US companies Banyan Hills Technologies and Kiosk Information Systems have enhanced their IoT monitoring platform to track the movement and count of inventory in self-service settings.

Georgia-based Banyan Hills Technologies and Colorado firm Kiosk Information Systems have added the inventory tracking features to their Knect IoT self-service infrastructure monitoring platform.

The features will provide users of Knect IoT with a flexible way to track the movement and counts of inventory. Current implementations of this inventory system include:

• A car rental company using the system to track vehicle keys dropped off and picked up after-hours via smart lockers
• A self-storage company using the system to track inventory and sales of locks sold through vending machines
• A convenience and recreational cart rental company using the system to track inventory of carts at retail self-service stands

In addition to the inventory tracking capabilities, the software monitors infrastructure for self-service machines, including hardware, software and network connections. If Knect IoT detects a problem, it will send an alert and begin remediation steps that are programmed via an easy-to-use automation engine.  

It can also perform remote actions such as rebooting a machine, querying a network for peripherals and even opening a smart locker.

Knect IoT is a full service offering powered by Canopy, Banyan Hills’ remote monitoring and management platform. The two companies have worked together for several years, combining Canopy’s ingenuity with Kiosk’s expertise to improve operations and machine uptime for Kiosk’s customers in the self-service automation industry.

“I am proud of the partnership that we’ve built with Kiosk and the shared value that our work is bringing to our customers,” said Steve Latham, CEO of Banyan Hills Technologies. “This new set of features provides owners and operators of unattended self-service solutions with improved inventory tracking, benefitting their operations and removing the need to track inventory physically. Our collaboration with Kiosk continues to help the industry become more efficient.” 

Knect IoT is available for many types of kiosks and other unattended retail units using Android, Windows and Linux operating systems.

The Knect IoT portal, powered by Canopy, provides users with an overview of their self-service network including key performance indicators tailored for each user’s self-service deployment. For instance, error conditions such as low printer paper and malfunctioning bill dispensers trigger alerts that can be acted upon quickly to increase the kiosk’s uptime.

In addition, administrators can set up user roles and permissions to prevent or grant access to different parts of the platform.

“Supporting our customers by actively monitoring and streamlining work flow efforts across a fleet of automated self-service products enables Kiosk to maximise the functionality of dispersed infrastructure and ensure the integrity of our customer’s business objectives,” said Kim Kenney, CEO of Kiosk Information Systems. “Knect IoT enhances Kiosk’s vertically integrated self-service solution by providing a uniquely valuable layer to the entire product lifecycle, beyond design and manufacturing, through to deployment and implementation.”

Banyan Hills Technologies is a software company founded in 2013. Canopy is Banyan’s connectivity platform for monitoring and managing any network of connected endpoints such as self-service kiosks, digital signs and on-premise control systems. For operators of large networks of unattended devices, Canopy helps enable automation, remote actions, enhanced security and improved data collection.

With nearly 30 years of experience and 250,000 kiosks deployed, Kiosk Information Systems delivers expertise in design engineering and manufacturing, application development, integration, and support services.