“The initiative from Data Respons has given us an advantage that none of our competitors have,” says Kristian Silbvers, the MD of Instant DVD.
Data Respons Sverige developed the technical solution for a new generation of machines for renting out DVDs for the Swedish company Instant DVD and the US company DVDXpress. The new solution came after a total system audit, and consists of a carrier card with an ETX module that together constitute the PC. The carrier card integrates the functions of previous separate cards, such as relay cards and PLC, and the functions are part of the computer. The solution is also ROHS-, CE- and ETL-certified and, on top of all this, the price of the end product is lower and the system integration is simpler.
From buyer to supplier
After an extended period of development of prototypes and installation of machines for renting out DVDs, Instant DVD entered the US market via its partner DVDXpress.
“In the beginning, Instant DVD wanted to buy rental machines from DVDXpress, but the head of the company, Greg Meyer, had a problem. The machines did not work well enough,” says Kristian Silbvers.
Instead of selling his machines to Instant DVD, Greg Meyer sent an order to Instant DVD. He wanted Instant DVD to develop a new machine in co-operation with DVDXpress.
2nd generation – UL approval
Kristian Silbvers invited DVDXpress to Sweden and, at joint meetings with Data Respons, a new machine was developed and subsequently put into production. DVDXpress contributed its practical experience from the market and the task was to create an optimised machine for renting out DVDs. In return, DVDXpress acquired the rights to supply the machines in the USA.
In the next phase, UL approval was required. This was done, among other things, to start the process of ETL certification, one of the purposes of which is to provide a better legal basis in the event of any accidents in connection with use of the machines on the US market. Delivery of UL-approved components began in 2005. A total of 600 kits were delivered, each consisting of a PC, touch display, power supply, card reader, cables and speakers. The machine entered into production and 600 units were exported, primarily to the USA. The machines that are active are operated remotely from Instant DVD’s offices in Borås in Sweden.
3rd generation – revision at system level
The equipment in the 2nd-generation solution was not ROHS-approved. There were also components from other suppliers, including a relay card and PLC, in the machine. Data Respons therefore presented a new solution based on the idea of achieving a future-oriented system with fewer parts and a lower overall cost: an ETX-based, customised computer with embedded functionality from the previous separate PLC and relay card, and designed according to the customer’s other wishes and requirements. This would result in development costs but, even with these costs included, the overall cost for Instant DVD was reduced by 20–25 per cent compared to the 2nd-generation solution. The display, the card reader and the other equipment were also revised. When this solution is in place, the machine will be ready to go through the ETL certification process.
“When the units have been delivered and the development costs have thus been paid, Instant DVD will reduce the cost further,” says Daniel Aspeskär, Key Account Manager at Data Respons Sverige.
From component supplier to development partner
“The initiative from Data Respons has given us an advantage that none of our competitors have, and Data Respons has truly developed from being a component supplier to being a development and system partner for Instant DVD. We can supply a machine with higher quality at a lower price. In addition, we can concentrate on what we do best: developing software and performing business development,” says Kristian Silbvers.
 ETX (Embedded Technology eXtended)
Compact, stable, upgradeable and cost-efficient
The processor, chipset, system memory, etc. are on a separate card that follows a widely distributed standard. This means access to future updated cards with faster processors. With the ETX modules, a carrier card can be specified with the I/O ports the application needs – no more, no less. ETX modules are available with processors from VIA 400MHz to Pentium M and Core Duo. |