On January 11, 2017, the Mayor and City Commission approved the issuance of Request for Proposals (RFP) No. 2017-074-WG for Interactive Digital Media Kiosks.  The RFP was issued on January 25, 2017, with responses due on March 28, 2017. 

The City of Miami Beach, sought proposals from qualified firms for the design, fabrication, installation and operation of interactive digital media kiosks (the “kiosks”) in the public right-of-way, principally located on sidewalks and other public areas. Through the implementation of the kiosks, the City sought to improve the experience of residents and visitors by:

• providing information on transit options; and
•  providing wayfinding information to civic and cultural institutions, restaurants, retail and other business; and
•  providing information on local events; and
•  serving as a critical dissemination point for City messages during emergencies; and
•  serving as a surveying tool to solicit feedback from residents and visitors.

On March 28, 2017, the City received proposals from Smart City Media, LLC, CIVIQ, Smartscapes, LLC, Intersection Parent, Inc. Sensity Systems, Inc. and Orange Barrel Media. 

As required in the RFP, firms were asked to provide a fully functional version of each proposed kiosk that demonstrates the functionality stipulated in the solicitation and that all technology components and functionality of the demonstration units were to be consistent with kiosk the proposer has already deployed for another client.  All proposers, except Sensity Systems, Inc., provided demonstration units. Sensity Systems, Inc. stated that it would not be able to provide a demonstration unit as required by the RFP.

After considering the proposals received and the demonstration units provided, the Administration wishes to inform the City Commission of the following concerns:

1. Size and scale. The demonstration units provided are much larger than what the Administration had anticipated. The Administration is concerned that, given the size and scope of the units, these units may not be suitable for certain public areas throughout the City, such as Lincoln Road, for which they are being considered.
2. Negative public opinion. To gauge the public’s opinion of the kiosk units, a public survey was conducted by the Communications Department via Google Surveys rating the following: user-friendliness; technology and touch screen capabilities; and, preference of which one would fit best throughout the City.  A total of 76 responses were received.  Overall, most respondents reported a negative experience or opinion regarding the kiosks. The general sentiment of those responding is that the kiosks are not appropriate for Miami Beach, again given the size and scope of the units, and would not positively impact public spaces. Additionally, some respondents have noted that much of the technology available on the kiosks can be delivered via an application that could be accessed by most smart phones.
3. Miami-Dade County sign ordinance. In general, there is some question whether the proposed kiosks would be in compliance with the Miami-Dade County sign ordinance, or even what portions of the County code are applicable to the City. Additionally, as the County is currently in the process of updating its sign ordinance to include specific requirements for kiosks, it is unclear to what extent changes would need to be made to the specifications of the RFP if it were to be rebid, until the ordinance receives final approval. Further discussion between the County and the City will need to be held.
4. Performance issues. Staff has noticed that most of the demonstration units appear to have a number of performance issues. In some units, issues regarding the technology (e.g., displays, software) have been noticed by staff, including stuck images or images being displayed in reverse. In other units, mechanical issues, such as very loud, and leaking cooling fans, have been noticed. It is important to note that the performance issues are occurring in the demonstration units even though these units are currently protected from the harsh heat and weather conditions that they would normally experience once deployed. The Administration believes that this could be the result of a technology that is not yet matured and has yet to have all issues worked.
5. Compliance with RFP requirements. The RFP stipulated a number of functional requirements for the kiosks, and the requirement that all the prescribed functionality already be in operation elsewhere. It is unclear if any of the proposers can comply with all of the functional requirements and, further, already have these in operation elsewhere. Some of the requirements (and proof that they are already in operation elsewhere) that staff has been unable to confirm, include:
1. weatherproof, including ability to operate at high heat and humidity;
2. graffiti-resistance and durability;
3. compliance with the American with Disabilities Act (ADA), including a directory that allows for opportunities to incorporate accessible technologies for the visually impaired;
4. content filtering to search by category of activity, include transfer protocol to share mapping information with user’s mobile devices;
5. surveying options, including ability to pose questions to users, collect answers and disseminate to City;
6. the option of integration of social media, games and other applications to encourage user engagement;
7. pedestrian counting;
8. air quality monitoring;
9. multi-lingual, including the ability to switch between English and Spanish, with support for other languages if required at later date;
10. software for remote, easy and efficient additions and deletions of static and non-static data and content, including graphics and photographs while integrating the City’s existing graphical palette into the program/software. 

The inclusion of many of the above referenced functionality requirements in the RFP specifications was an attempt to incorporate the desires expressed by the City Commission and the Administration in prior discussions involving kiosks. However, it is important to note that the RFP also required that any kiosk proposed to the City must be already similar in function in operation somewhere in a public right-of-way in the United States, for a minimum of six (6) months prior to bid submittal date, incorporating the same requirements as stipulated by the City. Since this is such an emerging technology, staff believes that it may be not be possible for any of the proposing firms to comply with all of the functionality requirements stipulated in the RFP and the requirement that any kiosk functionality proposed already deployed elsewhere.

The Administration believes that, given the issues highlighted herein and the rate of technological change, it may be prudent to hold off consideration or deployment of the kiosks for some time to allow the technology to mature. Additionally, should a subsequent RFP be issued, it is recommended that any desired functionality, unless absolutely necessary, be stipulated as aspirational, rather than mandatory to allow for flexibility in the providers that can be considered. The Administration seeks direction from the City Commission as to whether or not to proceed with the evaluation and award process for interactive digital media kiosks.