Samsung’s putting its OH55A outdoor signage display into a new kiosk product in partnership with Palmer Digital and IoTecha. The charging kiosk may include one or two Samsung OH55A displays, and one or two 80-amp charging ports. Built-in cable retractors, card readers, cameras, and speakers let site hosts design their own user experiences, and with a maximum power of 19.2 kW at 80 amps per charging port, the kiosk delivers an appropriate level 2 charging experience for EV drivers.
EVs are at the forefront of the automotive display market and are going to be responsible for significant volumes of panel sales. On the one hand, this kiosk is a gas station ad panel on steroids, but in reality, assume that this is the future of the upper-middle-to-higher range of the car market. That display market potential has not been fully quantified, but it is a serious opportunity. I am not sure if the opportunity is to just plug and play a device. Flat panel vendors have to start thinking about taking a share of the promotional revenues or some other sales models that intrinsically shape revenue streams based on ad sales, operator rentals, or a mix of a number of things.
The thing to look at is the position of these kiosks or signage like this. When in place, and locked in, that’s a position that another display cannot take. If the position pays off, it becomes entrenched as a long-term revenue generator. You want to own the billboard that someone installs once and pays you for once or the space that keeps on giving? The industry needs some serious consolidation.
