Kiosk Suppliers Using Self-Service

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How is it that most self-service suppliers do not offer self-service to their own clients? The irony within the self-service industry is that very few self-service companies allow deployers the ability to create and maintain kiosk applications for themselves. This puts control in the hands of a self-service provider, which can raise the cost of kiosk projects and possibly result in missed deadlines for the deployer. How come the industry that helped to create a do-it-yourself society does not practice the very thing it preaches?
 
One of the barriers to this desirable state of affairs is that deployers may have development experience, but they are typically new to the self-service industry. Experienced solution providers can custom-develop a kiosk application specific to the needs of the client, uncovering the user interface issues related only to kiosks. However, this limits the control of the deployer, even if the solutions provider has the best of intentions.
 
So what is the solution to this ironic state of affairs? Give deployers the tools to enable self-service for self-service. While some deployers would rather leave self-service up to the experts, others value the ability to create, manage and maintain kiosk projects in-house. Livewire and KioWare have come together to provide their services in a joint offering, enabling their clients with a range of self-service tools. Livewire is a leader in interactive selfservice solutions, including e-Concierge, ticketing, card/coupon/product dispensing, and digital media. Livewire solutions offer the ability to seamlessly conduct transactions in an unattended environment, securely provide internetconnected content, and remotely monitor and manage devices from a central location.
 
KioWare, a leader in kiosk system software, provides software to wrap around existing browser-based applications, protecting the OS, and allowing users to access only the application. KioWare’s philosophy has always been to minimise kiosk project costs by providing clients with customisable software. Until now, KioWare’s services have been limited to system software and have not delved into customisable kiosk application software. This partnership offers the ability to configure off-the-shelf kiosk system and application software.
 
Specifically, the tools provide the ability to build customer-interactive applications. The platform is flexible, secure, and stable, and utilises richmedia content to inform, promote, sell, and deliver. Scheduled deployment and updating of applications and digital media ensures fresh, relevant, and versioned content. The tools also allow for centralised monitoring of network, application and hardware health to maximise the solution’s availability to customers. Pre-tested card security compliance and hosted financial networks, including merchant processing/payment gateways, are also available.
 
The complete solution provides single source accountability. Now communications, images and messages can be dynamic, interactive and delivered to a select audience with laser accuracy. The user interface software delivers the ability to apply user-friendly multimedia and graphics, encouraging kiosk use. Software components easily integrate hardware devices such as card readers, ticketing devices, printers, barcode scanners, card dispensers and video cameras.
 
This strategic alliance between Livewire and KioWare allows the functionality and effectiveness of self-service solutions to come full circle. The combined open, nextgeneration architecture and platform templates reduce development and implementation time, while delivering a new standard for the self-service market, both for customer experience and ROI maximisation.