This is an expanded version of an article published in the April 2007 issue of Self-Service World magazine.
It starts like a bad joke: What device has flickering video, slow loading times and spits up streaming audio one burst at a time? But the punch line isn't funny, especially for customer service: A kiosk without enough bandwidth.
As kiosks of all shapes and sizes are put in more places to accomplish new things, the problem of Internet connectivity becomes increasingly vexing. What's more, planning the wrong kiosks in the wrong locations with the wrong connectivity can create huge remodeling expenses for the sake of installing Ethernet cable.
Where is it going?
There are several options for Internet connectivity. Self-service devices can link to the public Internet or a virtual private network by a variety of means including: cellular network, Ethernet, WiFi and, soon, WiMAX. Each has its tradeoffs, but before deciding how to connect the kiosk, first ask "Where is it going?"
Placement is the first thing Sal Cinquegrani advises those installing kiosks to consider when it comes to picking a type of connectivity. He's a spokesman for New Edge Networks, one of the largest network companies catering to commercial needs, providing Internet connectivity for thousands of kiosks, ATMs and commercial devices.
He emphasized that the cost of connectivity changes by region. For example, providing Internet access in a remote area generally is more expensive than providing it in an urban area that has better-developed infrastructure. This means that, in the case of a big rollout across many areas, planners would be wise not to think connectivity for a store in the wilds of Wyoming will cost the same as for a store in the wilds of Cleveland.
From there, those deploying kiosks must consider the specific attributes of the kiosk's exact placements and how those change the dynamics of connectivity. Cinquegrani's clients typically base the kiosk's placement on a traffic analysis, so it appeals directly to customers moving through the store.
"Is it going to be placed along a back wall? Out front? In the middle of an aisle? Where is the kiosk going to be located? That's first and foremost," Cinquegrani said. If it's going to be up against a wall someplace, it's probably easy enough to run a line to those kiosks. If it's going to be in an aisleway, ripping up a floor to run a line [to it] might not be feasible. Then they might look at a wireless or cellular option."
Cinquegrani said the most common mistake kiosk deployers make when planning a project is miscalculating bandwidth. Underestimating the amount can yield results that harm the customer experience; overestimating can create cost overruns.
For example, a multimedia-intensive application with streaming video would consume much more bandwidth than a transactional machine, like an ATM, which sends eight-kilobyte transactions in short bursts and on an irregular basis.
Though right now he said most kiosks work fine on a WiFi connection, he noted that kiosks constantly are being made to deliver increasingly more content, consuming increasingly more bandwidth.
"Most current kiosk applications are probably going to work fine using a wireless solution," Cinquegrani said. "But as customers begin to demand different experiences and want to be able to do different things, and the merchants or the operators of these kiosks are more responsive to what customers want and demand in the way of their experience, that will create more need for bandwidth."
Wired vs. wireless
Once the devices' locations are determined, then their methods of connectivity can be divined. While many simple devices, such as payment terminals, still use dial up, that isn't an option for most kiosks, especially those running Web applications or that transfer a high volume of content (like product photographs). Broadband also simplifies remote management with its constantly-connected nature, making constant remote monitoring and management more feasible.
The two most popular iterations of broadband are WiFi and Ethernet. The comparative prices of the two technologies vary according to the specific application. However, common reasons to use WiFi are to avoid incurring the cost of cable — including remodeling to install it — and to let the machines be free-standing or portable.
Manav Khurana, Aruba Networks' retail industry marketing lead, is a WiFi expert. His company handles complex networking situations, like portable self-scan systems shoppers use in store aisles. Even in more mainstream applications, he said some stores change floor placements so often that cable isn't an option.
"There are two reasons we find retail wants them to be wireless," Khurana said. "The first one being [the expense of] cable replacement, the second one being mobile kiosks. You can't really run cable in the middle of a floor."
But Khurana noted that networking self-service machines wirelessly isn't as easy as planners often think. For example, he explained that many commercial facilities have back-room applications, like inventory management, connected via WiFi. When adding in-store devices, he said planners often think they can simply extend those networks to devices like kiosks. But such ideas often fail to take into account securing the data that would wander the airwaves in a wireless environment.
"There are many areas to worry about from a security perspective, depending on what is being done on the kiosk — if it's a self-checkout kiosk that needs a credit card or if it's a medical kiosk," Khurana said. "These things must meet PCI and HIPA requirements [respectively]."
Security concerns also weigh in on another decision: whether to broadcast data across the public Internet (the one most consumers use on their home computers) or to tie the devices together through a virtual private network. That choice largely depends on the type of data being broadcast. For example, an Internet kiosk that provides Web-browsing access might be just fine connected to the public Internet. But ad-driven digital signage networks, which transmit large amounts of scheduled video programming and often have a transactional back-end for advertisers, normally are run on VPNs.
Cellular and WiMAX
The future of kiosk connectivity will bring more, improved wireless connection types. One that is already in the market and rapidly advancing is cellular connectivity.
Ventus Networks of Norwalk, Conn., for example, administers a VPN for ATMs networked via cellular connections. More than 3,000 ATMs across the country are connected to Ventus' network, which is centrally monitored and managed from a control room in its corporate headquarters. The ATMs can be situated outside or anywhere in a store independent of where network cable runs or where a WiFi router can reach. According to Keith Charette, Ventus chief executive, the network could handle transactions from cashless vending machines or financial service kiosks just as well.
With more data being transmitted via cellular connection, cellular providers themselves are split over the future prospects of cellular connectivity. Third-generation cellular technology (often called "3G") is looming just on the horizon, and is touted by some cellular companies as the key to transmitting more data at lower costs. But Sprint and Nokia already are investing in WiMAX technology. WiMAX functions similar to WiFi but, instead of deploying wireless routers in relatively small locations, WiMAX leverages microwave antennae to paint entire cities with broadband connectivity.
With a WiMAX connection, a kiosk theoretically could move anywhere in the same geographic region and stay online, even on the back of a truck.
According to Michael Wolleben, chief executive of WiMAX.com, Sprint and Nokia see a future in WiMAX because it offers more data capabilities than cellular. He said Sprint and Clearwire will be the dominant WiMAX providers in the United States because they've already purchased most of the FCC licenses to broadcast WiMAX, and the typical rate for a WiMAX connection will be $50 to $75 monthly.
"Part of their business strategy is business-type applications, like back-hauling ATMs and other business-type applications," Wolleben said. "ATMs are becoming smarter. They're doing more multimedia through the Internet. And they need a bigger pipe. WiMAX will give you a bigger pipe."
However it's built, experts agree that bigger pipe — or, increased bandwidth — certainly will be in demand.
"Applications are going to fuel more interest," Cinquegrani said. "More interest will fuel more solutions. More solutions require more bandwidth. That's how the world is with everything. So keeping up with the insatiable demand for speed and bandwidth and applications is going to continue to be a challenge and an opportunity for some providers."
