Advanced solution for kiosk devices with ARM architecture
“This solution will change the way companies benefit from Windows IoT allowing them to use a wide range of applications and easily integrate any type of peripherals without having to worry about developments related to driver sand printers” - Claudio Morini, Software Development at Custom S.p.A
Custom S.p.A is a “Hi-Tech Solution Company” that integrates different know-how and design expertise based on hardware, software, as well as pre- and post-sales service solutions dedicated to vertical and specialized markets, where technology and innovation are important and distinctive elements. Founded in Parma in 1992 by Carlo Stradi and Alberto Campanini, the group’s priority is to carefully listen to market, with the aim of providing integrated printing, scanning, data reading and public service automation solutions.
Custom has been providing advanced solutions for years in numerous markets and for different business units: professional printing solutions, telematic cash registers, POS PCs, barcode readers, scanners, mobile computers, self-order kiosks and software.
The current solution is an embedded system for multiservice kiosks in Retail- such as the GLASS27- integrating the K3 High Speed Retail Printer, a highly performing product allowing 1D and 2D barcodes thermal printing at a 400mm/s (max) speed. The system runs on Windows 10 IoT Enterprise on Arm64 enabling instant printing as soon as the order is placed on the user interface.
This advanced solution for kiosk devices can be used to print receipts, coupons, kitchen orders, invoices, and tickets in very different vertical markets such as Retail, Hospitality, Transportation, Betting or Parking. Based on Customer demand, the solution enables integrated cloud connectivity for security, OTA updates, and advanced cloud IoT scenarios like maintenance, AI or machine learning.
How Avnet Silica supported Custom S.p.A.
Based on a technology partnership that started in 2009, Custom and Avnet chose to start from a demo board produced by Avnet. While the final product and form factor were already established, Custom had primarily developed applications on the classic x86 architecture. They sought a solution to transition their applications to the ARM architecture. The goal was to facilitate the development of applications that are wide-raging, easy to integrate, and capable of optimizing power consumption and user experience, thereby appealing to a universal audience.
The Microsoft IoT Team collaborated with Custom to extend their hardware platform to devices requiring low power consumption and proposed using Windows 10 IoT Enterprise on ARM as the operating system. This OS not only ensures low power consumption but also allows classic x86 applications to run seamlessly without any adaptation.
A crucial aspect for such devices is maintaining constant security. The 10-year security support offered by the Microsoft IoT channel for Windows IoT LTSC products provides Custom with peace of mind and ensures compliance with the Cyber Resilience Act.
“This simple, easy-to-use and therefore innovative technology marks an important step in the hi-tech world, since it enables an ever-increasing number of companies to adapt and develop tailor-made solutions for different markets and customers, efficiently and fast” – Carlo Stradi, President and Founder of Custom Group.
Outcome
This collaboration opens the door to a wide range of opportunities aimed at facilitating peripheral integration, reducing development times, and optimizing power consumption, at the same time embracing a wide variety of cross-cutting solutions for different markets.
“Avnet Silica is proud to have partnered with Custom S.p.A., supporting their transition to ARM architecture and enhancing their product offerings. This long-standing collaboration highlights our commitment to delivering innovative, efficient, and secure solutions tailored to meet Custom’s evolving needs.” Martin Grossen, Director Solutions and Software at Avnet Silica.
