When it comes to choosing between indoor and outdoor kiosks for customer or human relations needs, there are several things to consider. While you may be able to make an indoor kiosk work easily into your business plan — and at first glance it might seem like the way to go — there are a fair number of reasons why an outdoor kiosk may actually be a better fit. Here's a quick comparative guide to help you decide for sure.

Benefits and possible limitations of outdoor kiosks

Popular uses for outdoor kiosks include ticket purchasing at movie theaters, amusement parks and zoos, as well as educational-information stations for use outside sporting events, animal exhibits and college campuses, where students can print maps and register for classes.

Benefits include a faster display rate in a setting where the end user is generally more relaxed and focused on the task at hand. This makes them able to absorb more of the content at a faster rate, resulting in a more targeted delivery of information that's perfect for ad revenue. Score!

Outdoor kiosk modules, such as the Celsius model from Phoenix Kiosk, have their internal components sealed against weather elements such as water, dust and snow. They come with upgraded audio capabilities, LCD screens with anti-glare coating and individual temperature and humidity control. Placing them in direct sunlight does make it difficult for end users to read the information, however, so consider a slightly shady location for deployment.

Because of exposed placement, outdoor kiosks do have a more limited configurability for peripherals. Also, if brightly-colored logos and full wraps make your heart sing, be advised that the vinyl used for these types of enhancements can be affected by weather conditions.

Benefits and possible limitations of indoor kiosks

The peripheral configurability, LCD-viewing comfort and vinyl- logo longevity are all great with indoor kiosk modules. You also have the option to upgrade your audio capacity, but you will be without temperature and humidity control. Those with open-air facilities may want to keep this in mind when making their kiosk decision.

Also, consider traffic-flow patterns when deciding between an indoor and outdoor solutions. If most of the traffic is outside, then placing your kiosk inside puts it out-of-sight for most potential users, which can result in pedestrian traffic jams you might not want to manage. Also, if you want people to be able to access the information when a building is closed, the only way to do that is with an outdoor kiosk.

Bottom line? It really depends on how you're going to use the module. If an indoor-business center inside your hotel's lobby is what you're going for, then an indoor model will work just fine. But for handling large amounts of foot traffic in a way that won't clog up the works inside your venue, an outdoor kiosk is likely the better choice.

Which do you prefer — indoor or outdoor kiosks? Leave your comment below.

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