Product Client Design Development

In any business relationship between manufacturer and client,  it may be consumer (case example with Apple or Samsung continually developing its range of products annually and relaunching new and improved versions) it is same to be said with business to business clients that we as manufacturer’s listen to their needs based on real life data usage that is collated then assimilated and market research is fed back to us and this data is then converted into design, performance enhancements to physical solutions so that our clientele can reap maximum returns from their investments.

KT has collaborated with host of clients one such specific customer began its operations back in 2012 launching a new service that focussed its business statement in wanting travellers to deposit their leftover foreign change into its terminals,  initially we proposed one of our standard enclosures which could encompass the requirement of paying in cash and coins,  and provide dual screens in which interaction on primary touch monitor coupled with informational advertising for its service via secondary screen. 

The initial 5 terminals installed as a pilot proved to client the service it provides was initially deemed a success to further deploy more units, but with data collected client then altered its requirements which then was handed to us and our design team created a version 2 that embodied those needs and a further 25 machines we purchased for expansion.  Fast forward to present day we are now manufacturing a version 4 which has transitioned into a solution that has seen it assist the client achieve further VC investment and expand its locations to half dozen new locations and client is fast on track to reach its goals and targets a true success story that KT Group has a reputation in not only providing a manufacturing service,  or that we are able to attract businesses to invest in our product designs but more importantly for customer we can selectively turn data into design and innovation that surpasses and supports the customer needs to attract key primary need to attract users to the terminal and then make it simple for not only consumer to use but also for technical support

KT Group has its manufacturing operations in China, but our team of employees each one brings experience to process and provides invaluable insight to the full turnkey solution we provide in from start to finish in a business relationship with our clients who most are long term prospects that continually engage us to think new solutions to their demand requirements from all important key factor that the success is driven to expand the project returns clients investors expect.

Product Spotlight Digital Signage 3 Sided Payment Kiosk

KT Group Ltd a company specializing and internationally renowned in manufacturing specialized kiosk terminal solutions and digital signage machines has developed on behalf of Travelersbox a terminal that combines payment acceptance as well as digital signage advertising a must when your client is working in some of the most prestigious airport locations in the world.

The model still under its factory label D8TB has a impressive footprint measuring 1.5 sq meters which if you consider that the pylon has 3 large screen electronic monitors, as well as a interactive touch monitor plus all the payment components the footfall is quite compact. 

The terminal has further been designed for future safe integration of adding a printing device such as a VKP80II thermo printer from Custom if required but the standard default comes with a MEI SCseries note validater, coin acceptance is handled by the robust and reliable G13 from Crane in this version we have managed to integrate dual G13 validators to expand the acceptance of different coin currencies.

The kiosk also utilizes old fashioned print media advertising by having on each side an area were a poster print can be inserted in a special designed LED light box to enhance the poster print advert. 

KT staff kindly call our terminal the Christmas tree of kiosks as it has an array of functionality and lights.  It has more importantly increased our customers profit retention by increasing the attention of the terminal in situ.  

Digital Signage Indoor vs Outdoor

The market exploded some ten years ago with digital signage and there was a clamor for innovation to be pursued both in software and hardware, the likes of Four Winds Interactive, Working Solutions, Scala were all feverishly working on launching their DS platforms to present to the global retailing markets.

The hardware sector saw the development of large style pylon enclosures being launched from companies like Friendly Way, Rosendahl ConceptKiosk, Protouch and KT Group.  The real challenge for hardware manufacturers was to develop a completely hermetically sealed terminal that could be used in harsh outdoor conditions and especially challenging when it is plus 30 Celsius outside.

KT Group working with US based design corporation Shweikart developed its own unique designs in form of model Essence, these were robust curved enclosures with ability to stand both internally inside and with optional weather pack be suited for outdoors as well.   The enclosures were designed for large monitors not 42 inches but 55 or 65 inch panels as big was bold and beautiful then.

The outdoor version was manufactured in a thick steel plate and had outdoor powder coat textured paint finish for a robust shell,  inside the unit boasted its own air-conditioning and heating system that was automatically thermostatically controlled so that enclosure could operate in both climate below zero Celsius as well as plus thirty Celsius. 

Several options could be combined if required such as WIFI, RFID and Bluetooth all popular for several marketing purposes and the large monitor panels were fitted with special developed projective capacitive touch panels. 

These units can be found both in North America, Europe and in Middle East and many of them are now well into their 7^th and eighth year and still running without critical failures.   Digital Signage has slowly declined since its heyday but there is still a tremendous interest in all sectors of commercial private business markets for interactivity and advertising.  

Digital Signage Designed By KT For GUM Moscow

On October 2014, when I was sent by KT Group for a business trip to Moscow, like always I visited the GUM. The GUM is a shopping gallery in Red Square and is considered by many as one of the most beautiful shopping centers in Europe. It was built in 19^th century, during the Soviet period it was a shopping center for government and for the past 20 years it has developed to be the most premier center for shopping in Russia.

Spending 3 hours in GUM, eating their famous ice-cream and walking around beautiful shops, I noticed that it is very difficult to find a shop that I looked for as well as other information regarding the center. It took me some time to find an information kiosk (information stand), which was located on the other side of the GUM. Another interesting observation I did was a lack of electronic equipment in open areas except one ATM covered by a wood board to hide its “modern” design.

When I came back I got this concept in my mind: “what if we can design an information kiosk terminal which can be multifunctional and interactive but in the same time be a part of the main design concept of GUM?”.    KT Group known for its bespoke design kiosk terminals, manufactured according to client wishes and in most of the cases designed to accept payments. In this particular case, the process is different since KT is the initiator of this concept.

During 3 months 2 young designers, under the supervision of KT team, developed a concept and came up with the kiosk design. To achieve this goal the team had to investigate about the history of GUM, its design, cultural aspects, visitors’ behavior and many other aspects.

As a result, KT offered a design which exactly matches the style of GUM and fits in to the harmonious atmosphere of the center. It based on a 42” 4K LG Screens on both sides, with multi touch capabilities. It also have HD camera, barcode scanner, printer and powerful Wi-Fi transmitter.

By using this kiosk terminal the visitors can easily find what they looking for and navigate to the desired shop using their mobile phone (smart way finding system), or they can send their own photos from GUM to their friends. In additional, this kiosk terminal can be used by GUM administration as an advertising kiosk, information collecting and addressed marketing.

The project designs is now ready for implementation and KT Group has finalized its preparatory work. 

 

 

KT Group 10th Anniversay a decade of success in custom design Part 2

Our companies has gathered and built our success in past 10 years on the acumen we have learned how design can assist our clients to attain more success and achievement and in one recent project which initially started 3 years ago with a client approaching us that they were starting to launch a new business concept that require kioskterminals that were able to accept coins and cash.

Initially the unit the client showed interest in was one of our standardized models,  the C8 a robust curved model which has proven popular with customers certainly has attractive design as well as incorporating easy serviceability so important when in reference to having ability to collect cash inside that it can be done quickly and without having to spend time which could increase cost that is combined in managing a network of terminals that accept old fashioned cash.

Concept of initial unit pictured below

The client proceed with a purchase of 5 pilot terminals,  and with any new venture a pilot is critical to the investor to demonstrate a proof of concept and in this case our client had to be able to demonstrate to its investors that this solution would pay off.    Luckily it did!

After the initial pilot the customer who had regularly visited the terminals in their place of installation to gain better understanding of users and their use of these machines,  the concept was so new in marketplace this tracking took best part of 4 months before the accumulated reserach was studied and the client then returned to us with their findings.  He initiated a further order and expanded it to 25 terminals a so called first mass production run and he had understood he required a more ad space to proliferate and inform the users who were within a large building to gain their attention to the kiosk and what offerings it provided them.

Concept of secondary design we prepared.

Once the initial 25 units placed the client then began his study on performance and noticed that adding an additional larger monitor and top did in increase awareness,   the client who was positioned in locations which in times required potentially to increase turnover to accept other foreign currency expanded two having dual coin slots so that each different coin validator was able to accept two different kinds of foreign currency which also expanded the turnover of these terminals.   Their was a healthy 6 months of research undertaken and data collated and then the client returned a third time,  he had found that he had voluminous increased his turnover but he felt that with the amount of people traffic occuring in this international location their was more that could be achieved which at KT we initially were quizzical that this could be true but during a in-depth Q&A meeting the customer explained to us why there firm of specialists came to this conclusion.  The design was once again re-engineered to the customers wishes and on this occasion we also called in our designer as it required more thought and hence our version 3 was borne.

Concept of third design prepared

Now radically redesign the unit achieved what our specialist client had seen through his in-depth marketing research,  the corridors of which there are many and extremely long in which people traffic went from left - right or viceversa were seeing the terminals from the side and thus when walking past them the majority being the busy men and women they are would walk past these terminals without giving them much attention what our client proposed was to add both digital large sized monitors and traditional poster print advertising to each side of the terminal and therefore these units ended up being labelled internally at KT Group as Christmas trees.