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Marconi, Apunix, KIS win big at awards show

Year Two of KioskCom's awards ceremony showed that competition is good -- and winning is worth celebrating.

April 8, 2004

LAS VEGAS - In just its second year, KioskCom's Interactive Kiosk Excellence Awards show has become the most anticipated event of the annual conference. Several hundred folks packed a room at the top of the Riviera Hotel to hear the results in eight categories.

When winners were announced, raucous cheers emanated from the direction of winners' parties, while those who didn't earn a trophy politely applauded. The loudest of those spontaneous outbursts may have come from a group that traveled furthest to earn its award, the representatives of England's Marconi Interactive Systems. Marconi won in two categories and was runner-up in another.

Apunix Computer Services won in what show organizer Lawrence Dvorchik called "the toughest" of eight categories, KioskCom's equivalent of Best Picture - "Most Innovative/Creative Software Application." It was the California company's second win in the category.

"To win two years in a row, it meant a vote of confidence," said Apunix's Peter Berens. "We were overwhelmed."

That these awards, in just their second year, have become so competitive shows the industry is moving in the right direction, said Sylvia Berens of Apunix. "More competition shows the industry is moving and more people are interested in the awards process."

Craig Keefner, publisher of Kiosks.org and one of eight judges, said the task of judging was complicated.

"It was tough," he said. "The competition, as evidenced by winners from the UK and Germany, has expanded globally."

Keefner added that Marconi's entry was the only consensus choice of the judges. "They were unbelievable in their presentation and the information they submitted. The unit they did was great."

Rick Malone, president of Kiosk Information Systems, provided one of the lighter moments of the evening. When he was announced as runner-up in the Best Public Information Kiosk Application category for his company's Nationwide Cyber Systems entry, he was heard lightheartedly grumbling to the judges as he left the stage. Perhaps he didn't realize that his second entry in the category, for KIS' Shibby project, might be called as the winner.

When it was, Malone took some ribbing from the judges.

Another popular winner was in the Government category, won by Applied Research Associates for a project done for the Air Force. The firm's key display item, a plasma screen, was damaged in shipping and unusable. But thanks to some assistance from another show exhibitor, Smart Technologies, Applied Research was able to present its kiosk to the judges.

The results:

Best Retail Kiosk Application   Winner: LiveWire International - Self-Service Ski Lift Ticketing    Runner-up: Travel Centers of America - Road King Club Best Government Kiosk Application    Winner: AFRL/MLQ Airbase Technologies - Showcase Kiosk (Applied Research Associates)    Runner-up: DEA Museum - Target America Exhibit (The Redmon Group) Best Financial Services Kiosk   Winner: Fleet Bank - Fleet On-Line Banking & Investing Station (Netkey Inc.)

Best Hospitality/Entertainment Kiosk Application   Winner: Touchpoint Solutions - Digi Box Soundwave    Runner-up: Minnesota Wild - Interactive Skybox (nanonation)

Best Public Communications Kiosk Application   Winner: Marconi Interactive Systems - The Neptune 800 Web Phone    Runner-up: Touch N Surf - TNS Surf and Run

Best Public Information Kiosk Application   Winner: Shibby (Kiosk Information Systems)    Runner-up: Nationwide CyberSystems (Kiosk Information Systems) Most Innovative/Creative Kiosk Software Application    Winner: Apunix Kiosk for the Java Platform (Apunix Computer Services)    Runner-up: SITEKIOSK (Provisio) Most Innovative/Creative Kiosk Enclosure Design    Winner: Marconi Interactive Systems - The Neptune 800 Web Phone    Runner-up: Marconi Interactive Systems - The Neptune 1000 Web Phone

The Judges:

Leif Larson, Kiosk Magazine Rufus Connell, Frost & Sullivan Ted Kemp, Executive Technology Magazine Craig Keefner, Kiosks.org Mary Carlin, Kiosk Business Magazine Dick Good, Kiosks.org Francie Mendelsohn, Summit Research Associates David Mastrandrea, Delphi Intl.

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