< PreviousWhat are the main changes or trends you’ve seen over the last year in technology for the hospitality industry which have been as a result of, or accelerated by, the pandemic? David – With the closure of pubs and restaurants and the limitations of table and bar service, pubs and restaurants have had to adapt their existing set-up to a delivery and/or collection model during stricter lockdowns and then transition to order and pay at table models with the partial reopening. We’ve seen a demand for native apps as well as web-based technology which customers can easily access to order and pay for food and drinks, leveraging QR code technology for example. There’s also been a notable rise in kiosk and self-service usage to order and collect food with many running tablet-based devices or allowing customers to use their own device to avoid contact with a shared screen. For pubs and restaurants returning firstly to outside eating and then to opening fully, what are the main pain points which this technology is able to help with? David – Comprehensive apps and web software allow for pre-booking for limited spaces during social distancing or for set pick-up times for collection, in addition to client registration for COVID track and trace initiatives. Order and pay at table technology allows customers to use their own device to order and pay for drinks and meals, reducing table contact by waiting staff. What different ways are you seeing hospitality venues enabling customer ordering? David – Many restaurants are using a separate app from the POS which is sometimes quicker to get up and running than adding required new features to the existing POS system. Some are using kiosks or BYOD as entry systems and for food ordering. What are the advantages and disadvantages of website versus app for customer orders? David – This will differ for each venue depending on the customer base, budget and required features. We’ve seen customers adapting an existing e-commerce site or setting up a new web site for food ordering which allows them to get online quickly initially. Alternatively, a native app can offer a wider range of features, encourage repeat business and has the INTERVIEW – STAR MICRONICS With pubs and restaurants reopening to accommodate the public for outside dining and drinking, many of us are ready to get back to meeting in small groups. Nevertheless, crowding around a bar to order drinks or queuing to order food might not seem so appealing just yet. As a peripheral manufacturer, Star Micronics have observed a huge technological shift over the past year in the hospitality industry for delivery, takeaway, dine-in and every transition in between. Interview with David Pearce Technical Director Star Micronics EMEA DAVID PEARCE TECHNICAL DIRECTOR STAR MICRONICS EMEA 40KIOSK AND DIGITAL SIGNAGE MAGAZINE INVEST IN TECHNOLOGY TO BOOST THE HOSPITALITY VENUE We talk to David Pearce, Technical Director, Star Micronics EMEA about the printing technology available for order and pay apps and web- based ordering systems for the return of hospitality.INTERVIEW – STAR MICRONICS 41 KIOSK AND DIGITAL SIGNAGE MAGAZINEKiosk Printing Solutions Star Success Customers around the world include: Premier Inn, Sun International, Coop Switzerland, P&O Ferries, Subway, Eurotunnel to name just a few. As a leading installerof packaged and modular specialist kiosk printing solutions, Star offers a wide range of industry-leading products. With over thirty years’ experience in the kiosk industry and an unrivalled reputation for reliability, Star has a highly experienced Hardware Engineering Team that can provide the technical expertise and flexibility required to develop customised products. This wealth of experience pushes the boundaries in POS and tablet POS printing to bring the most advanced kiosk solutions. With customers worldwide across retail and hospitality, Star’s solutions meet the demands of even the most compact kiosk designs, while offering high performance printing that remains unrivalled today. Star Micronics EMEA Star House, Peregrine Business Park, Gomm Road, High Wycombe, Bucks. HP13 7DL, UK Tel: +44 (0) 1494 471111 • Fax: +44 (0) 1494 473333 • Email: Sales@Star-EMEA.com www.Star-EMEA.comadvantage of being able to use locally connected printers over USB or Bluetooth. Progressive Web Apps allow a hybrid approach with a single development suitable for any operating system supporting web browsing in HTML5. Web apps now support the use of device hardware for QR scanning for example, but printing customer orders and receipts have proved challenging in the past. Star has produced several services and protocols allowing POS or kiosk vendors to print directly from a web-based app to a local, network or cloud-based printer. What type of printing technologies have been required with the growth of online ordering and order at table software? David – With the increased use of apps and web-based software, printing an order directly to a kitchen or bar printer saves time and increases order accuracy. Our support team has been helping software developers and web design companies with standard drivers and SDKs for printing from POS systems, Android and iOS tablets as well as technology to enable web- based printing without having to worry about browser settings such as margins and headers across different platforms. We’ve seen strong demand for cloud technologies that are able to pull orders directly from an online ordering system at defined intervals and print these remotely in a kitchen or bar without needing an additional tablet or device to key in the order. Auto-printing simplifies operations and staff do not have to worry about anything other than receiving the orders. The technology extends across thermal printers and dot matrix kitchen printers for paper tickets as well as food labels. Which additional printer features can make a real difference when using online ordering or order and pay apps? David – Technologies that effectively ‘tether’ tablets to the network, enable tablets and mobile devices to remain online without having to connect by WiFi, removing the possibility of missing orders. The fact that some of the printers can also act as a hub with a connected barcode reader to directly inform the server that an order is ready without any manual keying is useful. This means the chef can receive a remote order, prepare it and simply scan the receipt back to the server to alert the in-restaurant staff, delivery company or purchaser that the order is ready for transit. We’ve also seen an increase in the use of bump bars attached to the printer to accept/reject orders to the cloud service. The more seamless the ordering process is, the more hospitality owners can fully focus on reopening and managing a potentially large influx of customers again to order their food and drinks from any location safely. INTERVIEW – STAR MICRONICS We’ve seen strong demand for cloud technologies able to pull orders directly from an online ordering system, and print these remotely in a kitchen or bar without needing an additional device 43 KIOSK AND DIGITAL SIGNAGE MAGAZINEMOVERS AND SHAKERS 44KIOSK AND DIGITAL SIGNAGE MAGAZINE LED manufacturer Absen has hired Adam Berditch as its new business development manager for the UK. Berditch will work to build upon the manufacturer’s connections throughout the UK’s LED market. With 12 years of experience across the AV industry, Berditch has worked at building businesses from the ground up in many sectors, such as retail, corporate and education. Berditch started his career at Sahara Distribution, as an Account Manager, and most recently was at Anixter, as Global Account Manager before joining Absen as the UK Business Development Manager. The roles throughout Adam’s career so far have allowed him to work across the entire industry portfolio, from projectors to IPTV. “Having experienced the channel from the integrator, distributor and now manufacturer standpoint, I have been able to build solid relationships with key players in the market.” Berditch is joining Absen at a pivotal time: Absen has been weathering the pandemic storm by strengthening its relationships with partners worldwide, and as the company is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2021, it has a number of exciting new products about to be launched. Berditch said, “We’re already starting to see some sectors bouncing back. Lots of new projects are emerging, especially within the corporate and retail sectors. We’re currently working with some great retailers to help them create an in-store experience to remember. Working with the restrictions has been a strange way to start a new role, but I am excited at what this year has to bring and believe it’s a great time to be joining the Absen team.” PSCo’s Innovation House, Bracknell, UK, is identified by Berditch as an exciting new development for Absen customers and specialists alike in the coming months. Berditch explained, “The Innovation House launch is something I’m really excited about for customers. It’s going to present Absen’s innovation at its finest and give customers a chance to experience the brilliance of Absen in person. I’m looking forward to getting back out there. The team in Europe is growing from strength to strength, and Absen is a company I’m proud to be part of.” ABSEN WELCOMES ADAM BERDITCH IF YOU WOULD LIKE YOUR MOVER OR SHAKER PUBLISHED ON THIS PAGE, EMAIL US AT: EDITOR.KDSEUROPE.COM MOVERS AND SHAKERS A round up of promotions, structural changes and new recruits across the kiosk and digital signage industry JESSICA GOLDING – ABSEN’S NEW EUROPEAN BRAND MANAGER Absen has welcomed Jessica Golding as the company’s new European Brand Manager. Golding will be responsible for strengthening the company’s reputation across Europe and Australia and fortifying relationships with its European partners and distributors. Golding began her career working for DCS Group, moving on to Taiwanese B2C and B2B manufacturer BenQ as a Marketing Executive, where she was rapidly promoted to Marketing Manager. Golding said, “BenQ was where I began my career in the AV industry and built upon my interest in technology. I gained experience working with a variety of technologies, from interactive flat panels, to projectors, digital signage and wireless presentation devices. I was responsible for managing all BenQ’s UK events, as well as PR. Later on, I specialised in management and promotion of BenQ’s educational technology sector. “Absen has always had a reputation for providing high- quality LED and being the experts in creating state-of-the- art solutions. Their renowned global reputation is built from the support each department gives to one another, and it’s a pleasure to be part of it.” VITEC has announced that Eric Deniau has joined the company as Chief Technology Officer (CTO). Philippe Wetzel, CEO, VITEC, said, “IP video streaming continues to grow across all markets as enterprises harness the power of their networks to deliver and manage video traffic.” “Eric will be joining to lead technology innovation and R&D efforts worldwide. He has a deep knowledge of software and a sophisticated understanding of hardware products that will enhance the experience and capabilities of VITEC’s talented R&D leadership team. He is tasked with developing the next generation of codecs, ASIC technologies, and software solutions that will power VITEC products for years to come.” Eric was most recently with ENENSYS as CTO and has over 30 years of experience in the media industry, including experience managing large software projects for major broadcasters and has played a major role with the standards communities that have brought interoperable MPEG, DVB and 3GPP technologies to market. Deniau said, “VITEC is a company that is poised for growth as the demand for business video applications across enterprise networks expands. I am excited to be joining VITEC as the market is rapidly deploying IP streaming solutions to support the demand for video applications.” MOVERS AND SHAKERS 45 KIOSK AND DIGITAL SIGNAGE MAGAZINE ERIC DENIAU JOINS VITEC AS CTO MICROCARE BUILDS TEAM WITH A NEW CFO AND TWO NEW HIRES MicroCare has announced the appointment of John Stardellis as the company’s new Chief Financial Officer. Stardellis joins MicroCare with more than 20 years of experience in a variety of finance, policy and operational leadership roles, having most recently served as CFO at i-Health, a division of DSM Nutritional Products. Tom Tattersall, CEO, MicroCare, said, “John’s track record with high growth companies combined with long-term sustainable vision and strong leadership made him the ideal candidate for this key hire and we are very pleased to welcome him to the team.” Stardellis will oversee all aspects of the finance business planning and process changes to drive strategic growth and efficient operational scaling. Stardellis said, “I am very excited to be stepping into this global leadership role and joining a winning culture like that at MicroCare. “MicroCare is a strong business with a very exciting future. The values, customer focus and drive for growth of the company are inspiring. I am looking forward to working with the team.”. Also joining Microcare is Dr Kimberley Dilts as Global Regulatory Manager and Dylan Griswold as Senior Sourcing Analyst. Dilts is responsible for ensuring that the MicroCare portfolio of products complies with global chemical control legislation. She is experienced in managing ongoing chemical compliance and worldwide regulations which continue to require regular updates. Emily Peck, Senior Chemist, MicroCare, said, “We are delighted to welcome Dr Dilts to MicroCare. She brings a wealth of experience to the role and will ensure that MicroCare fully observes all local, regional and global regulations to make certain that all information, including data sheets and labels, is always up to date and compliant. She is a great asset to the company.” Dylan Griswold is joining the sourcing and procurement team. Griswold is responsible for overseeing vendor relationships and improving supply chain operations. Jim Gluck, Senior Procurement Manager, MicroCare, said, “We are very pleased to have Dylan on board. With his talent and enthusiasm, he will fulfil the role perfectly and help to manage the purchasing and material planning for our global production and operations.”. John Stardellis Dr Kimberley DiltsDylan Griswold46KIOSK AND DIGITAL SIGNAGE MAGAZINE KDS Magazine is the leading technical journal for manufacturers, integrators and deployers of self service terminals and digital signage. Published on a bi-monthly basis, KDS features news, articles, features, from industry leading bodies, and the very latest information on the innovative technology that makes up our exciting industry. Past issues can be found on our website: www.kdseurope.com, along with news, features and information on events throughout the year. www.kdseurope.com | sales@kdseurope.com | editor@kdseurope.comNext >