VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 13, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- By Financial Press
A new report from the IDC Corporation, predicts that the global market for smart connected devices will increase from $1 billion in 2014, to $2.5 billion in 2015.
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Visionstate (TSX-V: VIS ), a leader in interactive technology software, has developed touchscreen directories, mobile applications and cleaning management software - providing innovative solutions for corporations, retailers and government institutions.
"We are in the business of replacing paper directories with a digital interactive interface," confirms Visionstate President and CEO, John Putters, "Our flagship product WANDA (Washroom Attendant Notification Digital Aid) is a smart device for public restrooms."
On April 8, 2015 Visionstate announced a new smaller version of its smart restroom technology WANDA. The compact 10 inch MiniWanda will be cheaper than the full sized units, allowing large scale deployments, targeted to business and industry.
"The smaller size of screen lends to larger scale deployments due a lower price tag, sleek design, and no need for advertising," stated Putters.
The Mini-Wanda will sell for around the price of an I-Pad. It is expected to expand Visionstate's market exponentially.
"At the lower price point we can sell to large chains with hundreds of washrooms," stated Putters, "A typical shopping mall only has 6-15 washrooms. But office towers and airports can have 200-300 washrooms. So with that volume of sales, a smaller less expensive unit is the better business proposition."
Visionstate has also recently added another technological innovation to the Wanda product line: the ability to generate a user-friendly report that shows how to maximize the use of cleaning supplies and improve the allocation of human resource capital.
"The new analytics show in black and white what we've been saying about increased efficiency," stated Putters, "It's a game-changer for our company because the dashboard style report makes it easy for our clients to see the benefits of the system."
Putters states that analysis of the alerts provides deep insight into how your customers interact with the washroom.
"If you have alerts coming in right after a scheduled cleaning, you know there is a problem with the cleaning," explained Putters, "But is it a staffing issue or a protocols issue? The dashboard report will answer that question. The end result is that the quality of the cleaning goes up."
The Wanda also offers advantages to building operators concerned about liability issues.
"If a washroom user slips and breaks their wrist in the washroom you don't have to retrieve a warehouse full of paper to defend yourself," stated Putters, "You're just a few keystrokes away from being able to prove a consistency of service."
In the age of social media, washrooms are an important component of customer relations. If you are in a large shopping mall, you are probably not going to tweet about the cleanliness of the washroom. But if the washroom is in a state of disarray – you will tweet about that.
The Wanda technology provides an insurance policy against bad press, and helps institute franchise standards to a critical facet of customer relations that is often treated haphazardly.
"One of our clients changed their entire cleaning schedule based the alert patterns," confirmed Putters, "They were treating all washrooms equally - but they saw clearly that the food court washrooms were getting four times more traffic. So they re-deployed their resources and got cleaner washrooms and happier customers."
Visionstate has also recently introduced a kiddie stroller dashboard which has attracted attention from the mainstream media. The new app, loaded on 7 inch tablets mounted inside the strollers, enables children to watch high quality programming while parents go about their shopping experience. The first fleet of retrofitted strollers were introduced at Southgate Centre in Edmonton, Alberta on March 17, 2015.
"The kiddie stroller screen is a low cost item that's going to sell for about $600," explains Putters, "and there will be a residual license for the content and the app that's running on the screen. There is an introductory commercial welcoming the family to the mall. Screaming kids are not conducive to shopping. This device keeps parents in the mall longer."
For Visionstate, the kiddie stroller app represents a continued expansion of its product base to serve the shopping center industry.
"Our goal is to make the shopping experience efficient and engaging," stated Putters, "And now we've added something engaging for the kids."
WANDA currently provides two revenue streams for Visionstate. A one-time fee for the hardware and a monthly fee for the software license that manages the data. Visionstate is investigating adding a third revenue stream derived by digital advertising.
Visionstate is currently trading at .14 with a market cap of $3.2 million.
Legal Disclaimer/Disclosure: This document is not and should not be construed as an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to purchase or subscribe for any investment. Financial Press makes no guarantee, representation or warranty and a fee has been paid for the production and distribution of this Report.
Visionstate Inc. John Putters President/CEO Cell: 587-985-2601 Office: 780-425-9460 Email: Visionstate Inc. Derek Wood Investor Relations (403) 200-3569
