Networking -- the next wave in photo kiosks
June 29, 2004
Shutterbugs are well aware of the advantages of digital imaging and do-it-yourself automatic photo machine kiosks. The amateur photographer has never before had so many options. InfoTrends' latest study shows that approximately 80 percent of consumer photofinishers offer at least one digital print service, be it a digital minilab, photo kiosk, digital printer or overnight through a central lab. In fact, digital camera sales are expected to nearly exceed film camera sales by 2008, and photofinishers are preparing themselves to service these customers. "Photo kiosks are at the stage ATMs were in the `80s,"said Steve Giordano, president and CTO of Lucidiom Inc. "ATMs started off on a one-to-one basis. For every bank you had one ATM. Then some smart people built ATM networks and cash was available everywhere."
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Giordano said that in the beginning, photo kiosks were built to operate like soda machines: you put in the media and the kiosk kicked out a photo. But to keep up with market demand and ensure profitability, photo finishers and retailers are looking to take photo kiosks to the next level. An example of this growth is the trend toward implementing photo kiosk networks that support remotely connected, unmanned APMs, and the advent of independent photo retail stores. The ability to deploy multiple networked, self-service APMs means the independent operator can increase the number of customers served, enhance revenue and reduce customer acquisition costs. One of the biggest advantages for a small photo retailer is the ability to have one central storefront along with a network of photo kiosks across multiple locations, said Giordano. "Bob could have one single store location and 10 APMs throughout his area. For branding purposes he could advertise his 11 convenient locations," he said. Lucidiom's APMNetwork.com is a unique solution for networking APMs. Users just log into APMNetwork.com and view pending orders, the average amount spent per order, a breakdown of what media types have been used at a particular APM or orders with totals over a certain dollar amount. The ability to track orders and usage statistics, run reports, view sales figures and get necessary maintenance information -- such as which APMs are down, have a malfunctioning part or are low on receipt paper -- can mean the difference in profit or loss to a photo kiosk deployer. Industry experts agree that there is more to operating a successful photo kiosk than deploying it and collecting the cash. According to Francie Mendelsohn, president of Summit Research Associates, photo kiosks have reached critical mass. "There is a lot at stake, so you have to do it right."
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