NCR Corporation, Duluth, Ga., has launched its first outdoor DVD-rental kiosk, the NCR SelfServ Entertainment 2381.
Able to hold as many as 950 DVDs, this weather-protected outdoor kiosk calls itself the most secure and highest-capacity outdoor DVD-rental kiosk in the industry. Through its new outdoor kiosk, NCR extends its deployment of BLOCKBUSTER Express-branded DVD-rental kiosks to more convenience store and smaller-footprint, 24-hour retail locations.
Beyond its BLOCKBUSTER Express deployment, the SelfServ Entertainment 2381 can be used by retailers and operators to automate cased rental and packaged sell-through of media titles in a 24-hour, outdoor setting.
The SelfServ Entertainment 2381 features the latest self-service technology from NCR, including a 19-inch touchscreen display that is specially designed for viewing in sunlight. An optional 26-inch LCD screen at the top of the unit can be used as digital signage for inventory promotion or brand advertising, and all units are fitted with ATM-grade anti-skimming magnetic stripe reader (MSR) to help prevent fraud. Its flexible architecture enables NCR to easily upgrade units with new technologies when they are ready to be deployed, such as the digital download of video files and a barcode scanner for age verification using drivers licenses.
“Each day, consumers around the world conduct more than 60 million transactions on NCR devices, making us the global leader in self-service technology. We’ve used our knowledge of consumer self-service technology to make the SelfServ Entertainment 2381 the most secure and the highest-capacity outdoor kiosk on the market,” said Alex Camara, vice president and general manager, NCR Entertainment. “This new technology will enable us to work with even more partners as we roll out our BLOCKBUSTER Express-branded DVD-rental kiosks to new locations, including convenience stores and gas stations. Consumers will benefit from easier access to their favorite new release and classic DVDs in accessible, 24-hour locations.”
NCR expects to invest as much as $60 million in 2009 to build out its DVD-rental kiosk operations. The company expects to deploy more than 2,500 kiosks in 2009 for a total of 10,000 kiosks by mid-year 2010.
