Internet and wireless kiosks strong in hospitality

I've never particularly liked the pay-per-use Internet kiosk market, and despite all of the late-night infomercial hype about the space, it's something I've always tried to keep my business away from (with little argument from the staff :) However, apparently it is a profitably niche for some dedicated companies, especially with bundled with the ability to meter out wireless internet connectivity, as Wi-Fi Planet reports:

In the hotly contested hotel space, Wi-Fi vendors are looking beyond the lobby, bar and meeting rooms. They're pitching full-building solutions as an alternative to costly high-speed rewiring jobs, and the idea is gaining traction.

Take, for instance, PayKiosks Internet Terminals. Founded in 2000, the company stayed true to its name for a long time, building up a base of some 300 installed Wi-Fi kiosks in 300 hotels and truckstops. Users pay the typical rates: $4.95 an hour, $8.95 a day and $29.95 a month.

PayKiosks deploys its networks for free on a revenue-sharing basis. McInnes says laptop use is so high these days that he can make the free installations pay even in smaller hotels. "Anything over 100 rooms is definitely a viable location for us," he says. "We have lots of smaller properties that generate several thousand dollars a month in wireless usage."

So there you have it. There's a very nice article with lots of additional information here that you should go read if you're involved in the self-service kiosk or pay-for-use kiosk markets.