NCR buys Netkey; kiosk-DS firm to continue operating

November 2, 2009 by Dave Haynes

Lotsa hoo-hah this morning about word that point of sale giant NCR Corporation has bought into the kiosk and digital signage business through the acquisition of Netkey, Inc.

Curiously, the release says NCR has “purchased the assets” but I am told this is a real acquisition that involves acquiring the whole company and keeping it operating, and where it is, in Connecticut. NCR is in the process of calling around to Netkey customers and making them comfy that the change has no material impact on service delivery.

It’s pretty rare when nothing really changes in the wake of M&A activity, so we will see what things look like down the road. There is considerable history to suggest really large companies getting into this space struggle to get it right, mostly because they’re really big and going off in so many directions. This stuff takes focus.

Adrian at DailyDOOH has his doubts about all this.

But it is also hard to dismiss the notion of a POS company doing well in retail and fast food when it has SO many clients.    

Netkey had quietly up for sale for at least a couple of years. The company’s name rarely came up as a competitor when I was selling software, but they did win a nice deal this year with mobile retailer Wireless Zone, whose offices were a short drive away.

Netkey is a major sponsor of the KioskCom show next week in New York, so I am sure there si someone running around madly tweaking literature and booth plans.