DSE is right around the corner. Here’s a glimpse of what’s happening in the self-service arena.
By Richard Slawsky contributor
Although next week’s Digital Signage Expo doesn’t include kiosks in its name, self-service devices will play a prominent role in the show.
DSE, produced by Exponation LLC, is co-located with the Digital Content Show, and will be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center March 28-31, with access to the Exhibit Hall March 29-30. The show is the world’s largest and oldest conference and trade show dedicated to showcasing digital display and interactive technology solutions. More than 200 exhibitors will be featuring technology and services ranging from the latest in displays, media players, software and networking devices to delivery methods, content and more. In addition, more than 75 conferences, seminars and roundtable discussions will held over the show’s four-day run.
Many of those exhibits and discussions will showcase self-service kiosks and associated technology.
“Kiosk technology fits perfectly with the direction of DSE,” said DSE show director Andrea Varrone. “We are seeing more and more adoption of self-service technology across all vertical markets, and in most cases this is the same buyer for digital signage technology.”
And along with some of the top names in the digital signage industry, many members of the Kiosk Industry Group will be in attendance as well. Here’s just a sampling of what will be on display.
Olea to showcase drive-thru kiosks
Olea Kiosks will be presenting publicly for the first time its new Detroit drive-thru kiosk, geared for the fast-food market.
“More than 70 percent of revenue for most QSRs comes from the drive-thru window, and with our Detroit, operators can expect even greater results,” said CEO Frank Olea.
“Our kiosk gets the customer’s order right every time, never is rude to a customer and always remembers to ask for the up-sell,” Olea said. “Some deployers of our previous drive-thru kiosk saw it drive a 15-percent revenue increase. What’s more, the Detroit has been engineered to be 30 percent more energy efficient while costing less than the unit it replaces.”
The company will also be showcasing its ticketing kiosk, Olea said.
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“We’re very proud of this unit,” Olea said. “The art deco aesthetic and reliable all-weather functionality have made it a hit at one of California’s most popular amusement parks, for example. We believe there is a strong future for ticketing kiosks, and this unit represents the leadership we’ve been able to bring to the segment.”
And finally, Olea will be demonstrating its Milan kiosks. Available with four different monitor sizes, each able to be mounted portrait or landscape, they excel at virtual reception, wayfinding, product information and more.
“The Elo touchscreens we integrate allow users to operate two applications at once,” Olea said. “For example, one part of the screen can show features of, say, a new lawn mower, while another part of the screen can show the user where to find it.”
Olea Kiosks will be headquartered at Booth 350 during the show. For a video of the company capabilities click here.
Meridian eyes the EV charging market
“Meridian is excited to be unveiling InterAct 2.0, our interactive digital signage solution,” said Stephanie Mewherter, marketing manager with the Aberdeen, N.C.-based manufacturer of kiosks, digital signage and related software. “InterAct 2.0 boasts a sleek, refined UI with integrated real-time weather information and additional levels of customization that were not available in version 1.0.”
The company will also be showing the most recent addition to its product lineup, EV Charging Stations. In conjunction with an expected increase in EV sales, the global EV Charger market is forecast to grow from more than 1 million units in 2014 to more than 12.7 million units in 2020, according to a new EV Charging Infrastructure report by IHS Inc. That promises to open an entirely new placement opportunity for kiosks and digital signage.
Meridian’s EV Charging Station includes a 240V, 32-Amp Level 2 EVSE with a 25-foot charging cable and a sleek, interactive or non-interactive touch screen. The company will be located at Booth S25 on the show floor.
Alveni to show some appetizing solutions
Austin, Texas-based kiosk solutions provider Alveni is showing its new ergonomic digital signage/kiosk, code named “Yuum,” a versatile product that can accommodate touchscreens ranging from 32” to 55” in either landscape or portrait mode. Options for Yuum include a credit card/chip reader, pin pad, 80mm printer and a barcode reader.
The kiosks are ideal for wayfinding, human resources applications, surveys, ticket or coupon printing and much more, according to Alveni’s website.
Alveni will be located at Booth S20 during the show.
St. Petersburg, Fla.-based URway Holdings is a group of dynamic companies−OneSource Interactive, EuroTouch Kiosks, URway Kiosks & PicsWare−specializing in unique interactive self-service kiosks, interactive and passive digital displays, digital directory and wayfinding displays, mobile and tablet solutions, managed digital services and strategic consulting.
EuroTouch Kiosks offers some of the world’s most contemporary and highest-quality kiosks and dynamic signage products in the industry, including a comprehensive series of indoor and outdoor kiosk and dynamic signage products for the most design-conscious clients and from the most elegant environments to the most demanding environments.
URway Holdings will be showcasing its products at Booth S12
It’s in the cards for Evolis
French company Evolis plans to show its range of four new card personalization modules at DSE, catering to the growing need for unattended card issuance for use in markets including banking, retail, education and transit. Of those, its KC200 and KC200B models will fit the most compact kiosks, while the KM500B and KM2000B models will meet the need for higher autonomy and continuous availability.
The modules offer cost-effective solutions to enable instant issuance of personalized plastic cards into any type of self-service kiosks. Plastic cards are used around the globe for ID badges, payment cards, transit passes, access badges, loyalty cards, student ID cards, national ID cards and more.
Visit Evolis at Booth S19, or click here for an advanced glimpse of their products.
OptConnect makes the connection
One of the major trends that has occurred in kiosks and digital signage over the past few years is that those devices have become thinner and smaller. The shrinking of those devices has created an increasing need for a tiny cellular router.
Kaysville, Utah-based OptConnect addresses this need with OptConnect neo, an ultra compact yet fully capable router that easily fits in the palm of your hand. About the size of a pack of gum, the plug-and-play neo eliminates the need for kiosk manufacturers to engineer and certify their own cellular hardware or to develop software drivers to keep USB modems working. In addition, neo’s self-monitoring logic automatically restores the cellular connection if it is interrupted, ensuring devices remain online.
OptConnect will be demonstrating its products at Booth S13 on the show floor.
In case that’s not enough
And if these exhibitors weren’t enough to keep attendees busy, making its second appearance at DSE is the Self-Service Pavilion, which debuted in 2016 as an acknowledgement to the rising adoption of self-service kiosks, tablets and other freestanding interactive displays and the convergence of kiosk and digital signage technology.
The Kiosk Industry Group was a driving force in getting the SSP established, and it would not have been possible without the support and direction of industry leaders such as Olea Kiosks and others.
One of the original “designers” of the pavilion is Craig Keefner who manages the Kiosk Industry Group. Craig worked with Andrea Varrone of DSE on configuration and pricing. “Self-service, transactional and interactive are the complementary technology partners for digital signs. It was a chance to expand the show audience while creating a new ‘Kiosk Show’ within it,” said Craig. “Our hope is that in the future we can help support a Kiosk Council for DSE that comprises the experts in the industry. We have meetings at DSE to discuss that very effort”.
Self Service Technology was an obvious product category to include in the DSE universe, said DSE’s Varrone.
“We created a small version of this for 2016, and expanded it for 2017 which now includes around 25 exhibitors,” Varrone said. “We are expanding the Self-Service Pavilion in 2018 even further. I see this as a huge growth area for our typical attendees (End Users in verticals like QSR and Retail).”
Along with the continuing addition of self-service technology to the show, Varrone expects DSE to continue expanding going forward, offering more and more growth and innovation.
“We are seeing many more attendees from verticals that were not as strong in previous years such as Higher Education, Corporate Communication and Transportation,” Varrone said. “We are also seeing new players coming into the market as providers of technology, such as traditional sign giants now making the transition to digital.”
Click here for a list of DSE exhibitors and here for a map of the show floor.
