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Self-service, kiosk developers exhibit at Retail Systems 2006

A number of self-service innovators turned up for the 2006 Retail Systems show in Chicago, held May 21-24 at Chicago's McCormick Place.

May 30, 2006

This story originally appeared on SelfServiceWorld.com.

Retail Systems, held at Chicago's McCormick Place May 21-24, featured three days of speakers and exhibits focused on the latest retail innovations. Self-service and kiosk applications, ranging from high-tech kiosk software to digital signage, were evident on the show floor. Organizers stated 2,800 attendees were present.

The event opened with a keynote from Andreas Weigend, a Stanford statistics professor and former chief scientist at Amazon.com. Weigend discussed the ways in which the World Wide Web drives participation and interaction in retail, forcing innovation in the retail industry.

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The exhibit hall, which opened the following day, included an array of self-service and kiosk solutions. Among the highlights:

NEC unveiled a new self-service grocery and retail solution, SmartLocator, for the first time in the United States. The solution, which NEC is still developing, combines an on-cart touchscreen and infrared transmitters to deliver in-store, location-based product information and marketing messages to shoppers.

Users can scan their loyalty cards on the carts' data terminals. The infrared sensors, which can be battery-powered or mounted on and powered by stores' existing fluorescent light bulbs, would be located throughout the store, telling the cart what information to display from place to place depending on what products are nearby.

HP demonstrated its Store Assistant and Media on Demand kiosks. The Store Assistant allows users, who activate it by swiping their loyalty card, to find sales on products they typically buy, build shopping lists by aisle number, and print store maps and coupons with directions to desired products. The Media on Demand kiosk allows DVD download or burning in 8-12 minutes in a variety of formats from iPod to HDTV. HP currently has licenses from Warner Bros. and Sony Pictures to burn movies.

Microsoft's custom kiosk system for North Face, powered by Windows Vista

Microsoft showed a custom-made application for kiosks to be deployed into North Face stores, built on the forthcoming MS Windows Vista operating system (due January 2007). The interface features three revolving videos which the user drags clockwise or counterclockwise with a fingertip. The videos morph as they revolve, and each features an adventure movie from a North Face-sponsored expedition meant to demonstrate their products.

Users can touch the screen or scan a barcode, to view 3-D product research. They can then rotate jackets with a fingertip while reviewing product information, or bringing up a 3-way product comparison in which all three products can rotate at once.

According to a spokesman, Northface.com will adopt a similar user interface when the project is deployed.

NCR showed its popular Fastlane self-checkout.

Experticity proffered its LiveSupport customer service software in the Microsoft booth. The system, designed for Windows-based kiosks and computers, incorporates a live person via webcam to assist the customer in using the kiosk and finding information. The kiosk's menus can be activated by either the customer or the on-screen assistant. Features include the ability to print recipes or project instructions. Deployers can also make the client downloadable for customers, who could access the customer support professional from their home computer for further assistance in completing projects.

Digital Persona demonstrated its biometric fingerprint reader. The readers are used in Pay by Touch's biometric payment devices, which can associate loyalty and credit cards with customers' fingerprints, as well as checking accounts and ID cards. Microsoft also sells the readers for use in home and office PCs, which allow users to associate passwords with their fingerprints - alleviating the need to memorize several different passwords.

Digi demonstrated its ConnectPort zero client hardware. The units can be deployed with digital signs to replace the PCs or thin clients that are often used with them, allowing the deployer to manage all signs centrally, from one CPU, instead of servicing CPUs individually.

The ConnectPorts can often be placed inside the signs, and use about five watts of energy (emitting about as much heat as a small Christmas tree light) as opposed to 200-300 watts for a typical PC or thin client - which Digi markets as a way to reduce heat in the signs. The units' buffer memory allows them to run streaming content, meaning they don't require memory upgrades to run bigger content. The upgraded version, due in June, will include HDTV and stereo functionality.

HP demonstrated its Store Assistant and Media on Demand kiosks.

VeriFone showed its new kiosk hardware, including the MX870 mini-kiosk, which includes the ability to play full-color video with sound. It can also function as a Triple-DES compliant payment terminal.

Hand Held Products again previewed its 8570 mini-kiosk with 5.7 inch screen, linear and 2D barcode reader. The generic, customizable interface software is built on the Windows CE 5.0 platform. The unit, which Hand Held showed at several trade shows this year, is set for release in June.

Retaligent Solutions Inc. showed the latest upgrades to the Clarience 1:1 retail software, which includes additional assisted selling information for store associates via mobile device. The scalable system currently offers 20 different modules geared toward using product and customer data to create a more personalized, high-touch buying experience which Retaligent calls "clienteling." The modules can be used in a variety of combinations, across diverse platforms, from PDAs giving store associates remote management capabilities, to smart phone applications that can scan bar codes, to kiosks that customers can use inside the changing room to have different sizes and colors of clothes, or accessories, brought to them.

Netkey represented its kiosk network management software, designed for security and fraud prevention, peripheral integration, transaction enablement, remote monitoring, content management and data analysis. Netkey specializes in serving large retail clients, including Home Depot and Borders.

IBM showed its self-check out, designed to be used with shopping assistants to maintain a high-touch service environment. It doesn't stop operating if a product is removed from the unit's bagging area, and it's made specifically for shopping assistants to help customers, creating a more high-touch check-out. The company also exhibited its Anyplace kiosk: an adaptable CPU/touch screen unit designed for deployment in a variety of solutions.

NCR showed its Fastlane self-check-out, built for ease of use by allowing customers to activate the unit by scanning a barcode or loyalty card. It also features a video tutorial that plays as users check out.

Retail Anywhere showcased its integrated retail/grocery software, built on the ARTS data model. Their kiosk software includes backward compatibility with many legacy databases, loyalty programs, gift registries and in-store loyalty programs.

S1 Corp. (the company that acquired Mosaic Software in 2004) represented its customer-interaction software for payment processors, which it largely markets to retailers and financial institutions. Its offerings include the Postilion Online Platform for e-commerce and multi-channel payment processing, including gift cards.