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The kiosk's brain: NRF attendees showcase software

While kiosks pervaded the NRF's convention and expo, those with the best software stood out. Salesmen and execs constantly touted flexibility, speed and the ease of integration into existing systems.

January 22, 2006

Code merchants big and small marched out new self-service software at the 95th Annual National Retail Federation's Convention and Expo, held at New York City's Jacob Javitz Convention Center. The software emphasized speed, simplicity and sales.

Retail Anywhere, a long-time POS software developer, announced its jump into kiosk software sales at The Big Show. Marketing manager Brenda Whisenhunt touted the platform's easily integrated ARTS 4.01 data modeling. Retail Anywhere's touch interface includes a gift registry, running ad ticker and video advertising capabilities while in use. Whisenhunt said Retail Anywhere consulted with their pre-existing POS clientele on the new platform's design, using big buttons, simple text and a user-friendly interface to guide the consumer.

"It's a way to increase sales," she said. "Because there's all kinds of suggested alternative selling. The thing with the kiosk, too, we've ported to the IBM Anyplace. It can go by a door, it can go in an aisle. We're really trying to focus on customer-enhanced solutions."

Retaligent Solutions Inc. showed its new Clarience 1:1 gift registry, which lets customers manage multiple lists for different events and allowed Web access. Customers can scan products in the store with a hand-held portable shopping system, adding them to their wish lists. Retaligent chief executive officer Bryan Amaral also demonstrated the company's barcode breakthrough - the ability to scan them with a cell phone macro lens.

Retaligent's eSP 1:1 Clienteling Software allows shoppers in fitting rooms to use barcode scanning micro kiosks to browse alternative sizes, styles and accessories, with photographs. When used in conjunction with its mobile management system, shown on Symbol's portable EDA units, the customer can then page an employee to bring other items to the fitting rooms.

Hand Held Products Inc. showed a different kind of software innovation - providing a flexible integrated kiosk platform with source code, letting end-users such as store owners customize it themselves, rather than having to pay for developing specially made software.

"It streamlines integration time," said Nick Daddabbo, Hand Held's senior product manager of transaction terminals/kiosks. "Instead of having to come to us, they can just kind of block it out themselves."

NCR, meanwhile, demonstrated its adaptable EasyPoint hardware in a variety of incarnations, requiring several software innovations. The tiny new FastLane Mini, built to save space and offer full cash/card payment functionality, sports a flexible software package allowing experienced customers to start the transaction instantly, by scanning an item rather than touching a screen, while still providing real-time video instruction for FastLane first-timers. On the back-end, the Mini offers remote manager monitoring via handheld remote assistant, rather than requiring a store employee to supervise the units from a fixed-position kiosk.

The NCR Xpress Bill Pay kiosk used an ultra-simple interface, built for speed in high traffic environments like cell phone stores.

Baer Media CEO Max Baer, an NCR contractor, was the only exhibitor at the expo in camouflage. He touted the versatility and cost-saving ability of his retail package, Ask Max, for the EasyPoint 42. The kiosk shows advertisements until activated by touch or barcode scan. The software then runs training films for associates or manufacturer product info videos for customers, lessening human error possibilities. On the back-end, Ask Max tracks every function used by customers, and allows vendors to view sales performance via the Web.

"We believe self-service is our double-digit growth vehicle," said NCR's Nelson Gomez, vice president of self-service solutions for North America.

Intermedia demonstrated its Xpress Ordering System, kiosks powered by Retailx software that include line-busting deli/cafeteria ordering capabilities and allows college students to remotely preorder food at dining halls via the Web. Sales director Bob Wessel said the system, selling for about $8,000-$10,000 per terminal, is used at a growing number of colleges including UNC-Chapel Hill and the University of Hartford. Wessel said the system reduces staff by 30 percent, giving quick ROI.

"The savings comes from upsells, combo meals and labor reallocation," Wessel said. "People fill orders instead of waiting on customers."