BT Touchpoint
Forgotten Technology · 1996
Published
BT Touchpoint was British Telecommunications plc’s London-centred network of indoor public multimedia kiosks. Announced in April 1996, it offered colour touchscreen access to locally stored and network-delivered information, printing, commercial services and telephone links. Its planned autumn opening was delayed by software-integration problems, 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.
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
Primary Records
- BT Introduces Interactive Multimedia Kiosk — British Telecommunications Engineering Journal
- British Telecom Touchpoint Portfolio Record — James Sweeting
- Imaging Apparatus Adapted from a BT Touchpoint Kiosk — European Patent EP0910986A1
- Electronic Government — UK Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology POSTnote 110
Image Sources
Rights Notice
Images are included for historical and archival reference.
Rights holders may contact Forgotten Archive through the publishing account to request a credit correction or removal.
Gallery
Credit
ISI Programme launch material, December 1996
Licence
Historical Ephemera
Displayed for commentary and research. Fair dealing under the UK CDPA 1988 applies only where its conditions are met. 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 and research. Fair dealing under the UK CDPA 1988 applies only where its conditions are met. 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 and research. Fair dealing under the UK CDPA 1988 applies only where its conditions are met. 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.