This Week’s Product Pick
Touch Dynamic (Irvington, NJ) introduced its Breeze All-in-One POS terminal with rackable motherboard and market-breaking dealer price-point of $999 with O/S and credit card reader. This field-upgradeable fanless terminal has all the common features, including small footprint, 15-inch resistive touchscreen, and Vesa wall mount with “quick disconnect” base. CPU options include Intel’s Celeron M 1-GHz, Celeron M 1.5-GHz, and very-high-speed Pentium M 1.8-GHz. Options include 12-inch rear-facing LCD customer display, the Digital Persona UrU biometric fingerprint reader, and Wireless LAN 802.11 a/b/g capability. The terminal, designated “Breeze” for its ease of service, represents the first field-upgradeable fanless system, according to Craig Paritz, President of Touch Dynamics. “Two thumbscrews allow the whole motherboard to slide right out, which is completely unique,” Paritz noted. “If the customer says I’ve got to get to Microsoft Vista, but I don’t have the horsepower, no problem. We sell them the motherboard, they slid it in, and in 10 seconds they’re up and going.” Similarly, the hard drive and power supply can be easily upgraded, and in addition, cable management is “remarkably easy.” For more information, click here.
Breeze All-in-One POS Terminal from Touch Dynamic
COMPANY BUSINESS IBM and Epicor Feel Something Special Epicor Software Corp. (Irvine, CA) and IBM Retail Store Solutions (Raleigh, NC) will collaborate on an integrated, comprehensive retail system management product for specialty and department store retailers. As part of the expanded relationship, the two companies will develop and market a total offering to centrally manage and support POS hardware and software via IBM’s Remote Management Agent (RMA). “Our expanded relationship with Epicor demonstrates our joint commitment to providing retailers fully integrated retail management products—hardware, software, and services—with a one-stop shopping experience,” declared Juhi Jotwani, VP of Marketing and Strategy, IBM Retail Store Solutions. “Retailers will benefit from lower total cost of ownership and a central point of contact for service and support.” RMA is part of an end-to-end systems solution designed to empower retailers to manage their store environments more competitively by enabling them to perform remote configuration, software distribution, pro-active remote monitoring, asset tracking, diagnostic and problem determination down to the device level, according to IBM. The combination of the IBM RMA and Epicor retail store products will provide specialty retailers with the capability to remotely monitor, configure, and track hardware, software, and applications in one store or multiple store locations, from a central point. “Epicor and IBM are both committed to serving the needs of specialty retailers—from regional chains to multichannel global brands,” commented David Henning, EVP and GM of Epicor Retail. “Expanding our existing alliance demonstrates the added value that Epicor and IBM bring to the specialty retail market, with tailored software, hardware, services, and support that provides a solid technology platform for retailers to streamline operations, enhance the customer experience, and improve the bottom line.” Epicor provides a full set of solutions for retailers, spanning integrated POS, cross-channel order management, planning, sourcing, merchandising, replenishment, store inventory, warehousing, and financial systems. Earlier this year, the company snapped up NSB Retail Systems, which provided its path into the specialty retail market. For its part, IBM Retail Store Solutions previously announced a similar collaborative agreement to target remote system management with Retalix in the areas of grocery and convenience stores.
Radiant Partakes of Orderman Radiant Systems (Atlanta) has purchased Orderman GmbH (Salzburg, Austria), one of the world’s leading manufacturers of wireless handheld ordering and payment devices for the hospitality industry. Orderman distributes its solutions through its reseller network of more than 600 partners, predominantly in Europe, although the company has made some efforts in the U.S. in the past. These partners have deployed approximately 50,000 Orderman handheld devices in more than 20,000 restaurants in 45 countries, according to the company. “Orderman’s innovative, mobile devices are widely recognized in the European hospitality market,” said John Heyman, CEO of Radiant Systems. “This acquisition puts Radiant in an excellent position to further accelerate the adoption of mobile devices in the global hospitality sector and to bring additional innovations to markets across all of the industries we serve.” Radiant will pay approximately $30 million in cash for Orderman, subject to adjustment based on Orderman’s net assets at closing. Salzburg immediately becomes Radiant’s “global center of excellence for mobile devices,” with Orderman’s existing senior leadership managing the organization, including Alois Eisl, CEO. “We view Orderman’s reseller network as a strategic asset that will accelerate Radiant’s growth in Europe,” added Heyman. “Our track record of partnering with resellers gives us an opportunity to add additional value to their businesses and their end customers.”
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Worth Your While
RFID World 2008
CMP Technology
September 8-10
Las Vegas
VARTECH 2008
BlueStar
September 15-17
Orlando
Self-Service Expo
KioskCom
October 15-16
New York
Impact Now
ScanSource
November 10-11
Orlando
INSTALLATIONS Food Lion Tamed by Retail Solutions Food Lion LLC, which runs more than 1,300 stores in 11 Southeast and Mid-Atlantic states, will start sharing its POS data with consumer product goods (CPG) companies by store, by day, and by SKU using Demand Signal Management (DSM) from Retail Solutions Inc. (Sunnyvale, CA). Retail Solutions DSM is one of the most widely used retail platforms for POS data sharing and analytics, with more than 100 CPG companies using its Web-based Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) tool. Retail Solutions was formed when T3Ci acquired the VeriSign RDS business unit. It should not be confused with all of the POS resellers with the same name. “We are delighted to support Food Lion’s supplier collaboration initiatives through this program,” stated Jared Schrieber, VP, Products and Services, Retail Solutions. “Retail Solutions has proven experience in supporting retailer data sharing efforts to drive business results. Our expertise and the resources we allocate to on-boarding large supplier communities will result in a faster, more effective rollout for this program, ensuring Food Lion and its suppliers can focus on collaborative uses of the data that result in higher sales, greater profitability, and lower inventories.” Using Retail Solutions DSM, Food Lion has already started sharing with its suppliers one of the richest data sets in the industry, including not only POS and inventory data daily, by store and by item, but also many data points at the warehouse level, including shipment, ordering, and receipt data. Suppliers get access to near real-time data that is automatically converted to their own format, item master, and hierarchies. This helps ensure suppliers can use the data as soon as it is available—rather than spending time cleansing and harmonizing it. “Suppliers have a pivotal role in supporting Food Lion,” noted Troy Prothero, Supply Chain Manager, Food Lion. “Sharing data is a critical component of our strategy—it is the means by which both Food Lion and its supplier community create a single version of the truth to build a more efficient and effective supply chain. Retail Solutions provides our suppliers and us the right set of tools to proactively work together, improving our joint operations.” Whopper of POS Contract to Micros Burger King Corp. has selected the Micros RES 4.0 POS solution for all of its approximately 800 company-owned restaurants in the U.S. The deployment is scheduled to begin in Atlanta in the summer of 2008, with 50 locations. The remaining company-owned restaurants will be completed over the next two years. In addition to POS, Burger King Corp. will procure Micros implementation services for training, installation, and go-live support. In the future, Burger King Corp. also plans to utilize the Micros Help Desk and hardware services. “Upon deciding to standardize on a POS solution across our company-owned locations in the United States, our team recommended Micros as the right POS system for our restaurants,” reported Raj Rawal, SVP and CIO for Burger King Corp. “They cited their service and support capabilities as key differentiators. We were impressed with the functionality of RES 4.0, as well as Micros’ ability to quickly assimilate and integrate to our specific operational environment.” |
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ALL IN THE FAMILY
Fujitsu Gets Hyper
Fujitsu Transaction Solutions (Richardson, TX) introduced the Hypermarket U-Scan Genesis Payment Station, designed to improve checkout throughput for high item count transactions in grocery. The concept joins the U-Scan Genesis Payment Station with Fujitsu’s iPAD handheld mobile computer, along with any standard checkout conveyor belt, to separate customer transactions into two components—scanning and payment.
This combination lets customers unload items from their carts onto the cashier-operated conveyor. The cashier then scans items using an iPAD or an integrated Metrologic scanner/scale, and the items are passed to the collection area for bagging. Concurrently, the customer tenders payment at the U-Scan Genesis Payment Station, thus allowing the next customer to unload his or her items. The hybrid approach maintains face-to-face cashier customer interaction, while fully automating the tendering portion of the transaction.
“Already deployed in Hypermarkets across Europe, the Fujitsu U-Scan Genesis Payment Station concept moves customers through the checkout at a faster rate, thus reducing queues,” observed March Janssens, VP of International Sales at Fujitsu Transaction Solutions. “When customers spend less idle time waiting in line and can get to the conveyor belt to unload items, the perceived time spent waiting in line is dramatically reduced, which improves customer satisfaction.”
High-End Kiosk Printing from Seiko
Seiko Instruments USA (Torrance, CA) unveiled three high-performance additions to its APU-9000 line of kiosk printers. In 2-, 3-, and 4-inch print width models, the new C Series delivers 250 mm/second print speeds, a minimum of 150 km total output, and over one million cuts, according to the company. With support for extreme temperatures—from -20C to +60C—the printers were designed for both indoor and outdoor kiosk deployments. A small footprint measuring 5.5 inches wide x 6.5 inches deep x 5.2 inches high eases integration.
The printers offer 203 dots per inch (dpi) resolution, accommodate a wide range of media thicknesses, and can operate as a ticket printer or receipt printer. USB, Serial, and Parallel connectivity are supported and an optional looping presenter further improves reliability. The 2- and 3-inch print width models are available now, with the 4-inch model planned for Q4 this year. The printers are based on Seiko’s popular direct-thermal printer mechanism, the CAP9000.
“These new high-performance kiosk printers demonstrate our commitment to providing innovative solutions for the growing self-service sector,” stated Kaz Onishi, VP and GM, Seiko Instruments USA. “The new C Series models offer an unbeatable combination of speed, reliability, and design flexibility.”
C Series Extends Seiko Instruments’ APU-9000 Kiosk Printer Line
Code
Corner
IntelliTrack (Hunt Valley, MD) released Version 7.0 for its suite of software products. IntelliTrack offers Data Management Software (DMS) and Warehouse Management Software (WMS). Most of Version 7.0’s added features are found in DMS, which enables barcode and RFID tracking for Inventory, Stockroom, Fixed Assets, Check In-Out, and Package Track applications. Enhancements from Version 7.0 include an improved user interface, concurrent user licensing, SQL Express and Access 2007 databases, Microsoft Vista compatibility, and support for the latest label printing and scanning hardware from leading manufacturers. With the exception of Package Track, DMS Version 7.0 offers wireless-ready capabilities for real-time tracking. In addition, DMS programs now come in the “cost-effective “Lite” module designed for small inventories. IntelliTrack WMS RF Professional 7.0 now includes a zone-picking function for advanced pick and put-away options in the warehouse. “IntelliTrack is proud to bring better software solutions to the market,” shared Will Daniel, COO. “With Version 7.0’s enhanced features and improved licensing, we are confident that IntelliTrack can continue to successfully serve customers, from small inventories to large warehouses.”
INTEGRATION
Precidia Looks “Sharp” for Cash Registers
Precidia Technologies (Ottawa) announced certification of its TransNet payment engine application by Sharp Electronics Corporation (Mahwah, NJ). Merchants with Sharp cash registers can now take advantage of fully integrated payments, with fast, secure, IP-based payment processing direct to a wide range of certified payment processors. TransNet’s multiport router platform delivers benefits such as automatic dial back-up for enhanced reliability and the integration of multiple peripherals at the countertop. It meets Visa’s Payments Application Best Practices (PABP) and helps merchants achieve and maintain compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) via default settings and automatic updates.
“Merchants and Sharp dealers are looking for flexible, reliable, and secure broadband payment options,” noted Greg Tucker, Product Planning Manager, POS Sales, Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America, a subsidiary of Sharp Electronics Corporation. “Precidia delivers a new option to merchants, helping them gain the benefits of broadband IP transaction processing while ensuring compliance with cardholder data security standards.”
“We’re excited about Precidia’s solution for Sharp registers,” shared Merchant Warehouse VP Todd Giblette, who has introduced an innovative revenue-sharing model for dealers using TransNet on Sharp terminals. “This gives dealers a whole new set of options for delivering quality credit and debit card processing solutions that include great gift and loyalty programs.”
Video Surveillance on Your Cell Phone
This is cool stuff. Dedicated Micros (Chantilly, VA) has partnered with MobiDEOS (Sunnyvale, CA) to provide video surveillance footage over cell phones. This “MobileIPCamViewer” capability is targeted for use in applications in which security or management personnel cannot always be on-site, such as multi-location retail establishments. “Anytime, anywhere” surveillance, in the words of Mark Provinsal, VP of Marketing and Product Strategy, Dedicated Micros.
“It is our pleasure to work with Dedicated Micros,” said Sri Palasamudram, CEO of MobiDEOS. “We believe it is a great partnership, as Dedicated Micros brings a plethora of experience in surveillance technology and we at MobiDEOS bring technology and expertise in the cellular and Internet worlds. Together we can solve customers’ remote monitoring problems and offer higher ROI.”
Brought to market two years ago, MobileIPCamViewer software from MobiDEOS has been integrated with most major cell phone manufacturers and carriers, including BlackBerry. Dedicated Micros, by the way, has nothing to do with the hospitality provider Micros; the firm brings to market leading-edge CCTV solutions and is a wholly owned subsidiary of the U.K.-based AD Group.
Key
Advertiser
Links
Be sure to visit these vendors for the latest in channel products and offers for resellers.
POS & Auto ID Distribution
BlueStar
Ingram Micro
POS & Peripherals
Bematech
Logic Controls
pcCashdrawer
PC-PoS Inc./DigiPoS
Data Collection Terminals
CipherLab
Datalogic
Mobile
Honeywell
Imaging and Mobility
Janam
Technologies
ECRs / Touchscreens / Printers/
Parts and Supplies
CRS, Inc.
Keyboards
Cherry Corp.
Receipt
Printers
Citizen Systems America
Star Micronics
Retail Software
InfoTouch
Logivision
Screen Protection
3M
Optical Products
Thermal Printers
Seiko Instruments USA
Touchscreens
FireBox Displays
STARTS & STOPS
ScanSource Sets Line-Up for IMPACT NOW
ScanSource (Greenville, SC) has announced details for its 2008 IMPACT NOW Show on November 10-11 at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando. At IMPACT NOW, resellers will have the opportunity to improve their leadership skills through Disney Institute training sessions, while also hearing first-hand from Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak on how his company became one of the world’s most recognizable brands. In addition, attendees will have the opportunity to have one-on-one discussions with leading manufacturers and attend seminars hosted by the chief executives of these companies, while also catching an appearance by Motorola-sponsored Indy Car driver Danica Patrick.
The Disney Institute’s workshops focus on Leadership Management and Keeping Customers Loyal, two important issues for resellers in today’s business environment. The two-day conference includes an exhibit hall featuring more than 100 vendor booths, according to the distributor, and kicks off with the networking blast at the Hard Rock Live at Universal Studios. In addition, ScanSource executives and management will share the distributor’s latest programs and solutions in POS, Auto ID, Communications, and Security.
“Through IMPACT NOW, ScanSource has raised the bar on delivering an action-packed, informative, entertaining event, that not only allows resellers to walk away with a powerful plan for growing their business, but also affords them the opportunity to discuss growth strategies with industry leaders,” said Bobby McLain, ScanSource’s VP of Marketing. “Add to that the incredible entrepreneurial insight delivered by Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and the excitement brought by Danica Patrick and you’ve witnessed an event like no other.”
Impinj off to the Races with Intel’s RFID Chip
Impinj (Seattle) furthered its recent RFID “pure play” with the takeover of Intel Corp.’s RFID Operation, which developed the R1000 RFID reader chip as part of Intel’s New Business Initiatives (NBI) incubator. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Earlier this month, Impinj sold off its non-volatile memory (NVM) intellectual property business to Virage Logic, in order to focus exclusively on the RFID market. The new acquisition makes it a one-stop supplier of the technology supporting UHF readers and passive tags.
“This acquisition is a huge step for Impinj, accelerating our drive to deliver the highest performance, most cost-effective RFID products available from any vendor anywhere,” declared William Colleran, President and CEO at Impinj. “Adding the R1000 reader chip to Impinj’s market-leading portfolio of tag chips and fixed-reader products allows us to deliver exceptional price-performance and enable a new category of customers who are developing their own game-changing products based upon Impinj technology.”
Impinj will rebrand the Intel R1000 as the Impinj Indy R1000 and add it to its family of UHF Gen 2 RFID products. For developers of UHF RFID readers and reader modules, the R1000 provides superior levels of design flexibility, integrating onto a single chip 90% of the components required for a reader radio. “The UHF RFID market is a strong opportunity, and we believe this business and its assets are an optimal fit for Impinj,” remarked Rich Wykoff, GM of Intel’s NBI incubator.
Channel Factoid
One-third of losses by retailers (32%) were due to shoplifting in 2006, and that figure has only climbed to new heights in the face of today’s slow economy and rising food and fuel prices. Fully three-quarters of retailers (74%) experienced more shoplifting incidents in 2007, with the estimated total of stolen goods topping $40 billion annually. For 2006, another large chunk of lost sales were traced to employee theft (47%), followed by administrative error (14%) and vendor fraud (4%). Having fewer sales clerks on the floor has exacerbated the shoplifting problem. This from the National Retail Federation.
HELLO GOODBYE
Neerman Takes Tiller at InfoTouch
InfoTouch Corporation (Norcross, GA) has named Keith Neerman as its President. Neerman replaces Lorne Greenfield who has left the company to pursue other opportunities. In 1986, Neerman co-founded the company that is now called InfoTouch Corporation. Over the years, he has held many positions at the company and has been involved in all aspects of its operations, including sales, marketing, administration, and development.
“Neerman is a visionary pioneer in the Point-of-Sale industry,” said Harry Nass, Chairman of the Board of InfoTouch Corporation. “The product lines that he helped create reflect over 20 years of experience in touchscreen development. Today, InfoTouch’s POS products, as tested by industry experts, have consistently been graded the easiest to learn and use of any POS touchscreen software available. We are pleased to announce his appointment to lead the company forward with the revised Store Manager and new Store Keeper POS reseller programs.”
“Today’s POS resellers are looking for robust, low-cost solutions,” explained Neerman. “The new Store Manager program makes it easy for any reseller to sell the leading touchscreen POS software for retail. Online training drastically reduces the personnel time lost as well as the cost of learning this comprehensive product line.”
Keith Neerman, President, InfoTouch
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