Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Machines located throughout Warsaw now allow people to literally have the information of Kosciusko County at their fingertips.
Video and Sound Productions, of 110 E. Market St., began a project to create informational booths for Kosciusko nearly a year and a half ago. After collecting data from local businesses and organizations around the county, VSP installed nine kiosks in the Warsaw area to showcase a unique way of promoting various aspects of the community.
The machines, which consist of a podium and touch screen, provide information based off of company Web sites, as well as programs created by VSP for certain corporations. VSP manufactures the entire unit and can change sizes and colors of the kiosks.
"Four years ago, we came to the conclusion that normal traditions of video, advertising and marketing were depleting our ability to provide superior services," Christopher Sanchez, VSP executive producer, said. "This new technology is interactive as opposed to literature based, which we now feel is limited."
Though the kiosks provide basic textual information, they also contain videos, interactive catalogs, electronic magazines and gaming systems which can be adapted to an organization's needs.
Additional hardware can be placed on a kiosk to allow for connection to the Internet, granting the ability for users to browse a company's Web site after receiving information through the VSP program. A CD-Rom version of the kiosk program also is available through VSP.
"This is just one version of what we do," interactive developer Barry Hayden said while presenting the program. "Every time we go into the county and gather more information, we can provide something new for the program.
"Each year, a new disk will come out, and it's just going to keep adding on and getting better."
Both Hayden and Sanchez hope to continue to branch out the kiosks' possibilities, such as adding printers into the systems or Webcams to allow for video phone calls. Sanchez suggested the possibility of using them for self check-out at libraries, creating trivia games with coupons awarded for correct answers and virtual catalogues for furniture stores to cut down on browsing time.
According to Sanchez, the demand for the machines snowballed after the exposure in Kosciusko, and the company is now working with various other communities.
"I think this is an incredible concept, because it's self contained and has unlimited boundaries," Sanchez said.
The Warsaw Community Development Corp. began to work with VSP to move units around Warsaw to promote the information on the program. The booths are currently located at the WCDC office; Boathouse Restaurant, Winona Lake; Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce Building; and Ramada Plaza Hotel.
