Seattle's MOD Systems, maker of in-store kiosks that sell music and video, has signed a new "major retailer" and upgraded their kiosk platform.
According to Digital Music News, "The upgrade allows retailers to deliver music and video directly to PlaysForSure devices and mobile phones by using a USB or wireless connection. Additionally, the platform will also enable secure DVD burning for movies, and area that incoming board member Warren Lieberfarb will help to shape. Lieberfarb is hailed as the "father of the DVD," largely for conceptualizing and championing the ultra-successful format at Warner Home Video during the 90s. Meanwhile, MOD pointed to a major announcement involving a consumer electronics retailer, though the partner "is not based in Minneapolis."
I've always liked the kiosk sales concept, and I think it still has legs. I'm forced to wonder though, if the kiosk is just an intermediate step in the land of digital delivery that will be overrun by OTA, wi-fi and broadband delivery mechanisms as they mature and become more robust.
[via Digital Music News]
1. I like the kiosk concept, but not for burning CDs. Thankfully digital came along and, if we're all lucky, put that idea to rest once and for all. (Starbucks failures with burned CDs probably helped dig its grave, too.)
OTA will be a big player, but I think there will always be a place for a kiosk in the retail equation. (Just as soon as more than 20% of Americans use an MP3 player that is compatible with PlaysForSure.) Sometimes people don't know what they want to buy until it's put in front of them. They need to be reminded. Half of all brick-and-mortar music purchases were unplanned, and a good portion of those come from product positioning.
Posted at 12:22PM on Oct 26th 2006 by Glenn