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Over the past 12 months the DVD rental industry has been at war with major entertainment corporations about the pricing of renting movies to the public through kiosk systems.
Many of the major entertainment corporations like Fox and Warner Brothers have tried to hold back on the delivery of rental DVD kiosks to companies like RedBox due to the price being just $1 per rental, as they don’t see the benefit to them.
Now the competition is on between the rental companies who are competing to offer the best deals to their film loving fans.
This week Blockbuster has announced the rollout of 2,500 Blockbuster Express $1-per-day movie rental kiosks through the end of the year, which includes partner/owner NCR Corp. acquiring content, not through Blockbuster, but from DVD distributors and third-party retailers.
Speaking at a recent Pali Capital conference call, Blockbuster CEO Jim Keyes said the Dallas-based No.1 DVD rental service is receiving a license fee (from 1% to 10%) for use of the Blockbuster name and that NCR is supplying Express kiosks with content acquired through distributors such as VPD and Ingram Entertainment and retailers such as WalMart.
Some of the biggest summer box office sales are due to be released onto the high street over the next few months, and sparks are already flying. Entertainment corporations, Warner Home Video, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment and Universal Studios Home Entertainment have implemented 28-day, 30-day and 45-day windows, respectively, for their new-release product distributed through kiosks.
“For Blockbuster, that is a real consumer conundrum,” Keyes said. “How do you present the brand value that you want the brand image that you want and constantly disappoint customers?”
The CEO is looking into various ways of gaining the right brand image by changing the price (from $1-$3) for new-release content, which represents 80 per cent of Blockbuster’s business.
“[We are] proactively working on diversifying our content,” Keyes said.
This kiosk war between the multi-national companies proves how fast kiosk deployment is growing in the current market. As businesses try to reduce staff costs, they are also looking for new ways to improve customer experience, hence the installation of DVD rental kiosks in supermarket and retail stores.
However, the battle between the entertainment corporations is a prime example of how many companies are reluctant to adapt to the current economical climate and the need for convenience.
While many DVDs sell at cheaper prices, the top selling box office films still price in at around £13 which is expensive in this day and age and don’t meet consumer requirements.
The move to a kiosk fulfilled environment is still a long way off as major corporations need to adapt to the consumer market but as this begins to happen, then the move will be a lot quicker and beneficial for all.
This month, we are excited to be exhibiting our three off the shelf kiosk designs at the KioskCom Self Service Expo 2009.
Starting on the 30th September at the Olympia in London, we will be exhibiting our Xen Kiosk Series for visitors to view and order on the same day.
As well as exhibiting our multifunctional kiosk, Protouch’s managing director, Tom Quarry will be taking part in the education programme, holding a seminar at 1.45pm-2.15pm on the 30th September called ‘EPoS for the store of the future.’
Tom will discuss Protouch’s award winning EPoS kiosk hardware, focusing on the Kiddicare case study. Attendees will learn how our award winning kiosk managed more customers with less staff costs, as well as increasing customer spend and enhancing the sales processed in store.
Our stand will be based at 162 and will display the wall mountable Xen X4, the award winning slim floor standing Xen X5 and the larger floor standing Xen X6.
All users and resellers are encouraged to come along to our stand to talk to our team about their kiosk needs. We have a wide range of applications that can be installed onto the kiosks to make them relevant to each business such as: an Internet kiosk, ticket kiosk, payment kiosk, information kiosk, card dispensing kiosk and much more.
We at Protouch want to meet the extremely wide need for self service kiosks and make kiosk deployment simple. Our kiosks offer numerous accessory combinations which can easily be modified, at any time.
Customers simply select what they want, choose their accessories and graphics; resulting in a fully customised kiosk.
Our kiosks on display have already proven themselves to be successful products in varying industry sectors. Refined over the last nine years each kiosk is set to meet three specific economies of scale; quality, price and reliability, suitable for end users and retailers.
This strategy has seen us achieve a top quality kiosk system in the award winning and innovative Xen X5 Kiddicare Kiosk, which will be fully explained in Tom’s kiosk seminar.
As well as the kiosk seminar and exhibition, we will also be taking part in the Minicom Digital Signage Expert Tour KioskCom. This free tour will provide an overview of a selection of carefully hand-picked exhibitors, following the accurate path of the digital signage supply chain.
From content creation to digital measure ment, the tour will outline how they fit into the overall Digital Signage Puzzle.
The tour has been specifically designed to give visitors a bird’s eye view of the overall application by providing the full end-to-end story with real live demos of each piece in the puzzle, and overview of the solution which visitors would not normally get. Visitors can sign up for the tour here.
Xen X4 by Protouch
A self service kiosk can be installed into any business and used to provide a wide range of services to facilitate and enhance customer and staff experience.
Already airports have installed many kiosks so customers can check themselves in when arriving to catch their plane, reducing the queue time and staff needed on the main check in desks. This giant leap for airports has given customers a sense of control of their travel
as well as reducing the frustration many customers have when queuing to check in.
The health industry have also benefited from interactive kiosks which has reduced the pressure of admin work many doctors have to deal with on a daily basis. An interactive kiosk can be installed in any of the departments and used for a range of multi-functional purposes i.e. self check-in in busy offices, informational/web access in waiting rooms, and virtual “nurses stations” on patient floors.
Kiosks can even be installed with printers allowing the printing of patient information, magnetic card stripe readers can be used for patient check-in and to authenticate staff, and signature pads can be used to capture doctors’ signatures on orders.
Government
agencies can also highly benefit from being able to redeploy and configure kiosks with the hardware and software needed for each department. For example, interactive kiosks can be used for self check-in in busy offices, and completing applications online. The signature pad can be used to capture customer signatures, and the printer can facilitate work flow through various stations within an office.
Financial Institutions can use interactive kiosks for a variety of applications withing retail branches, optional devices can be used to take customers well beyond simple online banking in the branch. For instance, customers can retrieve more information via kiosks about services the bank provide instead of waiting in the queue to speak to an advisor. If they want to cash some money in, interactive kiosks can be specially and securely designed for customers to control their account.
The retail industry can definitely benefit from interactive kiosks as they can reduce queuing, provide information about products and services and keep customers come back to your store because of the happy and efficient service. Many retailers such as Argos have implemented touch screen kiosks so that customers don’t have to wait in long queues and can manage their own payments in their own time.
For more information about touch screen kiosks and how they can benefit your business, visit Protouch today.
There are so many different uses for a self service kiosk, and the potential of them can really broaden your businesses horizons and potentially bring more people through your door.
In fact a kiosk can provide so much information and be of a great help to customers, that you can potentially reduce the amount of staff on duty and look to use them for other work and save money in the long run.
While staff supervising kiosks is always a good thing-especially when people may have difficulty in using it the system-you need to make sure that your staff are highly trained in how the kiosk works and to help customer navigate round the kiosk.
There aren’t really any limitations to the software that can be uploaded onto a kiosk, as it is simply a computer that is readily created and developed to provide instant access to information suited for the purpose of your business.
Here are a list of ways a kiosk can benefit you.
- Price Checking
- Product Information/Location
- Guided Selling
- Electronic Gift Card Purchasing/Activation
- Store Mapping
- Coupon Dispensing
- Self Check-In
- Web Access
- Point of Information (For use in Tourist Information Offices, Galleries, Museums)
Kiosks can even been installed with a range of multi-functional programmes so you can give your customers the best of both worlds.
For more information about self service kiosks and how to deploy them into your business, visit Protouch today.
Protouchare the leading distributor and manufacturer of touchscreen equipment and have built a range of different interactive kiosk solutions for a variety of businesses including Specsavers, Man United and Kiddicare.
At Protouch we are dedicated to manufacturing and distributing top quality touch screen systems for businesses across Europe.
Many businesses don’t know where to start when implementing a kiosk and what costs are involved with starting the project as well as the costs to maintain it in order for it to work to their specifications.
Well at Protouch, we are here to help and have come up with some frequently asked questions about the interactive kiosk world to help you on your way.
Each day this week we will be adding a new frequently asked question with a detailed answer, so by the end of the week you are completely clued up about how the world of interactive kiosks work and you can start planning your project.
So, what are the values of interactive kiosk solutions?
Interactive kiosks are ideal for;
- Driving operational efficiency
- Improving customer experience
- Helping deployers meet compliance needs.
When installing an interactive kiosk into your business you are technically providing a unique and significant system which can become high in value and a good competitive tool against others in the same market.
This is because they can;
- Reduce the amount of staff needed to look after customers and provide help and assistance
- Provide a new and innovative approach to shopping, which customers can become accustomed to and enjoy
- If the kiosk runs smoothly and customers are happy with it, they will talk and potentially drive other customers into your business.
- Allow updates on prices of products/services to be made with ease and efficiency
- Software and kiosk can be easily maintained by staff and updated with new software.
Self service kiosks have so many advantages and can be easily implemented into your office, store, warehouse to suit all your needs and requirements.
If you have limited space you may want to opt for a wall-mounted kiosk such as the Xen X4from Protouch.
Tomorrow we are going to be looking at what applications can be run on an interactive kiosk solution and whether they can be implemented into your business.
Award Winning Xen X5 Kiddicare Kiosk by Protouch
Many businesses see the potential of self service kiosks but fail to use them properly, resulting in a loss of money, time and worst still, a loss of customers.
We came across a fabulous case study by Self Service and Kiosk Association who have outlined the top 5 mistakes people make when they roll out their kiosks, as well as practical solutions to prevent these problems from occurring.
Failing to present a truly compelling offer to the customer
Many businesses rely too much on the idea that kiosks are cool and exciting and everyone wants to use one. In fact, this idea is totally wrong as it takes a lot for a shopper to change their regular habits and if a kiosk doesn’t make it any easier then they won’t be changing any time soon.
The best way to deal with this is to create a kiosk which will solve a common problem for a customer within your business.
A perfect example was Redbox who created a DVD rental kiosk and charged customers the same price as what they could get if they visited their local convenience store. It was only after a price drop to $1 per rental did Redbox start seeing the increase in profit.
Relying on intangibles for an attractive ROI
The Self Service and Kiosk Association said, “Many kiosk developers rely on ‘soft benefits’ or inconclusive math on the road to what they may think is an attractive ROI. For instance, deployers often think that if the kiosk project helps build the brand, extend the company’s reach or improve the customer experience, it will translate to a bigger bottom line.
“While all of these items should definitely be priorities, funding can be difficult to secure if deployers don’t provide strong data-driven evidence of these benefits.
“Deployers should spend at least as much time and energy on the front end of a kiosk rollout planning a path to increased ROI as they do planning the actual kiosk introduction.
“In other words, a deployer can spend months planning a great kiosk project and implement it flawlessly, but if he or she doesn’t have data that unequivocally illustrates the advantages, the result will often be a project that loses its funding.”
Failing to diffrentiate between the pilot stage and the scaling stage
Despite these two stages being completely different, many companies fail to distinguish this and end up making a mess of the whole situation.
During the pilot stage, deployers must determine that there is a consumer interest to make the whole scaling stage worthwhile.
Deployers need to consider upfront and outgoing costs, staffing and operation of the kiosks else how can you determine whether the kiosk will be successful long term.
Failing to attempt that the first attempt will be flawed
Rolling out a kiosk for the first time will never be perfect and deployers need to carefully look at the flaws and ways to rectify them to make the kiosk run smoothly.
You may have done a bit of research before and used focus groups to iron out any problems at the beginning, but as you move along and more customers use the kiosk, problems can become more obvious and easily fixed if checked regularly.
Building the Taj Mahal and putting it next to the janitors closet
If you have developed the perfect kiosk and it’s all ready to go, putting it in the corner of the store won’t help matters.
A self service kiosk is there to enhance a customers experience in your store and if it is not in their view they won’t go seeking it.
Xen X4 wall-mounted kiosk by Protouch
If you have limited space and the only space for it is in the corner, it might be a good idea to look at wall mounted kiosks.
Protouch have a wide range of wall mounted kiosks which perform the same functions as a standing kiosk, just saves you a bit of room.
For more information about kiosks visit Protouch today or view the full article at Self Service and Kiosk Association, today.
We think that self service kiosks are great and can really boost sales in your business. On this blog we find new and exciting ways of telling you about the kiosk world, including success stories, top tips, and general kiosk news so you are clued up and know what it is all about.
As much as we could rave about kiosks all day, we think that you should take the opinion of some other people on the World Wide Web who agree that kiosks are the bees knees too!
We found a fabulous article on Articlebase.com which was a complete list of the advantages of installing a kiosk into your business.
He talks about;
- Round the clock sales and 24-hour service.
- Encourages people to use self service if it is readily available so they have control of their day.
- Allows easy maintentance.
- Limits functionalities, enhances focus.
- Increases market reach.
- Reduces work load.
- Advertises.
And each of his points make perfect sense. Have a look at the article here and see what you think.
Now we are very encouraging and supportive of self service kiosks and how much money they can save your business during the current economic climate, but we understand that many companies are apprehensive to invest in modern technology as they know very little about it.
We recommend that you contact a trust worthy and reliable self service kiosk company who can give you practical advice and support when it comes to self service kiosks.
Protouch is a leading distributor and manufacturer of touchscreen equipment in Europe and takes on a lot of clients to help them increase sales and improve service.
For more information about their products and services visit www.protouch.co.uk today.
In recent weeks, DVD rental Kiosk Company have filed a law suit on 20th Century Fox over the movie studio’s attempts to delay its titles from appearing in Redbox vending machines.
The lawsuit, filed in US District Court in Wilmington, Del., marks the latest escalation in a fight over Redbox’s services, which has divided Hollywood Studios.
And just recently, we have seen Fox, a unit of News Corp, join the General Electric Co.’s Universal Pictures to try and preserve a more lucrative DVD retail sales by keeping movies out of Redbox’s $1-per-night rental kiosks for some period after they go on sale.
Fox ordered its wholesale distributors to stop supplying Redbox until 30 days after movie discs are released for sale, with the policy to take effect from October 27th 2009.
A similar law suit by Redbox against Universal is set to be ruled very soon by a judge in Delaware after Universal insisted on a 45-day delay.
These lawsuits are in a protest against the low prices Redbox charge for renting DVD’s. The giant entertainment companies who make millions of pounds each year on films believe that more and more people will turn to the Redbox Kiosks to watch the film for just $1 instead of purchasing the film at the standard retail price, usually in the £10-£15 region.
Redbox, which began in 2002 as a way for McDonald’s Corp. to expand beyond burger business, has 17,900 self service kiosks in the US and plans to install another 8,500 this year. Netflix Inc CEO Reed Hastings has said Redbox and other low-cost kiosk renters such as DVDPlay Inc would be the biggest competitors to his mail-order DVD rental company by year’s end.
Some studioshopping to ride Redbox’s growth have shown willingness to bargain. Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. agreed to make their films available immediately.
This deal followed Sony Corp.’s agreement to provide its movies for kiosks, as long as Redbox destroyed copies after their rental lives ended rather than sell them as “previously viewed”. Because Redbox’s used-disc purchase price of $7 is generally lower than what Blockbuster Inc. and others charge, the studios worried that fewer people will want to buy new copies at regular prices typically £10 or higher.
The disputes over supplies so far haven’t affected movies available through the self-service vending machines. When studios balk, Redbox has bought new releases from retailers rather than wholesalers, a tactic that may keep customers happy but also cuts into profit margins.
In the suit, Redbox accused Fox of violating antitrust laws by “reducing consumer choice in the marketplace and increasing the prices that consumers must pay.”
Redbox, a subsidiary of Bellevue, Wash.-based Coinstar Inc., said Fox is seeking to “strangle” its low-cost rental option to “prop up an artificially high pricing scheme.”
“We were forced to sue Fox after many discussions,” Redbox President Mitch Lowe said Wednesday. “Essentially they gave us an ultimatum of either delaying the movies from our customers starting in October or forcing us to raise our prices.”
Studio spokesman Chris Petrikin said Fox would have lifted its 30-day delay request if Redbox had agreed to improved financial terms, but the sides could not agree.
“This lawsuit aims to limit Fox’s ability to make legitimate business decisions, and Fox believes it will prevail in defeating Redbox’s merit-less claims,” Petrikin said in a statement.
This problem that Redbox has faced has put them in a potential crisis and in the badbooks of their top suppliers, which is not the best position to be in.
If you are thinking of installing a self service kiosk in your business it is essential that you learn and understand the importance of keeping a good rapport with your suppliers as well as keeping your customers happy.
However, in these circumstances Redbox had no choice but to take the matter further as the delay on receiving the DVD’s would potentially affect their profits and overall sales.
If you are to sell products or services through your self service kiosk, make sure that you sign a contract with your suppliers ensuring that there will be no changes to distribution, supplying etc.
Despite the fact that a kiosk will help improve sales in your business, it can have a negative affect if you don’t liaise with your manufacturer, suppliers and distributors properly.
At Protouch, we are dedicated to ensuring that you receive a high standard of service when choosing yourself service kiosk. There is a lot of work involved but Protouch will guide you along the way to choosing the best kiosk system to suit your needs and requirements.
For more information visit Protouch today.
Business travel has changed dramatically over the past ten years. New and innovative ways are now being used to maintain brand loyalty as well as streamlining company policy and practice into a competitive global market across all industry sectors.
Airports, hotels, supermarkets etc have all changed the way they conduct business by integrating new forms of self service systems to enhance customer experience.
Self service technology has become the forefront of most business practice. Today, travellers can manage their own check-in, travel insurance, car rental hire, train tickets and hotel reservations by simply using a self service kiosk or web or mobile applications.
As time has gone on, these systems have become more advanced in their services offering more customised applications to suit all customers needs and requirements. From adding additional features and products to the hotel bedroom, to dietary requirements on an aeroplane, travellers can access a whole world of information and bypass the long queues.
While many self service kiosks have the credibility to enhance travellers experiences and trip, there are still many restrictions which limit people’s usage of the innovative systems such as people with a visual or mobile impairment, due to the surface being touch screen.
The self service industry are consistently trying to eliminate this problems so that kiosks are accessible to all members of the public.
Once these barriers have been formally removed, touchscreen manufacturers can:
- Continuously improve traveller experience and differentiate themselves.
- Build brand loyalty in an increasingly competitive global market.
And some businesses are taking that next step with innovative technology, providing new solutions for people with disabilities. In an earlier post we wrote about innovative kiosks, we looked at self service kiosks that had been installed around the world to accommodate for the visually impaired. We found that in New York state, talking travel kiosks had been installed to help the visually impaired find useful information about what to do, where to go, transport and travel information etc. The full article can be found here.
For more information about self service kiosks and how they can help improve your business visit Europe’s number one leading distributor and manufacturer of touchscreen equipment, Protouch.
Interactive technology has become so integral to our lives we often wonder what we did without it before.
With mobile phones, self service checkouts and laptops at the forefront of our daily lives we can begin to see how the rest of our future will pan out.
Well think about the new changes technology has made for visually impaired people, and how interactive technology has changed the way they live and work on a daily basis.
With the help of interactive systems such as touch screen kiosks out and about the town, visually impaired people are able to access a wide range of activities and events with the help of technology.
The launch of this kiosks began in New York City’s Penn Station in July 1999 when the city launched the first permanent way-finding kiosk for Visually Impaired People.
This talking self service kiosk was funded by Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) and Long Island Railroad (LIRR) and is situated within the LIRR terminal on the lower level floor.
The Talking Kiosk runs on an internal computer and combines a tactile/talking map with a standard telephone style keypad.
Travellers use one or both to access the cleverly crafted way-finding information service to enhance their freedom and independence in this complicated public space.
Information from the kiosk is delivered simultaneously in clear, human speech and high contrast large print video display.
To ensure that Visually Impaired people know the exact location of the kiosk, a bird song can be heard from 150 feet away even during peak traffic hours.
The user then follows this song and once within 10 feet of the self service kiosk, the voice of the kiosk greets them and invites them to use the system.
At 2 feet the kiosk’s voice welcomes him and begins his session by letting him know what is in front of him, and exactly how to use it. If a user is already familiar with the system, the individual can hit the star key on the keypad and be immediately diverted to the kiosk’s main menu.
Transit users without visual impairments are also able to utilise the Talking Kiosk. Many find it is clear, friendly and easy to use.
Talking Kiosk at Whitehall Ferry Terminal NYC
Another kiosk for the visually impaired sits also within NYC in the Whitehall Ferry Terminal in Lower Manhattan in 2008.
The Talking Kiosk is from the same family as the kiosk in Penn Station and Karen Gourgey, head of Baruch’s Computer Centre for Visually Impaired People, was at the centre of its development.
Gourney describes the Talking Kiosks as, “basically a talking tactile map with some buttons that give the user access to various menus that allow him or her to glean particular types of information.
“The user explores the map with his hands and when he presses a particular point, the system speaks and announces what has been touched. Information is also available in large print to accommodated people with low vision.
The applications that the self service kiosk offers is beneficial to the visually impaired for many reasons. “It describes how to find various points within the facility where it is located, [...] it can point people to ticket counters restrooms, shops whatever the major amenities are withing any given facility,” says Gourgey.
According to Gourgey, the self service kiosk is great for visually impaired people to navigate space as the descriptions are clear and precise.
“[The descriptions] are crafted in such a way that they are easily understandable to the person who doesn’t necessarily use vision as the primary source of information when travelling.”
Gourgey further explained that it was, “originally conceived as a system to assist with way-finding in transit facilities. The original funding was in the form of a grant from Project ACTION, a federally-funded organisation with the mandate of working to improve access to public transit for individuals with disabilities.
The first kiosk launched at Penn Station was assessed by a group of individual uses who arrived at the terminal and used it to find particular destinations. “Their success at finding these were recorded, as well as the time they spent using the kiosk and their self reports of their experiences.
“Suggestions were incorporated into later version, but to a person, they expressed the hope that such kiosks would soon make their appearance in other large service facilities whether for transit, shopping or other needs.”
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