October 19, 2011

Digital signage company enters kiosk market

Keywest Technology is a familiar name in the digital signage industry, but the Kansas-based company is now trying to make a name for itself in self-service with its new line of kiosks.

Digital signage company enters kiosk market | DigitalSignageToday.com

By expanding its network of value-added-resellers (VARs), Keywest is transforming static branding to an on-screen experience that ties back to the POS or EMS system, according to David Little, the company's director of marketing. He said the plan is to provide an alternative media channel to engage customers with both self-serve sales and service initiatives.

"The possibilities of the marriage of digital signage, mobile and kiosk technologies are limitless," he said.

Available in interactive configurations as well as standard digital signage, the new turnkey series of kiosks is easy to install, and customers have the option of creating their own interactive content or working with Keywest staff to develop unique programming bundles, Little said.

"Our new series of turnkey kiosks makes it easy for professional communicators to extend the reach of their messaging by creating a dialog with their audiences that better serves their need for information," said Keywest Technology president Nick Nichols.

A variety of programming bundles are available, including interactive media, social media integration, digital advertising, interactive wayfinding, loyalty program integration, media feeds and streaming, real-time information (i.e. airport data), widget integration and integrated marketing campaigns.

"Like digital signage itself, a modern kiosk is part of the digital-out-of-home (DOOH) industry, which means it is also part of the convergence market that daily collides the evolving technologies of the Internet, mobile and interactive into something new," Little said. "Today's kiosk represents many specialties that converge upon the screen of any size for the best customer experience possible. This is barely different than modern digital signage. Keywest Technology has the creativity, technology and integration partners to provide all of this in a fresh, compelling way. "

Partnerships

Keywest has already formalized its kiosk solutions by making turnkey packages available to its entire reseller network in the United States. Previously, it was only providing software and content through resellers.

The company is already providing interactive directories to clients through one reseller, Essentialcom, of Scarsdale, New York.

Another enterprise partner, Spectrio (formally IOHI), has deployed Keywest-powered interactive kiosks at Peters Auto Mall in High Point, N.C. Most recently, Keywest has deployed POS/EMS-enabled digital kiosks at the Westin Bonaventure hotel in Los Angeles through RB Industries.

"We are working on corporate, education and retail installations in the near future," Little said

Enclosure options

Unlike digital signage, where the screen is often a third-party-branded appliance, the kiosk enclosure or surround can become part of the user's brand packaging, said Little.

"(This) certainly makes a lot of marketing sense for retailers," he said.

The company offers fully-interactive small digital door cards net-enabled and integrated with data sources for POS and POW applications. They can be installed on or inside walls, housed in self-standing enclosures or mounted within furniture shelves or cabinets.

Keywest also sells stand-alone enclosures that come in a variety of sizes ranging from 27 to 55 inches. They can be single- or dual-sided, non-touch screen or touch enabled. Interactive directories that can be customized in color and size are, yet, another option for wall-mount enclosures.

"We believe the enclosure itself is part of the benefit of kiosks," Little said.

A retailer looking for total customization can also have that through Keywest's partnership with STAR Signs.

"We can custom fabricate any kind of enclosure or cabinet that matches interior ambiance. Custom wraps can be applied for specific branding," Little said.

The cost

Like most kiosk projects, the cost depends on the kiosk and platform. Starting at the entry level, Keywest offers miniature touchscreen kiosks based on integrated technology for under $1,000. The high end of the price range is $20,000 plus, which is a custom solution with unique branding and expert programming, Little said.


Digital signage company enters kiosk market | DigitalSignageToday.com

Posted by staff at October 19, 2011 10:21 AM