How do you secure a large number of tablets for a school or business? The answer is not so simple and institutional security for tablets is still an emerging market (one of the reasons we started this blog). Today, the three leading providers of iPad security carts and trays are Bretford, Ergotron and Datamation Systems.
But how do each of these company’s products hold up head-to-head? Regardless of price, which security product is most secure? YouTube user Prodtest51 equipped himself with a hammer, screwdriver and crowbar and decided to find out. Though we were not able to confirm the accuracy of these videos, the videos do not seem doctored and he seems to be sweating a lot. Here is Prodtest51′s explanation for destroying the three expensive pieces of equipment: ”Prior to recommending iPad security cabinets and carts for a technology roll-out, we tested several to see if they were effective in resisting attack with common tools and at common points of vulnerability.”
Watch these short videos to find out who can be called iPad security cart king.
This month, Miami Heat star Lebron James launched a boutique clothing and shoes store with a techie twist. The Miami store Unknwn opened with 45 iPad kiosk displays on their shoe wall which showcase product features, interactive high-resolution photos and HD videos.
The wall-mounting comes courtesy of iPad Enclosures, a Utah based company that specializes in tablet kiosks and mounts for business and retail environments. In an interview with Tab Adapt, Ipad Enclosures’ Nick Ames says “The iPad kiosk display provides this new generation of shoppers with a bridge between the real-life brick-and-mortar experience and the increasingly competitive online shopping experience.” The feedback from customers has been positive. Many customers have posted comments on blogs and social networks praising the presentation and interactive experience. “Since the Unknwn store’s opening, we have received an overwhelming amount of orders for the Evolve iPad kiosk, because it provides a custom branding solution,” Ames says.
Still, the benefits of iPad diplays asdie, how does a retail store like Unknwn handle charging, syncing and management? We asked Ames the tough questions after the break:
How does Unknwn deal with charging? Do they have to remove the iPads every night?
“The store manages charging by hard wiring the iPads with the included Apple 30-pin power cord, which is routed through the Evolve iPad kiosk enclosure and threaded through pre-drilled holes in the wall. On the other side of the wall the store is able to connect all devices to a power source for charging. With this type of installation there is no need to remove the devices for power or data management.”
How does Unknwn deal with syncing and managing content across iPads?
“The most critical tool for managing high volume mobile device deployment, such as the Unknwn project, is in the Mobile Device Management (MDM) software. The Unknwn store is currently looking into MDM software products, such as ArmorActive.com, to remotely sync, update, and monitor all their devices from a single computer.”
While retail stores need to understand these management and security issues, in the case of Unknwn, Ames says the iPad displays “created an instant buzz.”
Last year, Vancouver-based Lift Bar Grill Restaurant purchased 30 iPads to replace traditional paper menus. After a year of testing, the upscale waterfront restaurant officially launched the program in October with plans to purchase 10 more iPads.
Lift is among a group of early adopters utilizing tablet menus, a trend first seen in sushi restaurants in New York, but, according to owner Bob Lindsay, Lift is the first restaurant to adopt the futuristic menus in Vancouver. “This is just the way the industry is going,” Lindsay told Tab Adapt.
Nonetheless, questions remain for restaurant owners: Is it worth the investment? How do I handled security, syncing and storage? Will iPads eventually replace my waiters? Lindsay answered these questions and more about his restaurant’s experience with the new tablet menus.
Note: Quotes have been cleaned up sparingly for clarity.
In an interview with BCLocalNews.com, you said “In five years, you’ll be hard pressed to find a paper menu in any restaurant.” This is a bold claim. Why do you think restaurants will move to tablet menus?
Bob Lindsay: This is just the way the industry is going. It’s so visual and there is so much information there. We’re coming up on a time when Health Canada is going to dictate that you have to list calories and sodium levels of all your dishes. This is a perfect venue to support that.
We link all our stuff to wine picks, wine by the glass and wine by the bottle. We go into our wine list and suggest meals that go with each of those wines. We’re trying to educate the public and give them a little more choice without relying on the opinion of the waiter or Somalia.
And there is so much more you can do with the iPad 2s. You can hook up to social networking, take a video of your table and invite people down. The possibilities are endless.
Our iPads are capable of translating our menus into any language and, for resort city like Vancouver, that’s hugely valuable. Some of the translation isn’t exact but just the ability to do that is incredible.
Have you seen an increase in sales?
BL: We first experimented with it in the summer of last year and we monitored the sections with iPads and guests’ check averages were up in those sections [BCLocalNews.com reported a 15% increase]. The suggestive selling and visual presentation seems to be working at the moment.
How many iPads did you purchase?
BL: I have 30 at the moment and, in a month, I’ll have 40.
How do you manage charging and syncing?
BL: We sync via a wifi using a cloud-based program. We change our menus and within two minutes all the iPads are updated. Binnj [a mobile enterprise consulting company] can give us reporting and analytics just through customer usage.
How do you manage changes to menus?
BL: We feature a special daily with a high resolution photo and it uploads immediately. It also allows for easy dynamic pricing.
I always say “those ipads never stop working” The waiter might be hungover or in a fight with his girlfriend. He might hate the manager on duty but the iPad never stops working with those visuals and suggestive selling.
I’m not one to say “let’s replace all the waiters.” You need them. The waiters at our place who know what they’re doing are interacting with the guests and the iPad, making the experience even better.
How do you manage security?
BL: We haven’t had a security problem because the type of clients we serve are not there to steal an iPad.
Nonetheless, security is handled through the waiters. The iPads are given out when the guests sit down and when the waiter takes the order he makes sure there are the same number of iPads as guests.
How do you store them?
BL: We have a lockable security cart that also charges them. It holds 38 iPads. It cost about $1500 which is pretty reasonable. [Lindsay did not know the brand but said it was a South Carolina company]
Why iPads over other tablets?
BL: No specific reason. Binnj said their platform is compatible with other tablets but works best with iPads. Plus, I had an iPad.
How often have guests been sharing on social networks from their menus?
BL: In terms of accessing our wifi to share directly from the iPads, there has not been much sharing yet but we are still pretty new to the game.
Have the iPads been integrated with your point of sales system?
BL: We are talking to Squirrel, which does our point of purchase, and we’re going to now use tablets as rolling terminals so we can set it up anyway we need it. They’ll also be a lot more interaction with our present point of sale system. It’s amazing. These things are capable of having the customer assemble his order and the waiter can just come up and bump it with his unit to take the order. Eventually, the iPads will be able to send orders directly to the kitchen but we’ll never use it because it will be an absolute nightmare.
Why would sending orders with iPads to the kitchen be a nightmare?
BL: It’s just a feature I don’t see anyone ever using. There is an ordering procedure in the restaurant. The waiter controls that ordering procedure based on volume. For example, we’ll go to three waiters and say no more order into the kitchen for ten minutes because we’re trying to catch up with some stuff. Maybe you could work that into the iPads but there is a science toward having a great evening. People make mistakes and people change their minds. There are just too many variables that would make that kind of direct-to-the-kitchen system a nightmare for us.
Overall, have you enjoyed the new iPad menus?
BL: They are amazing. There is no limit to what you can do. Our customers can order a wine and, if they want to know more about that wine, we can include a link to the winery’s web page. All of a sudden, this can turn into a 5-hour educational experience.
People are really enjoying them. Occasionally, we get an older guy who says “What the hell is this?” But it doesn’t happen very often. People understand that the possibilities are really endless.
we started this blog). Today, the three leading providers of iPad security carts and trays are Bretford, Ergotron and Datamation Systems.
