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Kiosk Applications
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Kiosk Communicator is a powerful tool for creating customized interactive solutions. With over 17 years of industry experience, our team of multimedia experts have created stunning, user-friendly interactive systems for nearly every imaginable retail application. In this section, you'll find just a few examples of the virtually unlimited possible applications of Kiosk Communicator. If you don't see your desired application on the list, don't worry! Best Wave can create a custom interactive system for your unique retail application.
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All-in-one computer and touchscreen
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Best Wave’s all-in-one computer and touchscreen is the most economical and compact way to deliver interactive solutions. It looks like a normal computer monitor, measuring only 3 1/2 inches thick, but inside there is a complete PC!
On the bottom panel, typical computer ports such as USB, serial, Ethernet, and even Firewire make this a versatile workhorse. It comes with 512Mb of memory, an 40Gb hard drive, and Windows XP. Optional peripherals include a bar code scanner, magnetic stripe reader, CD reader, and wireless networking adapter.
There are several models available, but the 17 inch is the most popular, selling for $1,985 – complete! This includes a Pentium IV level processor and resistive touch screen. Resistive screens may be used with a stylus – a requirement of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The stand may be removed to mount the unit inside an enclosure or on a wall, or may be used as-is for a tabletop display.
Best of all, the price of this all-in-one solution is hundreds of dollars less than buying a PC, a monitor, and a touchscreen and then integrating them. Best Wave’s all-in-one is also thinner and more attractive than other computers in this category.
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Building Directory
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With Kiosk Communicator’s built-in directory feature, customers can search either by person or department and quickly view the corresponding name, telephone number, floor number and building location.
Instead of a proprietary and difficult updating technology, all of the directory information is stored and maintained in the building office on a standard PC or Mac – using simple Excel spreadsheets. The data can be moved to the building directory two ways, through an ethernet data connection or by copying the data to a USB flash drive and physically inserting it into the building directory computer. Either way, the directory is up-to-the minute, with changes in personnel, or office locations on the directory within minutes.
The directory also may include an area map to reduce the number of interruptions for the security personnel in the lobby, and the ability to feature quick product information movies for new or prospective customers, and even local advertising to assist building tenants.
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Lead Generation
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With Kiosk Communicator from Best Wave, implementing a touchscreen lead capture system can be accomplished in a matter of hours. Lead data can be captured from a variety of sources, including bar codes, magnetic stripes, and built-in touchscreen keyboards. Typical information captured includes name, address, phone and e-mail, but additional information can be requested – even using picture menus. For example, the Phoenix Suns capture prospective customers’ 2nd favorite team by displaying all of the NBA team logos – so the fan can touch the correct one.
The built-in touch keyboards are easy to use, because they are in the right format for the type of information being entered. Kiosk Communicator has a QWERTY keyboard for alphabetic information, a telephone keypad keyboard for phone numbers, and several other keyboards specific to data types. Every keyboard displays the characters entered as well as remaining characters allowed. They also provide visual and auditory feedback when a key is pressed.
The lead information is automatically stored in a format that can be easily loaded onto any database. Information files may be transferred via the Internet, telephone modem, or by inserting a USB drive into a USB port on the computer.
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Informational Display
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A wide variety of informational displays can be quickly and easily implemented using Kiosk Communicator from Best Wave. Rich multimedia, such as full-screen movies, DVD content, CD quality audio, and slide shows with narration can be combined to provide just the information the customer or prospect wants – quickly and powerfully.
In the public space, customers and prospects do not have the time or patience to wade through web sites – with voluminous text, and often subtle navigation. Instead, Kiosk Communicator guides them with simple, colorful touch menus that make navigation a breeze. Numerous menu choices can be combined to take a customer to the right content every time. Once there, the magic really begins.
Instead of boring text, Kiosk Communicator displays powerful rich media content. Slides with narration, movies in full screen format, and even DVD content can be combined to tell the story – quickly, and powerfully within the attention span of the typical customer or prospect.
DVD content from Kiosk Communicator is better than a DVD player. Since all the content is on a computer hard drive, more than one DVD can be available from a touch-screen menu selection. Plus, computers are able to store frequently used media in memory, preventing rapid burnout associated with DVD players.
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Gift Selection Assistant
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Nothing is more challenging than finding the perfect gift, taking into consideration factors about the person who is receiving it, and your budget. Its even worse when you are not familiar with the products available in the store. With Kiosk Communicator’s gift selection capability, customers can quickly describe the recipient by selecting criteria from several touch screen menus. Then Kiosk Communicator does the work, looking through hundreds or even thousands of items and presenting just those that match.
A toy company used Kiosk Communicator in this way, allowing the customer to select the age, and gender of the recipient, as well as the budget range they wanted to spend. In seconds, pictures of products in that particular store that met the criteria were displayed. The customer could touch any picture to get more information, in English or Spanish, including a description of the item, and even a digital video showing the item being enjoyed by a child.
Product lists are stored in simple Excel spreadsheets, so changing the items carried, or adding new products is as a matter of adding a line or data to a cell. Comprehensive usage reports also are maintained as spreadsheets, so product managers may review which product lines and even specific items are catching the eyes of consumers in the store.
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CD/DVD Preview Station
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Imagine having thousands of titles and tracks – every CD or DVD you make available for preview on a touchscreen computer. With Kiosk Communicator from Best Wave, that technology is available now.
Searching for a title may be done simply and easily three ways – keyword lookup, bar code scan, or by selecting from category touchscreen menus. In each case, the correct product is quickly located, and customers may either view a DVD trailer, or listen to previews of songs from any CD.
To make the customer more apt to purchase – CD track previews are carefully selected to be the best and most memorable selection from the track, not just the first 30 seconds. While listening, the customer may view the cover of the CD or, if there is a music video associated with the track, the video in full screen resolution.
There is no more powerful way to sell more music and video than to give customers a full preview at the point of purchase.
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Robotic CD/DVD Burning System
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Kiosk Communicator allows the burning of CDs and DVDs using state-of-the art robotic burners from Rimage Corporation. In combination with the CD/DVD preview station capability described above, a customer should never walk away without making a purchase, because if the title they love is not in stock, it can be burned on the spot!
The burning units use robotics to pick up a blank, insert it into one of several available burners, place it into a sensational-quality dye-sublimation printer when it is done burning, and deliver it to one of several bins when it is printed. Meanwhile, a color laser printer prints the inserts (both back and front) for the CD/DVD case. In a matter of minutes (2 – 3 for CDs) the completed product is in the customer’s hands and the sale is made.
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Interactive Digital Signs
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By making the signs in a store or office digital we can have easy to create and change displays. But now, that concept can be taken to the next level – allowing the customer to choose what the displays have on them from a simple touchscreen menu!
Many venues can utilize this cutting edge technology. Best Wave has employed it in music stores, where customers can choose an artist and title when they enter the store. Their selection will play on the plasma displays in the store. Of course while they wait for their choice to appear, they shop the music racks.
Another company is using a large format (65 inch plasma) screen with a touch sensor to allow prospects in its sales office to “view” floors of their yet-to-be-built high rise.
A bank is allowing customers, and during the evening, employees, to use a touch screen to select educational videos by category. Some of the categories for employees include a history of the bank, products and services offered, and so forth. Each is divided into easy to watch segments so that information overload and boredom do not become a factor. The videos are shown on large format LCD screens with full stereo audio, a much better and more powerful viewing experience than on a small computer display.
Kiosk Communicator interfaces with the NMP-500 media player from Viewsonic which is built into several of Viewsonic’s large format display. Several Internet or LAN connected displays may be controlled from a single PC and touchscreen.
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Memorial Photographic Display
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When a loved one passes away, we all want to remember them, and the happy times we shared with everyone attending the service or visitation at the mortuary. Until now, families relied on presentation boards, laptop computers, or scrapbooks full of old photographs to share those treasured memories.
Now, with Fluid~Frame from Best Wave, a stunning display on a large format LCD screen or projector makes the memories come to life.
As part of our Fluid~Frame service, Best Wave scans family photographs, retouches them, and electronically transmits them into the Fluid~Frame display within 24 hours. As an option, all of the photos can be placed, along with favorite musical selections, onto a DVD, which can be shown at the mortuary, at home, or can be sent to relatives.
Each photo can have up to 3 lines of caption text added to a “nameplate” that appears at the bottom of the frame. Best Wave’s software automatically adds a beveled high-definition matte around photos that need it, in a color and texture that compliments the photographs. Retouching includes, scratch reduction, color correction, lighting correction, and even getting rid of rips and tears that have happened through the years.
Remembering the good times together, and having a focal point for family and friends to gather around, is a gratifying and soothing part of saying goodbye to a loved one.
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Educational Games for Products
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Product placement within movies and television shows is taking the place of traditional advertising because it is hard to tune out or ignore. The same holds true for interactive displays. If you really want to get a point across about a product, make it an interactive game that prospective customers can play in your waiting area!
Trivia, match game, puzzles, and even 3D visualization games can bring an obscure or difficult product or concept to the forefront. For example, to help young people avoid tobacco use, the Arizona Department of Health Services employed a touchscreen trivia game and videos rather than boring slides. Did you know, for example, that Nicotine is also used as an insecticide? You would if you played the trivia game!
Hasbro used a 3D visualization game for their Mr. Potato Head and My Little Pony displays in Disney World, awakening interest in a fifty-year-old from kids whose parents were not even born yet when Potato Head came out!
The Phoenix Suns use match games, touchscreen coloring books, and interactive puzzles to bring up a new set of zealot Suns fans. Kids of all ages can enjoy many of these games (the Suns Dancers jigsaw puzzle appeals to “older kids” quite nicely).
Best of all, customers and prospects spend more time playing and enjoying a product-specific game, than they ever would watching a commercial!
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Multi-Lingual Package Delivery System
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One of the most appreciated services for Guests at Walt Disney World in Florida is the ability to send your purchases to your hotel room or home from any theme park location.
To make it even easier, and comfortable for foreign Guests, a multi-lingual package delivery system was developed for this purpose and has been in operation for several years. It is based upon Kiosk Communicator from Best Wave.
Guests can select one of 7 languages to interact with the system by touching a flag representing that country. From then on, all interaction is in that language, including text, dates, and even audio prompts.
Instead of having to remember the name of their hotel, Guests are able to choose the right hotel from a picture menu, eliminating a major source of confusion.
Best Wave also developed a touchscreen package delivery system called Touch-N-Ship for the Transportation Security Administration to use at airports. This system allows travelers to send articles that are about to be confiscated and destroyed at security to send them home – or to their destination.
An envelope dispenser gives them a padded envelope, then a built-in scale weighs the item, and after entering address information, the traveler can select from several different delivery options. Delivery options include ground or postal service as well as overnight delivery for time-sensitive items.
When the traveler has paid with their credit card (or cash), a delivery label is printed along with a receipt and tracking document. The traveler is on their way, knowing that their pocket knife, hat pin, bottle of perfume, or other valuable will be there when they get home or to their destination.
Because they are based upon Kiosk Communicator, both of these package delivery systems can be easily updated so they are always up to date. Also, comprehensive usage statistics are created in Excel spreadsheet format, so that the most and least popular menu choices can be identified. This helps marketing and operations understand more about their customers and their habits.
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Waiting Game
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The Waiting Game is an assortment of interactive touch-screen games that occupies children (and adults) who are in a waiting area. It runs by itself, does not have to be picked up after (like toys and games), and is instantly usable by anyone regardless of computer experience. The games are at 3 levels, for one or two players. As opposed to video games, sound is optional, and there is no joy-stick or controller to break or lose.
This solution is perfect for doctor's offices, dentists or any space where kids need to be entertained. It will be a hit with kids of all ages!
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