News

NC Innovation Center trials government self-service kiosks

Meridian pilots government kiosk program, predicts self-service to "reshape how government agencies operate."

October 30, 2014

The Raleigh-based North Carolina Innovation Center — the "iCenter" — called on Meridian's self-service kiosks for a pilot program to evaluate their performance before purchase.

State employees, students and private industries will test eight kiosks for deployment in agriculture, commerce, cultural resources, environment and natural resources, information technology services and transportation government agencies. 

"It's exciting for our state to be leading the way in technology and innovation, and we've been grateful for the opportunity to showcase the benefits of self-service to North Carolina," Meridian CEO Chris Gilder said in a statement. "There's no doubt self-service is going to reshape how government agencies operate; we're glad to have played a vital role in the iCenter's initial success and look forward to North Carolina leading the way in this collaborative project."

Meridian also initiated the Beacon Technology project at the iCenter, designed to enhance customer engagement via information sharing and customization. The beacons can be located anywhere and work with a wire Bluetooth Signal as well as Meridian's Spout mobile application. The Spout portal can customize information for delivery via a back-end user interface. 

The Center is testing the technology at aquariums, historic sites, museums and a zoo in North Carolina, with plans to provide interactive content, enable purchases and manage queues. 

"Moving forward, Meridian will continue to work with [State Chief Information Officer] Chris Estes and his team, collaborating to develop innovative solutions that will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of all state agencies," said Spout Software Senior Vice President Tony Temple. "With the announcement yesterday that 25 more states will join North Carolina in the collaborative process, more innovative solutions are sure to find their way into state government agencies in the near future.