MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 11, 1999--U-Ship, Inc. (Nasdaq: USHP), doing business as United Shipping and Technology, announced today that it has been awarded a contract by Intuitive Solutions, St. Paul, Minnesota, for the production of its new line of internet-based interactive kiosks.
The Intelligent Kiosk Company (IQK), Minneapolis, began working with Agra Computer Services and Intuitive Solutions late last year to develop an intelligent kiosk for job placement and recruitment advertising. After successfully test marketing the intelligent kiosks in public locations across the Twin Cities, Intuitive Solutions will now roll-out the units into two other major metro markets.
Other market placements are targeted over the next six to twelve months. Intuitive Solutions foresees the deployment of these intelligent kiosks by newspaper chains across the country for advertising their customers' classified and related job postings.
The Intuitive Solutions system is currently the only known on-line/internet-based job-posting kiosk and offers a range of interactive applications. Individuals can not only fill out and submit a job application at the kiosk, but can search job data bases and upload and download detailed information about a specific job, such as company benefits, locations, services or products. The user-friendly system provides card swipes, touch screens, keyboards, speakers and printers. The units are ADA compliant and have been tested to work with visually impaired individuals. A Wide Appeal and Technology for Tip-of-the-Iceberg Applications
Bob Bro, President of Intuitive Solutions, believes the rapid growth of this kiosk concept signals a wide user profile. "There is no specific profile of kiosk users, " he said. "The kiosks are easy and free of charge to use, and attract everybody from press operators to retail clerks to attorneys. I think the kiosk appeals not only to those who want to easily and painlessly find a job, but to almost anyone who is curious about exploring possibilities for that perfect job out there."
According to Tim Becker, President of the Intelligent Kiosk Company, the new job-posting kiosk demonstrates one of many intelligent kiosk applications. "Intuitive Solutions has figured out what the consumer wants and how to provide it with this kiosk system.," Becker said. "The job-related application is just the tip of the iceberg. Because the systems are becoming smarter and more interactive, they are evolving into robotic systems and will soon offer many traditional services to the public."
Becker says that computer-aided kiosk industry sales are showing rapid growth across all business sectors. By the year 2002, industry sales are expected to grow to three billion dollars. The current growth rate for the industry is forty percent annually.
IQK builds kiosks for the courier, shipping and non-shipping industries. The company specializes in the development and production of highly intelligent, interactive mobile or fixed-place kiosks with a high degree of durability and designs for special needs. Contact IQK at 1-800-433-2066, or visit the Web site at www.u-ship.com for more information. The company can also be contacted via e-mail at [email protected]. Some of the information in this release is forward-looking and subject to certain risks as described in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the company's Form 10-K for fiscal year ended June 30, l998.
Copyright 1999, Business Wire