According to a new report from NextGen Research, "Next Generation Kiosks and Self-Service Technology: Providing the Customer a Better Experience While Increasing Efficiency, Controlling Costs," the global kiosk market will grow from an installed base of around 1 million units this year to more than 2.5 million units globally in 2014. NextGen is the technology arm of market-intelligence company ABI Research.
In a news release announcing the report, NextGen says two thirds of kiosk deployments globally are in the United States and that the U.S. will continue to see the most growth over the next five years. NextGen also expects Europe and Asia to grow in deployments, while adoption elsewhere is projected to remain slow.
Larry Fisher, NextGen's research director, says the growth of kiosks and self-service is a reflection of a larger trend in consumer preferences:
Self-service is driving consumer behavior. Kiosks are an extension of a broader self-service trend, where consumers want more control of their environment. The growth of online banking is an example showing that customers want to transact on their own schedule; kiosks will follow the same growth trajectory, as customers can choose when and how they transact.
