FOUR WAYS REMOTE MONITORING CAN TRANSFORM CAFES ISE 2022 CELEBRATES DEBUT IN BARCELONA THE BEST REMOTE DEVICE MANAGEMENT APP FOR YOUR ANDROID TV FLEET APRIL/MAY 2022 ISSUE 36 GETTING THE DATA LIFECYCLE RIGHT TO ACCELERATE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION STRATEGIES ‘INTELLIGENT’ POS PRINTERS - WHAT’S ALL THE FUSS ABOUT?CONTENTS 2KIOSK AND DIGITAL SIGNAGE MAGAZINE A round up of some of the latest kiosk and digital signage news to hit the editor’s inbox. Accelerated by Covid-19, businesses have started to become more data-driven and embrace digital transformation strategies. However, the failure to understand data, what a business has, and what a business needs, is compromising many digital transformation plans. Peter Ruffley, CEO, Zizo, emphasises the importance of the ‘get started, learn fast’ model. Delivering outstanding experiences increases customer loyalty, while poor service can rob you of valuable business. Technology has revolutionised how we deliver, measure and improve customer service. Natasha Bougourd, Kura, looks at four ways technology can help you enhance your customer experience. 2KIOSK AND DIGITAL SIGNAGE MAGAZINE 06 NEWS 05 EDITOR’S NOTE 20 GETTING THE DATA LIFECYCLE RIGHT TO ACCELERATE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION STRATEGIES 16 THE FUTURE IS NOW 14 ISE 2022 CELEBRATES DEBUT IN BARCELONA Publisher: Abacus Communications Editor: Laura Vallis Advertising: Hillview Media www.kdseurope.com Surrey Technology Centre, Surrey Research Park, 40 Occam Road, Guildford, GU2 7YG ISSN 2756-1097 The author and publisher, and its officers and employees, do not accept any liability for any errors that may have occurred, or for any reliance on their contents. All trademarks and brand names are respected within our publication. However, the publishers accept no responsibility for any inadvertent misuse that may occur. This publication is protected by copyright © 2022 and accordingly must not be reproduced in any medium. All rights reserved. With a total of 43,691 unique attendees from 151 countries, making 90,372 visits to the show floor, ISE 2022 finally arrived at the Fira de Barcelona, Gran Vía. We take a look at some pictures of the stands at ISE.Sam Roberts, Sector Director at mpro5 looks at how the internet of things has incredible potential in hospitality and catering environments – and nowhere exemplifies this better than a coffee shop. CONTENTS 3 KIOSK AND DIGITAL SIGNAGE MAGAZINE 24 FOUR WAYS REMOTE MONITORING CAN TRANSFORM CAFES Denis Kondopoulos - Senior Technical Project Manager, Naxtech.com looks at the intelligent POS printer. What’s all the fuss about, and do you really need to buy one? Android TV is becoming the smart choice for many Smart TV users. Making sure these devices run smoothly requires a reliable remote device management app. Nadav Avni, Chief Marketing Officer at Radix Technologies discusses. Promotions, organisational changes and new recruits across the kiosk and digital signage industry. 28 ‘INTELLIGENT’ POS PRINTERS - WHAT ARE THEY ALL ABOUT? 32 THE BEST REMOTE DEVICE MANAGEMENT APP FOR YOUR ANDROID TV FLEET 36 MOVERS & SHAKERS Would you like to contribute to KDS? Please submit news stories, articles, press releases and industry expert opinions to Laura Vallis editor@kdseurope.com. Please include high resolution (300dpi+ CMYK) images. We publish all news and articles that adhere to our editorial guidelines free of charge. This ensures our content is unbiased and relevant to our industry. The views expressed in the articles and technical papers are those of the authors and are not endorsed by the publishers. Kiosk 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.comIntegrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2022 finally opened its doors last week heralding a return to face to face meetings, networking and exhibiting. While this is not the first trade show to be held in Europe this year, it does make a big ‘we are open for business’ statement to the technology sector, with many names known to this magazine showcasing innovations to the market for the very first time since Covid-19 hit. The team at KDS were lucky enough to get some time out in Barcelona to say hi to a few of our magazine contributors. We took some pictures of some of the stands at ISE 2022, have a look on pages 14 and 15 to see if you can see yourselves. In other features we take a look at customer engagement and how technology has revolutionised how we deliver, measure and analyse customer experience data to improve and enhance service. We discuss remote monitoring and also look at intelligent POS printers in hospitality and catering environments. We also have a feature on how to choose the best remote device management app for your Android TV fleet, fast becoming the choice for many Smart TV users. And of course we still have the latest kiosk and digital signage news, investments, innovations, technology and the movers and shakers in our industry. If you would like to contribute to Kiosk and Digital Signage magazine, either contributing a feature article or a news item, please don’t hesitate to get in touch via editor@kdseurope.com. Next time these pages could be publishing your story. Laura Vallis Editor FOREWORD 5 KIOSK AND DIGITAL SIGNAGE MAGAZINE EDITOR’S NOTENEWS IN BRIEF 6KIOSK AND DIGITAL SIGNAGE MAGAZINE Zytronic has announced an ultra-secure version of its rugged, customised touch screens that supports PIN entry applications, available via its development partner, Cryptera. Its full range of CryptoTouch PIN-on- Glass products has recently attained international level 5 certification from the PCI (Payment Card Industry) Security Standards Council. The PCI 5.x approval covers 12 customisable touch screen sizes, ranging from 5in to 27in. The technology enables authenticated payments to be handled entirely via the touch screen without the need for a separate mechanical encrypting PIN pad (EPP). Uses include various transactional and self-service payment applications such as ATMs, financial kiosks, forecourt payment, parking, ticketing and quick- service restaurants. The CryptoTouch solution is approved for offline and online transactions and can be combined with a secure card reader and an NFC reader for contactless payments. All modules hold PCI 5.x certification and both card readers are EMV (Europay, Mastercard and Visa) approved and hold international card scheme approvals. CryptoTouch, with Zytronic touch screens, have already been successfully used together in ATMs for a European bank. “We are excited to bring this new PCI 5.x certified CryptoTouch solution to market and expand the opportunities for Cryptera and our customers,” said Stig Gudmundsen, Director of Cryptera Sales & Marketing. “We are working on several CryptoTouch projects, targeting next-generation payment solutions for both the ATM industry and unattended payment.” Ian Crosby, Sales & Marketing Director at Zytronic, added, “With CryptoTouch, Cryptera and Zytronic, we have successfully overcome challenges while meeting the exacting standards of PCI and EMV. Customers can be secure in the knowledge that the hygienic and easy to clean Cryptotouch solution has the backing of two leaders in the self- service industry.” ZYTRONIC ANNOUNCES PCI 5.X CERTIFICATION FOR LARGE FORMAT TOUCH SCREENS PIN ENTRY VERSATILE USB-IO BOARD FROM RDS Review Display Systems (RDS) has announced the introduction of a highly versatile USB control and monitoring interface board. The intelligent USB-IO board features a comprehensive range of I/O (input/ output) ports which can be easily controlled and monitored using a single USB serial interface. The USB-IO board has been designed and developed by RDS for use in embedded systems, IoT applications and stand-alone equipment to enable the control and monitoring of external hardware, and systems such as relays, smart sensors, actuators, lighting and motors. The USB-IO board features a general-purpose 16-bit Texas Instruments MSP430 microcontroller (MCU) which enables full user control and interrogation of all the on-board input/outport ports, interfaces and sensors. The user interface for the USB IO board is controlled via a single USB serial connection to a host controller or embedded computer. Liam Layton, Application Engineer, Review Display Systems said, “Many embedded computers are not designed with support for general purpose I/O (GPIO). As a result, this lack of easily accessible I/O can create challenges in embedded applications when trying to control and monitor external hardware and systems. The new RDS USB-IO board overcomes these obstacles by providing a simple and easy-to- use interface with many different I/O options available.” PEERLESS-AV’S NEW OUTDOOR DISPLAYS AND AV SUPPORT SOLUTIONS Peerless-AV has presented the latest generation of Outdoor Displays and Indoor/Outdoor Kiosk solutions together with a new Motorised Trolley and a host of dvLED mounting systems. These showcase the company’s expert capabilities in dvLED video wall mounting integration – part of the SEAMLESS dvLED Video Wall Integration Programme – including various flat to wall and custom shaped dvLED video wall showcases in partnership with key OEM partners and supported by SEAMLESS Kitted and Bespoke Mounting Systems. Also launched is the new Motorised Trolley (PR598-M) for large format and interactive displays up to 98in. This new addition offers digital controls on the rear to power the display and pre-set of up to four heights with 500mm of vertical travel. The trolley also has a built-in pressure sensor to detect, and automatically lower or lift, if obstacles are detected, ensuring safe use in any education or corporate setting.7 KIOSK AND DIGITAL SIGNAGE MAGAZINE Absen returned to ISE, Fira Barcelona, 10-13 May 2022 with a full range of new LED solutions for corporate, control room, retail, stadia and rental staging, giving visitors a unique opportunity to get insights into the future from the manufacturer’s Immersive LED Experience themed stand. Absen’s impressive stand doubled as a virtual production studio experience, reflecting the increasingly important role LED-equipped virtual studios are playing in film and television productions, as well as in the corporate and MICE sector. Developed in cooperation with various partners, Absen’s virtual studio showcased the manufacturer’s solutions for both LED on camera and virtual events – as well as providing a stage for filming, panel discussions and other must-see live events during the show. Absen turned to L&L to provide the stage solution, while Brompton Technology handled image processing. An Alexa Mini LF paired with a 29mm Signature Prime Lens, as well as SkyPanel and Orbiter lighting fixtures were courtesy of ARRI, while camera tracking was handled by stYpe. ABSEN’S LED EXPERIENCE NEWS IN BRIEF VERVE INVESTS IN EPSON SURECOLOR PRINTER Verve Display’s commitment to helping its clients achieve a more sustainable operation has been enhanced with its investment in an Epson SureColor SC- R5000 resin ink large format printer. The SC-R5000 produces vibrant prints with a fully water-based ink set and can print onto uncoated media, creating recyclable output and minimising environmental impact. The extremely reliable system with a permanent printhead is very easy to operate and has low running costs. Simon Perkes, Managing Director, founded the Harlow-based operation in 2003. It delivers innovative and bespoke solutions from concept to concourse in large format digital print. It works with a wide range of household names from Sky and Mastercard to Team GB, ITV and Great Ormond Street Hospital. As part of its journey to becoming Net Zero, Verve is committed to setting the standards in environmentally-conscious printing. In line with its investment in a greener future, Verve will be rebranding later this quarter. VITEC was presented with a 2022 Technology & Engineering Emmy Award at the 73rd annual Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards ceremony held in Las Vegas in partnership with the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), coinciding with the NAB 2022 media and technology convention. VITEC received the award in the “Management of IP Multicast Video Distribution to Desktops and TVs in News & Media Production Facilities” category for its EZ TV IPTV Platform and its significant impact on users in the television space. “VITEC’s EZ TV Platform engineering team contributions have established us as the world’s top solution provider for IPTV Distribution for News and Media facilities,” says Eli Garten, VITEC’s SVP Product & Customer Success. “Continued engineering and innovation are at the core of everything we do at VITEC, so I’m thrilled for our talented team that they have been recognised with this prestigious Emmy award. I would like to thank them for their ongoing efforts in providing gold-standard solutions in this space and responding to global broadcast marketplace challenges.” VITEC PRESENTED WITH EMMY AWARD FOR IP MULTICAST VIDEO DISTRIBUTION We can offer some great presence marketing options. If you would like to discuss one of our advertising or advertorial packages contact: sales@kdseurope.comNEWS IN BRIEF 8KIOSK AND DIGITAL SIGNAGE MAGAZINE Digital out-of-home (DOOH) media has been part of the makeup of modern cities for some time, contributing to the exhilaration and convenience of metropolitan life. Now it’s also helping to tackle the pressing problems of air pollution and rising urban temperatures, thanks to an innovation in clean air generation from Germany powered by BrightSign media players. Brandenburg-based Green City Solutions has developed CityBreeze, the world’s first DOOH screen containing regenerative air quality filters made from high-performance moss. This ancient plant has a natural ability to attract and metabolise all kinds of harmful pollutants such as black carbon and nitrogen oxides, removing them from the atmosphere. It also cools the ambient air by evaporating water across its exceptionally large ‘leaf’ surface. As well as a 75in LCD screen controlled by a BrightSign HD224 media player, each attractively designed CityBreeze unit has the capacity to filter 1,400m³ of air an hour, removing up to 82% of the pollutants contained in it and reducing its temperature by up to 4°C. The moss is kept in perfect condition through smart IoT technology which can also be used to capture and share real- time air-quality data. “Combining digital out-of-home (DOOH) functionality with our biotech system for producing fresh, breathable air has put a compelling environmental product within the reach of many more city authorities than would otherwise be the case,” explained Simon Dierks, Marketing Lead for Green City Solutions. DIGITAL SIGNAGE THAT CLEANS THE AIR WE BREATHE AXIOMTEK’S EN 50155 CERTIFIED TOUCHSCREEN MONITORS Axiomtek has introduced its P712 and P710, the 12.1in and 10.4in EN 50155 and EN 45545 certified touchscreen monitors designed specifically for railway applications. These durable railway touchscreen monitors support a wide operating temperature range of -25°C to +55°C and have an IP65- rated aluminum front bezel for water and dust resistance. The P712 and P710 have an XGA display with a resistive touchscreen, 600/500nits of high brightness and a wide viewing angle. With their rugged yet user- friendly design, these railway displays provide customers with multiple video inputs including VGA, DVI-D and HDMI. The exceptional P712 and P710 offer an optimal user experience for rolling stock applications under harsh ambient conditions. “Axiomtek’s P712 and P710 are specifically designed to serve the complex needs of the railway sector, which have to work stably and reliably at all times even under extreme conditions such as temperature fluctuations and rail vibrations,” said Violet Hsu, a Product Manager at Axiomtek. “With vibration resistance in accordance with EN 61373 Category 1, Class B and interference immunity in accordance with EN 50121-3-2 Table 1, the robust railway touchscreen monitors can work perfectly while trains are rolling. The P712 and P710 also offer on-screen display (OSD) control on the front bezel, which allows users to easily adjust on- screen images. It also comes with a sunlight-readable high brightness display and light sensor for auto- dimming, capable of performing well in any sunlight changes or semi- outdoor environment. With its wide viewing angle feature, train drivers can easily read it and never miss any information.” VENTOLA COMPLETES PROJECT WITH TIEBREAKERS FEC CHAIN Mick Ventola, Managing Director of Ventola Projects and his team have been working closely with the management team and facility owner at the Johnson City Tiebreakers facility based in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, to deliver a range of experiential and lighting technology. The facility is now enhanced with experiential and lighting technology, including Ventola’s iconic VAvR lighting, LED panels and an interactive projection system. All of these work in harmony to deliver an engaging customer experience while simultaneously delivering energy-efficient solutions to the facility owner. Ventola said: “It’s fantastic to have been given another opportunity to work with the Tiebreakers chain at its new FEC location, based in Johnson City, Tennessee. “After working on this project for the past couple of months, we’re delighted to see it come to fruition and we can’t wait for the people of Johnson City and the wider Tennessee area to experience the new facility!” With the revival of the FEC industry now in full swing, it is developments such as these that are proving to be vital to the continued strength of the industry in a post- covid environment.NEWS IN BRIEF 9 KIOSK AND DIGITAL SIGNAGE MAGAZINE ViewSonic has invited creators globally to be part of a co-creation process by submitting videos that depict breakthroughs. The themes include “Take a Leap of Faith”, “Shattering Expectations”, and “What is Perfection?”. Creators will have a chance to showcase their videos at the ColorPro Film Festival online premiere events in late June. The winner of each theme wins a New-Generation ColorPro monitor and prizes from ViewSonic’s partners Nomadict, TuneReel, and Skillshare. “We have always worked with the creative community. Therefore, we are thrilled to launch the ColorPro Film Festival which encourages co-creation and innovation,” said Oscar Lin, General Manager of the Monitor Business Unit at ViewSonic. “By launching the ColorPro New-Generation monitors incorporated with innovative designs, accessories, tools and software, we hope to help creators break the boundaries and limitations of the creative process and further inspire breakthroughs.” Celebrity creators JustKay (Kay Van Huisseling), Sam Newton, and MikeVisuals (Mike Gray) will judge the submissions and edit the winning videos into thematic films. Two sessions of the ColorPro Film Festival online premiere will be held on June 25 and June 26. The final three celebrity-creator-produced videos will be screened during the event, and the winner of each theme will also be announced. VIEWSONIC INVITES CREATORS GLOBALLY TO JOIN VIDEO CO-CREATION FOR COLORPRO FILM FESTIVAL €2.1 MILLION FUNDING FOR BOOKING AND PAYMENT SOLUTION Namastay has announced the completion of a EUR 2.1 million seed funding round. Investors include prominent angels from the tech and hospitality sector, RockSalt - the venture capital arm of payment service and software provider Saltpay.co - and early-stage investor Firestartr. Namastay will use the funds to strengthen its founding team, build out and deploy its product in France and in Europe, deliver top-quality service to its first customers by optimising guest booking experience, and increase conversion and revenue for hotels. “As a group of seasoned technology and hospitality experts and entrepreneurs, we are thrilled to be transforming online bookings and payments for hotels,” said co-founder & CEO Frédéric Robles. “Our mission is to empower hotels with our one-click technology to directly engage with guests through fast, secure and intuitive digital experiences, from booking and payment to loyalty and insight. We want Namastay to offer hotels the best digital tools to bring customers back to their websites.” Historically, customers have been reliant on booking hotels through online travel agencies (OTAs) such as Booking.com, which is the leading player in Europe with over 67% of the market share. However, OTAs charge hotels between 15-30% of a booking’s value. Recently, there has been a shift in consumer preference towards booking holidays directly with the hotel (instead of using an OTA), with 39% of consumers reporting that they would use this method. This is primarily due to the direct booking method offering flexible cancellation rules, straightforward refund policies and better pricing. PEERLESS-AV SHOWCASE RETURNS TO LORD’S IN SEPTEMBER 2022 Peerless-AV has announced the return of a new AV Experience Showcase and Networking Event on Tuesday 20th and Wednesday 21st September 2022 at the iconic sporting venue of Lord’s Cricket Ground, London. “After our hugely successful inaugural event at Lord’s last year, we are pleased to announce it will return this September,” said Keith Dutch, Managing Director – EMEA, Peerless-AV. “We have expanded the showcase floor space to accommodate returning exhibitors from last year as well as a host of new and exciting brands. We anticipate our event in 2022 to be bigger and better, delivering an even more engaging and worthwhile experience for visitors.” Over 25 AV and Digital Signage brands will be exhibiting at the 2022 showcase so visitors can expect to see a host of innovative and exclusive products, first-time showings and technology demonstrations. Those already signed up include Absen, BrightSign, CTOUCH, Datapath, DTEN, iiyama, Jabra, Kramer, Lenovo, LG, Lightware, Logitech, Matrox, Mersive, neat, Peerless-AV, Philips, Samsung, Sharp NEC, Shure, Signagelive, Sony, Tripleplay and Unilumin.Next >