Tom Quarry, Author at Protouch

Discover the Latest Developments in the Kiosk Industry with Protouch at Kiosk London Expo

Posted on 5th September 2013 by Tom Quarry

We're pleased to announce that Protouch will be exhibiting at this years Kiosk London Expo. As the UK's sole conference and exhibition dedicated to the self-service industry; the show will return to The Barbican Centre for it's third year between 16-17th October 2013, promising to be another exciting event.

KLX 2013 acts as the central meeting point for all those affiliated with the self-service industry and, as such, will be a hive of activity for industry leaders, purchasers, strategic customer service managers, VPs, brands managers and those responsible for the implementation of self-service solutions and technologies throughout the UK.

A lot can change in a year, especially when it comes to emerging technologies and new developments. Therefore the show provides a great opportunity to catch up with the latest industry news and developments; helping you to discover how adding a self service solution to your business can increase sales and boost ROI.

As Europe’s number one supplier of touchscreen self service solutions, Protouch will be showcasing a wide variety of our best performing kiosks and kiosk software. Amongst these we’ll be presenting kiosks which have made a huge impact on specific industries and brands across the UK, including; express lanes for Birmingham Airport; kiosks for product look up and payment at Kiddicare; instore information and phone chooser at O2, and ticketing kiosks at Heathrow Express.

The Protouch team will be on hand to discuss your self-service solution requirements and answer any questions you may have. Whether you require ticketing, fast-track, payment, translator or browser features; our technology can help. Protouch equipment suits any brand for any function, any place.

KLX 2013 is free to attend and is a great networking opportunity, which also aims to deliver comprehensive seminars, offering information on all of the industry’s hot topics and cutting-edge technology. Located in the heart of London, it is easily accessible by rail, underground and road.

If you’re going to the show and you’d like to find out more about how we can help you, contact the Protouch team today and arrange a meeting with us.

The Emergence Of Multi-Touch Interfaces

Posted on 3rd September 2013 by Tom Quarry

Multi touch technology allows a user to interact with both hands on a single device, or multiple users at one time. Users are now capable of interacting simultaneously on the same interface, opening up a whole new world of possibilities.

History
Touch screen has transformed the way we interact from as early as the 1970’s. Multi touch has developed through gradual innovation and research that has lead to where it is today. During the last 10 years the industry has seen a rise in multi-touch technology used in both public and private sectors. The technology has advanced across a range of devices and software so that multiple touches can be detected simultaneously, which offers a multitude of benefits.

Uses
Multi touch kiosks are commonly utilised for wayfinding and information in public locations, such as museums and hospitals. Deploying multi-touch points in a museum enhances the visitor experience by providing access to virtual maps, exhibition information and engaging visuals. The retail sector can also benefit from multi-touch screens as they enable customers to browse and locate products. This exciting technology is also effectively used for entertaining users, engaging them in digital learning and creating a multi dimensional interactive experience.

Benefits:

Versatility and flexibility
Cost effective
User-friendly
Multi compatibility
Innovation creates interest
Enhance user experience
Speed and efficiency

Businesses can hugely capitalise on multi touch systems as they have extensive capabilities that allow for a fully interactive experience for both clients and employees. Multi touch interfaces are highly adaptable to fit a variety of functions and the on screen content can be modified allowing flexibility.

In all, multi touch interfaces open up a plenitude of exciting opportunities for many possible areas of application. They have great potential in enabling multiple people to interact at one time and engage in an augmented reality.

Kiosks Are Harnessing Clean Technology

Posted on 5th August 2013 by Tom Quarry

We're all trying to be greener in our day to day lives; everything from choosing energy saving lightbulbs, to recycling our waste. However, with technology becoming ever more prevalent in society, and the concern for its impact on the planet growing, companies have a corporate responsibility to the environment. Whether it’s supplier or buyer, it’s now in both parties best interests to take the necessary steps and precautions to be greener. The question is, can you reduce your carbon footprint whilst at the same time adopting the latest technologies?

Low energy consumption hardware

Kiosk hardware is constantly evolving to meet the demands of the user, and at the same time suit the needs of the environment; operating at maximum efficiency, whilst creating the lowest possible carbon footprint. They've come a long way since the early days when you simply had one manual on and off button, and are now designed to consume very little energy. With capabilities such as Power Save Mode your computer can save energy by turning off automatically. Likewise, if a kiosk is not going to be used, for example, after business operating hours, you can set it to shut down and then automatically reboot at a certain time. This ensures that the computer is ready when it is needed, but does not consume energy when it is not in use. The benefit of energy saving kiosks lies in low-power consumption that optimizes long-term kiosk performance and efficiency.

Eco friendly processes

Recycling doesn’t just stop at separating our plastic bottles from our everyday waste; kiosk manufacturers and buyers have a responsibility to be green too. Under the European Law, all end of life kiosks are disposed of under WEEE Directive (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment). For this reason every single piece of metal in an end of life kiosk is saved and recycled; meaning that nothing is wasted or sent to a landfill.

Green self-service initiatives

As well as fulfilling their duty of care to the environment, kiosks are helping consumers to be green too. Changes in the automated retail space are seeing self service kiosks turn eco friendly in order to help consumers recycle everything from mobile phones and coins, to day-to-day waste products. In our highly disposable economy this is a much-needed service, working to encourage recycling and save the environment. Consumers are very used to helping themselves, so the quicker and more efficient the recycling experience can be, the more likely it is that consumers will get involved and take an interest. Eco-friendly kiosks help to automate recycling, streamline the process for consumers, help the environment and save on manual labour costs.

Kiosks of the future

Eco friendly, self-supporting kiosks are going to be at the forefront of technological developments. The next generation in innovative eco-friendly kiosks is harnessing ‘clean’ energy from the power of the sun; eliminating the need for wires and reducing installation costs. Solar power technology is already in place in some parking meter and info-point type kiosks in metropolitan areas such as London, and will see energy consumption reduce dramatically.

Green technology is an exciting field and one in which we can expect to see innovative and significant progression in the future; in order to see the environment and technology working together in harmony. If you’d like to find out more about how kiosks manufacturers are taking their responsibility to the environment seriously, or find out how a green kiosk can improve your ROI, contact Protouch today.

Is Digital Learning the Way of the Future?

Posted on 1st August 2013 by Tom Quarry

There's no question that touch screen kiosks are revolutionising public facing sectors such as leisure, retail and healthcare. However, recent studies have indicated that touchscreen technology can make a prolific impact when is comes to student learning and education, too. Gone are the days where students relied solely on notebooks and turned to textbooks for information; with the advent of devices and technology, classrooms are now becoming paperless and the future of teaching and education lies mainly in ‘smart’ classrooms.

Touchscreen technology hasn’t been around for very long, but it is already making a huge impact on education. Whether it be in early learning, key stage learning or higher education; technology allows the current generation of learners to go out and find answers on their own, catering for their desire for information and improving their critical thinking skills. According to an infographic by Educase, 70% of students say they learn most in blended learning environments; indicating that with access to a variety of rich media resources, students can benefit from higher levels of engagement.

Digital learning, touchscreen PCs in particular, has the advantage of being able to capture the attention of students, who may otherwise become bored or restless by more conventional teaching methods. Interestingly Educase found that 54% of students say they are more actively involved in courses that use technology. Through E-learning students can play educational games, read interactive books, practice logic and arithmetic skills, take tests, submit work, research, and much more (depending on varying learning styles and interests); allowing them to learn more effectively as they interact directly with the device.

Touch screen technologies can prove particularly valuable in the education and development of disabled students or students with learning difficulties. Through interactive learning teachers can better engage students who may have short attention spans, difficulties reading or hearing and so on. Specialist software can be installed in a touchscreen PC in order to suit the requirements of the users, including; large, easy to read text, colourful visuals, interactive games, voice command and moving objects.

Technology is becoming an integral part to the learning experience, not only for students but for teachers too. By understanding how to present information to students teachers can better connect with them and therefore benefit from the positive impact that comes with empowering students through independent learning. As well as this, teachers can use technology to manage their own time more efficiently (lesson planning, marking etc), using collaborative tools to reduce the demands placed upon them as the sole teacher.

While technology for technology sake is not the answer, it’s important to know what is out there and what tools can be used in a classroom environment to make learning a more positive and integrated experience. If you’d like to find out more about how touchscreen technologies can be used in the classroom, contact Protouch today.

Image source: CNN.com