New IBM kiosk designed with retail in mind

NEW YORK -- IBM (NYSE: IBM) has announced a new Web-enabled kiosk designed specifically for the retail market.

The IBM NetVista Kiosk allows retailers to use the Internet to give shoppers more choices and convenience and offer another way to interact with customers.

IBM has created customized kiosk solutions for many years for large customers such as British Airways, US Airways and Hudson's Bay Company, Canada's oldest and largest department store retailer. But the NetVista Kiosk marks the first time the company is offering a standard kiosk to give retailers of all sizes the ability to offer bricks and clicks in one location.

Solutions built on the NetVista Kiosk platform will provide added convenience by allowing consumers to buy catalog merchandise, Web-only products or other goods and services at one location. Shoppers will be able to browse gift registries, personally configure products or services such as home entertainment centers, learn about new products and compare alternatives at the kiosk. In addition, they can sample products such as CDs, movies and video games before making a purchase.

At the same time, retailers can use in-store kiosks to increase the choices of merchandise they offer, which is especially important in stores where space to stock merchandise is limited

"Seamless, multi-channel retailing is now critically important to the success of retailers. Kiosks can be a powerful part of that combination," said Jocelyn Furniss, Worldwide Brand Marketing director, IBM Retail Store Solutions.

"We understand that consumers want a fast, convenient alternative for self-service shopping. Interactive applications on this new retail kiosk give shoppers more control over the shopping experience and deliver the one-to-one attention customers want."

The new IBM kiosk also benefits retail store employees, who can now access corporate systems without leaving the sales floor. Critical customer service information, such as the location of out-of-stock merchandise, is online and readily available. It can also access human resources systems to view their assigned work hours, enter requests for scheduling changes, or participate in multimedia training.

The NetVista Kiosk features a sheet metal, powder-coated enclosure to resist damage. Sealed buttons, ports and slots, as well as security locks, prevent tampering. The system's spill-resistant, sealed construction protects electronics against dust, dirt and moisture. Cooling pipe technology uses a water-filled pipe to draw heat away from the sensitive electronics, instead of a conventional fan-based cooling system that could draw in airborne contaminants like dust.

The integrated unit includes an active matrix LCD touchscreen, a 3D graphics accelerator for full-motion video and multimedia, an infrared presence sensor, and Ethernet for LAN and Web connectivity.

Because the new IBM kiosk is Web-enabled, it allows retailers to manage kiosk hardware, applications and network connections either on-site or remotely. To accomplish this, IBM offers comprehensive kiosk management tools. These tools give retailers device management and diagnostic capabilities, secure Web access with a simple, click-to-configure interface and the capability to remotely monitor kiosk devices and send messages, such as request for service, log application data, time-stamped user tracking records, device history and software/content updates.