By Jennifer Maskrey -Lilitab VP Business Development
The pivotal introduction of the first iPad in 2010 transformed the kiosk industry. No longer tied to bulky, expensive and stationary structures, the new tablet technology opened up a whole new world of mobile possibilities. Combining cutting edge self-service design with elegant, touch-point interactions, led to Lilitab’s first product launch within a few short months of development.
Founded in San Francisco in 2011, a joint venture between Adam Aronson of Arc Design and Ken Maskrey of Global Tek Labs, the self-service tablet kiosks was born. With a highly experienced team, qualified to design top of the line feature rich interactive kiosks, the founders also have a combined wealth of knowledge having worked in the technological industry for many years.
Mr Aronson is an award winning kiosk designer with 15 years’ experience in the traditional self-service kiosk field and Mr Maskrey is the Apple interface expert having produced numerous ground-breaking iOS functional accessories. He is also the author of the definitive development guide; Apress Media’s “Building iPhone OS Accessories.”
Lilitab has several key software partners, leaders in their fields, with applications fully integrated into Lilitab products. Tablet kiosks are ideal for self-service interactions at trade shows, events, retail stores, restaurants, and charities. Loyalty programs and self-service ordering take place at Lilitab Pro Counter in restaurants. Churches and other non-profit organizations enlist Lilitab Swipes for convenient credit card charitable donations.
Lilitabs are also easy to set up with no special tools required and installation takes just a few minutes. This is important for a quick turn-around at trade show environments with limited time available for exhibit booth set up. Even the shipping case has been designed for ease of use with custom cut foam inserts inside a rugged ATA wheeled case.
The modular design options of Lilitabs ensure customers receive just the right footprint for the available space. Freestanding floor models, wall mounts, table top or temporary kiosks are all possible with the many mounting solutions available.
Security has been the driving force behind each component of the kiosk. The tablet is securely enclosed in the Lilitab head unit, and the MagDock lock firmly locks the head unit to the mount. Entire units may be bolted permanently to the surface; for temporary installations a cable lock may be utilized. Even the credit card data is protected from skimming devices, as the fully integrated magnetic stripe reader is an internal component of the head unit, not a fraud-prone plug-in at the head phone jack.
THE VERIFONE PARTNERSHIP
The recent announcement of the Lilitab Pro-V has the distinction of being VeriFone’s first co-branded product approved by Apple’s rigorous MFi program. The payment kiosk incorporates VeriFone’s industry leading payment technology for secure transactions with Lilitab’s patented Lilitab Pro tablet enclosure. Through the use of the fully integrated card reader, merchants can now give their customers rich content while simultaneously reducing their PCI scope with VeriFone’s end-to-end encryption solution, VeriShield Total Protect, Secured by RSA. The integrated and modular design of the Lilitab Pro-V enables convenient self-service payment stations on any wall, surface or floor, reducing security concerns about device tampering and card data fraud.
“We are thrilled to partner with the industry leader—VeriFone’s technology is known for security and reliability, and combined with Lilitab’s tablet kiosk, this product enables merchants to confidently jump onboard the tablet payment kiosk train,” said Jennifer Maskrey, Vice President of Business Development for Lilitab.
“The growing market for self-service ordering and payment represents a significant opportunity for merchants to provide great new experiences to their customers,” said Dennis Mos, General Manager of the OEM Product Group for VeriFone. “VeriFone’s security technology, combined with Lilitab’s beautiful and innovative design, creates a compelling self-service offering for merchants of all sizes.”
ONGOING DEVELOPMENT
The Lilitab Pro-V will be available at the end of the year. App integration is supported through Lilitab’s Software Development Kit.
Lilitab and VeriFone are working together on additional products, including a Lilitab Pro-V to work with iPad 4th generation devices and the new iPad Air, which connect using the Lightning Connector.