B2B Soft and GXC have teamed up to improve wireless connectivity and coverage in difficult locations by combining an advanced B2B Soft kiosk with the GXC Onyx Private Cellular Network. B2B Soft’s kiosks are part of a growing trend toward automated solutions to improve efficiencies. GXC Onyx is an end-to-end private cellular mesh network solution aimed at accelerating digital transformation in enterprises across a variety of verticals. With this combination, companies will not have to worry about their network’s reach, reliability and security again.
The why of a Kiosk and Private Cellular Network
The use of public cellular networks is ubiquitous in both personal and business settings. But as important as public cellular networks are, they have had physical limitations in providing full coverage with high reliability, low latency, and strong security. Limitations of existing wireless solutions present consistent business challenges and, in some settings, could be life-threatening. Connectivity is an essential element of any business application both inside and outside of a building. But that connectivity is a persistent problem with today’s traditional networks. For users, there are many trouble spots connecting in places like airports, as well as general retail, hospitals, mobile retail, stadium settings, and industrial warehouses. This is true of machines as well, which currently rely on public cellular networks for the IoT.
“Legacy wireless technologies are great for older applications, but they were never designed for today’s requirements around business-critical connectivity,” said Hardik Jain, CTO, GXC. “WiFi solutions can require anywhere from four to ten nodes for every node required for a private cellular network. Adding mesh technology to a private cellular network adds flexibility and reduces disruption of ongoing business operations.”
The GXC Onyx platform is the only industry technology that uses a proprietary interference cancellation technology to allow access to devices in the publicly available Citizens Band Radio Set (CBRS) spectrum. CBRS is a lightly licensed band recently released in the United States for the use of operations such as 4G and 5G private cellular networks.
The B2B Soft Kiosk and GXC Onyx Private Network Put to the Test at MWC Las Vegas
The B2B Soft kiosk working with the GXC Onyx Private Network was put to the test at the Under the Tower VIP Event @ MWC Las Vegas. B2B Soft’s kiosk operated on the GXC ONYX private network, which connected to the GXC access point in one area of the building that wirelessly connected to an ONYX mesh node that did not require traditional backhaul. The Onyx private cellular solution is completely turnkey and can be running in as little as thirty minutes.
GXC’s Onyx private network showed that it can host enterprise and other business applications, in this case collaborating with B2B Soft for a live kiosk demo. The demo explained to participants how B2B Soft’s kiosk, combined with the GXC ONYX Private Network, could keep users better connected in places like airports and terminals, general retail stores, hospitals, mobile retail, and stadiums. By doing so, users can perform essential tasks on the go. The demo showcased some of the most valuable use cases at airports and terminals, as well as other verticals. For airports and terminals, these included tasks checking in, booking, and changing seats as well as viewing and booking hotels both locally and at the destination—All of this provided on a high-reliability network without fighting with everyone trying to connect a laptop!
“Environments such as airport terminals challenge the reach of the Internet,” said Daniel Barsoum, VP Global Sales & Strategic Partners, B2B Soft. “But B2B Soft and GXC are removing that limitation so that companies can achieve 100% of their data needs.”
Mobile stores can also benefit from using B2B Soft’s kiosk connected to GXC’s private network. Some of the more popular use cases would include checking into a queue for assistance, paying a bill, buying a SIM card, activating a new device, or upgrading an existing account.
Mobile store customers can also start a transaction which can then be finished later with a sales rep. It also enables buying online and picking up in the store or shopping at the kiosk and receiving the item right away. They can also select some items from an extended catalog, which is then shipped to the consumer’s destination. The kiosk and the private network work together to enable more complex processes, such as reverse logistics, which is trade-in, device swap, and returns, as well as simpler tasks like locating a store and reserving an item.
General retail stores can enjoy some of these same advantages with B2B Soft’s kiosk connected to GXC’s Private Network. Their consumers can shop on the kiosk and vend immediately or shop on the kiosk from an extended catalog and ship to the destination. They can also get product details with real-time online reviews, buy online, and pick up at the kiosk as well as share localized coupons and promotions. Locating stores and reserving items as well as making restaurant reservations are among the many tasks that can be accomplished using a kiosk with a private network.
Over and above retail, there are a wide array of other applications for the B2B Soft kiosk combined with the GXC Private Network. Hospitals, for example, are essential purpose facilities where lack of continual communication can be life-determining. Using B2B Soft’s kiosk and the GXC Private Network, hospital patients and patrons can check into the ER queue, for example tracking next in line, entering personal info, and validating IDs. It can also be used to schedule follow-up appointments, obtain visitor pass / ID scans, pay a service provider bill, and even shop for in-hospital gifts.
In addition, stadiums present an opportunity for better connectivity. Using B2B Soft’s kiosk and the GXC Private Network, event attendees can purchase tickets for the same date, future events, and the season as well as pay for parking and shop the team store. The kiosk enables picking up at the in-stadium store or shipping to home.
Kiosks on private networks enhance profitability
“We have had great success in helping our customers move to a high level of efficiency and productivity with our autonomous solutions,” said Barsoum of B2B Soft. “Joining forces with GXC’s Onyx Private Network can ensure continuous, reliable Internet service when using our kiosks in difficult-to-connect locations.”
Onyx provides the user with tremendous flexibility to control their data. The user has complete control of what data resides locally and what data is sent to the cloud. The use of GXC’s cellular mesh allows the network to be expandable and flexible. This wireless cellular network provides 100% coverage, faster deployment, and lower initial cost. The multi-hop feature improves spectral efficiency and local breakout at mesh.
“The digitization of American business has brought many improvements to profitability, but it has also introduced challenges as we extend the use of the Internet into commercial settings, especially factories,” said Sara Evans, Marketing Manager, GXC. “In addition to the development of IoT, continuing privacy concerns as well as safety drives the evolution of private networks at GXC.”
The GXC Onyx Network working with B2B Soft provides a private, secure, reliable, and optimized business solution. It allows the user to own the data and applications as well as expand and change connectivity as needed. It enables the best of digital transformation. The benefits of the B2B Soft kiosk and GXC’s Onyx Private Network flow straight to the bottom line.
For more information, contact Daniel Barsoum of B2B Soft and Sara Evans of GXC.
