April 19, 2006 Automated convenience is a growing market, and we’ve recently written about several interesting developments such as a fresh flowers vending machine, a fully-automated convenience store (no staff) and an intriguing temporary physical Virtual Store. Now the envelope is being pushed even further. Last year eAnytime began work on a medication dispensing system with biometric pre-authorisation to complement its virtual nurse biometric dose dispensing kiosks. Now it has announced an ingenious DropOff & PickUp station that opens up a plethora of new retail possibilities and partnerships. The kiosk (pictured) will enable dry cleaners to partner with supermarket and convenience store chains, large employers, office and apartment building management and hotels. The kiosks are being marketed as a cost effective alternative to staffed drop stores and home and office delivery and when installed in a processing store, can even act as a front-end to a racking system. In addition to dry cleaning, the stations can also address laundering, alterations and repairs, leather apparel, household goods and shoe repair and uniform distribution.
Customers register one time at a station, standalone or on a network and are empowered to select when they want to pick up their order, allowing for just-in-time service provider processing and delivery to the station.
Customers pay for the services at the station using a credit or debit card. Stations feature proprietary software, touch-screen icon activated communication with the service provider, an interactive bilingual voice and screen text, motion activated camera surveillance, a patent pending security door system and hanging position locking system and Airflow ventilation system.
eAnytime stations come in two sizes, standard and small, require no building permit or fixed capital investment, are wheeled into sites on hidden lockable wheels, plugged into an electric outlet and phone jack, and are ready to provide service.
