BT Touchpoint
London’s Public Multimedia Kiosk Trial
Forgotten Technology · 1996
Archived on
Associated With
British Telecommunications plc - service operator; ICL - multimedia kiosk platform developer; JSC - interface and content-guidance developer
Defining Feature
Indoor colour-touchscreen kiosks combining curated information, printing and telephone links
Status
Discontinued - all kiosks were decommissioned after an 18-month commercial trial
Overview
BT Touchpoint was a London-centred network of indoor public multimedia kiosks with colour touchscreens.
Announced by British Telecommunications plc in April 1996, it offered locally stored and network-delivered information, printing, commercial services and telephone links. Software-integration problems delayed the planned autumn opening, but approximately 200 kiosks were operating in and near London by spring 1997.
Designed as both a public service and a commercially motivated trial, Touchpoint was decommissioned after an 18-month trial.
Why It Mattered
What made Touchpoint notable was the range of things BT expected people to do from a shared public terminal: browse digital guides and news, make bookings or purchases, contact businesses and take away printed information. The trial also taught BT about transactional traffic, interface reliability and resistance to user error. Those lessons informed Multiphone, a later terminal combining ordinary telephony with email and broader web access.
Launch Plans and Deployment
- BT announced Touchpoint in April 1996, initially expecting installations in central London during summer 1996.
- A 200-site test was due to begin on 14 October 1996, but software-integration problems led to a revised target of 25 November; neither date is established as the exact public switch-on day.
- Approximately 200 kiosks had been installed at indoor public sites in and near London by spring 1997.
Kiosk and Network Design
- The floor-standing cabinet had BT branding, a recessed landscape-format CRT colour touchscreen, a printer, loudspeaker and telephone-network connection.
- Content combined material stored locally, overnight downloads and selected live network links rather than unrestricted desktop-style internet access.
Services, Use and Expansion Plans
- Services included guides, maps, news, weather, shopping, bookings and dedicated Freefone links; printers could produce maps, vouchers and coupons.
- By spring 1997, the network was reported to generate about two million screen touches per month; a separate 1998 analysis reported approximately 400,000 monthly users, which is not a directly comparable measure.
- The project aimed for more than 10,000 terminals across Europe by 2000; around 200 were installed.
Sources & Records
- BT announces Touchpoint multimedia kiosks, April 1996 — Describes the planned London launch, touchscreen, printing and telephone-linked services.
- James Sweeting — BT Touchpoint interface portfolio — Identifies the designer's role in the interface and content-provider style guidelines.
- Electronic government — UK parliamentary briefing, 1998 — Identifies the Touchpoint pilot providing access to Citizen's Charter information.
- BT Touchpoint adaptation — European patent EP0910986 — Describes a kiosk based on Touchpoint with a touchscreen, printer and telephone section; the proposed iris reader is an adaptation.
Gallery
Credit
ISI Programme launch material, December 1996
Licence
Historical Ephemera
Displayed for commentary, criticism, research and historical documentation where permitted by applicable law. No permission for reuse is granted.
Caption
A couple using a BT Touchpoint terminal, pictured in Information Society Initiative launch material, December 1996
Credit
British Telecommunications plc via AnnualReports
Licence
Historical Ephemera
Displayed for commentary, criticism, research and historical documentation where permitted by applicable law. No permission for reuse is granted.
Caption
Business-review page describing Touchpoint as an interactive multimedia kiosk, with around 200 units cited in public locations across London.
Credit
British Telecommunications Engineering via Sam Hallas
Licence
Historical Ephemera
Displayed for commentary, criticism, research and historical documentation where permitted by applicable law. No permission for reuse is granted.
Caption
British Telecommunications Engineering, April 1996, announcing BT Touchpoint as a planned London multimedia kiosk service with touchscreen access, printed maps, vouchers and coupons, and Freefone links to featured businesses.