Fujitsu Unveils New Self-Ordering Solutions

Solutions Offer Food Services, Grocery And Hospitality Customers Increased Ordering And Payment Flexibility

Frisco, TX - Fujitsu Transaction Solutions Inc. introduced its U-Serv family of self-ordering solutions for the food services, grocery and hospitality industries. The self-ordering systems combine newly designed Fujitsu hardware with self-service applications from a software partner, NextChoice Systems, to offer consumers increased ordering, payment and personalization options. The units are fully upgradeable and available in several installation configurations to accommodate various restaurant, grocery and hospitality formats.

According to a January 2006 study from Venture Development Corporation, "Kiosks for Self-Service and Interactive Applications: Technical and Vertical Market Analysis," North American shipments of self-service and interactive kiosk systems are expected to achieve a compound annual growth rate of nearly 20 percent from 2004 through 2007. Within the segment, self-service ordering ranked highest in the study based on scoring criteria that included fast return on investment (ROI); high market growth rates; and high consumer adoption rates.

Two Fujitsu self-ordering units are now available -- U-Serv 100 and U-Serv 200. The solutions complement and easily integrate into existing point-of-sale (POS) systems, helping companies improve service and lower costs by alleviating peak time traffic and redeploying labor to more productive activities. Fujitsu's U-Serv 100 accepts credit and loyalty cards, can dispense gift cards, and lets customers place orders from a large touch screen display in a small stand-alone kiosk that occupies the same floor space as a typical promotional display. The U-Serv 200 model offers additional flexibility by accepting debit cards and has the ability to print event tickets.

"Consumers have demonstrated the demand for and acceptance of self-service options to expand their choices when ordering and paying for products and services," said Austen Mulinder, president and CEO, Fujitsu Transaction Solutions, Inc. "Once a novelty for ATMs, pay-at-the-pump and airline ticketing, self-service technology now handles the majority of these transactions. The restaurant, grocery and hospitality industries are primed for the next evolution in self-service technology. NextChoice's proven self-service software solution is a perfect fit for our new kiosks. Our combined partnership delivers a best-in-class solution that will enable both companies to lead the next generation of pervasive self-service solutions."

"The Fujitsu solutions powered by NextChoice software offer consumers increased flexibility in the ordering and payment process," said Justin Nguyen, CEO of NextChoice. "With Fujitsu's Pervasive Retailing Framework, restaurant and hospitality owners can achieve a fast ROI with the U-Serv solutions that integrate with any legacy point-of-sale -- including loyalty, back-office and credit applications -- with little or no disruption to store operations."

SOURCE: Fujitsu Transaction Solutions Inc.