City of Greensboro
“The people at Duke Energy One and Smart City Media have been really great to work with. This is an example of a great public/private relationship where everyone benefits.” – Jane Nickles, Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the city of Greensboro
Overview
The city of Greensboro hired Duke Energy One to install, own, operate and maintain 13 interactive digital kiosks (11 currently installed) in the city’s downtown area to enhance the visitor experience and bring economic growth to the community. Discover how these kiosks help engage and educate the visitors of Greensboro.
The Challenge
The city of Greensboro was having an issue connecting people to events that were happening around them in the downtown area. People tend to visit a destination, do that one thing and then leave the city without exploring additional destinations.
The Solution
Enhance the downtown experience by placing 13 double-sided kiosks along the popular South Elm Street area. The kiosks are interactive and help people navigate the city, discover new places and capture moments via the selfie camera.
The Benefits
- Wi-Fi Hot Spot
- City Event Information
- Event Promotion
- Navigation
- Color Changeable LED Top Light
- Selfie Camera
- Local Advertising
The Details
In 2007, the Greensboro City Council adopted a plan to redevelop South Elm Street into a vibrant mixed-use area that showcased museums, parks, shops and restaurants. Since that time, South Elm Street has blossomed into one of the city’s favorite places for people from all over to enjoy. The kiosk hardware and software feature set includes numerous features to enhance the user experience and help promote a safer environment.
The Results
Eleven of the kiosks are currently installed with two 55-inch touchscreens on each side. The remaining two kiosks will be installed in other popular locations throughout the city. The kiosks contain push content about the city, a light box that can be utilized to promote and raise awareness during events, Wi-Fi hot spots, and they feature timely information relating to nearby restaurants, retail, events and public transportation. One of the most popular features is the selfie camera that sends the image straight to your smartphone. Transportation is the second-most-used feature. Other kiosk features include helpful sections, such as: Kids and Family, Health and Wellness, Nightlife, Shops and Services, Attractions and Restaurants. The kiosks tie in with what the city is trying to accomplish with its Smart Corridor project as far as navigation, specifically locating what’s in the area and how to get there.
“This project has led to another potential project with Duke Energy One in another department, so the relationship we built from this experience is going to be beneficial to both Duke Energy One and the city of Greensboro.” – Rodney Roberts, Deputy CIO, Infrastructure & Operations for the city of Greensboro
Future Goals
Duke Energy One will continue to work with the city of Greensboro to bring more kiosks to prominent areas of growth within the community. Kiosks will soon include transportation services and scheduling information, as well as security cameras. Another future goal is to collect analytics to determine what type of local content to advertise as well as see which features are being utilized the most on the kiosks. This research will help the city supply up-to-date, dynamic information.
Duke Energy One is not the same company as Duke Energy Carolinas (“DEC”), and Duke Energy One has separate management; Duke Energy One is not regulated by the North Carolina Utilities Commission or the Public Service Commission of South Carolina or in any way sanctioned by the Commissions; Purchasers of products or services from Duke Energy One will receive no preference or special treatment from DEC; and a customer does not have to buy products or services from Duke Energy One in order to continue to receive the same safe and reliable electric service from DEC. Nonpayment for these products or services may result in removal from the program, but will not result in disconnection of electric service. THIS MESSAGE IS PAID FOR BY THE SHAREHOLDERS OF DUKE ENERGY.
