By Sam Pryor
Protouch

The variety of self-service touchscreen applications is boundless, which explains in part why kiosks have become a welcome addition to so many different types of organizations. However, the all-in-one appearance of an interactive kiosk belies the complexity of the unit, its installation and on-going operation. Avoiding the consequences of a hasty installation entails forethought, planning and most of all support.

The kiosk industry is a specialist one after all, and as such, advice, help and monitoring are necessary to ensure that your kiosk works for you. So, what should you look for as regards support for your kiosk?

1. Installation

The installation of the device is the first and foremost step in the larger picture, and troublesome installation will only cause issues down the road. Therefore, finding a company that can provide easy installation is a must. So, what should the process for installation be?

• Hardware — The installation of the kiosk itself and anything that’s necessary for its use should be done by professional people. Kiosks need additional items like mounting brackets and power, as well as potentially a number of other additions for security, safety and positioning.
• Software — A proper software installation will test all the peripherals to ensure they’re working and calibrated correctly on site and that all is working as it should.

2. Remote Monitoring

We live in a connected world, and so being able to monitor your kiosk remotely should not be an issue with the right software in place.

You should be provided with the capability to monitor stats, traffic and other information and data at a glance. In addition, the kiosk should allow for the monitoring of uptime, provide reporting on errors via email updates and SMS, and also allow for remote diagnostics and resolution of issues from elsewhere. This should all be capable of being accessed by the kiosk company, and it should have the capability to repair any issues remotely.

3. Maintenance Support

As some issues won’t be able to be fixed remotely, on-site support will be required. This could be vital depending on the industry you’re in.

Knowing you have a service level agreement in place that can offer you the choice of a 48-, 24- or even 8-hour fix can reduce downtime. This is something that’s essential if your kiosk is bringing in revenue to your business, such as issuing tickets at an out-of-hour’s kiosk.

As technical manager, Sam Pryor heads up the Protouch technical team and has overseen the installation and maintenance of hundreds of kiosks. Based in Camberley, Surrey, U.K., Protouch is a specialist touch screen and kiosk manufacturer whose solutions comprise software, hardware, installation and maintenance, giving the company extensive experience in all these areas. Protouch was acquired recently by Cammax, but the two entities are operating as separate business units, targeting different market sectors. For information related to the content of this article, contact Sam Pryor at s.pryor@protouch.co.uk.

This column was reprinted with permission from Digital Signage Connection and originally appeared here.