US-based Meridian Kiosks announces expansion into the UK market Meridian is expanding into the UK with a new Leicester-based franchise operation. US-based Meridian’s products form an essential element of digital transformation for a wide range of organisations operating in diverse sectors including retail, automotive, tourism, hospitality and many more. Self-service screens and pay points, automated lockers and key drop/pick up points will all help British-based businesses offer an improved customer experience, whilst streamlining their operational processes. The new franchise, Meridian Digital Solutions Limited, is based in Peckleton, Leicestershire and will serve all European markets, including the UK. “We are excited to announce our expansion into the United Kingdom,” said Meridian CEO, Chris Gilder. “The launch of Meridian Digital Solutions will enable us to continue growing and better serve our international markets, especially when it comes to the UK and Europe.” Managing Director of Meridian Digital Solutions, Andy Viner said: “I’m passionate about what the technology can deliver and how it can transform businesses. Meridian, with their incredible heritage and success, is the company to work with to deliver that to the UK and European markets,” said Viner. “I’m looking forward to helping businesses and organisations embrace self-service as a way of increasing engagement with their customers and reducing the service burden for employees.” While all manufacturing operations initially will remain at Meridian’s Aberdeen location, Meridian Digital Solutions will manage all European prospecting, sales and consulting. A select group of Meridian’s standard model indoor and outdoor kiosks and digital signage solutions will be offered. n KIOSK solutions Abacus Communications Limited 1 Tudor Business Park, Waterhouse Lane, Kingswood, KT20 6EN www.kiosksolutionsmagazine.com Published by: Abacus Communications Publisher: Greg Ward Editor: James Abbott Design: Andrew Beavis Sales: Lloyd Vella ISSN 2398-2837 The views expressed in the articles and technical papers are those of the authors and are not endorsed by the publishers. 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 brandnames are respected within our publication. However, the publishers accept no responsibility for any inadvertent misuse that may occur. This publication is protected by copyright © 2019 and accordingly must not be reproduced in any medium. All rights reserved. Kiosk Solutions stories, news, know-how? Please submit to James Abbott editor@abacus-comms.co.uk including high resolution (300dpi+ CMYK) images. Coates Group reimagines the self-ordering process with the new K2 kiosk Coates Group has launched the K2 kiosk. The K2 challenges the bounds of design and innovation. Focusing on considered features to deliver a truly immersive customer experience. The minimal form factor integrates seamlessly into modern retail, hospitality and QSR environments. The K2 boasts a durable, scalable and recyclable single formed, 9mm aluminium shell featuring a 24in PCAP edge-to-edge Elo touchscreen display. The woodgrain finish pole complements the anodised shell and integrates with its modern aesthetic that redefines the industry benchmark. While the boundary-pushing design was a priority, consideration of the customer ordering journey was at the forefront. Though concealed within the sleek shell, the printer and scanner are located strategically to replicate the placement of a customer’s hand during a human exchange. A visible payment shelf that can accommodate a range of payment devices indicates the transactional nature of the kiosk but is located on an angled recess to offer privacy for the user. Enclosed and easily accessible within the single form shell is the plug, play and print-ready smart core featuring an Intel NUC Mini PC with Core i5 Processor and Zebra Technologies printer and scanner. The screen hinges open from the bottom- up, creating easy access for servicing and replacement of paper, instructional graphics located behind the screen create further ease of maintenance. n Captec launches new embedded computing range following its recent acquisition of Aleutia Captec has launched the Captec E-Series, a range of powerful, innovative and compact embedded computers for industrial applications. The launch follows Captec’s acquisition of Aleutia, a manufacturer of low power PCs originally designed to deliver computing in African classrooms by overcoming the challenges posed by hot and hostile environments. Since the acquisition completion, Captec’s design architects and engineers have developed three computers to comprise the E-Series. Building on the success of Aleutia’s bimetallic thermal design, the E-Series features a re-engineered heat sink and enclosure to offer reliable performance in more demanding industrial applications. Combined with specially selected industrial components, the E-Series is equipped to provide 24/7 operation in challenging working environments. The chassis design enables the E-series to be set up in a variety of different I/O configurations. Ranging from serial and USB to 4G and PoE LAN, up to 16 ports are available to meet the individual needs of customer applications while still retaining the compact footprint. The composition of the E-Series makes it a perfect fit for any application where space is restricted. Supported by a fanless design, the E-Series offers improved MTBF rates with ten years longevity, reducing the cost of ownership for customers. The size, performance and expansion of the E-Series make it ideal for applications including self- service and ticketing kiosks, digital signage, optical vision inspection and solar farm monitoring. n KIOSK solutions If you have any news please email James Abbott, editor@abacus-comms.co.uk US-based Meridian Kiosks announces expansion into the UK market Meridian is expanding into the UK with a new Leicester-based franchise operation. US-based Meridian’s products form an essential element of digital transformation for a wide range of organisations operating in diverse sectors including retail, automotive, tourism, hospitality and many more. Self-service screens and pay points, automated lockers and key drop/pick up points will all help British-based businesses offer an improved customer experience, whilst streamlining their operational processes. The new franchise, Meridian Digital Solutions Limited, is based in Peckleton, Leicestershire and will serve all European markets, including the UK. “We are excited to announce our expansion into the United Kingdom,” said Meridian CEO, Chris Gilder. “The launch of Meridian Digital Solutions will enable us to continue growing and better serve our international markets, especially when it comes to the UK and Europe.” Managing Director of Meridian Digital Solutions, Andy Viner said: “I’m passionate about what the technology can deliver and how it can transform businesses. Meridian, with their incredible heritage and success, is the company to work with to deliver that to the UK and European markets,” said Viner. “I’m looking forward to helping businesses and organisations embrace self-service as a way of increasing engagement with their customers and reducing the service burden for employees.” While all manufacturing operations initially will remain at Meridian’s Aberdeen location, Meridian Digital Solutions will manage all European prospecting, sales and consulting. A select group of Meridian’s standard model indoor and outdoor kiosks and digital signage solutions will be offered. n KIOSK solutions Abacus Communications Limited 1 Tudor Business Park, Waterhouse Lane, Kingswood, KT20 6EN www.kiosksolutionsmagazine.com Published by: Abacus Communications Publisher: Greg Ward Editor: James Abbott Design: Andrew Beavis Sales: Lloyd Vella ISSN 2398-2837 The views expressed in the articles and technical papers are those of the authors and are not endorsed by the publishers. 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 brandnames are respected within our publication. However, the publishers accept no responsibility for any inadvertent misuse that may occur. This publication is protected by copyright © 2019 and accordingly must not be reproduced in any medium. All rights reserved. Kiosk Solutions stories, news, know-how? Please submit to James Abbott editor@abacus-comms.co.uk including high resolution (300dpi+ CMYK) images. Coates Group reimagines the self-ordering process with the new K2 kiosk Coates Group has launched the K2 kiosk. The K2 challenges the bounds of design and innovation. Focusing on considered features to deliver a truly immersive customer experience. The minimal form factor integrates seamlessly into modern retail, hospitality and QSR environments. The K2 boasts a durable, scalable and recyclable single formed, 9mm aluminium shell featuring a 24in PCAP edge-to-edge Elo touchscreen display. The woodgrain finish pole complements the anodised shell and integrates with its modern aesthetic that redefines the industry benchmark. While the boundary-pushing design was a priority, consideration of the customer ordering journey was at the forefront. Though concealed within the sleek shell, the printer and scanner are located strategically to replicate the placement of a customer’s hand during a human exchange. A visible payment shelf that can accommodate a range of payment devices indicates the transactional nature of the kiosk but is located on an angled recess to offer privacy for the user. Enclosed and easily accessible within the single form shell is the plug, play and print-ready smart core featuring an Intel NUC Mini PC with Core i5 Processor and Zebra Technologies printer and scanner. The screen hinges open from the bottom- up, creating easy access for servicing and replacement of paper, instructional graphics located behind the screen create further ease of maintenance. n Captec launches new embedded computing range following its recent acquisition of Aleutia Captec has launched the Captec E-Series, a range of powerful, innovative and compact embedded computers for industrial applications. The launch follows Captec’s acquisition of Aleutia, a manufacturer of low power PCs originally designed to deliver computing in African classrooms by overcoming the challenges posed by hot and hostile environments. Since the acquisition completion, Captec’s design architects and engineers have developed three computers to comprise the E-Series. Building on the success of Aleutia’s bimetallic thermal design, the E-Series features a re-engineered heat sink and enclosure to offer reliable performance in more demanding industrial applications. Combined with specially selected industrial components, the E-Series is equipped to provide 24/7 operation in challenging working environments. The chassis design enables the E-series to be set up in a variety of different I/O configurations. Ranging from serial and USB to 4G and PoE LAN, up to 16 ports are available to meet the individual needs of customer applications while still retaining the compact footprint. The composition of the E-Series makes it a perfect fit for any application where space is restricted. Supported by a fanless design, the E-Series offers improved MTBF rates with ten years longevity, reducing the cost of ownership for customers. The size, performance and expansion of the E-Series make it ideal for applications including self- service and ticketing kiosks, digital signage, optical vision inspection and solar farm monitoring. n KIOSK solutions If you have any news please email James Abbott, editor@abacus-comms.co.uk Brewery boosts sales with world’s first self-service gift card kiosk UK tech start-up Bulldog Kiosks has installed the world’s first self- service, customisable gift card kiosk into a chain of pubs. The aim is to boost sales by enabling customers to design, pay for and dispense their own unique gift card on the spot. The freestanding touchscreen kiosk, installed by Windsor and Eton Brewery (WEBREW), takes a customer selfie or allows them to upload an image of a loved one alongside a personal message. Once payment is made through the kiosk itself, the uniquely designed gift card is dispensed in under a minute. Bulldog Kiosks Founder, Phil Wood, commented on the fun factor inherent in the UK’s first- ever customisable self-service gift card kiosk, saying that, “We wanted to provide WEBREW customers with a truly unique and unusual experience – to design and create a gift card for friends and family on the spot. The touchscreen interface and range of colourful templates make it incredibly easy to use and people are loving it.” The technology behind the Bulldog Kiosk touchscreen means it can be white labelled and used in any retail outlet, enabling shoppers in department stores, sports shops, fashion boutiques, fast food outlets and more to create their own gift card with a personalised message in under a minute. Wood believes, “The ability to add that personal touch to a gift card drives footfall, enhances the customer experience and reduces waiting times at the till.” n Cybera and Apex join forces to accelerate time- to-profit for retailers Cybera is partnering with Apex Supply Chain Technologies to deliver a global solution that helps streamline the digital transformation of the retail space. The partnership delivers a clear path to the transformation of digital commerce at the network edge. This strategic partnership brings additional options to the growing ecosystem of both companies, better positioning the companies’ customers and partners to scale self-serve solutions across distributed stores and franchisee bases. Together, the integrated solution will help businesses drive incremental sales, increase foot traffic, improve customer loyalty and maximise efficiencies to boost revenues. “Consumers want a consistent, seamless and positive experience, regardless of how or where they engage with a retailer or its brand. This expectation is driving remarkable changes in retail,” said Andrew Lev, CEO at Cybera. “For these businesses, networking, security and quickly enabling revenue-generating services have become a critical focus. When we surround an Apex order pickup solution with a platform like CyberaONE, we create a great way to engage customers, ultimately accelerating their time-to-profit.” As retailers leverage new technologies to connect with customers more effectively, they need a secure, resilient, and scalable network infrastructure on which to build their digital services. Many retailers are quickly realising the importance of developing partnerships with companies that can provide multi-faceted solutions and network reliability. Together, Apex and Cybera help brands cost-effectively open new lines of revenue-generating services at the edge by providing kiosks and automated platform technologies. n KIOSK solutions If you have any news please email James Abbott, editor@abacus-comms.co.uk Pixblasters Video LED Controller for Economical and Large Format Digital Signage on the Crowd Supply platform Pixblasters has launched its first crowdfunding campaign on the Crowd Supply platform with a goal of reaching $18,000. The funds raised during the campaign will be put towards the completion of the first production run of their Pixblasters Video LED Controller. The FPGA-based Pixblasters LED controller enables DIY enthusiasts and signage professionals, even those with minimal technical skills, to turn addressable RGB LED strips into immense video LED displays. It supports new levels of professional-grade digital signage that can’t be attained by standard LED modules. The LED strips can be curved and glued to different surfaces to form giant, economically viable and remotely controlled video installations that could span entire buildings. The Pixblasters Video LED Controller connects as an ordinary monitor to any computer and any operating system, even the small single-board Raspberry Pi Zero or similar, to display the user-selected portion of the monitor image on up to 16,384 LEDs at 60 frames per second (FPS). Multiple daisy-chained Pixblasters MS1 controllers can drive high-resolution LED displays built of hundreds of thousands of perfectly synchronised LEDs that display any visual content with absolutely no programming required. The Pixblasters Video LED Controller can be used with virtually any digital signage software and managed on the same level as high- end professional LED displays. This makes the generation of display content easy and enables users to quickly define scheduled playlists, combine video and graphics, incorporate news feeds and social networking posts, etc. by using either open source or fully commercial digital signage software. n Sharp launches Bitvu Screenspace Sharp Business Systems will partner with BITVU to resell its Screenspace digital signage solution. Screenspace brings together everything needed to create professional digital signage – hardware and software – in one place, allowing users to easily manage and schedule content on Sharp Professional displays. BITVU is a digital signage solutions provider that helps users to manage adverts and other content displayed on Sharps’ Visual Solutions products more effectively, through product innovation and simplification. With Screenspace, Sharp customers will gain additional support in utilising digital signage solutions to their full potential and maximise the impact of indoor advertising in commercial spaces. The Screenspace solution features a small form factor, Wi-Fi enabled Freedom media player, a CMS built on Amazon Web Services (AWS) that allows content to be easily uploaded, customised and displayed remotely from a computer or the Screenspace app for iOS and Android. Screenspace will be available on all of Sharp’s Professional Display models. The introduction of Screenspace to Sharp’s digital signage product range broadens the company’s range of digital signage solutions, supporting both direct sales and the dealer sales channel. By partnering with BITVU, alongside its other digital signage partners, Sharp Business Systems UK is continuing to expand its portfolio of complementary products. n The Creative Retail Awards 2020 are open for entries The Awards have quickly become one of the most distinguished accolades within the retail industry and recognises projects and products that have demonstrated the highest level of innovation and excellence within retail. The 2020 Awards will introduce new categories including Omni- Channel Experience, Bar and Restaurant Design and Best Shopfitting/Fit-Out. There is also a new category specifically for retailers to vote for their favourite suppliers – the Supplier of the Year Award. The whole of the Industry has come together to support the Creative Retail Awards, with the three major Industry Associations championing the best in design, display and fit-out. The Creative Retail Awards are the only Awards to be supported by the Shop & Display Equipment Association (SDEA), National Association of Shopfitters and Interior Contractors (NAS) and the British Display Society (BDS) – who all want to encourage the best the industry has to offer. To find out more and to enter the awards visit www.creativeretailawards.com. nBrewery boosts sales with world’s first self-service gift card kiosk UK tech start-up Bulldog Kiosks has installed the world’s first self- service, customisable gift card kiosk into a chain of pubs. The aim is to boost sales by enabling customers to design, pay for and dispense their own unique gift card on the spot. The freestanding touchscreen kiosk, installed by Windsor and Eton Brewery (WEBREW), takes a customer selfie or allows them to upload an image of a loved one alongside a personal message. Once payment is made through the kiosk itself, the uniquely designed gift card is dispensed in under a minute. Bulldog Kiosks Founder, Phil Wood, commented on the fun factor inherent in the UK’s first- ever customisable self-service gift card kiosk, saying that, “We Cybera and Apex join forces to accelerate time- to-profit for retailers Cybera is partnering with Apex Supply Chain Technologies to deliver a global solution that helps streamline the digital transformation of the retail space. The partnership delivers a clear path to the transformation of digital commerce at the network edge. This strategic partnership brings additional options to the growing ecosystem of both companies, better positioning the companies’ customers and partners to scale self-serve solutions across distributed stores and franchisee bases. Together, the integrated solution will help businesses drive incremental sales, increase foot traffic, improve customer loyalty and maximise efficiencies to boost revenues. “Consumers want a consistent, seamless and positive experience, regardless of how or where they engage with a retailer or its brand. This expectation is driving remarkable changes in retail,” said Andrew Lev, CEO at Cybera. “For these businesses, networking, security and quickly enabling revenue-generating services have become a critical focus. When we surround an Apex order pickup solution with a platform like CyberaONE, we create a great way to engage customers, ultimately accelerating their time-to-profit.” As retailers leverage new technologies to connect with customers more effectively, they need a secure, resilient, and scalable network infrastructure on which to build their digital services. Many retailers are quickly realising the importance of developing partnerships with companies that can provide multi-faceted solutions and network reliability. Together, Apex and Cybera help brands cost-effectively open new lines of revenue-generating services at the edge by providing kiosks and automated platform technologies. n KIOSK solutions If you have any news please email James Abbott, editor@abacus-comms.co.uk Pixblasters Video LED Controller for Economical and Large Format Digital Signage on the Crowd Supply platform Pixblasters has launched its first crowdfunding campaign on the Crowd Supply platform with a goal of reaching $18,000. The funds raised during the campaign will be put towards the completion of the first production run of their Pixblasters Video LED Controller. The FPGA-based Pixblasters LED controller enables DIY enthusiasts and signage professionals, even those with minimal technical skills, to turn addressable RGB LED strips into immense video LED displays. It supports new levels of professional-grade digital signage that can’t be attained by standard LED modules. The LED strips can be curved and glued to different surfaces to form giant, economically viable and remotely controlled video installations that could span entire buildings. The Pixblasters Video LED Controller connects as an ordinary monitor to any computer and any operating system, even the small single-board Raspberry Pi Zero or similar, to display the user-selected portion of the monitor image on up to 16,384 LEDs at 60 frames per second (FPS). Multiple daisy-chained Pixblasters MS1 controllers can drive high-resolution LED displays built of hundreds of thousands of perfectly synchronised LEDs that display any visual content with absolutely no programming required. The Pixblasters Video LED Controller can be used with virtually any digital signage software and managed on the same level as high- end professional LED displays. This makes the generation of display content easy and enables users to quickly define scheduled playlists, combine video and graphics, incorporate news feeds and social networking posts, etc. by using either open source or fully commercial digital signage software. n Sharp launches Bitvu Screenspace Sharp Business Systems will partner with BITVU to resell its Screenspace digital signage solution. Screenspace brings together everything needed to create professional digital signage – hardware and software – in one place, allowing users to easily manage and schedule content on Sharp Professional displays. BITVU is a digital signage solutions provider that helps users to manage adverts and other content displayed on Sharps’ Visual Solutions products more effectively, through product innovation and simplification. With Screenspace, Sharp customers will gain additional support in utilising digital signage solutions to their full potential and maximise the impact of indoor advertising in commercial spaces. The Screenspace solution features a small form factor, Wi-Fi enabled Freedom media player, a CMS built on Amazon Web Services (AWS) that allows content to be easily uploaded, customised and displayed remotely from a computer or the Screenspace app for iOS and Android. Screenspace will be available on all of Sharp’s Professional Display models. The introduction of Screenspace to Sharp’s digital signage product range broadens the company’s range of digital signage solutions, supporting both direct sales and the dealer sales channel. By partnering with BITVU, alongside its other digital signage partners, Sharp Business Systems UK is continuing to expand its portfolio of complementary products. n The Creative Retail Awards 2020 are open for entries The Awards have quickly become one of the most distinguished accolades within the retail industry and recognises projects and products that have demonstrated the highest level of innovation and excellence within retail. The 2020 Awards will introduce new categories including Omni- Channel Experience, Bar and Restaurant Design and Best Shopfitting/Fit-Out. There is also a new category specifically for retailers to vote for their favourite suppliers – the Supplier of the Year Award. The whole of the Industry has come together to support the Creative Retail Awards, with the three major Industry Associations championing the best in design, display and fit-out. The Creative Retail Awards are the only Awards to be supported by the Shop & Display Equipment Association (SDEA), National Association of Shopfitters and Interior Contractors (NAS) and the British Display Society (BDS) – who all want to encourage the best the industry has to offer. To find out more and to enter the awards visit www.creativeretailawards.com. nNext >