STRATEGIC PARTNERS
February 27, 2002
LOS ANGELES and RALEIGH, N.C. - A new Web-enabled kiosk developed by IBM will allow record store shoppers to preview CDs, DVDs and games from a massive online library, according to an IBM release.
The new kiosks are being installed at Virgin Records Megastores in New York and Boston. The system was tested at Virgin stores in Dallas and Los Angeles, where IBM reported that the kiosks were occupied nearly two-thirds of the available time and had gotten 32,000 page views per week.
Customers can scan a product's bar code into the device, and then sample the CD, DVD or video game at the kiosk. The technology is designed to replace the traditional listening stations in which a limited number of CDs were available. The number of titles available through the new web-enabled kiosks number more than 250,000.
Glen Ward, chief executive officer of Virgin Entertainment Group, North America, said the new system will give customers access to a much wider range of music and entertainment products.
