Internet Kiosk

[jogold]

A client has a 30 computer intenet kiosk. The computers have browsers and Microsoft Office. They are also conncted to printers and scanners.
Here are some critical points. They are unhappy with their current software.

1. Client accounts created at first login or the ability to have Guest users.
2. The ability for a client to top-up their account using all major credit cards AND using Bancontact, a Belgium debit card https://www.bancontact.com/en.
3. When a user logs out all of his information is deleted. Web and local history. As if it’s a clean machine.
4. Coin payment terminal support. We have a coin machine that connects to a serial port.
5. The ability to charge for WiFi usage.
6. Use software (ex. Office) installed locally on the machine.
7. Charge for printing BW and Color
8. Disable access to all Windows configuration or reset any changes made at logout.

 

[Sky-Knight]

The only thing I've learned about this... is that it's a VERY deep specialty and to not get involved other than to find a specialist.

Internet Cafe's are hard... just like hotel wifi is hard. You need to be setup for them, and you need to be a master of whatever platform you're recommending if you want to support it.

 

[Markverhyden]

nYou do not want to be involved in the monetary part in terms of operations. So farm that out and get a bolt on solution So what is their existing stack? Deep Freeze by Faronics is very popular for locking down a workstation.

 

[jogold]

Does anyone have anything positive to say?
Like a recomendation to a recomemded solution.

 

[britechguy]

Does anyone have anything positive to say?

Useful advice need not be "positive" and if you haven't learned that by now, you never will.

Not to mention @Markverhyden did make a specific recommendation.

I am so over people, techs in particular, who seem to believe that if advice is not of the "cheerleading type" that it is not great, anyway. Someone posting a sign, "Abandon hope all ye who enter here," who has "entered here" before is being supremely helpful.

 

[jogold]

Sorry to disagree with you. My original post asked how to do something. Not if I should do it.
Some posts are asking If to do and some How to do. Had I asked "if" you would be right, but I asked "how".
I apreciate the heads-up that it could be a mess to stay away from but I am looking for How.
(Actually I have been doing it for over 10 years at a community center and want a better solution.)
I like asking here because instead of just Google answers I can get experienced answers.
@Markverhyden's suggestion was noted but not what I need as it's not part of the Kiosk solution but another peice of software.

 

[britechguy]

And I'm not sorry to disagree with you. The idea that everyone asking questions is doing so in the full knowledge of what they're asking about is just plain wrong. Also, I couldn't even understand what your question(s) were in the original message.

People, myself included, often don't even have the language necessary to get at what we're actually asking when it's an area in which we don't have expertise. You're not asking something simple and straightforward, like, "What's the command to turn on bold for selected text in Microsoft Word?" It's a huge, messy ball of wax that others (not me, I hasten to add) may have far greater insights into than you could ever have imagined. It is often incumbent on those reading questions or problem statements to intuit actual need, and the most skilled assistants routinely do just that. Forums such as this one are not simple Q&A, nor should they be.

I wrote the following for groups where I moderate, but the principle applies here, whether I am a moderator here or not:
----
It is impossible to help individuals who will not listen to advice unless they like that advice. Being a good assistant is not about making the person assisted "feel good," but about both asking the right (and sometimes hard) questions as well as giving the information necessary to achieve the desired result. Getting help is a two-way street, and those asking for help have work they must do, too, when asked. They also need to be ready to let go of what they'd like to do, and instead do what's been asked for by the person offering assistance.

Those receiving assistance are free to reject advice, you are also entitled to ask for clarification, but if you don’t want to do what your assistant is asking, then state that so that you can both can move along. Assistants have every right to assist as they see fit, and those being assisted to either follow or reject the option(s) presented. An assistant is within their rights to withdraw support at any time, for any reason.
----

And, with this, I'm out on this one. Good luck to you, and I mean that sincerely.

 

[jogold]

Looking over my original post I see that you are right, I forgot to add the question at the end.
Mainly - Can anyone recommend software that they have used.
So you were all correct to give me the advice that you gave. It did look like I was asking if I should get involved.
(And maybe I'll learn to reread my posts before posting them.)

So now, Can anyone recommend something that supports these requirements.

Thx

 

[Sky-Knight]

Language is hard, and sorry no... I've attempted this twice in my career and neither process ended terribly well. So my advice before stands, I was the guy that created the customer like you have currently. The situation was functional, but the customer wasn't terribly happy.

I've heard about this one: https://senet.cloud

But I've never used it, just heard some positive things floating around.