Kiosk Application: Retail Kiosks

Feb. 23, 2011 - PRLog -- The demands for interactivity in and around the retail environment and the requirements for access to more and more services online have resulted in the use of touch screen solutions to deliver online shopping, transactional facilities, interactive way-finding and product catalogues via kiosk based technology.

Kiosks have become the ideal solution to deliver store information, internet access, wayfinding, online services, queue busting and crowd control functions, saving retail centres and local authorities both time and manpower.

Dicoll have been supplying touch screen information kiosks and touch screen solutions for over 10 years having now deployed thousands of touch screen information kiosks, touch screen internet access kiosks and touch screen wall mount kiosks across the UK, Europe and Worldwide.

Touch screen Information kiosks have become and integral part of the services offered by shopping centres, precincts, retail stores, local authorities, and tourist information boards providing an efficient and cost effective way to interact with customers and visitors. These kiosks are utilised to direct consumers to stores, products and amenities, convey specific messages, relay information, raise advertising revenue and allow public access to the internet.

Touch screen information kiosk technology has improved dramatically in recent years with the introduction of larger touch screens, more powerful PC technology and the greater accuracy within the touch screen itself.

Dicoll’s interactive kiosks are ideal for use as retail kiosks with solutions ranging from simple point of information or internet access kiosks, up to fully customisable transactional kiosks; designed to incorporate a multidue of peripherals including chip & pin, coin mechanisms, note validatiors, colour printers, biometric readers and many other options. Transactional kiosks such as the Bravo or the Apollo kiosk utilise modular designs allowing them to provide users with complete E-payment revenue solution kiosks, incorporating secure collection of note and coin tender, and if required a Chip & Pin reader and receipt printer.

If it's queue busting kiosks or ticketing kiosk solutions that you require, then the Bravo or the Apollo kiosk can provide multifunctional Internet, Information and ticketing kiosk solutions all of which can accommodate a multitude of kiosk printer types, including Boca ticket printers and A4 colour laser printers offering the ability to provide a full range of unattended booking kiosks and check in/out kiosk solutions.

When considering a kiosk solution it is important to identify its application and its target audience. The kiosk represents an integral part of the entire solution but just as importantly, consideration needs to be given to the software application that will run on the kiosk. Ensuring a good combination of suitable kiosk and usable software will go a long way to making the kiosk solution both effective and popular and will ensure prolonged use.

Location –

The location of any kiosk is key to its usage and overall success. Some kiosks are designed for high footfall sites; others are designed to grab people’s attention, whilst some may be less customer facing but offer backend payment functionality. Whichever the case it is important that studies are undertaken to ensure that the location of the kiosk fits with the target audience and expected usage patterns.

Software –

The software, in most cases, needs to be tailored to each kiosk solution. Whilst there are a number of “off the shelf” solutions available in the market today, it is vital that time is spent understanding exactly what the kiosk is required to do, what it is intended to offer the customer and how the kiosk will communicate with any back office software. Dicoll have worked with a number of specialist companies over the years, all of which have differing skill sets and specialties in relation to kiosk software and kiosk software applications.

Audience –

The audience can also dictate the kind of kiosk chosen. For example many kiosks may look sleek but are in fact too tall to be used by wheelchair users and young children. Other kiosks may be very thin in their design but are unable to take kiosk peripherals such as coin mechanisms, note validators and printers. Finally some audiences will require tough kiosks to ensure they cannot be damaged or broken if being used in harsh environments such as prisons.

Dicoll's ability to build touch screen Interactive kiosks in the UK allows full client interactivity and has ensured a long and successful business lifespan. Whilst Dicoll has continued to grow over the years it does, by comparison, remain a relatively small business enterprise. Despite this Dicoll have secured significant business deals with large corporate organisations such as O2, Vodafone, Toyota and Deloittes for the supply of volumes of kiosks made, in each case, in the UK to the end user’s specific
requirements

It is without doubt that our ability to build in the UK, our ability to adjust to client requirements and their ability to have a hands on approach throughout the build process which has given all of our clients a great sense of control and ultimately a product which fits their needs.

Dicoll have a full range of kiosk solutions allowing the client to choose a best fit product for their environment and target audience. Most of our kiosk solutions are DDA compliant and usable by wheelchairs and children. Some of our kiosks can be adapted to have special keyboards to assist the visually impaired whilst other kiosks can include chip & pin units for payment solutions. Other options include 12mm toughened glass touch screens for use in harsh environments, hearing loops and additional repeater and advertising screens.

For further information or to visit our showroom and factory in Reading, Berkshire
please call us on 01189 885522 or visit our website at www.dicoll.co.uk

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Dicoll has an unsurpassed reputation in the market place for producing and supplying a range of reliable high quality kiosks and LCD touch screen solutions.