Article

The kiosk alliance unveiled

The president of NetWorld Alliance comments on the recent acquisition of kiosks.org and the launch of its sister site, KIOSKmarketplace.com.

April 7, 2002

BIO: Tom Harper is president of NetWorld Alliance, which operates ATMmarketplace.com, KIOSKmarketplace.com and kiosks.org. He is cofounder of the ATM Industry Association (ATMIA), founder of the ATM Advertising Council, and has spoken at ATM conferences around the world.

Three years ago, when I first figured out what a kiosk was, I thought, "This thing is like an ATM without the cash."

I've since smartened up and assure you I've learned to appreciate the true sophistication of kiosks. I don't plan to insult the kiosk industry with any more unflattering comparisons to its ATM cousin.

ATMs do one thing well - dispense cash. They perform a few other tasks, but if you ask an ATM to venture outside the financial realm, it starts to look more like a self-service kiosk.

A short history

Once I discovered the fledgling kiosk industry, I learned of its convergence with ATMs. Our news coverage on ATMmagazine.com began to include kiosk stories. The ATM Industry Association also saw potential for growth into the kiosk world.

ATMmagazine.com at that time buzzed with Web traffic from the surge in the private ATM market. Deployers were born every second in those days, their entrepreneurial dreams fueled by the newly ubiquitous surcharge. Machines started turning up in the most unusual places - aircraft carriers, prisons, even inside an arctic outpost.

The overactive market resulted in a crowd of advertisers on ATMmagazine.com. We needed to create more banners to sell but had reached the site's limit, so we developed a much larger site to replace the magazine: ATMmarketplace.com.

We also started a new company, NetWorld Alliance, to operate the site and build its sister, KIOSKmarketplace.com (KMC). NetWorld's sole business was running these vertical communities.

Packed with new features like storefronts, e-commerce, research and a product catalog, ATMmarketplace.com launched its new look in September of 2000. Four months later KMC made its debut.

In search of a teammate

It soon was apparent we could gain an even stronger foothold in the kiosk market if we found a partner who knew the industry. We had a strong team but realized our offensive line was a little light.

Enter Craig Keefner and kiosks.org(KO).

We recognized the "org" was already meeting a great need in the market. Craig showed us a way to put ourselves on the map in the kiosk world - and we listened. Then we asked him to come on board.

With his help we're catapulting beyond the start-up phase into an immediate leadership position. Our marketing and sales costs have been slashed as a result of his experience and vast contacts (not to mention all the traffic on his site).

After Craig and his wife Carolynn approved the deal on Oct. 31, 2000, we completed the acquisition and welcomed the Keefners into the NetWorld family.

KIOSKmarketplace.com launched Jan. 1, 2001, with Craig an important part of the management team. At the same time, he kept up with his responsibilities on kiosks.org, pushing it to record levels in site traffic and membership.

We've taken a lot of the KO administrative work off Craig's shoulders so he can focus on strategy, technology and member communication. He also seems to enjoy commuting to balmy Kentucky after enduring years of Minnesota subzero winters.

When he's here we tend to monopolize his time with our infamous half-day management meetings. After lunch we typically corner him with projects that have to do with Web development, Internet access, e-mail issues, site hosting and our corporate LAN. Little did he know he was needed in so many other areas!

Our Plans

Now that we've had a chance to meet many of the kiosk players and understand the basics of the market, many of you still have questions about what we're trying to do and how KIOSKmarketplace.com differs from kiosks.org.

For starters, we see no reason to change the role of KO in the market. It's well known, has had a rich history since its birth in 1994 - before the Web itself entered the mainstream - and its membership and traffic grow every month. The archives are full of valuable news and information dating back several years.

The NetWorld Alliance business plan is to deliver online resources that meet the market's complete informational and marketing needs. We've invested heavily in Web development and design so our sites meet world-class standards.

Here's a partial list of the KMC features either available now or under development:

Some of these features are new to KO's tens of thousands of loyal users. KMC will slowly take over news responsibilities and will assume a traditional trade publication role along with its commerce and search capabilities, while KO will emphasize Craig's industry commentary and popular RFP information. You'll see other changes unfold throughout the year.

In addition to his responsibilities as publisher of KO and principal of NetWorld Alliance, Craig will continue to add his personal touch in all areas of KO's operations and content.

In case you're wondering about the striking resemblance between the marketplaces, we purposefully duplicated ATMmarketplace.com's design, functionality and business model on KMC.

Together the two sites will be your complete source for kiosk news, information, opinion and commerce. There's no need to spend money on other publications or spend time scouring the Net for company and product information.

You'll also benefit from our expertise in the ATM industry. ATMmarketplace.com (you guessed it - AMC) has a reputation of quality coverage and journalistic integrity. Many kiosk professionals have already joined that site.

We don't charge for access to any of our online communities. We may offer additional subscription-based information down the road, but our news and industry info are free.

The future

Our experience covering the ATM and kiosk industries has given us insight into their futures. We've reported on the technological advances sweeping through both markets. We know the major players. We're an integral part of conferences and associations.

Our industry Web portals have become meeting places for professionals all over the world. We're expanding our reach and influence in the European and Asian/Pacific markets and are hiring several editorial, sales and technical professionals.

As global connectivity takes hold of ATMs and kiosks, we'll strive to keep you connected to all the action through our sites.

This is an exciting time for self-service. Innovation and deployment show no signs of slowing.

And neither do we.

E-mail Tom attomh@networldalliance.com.