New year outlook: 2019 expected to surpass 2018

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Kiosk industry observers are upbeat for 2019 as retailers are recognizing the need for in-store technology to assist their overburdened sales associates, a…

Leading kiosk topics in 2018: self-checkout, self-order and more

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

The best read stories of 2018 covered a wide range of topics, with self-checkout and restaurant self-order technologies among the more popular themes.

Amazon exec: Voice assistant makes retail experience personal, natural, authentic

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Voice commerce continues to grow, offering retailers new ways to engage the consumer. But Patrick Gauthier, vice president of Amazon Pay, has more questions…

Kiosk touchscreen sanitation study unlikely to bring regulatory action

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

The discovery of bacteria-contaminated touchscreens on McDonald's self-order kiosks in the U.K. has alarmed some observers, but U.S. regulatory officials don't…

McDonald's bacteria-covered kiosks give rise to safety concerns

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Bacteria found on McDonald's U.K. touchscreens have raised concerns about kiosk sanitation, presenting what many consider to be the first public health issue…

VR, AR, MR? Get ready for 'extended reality’

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Extended reality, which combines VR, AR MR and 360-degree video, stands to change the way consumers and busineses interact, and much more, according to experts.

How self-serve payment kiosks improve power company’s revenues and efficiencies

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Automated payment kiosks have improved the customer experience for an Alabama utility company, in addition to improving cash flow and lowering processing…

Apple's automatic sleep feature raises concern for some kiosk users

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

An automatic sleep feature in Apple's recently released iOS 12 has caused issues for some users, including those with iPads running kiosk software.

How self-serve kiosks help cash-paying Alabama utility customers

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Alabama Power Company recognized the need to make payments easier for its cash-paying customers. Self-serve kiosks have proven helpful, and automatic payments…

Diebold Nixdorf Q3 earnings report: Signs of growth

by Suzanne Cluckey — Editor, ATMmarketplace.com

One of the best indicators of progress in Q3 was the company's first revenue increase since acquiring Wincor Nixdorf in 2016. Growth in the product and…

Carvana bids to disrupt car-buying by making the process seamless

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Carvana removes friction — much of it having to do with financing — from the complex process of buying a car, according to founder and president Ernie Garcia.

What drives hardware providers' expansion into software?

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Kiosk hardware providers find that they can exercise more control over the execution of their projects by providing their own software, one of several benefits…

Special report: Kiosk hardware players add more software offerings

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Kiosk Marketplace recently surveyed hardware companies to find out how many have made the expansion and what software features they are offering.

Kiosk Marketplace seeks your input for annual industry census

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

The first annual industry census received overwhelmingly positive response, as many readers recognized the need for an informative tool to help companies with…

UK airport ransomware attack proves need for improved digital security

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Digital screens that go into kiosk mode are easy targets for ransomware attacks. "Whitelisting" is one technique that can reduce the likelihood of a successful…

Self-serve kiosks call for protection against hackers

With the rapid addition of internet-connected technologies that touch the same network as the point-of-sale system, new opportunities for credit card data…

Why customers (and operators) prefer micro markets to vending machines

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Customers simply prefer to examine products up close rather than being separated by the glass barrier of a vending machine. They also like the improved variety…

Micro markets versus vending banks by the numbers —  an operator's perspective

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

While the micro market saves nearly $14,000 in upfront investment over a traditional vending bank, it will deliver an average $1,000 in monthly sales for a…

Will blockchain technology benefit kiosks?

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Major financial institutions and technology companies have invested heavily in blockchain projects, indicating that the new technology has the potential to…

Farmer’s Fridge founder develops his own tools

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Most entrepreneurs in the self-service space rely on commercially available equipment and management software, but Luke Saunders and his team at Farmer's…