KioskCom Self-Service Expo: Notes From The Exhibition Floor

By John Roach, Editor, Retail Solutions Online

During the KioskCom Self-Service Expo and the Digital Signage Show, held May 6 and 7 at Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay Convention Center, conversations and educational sessions alike stressed the need to enhance customer experience and to find other ways to help retailers rebound. Those issues also were at the heart of product demonstrations throughout the exhibition hall, as roughly 160 exhibitors showed how their products and services could meet the demands of an increasingly diverse retail audience and deliver optimal business results.

Below, listed alphabetically by company, is a sampling of the conversations I had with vendors, descriptions of new product demos I saw, and opinions from industry leaders at the event. (Click here for my story on the event's key theme: why full service is the new self-service.)

Citizen Systems America rolled out two new thermal kiosk printer models at the show. The PPU-2300 and the PPU-700II both offer easy drop-in paper loading and have interchangeable interfaces for added flexibility, Andrew Golden, Citizen's senior director of business development, told me. For more details, visit the company's Web site.

Elo TouchSystems regional sales manager Steve Krebsbach explained to me that he has witnessed a self-service transition over the last several years, as retail customers have come to embrace in-store technology. "People are so used to self-ordering with kiosk touchscreens now that the kiosks offer better upsell opportunities than salespeople," Krebsbach told me. For more information about Elo's products, visit the company's Web site.

The new SecurColor inkjet printer TM-C3400 on display at Epson's booth offers colored label printing that strategic business manager Bruce Wilhelm (pictured, right) said can help retailers improve inventory management and staff productivity. For example, retailers can produce color-coded labels to mark inventory by product type, model, date received, or expiration date for greater efficiency. For more information, visit Epson's storefront.

Fujitsu's U-Serv line of kiosk products, launched earlier this year, aims to help retailers with small and large self-service needs. The line ranges from the U-Serv 50, an entry-level product that can sit on a countertop, to the U-Serv 150, with a 17-inch touchscreen that's designed for outdoor use. Visit the company's Web site for more information.

ID Tech displayed its new OmniXpress hybrid contactless card and magnetic stripe card reader. According to marketing director Chris Kelly (pictured with salesperson Amber Demeter), the device is designed for POS applications where one reader is needed to provide both magnetic stripe and contactless operation for credit cards or key fobs. It can be placed on a desktop or mounted on a vertical surface. For more information, visit the company's Web site.

Meridian Kiosks' VP of sales and marketing Robert Giblett (pictured) feels the company's April takeover of King Products & Solutions Inc., one of the oldest kiosk manufacturers in the world, gives retailers a one-stop source for a more comprehensive range of solutions. "The acquisition enhances our existing hardware lineup with unique products, and secondly, King's enterprise-class software platform expands what we can offer," Giblett told me. For more, visit Meridian's Web site.

"Retailers get enormous value when they put their e-commerce assets on a self-service kiosk," Netkey marketing VP Bob Ventresca told me. "Using a kiosk environment, they can drive new sales because they greatly enhance their customers' retail experience." Netkey retail kiosk applications include gift registry, e-commerce/in-store kiosks, and digital signage. For more information, visit the company's storefront.

St. Clair Interactive shared its oversized booth with Consumer Transactions and displayed a reward and gift card kiosk that was jointly developed by the two companies. The stand-alone kiosk generates personalized gift cards for single- or multi-merchant programs. The kiosk, pictured between Consumer Transactions CEO Jeff Grider (at left) and St. Clair VP Chris Peter (at far right), produces the customized cards and can handle payment, card activation, and program enrollment. Visit the St. Clair and Consumer Transactions Web sites for more information.

Telpar announced the launch of two new products: the MTP-7632, a 3-inch direct thermal printer intended for receipt ticketing and vending applications, and the MTP-7582, an 8.5-inch thermal printer designed for multimedia kiosks, product information, and gift registry. "We wanted to offer a broader choice of products to round out Telpar's line," director of marketing Rebecca Whalen told me. For more details, see the company's Web site.

Telsource's Keith McNamara, retail business unit president, touted the company's Mini LVS (Listening/Viewing Station). The kiosk features a 4.3-inch touchscreen LCD and Power over Ethernet (PoE) capability, which allows retailers to install the unit without the need for AC power at the point of placement. Used for price checking, gift registry, store mapping, or customer loyalty programs, the Mini LVS is server-based and can be desk- or wall-mounted. For more information, visit the Telsource Web site.

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