Skipton and iSIGN partnering on retail kiosks at DSE 2010

Software provider iSIGN Media Solutions Inc. recently announced its partnership with Skipton Group Inc. on two OEM initiatives for the IBM AnyPlace Kiosk, to be launched at the Digital Signage Expo, Feb. 23-25 in Las Vegas.

As a software solutions partner, iSIGN will license its patent-pending interactive proximity messaging solution to Skipton — a Premier IBM Business Partner with expertise in self-service technology solution design, integration and deployment — for the purposes of enhancing two innovative self-service offerings based on IBM's AnyPlace Kiosk platform, according to a company release.

Consumers will soon be able to interact with two new kiosk innovations — a "Digital Greeter," and an interactive cosmetic try-on tool, dubbed the "Virtual Makeover Kiosk."

The Digital Greeter is designed for retail chains to virtually greet and communicate with consumers' cell phones, and offers loyalty membership coupons and brand advertising at no cost to the consumer.

"There is a very high demand for in-store promotional delivery methods that bypass printed leaflets and coupons while capturing consumer responses and participation," said iSIGN CEO Alex Romanov. "This Digital Greeter will set the standard for interactive Bluetooth messaging technology with an exclusive host of shopper conveniences and unprecedented access to valuable shopper insight." The Virtual Makeover Kiosk is designed to provide North America's most prominent cosmetic retailers with an innovative and relevant solution to reach shoppers at the point of purchase in a market worth more than $20 billion annually, according to the company.

iSIGN's licensed Bluetooth transmission solution is embedded in the kiosk to deliver user-relevant product offerings and brand-sponsored beauty tips directly to a shopper's mobile phone — providing an opportunity to influence purchase decisions in real time.