Forum focuses interest on kiosks

Interagency Kiosk Forum

Kiosks have been used by federal agencies for years, but for the first time, the federal government has a group focused on interagency uses for the machines.

The Interagency Kiosk Forum held its first meeting Tuesday, bringing together officials from more than two dozen federal organizations.

Some agencies have used kiosks extensively, such as the Department of Housing and Urban Development, which has 91 kiosks in 48 states. Others are testing kiosk programs. And others don't have any kiosks but are interested in working with other agencies that do.

The precise focus of the group is still being defined — the group just agreed on an official name at the meeting — but the concept is that such a group could help shape the future of kiosk programs by helping agencies work together. For example, the U.S. Postal Service said it is looking at creating a kiosk program that eventually could provide users with access to other agencies' services and information.

The forum is spearheaded by Sam Gallagher, HUD's associate Web manager, who also works on the HUD Next Door kiosk program.

One of the group's first tasks will be to create an inventory to determine how many kiosks exist, how many programs are under consideration, what information is presented on existing systems, where they are located and how agencies are using them.

Gallagher acknowledged that the seemingly simple task will be difficult because agencies do not always know what another part of the organization is doing. During introductions at the meeting, for instance, two officials from the Internal Revenue Service did not know that another part of the organization was using kiosks to present taxpayer information.

Participants agreed that the real success of the group will be if agencies can work together on a common kiosk program so citizens would not be confronted with scores of kiosks for each individual governmental organization.

Dorobek is a freelance writer based in Arlington, Va.