Article

KIOSKmarketplace asks: What are your standards?

KIOSKmarketplace asked industry leaders, "What kiosk standards would you like to see implemented in the industry?" Read their replies.

March 31, 2002

Periodically, KIOSKmarketplace questions industry leaders on the issues. For this first installment, we asked, "What kiosk standards would you like to see implemented in the industry?"

Our experts mentioned the need for reliable hardware, proven peripherals and software standards for Web interfaces, security and peripheral integration. They also mentioned the need for open, rather than proprietary, standards, as well as the need to standardize on the use of XML, a markup language that defines Web pages using tags, similar to hypertext markup language (HTML).

Finally, we were given sites for more information about standards for access by those with disabilities.

Here's what they had to say:

Derek Fretheim, president, CeroView:

I think the most important standards are CPU architecture and proven peripherals. Most of the knocks against kiosks are based on "down" systems or non-responsive peripherals, meaning when a person walks up to a kiosk it is dead.

Nine times out of ten, it is because the kiosk integrator decided to skimp on equipment. Placing a desktop PC in a kiosk that runs 24/7 or using a plastic keyboard simply will not work. Imagine an ATM working only 90 percent of the time; think about how much business the bank looses as a result.

Kiosks will increase in reliability when manufacturers realize they owe it to customers (and therefore the industry as a whole) to manufacture their products with industrial-based proven equipment.

For example, at CeroView we use server-based PC's and all metal keyboards. While our approach and use of industrial components may cost the customer a little more in the beginning, we believe taking out the headache factor once a kiosk is installed is paramount to the success of a kiosk network.

Alex Richardson, president and CEO of Netkey Inc.:

At Netkey we take a software perspective, of course!

Standards we'd like to see implemented include:

• Common interfaces for Web kiosk applications (standards for Web navigation for sites that are deployed in kiosk environments).
• Standards for integration to peripherals, such as adopting the OPOS standard.
• Standards for kiosk application security.

Editor's note: OPOS stands for object linking and embedding (OLE) for retail point of sale (POS). It's a way of integrating POS peripheral devices with systems running on Microsoft 95/98 or Microsoft Windows NT/2000 operating systems. You can read more about OPOShere.

Gerhard Kschwendt, senior consultant, financial services group, Dove Consulting Inc.:

Kiosks should be built on completely open standards allowing for cost-efficient and easy software upgrades that will support a variety of advanced applications. Open standards will eventually lead to increased competition among software providers, resulting in lower prices for deployers and better applications for consumers.

We see the kiosk industry, both financial and non-financial kiosks, moving into Phase III of its evolution, characterized by open terminal software:

• Initially, ATMs and kiosks were built around custom-engineered hardware in which operating commands were embedded into the kiosk hardware. 
• Phase II was characterized by proprietary software applications which were tied to specific hardware. Software applications were developed and controlled by hardware manufacturers, making it cumbersome and costly to add new features.
• In the future, kiosk deployers will be able to shop separately for hardware, operating systems and application software enabling them to combine best-of-breed solutions to fit their needs. Kiosks will evolve into a standard PC with multiple I/O devices to support various advanced applications.

Open standards will enable deployers to regularly add new features, improve ease of use and differentiate their kiosks from the competition. Eventually, deployers will be able to remotely communicate with each individual kiosk, fix a malfunction or upgrade software. Furthermore, open standards make it more cost-effective to dispense items such as tickets, coupons or maps, as well as support interface applications for communication between kiosks and remote devices such as cell phones, PDAs and other handheld computers.

Editor's note: open standards refers to the practice of making standards freely available to programmers and engineers. Programmers can improve the standards and submit their improvements for ratification, which are then incorporated into the standard. Examples of open standards include the Ethernet networking protocol, 802.11b wireless standard and HTML, the language used to create Web pages. Ideally, open standards are industry and vendor neutral .

Craig Keefner, publisher, kiosks.org:

Asking about kiosk standards is sort of like asking what standards I would like to see for the office and the desktop. By implication, it asks if a Microsoft model is applicable or workable (it seems to be struggling, given the new bursts of technology).

On a technical level, I suppose some sort of XML-compatibility should be standardized so that terminals have some sort of generic interface capacity. On a more general level, having some sort of ownership and management template so that units don't turn into orphans at midnight would be nice.

Chris Law, human factors engineer in the field of disability and technology at theTrace Research and Development Center:

Regarding accessibility regulations that relate to the kiosk industry, one can find standards for accessibility on the Access Board's Accessibility Guidelines Web site. These include the provision for access by people with visual impairments: Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Accessibility Guidelines Section 4.34.

The section 508 regulations that the government will be using for its purchases can be found in the Federal Information Technology Accessibility Initiative.

Sound off!

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