Kiosks put information at your fingertips
High school buddies and entrepreneurs make technology that emphasizes specialty information.
By BETH N. GRAY
Published August 7, 2005
SPRING HILL - Maurice Ryman burst through the back door of his business at 10 a.m., trying to whip a yellow tie under the collar of his royal blue shirt. Just six hours earlier, he had arrived home after a delayed flight from Quincy, Ill.
Ryman says he's more comfortable without the tie. "I'm an IT geek. Information technology," the 30-year-old said. And it's common knowledge that youthful computer nerds generally dress casually - Friday or not.
Ryman and his wife, Christina, 28, are founders and owners of Kioskpros, a 7-year-old Spring Hill company that designs and manufactures electronic kiosks with computer guts that serve up specialty information for their buyers. The contraptions, which resemble video games, are popping up in malls, other public access destinations and in stockrooms.
The last week of July, Ryman was just back from checking on the operation of a kiosk that WGEM-TV in Quincy, Ill., purchased and had installed three weeks earlier at the Quincy Mall. On its 30-inch liquid crystal display monitor, visitors can view weather forecasts and watch periodic live news feeds. Users also can surf the channel's Web site.
Ryman, who prefers the title of technology director rather than president of Kioskpros, was anxious that the unit was operating as advertised because NBC television officials were coming in to check out its possibilities for the network.
"Opportunity," Ryman grinned, adrenaline overpowering sleep loss.
Before starting Kioskpros, the Rymans in 1995 founded Complete Technology Solutions, formulating Web sites, creating software programs and providing computer management for businesses and small government agencies that chose not to hire their own computer specialists.
WorkNet Pinellas and similar jobs agencies were major customers for CTS.
"They came to us," Christina Ryman said, "and asked us to do kiosks." With a chuckle at their naivete, Christina said they answered: "Sure."
She had faith in her husband, who was in the gifted program throughout his years in Hernando public schools, and in their sidekick since Powell Middle School, Chris Reiter. Reiter, 29, with the Rymans since 1995, is special projects coordinator for Kioskpros.
Maurice Ryman formulates initial design concepts for the kiosks.
"Basically, I take customers' feedback, developing any kind of product and bringing that to reality," he said.
He pitches his concepts to Kinematics and Controls Corp. in the Airport Industrial Park south of Brooksville, where engineers draw designs. Plans go to Breiner Machine Co., also in the industrial park, where the hardware is manufactured.
"We keep it all in the county, business and economic growth, as much as we can," Christina Ryman said.
The apparatus is trucked to Kioskpros headquarters in a strip mall at 4662 Commercial Way - workrooms, business office, think-tank - where software is designed and installed.
At work there are 14 employees: systems and network administrators, programmers, a graphic designer, information technology support staffers and an administrative assistant for Christina's chores, which have mushroomed from receptionist to accounts, human resources, inventory and trade show presenter.
The kiosks are built and programmed to each customer's specifications.
WorkNet Pinellas ordered 16 units, some of which are being purchased through an Americans with Disabilities Act grant. They accommodate the handicapped with space for a wheelchair to pull up, a screen on a moveable arm, a sloped keyboard and an optional monitor magnification for the sight impaired.
Situated in public-use areas, they are programmed to access only job opportunities and other work-related sites so visitors can't tap in to eBay, games and the like, Maurice Ryman said.
The Miami-Dade Transit Authority is another customer. Its kiosks, which flash up schedules, are designed to be vandal resistant and to withstand the elements, since many are positioned outdoors.
Kiosks range in price from $2,000 to $15,000, depending on the options, Maurice Ryman said.
"Basically, every component is optional beyond the computer, monitor and the keyboard," he said.
Additional choices include printers, air conditioning and/or heating elements, credit card swiping ability, telephone attachment and stainless steel casing.
The firm has pretty much relied on its Web site, www.kioskpros.com for marketing, although it has expanded its personal outreach this year, Maurice Ryman said.
WGEM-TV found Kioskpros via the Web. So did Coca-Cola, office supply company Staples, the Nickelodeon TV network, and the computer search engine Google.
Coca-Cola expressed interest in a unit to read bar code labels to track inventory in warehouses. Staples proposed placing units in backrooms for employees to access human resources information such as available transfers, and the number of sick days and vacation days they had used.
In both cases, kiosks can operate in secure environments not conducive to regular computers, Maurice Ryman pointed out. And in the Staples case, a store could do away with the need for a human resources staffer onsite or on call.
Nickelodeon inquired about interactive kiosks through which users could play-act and submit performances for airing on the network. While Kioskpros employees created a mock-up, nothing came of the inquiry, Maurice Ryman said with disappointment.
Another high came with the Google query for use as a human resources tracking tool.
"We gave them the software," Maurice Ryman said, the only such giveaway.
"One of these days it could turn in to something substantial, hopefully," his wife added.
Kioskpros did $1.5-million in business last year, the company leader said. It's up by about 50 percent in the past six months, but Maurice doesn't want it to explode.
"We want to make sure we have everything in place as we grow," he said.
Christina Ryman envisions moving to a warehouse-type facility at the Airport Industrial Park within the next five years. The company moved from the park in November because its business had outgrown its leased space there.
The Rymans and Reiter are all graduates of Central High School, and none of them pursued advanced education. They jumped right into business.
Christina Ryman foresees a next generation for Kioskpros and Complete Technology Solutions.
Daughter Skyler, 8, and son Merrick, 4, already have their own computers.
"Eight months ago," she said of Merrick, "he asked for his own e-mail address."
Beth Gray may be contacted at graybethn@earthlink.net
USES FOR THE KIOSKSWGEM-TV (Quincy, Ill.)
Allows visitors to view weather forecasts and watch periodic live news feeds.
WorkNet Pinellas
Accommodates the handicapped with space for a wheelchair to pull up; programmed to access only job opportunities and other work-related sites.
The Miami-Dade Transit Authority
Flashes schedules; designed to be vandal resistant.