The adoption of Information Technology (IT) in business operations continuously moulds and modifies customer behavior. Consumers nowadays are reliant on technology and demand quick services. In order to fulfill the expectations of clients and to improve user experience, business organizations deploy digital kiosks.

The kiosk software is a special feature that enables IT admins to lock a device to one or a set of pre-approved multiple applications so that customers can access their services with ease. The kiosk mode is quite useful and beneficial in the retail industry, healthcare, and hospitality, but several challenges need consideration in implementing kiosks.

Challenges Associated with Kiosk

 

Compatibility issues

Device compatibility issues are quite important while implementing kiosks. First of all, kiosk mode is not supported by all mobile devices. It is mostly available on enterprise-level devices rather than consumer-grade devices. The consumer-grade devices supporting kiosks have different levels of compatibility. For instance, some of these devices might not be capable of locking a device to a single app or these devices might be incompetent in restricting access to some features or apps.

In the same way, some Android devices have custom ROM or related modifications that are incompatible with kiosk mode. All such issues eventually lead to an impact on performance, security, and stability. Apart from these, older devices also do not support kiosks due to limited processing power, storage, or memory.

App stability

Another important concern that requires consideration is the app’s stability. While kiosk mode is enabled, the device is locked down to run one or a set of specific apps. In case those apps are not optimized for kiosk mode, they could be crashed or halted while running, thereby impacting the user experience and productivity. For instance, some apps are designed in a way that they require full access to the device to perform their intended functionality.

In such a situation, kiosk mode cannot be implemented to gain maximum advantage. Likewise, the configuration of the kiosk is extremely important for its functionality. If it is not properly configured, then it may interfere with the performance of apps and cause issues.

Misuse of unattended kiosks

Kiosks modes are mostly used to serve various business tasks including self-service kiosks in hospitality, digital signages in shopping malls, interactive kiosks at retail, etc. These are mostly configured in different areas and are left unattended without onsite guarding due to which it is misused by the users. The consumers intentionally or unintentionally tamper with the device configurations or browse unverified apps for entertainment purposes.

Different kiosk types and OS

Managing kiosk mode configured in devices located at different locations is difficult. The kiosk software installed on POS systems, interactive kiosks, digital signages, etc. is of different natures and OS types that include Windows, ChromeOS, Android, and iOS. Therefore, management of such diverse software is difficult for IT teams.

Cybersecurity issues

Although kiosk mode helps in implementing security policies by restricting access to the device. However, it can increase security breaches and unauthorized access if it is not properly managed or configured. It is important to note that organizations require continuous security monitoring and reinforcement to ensure that the device is secure.

In the case of digital kiosks, IT admins must install updates and security patches and validate security configurations of geographically dispersed kiosks. The inability to maintain the security of digital kiosks provides hackers an opportunity to access sensitive data and compromise enterprise security.

Employees resistance

In the case of BYOD (bring your own device) environments, it is quite challenging to implement kiosk mode as it restricts the device to a single app or set of apps, which eventually limits the capability of employees to use their devices in the way they are accustomed to.  

For instance, if the kiosk mode is too restrictive, users may find it difficult to complete tasks or access the information they need. This can lead to frustration and lower usage of the kiosk mode. On the other hand, if the kiosk mode is not restrictive enough, it may not provide the necessary security or functionality.

Maintenance and updates

Since kiosks are installed on devices present in hard-to-reach or remote areas therefore their maintenance is difficult, costly, and time-consuming. Most of the updates require physical presence which is not possible for the IT team to manage as there are numerous kiosk-enabled devices present in diverse locations. In case digital kiosks are properly managed, maintenance or updates can lead to security and app stability issues.

The role of Mobile Device Management (MDM) software is pivotal in terms of implementing kiosk mode as it provides a centralized console to manage configurations, install updates and security patches, and track the inventory of devices to deal with compatibility issues. With the help of MDM software, robust security policies along with access control measures can be implemented to address the security issues of unattended kiosks.