kiosk software
More than
simply software
Exploring the top four misconceptions about kiosk system software and why
it’s important to address them...
By Laura Boniello Miller, Director of Business Development, KioWare Kiosk Software – www.kioware.com
The kiosk software industry must work
to educate marketers, developers,
and kiosk deployers on the features
and benefits of kiosk software. If this
doesn’t happen, the people who can
most benefit from kiosk system software
will continue to reinvent the wheel or
purchase solutions that somewhat fill
the gap but are only peripherally related.
Misconceptions about kiosk system
software abound, and some of the most
common misconceptions are:
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It’s just kiosk mode software
It requires a developer or an IT
professional to use it
GPO ‘s (Group Policy Object) or
browser kiosk mode solutions do
the same thing for free
It’s only useful for self-service kiosks
in specific environments
Facts about kiosk system software
Kiosk software isn’t just software used
to create a secure kiosk. It’s also used
for creating secure digital signage,
purposed devices, mobile phones,
44 KIOSK solutions
secure tablets, and public access
computers. Kiosk software can be used
to create a card catalogue, visitor check-
in, self-service payment system, and
retail point of sale. It’s all these things
and more, and is often underestimated
and put into a box that's limited in
scope to only the most basic of kiosk
software functionality.
The alternatives
In online technology and development
communities, programmers often
seek advice about setting up a kiosk or
securing an application, using Active
Directory or GPOs, and/or writing code
that includes developing a kiosk app
lockdown solution from scratch. Time
is money, and developers working to
create their own kiosk lockdown serve
as a redundant and unnecessary waste
of time. This is particularly true given
that the solutions already exist, is
flexible, saves time, provides security,
and is more advanced than anything an
individual programmer would create for
a custom kiosk solution.
The benefits
By using kiosk system software,
developers can begin the project from
the halfway point, not just eliminating the
need to lockdown the operating system
and browser, but providing features
like device integration, as well as often
demanded uses and features such as
digital signage deployments, mobile
device management, alongside quick and
easy content updating.
More than meets the eye
Kiosk System Software allows the
developer or project deployer to start
at a point that is miles ahead of those
developing a secure application or
website experience from scratch. It has
extensive flexibility, so it can be used
for different projects based on the
specifications needed. Many see kiosk
system software as simply a way to
secure a website or application into a
kiosk environment. True, it is that, but it's
also so much more than this…
• Kiosk software is browser lockdown
• It’s a device integrator