< Previousnews Axiomtek has announced the AIE100-903- FL-NX, its ultra-compact and state-of-the- art edge AI system. The high-performance AIE100-903-FL-NX is powered by the NVIDIA Jetson Xavier NX module which has a powerful 6-core NVIDIA Carmel ARM v8.2 64-bit processor and 384-core NVIDIA Volta GPU architecture with 48 Tensor cores. In addition, it integrates Allxon Device Management Solutions (Allxon DMS) to provide a cost-effective and simplified device management solution with comprehensive remote management capabilities. The AIE100-903-FL-NX is ideal for smart city, smart manufacturing, smart retail, and other intelligent edge AI applications. “The AIE100-903-FL-NX is a waterproof, fanless NVIDIA- based AI edge inference system designed for AI computing and deep learning applications, such as behavior analytics, face recognition and vehicle analysis. Due to its rugged design, the ultra-compact edge computing device can operate in harsh environments with a wide range of temperatures from -30°C to +50°C and can withstand vibration up to 3 Grms. In addition, it offers an optional waterproof IP42-rated cover kit for enhanced protection in semi-outdoor environments,” said Annie Fu, product manager of Product PM Division at Axiomtek. “Besides the outstanding hardware solutions, the AI-powered AIE100-903-FL-NX is integrated with cloud-based Allxon DMS to provide remote management for convenient real-time control on devices. Allxon DMS offers rapid deployment and integration on multiple operating systems, reduces system downtime and maintenance costs, and further provides a wide breadth of centralised cloud device management. This industrial edge AI system is the best choice to simplify the large-scale deployment of AIoT platforms.” The AIE100-903-FL-NX offers support for NVIDIA JetPack 4.4 for ease of development in AI computing and deep learning applications. It has abundant I/O connectivity, including one USB 3.1 Gen2 port, one USB 2.0 port, one Micro USB port, one GbE LAN port, one GbE PoE port and one HDMI 2.0 port supporting 4K2K. It also has one recovery switch, one reset button, one power button, one 12V DC power input and two SMA-type antenna openings. Users can use the recovery switch and Micro USB to easily flash the image without opening the chassis. The AIE100-903-FL-NX has a 16GB eMMC onboard and is equipped with one M.2 Key M 2280 SSD slot with PCIe x4 NVMe and one Micro SD slot for real-time massive workload processing at the edge. n Axiomtek’s NVIDIA Jetson Xavier NX Edge AI system with Allxon Device Management Solutions to simplify large-scale AIoT deployments EIZO puts a spotlight on the National Gallery Visual technology company, EIZO, has showcased its work with the world-renowned National Gallery, after monitors from its ColorEdge product line were used to document and investigate part of its extensive collection. The National Gallery Photography and Imaging Department documents the gallery itself and the gallery’s paintings collection. The photographers also perform a range of imaging techniques such as X-radiography, UV-visible luminescence imaging, raking light capture and photogrammetry that help better understand the paintings, how they were made, how they have been treated and how best to care for them. To fully appreciate the images captured and to allow the photographers to inspect their work, they require especially high-quality monitors. The EIZO ColorEdge collection offers monitors that are large enough to display all of the various computer applications being used while still showing a large preview of the photograph that has just been taken. Andrew Bruce, Photographer at The National Gallery, commented: “Our department began using the ColorEdge monitors in December 2019 and so far we’ve been really happy with them. When creating such precise images of some of the greatest works of art ever made, we need to work with a similarly precise monitor. No matter the imaging technique, the ColorEdge has helped us to boost productivity and precision through its automated calibration and the exactitude with which it allows us to examine our images. “Features such as the 3D LUT in the CG279X monitors have been great, as this shows a more precise representation of the tonality of the images we’re looking at, and a difference that’s noticeably better than the previous high-gamut monitors we were using with just a standard LUT.” Jenny Hamm, Sales Manager at EIZO, added: “Knowing our products are providing solutions to a cultural institution like The National Gallery has embedded a real sense of pride within the team. We know how good our monitors are and what they can achieve, but to hear just how much it has positively impacted our customers we never tire of!” n 10 KIOSK solutionsnews NEC Display Solutions and BrightSign team up to deliver integrated digital signge solution NEC Display Solutions and BrightSign, LLC have collaborated to deliver a family of large format displays with integrated digital signage capabilities. The full range of NEC MultiSync V Series large format displays is now available with the BrightSign OPS digital signage media player included. “As businesses emerge from the pandemic, digital signage plays a key role in welcoming customers and employees back with informative and important digital content,” said Nils Karsten, Strategic Alliance Manager at NEC Display Solutions. “Integrating BrightSign’s OPS media player is the ideal complement to our V Series displays, and we can now jointly deliver an all-in-one, industry-leading and very reliable digital signage solution.” The new NEC/BrightSign combination makes it possible to deliver relevant, targeted digital content to inform, entertain, direct or inspire viewers in retail stores, museums, quick-service restaurants, corporate environments and other public settings. Integrating the media player into the display not only saves on the up-front hardware investment, it also streamlines installation by eliminating the need for additional cables and standalone media players. “NEC Display Solutions has been a great partner over the years, and we’re especially pleased with our latest collaboration,” commented Jeff Hastings, CEO, BrightSign. “Adding our OPS media player gives their customers a great option for any display format, particularly for deployments where minimising external cabling with integrated hardware is a priority.” NEC has integrated the BrightSign OPS media player into the company’s full range of MultiSync V Series models, all of which offer the combination of a brightness output of 500 cd/sqm and an anti-glare surface to deliver advanced visibility under common lighting conditions. The slim, modern design is the perfect fit for integration into any application and environment. Integration of BrightSign’s HO523 OPS digital signage media player eliminates the need for additional cables, and provides full integration into the BrightSign infrastructure, which includes access to 20+ CMS vendors via BrightSign’s BSN.cloud Control Cloud. The media player’s updated BrightSign 8.0 operating system and powerful video engine enable H.265/H.264, provide hardware-accelerated HTML support and enable 4K upscaling. n Ivanti introduces enchanced capabilities in service and asset management releases Ivanti has announced enhanced capabilities for the Ivanti Enterprise Service Management portfolio, which includes service management, asset management and automation solutions. The new releases give service desks greater visibility to actionable information across their device estate to improve the accuracy, speed and efficiency of services delivered. This leads to better outcomes and can resolve up to 80% of issues before users report them through the use of automation bots. Leveraging Ivanti Neurons, Ivanti continues to transform how the service desk gets work done by adding hyper- automation bots to self-heal and self-secure devices and provide proactive support for better user experiences. “Today’s users, whether working remote or in the office, expect a personal and immediate resolution for issues impacting their ability to remain productive,” said Nayaki Nayyar, executive vice president and chief product officer, Ivanti. “The combination of Ivanti Enterprise Service Management with Ivanti Neurons augments service desk analysts with automation bots that detect and resolve issues and security vulnerabilities proactively, predictably, and autonomously. This is one of the ways we transform service desk operations and enable significantly better user experiences and outcomes.” New enhancements in the Ivanti Enterprise Service Management 2020.2 releases include: • Automatic Asset Discovery and population of Asset Management and Configuration Management Databases. • Biometric Authentication and push notification enhancements to mobile applications. • Integrated Self-Service Chat for internet browsers and mobile applications. • Extended Out-of-the-Box Content for Facilities Management, adding to HR, and other department use cases beyond IT, providing automated workflows to reduce manual steps for processes across the entire enterprise. • Automation Connectors to the Epic EMR (Electronic Medical Record) software application and IBM environments to further improve efficiency and quality of end-to-end processes. “With Ivanti, virtually every department in the University now has access to a dedicated staff knowledge base—HR, Facilities, Legal, Faculty, Student Service teams, Marketing teams, etc. It’s allowed us to move ahead very, very quickly and demonstrate the reasons why we wanted to track and manage remote devices without staff needing to be connected to a VPN,” said Naomi Lutvey, Director of Client Services for ICT Services within the Enterprise Services Division, University of Southern Queensland (USQ). “It’s configurable. I can’t emphasize that enough. There is no coding—it’s all configuration. And the flexibility which that has allowed us is enormous.” n KIOSK solutions 11news Edinburgh Airport has recently undergone the first stage of a long-term modernisation plan, beginning with the development of the check-in facility to enable self-check ins. The traditional check in desks have been replaced with an 85m LED wall, designed to ensure wayfinding, flight information and marketing visuals for all travellers, especially those using the new self-service check in systems. The wall runs the full length of the new baggage carousel. The teams behind the project wanted to create a flexible display solution to fulfil the needs of the travellers throughout the airport, whether that be for wayfinding or flight information. Integrator nuVIDEO worked extensively with distributor Midwich and PSCo to find a solution that could fulfil the requirements for millions of travellers. “One of the critical considerations in the design of the new check-in facility was to ensure that flight information, wayfinding and emergency information systems would enable passengers to quickly and safely navigate their route through the check-in hall. This was particularly important given the introduction of multiple new self-service check in systems,” said Michael Macneil, Sales Manager nuVIDEO. EAL’s initial brief, created with a CGI visualisation, outlined the concept of 59 x 65 inch landscape displays, positioned so they are visible to all passengers in the hall. “The initial brief was centred around LCD technology and direct PC input to each monitor. This would have been functional, but it was clear LED would be a more suitable platform,” said Graham Pow, head of sales, PSCo. “It was all about identifying the right technical tool and vendor technology for the project and using the in-house technical expertise at Innovation House to produce a digital signage and image processing solution to sit behind the LED wall,” said Manesh Mistry, high-end display and videowall processing sales specialist, Midwich. “We demonstrated the potential return on investment leveraging the flexibility of LED could achieve, using the space not only for wayfinding and flight information, but for also for marketing - an avenue they had not considered,” added Macneil. Integrator nuVIDEO worked closely with the airport’s commercial team to examine how the LED asset could be used as both an information focussed and promotional display while still offering longevity and low maintenance. When it came to choosing which LED solution could fulfil all of these requirements, as well as occupy the space above the baggage carousel with the limited ceiling height, the team chose Absen. The A27 2.5mm LED panels from Absen’s Acclaim series suited the job perfectly. A total of 140 prefabricated frames, provided by PSCo, were mounted on to the surface of the wall and aligned end to end, with each vertical frame comprising four Absen cabinets, slotted into frames and interconnected. The canvas is comprised of 560 Absen A2725 Plus cabinets, amounting to 2,240 LED panels. Alex Couzins, head of brand and marketing, Absen Europe said: “Edinburgh Airport is a standout project that clearly demonstrates the benefits of LED. With 118 sqm of digital real estate, the Absen LED wall delivers a flexible and highly impactful visual solution in an environment that sees consistently high footfall with extended dwell times. The A27 panels from Absen’s Acclaim series is our flagship LED solution for fixed installations offering outstanding image quality and a seamless display with front install and service.” n Edinburgh Airport installs Europe's largest LED check-in display 12 KIOSK solutionsnews Interactive CityPost kiosks rely upon Zytronic’s touch technology to enhance the visitor experience Zytronic’s all-weather projected capacitive touch sensors have helped the city of Greensboro, North Carolina, breathe new life into its downtown area. The durable interactive technology has provided the user interface to thirteen double-sided, 55in public information terminals, which look and work like giant sized smartphones. The municipality has deployed the kiosks to give timely information to passers-by, such as nearby restaurants, local retail promotions, regional events, and even public transportation. Like many cities, visitors tended to visit one or two places that they were familiar with, and then leave the city without learning what else the area had to offer. The CityPost kiosks complement the local government’s Smart Corridor initiative, helping locals and tourists navigate their surroundings and discover new points of interest. The CityPost smart kiosks deliver real-time content regarding the locality and help raise public awareness of nearby events, local businesses, and transportation options. In addition, they are free Wi-Fi hotspots, further encouraging engagement. Another feature is a ‘selfie’ camera that can send the snapped image straight to the user’s smartphone via a free to download CityPost app. Nanov Displays, a global LCD hardware manufacturer of information displays and kiosks, designed and built the double-sided smart kiosks. For the 55in touchscreens, Nanov selected Zytronic’s projected capacitive technology (PCT and MPCT) for its high reliability, especially in outdoor applications. Each CityPost unit uses two 55in ZyBrid touch sensors together with a pair of Zytronic ZXY100 touch controllers. As the smart kiosks are located outdoors and in largely unsupervised areas, each one is made from 5mm thick, thermally toughened glass. A feature of the Zytronic touch sensors is their ability to function effectively through thick overlaying material, and still accurately respond to a touch, even from a gloved hand, yet remain unaffected by rainwater or dirt on the screen surface. In this case, Nanov placed a further piece of 5mm thick toughened glass over each touch sensor to create a 10mm impact resistant barrier between potential vandals and the valuable LCD and electronics beneath. “Zytronic’s interactive touchscreens are renowned for their reliable performance in the harshest conditions – come thunderstorm, blizzard, heatwave or hurricane,” says Myungkune Moon, SVP Operations at Nanov Displays. “The extremely sensitive ZyBrid technology enabled us to create the ultimate user experience, providing millisecond fast, accurate touch response and supporting simple gesture controls, such as swipes, even when the user is wearing gloves.” Zytronic’s vertically integrated manufacturing facilities produce the touch sensors completely in-house; starting from the raw glass sheets which are cut, shaped, printed, toughened and sometimes bent, before being converted into fully functional touch panels within its ISO class 5 cleanrooms. Zytronic has two decades of experience in producing durable, custom solutions. “Engaging with the public in any ‘smart city’ project requires the kiosks to be intuitive, fun and functional and above all, reliable in all weather conditions,” says Karl Turkel, Chief Creative Officer at Smart City Media. “Zytronic’s touch sensors are the natural choice for such publicly accessible applications, enabling both tourists and Greensboro’s residents alike to use the kiosks to access a wealth of local, current information.” n PLM Global plans for next growth phase PLM Global, a UK based, specialist data capture solutions provider, focused in the supply, repair and maintenance of hand-held capture devices, mobile print and EPoS hardware, have enjoyed six years of success by maintaining a forward-thinking and innovative attitude to the growth of the business. The three founders and directors of the business - Sean Smiles, Shane Watson and Paul Spensley - have invested time over recent months reviewing the needs of the business against their aspirational goals for the next planned growth period. This has led the highly experienced management team to identify the need for a greater global presence, requiring a strategic shift in this direction. PLM Global announce that Sean Smiles will concentrate his efforts with immediate effect on ‘global sales’, as Co-Founder and Director, making Shane Watson and Paul Spensley responsible for sharing Joint Managing Director duties of the UK operation. Shane will be concentrating on UK sales, growth and revenue, and Paul focused on operations and finance. The team are proud of their achievements to date and the lasting partnerships they have developed with both customers and suppliers and feel that this step is another step in the right direction for the next chapter on the PLM journey. n KIOSK solutions 13Livelihoods have suffered with the fallout from Covid-19, and navigating out of the disruption from a commercial standpoint is going to take some consideration. utilise AI to lessen the brand identity gap – lessons in retail At least that’s the view of Nate Burke, CEO and founder of digital marketing and ecommerce specialists, Diginius. Having spent recent months helping businesses establish and grow their online offerings, in light of the restrictions in place to contain the spread of the virus, Nate explains his proposition. 14 KIOSK solutions14 KIOSK solutions14 KIOSK solutions utilising AIen ity gap Nate Burke CEO Dignius https://www.diginius.com/ Through forced closures, physical restrictions and mitigating measures, the pandemic has posed threats that have forced retailers to rethink their entire sales and marketing strategy, both short and long term. And the stats are there to support these notions. Ecommerce sales were up some 92.7% in May 2020, and some 60% of American and European consumers plan to maintain these shopping levels post COVID-19. Of course, health has been the biggest concern, and by no means should that be disregarded. But livelihoods have suffered too, and navigating out of the disruption from a commercial standpoint is going to take some consideration of them both. Physical stores have faced unprecedented challenges this year but before we bid farewell to 2020, many are attempting one last clawback of revenue. What they are recognising is a KIOSK solutions 15KIOSK solutions 15KIOSK solutions 15 utilising AI– with retailers having suffered enough this year, it may well be that automation is what the industry needs to propel it into a whole new era of ecommerce – need for change - not only to survive the pandemic, but to come out of it stronger and well-positioned for retail’s evolved landscape. Digital offerings and ecommerce, in particular, have provided a much-needed lifeline. But now that they have their online footing, the next step for businesses is to establish themselves in a marketplace that is only getting bigger, more advanced and increasingly competitive. And one of the ways to differentiate and grow is through digital marketing that can in turn, drive online sales. Included in this is Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation - buzzwords in the digital sphere. But unlike human activities, the computerised actions are much less effected by a biological virus outbreak. And therefore, their influence and impact on the industry haven’t slowed like most other factors have. Rather, the changes they are causing are inevitable, but by embracing their capabilities, businesses can not only make a commercial breakthrough, but a human one too. And that couldn’t be more important than at a time like this. A human touch Using computers to increase the human nature of your digital offering, although odd, isn’t ineffective. An increasing number of customers are opting to shop online where they are safe from any virus threats. But what this means for retailers is a risk of consumers becoming disconnected from their brand, which can happen quite easily when the physical distance between the two has widened. This is where the benefits of automation can really be felt, particularly when used to enhance customer experience. For example, automated marketing strategies that serve content tailored to individual interactions, or PPC tactics that automate ad copy to match users’ search queries, for example, all make for a more personal experience. And we shouldn’t forget about that most traditional of digital brand communications nowadays, social media – with its ability to schedule and organise ahead of time posts that will enhance digital marketing and brand communication efforts. What this creates is positive brand engagement as each customer is getting an experience that is perfectly suited to their requirements. And in this way, the brand feels much less like a simple transaction and more of a value-added experience. There is proof that this has commercial benefit too, with figures indicating that 75% of email revenue is generated from personalised campaigns. A look inside While focusing on addressing heightened customer sentiments, it’s important to remember that your employees are people that are facing the same challenges and uncertainties. But luckily, automation can also help make their jobs easier. Another benefit of automation is its ability to lessen the admin burden for all businesses, but especially those who are new to ecommerce and those who now have an omnichannel offering with both an online and physical store. For employees, this means less paperwork or order monitoring as the process can instead take place via a centralised digital platform, which not only holds customer and supplier information, but also analyses data to create insight that can then go on to inform business decisions. Pressure is taken off employees, who may well utilising AI 16 KIOSK solutionsbe struggling with an increased workload due to the addition of sales channels, which will no doubt improve wellbeing and workplace satisfaction. And commercially speaking, this can reduce costs related to wages and training, allowing budget and resources to be reallocated to other business- critical activities instead, such as digital marketing. The financial impact of the pandemic continues to grow, so it is anticipated that budget saving will be on the minds of many business owners in the coming months. It appears, therefore, that automation could be a useful technique. When fully integrated into a business’ process, automation can save costs and help to maximise return on spend in other areas. But as with anything, investment into learning, understanding and implementing a strategy are required in the first instance. Despite this, automation and digital transformation are here to stay. Those who are willing to embrace AI technology now will be in a much better position than those who don’t. And with retailers having suffered enough this year, it may well be that automation is what the industry needs to propel it into a whole new era of ecommerce, giving it a fighting chance of survival amid COVID-uncertainty. n About the author Nate Burke, CEO Diginius Nate Burke founded Diginius in 2011. He is known as an early e-commerce pioneer and entrepreneur. He launched his first internet business in 1997 and is a two-time nominee Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year. He has a BA in Computer Science and an MBA from the University of Alabama. utilising AI KIOSK solutions 17zero contact sign-in systems: an overview of methods zero contact 18 KIOSK solutionss: ods An overview of techniques to build a contact free sign in system for bars, restaurants and places of work. As businesses started to re-open following the initial easing of COVID-19 lockdown rules, keeping track of who had visited premises became, and continues to be, very important in order to facilitate contact tracing. With the introduction of the UK’s official Test and Trace app, businesses in the hospitality sector became legally obliged to offer at least two sign in methods for their customers. In practice, for many in the hospitality sector this has meant an official Test and Trace QR poster alongside an almost certainly non-GDPR compliant paper and pen. Major chains and independent businesses in the sector state that this is not a viable long-term approach but rather a needs must temporary solution. The desire is for a solution that integrates with their existing systems, is smoother for customers, beneficial for their business and GDPR compliant. Second lockdown With our second lockdown underway, decision makers in the hospitality sector have time to research better solutions and, for those of us in the kiosk industry, we have the opportunity to provide these solutions. Whilst traditional interaction with a kiosk is via a touchscreen we have the expertise and technology at our disposal to provide no-contact sign in options. Traditional touch screen systems will require extra sanitising and visitors may be reluctant to touch devices, particularly in a hospitality setting. We look at a number of ways a kiosk-based sign in system can work whilst requiring zero physical contact from the user, and evaluate their benefits and limitations. KIOSK solutions 19 zero contact Gwil Goode Co Founder Welcm https://welcm.lyNext >