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Olympian 40" Kiosk
Going to university is a fantastic opportunity to get ahead in life by getting a degree as well as learning life and social skills from living away from home.
Up until the recent student fees fiasco, in which students have been protesting across the UK in accordance with the government’s plans to raise the yearly tuition fee to £9,000; more and more students were leaving college and opting to go to university.
It can be a daunting task moving to another town and starting a new chapter in your life, so tools that can ease the transition for example by helping you when you get lost around campus can be really beneficial for new students; especially to keep them motivated to stay on the course and not go back home.
For university staff, it can often be hard at times to keep such a large body of students informed of campus news, university events and course schedules.
An interactive digital signage can help make this less of a challenge by;
- Distributing the latest information to students through the replacement of bulletin boards
- Substitute paper signs, being more economically friendly and cost saving
- Provide a smarter more advanced way to communicate, reflecting society’s expectations
- Send out emergency knowledge quickly and efficiently
- Feed information and world-wide news sources to departments
- Aid the student’s media clubs through interaction and distribution
- And create interactivity with way-finding maps
The Saint Louis University (SLU) in Montreal, America, has recently installed a digital signage platform to not only keep the students up-to-date on everything that is going on but also campaign awareness and issue emergency alert systems in the event of incidents or last minute notifications.
The solution enables issues and campaigns to be aired; reaching a mass wider audience and increasing its possible impact; for example the university’s “We are ALL Billikens” campaign, shedding light on the importance of hazing prevention.
The digital signage network, which is the first of its kind at the university, has multiple screens located in different buildings across campus as well as the halls of residence.
All notices now go into the system, streamlining the operations; making it easier for staff to manage the content via a simple navigation web control screen.
Craig Williams, SLU’s Manager of Multimedia Services, said: “As a communications vehicle, it has cleared up the clutter in the hallways and allowed us to take down all the paper signs for a significant cost savings over time.”
The unit allows world-wide content to be filtered to relevant courses; for example the U.S. News & World Report RSS feed in the Busch Student Center and the NASDAQ feed in the John Cook School of Business.
Furthermore, video coverage from SLU-TV, the university’s student-run television station, will be fed across the network.
It is hoped and expected that the university will add more touch screens
in the future.
To find out more information on how a kiosk can aid your school or university, visit www.protouch.co.uk.
Recent research by the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) has revealed had the linesman who disallowed the infamous World Cup Frank Lampard goal been born deaf, he might have approved it.
This is due to the fact that adults that are deaf from birth react more quickly when seeing objects than hearing people.
The findings suggest that if the World Cup linesman Mauricio Espinosa had been born deaf, he might have had better vision and quicker reactions to spot that Frank Lampard’s goal against Germany should have counted.
Advanced technology can help improve these particular situations though, ensuring there is no confusion or unfairness when it comes to important decision-making in sport.
An innovation already in place in the industry is the digital signage monitor, which is used for broadcasting by ITV for its Uefa Champions League and Uefa Cup coverage.
Digital Signage can also be found in the BBC, Sky Italia, TV Globo, Hong Kong Cable, ITI Neovision, Al Jazeera, Sport TV and Digiturk networks as an added feature to their sports analysis systems.
But what are the benefits of digital signage in sport?
Thousands of people attend venues, stadiums and arenas every year to watch their favourite team, sportsperson or game play. These live events have become hugely popular with consumers due to the constant demand and need to watch something live as it unfolds.
These venues have to be able to not only seat a certain amount of spectators but also communicate targeted information to them. Digital signage is the solution that allows you to distribute this content in an easy, flexible form.
Content can be anything from emergency notifications, scores, audience sent in texts, visual playbacks as well as marketing messages.
And it has also been recognised that digital menu boards at concession stands can increase sales. It allows the food-and-beverage offers to be easily altered to suit the different kind of people by different events.
In July early this year, San Diego Sports Arena in America got a digital signage facelift and has advanced from its features such as an animated welcome message, animated sponsor messaging and a programmable messaging component so that personnel can modify the event calendar showing future events.
If you want to install digital signage and touch screen technology in your sports business, visit Protouch today.
We have already talked about the advantages of installing a self-service touch screen kiosk in previous posts, but what are the differences between touch screens PC, monitor and kiosk and how do you know which to use for your business?
Fundamentally, there are three main types of touch screen unit. These are;
- Touch screen digital signage.
- Touch screen monitors and PCs.
- Touch screen kiosks.
But what are the differences between them?
They are all an interactive touch screen but the unit itself will differ. Kiosks tend to be larger and floor standing whereas monitors and PCs are usually smaller, a desktop, and would be mounted to say a wall or table.
Monitors require an external PC, whereas a PC is the whole package and is housed within the touch screen, not needing any external wiring.
Kiosks too have PCs inbuilt and have a complete solution.
The best locations and uses of each unit are as follows…
Digital signage
This is best used to display public, non-personal information; for example in the corporate, educational or exhibition sector. They are ideal for presentations, meetings, events, advertising and timetables where a level of interaction is required. In addition, as many people also learn best visually interactive digital signage can be more stimulating and aid in the learning process.
Monitors and PCs
These are suited to be used personally by staff in sectors like retail, corporate, hospitality for transactions, ordering and reception duties. They can incorporate or be linked up to barcode scanners, card readers, customer display screen and printers.
Whether serving a customer or entering back office data, members of staff are able to quickly and conveniently capture and process information via the touch screen. The small footprint and lack of need for keyboard and mouse or even pen and paper means a monitor or PC is particularly beneficial in compact areas.
Kiosks
These are ideal for customer facing applications such as payment kiosks, ticketing kiosks and information kiosks and can be used across all industries. You can find them in airports, restaurants, health clinics, leisure parks and cinemas etc. They are hugely in-demand due to the fact that they offer multiple services in a really easy and accessible form.
If you want to purchase a touch screen kiosk for your business, visit Protouch today.
Carnival UK, the Britain’s largest cruise ship operator, is piloting our kiosks at sea.
Starting on the Cunard brand, the global cruise company is deploying the Xen X4 kiosk across its iconic cruise ships.
They will be used initially to run a cash depositing system for crew members to administer on board accounts and provide an information portal.
Until now Carnival has found it difficult to remove inefficient cash on board processes. As one of the largest vacation companies in the world with a fleet of 11 UK Ships, and 96 ships globally, the mixture of cash and other processes is unnecessarily taking its toll on man hours.
With the new automatic system, crew members will be able to use the kiosks to top up their accounts without the need for staff assistance. They simply insert their Personalised Crew cards to check their card balance, top up their account, check currency crew exchange rates and also view personal details.
Julian Banasiewicz, IT Projects Manager at Carnival UK, said: “The business response towards the kiosks has been very positive with the kiosks taking £40,000 in the first 3 weeks at sea. We are very pleased to continue our relationship with Protouch across our iconic Cunard and P&O Cruise Ships for further rollouts, and hope to extend the functionality of these kiosks in the future.”
We are providing the total solution; hardware, software and a managed service with support and maintenance.
Carnival UK elected for the Xen X4 kiosks featuring note acceptors, 80mm receipt printers and magnetic stripe card readers.
The kiosks were launched on new ship Queen Elizabeth for its maiden voyage on October 12th. A successful trial will see Carnival UK rollout out the kiosks across its high profile P&O Cruises and Cunard, brands. Future initiatives include a review of Passenger facing functions to extend the use of our kiosk technology to automate passenger processes on board.
If you are looking to deploy a kiosk system into your business then we recommend that you have a look at our critical guide which looks at the things businesses need to consider when deploying a public facing kiosk. You can access the Kiosk Guide here.
For more information visit Protouch today.
Xen X5
A huge issue for all local government offices is getting the word out to the people that need to hear it. Many services are utilising the internet as their primary method, which whilst effective can risk excluding the most vulnerable citizens who may not have access to the internet.
They are an ideal way to reach out to the local population, providing them with vital information and perhaps reaching people that didn’t even know they could benefit from a service you offer!
The touch screen kiosks can be located in centre receptions to ease the burden on reception staff or alternative sites within your community; such as local shops or community facilities where you can extend your reach to those who wouldn’t normally use your facilities.
Using these functions will enable you to distribute information, help your local community to reach information on health, travel, leisure, employment and social issues, plus much more.
Example;
- Earlier this year we mentioned how BBC’s Working Lunch, the business, consumer and personal finance show, decided to feature our very own kiosks, focusing on how they are being used to help people get online.
- Whereas in Education, in January, Musicians of the Royal Academy of Music benefitted from a new practice-room booking system that enabled them to practice their compositions day and night. The Xen X4 kiosk was installed on the campus to making practice room booking easier; providing students with a fast and convenient method to book one of the practice and rehearsal rooms.
NHS and Health
Touch Screen Systems for are working to help NHS, PCT’s, NHS Choices and Healthcare Professionals to:
- Improve public awareness
- Educate public with services
- Ask public their opinion of services
- Get feedback on particular issues
Internet kiosks offer people interactive ways of learning about the benefits of a health and active lifestyle through competition and games, or simply distributing information.
Kiosks can include e-triage; Sexual Health Kiosks; Drugs, Alcohol and Stop-Smoking Kiosks and Dental Health Kiosks. Furthermore, examples include Hospital and A&E Kiosks; Mental Health Kiosks and Patient Satisfaction Survey Kiosks.
Example;
- Elsewhere in Corporate, ‘n power’, one of the UK’s largest energy suppliers, trialled a self-service kiosk booking system to manage its hectic Flexi-Desk work schedule. The Xen X5 kiosks, located at n power’s Solihull office, enabled its 8,000 plus staff to reserve temporary desk space.
The deployment was another example of how Touch Screen kiosk systems are thriving within businesses, adding efficient practices to the working day.
For more information on self-service kiosks visit Protouch today, the leading distributor and manufacturer of touch screen equipment in Europe.
We can trace kiosk systems back to the first bank Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) in the early 1960s. Jerry Larson, who helped develop these early original TABS machines, said that ATM machines started their reign in New York’s First National City Bank (now known as Citibank) as a machine in bank branch lobbies. The machines allowed bank customers to pay utility bills and get receipts without having to consult with a bank assistant. In 1967 the first cash dispenser ATMs were deployed at Barclay’s Bank in London. From mid to late 1970s and early 80s ATMs started to be deposited across all cities and towns.
The retail kiosk took shape in the late 1990s when the Internet started to take off. Personal computer technology became standardised and kiosks were adopted into retail stores as an off-line advertisement and information point, manually updated by hand.
Since the emergence of the Internet worldwide, kiosks are integrated into stores connected to the Internet, with rich content management systems that can publish content from a central management console. This then connects to the back end database to retrieve information that is of value and interest to the customer.
Protouch Kiosks
Today kiosks are used across a plethora of industry sectors. Retailers are realising the benefits of servicing customers through automated machines. Stores are able to provide customers with the information they need and a self service order and payment system giving customers more options to how they wish to shop. They are also used as a cost effective tool for retail stores that can’t afford to employ dedicated staff who can sell their products and services well. For example, if you sell specialist equipment you will need to make sure that your staff members are fully equipped and understand the product you are selling and how it works. Implementing a kiosk system removes this lack of understanding as the kiosks can provide customers with all of the information they need without having to ask questions to a store assistant.
Kiosks are also a great way to train your employees. Staff can learn more about how the products and services work to enable them to sell better.
The future of kiosks could move in any direction; however many believe that retail kiosks will become more general-purpose. Many retailers may require suppliers to run their applications on existing store-owner and store managed kiosk systems. Providing that user interfaces will become more of a priority than ever, kiosk manufacturers will have to develop kiosks that are of a good quality design, easy to use and appealing to the customer.
For ways in which you can adopt self service kiosks into your business visit Protouch today, the leading distributor and manufacturer of touch screen equipment in Europe.
Touch screen kiosks are truly a fantastic feature to any type of business. It not only shows that businesses are keeping up with the growing trends in technology and modern society but it also shows the innovation a company has in providing new and exciting ways for customers to shop.
As a very user friendly device touch screen kiosks allow businesses to reach out to their target market with a message. The touch screen interface allows users to navigate around the system simply by touching icons or links via the screen, with the right software interface. People don’t have to have computer experience and can easily move around the system to find products and services that they need without the assistance of staff member’s.
With touch screen kiosks they:
Encourage self service: Most customers are quite happy in dealing with their own transactions via self service systems with minimal interference from staff members. They prefer to seek a technical opinon only when it is in dire need. However there should be assistance around if someone needs it.
Easy to maintain: Touch screen kiosks are easy to install and can be moved around your business rather than stand in a static place. They are easy to look after and software can be maintained and updated regularly.
24/7 sales service:
The biggest advantage is that it provides 24/7 services for customers without the use of store assistants during any transaction.
Focused and user orientated information: You can target your kiosk to provide a certain type of information for your customers. This will help you serve your users in a well equipped manner.
Reduces staff workload: Touch screen kiosks provides information for customers so your staff can concentrate on other tasks in and around the store.
For more information visit Protouch today the leading distributor and manufacturer of touch screen equipment across Europe. They have helped a wide range of businesses across a plethora of industry sectors introduce self service kiosks and touch screen technology into their business that is tailored to their business needs and customer requirements. You can view a selection of the Protouch case studies by clicking the link.
These days everyone is talking about what the customer wants, what the customer needs, how to improve customer service; however has everyone forgotten about the staff?
Your staff members are essential to keep your business going and if they are happy and receiving the top quality treatment they deserve then they will work hard for your business in turn keeping your customers happy.
There are a wide range of ways you can keep your staff member’s happy one being through the use of innovative technology such as an employee self service kiosk. You might be thinking this is a strange feature to offer staff members; however it can benefit your team in a variety of different ways and we at Protouch are here to explain how.
With a human resources kiosks,the direct savings you can make as a business are never ending. Through a HR kiosk you could potentially:
- Reduce HR staffing
- Reduce printing costs
- Reduce distribution costs
- Fewer resources needed for processing new staff members and other administration costs
On top of this, there are a variety of features and benefits to a human resources kiosks which include:
- The ability for staff members to access the kiosk when there are no desktop computers around or available.
- The deployment of kiosks outside of your offices gives your staff member’s the flexibility to access information or contact the team when they have no access to the Internet or a mobile phone.
- 24×7 access with a kiosk systems without the need for human contact. This will further reduce the costs and increases the convenience for employees who are supported with their workload and can further concentrate on other things.
- Online forms and pay stub printing through the kiosk reduces the amount of paper printed, distribution costs and administration costs.
- Introducing factory floor kiosks for staff members is a great tool for offering employee training, scheduling and other managerial functions.
- Using kiosks for pre screening and processing of applicant data makes the whole process a lot quicker and reduces common administrative delays.
- Touch screen interfaces are the perfect solution for computer illiterate people in your company to access digital information and data.
- A wide range of applications can feature on a kiosk system including, employee holiday application forms, medical forms, letter heads, enquiry and contact details etc which allows your staff members to be proactive in the company and locate the correct information they need.
If you are seriously considering a kiosk system for your staff members, why not contact Protouch today, the leading distributor and manufacturer or touch screen equipment across Europe. The team have designed and developed a wide range of kiosk systems for a plethora of industry sectors and can assist you in designing a bespoke kiosk system tailored to your needs and requirements.
Interactive touch screen interface that immediately attracts the customer
Kiosks are simply a machine that is deployed in areas where there are high volumes of traffic. Many kiosk systems today are accompanied by a touch screen interface, a major step away from the traditional keyboard.
Nowadays the general public are so used to have kiosk systems in their every day lives and combined with the continual access to computers and the Internet most people have no reservations about using the Internet. In fact, most people are keen to interact with kiosk systems when they need quick and efficient service.
One of the most common forms of kiosks is the ATM or otherwise known as the hole in the wall. With ATM’s the screen asks the question and the user replies by pressing the corresponding button to provide the correct data to the kiosk.
Interactive Touch Screen Payment System for Kiddicare
There are other types of kiosks that operate with a keyboard and trackball which is used like a mouse to move the cursor around the screen. These types of kiosks are most commonly found on information point kiosks, business card printing kiosks and town centre Internet access point kiosks. These types of kiosks are very user friendly as they work on the basis of a home computer with a QWERTY keyboard and a mouse which people have become very familiar with. And with these machines being open to the public, they have to be developed as vandal proof as well as being weather proof.
Nowadays kiosks can be fitted with motion sensors which can detect when a person is standing in front of the kiosk. These high tech systems have the ability to detect when a person has arrived at the store or leaving the store, switch to a digital sign when no one is around and switch into user mode if some approaches the kiosk.
And as technology improves kiosks are become more advanced and sophisticated; however there is a considerable gap between the first ATM machines being installed and the supermarket chains deploying kiosks with a variety of features and applications.
Supermarket checkout kiosks have multiple functions and have touch screen weighing scales as well as infrared scanner reading bar codes. Supermarket kiosks have been embraced by consumers and the touch screen system has become a common feature in most supermarkets.
Local councils are using the kiosks to deliver a wide range of public services, providing a plethora of information and bill payment systems that enables the customer to perform the tasks they need efficiently and effectively. Kiosks are also appearing in schools, colleges as well as universities that provide access to information and support for housing, jobs, training and further education opportunities.
The future of kiosks in our society will continue to grow rapidly the more interactive they become. XBox are planning to launch a brand new game console which will rival the Nintendo Wii; however instead of using a remote control the machine will instead see your movements.
Kiosks are being used by local councils for delivering a range of public services, providing access to information and bill payments and enabling customer services departments to concentrate on more complex issues with their residents. Kiosks are appearing in Schools, Colleges and University’s to provide access to information and support for housing, jobs, training and education opportunities.
With body sensors users will be able to interact with kiosks without actually physically touching them. Simply by waving your hand in front of the screen may allow customers to access information in the near future.
With whole body sensing technology users will be able to interact with kiosks without a need to physically touch the screen. Moving between content can just be a matter of waving your hand in front of the screen. Whatever new technologies emerge for kiosks the main point is whether these technologies make it easier to interact with information. Keep an eye out for other future technologies being applied to kiosks.
Video Conferencing in action
Okay so this may appear a little dramatic however the integration of self service and kiosk solutions is greatly reducing the amount of actual staff members employed onto the retail shop floor across UK stores.
Picture the scene: You walk into your local retail store searching for a particular product you cannot find. Frantically running around the isles searching for a staff member to assist you in your search, you find that not a team member appears in sight and all you are faced with is many computer screens and kiosk terminals. Not exactly the warm and friendly smile that you were hoping for but the only solution to your problem. So is this really going to work?
Well whether it will or not, this may be the future of customer service and already we have seen kiosks and self service checkouts deployed in our supermarkets, retail stores, pharmacies, post offices, in fact everywhere you look a kiosk has been put in place to replace staff members.
In Canada, the adoption of self service has taken the country by storm with Staples Business Depot already deploying video kiosks across all of its 34 stores around the country. The video kiosks connect to operators in Toronto who can help customers locate exactly what they are looking for.
Chris Woods, Chief Technology Officer of ClairVista, believes that video conferencing is the way forward when it comes to small businesses that are strapped for cash and struggling to employ staff members who have the knowledge and understanding of the brand and products they sell.
“Everybody who goes into a retail store today and walks away frustrated that they could not get their questions answered can get the help they need,” Woods said.
When pilot tests were run at the Staples store for the kiosk systems they found that they proved to be more popular with the customers as opposed to the staff members on call if customers needed a helping hand.
DL Baron, CEO of Expertcity said, “We found that consumers are lining up to talk to the person on the screen because they know the dopey kid behind the counter can’t answer their question.
“When consumers start using it, it becomes their preferred mode of engagement.”
However, video kiosks and information points cannot simply replace staff members completely. One of the key features of owning a store is making an impression on the customer and having a staff member to meet and greet when they arrive is highly important in order to retain business. On top of this, many customers may feel that integration of just kiosk systems is there because the company are looking to replace humans and cut down costs.
Baron believes that large retail stores don’t offer top quality customer service anyway and that video kiosks will actually be a major improvement.
“How many times have you walked out of the store because you knew more than the kid who was helping you?” he said. “Floor clerks have an impossible task in trying to keep up with and explain increasingly complex products.”
Baron believes that having set kiosks offer information on a product area can provide much better advice than a store assistant. Kiosks can also show videos which demonstrate how the products work and could even offer print outs for consumers to take away.
Customer service is still key in all of this and having automated responses or video kiosks can make the customer experience more impersonal. Customer service expert, Robert Spector author of ‘The Nordstorm Way,’ said,
“A lot of companies get enamoured with the technology and lose sight of the consumer,” he said. “Many companies don’t think like their customers, they think in ways to make (the company’s) life easier, rather than ‘how do we make the consumer’s life easier.’ “
There are so much more to kiosk systems that what meets the eye. Not only are they a cost effective service for the company and a new solution to the customer, there are other ways in which customers can truly benefit from a kiosk system.
Kiddicare kiosk allows customers to order products that are not available in store
Benefits to customers
Offers privacy: Consumers may not like the idea of having to shout out loud which product they are wishing to purchase or further discussing it in store with an assistant they have never met. Kiosks remove the potential embarrassment.
Faster service: Kiosk systems enable customers to speed up their customer waiting time and unnecessary hanging around which is often the case if all your staff members are preoccupied.
More convenient: Consumers don’t need to be computer savvy as kiosks don’t require any particular training or intelligence. Nowadays many customers are able to comfortably use interface kiosks and find it much easier than talking to a sales assistant.
Communication: Kiosks can’t be misunderstood so further enhances the customers experience because they don’t feel the frustration of not being able to communicate their needs.
Precision: The customer receives exactly what they are looking for and all their needs are met via the kiosk.
Benefits to the store owner
Productivity: Kiosks can maximise productivity by limiting the amount of time spent in conversation and data entry. If there are multiple kiosks then it can take orders simultaneously.
Ordering accuracy: When ordering with a store assistant there may be the case that the order when completed isn’t correct. There is a small margin for human error; however this is drastically diminished if kiosk systems are installed.
Easier to hire staff: Now you can focus your staff members more on what they do best. As opposed to having staff who need to do all jobs, you can now leave the customer service mostly down to the kiosks and manage your staff members more effectively.
The future for kiosks only looks like it is set to grow over the next few years; however the complete removal of staff members on the shop floor won’t be for a very long time. And if it every does then there are certainly going to be a lot of unemployed people hanging around the UK.
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