News

Fifty kiosks give users free services via Internet

May 12, 2003

NEW YORK -- Internet Service Provider Public Internet eXchange has developed a kiosk application that gives the public access to a range of free services over the Internet. The application is now in place in 50 kiosks in Manhattan. The kiosks, model FI-301, were built by First Impression, a Danish firm.

According to a news release, free services on the kiosks include placing international phone calls with voice-over-IP technology; viewing movie trailers and reviews with theater location and show times; and searching restaurants from a database of over 8,000 shops based on food type, price range and location.

Each kiosk is programmed to know its location based on latitude and longitude coordinates, the release said, so users can click a "close-to-here" button to find the nearest establishments. With a few touches, users can get detailed information about a certain restaurant, including sample menu, review, address, phone number and pictures.

A handset on the kiosks lets users dial directly to make a reservation. This application has been duplicated for the thousands of shops in Manhattan and New York City.

"Our plan is to deploy the kiosks in the top U.S. markets, then enter the global market," said Nicholas Jarecki, CEO and founder of Public Internet eXchange. "We chose the First Impression kiosk because of its elegant design, which fits into every environment we are targeting, and its durability, which is key to this type of equipment in public places."