone involved in a given deployment location.”
Evidently SoloHealth investors agree on the profit viability of this model, having just granted an additional $1.8M in seed funding to the Atlanta based company. “It’s an exciting time for SoloHeath, receiving such strong endorsements from investors, retailers, consumers, and now self-service industry experts,” added Foster.
About Bart
I am the founder of BusinessOutside and Managing Director of Sanitas Advisors. We partner with companies striving to create elite teams & maximize performance. We also create unique and customized retreats for Corporate Executives, YPO Forums, Board of Directors, Family Offices, etc.
I have experience leading public and private companies in the U.S. and Europe, both as an entrepreneur and intrapreneur; with a focus on innovation at the intersection of: consumer, technology & retail.
I work to bridge the gap between large multinational companies that want to be more innovative, and early-stage ventures that need the resources, capital and expertise of the large corporations.
While working at Novartis I was recognized as the Entrepreneur of the Year for developing a new business venture, which became SoloHealth (now Pursuant Health).
Prior to working at Novartis I was a Director for Peachtree Network, a successful Internet start-up based in Montreal, Canada. While there, the Company had an IPO on the Canadian Venture Exchange. I began my career with Kellogg’s in consumer marketing and sales.
I am a Father, Husband, IRONMAN Triathlete, Florida Gator and active in Young Presidents Organization (YPO). My wife Aly and I have two kids and I enjoy all things outdoors: Hiking, Cycling, backcountry skiing, open water swimming.
So What About These Days?
From Pursuant Health — With a network of over 4,600 health kiosks located in high-traffic retail pharmacies throughout the country, we enable people to regularly check in with their health when it is convenient for them. Our kiosks are HIPAA-Compliant, FDA-Cleared Class II Medical Devices that provide free biometric screenings and clinically-valid health assessments to help people understand personal health risks and track metrics over time.
Small business is by far the hardest hit since they are the lowest volume. Rates went up 26% in the last 12 months and 180% over the last decade. Monopolies do not exist for the benefit of consumers and lower inflation. Visa and Mastercard, which control 80 percent of the U.S. credit card market, centrally price-fix the swipe fees charged by banks that issue their cards even though many legal experts say the practice violates federal antitrust law.
Example case
“As the use of credit cards has become more and more prevalent, the credit card companies are making more and more money from merchants. When we first opened our business, credit card transactions accounted for approximately 40 percent of our business. Now the credit card share is about 80 percent of transactions. At the same time, fees have risen and the time taken before funds appear in our accounts gets longer. This is one more burden for merchants.” John Morman, owner of Celtic Tides gift shop, Lexington, Va.
2023 NRF Small Business Fly-in
July 11-12, 2023
Grand Hyatt, Washington, D.C.
The National Retail Federation is convening 50 small retailers in Washington, D.C., at the 2023 Small Business Fly-in on July 11-12, 2023. Attendees will focus on improving competition in the credit card payments system for retailers. They will learn about legislation and regulatory processes to address payments competition and share their stories directly with lawmakers. Attendees will be able to connect with fellow small retailers from across the country.
We encourage small businesses to sign up to advocate with us. NRF is pleased to be able to provide a limited number of travel scholarships to cover transportation and lodging for selected small business owners. Apply today using our application link. The application closes April 28, 2023.
Why attend?
Attendees will advocate for swipe fee reform and encourage Congress to support the Credit Card Competition Act (CCCA). This bipartisan bill will address the broken and unfair credit card market that’s currently dominated by two major players that set the fees and terms with which all merchants must comply. Lack of competition means credit card swipe fees continue to rise year after year, soaring 25% last year alone.
The bipartisan Credit Card Competition Act would infuse competition into the marketplace by simply requiring there be at least two competing processing networks enabled on each credit card. These reforms have the potential to save American businesses and consumers an estimated $11 billion per year.
We are convening small retailers to share their stories on how excessive swipe fees stifle growth and expansion for small businesses and make it difficult to invest in their companies by hiring more staff, buying more inventory, competing on price and even keeping their doors open in today’s uncertain and inflationary economic climate.
I hope you’ll consider applying today. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me.
Kiosks and people who are blind or partially sighted
Sabine Croxford RNIB
As part of our continuing series on accessibility, we were fortunate to interview Sabine Croxford from Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), one of the UK’s leading sight loss charities. By Evan Schuman — Computerworld Columnist,writer for TechCrunch, SCMedia, podcaster, blogger.
The convenience and efficiency of kiosks is a powerful advantage to consumers. In a world where so many people are visually impaired to varying degrees, however, it is wise to rethink kiosk features, the screen layout, compatibility with peripherals (such as headphones), kiosk placement (away from noisier areas) and overall design.
Sabine Croxford is a user experience evaluator at RNIB, a UK sight loss charity. Croxford argues that companies–both those who use kiosks for their customers and those who manufacture or distribute them–must take the needs of blind and partially sighted people seriously.
The first step is to focus on the three groups at issue here:
People who have no or very limited residual vision
This group might need assistance initially getting to the kiosk and generally rely on tactile information (braille and tactile markings) in addition to auditory communication (speech and beeps). They will also need text-to-speech to access the information on the screen.
Those with severe visual Impairments but who have some useful residual vision
This group might not need human help to find the kiosk initially but could benefit from sharper color contrast, brighter screen lighting, clear layout and more intuitive placement of icons. This group might also rely on tactile and auditory information.
Those with visual impairments who rely on clear visual information
This group generally relies on clear visual information and less on tactile and auditory information. This also includes people who might not have their reading glasses ready, or those waiting for an operation (e.g. cataract). It is important to realize that most people with a sight impairment have some residual vision, so clear visual design will benefit many users. For example, in the U.K., about 93 percent of people who are registered as blind/severely sight impaired have some vision.
For people without–or with very limited—residual vision, the first challenge is helping them locate the kiosk. Arrangements must start with the environment, and this could include tactile signposting. For example, one of the examples is tactile paving that leads up to the kiosk. Raised paving on the floor that customers can feel through their footwear or with their cane can be instrumental in helping those people find the kiosk. Clear lighting is also key and will help many users.
Once people arrive at the kiosk, the experience must combine visual, tactile and auditory information. Audio has historically been done through a headset that the end-user connects to the kiosk through a cable. This raises two issues. How does the customer know where the headphone socket is? And are there other connection options to consider, such as wireless (typically Bluetooth). Having a bright light next to the connection port for the headset and to ensure the socket is tactile will help many people. In addition, the headphone socket should have clear visual design and ideally be in a standard location. And wireless connections bring in the issue of pairing difficulties and it will exclude people who do not have a smartphone.
To make the kiosk accessible for people who cannot use the visual interface, it is also key to make it accessible with speech. “It is better to consider accessibility at the start rather than as an afterthought,” Croxford said. The kiosk interface can deliver far more flexibility for those who can see, obviously. Clear Graphical User Interface (GUI) design is critical as most people have some residual vision and will use this as much as possible. A clear font type and size with good contrast is key. Yellow text, for example, on a light background is not very easy to see.
“Kiosk interfaces must be designed with the entire user journey in mind. You need to look at the process from start to finish,” Croxford said. “Make sure that the whole process is accessible and it is crucial to carry out user testing. Make sure to include visually impaired customers and people with other disabilities.” Although some might fear that functionality works against aesthetic design, this does not need to be the case. It’s up to the designers to make it look attractive.
HIMSS 2023, Booth 7431 – Making Technology Accessible
Storm Interface are pleased to announce their participation at this year’s HIMSS Global Health Conference & Exhibition, the most influential health information technology event of the year.
All self-service applications must be compliant with The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and those designed for use in medical related situations are no exception. Kiosks used for checking in at a doctor’s office,or the blood pressure monitoring kiosks found in grocery stores must be usable by those with disabilities.
Touchscreens are often relied upon to provide the customer interface, but this primarily visual experience discriminates against those who cannot see, read or interact with content presented exclusively on a visual display or touchscreen.
The ADA is intended to ensure that those citizens with impairments or disabilities are not denied access to services, information or products offered by self-service technology. Kiosks and other digital interfaces are increasingly deployed in healthcare applications. There have recently been ‘landmark’ lawsuits filed against high profile providers of medical and diagnostic services, citing non-compliance with the requirements of ADA and other accessibility standards.
Kiosk Innovations – Kiosk Innovations is proud to produce unique and original designs that not only stand out from their surroundings but incorporate ever-changing technological innovations. https://www.kioskinnovations.com
Pyramid America Inc. – Pyramid, in collaboration with selected partners, provides medical providers for self-service in the healthcare sector with modern and efficient kiosk terminals. https://www.pyramid-america.com
HIMSS Roundup
EPIC Welcome Kiosk Information Systems
KIOSK Information Systems at HIMSS — see EPIC iteration and case study (UNH). — KIOSK will have our patient check in kiosk in the Lenovo Lounge and Jake Davis will be speaking on the Dell stage in their booth tomorrow afternoon Tuesday, 4/18 at 1pm on the patient check-in solution.
While conversational AI circa May 2023 is a hot topic and a big tool in the “buzz bag” aka “we plan on doing that”, conversational voice AI has finally reached actual deployments. Estimates and projections are fine but real data is what counts. Meanwhile Google and Microsoft battle for available oxygen in the AI space (aka what’s our stock price today….). Would be great too if multiple spoken languages auto-accepted.
Recent “big” buzz includes Wendy’s planning on a pilot with Google. Google has been taking quite a hit on its AI efforts compared to Microsoft so its not surprising that they would ramp up their “sure, we’re going to do that” news. Might have a ways to go to catch to the empirical data Valyant has been collecting for a couple of years. Better late than never…
Excerpt from QSR Magazine — A growing number of quick-service chains have turned to AI at the drive-thru. In 2022, Checkers & Rally’s—in partnership with Presto—became the first chain to announce a nationwide rollout of a drive-thru AI solution. CKE Restaurants, parent of Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr., is experimenting with automated voice ordering solutions Presto, OpenCity, Valyant AI across the country. In addition, Del Taco revealed at the start of 2023 that it planned to expand its drive-thru AI testing with Presto. In June 2022, it was reported that McDonald’s conducted a 24-store pilot of drive-thru voice ordering in Illinois. Accuracy was in the low 80 percent range, below the 95 percent-plus mark the brand was looking for.
Sixteen Nine (Digital Signage site) covered the press release by Google and Wendy’s completely – For that matter if you look at Google Cloud Press Corner it is nothing but AI. I think they are tired of hearing they are behind Microsoft. Will made to order voice ordering minimize digital menu boards.
New system out of Korea is outdoor dual 55s with built-in voice recognition. Autoformatting menus based on height. Pretty cool stuff. KISTI is funding.
Disappointing or Reader Beware — QSR Magazine posted big story on tech trends coming in December 2022. Lots of big trigger phrases but zero mention of conversational AI. Ironically much of the content looks like it was written by conversational AI… — link
Resources
A good discriminating microphone designed for ambient public use is a good start Array Microphone
The guest check-in kiosk solution provides a streamlined self-service option for hotel guests, while reducing critical staffing gaps for hotel operators. It can fully integrate with a property’s PMS and door lock systems, enabling hotel operators to enhance guest experience with a seamless automated check-in option. Features include integration with Deepbrain AI Concierge system, integrated ID scanner, and facial recognition option.
Conversational AI Voice For Shopping Advice and Sprouts
Good conversation with Verneek, based in NYC. Their conversational AI has been deployed in supermarkets for 70+ days and getting feedback. Very impressive since dynamically generated answers are on the table and not picking from a stock stable.
The shopper scans a barcode and then conducts voice conversation with AI.
No downloading of yet another app (eliminates app-fatigue)
no typing, purely voice (but not exclusively). Women with long fingernails will like this…
Multiple conditional factors don’t scare the AI
No creepy avatar
Mobile is required but stationary shopping stations (with print) are an option (ie kiosks)
On tap is the ability to preset negative factors (e.g. never show me high sugar or high fructose for example)
Can suggest “related deals” or better deals much like Amazon does.
All in all, super-impressed with this first generation
Available and shipping. Not the usual pre-release invest in me trial balloon.
One side benefit to this is the enhancement provided to InstaCart-related picks. An employee must physically go out into the store and check stock and potential subs on a typical 5 item picklist. That eats up a ton of CPU cycles so to speak.
Note too that we have an additional demo video which is private but available on request. One of the best demos we have seen in our 30+ years we should add. [email protected] and identify yourself.
Video
Example Questions
One Quin can instantaneously answer any sophisticated question or address requests inside a given digital environment.
Inside a food shopping experience, for instance, consumers can ask:
Where can I find the healthiest dip you carry? No dairy, please! and only ratings higher than 4.
I am going vegan. Let’s add to my shopping list a high-protein snack without bad ingredients, costing under $2.
One Quin is able to provide the type of AI support that is unavailable on Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri, Google Search, or OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
About Verneek
Verneek is a deeptech AI startup in NYC. Verneek was founded in 2021 by a team of Language AI Scientists who have believed that “human language is the new machine language” for almost two decades.
Sixteen:Nine Mixer Set for June 13 at Orlando. For InfoComm in general, once again, Kiosk Manufacturer Association is an official media sponsor. Worth noting the “big” exhibitors that are KMA members includes Panasonic, LG Business and Samsung. Peerless-AV has a 50×50 for that matter. DSE is holding day long DCSE certification course with the Brawns.
infocomm 2023
FAIRFAX, Va. — InfoComm 2023, June 10-16 (exhibits 14-16) in Orlando, Florida, will present a wide-ranging digital signage program, featuring in-depth workshops, the D=SIGN conference, show floor tours, and networking mixer at Vū Orlando.
“InfoComm is the premier trade show for the digital signage community,” said Rochelle Richardson, CEM, Senior Vice President of Expositions and Events, AVIXA, producer of InfoComm. “At the show, you’ll learn from the top minds in the digital signage space, see solutions up close, and build professional connections to help you build a winning digital signage strategy.”
Here is video showing behind the scenes on show floor and the massive LG booth — What a whirlwind 3 days it has been here at the LG booth #1642. Not only being the largest small city of a footprint I can’t wait for you all to see the amazing new MAGNIT products and new LTAK transparent 4000Nit film. Also, See if you can spot our new 163” AIO, has all the same features and install style as our 136” but in a larger format @1.8 pixel pitch FullHD.
Networking Not to Miss
The Sixteen:Nine Digital Signage Networking Mixer, hosted by AVIXA will bring together integrators, designers, content creators, and other members of the digital signage community on the evening of Tuesday, June 13. This special event takes place at the ultimate digital signage destination, Orlando, which features a 155′ x 26′ immersive LED Volume, one of the largest permanent volumes in the United States.
The event is a bit different from past industry mixers, in that it is being organized by the trade show and its owner-operators, the trade association AVIXA. So registration and ticketing has been handled by that team, as well as venue selection and logistics.
Other aspects of the mixer are coming together nicely, notably creative from the monstrous LED wall in the venue – a virtual production facility that doubles up in off-hours as an events venue. This event takes place at Vū Orlando, which features a 155′ x 26′ immersive LED Volume. The big curved video wall at Vu is among the largest permanent LED volumes in the United States, and while it is there mainly for virtual film and TV productions, it also gets used after-hours for events.
Learn with the Experts
The D=SIGN conference, produced in partnership with the Digital Signage Federation, takes place on June 13 through 15, and will examine the solutions, innovations, and big ideas around digital signage.
The D=SIGN session “Is Your Legacy Digital Signage Network Ready for an Upgrade?” will explore various pain points for network operators and strategies to approach the inevitable reality of upgrading a dated system, how to navigate the process, and how to identify cost considerations for a reasonable solution. On Tuesday, June 13, join this discussion with Heather Best from Diversified, Filipe Ho from Google, Pamela Lobaton of Spectrio, and Lance Hutchinson from Alpha Video and Audio.
On Wednesday, June 14, the D=SIGN session “Touchdown! Interactive Branding Across Sports and Stadiums” will explore how sports organizations are using new visual technologies to transform the fan experience, amplify brand awareness, and cast a new spin on team history. The session features Peter Beck from Forty Nine Degrees, Steve Bayer of Daktronics, Ryan Lenocker from the Dallas Cowboys Football Club, and Lee Summers from Creative Realities.
On Wednesday, June 14, Florian Rothberg of Invidis Consulting will host the Market Insights Lunch: Digital Signage. He will share exclusive market data from Invidis covering global trends and drivers, and their impact on the North American digital signage market. He’ll also discuss how multi-channel retail, sustainability, AI, and the experience economy are shaping digital signage solutions.
The D=SIGN conference is sponsored by Google and Samsung. View the full conference schedule.
Alan Brawn, CTS, and Jonathan Brawn, CTS, of Brawn Consulting will lead the full-day workshop “Digital Signage Certified Expert (DSCE),” on Sunday, June 11. This workshop takes a business-oriented approach that allows attendees to master the formulas for successfully planning a digital signage network, including design, hardware and software selection, deployment, content creation, and ROI/ROO for digital signage rollouts. They’ll also host the full-day workshop “Digital Content & Media Expert (DCME)” on Monday, June 12. This workshop examines the impact and relevance of content, emphasizing the need to begin by clearly articulating the objectives. The workshop will review examples of the costs of content production, and various options for outsourcing.
For view full schedule of the digital signage program, visit www.infocommshow.org/event-info/digital-signage. In addition, the Technology Innovation Stage (booth 2260) will host free presentations Wednesday through Friday that will cover critical pro AV topics, including trends in digital signage.
On the Trade Show Floor
The InfoComm 2023 trade show floor will feature a digital signage pavilion showcasing content creation and digital signage software, direct-view LED displays, projection technology, and much more. Join fellow AV education professionals to take digital signage-focused tours of the show floor from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, June 14 and Thursday, June 15. The tours will provide an overview of the equipment, technologies, and considerations critical to ensuring a successful digital signage strategy. In addition, the Digital Signage Federation will have a presence on the show floor at booth 409.
To register for InfoComm 2023, visit www.infocommshow.org.
InfoComm 2023 is sponsored by Strategic Partners Blackmagic Design and Creston and Supporting Partner Shure Incorporated.
For ongoing conversations and news about InfoComm 2023, visit the InfoComm room on AVIXA Xchange, a unique community for the AV industry designed to connect thought leaders, industry-leading solution providers, and innovative manufacturers with AV solution seekers. For content and discussions about digital signage, visit the Digital Signage channel.
About InfoComm
InfoComm is the largest technology exhibition and conference in North America focused on the pro AV industry. The exhibition is produced by the Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association (AVIXA) and currently ranks as the 28th largest trade show in the United States by Trade Show Executive. In addition, AVIXA and its partners produce a global portfolio of trade shows and conferences, including InfoComm China, Beijing; InfoComm India; InfoComm Southeast Asia; Integrate; and Integrated Systems Europe.
About AVIXA
AVIXA is the Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association, producer of InfoComm trade shows around the world, co-owner of Integrated Systems Europe, and the international trade association representing the audiovisual industry. Established in 1939, AVIXA has more than 20,000 enterprise and individual members, including manufacturers, systems integrators, dealers and distributors, consultants, programmers, live events companies, technology managers, content producers, and multimedia professionals from more than 80 countries. AVIXA members create integrated AV experiences that deliver outcomes for end users. AVIXA is a hub for professional collaboration, information, and community, and is the leading resource for AV standards, certification, training, market intelligence, and thought leadership. Visit avixa.org.
From Kiosk Manufacturer Association – A couple of deadlines approaching and very nice conversational AI.
SMBs invited to NRF Small Business Fly-In in D.C. July 11-12. Topic is swipe fee reform & credit card competition. They will pay expenses. Credit card transaction fees up over 25% in last year. Link
ANSI is looking for comments (by May 1st) on Draft Roadmap of standards and codes for Electric Vehicles. Link
Bitcoin ATMs are about to be regulated in California with SB401. Transaction limits & surcharge fees. Next submittal of letters is in May with another call-in. Link
Special note – we got a private demo of just launched conversational AI. +70 days in supermarket and big surprising impact on InstaCart complications. The AI is purely voice, on your mobile, and no avatar. Link. There is a standard video but also a private super-demo. Email if interested.
Featured this month – National Restaurant Association tradeshow in Chicago is a month away. Visit our NRA portal in the meantime for a preview. We have a limited number of free passes (also for InfoComm). Meanwhile here are som other members to visit at NRA.
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
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.
1. Don’t assume all receipt printers are made equal or will integrate the same. Some use different languages and the type of application you’re developing will change your integration approach. Additionally, receipt printers aren’t like normal document printers. They have special requirements. 2. There are two main ways to develop a receipt printer into your software. Cloud-based printing setups and native setups. Cloud printing is great because it can run on any operating system since it’s accessed over the internet. It’s also great because it’s a one-shot-and-you’re-done solution, eliminating the need to develop each operating system. BUT it requires an internet connection and you’ll need to host a web server. Security concerns may arise as well. On the other hand, Native printing setups provide flexible connectivity options, including USB, USB Lightning, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, or Bluetooth. In particular, Windows and Mac development is usually easier since you use the driver. At the same time, native applications are limited to the operating system they’re designed for and may require different development for each operating system. 3. Don’t save receipt printer integration until the last minute. The later you are in the development process, the less options you’re going to have. 4. Getting a receipt printer integrated is only part of the bigger picture. Don’t forget to consider how your end users will source the hardware you’ve certified, how they will install it on their system, and who will support them if they run into technical issues. 5. If you’re feeling stuck, reach out to an expert. There’s plenty of free resources available for developers and POSGuys can connect you with them.
Excerpt: We’ve been getting a lot of questions from software developers lately asking us how they should integrate a receipt printer into their POS software. We took those questions DIRECTLY to the experts over at Star Micronics! Prefer to read? Find a summarized version here: https://posguys.com/blog/coltons-corn… Want to learn more? Have more questions? Email [email protected] or visit POSGuys.com and we’ll get you connected with the resources you need.
VIDEO
TIME STAMPS
00:55 – Overview of Differences Between Cloud Vs Native
00:01:10 – Native Application Pros, Cons, and Development Best Practices
00:06:28 – Using Cloud Printing for Cross-Platform Development
00:08:41 – Cloud Application Pros, Cons, and Development Best Practices
00:10:52 – Common Mistakes ISVs Make & How to Avoid Them
Full Text of Interview
A Transcript of our Conversation Please Note: This conversation’s transcript was generated using computer AI. There might be small grammatical errors. Please call us for more information
Colton: Hey everybody, this is Colton with POSGuys.com. Today we have something a little different here today. Over the past year, we’ve been getting a lot of requests from software developers who have been coming to us asking for our opinion on how to develop certain parts of their receipt writer for point-of-sale software. Either for new software altogether or looking to integrate a new printing solution to an existing setup. I thought that the best approach would be to get some experts on the line here. So today, I have two representatives from Star Micronics. They’re one of the industry’s largest printer manufacturers, and they do a ton of work with us here. I’ll pass it over to you all if you want to introduce yourselves, say who you are, and what you do.”
Mark (Star Micronics): Hi everyone, my name is Mark Rasho and I am the integration manager here at Star Micronics. We have one of our integration specialists here, Oreo.
Oreo (Star Micronics): Yeah, so my name is Oreo. Like Mark said, I’m one of the integration specialists here at Star. I usually work with software developers just to make sure that their solutions are integrated with the right approach.
POSGuys: Well, thank you all so much for being here. I really appreciate it. So I’ll start us off here. It’s my understanding that there are two main approaches when you’re looking to develop a receipt printer for your point of sale software. You could either go with a native application or a cloud application, and both are pretty popular nowadays. The cloud is a little more popular now than it has been in previous years. Could you all explain very briefly what the difference is between those two solutions and what some of the pros and cons might be with going either way?
Star Micronics: Yeah, so you’re right that there are two approaches to consider: the native versus cloud-based approach. With native applications, we’re typically looking at an application that’s designed for a Windows or Mac computer, similar to older library software that only runs on Windows. Native applications are limited to the operating system they’re designed for, so if you design an application for Windows, it won’t run on a Mac due to the differences in programming language and operating system.
On the other hand, cloud-based applications remove that barrier entirely. They can run on any operating system because they’re accessed over the Internet. You simply go to the application’s website and can do whatever you need to do, including printing and placing orders. Cloud-based applications are becoming more popular because they’re a one-shot-and-you’re-done solution, eliminating the need to develop for each operating system.
With native applications, you typically have a flexible connectivity type, including USB, USB Lightning, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, or Bluetooth. More recently, you’ll probably see USBC, which Android currently uses and iOS is migrating to. With USBC, you have power delivery and faster communication.
The differences between Android, iOS, and Windows typically involve the cost of the devices, with Android being more cost-effective, and the extra step you need for iOS, which requires an MFi approval from Apple to have it in the Apple Store. Windows and Mac development is usually easier as you use the driver, but we also have an SDK that gives you more control compared to the driver.”
POSGuys: At the end there, you mentioned that an SDK provides more control than a driver. Can you give an example of what that might look like?
Star: Yes, let me explain. When it comes to printing applications, one common feature is the ability to open the cash drawer. This can be done with both the SDK and the driver, but with the driver, you only have two control options: always open the drawer or never open it. That means on every transaction, the drawer will either open or stay closed.
However, with the SDK, you have more control. You can program the application to send the command to open the drawer only when it’s a cash transaction, but not when it’s a credit card transaction. That way, the drawer will only ever open when cash needs to be handed to the customer as change. This is just one example of why the SDK offers more control than the driver.
POSGuys: That’s actually a really good example. I’ve been getting a lot of requests lately from developers looking to do something just like that, as well as from end-users. So that’s a really good example.
Taking a step back, back in the day, Windows was king, and everybody had a Windows-based application. That was the bread and butter. Then we started to see these iOS applications pop up. And as Mark mentioned before, now Android is really big. So it’s kind of at this point where customers, the people that are using the software, are expecting to be able to use that software from any device that they use. That’s kind of the set expectation or the gold standard.
And I imagine with the native setup, you must have to develop a separate printing application for each type of device you want to run on, is that correct?
Star: Partially correct. It’s not a hard requirement to create a separate application for every one of those platforms. That’s something that’s becoming popular these days with cross-platform programming languages like React Native, and you have .NET Xamarin or .NET Maui now, since they moved from Xamarin. With cross-platform applications like React Native, you can use one programming language, and with that, you can use that application on Windows, iOS, and Android. Yes, you are still creating three separate applications, but you’re using one programming language, and that makes things easier. So one application you’ve already created for iOS can easily port to Android because it’s just a wrapper around the programming language it uses to make things work on the other operating systems.
It depends on what your solution is and what exactly you have in mind for this solution. It’s usually best to reach out to Chris guys; they will get you in contact with us, or you can reach out to Star directly. Then we would speak with you to get the entire scope of the project and then kind of go over what the best approach would be to develop a solution.”
POSGuys: Yeah, that’s a really good point. Okay, so keeping that in mind, let’s take another step back and look at the other type of setup we were talking about before, which is a cloud application. Could you break down for the people watching this what a typical cloud application looks like and how it works?
Star: Cloud-based applications are usually hosted on a web server and can be accessed over the internet. The biggest difference between cloud and native being that native needs direct communication with the device or the same network. This isn’t a requirement of cloud print as any device, including the printer with internet access, will be able to communicate with the server directly. Typically, there are two ways of connecting a printer to the internet: Ethernet and Wi-Fi. However, Star has created TetherLAN, which is for devices with a cellular application, such as a 4G or 5G device, tablet, cell phone, or hotspot. That device can provide internet access to the printer via USB cable, so there’s no need to have it hardwired or connected to Wi-Fi. A 4G or 5G device is going to start being able to do that, and this is great for franchises who want a turnkey solution, as it opens up more options for them.
POSGuys: That’s a really good point, and I imagine that gives the end users a lot more flexibility with how they want to lay out their stores. In this day and age, end users are expecting to be able to use the software in a number of different ways, and how the changing landscape of what a retail or hospitality application looks like is something that’s really important for our people.
We’ve been in the weeds a lot technically speaking, so I wanted to kind of get us out of that for a moment. I know I see a lot of software developers and end users make some common mistakes, but I’m interested to hear from you all since you are working with these software developers every day. What are some of the really common mistakes that you’re seeing ISVs making when they’re starting to develop their software to work with your printers?”
Star Micronics: I think the biggest mistake that we see developers make or companies make as a whole when they’re trying to develop point-of-sale solutions is that they bring up their drawing board to go about, ‘Okay, what’s this project going to look like? What are the timelines? Stuff like that.’ But they never bring the printing portion in until the very end. So, I don’t know if it never crosses their mind that they’re going to want to print receipts for customers, but we typically see developers reach out to us when they’re in that final stage. They finish developing everything, and now it’s like, ‘Oh, we got to print a receipt,’ and then they’re like, ‘Okay, let’s reach out to the different receipt companies to see, okay, can your receipt printer work with our solution?’ This solution has already been made, so now we’re stuck in the box of, okay, we have to make it work with their solution, right? What I would say is, if you bring the receipt companies in during that initial stage, so that we can see what programming language would be best. Some SDKs are in C-sharp or Java or whatever, and if you’re using something completely different, then now you’re forced to go find a third-party library outside to get your application to work with the printer. But if we’re involved from the very beginning, not necessarily from the start of your project when the idea comes to you, but once we get to that stage of okay, we want to start developing, bring us in. Our integration team usually helps support the entire integration process, so the earlier we’re brought on, the easier things get.”
POSGuys: That’s a really good point, you know. On my side, I can’t even count on my fingers the number of times I’ve run into developers who come to me at the very last minute and say, ‘I haven’t done the receipt printer, and I have people that I need to present this to in a week. Can you help me out?’ And it’s really difficult. The other big thing, um, that my company personally deals with a lot is the Supply Chain management side of things. You know, and if you don’t sort of keep in mind the supply chain from a hardware perspective, you know, especially with receipt printers, and we’ve seen this in the last couple years, and you develop for very, very narrow types of applications that require very specific printers, it can put your end users in a really tough spot, you know? And that makes your software not look good at the end, right, when they’re not able to get the tangible things that they need to run a business. So, that’s a really good example, Oreo. Thanks for bringing it up.
Star Micronics: And, uh, I think one other example is developers think every printer works the same, right? Or when they think of printers, they’re thinking of the document printers, right, like the HP Laser, because everyone is used to like an HP printer, right? Everyone went to school printed with like HP printers, you have to go to the library to print stuff, so everyone is thinking of printers in that way, but that’s not exactly how receipt printers work. They have the emulations that they use, the kind of commands that they understand, right? Some printers are image only, some printers support text, right? So, these are things you need to consider when developing your application because the final format of the contents of the receipts determines what printer you use, right? Because if you’re, if when you’re developing your application, you’re generating the contents as images, then you can use an image printer, but with that, you can’t use a text-based printer, right? So, those are the little things to consider as well before choosing a printer or how best to generate the data for the receipt.
POSGuys: Yeah, that’s a good point. Perfect. Well, gentlemen, that sort of wraps up the list of questions that I get from most of my end users. And I really appreciate you all both for being here. If you’re watching this video now and you have any other questions, I know this was a relatively brief overview, it’s a big topic. So, if you have any questions about, you know, what sort of printers you should be using, what kind of application you should be considering, definitely feel free to reach out to us, POS Guys, and we can get you connected with Star Micronics and sort of get you off on the right foot from the very beginning. And that’s super important, as Oreo had sort of explained. So, with that, thank you all so much for being here.
Star: It’s been a pleasure to have you. Yeah, thank you so much. Appreciate it.”
We shop at Whole Foods from time to time. Part of our Costco-WholeFoods equation. Seemed like a good time to “check out” the SCO there and the return lockers. We have also added some video from Marks and Spencers grocery checkout which illustrates a common problem with touchscreens. For more on SCOs see our Lowes post which includes Target Stores and Home Depot.
Notes on the Wholefoods Amazon SCO
Modified unit from NCR (same as Walmart)
No cash (unlike Walmart)
We didn’t have a chance to test while in wheelchair and do the measurements.
They have an “Accessibility Mode” which you can select but other than bring up the diamond navigation there is no audio. Perhaps there is a headphone jack we missed.
The diamond nav does tab between interface options but there was no audio. There is an audio button and we made sure volume all the way up but nothing.
The measurements matter but reach and range (only) are what have been the very problems forever. Those NCR’s POS readers are way out of use for wheelchairs and highly probable for a lot of little people.
It also does not comply with PCI-POI (“must be able to PIN shield using the body”. As well as ADA 302.8 limited reach and strength and 508 (ICT) 302.2 aka: ADA Visual Accommodation.
Seriously, these mfg’s and businesses including IT dept are just clueless to accessibility being correctly provided.
The reasons for ADA 309 and 309.4 are in place for very good reasons.
Comments from accessibility expert
That NCR SCO is a really poor example of how to tackle accessibility, isn’t it??! If I had a ‘rogues gallery’ of horribly designed SCOs, I’d be adding that to it. I saw KIS’s returns kiosk at the NRF Show and it looked really slick, I must start looking out for them. I haven’t been to a Whole Foods for a while, but maybe I’ll stop by one when I’m out and about at the weekend.
Comments from NCR — promised several times but ultimately no response
Comments from Whole Foods
Whole Food Self-Check Out SCO
The Whole Foods Amazon Drop Off Return Locker
Nice unit and it was very busy.
Returning multiple items took very few minutes.
Seemed like some customers tried to open locker before time
We watched multiple customers and given the “Pick you Satisfaction” level review at the end they all opted for Very Satisfied.
Eventually the locker ran out of space and took itself offline.
Definitely free’s up the customer service people to deal with other issues
See full post on Amazon Dropoff and Return Lockers
Here is a good example of how useless antimicrobial coatings are. And our guess is that over 90% of all touchscreen touches are made actually by employees.
Not a real kiosk though it says it is. Small business is constantly taken advantage of with the “Ok to go cheap” singsong
Kiosks are easy to define but also confusing. We deal in electronic kiosks. Round structures in Turkey where village notices were published is the origin. And then came computers and electronic kiosks.
You’ll note that we often use the phrase “kiosk kiosks”. That indicates that whatever is being called a kiosk, is actually a kiosk. Many will call a collection of components scattered on a table, connected to touch screen a kiosk. It is not. The Remote Merchandising Unit or RMU is often called a “kiosk” but that is physical booth and not a machine.
A kiosk refers to a small, temporary, stand-alone booth used in high-traffic areas for marketing purposes. A kiosk is usually manned by one or two individuals who help attract attention to the booth to get new customers. Retail kiosks are frequently located in shopping malls or on busy city streets with significant foot traffic and provide owners with a low-cost alternative to market their products or services.
Google likes this description from KIOSK Information Systems
Retailers want to invigorate sales and entice customers back into physical stores with self-service options that streamline transactions. KIOSK offers a portfolio of solutions for returns, payments, endless aisle, rentals, virtual support services, and more.
Definition of Kiosks – A Long Catalog of Attempts
From Cambridge — a small building where things such as candy, drinks, or newspapers are sold through an open window
Oxford — a small shop, open at the front, where newspapers, drinks, etc. are sold. In some countries kiosks also sell food and things used in the home.
Etymology — 1620s, “kind of open pavilion” (made of light wood, etc., often supported by pillars), from French kiosque (17c.), which is (along with German and Polish kiosk) from Turkish koshk, kiöshk “pavilion, summer house,” from Persian kushk “palace, villa; pavilion, portico.” They were introduced in Western Europe 17c. as ornaments in gardens and parks. Later of street newsstands (1865), on some resemblance of shape, a sense perhaps originally in French. Modern sense has been influenced by British telephone kiosk (1928).
1472 – Mehmed II the Conqueror built the Tiled Kiosk [see Wikipedia]
A real kiosk! KIOSK in Colorado makes this one for Amazon and Whole Foods it appears to us. Click for full size…
The closest “kiosks” to those might be modern-day RMUs or Remote Merchandising Units. Digital signage displays (airport departure and arrival times) centered in airport terminals are variations of the “informational kiosk”
Definition in Today’s World
Here is a collection of “definitions” which have been proffered, attempted by various entities. Public computer systems by Los Alamos has held up pretty well for 30 years.
From Los Alamos Report 1994 –
Until recently, it was a small, rugged standalone structure often used as a newsstand, bandstand, or other commercial enterprise. The definition is evolving to include computer systems found in public places. These public computer systems are designed to provide an alternative avenue to reach information and services. The user is presented with an attractive structure that has been designed to provide a simple, friendly interface to novice computer users. It performs an easily automated task, freeing personnel from boring, tedious labor. Link
Types of Kiosks According To Los Alamos Report
They are being used as a primary tool to improve the effectiveness of limited personnel and provide easy and convenient access to a wide range of services. Most of these kiosks are built to perform one of the following functions:
To advertise a commercial product.
To collect or dispense specific information.
To exchange information, funds, and/or services.
ChatGPT 2023
— It is a small, free-standing physical structure used for displaying information or selling products or services. It typically includes an interactive screen or touchpad for users to access information or complete transactions. They are commonly found in public places such as airports, shopping malls, and train stations.
Kiosk Industry
A self-service kiosk or computer kiosk (some like an electronic kiosk) is a standalone terminal used by customers and employees to provide a self-service channel for general transactions. They can be informational (a wayfinding provides directions, for example), or they can be transactional (e.g., Verizon bill pay).
Investopedia
Refers to a small, temporary, stand-alone booth used in high-traffic areas for marketing purposes.It is usually manned by one or two individuals who help attract attention to the booth to get new customers. Retail locations are frequently located in shopping malls or on busy city streets with significant foot traffic and provide owners with a low-cost alternative to market their products or services.
KioskMarketplace 2023 Census
“An interactive, self-serve device provided by a venue, not the user, that helps the user do something that is informational and/or transactional that streamlines, automates or eliminates wait or cost.”
Here is a “Shady Kiosk” from a Dollar General store. Is this a kiosk kiosk? Nope. It is desktop monitor stuck on a table. Apparently this kiosk “cost” a dollar to make.
What They Are NOT
For purposes of market research they are not SCOs at Krogers or Walmart. Those are hybrid POS checkouts.
Measurement of: Blood pressure, Heart rate, Respiratory rate, Oxygen saturation
Resolution & Accuracy Test of RGB Camera.
Have the ability to estimate Breathing Rate via video analysis of micromotion of the head and thorax to ±1 breaths per minute
Daily, weekly or monthly population statistics for all Vital Signs measurements per kiosk, per room, per site, and per district
M.2 key M slots: 42/80 + 42/80/110 PCI-I attached PCIe Gen3 NVMe / AHCI or SATA3 SSD,
Intel’ 10/100/1000 Mbps (i219-LM and i210-AT) Ethernet ports
Enclosure Power: dual 120V outlet w/dual 2 amp USB
Operating Range: -200C to 500 C (—40 F to 122 0 F)
Control: GigE Vision w Spinnaker -Linux
