Forget the old walk-in booths. The new kiosk is typically a four-foot-high, pedestal-mounted high-tech screen that takes up less than two square feet of floor space. And it’s more likely to offer information and services than goods. The biggest sellers in 2003 were pay-to-surf Internet kiosks and photo-finishing stands offering instant prints from all those digital cameras that have sold lately.
In addition, some companies are using kiosks to supplement human-resources departments, says Tom Weaver of Kiosk Information Systems in Louisville, Colo., the leading American supplier. Job seekers can walk into stores and fill out job applications right at the kiosks. Current employees can use them in their own departments to make changes to retirement plans or print paycheck stubs.
What’s next? Entertainment kiosks that sell DVDs or produce custom-music CDs. All without a PC.
