In The Beginning, There Was The Pay Phone..

   ...And It Was Bad!...at least now, in retrospect.  The Pay Phone is the earliest form of public communication device available on a pay-per-use basis.  We all know the drill...drop in a quarter, wait for a dial done, make your call and drop in another quarter 7 seconds later.

   Despite its shortcomings, the Pay Phone has served the public well in the last few decades.  The advent of the Internet has spawned an entire fleet of new communication devices which are quickly reserving the Pay Phone a place alongside the Telegraph in museums nationwide.

  Internet Kiosks are one such device intent on taking the place of the Pay Phone.  An Internet Kiosk, loosely defined, is a PC based terminal offering users the ability to access the Internet, generally in some sort of public facility.  They come in many shapes and sizes, and serve various purposes.

   In most public areas, the PC terminal is housed in some sort of enclosure which promotes usage while protecting the enclosed electronic equipment.  These Kiosk Cabinets will present attractive displays and input devices to allow individuals to interact with the kiosk in an efficient manner. 

   Kiosks offer large and small screens, in both CRT (standard round tube) and LCD (Liquid Crystal) displays.  Monitors can be standard or touch screen, depending on the application.  Touch screen kiosks often provide information to the user, with minimal inputs necessary.  Most Internet Kiosks offer additional input devices, such as keyboards, touchpads and payment acceptors.
    

The term Internet Vending probably won't be found anywhere in Webster's Dictionary, but we offer the following definition:

...Internet Vending is a service by which one party (Vendor) offers Internet Access to a second party (Consumer) using his/her equipment in the location of a third party (Host) in exchange for a fee...

   It's not very different from the service provided by your local ISP.  Your Internet Service Provider charges a fee for access to the Internet using some form of a dial-up or dedicated connection.  An ISP offers the connection only.  An Internet Vendor includes the rental of the PC in his/her cost.  Also built in to this cost is the rental of the space in the host location.

   So what does an Internet Vendor use to offer Public Access?  Why an Internet Kiosk, of course!  These public-proof PCs in attractive enclosures are the best way to offer Internet Access to the public.

   Now for the $25,000 question...How much money can you make with Internet Vending?  The answer is:

As Much As You Want!

   Your income is generated by collecting payments at the terminal, or from advertisers who pay to have their ads displayed on the screen (or both!)  Payments are made using cash, coins, credit or smart cards.  The Internet Kiosk is often equipped with one or several payment mechanisms that interface with the software running on the PC.

   As an Internet Vendor, you can place terminals just about anywhere that people are bored.  If you see a stack of magazines in a waiting area, plop a terminal down.  An Internet Kiosk can provide all of the information in those magazines and then some!