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Study: Kiosk usage on the rise

December 19, 2011

As companies seek to reduce costs, increase revenue opportunities and improve customer service, they are increasingly turning to kiosks to help meet those goals. The number of interactive kiosks in operation will increase from about 1.6 million deployed in 2011 to nearly three million deployed globally by 2016, according to ABI Research's latest report, Next Generation Kiosks and Self-Service Technology.

"The self-service technology trend has been occurring for several years, with consumers increasingly seeking greater convenience in the channels that they choose to utilize," Sam Lucero, practice director of M2M connectivity, part of ABI Research, said in the release. "At the center of this self-service technology trend are interactive kiosks. Kiosks are not a new channel by any means, but consumers worldwide have grown more accustomed to using them for everything from self-checkout in the supermarket to checking in for their flight at an airport."

While the kiosk market is expected to grow strongly over the next five years, there remain challenges to address.

"Interactive kiosks in various segments, such as healthcare, can face challenges regarding consumer acceptance, channel conflict with other means of interacting with the consumer, and with automated customer service not meeting a desired level of personalized support," Lucero said.

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