NeoProducts Kiosks

More than the Box

2010-06-10T11:04:00.002+01:00

Why?

Recent research has shown that the leading kiosk development issues for providers are: pricing, software, connectivity and time-to-market. These issues are aligned with and reflect the underlying requirements of our customers, and probably most of you who are reading this now.

We believe the reliability and performance of hardware has for many years exceeded that of the software configuration, systems and user interfaces that depend on this hardware. Unfortunately the exponential growth in hardware performance has not translated into similar software performance levels.

We also believe the reliability and availability of kiosk hardware has for many years exceeded that of the networking infrastructure connecting the hardware to wider network. So, hardware performance can ultimately depend on the software and the network, and there is a symbiotic link between all three.

In an increasingly networked world, with many sources of data, the responsiveness and reliability of kiosk user interfaces has to exceed that of all competing hand-held touch screen devices. We believe those without access to or the ability to access these small devices are the most in need of a user interface and experience that is fast, interesting, relevant and easy. And for those who are packing the latest iPhone then we believe we should be building more bridges between the device and kiosk, and all available channels, setting information free.

In summary we offer more than the box simply because after 20 years we’re pretty good at making the box. However there is now a pressing need to tackle the familiar kiosk project issues, and misconceptions, for our customers and kiosk users:

- a poor return on the investment due to capital and ongoing costs not matched to the business case;

- software not working as it should leading to frustrated users and staff, and

- other elements not working as they should such as the network or 3rd party data feeds.

How?

At Neo we continually strive to be the leading Kiosk Systems Integrator by creating customer focussed products and services. As a single specialist integration provider, coupled with a global in-house manufacturing facility, we are well placed to deliver kiosk projects and effective larger roll-outs in a cost effective way and fast time-to-market.

Build a platform, use the best tools and become more responsive

By designing simple software that does the bare minimum to enable interoperability we create more innovative services and software solutions for our hardware, or in fact any hardware provider. These products have been designed as a platform and kiosk ’app infrastructure’ on to which more end-user facing products can be built. We have also built network applications that move data to and from kiosks in an asynchronous way and also services that move data between files and SQL database systems. These platform products are designed to be agnostic to the hardware and peripherals, data format, GUI technology and communications protocol. The platform also includes re-usable GUI components that have been optimised for many collaborating users and multi-touch gesture based applications.

The platform together with a focus on responsiveness and agile teams, engineering best practice and user-centred design translate into time savings, effective delivery, high-quality results and a greater ability to change. This is especially important when conducting kiosk trial projects or prototyping new concepts.

We discovered there were no open, modern and extensible libraries or development environments tailored for the development of kiosk software and user interfaces. Those that do exist tend to be closed or limited to programming models or proprietary scripting that are not powerful enough to create cutting edge user interfaces or to link to standard 3rd party libraries or services. These environments were usually designed for a specific application type, such as Internet cafe browsers or digital signage, and then extended to try and meet the needs of more general application development.

We believe GUIs should be carefully hand crafted and built using tools that strike the right balance between expressiveness, ease of use to the developer and interoperability with other tools. It is the other tools for compiling, testing, deploying and configuring that we automate so that we can spend more of our time on new feature requests, ensuring applications are properly debugged prior to deployment and supporting customers.

This approach allows us to add value through design, engineering and the knowledge of how to select, integrate and support the best possible hardware, software and distributed components.

What?

Okay, now you have a general idea of why we are interested in more than the box and how we changed the company to support this new direction it’s time to provide some specific facts and examples to backup these beliefs and to also introduce some of the applications, utilities and services we are now providing, and finally some of the active areas of research and development for the kiosks of the future.

In 2008, Neo delivered application software, content acquisition software, an operating platform, hardware and remote managed services to its first integration customer in the UK.

In 2009, Neo followed up with e-wrap delivering this innovative solution to Australian retailers, again integrating all the elements in house and accepting responsibility for the complete solution and operation support.

In 2010, we have been working on packages, APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) and utilities that are all about helping our goal to provide the best kiosk systems integration experience.

The .Net API we have developed is called the Neo Kiosk Framework and this has a corresponding JavaScript API called WebLink. These APIs provide Neo’s kiosk operating platform that sits just above the OS and just below end-user applications. The APIs provide higher level functions to support kiosk hardware peripherals, modern touch based user interface controls, encryption, inter-kiosk and server communications, file transfer, content acquisition, device management, sales order processing and payment services.

I hope that this has given you an insight into our thought processes and current areas of activity. Please contact us for more information on how to license this software and our kiosk management services.

Kiosk Success Factor #3

2010-03-04T15:26:00.002+00:00

In this series of blogs, I will describe the critical success factors that make or break a kiosk system - the things that determine whether the kiosks make money, or whether they are just a waste of space. For each characteristic, I will give examples of live kiosk systems that, in my opinion, have got it right.

The third factor I’d like to talk about is usability. Previously, I described how Kiosks must be well sited designed and signposted to attract users to them. So, let’s assume you’ve got users’ attention, how do you keep it? How do you make them feel engaged and confident in what they are doing?

Usability: the quality of being easy to use

Keep it Simple
Like websites, kiosk systems must be usable without any training. Yes, you can have help screens, but in practice most potential users will not have the patience to read them. They might be happy to stand and watch the previous user or to watch a short instructional video, but it is much better to make the system so simple that this is not necessary. People don't like to appear foolish, and standing for too long at a kiosk doing nothing is likely to make them feel foolish. So let them get started quickly with simple choices from a short list. It is better to have more steps, each with a simple set of choices, than it is to have a few steps, each with a complicated choice.

Use very simple language and clear instructions. It is best to test the wording on people who know nothing about your system. You might be using terminology that isn’t generally understood or phrasing that can be misinterpreted. Illustrations or icons can be used to supplement the text. For example, when something like a credit card or photo memory card needs to be inserted, show the location of the slot and the correct orientation of the card using a picture or short video. This is also true for menu options.

Use Menu Screens
If the kiosk supports up to four basic tasks, then all four can be offered on the opening screen. But if it offers more than four functions, which is about the limit for a user to read and understand quickly, then I think it’s better to group the functions under common headings. By grouping functions, you can limit the choice on the first screen to no more than four things. The full range of functionality is then accessed via a second (or even third) set of menu screens.

Reassure and Entertain the User
If a process is going to take more than a few seconds, it’s worth reassuring the user that something is happening. If you don’t do this, the user may assume that the machine isn’t working and continue to press keys or touch the screen. A progress bar or spinning icon are a good way to do this. I can hear you say that this is just good practice for any user interface, but touch screens are particularly susceptible to unnecessary repeated input. Lack of feedback makes the user unsure about whether they touched the screen properly. An audible click or some visible change to the button helps, but the safest thing to do is to suspend all future input from the screen until the process is complete.

If a process is going to take several minutes, then take the opportunity to entertain the user with a video advertisement. However, you should resist the temptation to have the video take longer than the process. Many customers will be in a hurry and it is generally more profitable to have a rapid throughput of many customers than it is to keep a few customers longer than they would prefer.

Allow the User Privacy
I mentioned in Kiosk Success Factor #2 that it is important to give users enough space to use the kiosk. You should also take privacy into account when designing the user interface. For example, if they are selecting images to print from their digital camera, you should only show thumbnail images unless they specifically ask to enlarge a picture. They may not want bystanders to see their photos. An alternative approach is to use a privacy filter to blur the screen image when viewed from a wide angle.

Gain the Users Trust
If you want users to spend money at your kiosk, you need to gain their trust. People are naturally suspicious of technology. They may worry about entering their credit card or inputting their personal details. So you should only ask them to do this things after you have told them what they will receive in return and after you have reassured them about their privacy and security.

Usability is a big subject, and I’ve only covered a few basics here. If you’re going to put a big investment into kiosks, then you should get advice. A poorly designed user interface will kill your system - however good the kiosks look. The next blog in this series will deal with the closely related subject: "Accessibility".

Kiosk Success Factors by Gary Rowing-Parker is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-No Derivative Works 2.0 UK: England & Wales License.

Bridging the Digital Divide

2010-02-09T12:27:00.007+00:00

The National Health Interactive Technology Network (HITnet) Programme in Australia has teamed up with NeoProducts to promote their latest kiosk, the Zenon, at this year’s Making Links Conference held at Melbourne University in November 2009.

This conference brings together individuals, organisations and groups working at the intersection of social action and ICT.

HITnet wants to be a leader in innovative new media services and solutions to enhance health. They promote health and well-being to disadvantaged populations through creating and sharing new media information in ways that empower individuals, families and communities.

The kiosks allow HITnet to deliver targeted health information to disadvantaged people in an autonomous learning environment with democratic access to technology to bridge the 'digital divide'. NeoProducts has been working with HITnet over the last 12 months supplying, installing and servicing 29 Zenon kiosks to locations all over Australia, some as remote as Thursday Island and the Central Desert, and there are plans to roll out many more in 2010.

"Neo have been a pleasure to work with over the last 12 months. Not only have they been responsive to our unique needs, they have delivered on time to a cost-effective budget. We look forward to an ongoing and mutually beneficial relationship"

Julie Gibson, Technical Manager for HITnet.

Kiosk Success Factor #2

2010-01-28T13:18:00.001+00:00

In this series of blogs, I will describe the critical success factors that make or break a kiosk system - the things that determine whether the kiosks make money, or whether they are just a waste of space. For each characteristic, I will give examples of live kiosk systems that, in my opinion, have got it right.

The second factor I’d like to talk about is attraction. Kiosks must attract users to them. Ideally, they will be immediately recognisable for the useful function that they perform. If they have this quality, then they have achieved iconic status. If they have yet to reach that ideal, then they must advertise their presence and function, and they must be placed where users can find them easily.

Attraction: the quality of arousing interest

In my last blog, I said that a kiosk must deliver benefits to the user that are immediately obvious. Let’s assume our kiosk system has that quality. It might still go unused if potential users don't see it, or if they see it but don’t perceive what it has to offer them. You probably have only a few seconds to capture the user’s interest before they walk on by. So, what can you do to grab their attention?

Locate it where your customers go and where the footfall is greatest. This is often towards the front or centre of a store, but for the particular people you want to attract, it might be next to something else they tend to buy or do. However, there are two pitfalls here. First, don’t make the mistake of obstructing passers-by. Secondly, don’t create a situation where your users feel that they are in other people’s way or that they have privacy - more on this in a later blog.

Brand the kiosk using colour and decals. If you’re deploying hundreds of units, then it may be worth having a kiosk designed to meet your specific needs that looks like no other. That way, when your system takes off, your units will have iconic status. If you’re not ready for a custom-designed unit, then it’ amazing what can be done with colours, decals and other branding add-ons.

Advertise the presence of the kiosk with signs and use the screen to display an 'attractor sequence'. This is just a series of messages, images and video that shout out: "come and use me". Be careful with sound though. You must avoid interfering with other business or annoying passers-by. You can go one better by mounting a second screen above the kiosk to run the attractor sequence. This has the advantage of not interfering with the operation of the kiosk (it can run even when someone is using the machine) and it is also up above the heads of the crowd - if you are lucky enough to have one.

Cluster several kiosks together so that they create a bigger impact. This also leads to a kind of critical mass that actually draws in more users. Nowhere has this effect been better demonstrated than by Fujifilm’s digital photo kiosks at Harvey Norman stores in Australia. If you can get a buzz going, with lots of users around a cluster of kiosks, then the crowd will attract even more people. You then have the really nice problem of ensuring that no-one has to wait long to use a kiosk.

Iconic Status is achieved when the kiosd becomes well-known for what it does. RedBox is a great example of this. As are the Jobpoint kiosks in UK Jobcentres. They have such a distinctive shape that they are immediately recognisable by anyone who has seen one before.

Kiosk Success Factor #1

2010-01-25T11:35:00.002+00:00

In this series of blogs, I will describe the critical success factors that make or break a kiosk system - the things that determine whether the kiosks make (or save) money, or whether they are just a waste of space. For each characteristic, I will give examples of live kiosk systems from Neo’s portfolio and beyond that have got it right.

The first, and probably most important, factor is Utility. Kiosks must be immediately useful, helpful or rewarding to their users. This may seem obvious, but the number of nicely designed kiosks out there with very low usage suggests that many kiosk owners have got this wrong.

Utility: the quality of being of practical use

A kiosk must deliver benefits to the user that are immediately obvious. That person will pause for only a few seconds to decide whether to use the kiosk or to do what comes more naturally to them - i.e. to seek assistance from another human being. Of course, you could force them to use the kiosk by removing the alternatives, but that is a bold strategy. The positioning of kiosks and adding signage to them in order to attract attention are also vital, but I shall deal with that in a later blog.

The list of useful things that kiosk systems can be designed to do for your customers is long and growing ever longer. For example: they are excellent for giving way-finding information; they can process straightforward transactions quickly; they can allow people to bypass queues; they can help customers find your products, do price comparisons and order items that are out of stock; they can enable people to help themselves to services that were previously mediated by your staff. I could go on. The key is to think first about what the kiosk does for your customer. Save thinking about how your enterprise can benefit until you’ve cracked that one. You won’t make sales, or save staff time, or give a better service through kiosks that your customers choose not to use.

One of the best examples of kiosk utility is at the stores of UK catalogue retailer: Argos. When I went into my local Argos store last year to buy Christmas presents it was very busy. I faced a clear choice. To my right was a long queue to order and pay for items at a checkout. To my left was a bank of kiosks (some being used and some not) offering the same function on a self-service basis. It was a 'no brainer'! In fact I went there because I hate Christmas shopping and I wanted the process to be quick and easy.

Another example is at the UK music, video and games retailer HMV. I don’t know if you’ve ever experienced this but the moment I walk into a music store I immediately forget the long list of music that I’ve been meaning to buy. I don’t have to worry about this at HMV because they have installed kiosks from Neo that allow customers to search a database of all their products in helpful ways. The kiosk plays you a sample on headphones, tells you whether it’s in stock and, in some stores, allows you to order the item for home delivery or download.

Both of these systems have utility. Users customers don't have to use them - there is an alternative - but the advantage they gain makes them want to do so.

DVD Vending Machines Arrive in Europe

2010-01-07T15:09:00.003+00:00

The Redbox DVD rental kiosk has been hugely successful in the States. The units are installed in over 19,000 locations and more than 350 million movies were rented from them in 2009. The process is relatively quick. You use a touch screen to select the film, insert your credit card, and the machine uses internal robotics to dispense the DVD. You can return the DVD to any Redbox location, and, if you’re an iPhone user, you can rent DVDs from your phone and tell the system which Redbox kiosk you want to pick it up from. In addition to a selection of the most popular DVDs, most of the machines also carry Blu-ray disks and Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii games.

Rental store giant Blockbuster has risen to the challenge by launching its own kiosks in the US. And now the concept has arrived in the UK. Movie Booth is a newly created brand that supplies Redbox-style kiosks to retail stores in UK and Ireland. So far, they have installed two dozen or so machines in some Tesco, Spar, Budgens and other stores. But all of these systems offer a very limited range of titles, so they will be of little interest to movie buffs or to those looking for a classic movie from the past or something slightly obscure.

This limitation can be addressed by burning DVDs on demand or by downloading titles onto USB drives or memory sticks. The obstacle to this has been (up to now) slow download speeds. Customers do not want to wait long to get their rental movie. But a new video-rental kiosk that allows consumers to download films, TV programmes and games is about to be released in the States. The MK3 DVD+Digital kiosk, developed by Californian firms Symwave and XONA Media, will utilise advanced USB 3.0 technology to achieve faster transfers and make the purchasing process fast and simple. They promise that the entire transaction will take less time than getting cash from an ATM.

Another advantage of the download approach is that the titles are automatically deleted after viewing, thus saving the customer the return trip to a kiosk. It remains to be seen whether enough people feel comfortable yet about using USB devices in this way. The success of RedBox shows that DVDs are still the media preferred by the masses. We suspect that we’ll see a wave of DVD rental kiosks sweep Europe before download kiosks gain mass-market acceptance.

Nevertheless, NeoProducts has already developed a prototype kiosk that burns DVDs on demand, and we stand ready to play a leading role in the rollout of digital download kiosks.

Learning to Love Merchanising Kiosks

2009-12-22T11:49:00.005+00:00

Nokia-branded kiosks are starting to appear in Carphone Warehouse stores in the UK. They are being used to promote their Pixie Lott Illuvial range of phone designs.

The kiosk is sleek and attractive. It invites customers to "touch the one you love" and has limited touchscreen interactivity - giving more detailed information. It also has three sample handsets, which are securely fastened to the front of the kiosk.

Nintendo is also installing new touchscreen and camera-activated information kiosks in gaming stores. Customers are able to access information about Nintendo titles, game recommendations, sales figures and upcoming releases. They will also be able to hold up a DS or Wii title to the station’s camera to see a trailer for that game.

These are the latest examples of a relatively new trend in retail kiosks - units that are placed in store to promote a particular brand. We think this application of interactive technology will grow significantly in 2010. We know that some major corporations are already thinking about deploying their own kiosks. They recognise the benefits of being able to control the way that their product is promoted and, if they also implement remote kiosk management, of being able to update that presentation quickly and consistently in every location.

NeoProducts is very well qualified to design an manufacture such kiosks. We have a great design team and years of experience in implementing remotely-controlled interactive kiosk solutions. We know how to make customers "love the one they touch!".

On-Demand Software Pilot with Neo Kiosks

2009-11-26T14:56:00.005+00:00

The first Digital Lifeware on-demand software system in a retail partner store is now live at BIG W’s store in the Sydney suburb of Winston Hills, with customers able to browse, click and burn a wide range of PC and Mac software via Fujifilm touchscreen kiosks, which are manufactured by NeoProducts.

The system creates a fully licensed disk and prints a super high quality cover and manual on the spot in minutes. These are put into a DVD case and the customer walks away with an original quality product. The catalogue has around 1,000 titles now, is always in stock and the system is very environmentally friendly. It significantly reduces the need for transportation, storage, real estate and wastage. Digital Lifeware is working with all its partners to further develop the system to include new publishers, ranges and formats, including platform games and movies.

The catalogue currently encompasses language, fun learning, games, multi-media, office software and tools. It has the widest range of language and educational games with over 100 languages available to learn. Customers select the titles they want on the touch screen kiosk; pay for them at the counter, and the Tribeka SoftWide on-demand platform produces the product boxed in a DVD case in minutes. The product is the same as the publisher’s original, and is fully licensed and warranted by the publisher. Customers can feel safe in the knowledge that they have a legitimate product that is theirs for life and can be re-loaded in the event of any computer problems or whenever they replace their computer.

Digital Lifeware developed the retail and customer systems and integrated them with SoftWide. Fujifilm Australia developed the kiosk technology with Neo and integrated it with the Digital Lifeware systems. Tribeka developed the SoftWide platform. Other global users of the SoftWide platform include Carrefour, the second largest retailer in the world, and Microsoft.

Managing Director, Digital Lifeware, Rhett Sampson said: "We are very pleased to be working with BIG W and Fujifilm Australia to provide the best possible retail content shopping experience for their customers. They join some of the biggest and most innovative retailers and software publishers in the world in using our on demand systems to revolutionise the retail content shopping experience."

General Manager (Hardgoods) at BIG W, Charles Davey, said: "The Digital Lifeware on demand system from Fujifilm allows us to carry a wider range of software than ever before. We don’t have to manage inventory and we are always in stock. Customers can come to BIG W confident that they can find the widest range, always in stock, every day."

General Manager, Imaging Networks, at Fujifilm, Paul Rogers, said: "The Digital Lifeware on demand system combines the expertise and experience of Fujifilm Australia and Digital Lifeware in bringing innovative, quality solutions to retail."

This is another example of Neo designing and manufacturing a kiosk to meet a particular need and helping our customers achieve advances through innovation.

NeoProducts is an international leader in the design, manufacture and implementation of touch screen kiosks and interactive kiosk software. Since 1987, Neo has delivered over 40,000 kiosks worldwide and has particular expertise in digital photo kiosks; digital music kiosks; job search kiosks, and in the design of self-service kiosk user interfaces. Neo can supply complete kiosk solutions - including hardware, software, project management and support.

Kiosk Innovation in the Public Sector

2009-10-29T10:29:00.004+00:00

Touch screen kiosks have been used widely by public sector organisations to give information to the public. They typically provide a wide range of functions and services to meet the needs of the local community. They often focus simply on access to the organisation’s website. In the best examples, a special touch screen interface version of the website is developed. In the worst examples, the website is presented without any adaptation to the needs of the general public - thus completely missing the benefits offered by a touch screen. But many public sector organisations are now taking fuller advantage of what kiosks have to offer. And some are even stretching those capabilities into new areas. Here are some examples.

Health Service
Many GP surgeries now greet patients with a kiosk in the reception area. A simple touch screen allows a patient with a pre-booked appointment to announce their arrival. This reassures the patient that their place in the queue is secure and saves the time of the receptionist. Some hospitals have also followed this route: King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

Police
Several police forces in the UK have trialled information points in police stations and even in shopping malls. Avon and Somerset Police were early adopters of kiosk technology - using kiosks from NeoProducts. But they and other constabularies are now looking at allowing the public to report minor crimes on kiosks. This, of course, saves police time, but it might also appeal to citizens who prefer not to go into a police station and who do not have access the internet at home.

Public Sector Housing
The Choice-Based Letting (CBL) approach has fundamentally improved the service offered to those seeking public sector housing. The HomeFinder service in Coventry is a good example of this. The Whitefriars Housing Association in Coventry has used kiosks from Neo to make CBL available to the public in their local offices. This takes the process of searching for a suitable property away from a housing advisor - allowing the prospective tenant to browse the database him or herself on the kiosk.

Social Benefits
The local authority offices that handle claims for social benefits tend to be extremely busy. They already use ticket-based queueing systems to marshal claimants who arrive sometimes with and sometimes without an appointment. One leading council is working with Neo on a more sophisticated version of this. Claimants will be directed towards a kiosk to announce their arrival. If they have an appointment, they will be directed to the correct location within the office. If they do not have an appointment, they will be issued with a ticket and directed the correct queue. This is again intended to save staff time but also to demonstrate to claimants that they are being dealt with quickly and fairly.

Public Employment Services
Still one of the best examples of the use of kiosks in the public sector is for job-finding. Most public employment services in the developed world now offer job search on kiosks. Neo supplied kiosks to one of the first systems in Australia. We also supplied kiosks to one of the biggest systems for Jobcentre Plus in the UK.

The public sector is now going beyond using kiosks simply to give information. In some cases it is leading the way for the private sector. The need for massive savings in public expenditure in the wake of the global recession will surely encourage more public bodies to use touch screen kiosks in exciting new ways.

Kiosks are the Future

2009-10-27T11:30:00.003+00:00

So thinks HLN's Money Expert Clark Howard. He says: "The best service in the world is yourself" and goes on in his blog to cite the rapid growth of petrol pump and check-in self-service kiosks as a model for the future.

"If you go into a fast food restaurant, which I'm very familiar with, I'm always annoyed if I can’t make my own soft drink. I want to be able to do my own perfect mix. And when they make it behind the counter, it’s not going to be the way I want it. Now, Coca Cola is testing a new kiosk that is essentially a touch-screen computer that allows you to make your own custom beverage."

"In the next few years, even at mid-priced restaurants, you will most likely place your order and pay for your meal at a kiosk. At mid-prices and below, it’s hard to track and retain servers because there’s just not enough tip income. Or you have a server who has to cover too many tables. And it will be so much easier to have a kiosk where people can place and pay for their orders, and the server just brings you your food and beverage."

He concludes by saying that kiosks will not undermine good service: "isn’t it a service if someone puts in a machine that allows you to do something better and more quickly?". I agree with him, it surely is. NeoProducts has piloted food-ordering kiosks with MacDonald's in Australia.

17 Million Brits Have Never Been Online!

2009-10-13T18:52:00.002+01:00

We in the IT industry sometimes act as if everyone uses the web as much as we do. But the truth is that 17 million Britons have never been online. That is the challenge facing Martha Lane-Fox, co-founder of Lastminute.com and freshly appointed by the UK government as their Digital Champion.

Have those 17 million people chosen not to go on-line? Do they see it as irrelevant to their lives, too expensive or simply too daunting? I suspect that the last two of these are nearer the mark. In fact I think many of them feel left out and at a disadvantage because they do not use the web.

Ms Lane-Fox has hosted the first meeting of a task force to target the six million poorest Britons. There is a close correlation between social and digital exclusion. The poorest sectors of society make up a large part of the 17 million.

She has a tough job. Professor Bill Dutton of the Oxford Internet Institute thinks she is trying to convert those who have no desire to be converted: "The big question is how do you get people to experience a technology that they are predisposed not to be interested in,". I disagree. Who would not want access to cheaper car or household insurance? Who would not like to be able to find a job using the power of on-line searching technology? Who would not like to be able to correspond by emails with distant friends and relatives?

The UK government definitely wants to do far more business on-line. Currently 80% of its transactions are done with the bottom 25% of society, and moving these services on-line offers great cost savings. The Department for Work and Pensions (Jobcentre Plus) jobs website already has a pretty impressive one million searches per day.

And local government is following this lead. For example, Coventry City Council has put applications and bidding for social housing exclusively on-line. The scheme has driven more people to the Foleshill UK Online centre, one of 6,000 centres around the UK designed to get more people computer literate and using the web. "It is an internet-based service and unless you are computer literate it is not easy. It is a way of us helping people to help themselves," said Chrissie Morris, an advice officer at the centre.

By the way, both Jobcentre Plus and Coventry City Council use kiosks from NeoProducts to extend the reach of their on-line services. They recognise that one cannot migrate services to the web without catering for those without access. And the most cost-effective way of doing that is with kiosks. With a simplified touchscreen user interface; context-sensitive help, and good design, they make using the web easy.

One way to include those 17 million people in the digital revolution is to make the most popular and useful on-line services available on lots of conveniently-placed public access kiosks.

e-Choupal Shows the Way

2009-10-08T11:23:00.001+01:00

e-Choupal has been created by ITC Limited to enable rural farmers in India to buy and sell agricultural produce like soya beans, wheat, and coffee. It does this by allowing them directly to negotiate the sale of their produce via a network of PCs and kiosks in 6,500 centres spread across 100 districts in 10 states. Previously, the farmers had to go through numerous and sometime corrupt intermediaries.

What a great idea and what a fantastic use of kiosks! Allowing shared public access to interactive technology is what kiosks are all about. And this is only the beginning.

Several rural job portals have recently been launched in India. They are expected to grow rapidly and play a vital role in the Indian government’s vision for inclusive growth in India. e-Choupal has already been identified as a platform to deliver these portals to rural populations. That make’s perfect sense. The infrastructure is there and the system has gained public acceptance.

Of course, NeoProducts can rightly claim to be the world-leader in developing kiosks for job broking. We have delivered national systems on a big scale (in the UK and Australia) and on a small scale in countries as diverse as Ireland, Malta and the Czech Republic. We hope soon to be working with partners in the developing world on systems like e-Choupal.

We will be explaining the benefits of using custom-designed touchscreen kiosks with very rugged components and casings - machines that will continue to deliver reliable service whatever conditions they are placed in and however much use (and misuse) they get.

Border Control Kiosks Meet Traveller Demand

2009-10-06T12:34:00.001+01:00

The fourth annual SITA Air Transport World Passenger Self-Service Survey has found a 20% growth in adoption of self-service check-in options over the last year. It also concludes that passengers are demanding improvements in security procedures and airport dwell times as they check-in less baggage.

In partnership with Sagem, NeoProducts is responding to this demand by applying leading edge technology to improve Australian Border Security: SmartGates. As well as improving security, this system reduces the pressure on immigration staff and makes life easier for the weary traveller.

The SITA survey found that passengers are ready to give confidential data in order to get through the airport faster. There is 57.8% positive attitude towards registering with automated border control and security programmes compared to 48.7% in 2007. 62% of passengers would like to see shorter queues and security screening was the most chosen option when asked which step of the journey passengers would most like to change.

The expansion in the number of international travellers, coupled with the need for ever more sophisticated screening processes has meant that border security must innovate to manage higher throughput in a challenging environment.

The Australian Customs Service has embraced this challenge and is now a world leader in automating border security.

Australian Smart Passport holders can now self check through customs and immigration by scanning their passport and interactively answer entry questions at one of the 80 Smartgate kiosks. The traveller then proceeds to one of the automated gates where a biometric recognition system verifies their status and allows them entry.

The Smartgate kiosks were designed by Neo for Sagem, who deliver the complete system. So now one of the first things that a traveller entering Australia sees is a kiosk from NeoProducts.

Why Kiosk Design Should be Left to the Experts

2009-09-16T10:46:00.005+01:00

I love the technology behind Intel’s latest foray into retail self-service. Their grocery checkout terminal concept allows shoppers to send grocery lists to their mobile phone and retrieve and scan electronic coupons. The touchscreen interface also provides customers with useful information, like a recipe look-ups. The kiosk provides effective cross-selling opportunities for the grocer and reduces transaction time by giving the consumer the choice of self-checkout.

So far so good. But the kiosk they have designed is far from ideal in my opinion. It breaks lots of rules of ergonomics and would be very difficult for some customers to use - particularly those in wheelchairs.

As a company specialising in self-service systems, NeoProducts has years of experience designing easy to use and very accessible kiosks. Its Affinity model set a new standard for this back in 2001. Its side-mounted screen, with plenty of leg-room underneath, is perfectly pitched for both standing and seated users, and can be reached comfortably without stretching. Thousands of these kiosks have been in heavy daily use since then without any usability issues emerging.

But the lessons of this seem not to have been learned by newcomers to the world of kiosks. Intel!...we should talk.

HMV Rollout Kiosks from Neo

2009-09-15T10:45:00.005+01:00

HMV, the UK and Ireland’s leading specialist retailer of music, DVD/video, computer games and related products, has introduced self-service kiosks into its stores to improve the overall customer experience in a deal with YESpay, a global payments services company, and its partner NeoProducts.

Customers will be able to use the kiosks to locate stock, view sample clips as well as ordering content for home delivery. They can also download MP3 tracks for immediate take away on a media or a storage device. YESpay’s EMBOSS Chip & PIN payment service integrates with the self-service kiosks, enabling faster, easier and more secure payments.

Following a successful trial, the retailer will rollout transactional kiosks throughout its entire store network.

Dave Elston, Ecommerce Manager at HMV, said: "The technology accepts all UK credit and debit cards, allowing prompt payment and delivery of goods securely. With customer demands increasing and people wanting to buy music in new ways it’s important to ensure that with new shopping methods, payments are met securely."

"This technology will allow us to offer customers a means of ordering and paying for products that were either not available in store or by offering easy payment for audio downloads. Eventually the aim is to roll-out further to all stores, gradually increasing the quantity of kiosks in any given store. We saw over 27,000 product searches conducted over the Christmas period, which we believe have contributed towards physical product sales in stores."

Stuart Kitching, Account Manager at YESpay International, commented: "Our work with HMV is a perfect example of how electronic payments can be exploited to interact and engage with customers in new ways. These kiosks are also an innovative way of allowing customers to listen to music before they choose to make a purchase."

Carey Liddy, Project Manager at NeoProducts, added: "Self-service kiosks present an opportunity for retailers to engage with potential and existing customers differently in a way that can ultimately improve a retailer’s long term performance."

e-wrap Launched in the Championship

2009-09-13T15:15:00.001+01:00

Hot on the heels of its Premier League debut at Aston Villa, e-wrap makes its first appearance in the Coca-Cola Championship.

West Bromwich Albion became the second football club in Europe to launch e-wrap. Fans of the Baggies are now able to personalise their mobile phones, Nintendo DSs and iPods with some great designs.

To help Baggies fans stand out from the crowd, e-wrap has designed exclusive and unique West Brom wraps, one of which is shown here on an iPhone held by Albion centre-half Leon Barnett. There are 18 other designs to choose from.

e-wrap is the latest electronic device decoration and protection technology - high-quality vinyl skins in a wide range of designs for most mobile phones and other hand-held devices. The customer selects their preferred design and device using a NeoProducts touchscreen kiosk. An e-wrap in their chosen design is then cut to fit their device.

e-wrap Launched in the Premier League

2009-09-01T15:07:00.000+01:00

NeoProducts launched its exciting new product e-wrap for Aston Villa at their home game with Fulham in the Barclays Premier League on Sunday 30 August.

e-wrap is the latest electronic device decoration and protection technology - high-quality vinyl skins in a wide range of designs for most mobile phones and other hand-held devices. The customer selects their preferred design and device using a NeoProducts touchscreen kiosk. An e-wrap in their chosen design is then cut to fit their device.

Aston Villa have commissioned their own e-wrap design. This will allow their fans to be the first in the Premier League to show their elegance on their mobile phone.

It is possible to e-wrap almost any electronic device from phones through to games consoles and digital cameras in lots of exciting designs. But custom designs (like Villa's) can be added to the range with ease.

For more information and to become part of a genuine world first retail revolution, please contact:
Jurgen Strack
+44 (0)121 486 4302
+44 (0)7855 430662
Press release on prlog.org

2009-08-21T16:03:00.006+01:00

We are very pleased to announce that Fujifilm have entered a new three-year deal with NeoProducts to supply digital photo kiosks in the UK. NeoProducts have been supplying digital photo kiosks to Fujifilm in the UK since 2006. Over 3,000 units have been purchased by Fujifilm, to supply their massive retail customer base.

The kiosks range from desktop units designed to take customers orders for prints and photo gifts through to fully functioning instant print kiosks. With a constantly evolving digital photo marketplace, Fujifilm and NeoProducts work closely together, to ensure that Fujifilm maintains its lead with the latest and greatest services for their customers. NeoProducts also supplies kiosks to Fujifilm in Australia, Canada and Ireland.

David Honey - Fujifilm Strategic Business Group Manager - said:
"NeoProducts has a long track record and proven expertise in the design and development of kiosks, and has delivered good service to us, so it was logical to appoint them for a further 3 year period."

Now That IS Cool!

2009-07-03T14:42:00.005+01:00

This week at Australia's Photo Marketing Association 2009 Exhibition, held in Sydney, Fujifilm launched a range of new products that are keeping them at the forefront of digital retail technology. It’s no longer just photo, with Fujifilm showcasing “Lifeware” downloadable application software and funky e-wrap vinyl “skins”, which turn mobile phones, iPods, PDAs and laptops into individual fashion statements.

Fujifilm also showcased self service music downloads which brings to the customer a “virtual” digital music store with around 1 million tracks. Customers can sample tracks and load their own compilation album to a range of personal digital devices.

All of these offerings are presented to the user through a range of kiosks designed and manufactured for Fujifilm by NeoProducts.

The newest of these kiosks is the multi-application NXT. The NXT kiosk is now offered with an optional back-lit face, which changes colour depending on the application that is being accessed. This has prompted more than one reaction along the lines: "Now that IS cool!

Securing Australia's Borders

2009-07-01T01:14:00.001+01:00

Launching today, Sydney International Airport joins other Australian Airports in applying leading edge self service technology to improve Australian Border Security: SmartGates. As well as improving security, this system reduces the pressure on immigration staff and makes life easier for the weary traveller.

Increasingly, the expansion in the number of international travellers, coupled with the need for ever more sophisticated screening processes has meant that border security must innovate to manage higher throughput in a challenging environment.

The Australian Customs Service has embraced this challenge and is now a world leader in automating border security.

Australian Smart Passport holders can now self check through customs and immigration by scanning their passport and interactively answer entry questions at one of the 80 Smartgate kiosks. The traveller then proceeds to one of the automated gates where a biometric recognition system verifies their status and allows them entry.

The Smartgate kiosks were designed by Neo for Sagem, who deliver the complete system. So now one of the first things that a traveller entering Australia sees is a kiosk from NeoProducts.

E-Book Kiosks: The Next Stage in the Retail Digital Revolution?

2009-06-22T16:38:00.000+01:00

The release of two new e-readers (the Cool-er and the BeBook) is another sign that, in spite of some author’s opposition, e-books are gaining ground on printed books.

Most readers will, I'm sure, still buy hardback and paperback books. It’s nice to collect your favourite author’s titles, or to browse the stunning pictures in many large format books. And it’s true that the books on your shelves say something about you. But it’s also easy to see the advantages of an e-book. For example, an e-reader is great to take on holiday or on trains and planes. And think of all those trees you’d be saving!

So, how should book retailers react to e-books? They could ignore them and run the risk of going the way of many music retailers, who have been swamped by the digital music revolution. Or they could follow the example of Australian bookseller Dymocks. They have installed kiosks from NeoProducts.

Initially, the kiosks will be used to market Dymocks’ on-line digital catalogue. However, in the near future, customers will be able to use the kiosks to download over 120,000 e-book titles and more than 30,000 audio-book titles, to a wide variety of digital devices.

For retailers, the technology brims with new opportunities. It means that out-of-stock or previously non-commercial titles can now be sold, and the pressures on floor-space alleviated. Even more traditional consumers will find they’ve not been forgotten. In future, it will be possible for titles to be ordered via the kiosks and printed-off in-store - either in whole, or in part.