How Payroc and KioWare Make Better Kiosk Solutions

In today's fast-paced digital era, self-service kiosks have become an integral part of enhancing the customer experience. Across industries, these touchscreen wonders have revolutionized how businesses engage with their customers.

While independent software vendors (ISVs) play a critical role in helping their clients launch kiosks, ISVs first must clear several hurdles, including technical complexities, the ability to customize, and payment processing. Because most ISVs aren’t specifically in the kiosk or payments business, they either have to develop solutions from scratch or lean on partners with the expertise to get those solutions up and running quickly.

When those partners work collaboratively, it makes kiosk development that much easier for ISVs.

Meet Payroc Partner, KioWare

KioWare is a kiosk system software with a toolbelt of functionality that ISVs can use to fully develop and customize a kiosk app for virtually any type of client. ISVs don’t have to be kiosk experts – they just need to know what their kiosk app should be able to do, and KioWare will help them do the heavy lifting.

What’s more, KioWare’s API is agnostic – in the same way that Payroc’s APIs are – making integrations with devices, payment gateways, and any other type of entity seamless.

How KioWare Works

KioWare offers three categories of functionality:

1. Security Functionality

KioWare’s security function keeps ISV applications running and ensures the integrity of user access rules. This is accomplished by:

• Limiting what users can see and do.
• Erasing any trace of the user after they leave.
• Controlling file downloading and transfer.
• Closing unwanted OS dialogs.
• Automatically providing credentials as needed.

2. Management Functionality

KioWare’s management functions include:

• Tracking and warning staff when a kiosk needs to be cleaned.
• Providing local staff password access to custom functionality such as rebooting the kiosk.
• Scheduling and performing maintenance tasks.
• Tracking and warning when kiosk devices have issues.

3. Application Functionality

KioWare’s application functions make it easy for developers to add self-service features, including:

• Custom toolbars.
• Virtual keyboards, including multilingual keyboards.
• Attract screens between user sessions that appeal to the next user.
• Device integrations via KioWare’s API. Devices may include scanners, payment devices, and cash recyclers.
• KioTouch, KioWare’s touchless feature.
• KioCall, KioWare’s video conferencing feature.
• Integrations with JAWS screen reader and Storm Interface AudioNav for visual disabilities, as well as the ability to easily lower display content for wheelchair ADA access.
• Additional custom features.

Working together, Payroc and KioWare simplify kiosk development and implementation.

What Makes the Payroc/KioWare Combination So Great for ISVs

When ISVs leverage both KioWare and Payroc for their kiosk applications, they give their merchant clients a plethora of options.

Flexible API

Client solutions need to be designed for change. Technological innovation is increasing at a rapid pace, which means every new solution must be developed with adaptation in mind. At a bare minimum, that means those solutions should work on a variety of platforms.

Both Payroc and KioWare have implementations for Windows (the current standard) and Android (an emerging trend). Soon KioWare will also offer an implementation for Linux (which is slightly more niche).

ISVs looking for off-the-shelf flexibility to work in any operating system will have exactly that with both KioWare and Payroc. That means no special coding or development – ISVs can simply leverage and customize each company’s API.

Payment Device Flexibility

One of the competitive advantages ISVs benefit from is the near-exhaustive list of unattended devices available for kiosks. In fact, KioWare’s partnership with Payroc provides more options than any other gateway – regardless of the size or footprint.

Here are a few examples:

Ingenico Self Series

The Ingenico Self Series has the latest technology, including pin-on-glass or pin-on-screen functionality. In particular, the Ingenico Self/4000 accepts all payment types, including magstripe, EMV, and NFC. It supports Windows and Android platforms and seamlessly integrates with any kiosk.

Similarly, the Ingenico Self/3000 accepts the same payment types and supports the same platforms, but it also offers a compact design for easy integration in indoor and outdoor kiosk environments.

For ISVs that want to go with the “Rolex of payment devices,” there’s the Ingenico Self/5000. It’s impressive-looking and high-quality — and its waterproof, dustproof, and tamperproof design makes it perfect for standing up to the wear and tear of rugged, outdoor settings.

ID Tech Series

ID Tech payment devices are perfect for environments where customization is a priority – something that ISVs do often for merchants. These devices are usually built-in installations instead of stand-alone like the Ingenico devices, so there’s less attention to how the devices look and more on how well they perform.

The ID Tech 3300 is perfect for arcade machines and kiosks, and the ID Tech VP6800 has a touchscreen digital display payment device that accepts all payment types, including magstripe, EMV, and NFC. The VP6800 also has an optional camera for enhanced security or barcode functionality.

Even if an ISV has already begun development and prefers to use a specific terminal and/or processor, Payroc and KioWare can accommodate it. And while KioWare can help ISVs achieve PCI certification, Payroc’s entire infrastructure is certified off the shelf.

Ease of Integration

ISVs typically want as few integrations as possible with as little coding as possible. Both KioWare and Payroc deliver that convenience. ISVs can go to the KioWare website and download a single API, plug it in, and choose the Payroc gateway and which payment methods to use.

Payroc’s new APIs offer the same ease and allow ISVs to implement a range of functionality — boarding new merchants, taking and settling payments, and reporting – and all of it is accomplished with a suite of APIs.

Developing kiosk solutions can be a complex undertaking for ISVs if they try to reinvent the wheel. But why do that? From customization to platform and device selection to integrations, Payroc and KioWare present ISVs with one of the most powerful kiosk collaborations on the market today.

To learn more about Payroc, contact us.