It was always the case that when you visited your local doctor you have to sit and fill out a stack of forms before you get into the doctors office. And if you are only arriving with a few minutes to spare, you doctors appointment would be later than originally booked leaving you late for the rest of your day.

And if you are needing to visit several doctors over the course of one day across different medical areas, then the process could be repeated each time which can make the doctors more of a chore and stressful situation than it already is.

In most cases, the filling out of medical forms is more time consuming than anything else and far exceeds the time spent talking with a doctor or health professional.

It is also a long and drawn out process for the doctor and can prove costly, as once the patient has left the administrative staff have to sit down and log all the information into the computer which can sometimes result in incorrect information being included in the patients file.

Nowadays kiosks are quickly becoming a convenient solution to the problem.

“When people are coming in for an appointment, generally the last thing they want to do is stand in line at the window waiting to announce themselves,” said Robert Giblett, vice president, channel sales, at Aberdeen N.C based Meridian Kiosks, a kiosk solutions provider. “There is a higher level of customer satisfaction if they use a kiosk.”

If you look at the reality of running a doctors surgery and the amount of patients that come in and out every day, you can begin to weigh up how much paperwork there is to file and log in every day. This process can take up staff members time when they could be doing other important things that may often get left on the back burner until their time is freed up.

With a kiosk system, staff time dealing with administration is greatly reduced and the cost of paying extra staff to do the admin work is no longer needed.

However, a kiosk system is just about a cost effective solution.

“Way-finding is a fairly simple application, but a very popular one,” said Jared Rhoads, senior research analyst with Falls Church, Va based CSC, a global provider of technology abled business solutions and services.

“Patients walk into a big medical centre and they have no idea where to go,” Rhoads said. “Using the kiosk, they can type in the name of the person they are to see, and it will print out a map for them.”

Combine patient check-in and wayfinding kiosks and you can reduce costs, waiting time and stress for patients who already find coming to the doctors a struggle anyway.

And to make sure that the patient is who they say they are, they could be required to swipe their driving licence or special hospital ID which can cover security issues too.

For more information about self service kiosksand how they can benefit your business visit Protouch today.

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.

Paying for bills, cashing in cheques were all at one point time consuming tasks that many people could never find the time to do.

It often meant that many people would have to nip out on their lunch break to stand in a queue at the local post office or their bank to cash in a cheque or pay their bills, leaving them no time for rest and recuperation on their much needed lunch break.

And then on a Saturday the banks tend to close at midday or some are not open at all, which can be a nightmare for people who work 9-5 and have no time to get to do daily necessary tasks.

Nowadays there are a growing number of ways in which people can make payments in and out of their account on a daily basis. Customers can pay via Internet banking, via phone or mail, post office and payment centres as well as payment kiosks designed to make life a whole lot easier.

Payment kiosks enable customers to make payments at a kiosk in their own time when is most convenient for them. These types of kiosks not only give customers a new way to bank but also cuts down the cost of opening payment centres and extra staff to process the bills.

“To use skilled employees to count change may not be the most efficient use of their time,” said Jim Bennett CEO of Tulsa, Oklahoma based US Payment Systems company. “It may appear to be a good service, but most agree dealing with more complex customer service issues is the best application of (those employees) talents.”

From a customer service point of view a bill payment kiosk delivers consistent, valuable service 24 hours a day, 265 days a year. These types of kiosks offer extended business services which many customers need.

Payment systems can also reduce personnel and overhead costs if further deployed in convenience stores which can function as a satellite office but without the overheads.

Reconciliation costs are also greatly reduced as there is no longer a need to manually count deposits and reconcile them to accounts paid.

It can also further reduce the amount of thefts as well as the miscounting of money as fewer hands actually touch the funds.

Bridget Debus, Senior Accountant of Administration for Kansas Gas Service, said, “Payment kiosks offer uses the convenience to conduct business transactions on demand. Payment kiosks are user friendly and convenient.”

And by partnering with other brands such as convenience stores or petrol stations, you are able to establish your brand further than your current company locations.

There is so much that can be gained from deploying self service kiosks as payment systems for your customers that missing out on this new and exciting opportunity limits you and your business and the services you offer to your clients.

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.”

Global Axcess Corp, an independent ATM provider with more than 4,500 machines, are branching out into the self-service market with a line of DVD-rental kiosks in 2010.

CEO George McQuain, who has largely been responsible for bringing the once-struggling Global Axcess back to profitability, says they have a unique opportunity to compete against the major DVD-rental brands.

“We believe there is a largely unmet addressable market for DVD kiosks that will not only allow us to penetrate the market but also allow us to displace incumbents,” McQuain said in December. “Our goal is to leverage our ability to deploy, manage, maintain and process transactions from a wider range of self-service kiosks beyond the traditional ATM. We believe our aggressive move into the DVD kiosk market has significant upside revenue growth opportunities for us.”

During 2009, kiosk revenue grew 94%, with the Redbox-dominated channel approaching $1 billion in revenue. Kiosk rentals were more than enough to offset a 3.2% decline in rentals from brick-and-mortar outlets such as Blockbuster and online sectors.

With stiff competition from 2009 sensation Redbox, Blockbuster CEO Jim Keyes said yesterday that the future of the Dallas-based DVD rental company hinges on its ability to position the brand across multiple distribution platforms – or it might not be a happy ending for Blockbuster.

“The next 12 to 18 months are going to be very challenging,” Keyes said. “We are building a multichannel platform approach and at the same time we have brand new competitors (namely Redbox and Netflix) certainly taking some of the demand out of the market.”

“The great opportunity for Blockbuster is to adapt to the different use occasions, because that’s what these kiosks represent,” he said.

The CEO said Blockbuster has the option to close additional stores, a strategy he said the media blew out of perspective last year when it focused on the closure of 1,000 stores through this year while failing to mention the addition of 10,000 Blockbuster kiosks.

“The net increase for Blockbuster’s presence in 2010 was actually 9,000 additional points of presence, via kiosks,” Keyes said.

We doubt they have the capacity to transport you through time and into space, but Tardis-style kiosks are set to land in Preston nonetheless, with powers designed to help police combat crime.

The intergalactic-looking touch-screen will have screens on three sides, providing information about “policing issues”, public safety and tourist information. Messages will also be broadcast via a ticker tape LED display. It will also include a help button, linked to the city centre CCTV control centre, which can be pressed in an emergency – such as looking for a missing child, or to alert the authorities of a street fight.

And police hope the “modern and iconic” addition to Preston’s city centre will become a “local source of pride”.

The unmanned, three-metre high “citizen contact kiosk” will be made of stainless steel to withstand vandalism and the design will be based on one which has been successfully operating in Glasgow since 2005.

Coun Ron Atkins said he hoped more of the kiosks could be built elsewhere in the city if the initial model proves successful.

“I think it’s an excellent idea – it will do a lot for communication between the people of Preston and the police.
I think it’s one of the best ways of contacting the police for people who would otherwise be reluctant to contact them.”

Movie-rental giant Blockbuster has rolled out its plans for next year, which will see them go touch-screen kiosk crazy!

They’ll be throwing money at their new Blockbuster Express campaign with an increased amount of automated kiosks as well as maxing out their Blockbuster on-demand digital streaming offering.

At present, their physical points’ presence stands at 2,500 Blockbuster Express branded kiosks and by early 2010, they’ll be unleashing their first 24-hour automated retail store.

James Keyes, CEO of Blockbuster, says: “We are working hard to take the multi-channel approach to the next level by providing the customer with flexibility, control, and ease-of-use. Through our planned integration of stores by mail, vending, kiosks, digital services, we intend to utilise a centralised customer database to realise supply chain efficiencies and ultimately to deliver a superior customer experience.”

Over a million British and American men and women have paid the ultimate sacrifice in the name of their country and one memorial cemetery has dipped into new kiosk technology to help relatives quickly find the names of their loved ones who died in conflict.

The touch-screen system was launched this week, and immediately Veteran Greg Adamson of Bettendorf, US, showed a young woman how to quickly locate the name of her father at the Bettendorf Veterans Memorial.

Until now, people had to scan the numerous long granite columns while hunting for loved ones’ names but the new directory kiosk is making their search quests simple and immediate.

The project took about 170 hours of work, Adamson said.

We’re happy to announce our recent success at the Retail System Awards 2009.

Just last night at the prestigious awards ceremony at the Ballroom in the Grosvenor House Hotel, London, we won the ‘Best use of Technology in the Hospitality and Leisure Sector’ for our Cineworld Xen X5 kiosks.

Against the other impressive shortlisted companies, Reward, Pure 360 and Torex, we shone through with the award-winning Xen X5 Cineworld kiosk range.

The award recognised how the innovative Xen 5 kiosk had achieved business growth for Cineworld. With consumer expectations central to this category win, the judges were looking for a winner that employed effective and efficient technology; this was clearly seen in our kiosks.

The story: In 2008, Cineworld contacted us in a bid to automate the whole registration process of its Unlimited Film Programme with an eco-friendly kiosk solution. Membership to the programme entitles visitors to watch any film, any day, any time at any Cineworld Cinema from just £13.50 per month.

Cineworld rolled out our easy-to-use, self service Xen X5 kiosks that customers use to register without staff assistance. Wannabe members of the programme simply sign up by entering their details into the kiosk; an A4 receipt with a photo of the member on is then printed out which they can use as identification until their membership card arrives in the post.

The kiosks currently operate in 27 cinema sites including, Glasgow, West India Queys and Cheltenham and will be in most of Cineworld’s 75 UK sites.

In just 6 months the kiosks saved Cineworld in excess of 1,000 staff hours and increased new members by 100 per week, resulting in the number of Unlimited sign ups being increased by 10 per cent.

For more information about the Cineworld kiosks, and how a kiosk can improve your business, visit www.protouch.co.uk.