Craig Keefner
• 05 Jan 2010
By the end of 2009, there were almost 30,000 DVD-vending kiosks deployed, with more on the way. This application likely has surpassed the photo kiosk as the second-most visible symbol of self-service working, next to grocery self-checkout. Anticipating the next such "big thing" keeps all of us in the kiosk industry busy following the tweets and news in the hope of catching the next wave.
Here is a roundup of 2010's potential suspects, from my point of view, divided into three market groups -- maturing, growth and new drivers.
Maturing market
Vending and reverse vending -- These are apps where customers put money in to get a product, with the DVD kiosk being a prime example. Reverse vending is where products/goods are deposited into a machine and money/credit is given to the customer. The ecoATM self-service e-cycling kiosks would be an example of this, and the TITO ticket and token redemption machines in Las Vegas are good examples as well.