A little over ten years ago self service check in units began popping up across retail and supermarket stores. Firstly greeted with a sense of suspicion and an arrogance to why the work shouldn’t be done by staff, self check in systems have become a beloved friend to us all and often the first port of call before a manned self check out service.

Paul Denimarck, who handles strategic marketing for the self checkout division at Honeywell Scanning and Mobility, the data connections and wireless communications solutions company has suggested that self service systems can be divided into one of two types; stationary and portable.

“Stationary self checkout platforms are located at the front of the store,” he said. “A customer using a stationary self checkout platform brings their merchandise to the lane, identifies the items they are purchasing with the scanners and tenders payment at the same location.

“Portable self checkout platforms disperse the transaction process at different points – the customer identifies individual items using a bar code scanner at the point of selection, and then the customer takes the items to a separate location to tender payment.”

There are a variety of different types of self service kiosks available and all work for different types of stores.

Modular Kiosk: Most commonly seen in a supermarket store. They are stand alone units most often deployed next to a few more kiosks at a fixed station.

Carousel Kiosk: Often a lay-aside area for scanned items and a larger bagging area, which is usually situated on a rotating carousel which makes the bagging process easier.

Cashier Optional: This option allows the retailer to change from a self service option to a manned kiosk instantly.

Countertop/In counter: Ideal for retailers with a single cash counter, such as convenience stores, deli’s and food areas.

Kiosk/Mobile checkout: This are versatile units that can be placed anywhere in a store. Smaller than self checkout terminals and are ideal for grab and go services and products.

Back in the day, a mobile phone was exactly what it says on the tin. Not everyone had one, and when you did it was rarely used other than to make calls. Many people would leave the phone off for days and turn it on to use it when needed.

Nowadays the mobile phone has become integral to our every day lives. Everyone has one and we would be totally lost without it. Smartphones have taken over the globe offering new features and applications that twenty years ago, many of us would’ve never imagined.

However, with these cool, trendy and fun-filled Smartphones, there comes a price. And that price can often put you in rather difficult situations and stressful moments if you are stuck of a solution.

The problem comes in a small little box known as the phone battery which can be totally drained in one day if the phone is incessantly used to make phone calls, send text messages, connect to the Internet, playing games, taking photographs and films etc.

Despite mobile phone manufacturers desperately trying to improve the battery life of their phones, they still haven’t found a quick fix solution for batteries to handle the large amounts of applications and features that these new Smartphones bring.

Fortunately there is a solution to this problem and it could be coming to a town near you very soon. Yes, a new kiosk is due to be deployed that can offer rapid phone charging for little or no money as well as a great way for business owners to get people through their doors and possibly increase their revenue.

Already a big hit in Asia, the US are looking to deploy the kiosks which will feature a set of connectors for various phone types, a monitor, touch screen options, a payment system as well as connectivity for the processing of transactions, remote management and the download of new content for the monitors.

Samsungs introduction to mobile phone charging at airports

Like the ATM, the mobile phone kiosk will provide customers with a unique solution to help ensure the mobile communication of voice and data is not restricted by the death of the battery.

And there are many businesses that can truly benefit from deploying these kiosks systems including, hotels, convention centres, airports, hospitals, bars and clubs.

For example, if you are in an airport and your flight is delayed or cancelled you may find yourself having to sit around in the airport longer than you expected. These scenarios can leave you frustrated especially if your battery is on its last legs and your charger is in your main luggage. With the mobile phone charger kiosk system your prayers are answered and you can get in touch with home to let them know that you will be late so they are not stood waiting for you at the airport.

The new mobile phone kiosk is a fantastic idea and is sure to be a big hit once deployed in shops and stores across the US. Lets just hope it hits the UK very soon.

The iPad is the latest technology to hit our world and everyone wants a piece of it. The smart and sophisticated new device has been installed with a variety of applications which are applicable to a variety of markets, from food to travel.

And not only that, self service kiosks can no be integrated with the device and many businesses are jumping on the bandwagon.

However there are some sceptics when it comes to the iPad, with people commenting on its durability etc, so we at Protouch thought we would have a look at this mad craze to see if the introduction between the two devices goes down well.

Applications

It is clear why the iPad is appealing to the kiosk industry. Touch screen technology, customisable application software, and a multi touch user interface. The only main difference is that the iPad is portable and delicately designed.

With the iPad craze, kiosk manufacturers are trying to find new ways in how they can integrate this modern technology into their offerings and services.

Brian Ardinger, Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Vice President at Nanonation said that his company has a long history of Apple-related product development and has expanded these efforts to include iOS projects for the iPhone and iPad.

“We recently showcased an application designed for sales associates in a retail enviroment at the KioskCom show in Vegas in April of this year,” Ardinger said.

Furniture company Room and Board, contacted Nanonation to feature an application which would allow users to browse inventory and provide customers with a sign up form to receive special offers.

The first iPad ticket kiosk was rolled out at the Malaysian Kuala Lumpur Airline. The SITA Lab developed the MNkiosk, which allows users to book and purchase flights, search for flight schedules and flight status and check-in, as well as choosing their preferred seat.

And retail giant Gap has also jumped on the iPad bandwagon. Its application software, developed by AKQA, is described as a ’social shopping experience.’ Users are able to customise their outfits within the Gap brand and ask for advice from sales assistants.

Versatility

Founder of iPad-kiosks.com, Blain Warkentine, is iPad business enthusiast working to get products to market. Warkentine said that service industries need to be more efficient, however the iPad may not always be an answer for them.

A prime example would be the food-service industry which demands a quick and efficient service than the iPad can currently provide if used improperly, however if used correctly it can still deliver some benefits. During rush hour lunches the iPad could be integrated into restaurants with the option to remove the iPad from its kiosk mounting offering a mobile menu for customers. This can virtually eliminate wait times. Then once the rush hour is over, the iPad can be restored back on its stand for customers to use as a kiosk to order meals.

“Every technology platform offers positives and negatives. Traditional kiosk platforms have excelled at issues such as peripheral support, remote management and enterprise integration,” Ardinger said. “The iPad doesn’t pose an immediate threat for some of the kiosks developed specifically for retail environments like the IBM Anyplace Kiosk and others. These solutions have been retail hardened, offer a variety of peripheral support options and have a longer legacy of application development.”

Some people think the iPad is a fun and cool accessory however it just isn’t robust enough for public developments.

“While these kinds of consumer-grade products are powerful and fun devices, right now they simply cannot stand up to the daily wear and tear a kiosk is subjected to,” said Bob Ventresca, vice president of marking for NCR Netkey.

Cost

Expect to be paying between $3,500-$8,000 for the touch screen kiosk, printer enclosure and software. Applications and customised materials cost within the region of $1,000 -$10,000. Extra software from$2,500-$20,000.

“Many retailers have already created apps on the App Store: Walgreen, Target, etc./” Warkentine added. “The investment was made for customers’ devices, but the need for that customer to have the app and the device is no longer required with iPad-kiosks.

“In the end though, it will come down to what experience the retailer wants to create and matching it with the technology that enables them to best develop, deploy and support it.”

Improving your brand and your loyalty to the customer is more important than ever as today’s consumers cope with tighter budgets, busier lifestyles and – in most cases – shorter attention spans.

Kiosk systems, smart phones and social media tools have dramatically boosted brand loyalty if used correctly.

With many technology devices out there, it is hard to decide which one is the best method for you and your business.

So which communication channels work best to entice consumers and keep them coming back for more?

A recent study conducted by New York-based BuzzBack Market Research found that most North American shoppers prefer retailers that enable them to shop consistently across a multitude of channels, such as kiosks, smart phones and social media tools.

More than 80 per cent of surveygoers said that they want more control over where, when and how they interact with retailers, whether it be through Facebook, iPhones or in-store kiosks.

“Consumers are time-starved, value-driven, digitally enabled and frustrated by inconsistent shopping experiences across channels,” said Mike Webster, senior vice president and general manager of retail and hospitality business for NCR Corp, who commissioned the study. “Retailers must deliver more personalised, unified reactions whether their customers are on the Web, in the store or using their mobile device. For retailers to respond to this new ear of converged retailing, they require solutions that bring these channels together.”

The detailed study on consumer behaviours focused on how consumers use self-service, social media and other technology to shop and in response, how retailers can tap into those channels. And its overall analysis found that customer loyalty is the key focus, with consumers and their desire for retailers to offer a more consistent and seamless shopping experience.

The study also looked at the value of a consistent experience across all channels as well as the value that consumers place on personalisation, such as language, payment systems, brand preference and receipt type. In response, almost half agreed that retail shopping or restaurant ordering would be faster and more convenient if they had a more personalised experience.

The highlights of the study included;

1. North American consumers are hunting for bargains and are in fact less loyal to retailers. Sixty-seven per cent said that they would switch between retailers and look for the price discounts and loyalty points.
2. Consumers are using technology to find the best deals with sixty-six per cent using the Internet more often to research products and find better deals.
3. Personalised offers and information that match their individual preferences are what consumers want. Eight-one per cent of North Americans said they would like companies to integrate social media channels into their mix of communications.
4. 40 per cent of consumers want to use mobile devices to locate retailers, download coupons and scan bar-codes.

To view the full white paper released in May 2010 at the Food Marketing Institute showcase in Las Vegas, click here.

Quick thinking companies are nowadays deploying software, linked to enterprise applications like customer data and analytics, in order to deliver timely and relevant communications across multiple points of service, based on their customer’s preferences and location.

“A new generation of consumers craves more personalisation and control over when and how they interact with retailers,” said Dusty Lutz, general manager of NCR Netkey digital signage and kiosk applications.

“Consumers are willing to reward retailers that enable a seamless, converged channel experience across Web, store or mobile channels. Retailers are responding by evaluating technology solutions that help them interact with shoppers based on their individual preferences and location to create a more compelling shopping experience.”

Driver Service Kiosk by Flying J Travel Plaza

The stereotypical image of a truck driver in the UK isn’t great. In fact, when most people think of a truck driver it generally includes a middle-aged male who is tired, dirty, hasn’t showered in a week and uneducated. This concept is unfair and rather snobbish as many dont’ see the move truck drivers have made into the modern age.

For starters, the route of most trucks is tracked by a global positioning system, with music playing over a satellite radio and the driver most likely to be chatting on an integrated hands free mobile phone system.

And it’s not just the trucks that have gone tech savvy as technology has come to the truck stop. Today more and more drivers are stopping at self service kiosks before even ordering a cup of coffee.

Drivers today must meet a set of regulations set by the Government. From logging the amount of time they spend behind the wheel to maintainance of the truck. On top of this the rising fuel costs are forcing drivers to cut costs wherever and whenever they can.  

Because of this, more and more kiosk systems are enabling truck drivers to manage their time behind the wheel.

Flying J Travel Plazas is just one company that has deployed kiosks to serve its drivers. A Driver Services Kiosk provides fax services a fax mailbox, copy services and a driver load exchange board. The kiosk also offers calling cards for sale and even allows drivers to arrange for the delivery of flowers to loved ones back home.

They also act as an Internet kiosk providing access to the World Wide Web as well as a Scan & Go Express Fuel Desk Scanner which enables drivers to scan shipping documents and send them to the corporate office. 

One of the kiosks servers as a Truck Driver Kiosk, allowing drivers to obtain receipts for many of their transactions in the Pilot store without having to wait in line at the checkout. A second kiosk is also dedicated to human resources applications.

“Our driver customers depend on these services, as their truck is a moving business office and theny need access to technology to conduct their business and communicate with their home offices,” said Gary Barlow, president of Flying J Communications.

In September 2009, Knoxville, Tennassee based Pilot Travel Centres began deploying self service kiosks in its own locations around the country. Pilot operates 306 travel centres in 29 states across the US.

Some of the pilot kiosks allow customers free access to the Internet while drivers are on the go.

Petro Travel Centres needed a digital device to maintain a connection with their travelling customers and truckers. Kiosks were installed across 60 Petro Travel Centres across the US so that the Petro brand could communicate with 250,000 customer cardholders as they redeem gas purchases for coupons.

“When you think about it, this is the only way to communicate with a group of customers that is continually moving around the country,” said Brian Ardinger, chief marketing officer with Nanoation, the manufacturer of the Petro branded kiosks.

The kiosks are actively promoted on video trailers of DVD movies for sale at Petro locations, as well as special promotions for other Petro amenities. Each card reader features a touch screen, card reader, printer and durable enclosure all designed to maximise the ease of use, functionality and return on investment.

For more information about interactive kiosk systems that can provide different channels of communication for your staff, then speak to Protouch today. As the leading manufacturer and distributor of touch screen technology across Europe the team are expertise in deploying successful kiosk systems that benefit individual businesses needs and requirements.

Wine kiosk at Pennsylvania grocery store

So, in December 2009 the Government body who issue the alcohol licenses decided to pilot two wine kiosks across grocery stores in the state.  And the launch last week did not receive a warm welcome for many local citizens or opposing Government and Union bodies.

Implemented by The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) two of the wine kiosks began operating at local grocery stores in Dauphin and Cumberland counties.

Over the next 30-45 days the beta test machines will be closely monitored and if all goes well, PLCB Chairman P.J Stapleton said they will start the rollout of 98 more machines statewide, giving wine drinkers in Pittburgh the chance to buy a bottle or two from a vending machine by autumn 2010.

The 40-square-foot machines will operate from 9am to 9pm, Monday through to Saturday. More than 53 types of wine stored at 62 degrees will be available to purchase from the kiosk system. Prices will range from $10-$20 a bottle.

Users are asked to swipe their drivers license and then look at a high definition camera to allow a worker at a call centre to verify identity of the purchaser. Once approved, the customer has to blow on a screen housing a Breathalyzer. If a breath of alcohol level of .02 or higher is detected, the consumer will be unable to make the purchase.

The kiosks touch screen also guides shoppers through the wine selection process and offers food pairing tips.

Wine kiosk vending machine

All the machines are to be placed in grocery stores but the final list of locations has not been confirmed.

Stapleton said, “Consumers are yearning for additional consumer convenience. Customers are going to local supermarkets to pick up a couple of great steaks and bring them home for dinner and now they can bring home a cabernet to have with them.”

At present, Pennsylvania is the only state using such kiosk systems.

Their are many people who have been outraged by the kiosk, including the union that represents the state store employees. The Independent State Store Union spokesperson, Ed Cloonan, said, “Cigarettes are banned from being sold in vending machines in Pennsylvania supermarkets and yet Americans’ number one drug of choice will now be vended only in Pennsylvania by the PLCB.”

Cloonan has coined the wine kiosks ‘Rube Goldbery-like contraptions.’ In retaliation to the kiosks, The Independent State Store Union has filed suit in Commonwealth Court to stop the placement of wine vending machines in grocery stores. “Alcohol is not a Red Box DVD – it is the most abused drug in every town, city and state in the USA,” says David Wanamaker, Vice President of ISSU.

And it’s not just the Union that are unhappy.

At the blog The Wine Culture Project, the kiosk has been singled out as the ‘worst wine idea of the year.’ Writer John Kafarski laments what it will do to the wine buying experience, turning the product into ‘nothing more than soda in a vending machine.’ Shoppers will be unable to look at a bottle, hold it in their hands and read the labels before committing to the purchase.

One person had a major issue with the breathalyser function, not only that you are putting your mouth up close to something that other people are also breathing into, and it’s not being cleaned between uses, but the fact that there is need for this function for the kiosk to work within regulations in the first place.

“I think that it is incredibly restrictive,” said Neal Ward, sommelier at The English Grill in Louisville, Ky, a AAA Four Diamond restaurant with a wine cellar that is considered to be one of the best in the Midwest. “You have to prove that you are not drinking in order to buy a bottle of wine? Come on, that smacks of Big Brother. I don’t see where forcing a person to take a breathalyser test serves any purpose other than to frustrate the consumer.”

According to the PLC press release, the breathalyser is set to the state’s zero tolerance level of .02 blood alcohol – so in other words, if a shopper has had a beer with dinner, he would be unable to complete the purchase.

We’re not entirely sure that’s true. Over the last thirty years there’s been another major revolution in retail – one that’s distinctly less observable for analysts and technology enthusiasts. It’s a revolution in self service, particularly in the massive progress caused by self-service kiosks and user-powered utilities in hundreds of industries.

We’ve picked seven of the world’s biggest industries, and highlighted exactly how self-service has contributed to their ongoing success. From multi-million dollar retail chains to key public facilities, the impact of self-service kiosks and interfaces is undeniably huge. With experts predicting multi-billion dollar savings and major strategy changes, this is one revolution that can’t be ignored.

1. Grocery Stores and Supermarkets

If there’s a single shining star of the self-service world, it’s the grocery industry. Faced with lowered profit margins and high staffing costs, self checkouts and interactive kiosks have helped thousands of major grocery outlets keep their budget balanced and their profits high.

Studies have demonstrated a six-hundred percent boost in employee efficiency when self-service checkouts are implemented, allowing businesses to cut staffing costs while simultaneously raising their overall output levels.
Despite early security hiccups, self-service checkouts are also relatively safe. Weight sensors and other helpful additions have kept theft levels low, while the monitoring and assistance of employees allows even the least technically minded user to operate a self checkout unit easily. Consumers and businesses are in agreement: self-service checkouts are great for the grocery industry.

2. Air Travel

Airlines have been using self check-in technology for almost twenty years, although the service has only found a wider audience within the past decade. Statistics from 2006 peg the rate of self check-in usage at eighty-six percent, indicating that long haul travelers are quickly growing fond of the efficient check-in and baggage register method.
But it’s not just airlines implementing self-service kiosks – a large number of immigration services are now opting for the automated devices. Passport scanners are now available in a number of EU and Australasian airports, giving flyers an alternative to standing in endless passport control lines.

3. Cinemas and Entertainment

Over the past decade, self-service kiosks have crept their way into cinemas and other entertainment booking areas. Once used almost exclusively for film information, a large percentage of UK cinema chains now use interactive kiosks for ticketing, feature film information, and previewing upcoming events.

While the new technology may have dulled the casual matinee environment, it’s certainly found support in theatergoers and cinema operators. With dwindling margins and a greater reliance on confectionary purchases, cinemas have been able to focus their staffing efforts on the snack bar, cutting the cost of staffing and boosting efficiency at the same time.

4. Digital Media, Movies, and Music

Currency kiosk firm Coinstar certainly hit the mark when it bought a share of Redbox in 2005. The McDonald’s funded company offers a variety of movies for rent through its kiosk network, allowing users to pick up the latest and greatest theatrical releases from as little as one dollar per night.

After passing the 100 million rental mark in February 2008, Coinstar bought the company outright for almost $180 million. The company, one of several movie rental operators using kiosks, plans to offer Blu-ray movies and television series within the coming months.

It’s not just Redbox that’s making waves in the self-service media world, either. Apple’s much-loved iTunes Store started offering movie rentals in 2007 and continues to do so today, alongside its huge and ever-expanding archive of classic albums and artist singles. Apple recently announced their ten-millionth sale – an important milestone in online self-service media sales.

5. Public Transport and Rail Travel

Commuters have been making use of self-service kiosks for almost two decades. With the ubiquity of automatic ticketing desks and automated account systems, it’s no surprise that a growing number of the world’s public transportation networks have been able to report healthy income figures.

Alongside the immense success in light rail ticketing systems and bus passes, several cities have seen successful results from self-service bicycle loan programs and communal transport solutions. Self-service kiosks remain a common sight along toll roads and major highways, letting motorists cut down on the amount of time required to pay travel costs and usage fees.

6. Fashion and Retail Shopping

What could possibly cause the world’s most exclusive fashion brands to adopt a kiosk-only retail strategy? Huge boosts in customer satisfaction and loyalty. While self-service kiosks are a common sight in major shopping malls and department stores, the latest retail developments have seen them appear in high-end boutiques and luxury lifestyle shopping centers.

It’s not just high-end stores that are seeing the benefits of a self-service strategy, though. Shopping mall operators are increasingly opting for self-service information booths as an alternative to help desks, slimming staffing requirements while simultaneously making information more accessible.

Many of the world’s largest retailers have implemented self-service kiosks within their stores. Book stores continue to lead in self-service usage figures, while entertainment and multimedia stores have started to report high interactive kiosks usage rates despite low levels of consumer demand.

7. Catering, Restaurants and Food Services

Workplace cafeterias have enthusiastically adopted self-service kiosks, allowing users to place their orders more efficiently and easing the duties of serving staff. With the workweek forever extending and free time in a constant shortage, employees seem to be opting for self-service ordering systems in order to cut down on wasted rest time.
Touchscreen kiosks are also becoming popular in the commercial restaurant world, where both staff and customers are benefiting from more efficient ordering systems. Kiosks are often used to record customer orders and make notes on meals, allowing wait staff to accommodate diners with specific dietary requirements.

There is tension arising in the DVD kiosk industry after Coinstar Inc announced a multi-year deal allowing redbox to offer day-of-release DVD and Blu-ray titles from Paramount Home Entertainment Inc.

Industry insiders have speculated that the new agreement will encourage other studios to strike similar deals with DVD kiosk companies such as redbox and NCR Corporation, which has already deployed about 6,000 Blockbuster Express-branded DVD-rental kiosks in the past year.

“Our BLOCKBUSTER Express kiosks currently offer day-of-release titles because we purchase them from third party retailers, but we continue to have discussions with studios about licensing agreements that would allow NCR to get day of release titles directly from the source,” said Jeff Dudash, a spokesperson for NCR’s DVD kiosk division.

The deal between redbox and Paramount was reached following a 10-month trial license agreement and analysis, which concluded that day-and-date rentals at kiosks had minimal impact on DVD sales, according to a statement issued by redbox.

“After analysing the data from our test period we have concluded that redbox day-and-date rental activity has had minimal impact on our DVD sales,” says Dennie Maguire, Worldwide President of Paramount Home Entertainment, said in a press release. “By granting redbox day-and-date availability we are allowing the consumer a choice of how to consume our movies while maximising the profitability of our releases in the home entertainment window.”

President of redbox, Mitch Lowe, said that the arrangement is a “win, win and win for consumers, Paramount and redbox.”  About $575 million is expected to be spent to the studio during the course of the agreement, which runs through to the end of 2014, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Stocks for both Coinstar, parent company of redbox, and rival Blockbuster Inc zig-zagged everywhere last week and for Blockbuster the ride isn’t over. The company had a meeting in Dallas last week which scheduled them to vote on board nominees, including a controversial bid for director Gregory Meyer who founded a DVD rental kiosk business in 2001 that was later sold to Coinstar Inc.

Blockbuster began issuing press releases urging stockholders to vote in favour of incumbent director Gary Fernandes instead of Meyer. A live audio webcast of the meeting will be available viat the Blockbuster’s investor relations site at http://investor.blockbuster.com.

Paramount’s strength as a major player among studios seems to continually expanding. This summer’s DVD and Blue-ray releases include Martin Scorsese’s ‘Shutter Island’ with Leo DiCaprio.

For more information about kiosksystems and how they can improve your business visit Protouch.co.uk.

The latest high-tech gadget, the iPad, is putting consumers into the ever-changing position of  ‘buy or don’t buy.’ Is it worth to pay the extortionate prices for the latest gadget on the market?

While consumers sit and wonder how to spend their cash, developers of the self service industry are finding ways to integrate the iPad into their systems to keep up-to-date with the advanced technology, and whether the move to do it will actually be worth it.

The Apple iPad launched in April 2010 sent the tech insiders, gadget lovers and hungry media into a spin. Coined as the crossover of all technologies the iPad acts as a laptop, mobile device, television, radio and iPod.

And while the iPad is still young and its full implications are still being defined, the self service industry are investigating ways to incorporate it into their products and services.

“There is a lot of hype about the iPad, but very few people have actually touched one,” said Brian Ardinger, CMO for software developer Nanonation. “There are a lot of things that aren’t known about how it will work in the long term.”

However these thoughts haven’t crossed the mind of some technology driven customers who wanted the iPad before it had even been made.

“As soon as it was announced, our phones were ringing with clients wanting to apply it,” said Ardinger.

In April 14-15th Nanonation unveiled a suite of iPad applications at KioskCom in Las Vegas. The apps were designed to leverage the iPad’s perceived strengths for both customer – and employee – facing applications.

This could feature a variety of programmes including employee-carried iPads with readily available customer service information, or iPad-based employee training materials that can easily be updated and deployed during the workday.

The iPad’s 9.7 inch (diagonal) screen,  touchscreen interface, ability to communicate via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 3G connections, and its assisted GPS capabilities could make it very well-suited to applications requiring high mobility, frequent updates and an easy-to-use interface.

“We are looking at what engagement our clients are trying to create-that helps determine what platform is best suited to make that happen,” he said.

Ardinger said that the company’s experience developing applications for Apple’s iPhone helped smooth the transition into this new technology.

However, the iPad isn’t bringing smiles all round for everyone.

One of the biggest affects the Apple iPad could have is on the DVD kiosk rental world, with the introduction of the movies and television programmes installed onto the iPad.

Users will be able to install an application which allows them to watch movies and tv shows streamed to the mobile device instantly.

“The innovation and consumer appeal of the iPad make it a perfect device for instantly watching TV episodes and movies streamed from Netflix,” Netflix co-founder and CEO Reed Hastings said in a company press release.

This may see DVD -rental kiosks such as NCR’s Blockbuster Express industry giant redbox depend on the success of the iPad.

And the success of the iPad is set to grow as Apple projects sales of more than seven million units in 2010. as well as being seen as the highest competitor for the DVD rental market share.

With any new technology device comes questions, glitches and scares of new competitors etc. But it is still early days for the iPad and its tech savvy applications may not meet the eye of some consumers. However Apple have always produced high quality devices such as the iPod and iPhone which have been massive hits with consumers over the years, it will be hard not to see this work.

Kiosk manufacturers such as the DVD rental kiosk world may have a scare on their hands but with the iPad being a costly device it will be a long while before the whole world jumps on the bandwagon. So we can’t see the DVD kiosk world falling any time soon.

For information about kiosk solutions and how to integrate them into your business, visit Protouch today.

Every now and again we stumble across a kiosk system which we think deserves a bit of recognition; and we have found one today.

This super creative use of a kiosk system shows how versatile and wacky you sometimes need to be to make your interactive technology stand out.

Combining this augmented reality and digital signage opens the door to a wide range of creative opportunities. Whether you are a child or an adult, it would be pretty hard to drag yourself away from this kiosk.

Customers simply hold a Lego box upto the screen to see the pieces inside rendered as an interactive 3D image! How cool is that?

For this to happen a camera and display screen has been built into the interactive kiosk to allow  Lego packaging to reveal its contents fully assembled within live 3 animated scenes. This new age technology is an unforgettable experience for store visitors and acts as a powerful assisted selling tool that makes the image on the side of the box come to life.

It simply gets the customer excited about the product – that is composed of individual pieces – then giving him the ability to hold the potential purchase in his hands and examine it from every angle.

The kiosk can be found in LEGO stores around the world.

For more information about interactive kiosk systems and how they can work for you, visit Protouch today.