EP1127442A1

EP1127442A1 - Public information terminal

Info

Publication number: EP1127442A1
Application number: EP99970534A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Cyrine Allani; Sédrik ALLINI
Original assignee: All Net
Current assignee: All Net
Priority date: 1998-10-08
Filing date: 1999-10-08
Publication date: 2001-08-29
Also published as: FR2785127A1; EP2068538A2; EP2068538A3; AU5991299A; FR2785127B1; WO2000022798A1; US6876737B1

Abstract

The invention concerns an office automation and communication equipment (1) designed for information exchange, in particular written or oral, via one or several communication networks, for processing data, in particular documents, and for accessing resources available on one or several of said communication networks. Said office automation and communication equipment (1), also known by the name PUBLIDESK (registered trademark in France), is designed to be installed in an existing telephone booth (CA) connected to one of the communication networks, as replacement for a telephone apparatus initially equipping said telephone booth. It is further designed to communicate via the communication network(s) with a central service site designed to manage a set of such office automation and communication equipment installed in an existing network of telephone booths.he invention is particular useful in providing access to Internet and office automation resources from a pool of existing telephone booths.

Description

PUBLIC INFORMATION TERMINAL

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to office automation and communication equipment. It also relates to a method and a system for managing a fleet of such equipment. The term office and communication equipment is understood here to mean equipment offering both conventional functions encountered in an office such as the processing, viewing and printing of documents, and communication functions such as faxing, telephony, and access to communication networks, including the Internet.

More generally fall within the field of office and communication equipment, devices and terminals combining communication means and document processing means, such as personal computers, computer stations or workstations, equipped with a connected modem. to a communication network.

Currently, accessing the Internet involves using microcomputers, which can be personal, family, professional, or usable in cybercafés. We can also cite the Internet consultation stations offered in public places or organizations. However, a significant part of the population, especially young people, people who are not yet equipped or on the move, is excluded from the Internet.

There are already many examples of interactive kiosks allowing access to one or more information services. We can notably mention terminals providing information of all kinds (access map, list of hotels, etc.), terminals allowing the purchase of tickets, tickets for shows. In addition, Internet access and consultation stations are already available in internet cafes, administrations and hotels. These stations are generally microcomputers connected in local network or provided with a modem. Their access is controlled by various technical means.

We also know the Internet terminals "Cyberdeck" from the company PACIFIC DIGITAL TELECOMS. These terminals implement a human-machine interface called "Cybershell" burned on a CD-ROM and allowing accessibility to the functionality of these terminals and also managing operations and transactions related to the use of smart cards and payment cards. . The functionalities of this type of terminal include in particular access to the Web, electronic messaging, discussion forums, telephony, and videophone on the Internet, and secure payment. These terminals are equipped with universal card readers allowing both secure payments with a bank card and to connect to the Internet by means of a private card. The private cards can be personalized and have a predetermined number of units, thus allowing control of the overall connection time. When a user withdraws his card or when his credit is exhausted, the session ends and the interface software is reset.

More generally, the Internet access points currently available, if they actually provide an Internet access service in public places, However, they are part of a simple access point, paid or not, to the Web via an access provider.

In addition, their establishment in public or private places presupposes the installation of a new connection line to the telephone network and the ability to establish a connection to a power supply network. The installation works and the resulting costs constitute a real obstacle to the development of these Internet access points. It should be noted that document W09712479 discloses a communication terminal allowing access to communication networks, in particular the Internet, and which can be connected to a telephone network in place of a telephone set. In addition, beyond the aforementioned needs in terms of access to resources available on the Internet, there are also real needs in terms of access to office automation and communication resources, in particular for transmitting, processing and receiving electronic documents and on paper. This is particularly the case in relations between administrations and public bodies and citizens or users who are frequently faced with the difficulty of transmitting a supporting document in good time. We can also cite the case of job seekers who wish to collect a list of job offers or send their curriculum vitae to potential employers.

There is certainly already facsimile equipment accessible to the public in certain public places such as airports, stations or motorway stations, this facsimile equipment is sometimes coupled or combined with communication equipment such as videotex terminals and telephone sets. But these equipments However, existing devices are not widespread in places of residence or life, and cannot be considered as real communicating office equipment since, on the one hand, they only provide a small part of the functionalities that are available. right to expect from an office installation, and on the other hand, their communicating function is singularly limited to document transmission operations by fax, telephony and consultation of services. The object of the invention is to remedy this situation by proposing a new concept of office automation and communication equipment making it possible to offer, automatically or by card, a set of the usual office automation functionalities, while being massively widespread on the whole territory and therefore accessible to the greatest number in places or sites which until now did not offer access points to office and communication resources.

This objective is achieved with office and communication equipment including:

- means for exchanging information, in particular documents or voice, via one or more communication networks,

- means for processing information, in particular documents, and

- Means for accessing resources available on one or more of said communication networks.

According to the invention, this office automation and communication equipment is designed to be installed in an existing telephone box connected to one of said communication networks, in substitution for a telephone device initially equipping said telephone box, and it further comprises means for communicating via said communication network (s) with a central server site comprising means for managing a set of such office and communication equipment installed in an existing network of telephone booths. Thus, with the office automation and communication equipment according to the invention, installed in existing parks of telephone boxes in substitution for payphones, a whole part of the population which did not have direct or easy access to communication tools and office automation, as well as people on the move, will now be able to send and receive documents by fax, generate, copy, scan, store and print documents, access services and resources on the Internet, send and receive emails, and more generally to communicate more easily by the way, data and images, with in particular the possibility of carrying out videoconferences.

These office and communication equipment are also referred to below as PUBLIDESK which has been the subject of a trademark registration request in France.

A strong point of this new type of office automation and communication equipment lies in the fact that it is a question of making real "public offices" available to everyone, while minimizing infrastructure costs since we use public telephone booths as local sites for installing office and communication equipment which are therefore advantageously located in neighborhoods and places of life in the heart of cities and villages, like the public writers of yesteryear .

Furthermore, it is important to note that the present invention can have a significant positive economic impact for telecommunications operators. currently operating telephone booths, to the extent that it gives new impetus to the existing fleet of public telephone booths whose frequentation is constantly decreasing as the market for mobile telephones develops.

In addition, a telecommunications operator thus transforming its fleet of booths equipped with public payphones into a fleet of booths receiving office and communication equipment, should benefit from a positive image with the public and the population in general, to the extent it thus sets up a public service responding to real and identified needs in communication and multimedia, by making available to all and in particular to the excluded a modern form of public office offering a combination of services that it is currently difficult to find in the heart of cities and villages.

In a preferred version of the invention, the office automation and communication equipment further comprises means for selectively controlling access to the means for exchanging information, to the processing means and / or means of access to resources available on one or more of said communication networks. Furthermore, the office automation and communication equipment according to the invention preferably comprises means for directly making an electrical connection with an electrical installation equipping the telephone booth receiving this office automation and communication equipment, as well as means for making a communication connection directly with a communication installation equipping this telephone booth. It is also advantageous to provide that the office automation and communication equipment or PUBLIDESK according to the invention further comprises means for directly making a mechanical connection with a mechanical support within the telephone booth receiving this office automation and communication equipment. .

The means of access to resources on the network can advantageously cooperate with the central management means and with the communication means to provide an access portal to a plurality of services, while it is preferably provided that the equipment office and communication may further include means for providing a basic telephone service, either via an existing telephone network such as the PSTN network, or a digital integrated services network (ISDN) or via the Internet network (Web -phone).

In a particular configuration of use, office and communication equipment according to the invention or PUBLIDESK can advantageously include means for providing an electrical energy supply service for portable computer and / or telecommunications equipment. Access to this electrical energy supply service can be conditioned by the possession of access rights contained for example in a memory card or by the use of a payment card.

This particular configuration mainly targets, but is not limited to, the user segment made up of businessmen, salespeople, consultants and the liberal professions, for whom this offer meets a widely felt need. Cabins of this type could advantageously be installed in the heart of business centers, in stations and airports.

In another particular configuration of use generally complementary to the aforementioned configuration, the office automation and communication equipment according to the invention may also include means for providing a service for connecting portable computer and / or telecommunications equipment to a or more of said means of communication. Access to the energy supply and connection service means can be controlled for example by mechanical shutter means controlled or even electronically.

In a representative example of use, an office equipment according to the invention or PUBLIDESK is arranged to provide selective access to one or more predetermined services available on one or more of the communication networks to a holder of a portable data medium, such as a memory card, containing data representative of selective access rights allocated to this holder.

According to another aspect of the invention, a method is proposed for managing a set of office automation and communication equipment according to the invention, these office automation and communication equipment being installed in public telephone boxes in place of public telephones equipping initially these cabins, characterized in that it is arranged to manage communications and exchanges of information involving each of said office automation and communication equipment via one or more of the communication networks.

This management process can advantageously be arranged to provide each of the equipment with office and communication access to resources available on one or more of the communication networks, in particular on the Internet. It can also be provided that this management method provides each of the office automation and communication equipment with an access portal to a plurality of service provider sites, and that it can manage a charging for the management services of the fleet of public cabins. thus equipped, based for example on a measurement of communication and information and data exchange flows involving all of the office automation and communication equipment installed in this fleet of public cabins.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, a system is proposed for managing a set of office and communication equipment according to the invention, these office and communication equipment being installed in a network of public telephone booths in substitution. public payphones initially equipping these cabins, characterized in that it comprises, in a management site connected to one of the communication networks to which this network of cabins is connected, means for managing communications and exchanges of information involving each office automation and communication equipment via one or more of these communication networks.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear in the description below. In the appended drawings given by way of nonlimiting examples:

- Figure 1 illustrates a public telecommunication booth equipped with office automation and communication equipment according to the invention or PUBLIDESK;

- Figure 2 illustrates an example of connection of office automation and communication equipment according to the invention in a telephone box; - Figure 3 is a block diagram illustrating a system for managing a fleet of office automation and communication equipment according to the invention;

- Figure 4 illustrates optional equipment of office automation and communication equipment according to

The invention;

- Figure 5 illustrates a set of features offered in office and communication equipment; and - Figure 6 illustrates an example of information flow in a particular implementation of the management method according to the invention.

We will now describe, with reference to FIG. 1, an exemplary embodiment of an office and communication equipment according to the invention or PUBLIDESK installed in a public telecommunication cabin.

In the context of the present invention, a CA telecommunication cabin of conventional structure is provided, normally provided for receiving a telephony device, with office and communication equipment 1 according to the invention, which is fixed for example on a mounting plate on a technical stand normally provided for fixing a public phone.

Office and communication equipment or PUBLIDESK 1 includes a rear face for this purpose, provided with fixing elements designed and positioned so as to allow simple and quick fixing to the fixing plate.

The office automation and communication equipment 1, included in a box designed to withstand shocks and damage, comprises, by way of nonlimiting example, on its front face, an AND display screen, which may be of the conventional type or touch screen, a conventional or touch screen CO keyboard, a LC smart card designed to control access to communication networks, an SI printer output, an HP speaker, track pointing and selection TP equipment, a CT telephone handset and a keyboard CN composition.

It goes without saying that many other additional equipment can be provided for this office and communication equipment, for example a CV videoconferencing camera, an HP speaker, an MI microphone, or a ZT touch keyboard integrated into the screen. , or even digitization equipment (scanner).

The office automation and communication equipment 1 according to the invention is installed in place of a conventional telephony device and as such uses the existing telephone link LT and the power supply link LR of the host cabin CA. The connections of the office automation and communication equipment 1 to a base support 20 of the public booth CA can be made in a very simple way, with reference to FIG. 2, by connecting, on the one hand, a plug electrical supply male 11 from the rear face 10 of the equipment 1 in an electrical supply socket 21 provided on the support 21 and, on the other hand, a telecommunications connector 12 in a telecommunications socket 22 also provided on the base support 21.

The internal structure of the office automation and communication equipment 1 includes a communication unit connected by an appropriate connector to the public telephone network, and a central control and processing unit card to which the touch screen AND, the keyboard are connected. external CO, the LC card reader, and all of the other peripherals on this equipment. The central unit card is provided with a storage unit, for example of the CD-ROM type, intended for storing resident software having the following functions:

- management of the terminal's internal equipment, - management of access control,

- display of home pages.

The system for managing a fleet of office automation and communication equipment S according to the invention comprises, with reference to FIG. 3: - a dedicated server SG centralizing all the data accessible from the cabins CA1, .., CAi, CA, personalized CM smart cards containing for example the following data: identifier, curriculum vitae in the case of job seekers, personalized access rights, e-mail address,

- one or more TPC terminals for personalizing these cards.

The telecommunication booths CA according to the invention can be connected to the management server SG either by a switched telephone network PSTN, or by a digital network with integrated services RN, or by any other type of communication network.

The management server SG is connected to a second communication network RI, for example to the Internet network, to which service sites SI,..., SN such as servers of employment agency sites or employment sites. real estate agency are connected.

We will now describe an example of the use of office automation and switching equipment according to the invention or PUBLIDESK installed in a public booth. A user is invited by a home page to access the Internet by inserting a CM transaction card, for example a telephone card, a dedicated card (job, accommodation, etc.), a payment, a credit card or any other card, for example a multi-service card.

For holders of personalized smart cards, many types of service can be offered, including, by way of non-limiting example:

- a “jobseeker” card, giving access to its holder only to the sites contained in the “job” icon

(for example, ANPE, international ANPE, APEC, temporary work companies); - a “student” card giving access to information of interest to the student world, such as results in exams or competitions, pre-registrations in universities, consultations of study programs of French or foreign universities, or scheduling consultations;

- a “businessman” card allowing access to hotel lists, to transport companies, or to sockets embedded in the terminal according to the invention for recharging a portable computer and benefiting from all the office automation functionalities ( sending a fax, sending and consulting an email, word processing, spreadsheet, etc.).

Telecommunication booths equipped with a particular version of office automation and communication equipment according to the invention designed to offer this latter set of functionalities are provided with a PA power supply socket and a standardized connection socket. PT whose access is controlled, either mechanically by means of removable shutters VA, or electronically, as illustrated in Figure 4.

It should be noted that the aforementioned types of card offer their holders the possibility of creating their own e-mail addresses and consulting it at any time. A main menu offered by office and communication equipment according to the invention constitutes the first page visible on the screen of this cabin and presents the information that can be consulted. For the sake of clarity and ease of use, this menu should only include a limited number, for example no more than twelve, of generic title icons such as "national education", "transport", "jobs" , "Shows", "jobs abroad", "foreign universities", "surf the web", "shopping". These icons are given by way of nonlimiting example and can be modulated according to the site of establishment.

We can also plan to display a drop-down menu in order to arouse interest in a user who initially came only to make calls. The main menu can for example propose, by means of icons, generic headings such as those mentioned above.

Once the card is inserted, the user can only access the sites authorized by his card and is thus channeled in his research, thus saving precious time. Depending on the rights assigned to them, this user will be able to explore the entire site, surf the web or connect their laptop and continue working. In the case of cabins located in protected or semi-protected places, one can for example provide a cyclic log taking place when the office and communication equipment is at rest. The icons contained in the main menu can be adapted to the cabin's reception site, which will offer different information whether it is a university, an employment agency or a café. for example, in a university, a student can consult his timetable, choose these tutorials for the following year, consult your notes, be in contact with foreign universities in order to carry out a study session, have access to job offers, play, etc.

In particular, it is possible to design within the framework of the present invention a telecommunication booth which would be dedicated to a particular service, for example a job offer service or accommodation offer, in addition to the provision of the public service telephony.

The software implemented in office and communication equipment according to the invention allows, through a simple and fun tree structure, quick access to the information offered in the icons of the main menu. This equipment is designed to receive downloads and to participate in automatic telecollections at predetermined times for various updates on the central site. It is also designed to manage opposition and payment lists.

Office and communication equipment 1 according to the invention or PUBLIDESK, installed in a public booth CA simply connected by a telephone line LT to a telecommunications network RT, provides, in addition to the basic telephony functions initially offered by public payphones, complete set of office automation functionalities for document processing F, as illustrated in FIG. 5. It is thus possible to obtain, from an original document DO, a DC copy, a fax, a digitization (scanner), and transmission by electronic mail (e-mail). Conversely, the user of this equipment can receive documents by fax, by e-mail, and print screen pages viewed while browsing the Web. In addition to documents in paper form, the user can also transmit and receive information and data in electronic form from equipment office automation and communication according to the invention which is provided with connection means for a computer or means for reading digital information media. This information and data, which can also be entered or completed using the keyboard of the office automation and communication equipment, can then be transmitted by email.

In addition to the basic telephony function which is maintained within the office and communication equipment according to the invention, functions for digital transmission of sound and image are offered to users, in particular for carrying out videoconferences.

Depending on the nature of the documents exchanged or collected, these are subject to office and communication equipment according to the invention, either to digital processing or to analog processing, then are all transmitted , after passing through a communication module, via the only telecommunications link LT, either to fax machines via one or more telecommunications networks, or to external sites via a gateway on the Web, possibly controlled by the site of management. Conversely, all of the documents converging on office automation and communication equipment, either in the form of faxes or in the form of electronic documents, enters via the channel of the LT telecommunications link only and is then processed internally or in analog form or in digital form to be delivered by printing or by display on the screen.

The software implemented in office and communication equipment according to the invention can include for example an operating system, a text editor, an Internet browser, a manager Internet e-mail, a fax manager and an anti-virus module.

We can provide a common design for all sectors of use of office automation and communication equipment according to the invention, modular as required: wall mounting, technical stand, office automation and communication equipment placed on a table. , different fairings depending on the location.

The activity sectors accessible from a telecommunications booth according to the invention according to the invention can be diversified: employment, culture, education, health, tourism, entertainment, transport, ...

The office automation and communication equipment according to the invention or PUBLIDESK must have a minimum size and meet the general principles of the equipment made available to the public, in particular in terms of waterproof keyboard, touch screen, telephone equipment, resistant materials, signage and recognizable design. We will now describe, with reference to FIG. 6, a nonlimiting example of implementation and use of office and communication equipment according to the invention installed in a public booth, for search services. employment. We consider a user holding a CAE "employment" card given to him by an organization or a company. The memory MM of this card notably includes ID data identifying the holder, DP data representative of the access rights associated with this card (for example, URLs of searchable sites), and a credit CU of telephone units .

The home page immediately displayed when using office and communication equipment and after inserting the CAE access control card in LC reader, includes a “job” icon. At the touch of a finger on the corresponding surface of the touch screen, this icon opens and gives access to a tree structure offering several choices. For example:

Jobs - Apec → ANPE - »Manpower® → Adecco® -» Others ...

(for example, possibility to enter the e-mail address of the company or to be guided in its research by proposals for sector of activity, rental, etc.) The user can also deposit his Curriculum- Vitae on -line by entering SA on the touch keyboard of the office automation and communication equipment, display (VI) on screen the relevant job offers OEi, .., OEk, print (PR) the addresses of the companies to which it sent his CV and the content of the advertisements. During his navigation from the cabin, he has the possibility of creating his electronic address AE to benefit from electronic messaging ME in order to consult his messages and the responses to his job requests. The management server SG keeps for each user who has created an email address the CV of this user, possibly the job offers he has selected and the response messages MS from job offer sites or employers who have issued OE offers.

Several modes of managing a fleet of office automation and communication equipment according to the invention can be envisaged in the context of the present invention. In a first management mode, a telecommunications operator owning or controlling an existing fleet of telephone booths acquires a set of office and communication equipment according to the invention, installs them in telephone booths in place of public payphones, and directly manages this office and communication equipment, by collecting from users rights of access to telephone and IT resources or by paying for the services provided to users who only pay for communications at local rate or even can have free access telephony services.

In a second management mode, a telecommunications operator owning or controlling a fleet of public telephone boxes entrusts to an operator of the method according to the invention, all of the substitution operations (uninstalling of existing payphones, installation and connection of equipment for office automation and communication), management and maintenance of equipment, which is then the property of the operator or is entrusted to management.

The telecommunications operator can be remunerated on the one hand with the communications generated and paid for by the users from all the office automation and communication equipment, and on the other hand, according to the use of the various peripherals of the equipment office automation, for example in relation to the number of prints made. The operator can also be remunerated with a determined percentage of the financial flows generated by the use of office and communication equipment according to the invention, for example on the basis of payments by the users of the services provided, or on the basis of advertising rights collected by the operator.

This second method of management has the advantage for the telecommunications operator of not requiring investment in new public equipment and expenses for replacement, maintenance and upkeep, and of not involving responsibility in operational management.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the examples which have just been described and numerous modifications can be made to these examples without departing from the scope of the invention. Thus, the office automation and communication equipment according to the invention or PUBLIDESK can have any exterior shape. The components used to carry out the various visualization, input and communication functions can of course change over time according to technological advances in this field. In addition, the field of application of the present invention is not limited to a particular communication network or to a given fleet of telephone booths.

Claims

1. Office and communication equipment (1), comprising: - means for exchanging information, in particular documents or voice, via one or more communication networks (RT, RI, RN),

- means for processing information, in particular documents, and - means for accessing resources (SI, S2) available on one or more of said communication networks (RT, RI, RN), characterized in that it is designed to be installed in an existing telephone box (CA) connected to one of said communication networks (RT, RI, RN), in substitution for a telephone device initially fitted to said telephone box (CA), and in that it further includes means for communicating via said communication network (s) (RT, RI, RN) with a central server site (SG) comprising means for managing a set of such communicating office equipment.

(1) installed in an existing network of telephone booths (CA, CA1, CAi).

2. Office and communication equipment (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises means (LC) for selectively controlling access to the information exchange means, to the processing means and / or the means of access to resources available on one or more of said communication networks.

3. Office and communication equipment (1) according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that it further comprises means (11) for directly making an electrical connection with an electrical installation (21) equipping the telephone box (CA) receiving this office and communication equipment (D.

4. Office and communication equipment (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it further comprises means (12) for directly producing a communication connection with a communication installation (22) fitted the telephone box (CA) receiving this office automation and communication equipment (1).

5. Office and communication equipment (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it further comprises means for directly making a mechanical connection with a mechanical support within the telephone box (CA) receiving this office automation and communication equipment (1).

6. Office and communication equipment (1) according to any one of claims, characterized in that the means of access to resources on the network cooperate with the central management means (SG) and with the communication means for providing an access portal to a plurality of services.

7. Office and communication equipment according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it further comprises means (CT, CV) for providing basic telephony service.

8. Office and communication equipment according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it further comprises means (PA) for providing an electrical energy supply service for portable computer and / or telecommunications equipment.

9. Office and communication equipment according to claim 8, characterized in that access to this electric power supply service is conditioned by the possession of access rights contained for example in a memory card or by the use of a payment card.

10. Office and communication equipment according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it further comprises means (PT) for providing a connection service for portable computer and / or telecommunications equipment to one or more several of said means of communication.

11. Office and communication equipment according to one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that access to the means (PA, PT) of energy supply and connection service is controlled by shutter means mechanical (VA) ordered.

12. Office automation and communication equipment according to one of claims 8 to 11, characterized in that the access to the means (PA, PT) of energy supply and connection service is controlled electronically.

13. Office and communication equipment (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is arranged to provide selective access to one or more predetermined services available on one or more of said communication networks to a holder of a portable data medium, such as a memory card (CM), containing data representative of selective access rights allocated to this holder.

14. Method for managing a set of office and communication equipment (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, these office and communication equipment (1) being installed in public telephone boxes (CA) in substitution for payphones initially equipping these cabins, characterized in that it is designed to manage communications and information exchanges involving each of said office automation and communication equipment (1) via one or more of the communication networks (RT, RI, RN) .

15. The method of claim 14, characterized in that it is further arranged to provide each of said office automation and communication equipment (1) access to available resources (SI, S2) on one or more of said networks of communication (RI), in particular on the Internet.

16. The method of claim 15, characterized in that it is further arranged to provide each of said office automation and communication equipment (1) an access portal to a plurality of service provider sites (SI, S2) .

17. Method according to any one of claims 14 to 16, characterized in that it is further arranged to manage a charging for the management services of the fleet of cabins public (CA) thus equipped, which is based on a measurement of communication flows and information and data exchanges relating to all office and communication equipment (1) installed in this fleet of public cabins ( CA).

18. System (S) for managing a set of office automation and communication equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 13, these office automation and communication equipment (1) being installed in a network of public telephone boxes (CA) ) in substitution for payphones initially equipping these cabins, characterized in that it comprises, in a management site (SG) connected to one of said communication networks to which this network of cabins is connected, means for managing communications and exchange of information involving each of said office automation and communication equipment (1) via one or more of said communication networks.

19. System (S) according to claim 18, characterized in that it further comprises means for providing each of said office automation and communication equipment (1) with access to resources available on one or more of said communication networks. , especially on the Internet.

20. The system of claim 19, characterized in that it further comprises means for providing each of said office automation and communication equipment with an access portal to a plurality of service provider sites.

21. System (S) according to any one of claims 18 to 20, characterized in that it further comprises means for managing a charging for the management services of the fleet of public cabins (CA) thus equipped, which is based on a measurement of communication and information and data exchange flows relating to all office and communication equipment (1) installed in this fleet of public cabins.