Unique Water Dispenser Kiosk

Printer-friendly version

A self-service kiosk that gives things away for free? It all depends what you’re giving away and what you’re trying to sell...
 
Deutsche Werbe- & Wassertechnologien GmbH (DWT) designs and manufactures innovative fresh water dispensing systems, combined with information and communication technologies. Working closely with partners like Gemtec GmbH, Friedhelm Selbach GmbH, AOpen, SiteKiosk and Star Micronics, DWT has developed a unique kiosk terminal – the ‘AquaMedia Tower’ comprising a water dispenser, interactive info-terminal and large digital screen for multimedia advertising and digital signage.
 
The AquaMedia Tower combines customer service and multimedia marketing at the point of sale/point of information (POS/POI) in a single unit, thus providing fresh drinking water and interactive information at the same time. The free refreshment service attracts customers, who can spend anything up to 90 seconds in front of the dispenser. It also provides a meeting point in offices and an ‘oasis’ in department stores, exhibitions or airports. The AquaMedia Tower offers up to 50% more customer contact than other terminals and is ideal for foyers, lobbies, central information points in shopping centres, fairs, internet cafés, car showrooms and chemists.
 
The terminal comes in two different models with power and internet connections and steel plate casings. The ‘point of use’ model (POU) has a permanent water connection, while the ‘mobile’ model can hold up to 18.9 litres of water. Both models come in a ‘standard’ version and a ‘business’ version. The ‘standard’ version has a DVD player for playing videos while the ‘business’ version comes with a PC including operating system/software and DSL interface, a 17” touchscreen display and speakers. Options available with the ‘business’ terminal include stainless steel casing, keyboard, terminal software, thermal receipt printer, webcam, card reader and a digital screen measuring 32”, 42” or 47”.
 
DWT’s interactive kiosk has been on the market since early 2007. In Germany, there are 20 terminals in use today, nine of which have the TSP100 futurePRNT from Star Micronics at the heart of their solution. Customers can not only use the AquaMedia Tower to get free drinking water, watch videos and see adverts but also find out about special offers, events and opening times and print out vouchers and coupons. Businesses such as Berliner Wasserbetriebe are using the terminal at its headquarters, Berliner Flughäfen GmbH at the BBI exhibition locations Airportworld BBI and BBI-Infotower and the Wildau shopping centre ‘A10 Center’ south of Berlin.
 
The A10 Center close to the Polish border is the largest shopping centre in Germany in terms of area, with eight million visitors a year. The installation consists of three AquaMedia Towers with stainless steel casings, water dispensers with still water, PCs including operating system and DSL interface, a 17” touchscreen, SiteKiosk software, the TSP100 futurePRNT printer from Star Micronics and a digital 42” TFT-LCD screen in a stainless steel frame. There is one unit at each main entrance, east and west, and another at the tourist information desk in the Centre’s atrium. This solution generates extremely low drinking water costs while providing an informative refreshment service for thousands of visitors. The shopping centre uses the interactive kiosk terminal as a means of providing information to both visitors and tourists via interactive sales promotion and coupons.
 
Wetting the Appetite

Retailers located in the shopping centre as well as local companies use the terminal to advertise. The Centre’s management also uses the terminal to announce upcoming events, opening times and special offers. By entering a personalised login, visitors can print out coupons and other incentives such as discounts, prizes etc. at the kiosk terminal via the TSP100 futurePRNT printer. These can then be redeemed at the appropriate retailer in the shopping centre or at a local company.
 
As integrating hardware in the AquaMedia Tower system is so easy, and because the driver is compatible with the software applications used,DWT opted for the TSP100 futurePRNT printer from Star Micronics. In addition to the printer being robust, other reasons for choosing this printer were its print quality, price-performance ratio and the ease with which paper rolls can be changed. Star’s solution was selected over other suppliers including Epson, Citizen and Seiko. Nine terminals already have the TSP100 futurePRNT with its own casing. This cost-effective POS printer with full-speed USB interface can print 22 receipts at 125 mm/second even with TrueType fonts and graphics while providing a range of software tools at no extra cost to facilitate the creation of coupons and vouchers simply and easily. Furthermore, the printer is compatible with all major operating systems.
 
Dimitrios Kuhlmann, Marketing and Sales Manager at Deutschen Werbe- & Wassertechnologien GmbH, said, “Unlike other printers, the TSP100 futurePRNT from Star Micronics precisely meets our requirements. We have integrated the printer easily into our kiosk system. It provides an excellent print solution at the right price and works reliably even during continuous use. The printer’s own casing protects it against moisture which is an extremely important feature for the AquaMedia Tower. We are 100% satisfied with our choice, especially since experiencing it in use.” DWT has also benefited from the service and support provided by E.W.L Display & Printing Solutions GmbH, Star Micronics’ distributor in Germany. “E.W.L was extremely competent, particularly when it came to integrating the printer,” Kuhlmann explained. The staff at the tourist information point at the A10 Center are also very impressed, seeing ‘their’ AquaMedia Tower as extremely helpful, especially at peak times.

Planning the A10 Center began in the second half of 2006, and the units have been installed there since early 2007. DWT checks the AquaMedia Tower is working online via remote monitoring (SiteRemote) and responds to any problems immediately. The two units at the main entrances do not currently have water dispensers due to installation problems. In early 2007, DWT recorded 9,508 page impressions on average a month on the terminals; in the first half of 2008, this had risen to 15,552 on average. The unit with the water dispenser at the tourist information point in the Center’s atrium was utilised 47% more than the units at the main entrances. “This result clearly argues in favour of our solution also offering water,” says Kuhlmann. The A10 Center will soon provide all units with a permanent water supply and another terminal is planned.