Power Kiosks partners with KRI, Playtime to place kiosks in North American malls

Power Kiosks will immediately deploy and service a pilot network of five to 10 kiosks in high-traffic shopping malls for three months. The purpose of the pilot project is to prove the functionality and financial viability of kiosks as a photo-imaging system within shopping mall environments, as well as an alternative advertising and marketing medium.

Playtime and KRI, both involved in placing entertainment products in North American malls, have received exclusivity for the placement of Photo Kiosks within common spaces of their respective malls for the pilot program. After successful completion of the first phase of the pilot, the second and third phase will involve a rollout of 200 kiosks in select malls across North America and an additional deployment of 1,500 to 2,000 kiosks in malls that prove viable through market studies.

Customers can create photographic portraits of themselves with recognized superstars or in dramatic or comic settings of their choice, merging their image with those provided on an interactive touchscreen monitor. The output is then submitted to a high-speed printer whose technology incorporates recent dramatic advances in computer image processing to give superior image quality and excellent color reproduction to each and every image. The kiosk also functions as a highly effective multi-media advertising center through its static side panels and high-resolution monitor for displaying video commercials.

"We are very confident of success in this test, especially after the very positive results we obtained in a Canadian beta test with a major retailer and a toy manufacturer," said Terry Cooke, President and CEO of Power Kiosks. "Our partners in this endeavor have strong connections to shopping mall management companies. KRI is an industry leader in mall recreation and entertainment in Canada, and Playtime is an expert in the conception, development and management of mall entertainment centers in the U.S."