This Week’s Product Pick
Two Technologies (Horsham, PA) shipped its Hydrus ultra-rugged handheld computer designed for the harshest working conditions on land or sea. IP67/IP68-rated for protection against dust and water, with double-wall case construction for drop-and-shock protection, Hydrus functions for over 40 hours on one battery charge. Features include 320x240 Landscape QVGA display with integral touchscreen and “super sunlight” readability, color camera and barcode reading capability, 55-key alphanumeric keypad plus eight-position joystick, and integrated speaker and microphone for voice communications. Hydrus offers Bluetooth, WLAN, and IEEE 802.11 networking, with RS-232 and USB ports and expansion space for the addition of RFID, HID RF/IR and other modules. A powerful computer with 256 MB SDRAM and up to 32 GB of data storage, Hydrus runs Microsoft Windows CE .NET 5.0 with the Marvell PXA270 processor operating at 624 MHz. Units feature the company’s dual smart battery system, with both batteries having a charge circuit and “gas gauge” to monitor battery condition during charging and discharging. As applications, Two Technologies cited law enforcement, agriculture, environmental, security, fleet management, and even the hospitality sector.
Hydrus from Two Technologies
ACQUISITIONS Scale Matters: JDA Grabs i2 Consolidation continues at the top of the supply chain, as JDA Software Group (Scottsdale, AZ) announced it will acquire i2 Technologies (Dallas) sometime this quarter for approximately $346 million in cash. With more than 6,000 customers, the combined company has annual revenues of $635 million, including nearly $300 million of annual maintenance and recurring subscription fees. Credit Suisse and Wachovia will finance the deal. According to JDA CEO Hamish Brewer, the i2 acquisition completes the picture for JDA in the supply chain and optimization market: “By acquiring i2 we double our addressable market in manufacturing to include discrete manufacturing, complementing our current market leadership in process manufacturing and strengthening our retail and transportation management presence. A major player in the supply chain for more than 20 years, i2’s world-class customers and employees are a perfect match for JDA. With the experience gained from the successful acquisition of Manugistics in 2006, the addition of i2 is comparatively an incremental and logical step for JDA.” Discrete manufacturing, in this case, refers to individual items such as automobiles or appliances. “In an industry that continues to consolidate, scale matters,” commented Pallab Chatterjee, i2’s CEO. “The combination of i2 and JDA increases the opportunity for expanded expertise, accelerated innovation, and even greater value delivery through the joining of some of the best solutions and brightest minds in the industry.” In the conference call announcing the merger, JDA management projected near-term savings of approximately $20 million, but clearly “macro” considerations came into play for the two companies. Most significantly, the twin giants of business software—Oracle and SAP—have added supply chain functionality to their software suites. Meanwhile, JDA’s core products address the high end of the retail market, and we all know how major retailers are doing these days. On the bright side, i2 recently settled its intellectual property law suit with SAP, receiving $83 million in cash.
With Fry Buy, Micros Flies into E-Commerce In an interesting move, Micros Systems (Columbia, MD) has purchased Fry, Inc. (Ann Arbor, MI), an e-commerce design, development, and managed service provider (MSP). One of the leading e-commerce solutions, Open Commerce Platform, was developed by Fry, which counts among its customers such retailers as Crate and Barrel, Eddie Bauer, Godiva, Meijer, and The Swiss Colony. Micros bought the stock in Fry for $31.3 million, assumed $18.4 million in debt, and agreed to pay selling Fry stockholders up to $17 million over the next 23 months if the company hits specific financial goals. “Adding Fry to the Micros portfolio enhances our ability to provide customers with advanced e-commerce solutions and technology necessary to operate retail Websites,” stated Tom Giannopoulos, Chairman/CEO of Micros Systems. “With Fry as part of our portfolio, we now have a suite of services in place through our Micros-Retail group to deliver the best cross-channel solutions, allowing our customers to reach consumers at any point where transactions may take place. While Fry has historically targeted the retail segment, its broad array of e-commerce services is applicable to all of the industries we serve.” The acquisition was effective on August 9, at which time Fry became part of the Micros-Retail Group. David Fry, Founder and CEO, will remain with the company as President and expects to add—not subtract—employees as a result of the large national and international footprint of Micros. On the MegaPath to PCI Compliance MegaPath (Costa Mesa, CA), which provides IP data, voice, and security services, has purchased IP Merchant Solutions (Miramar, FL) for an undisclosed amount, thereby entering the payment processing extranet business. “By providing MegaPath’s Site-to-Site MPLS VPN customers with the ability to easily access leading processors, we are simplifying their transaction management and delivering considerable cost savings,” offered James Cragg, President/COO at MegaPath. The Payment Processor Extranet service allows retail and hospitality customers to transmit transactions over MegaPath’s private MPLS (Multi-Protocol Label Switching) network, which then leverages a pair of redundant private connections between the customer’s MPLS VPN and major credit/debit/gift card and check processors in the U.S. Customers can connect to as many processors as their businesses require, and MegaPath provides discounts for implementing multiple connections. “As a long-time customer of MegaPath and IP Merchant Solutions, this acquisition promises to simplify our transaction processing,” predicted Dan Swofford, Retail Technology Products Manager for Unified Grocers, the wholesale grocery co-operative based in Southern California. “The MegaPath Payment Processor Extranet service removes the burden of managing processor connections and delivers increased cost savings that we could not achieve on our own."
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Worth Your While
RFID World 2008
CMP Technology
September 8-10
Las Vegas
VARTECH 2008
BlueStar
September 15-17
Orlando
EPC Connection
EPCglobal North America
October 14-16
Chicago
Self-Service Expo
KioskCom
October 15-16
New York
Impact Now
ScanSource
November 10-11
Orlando
COMPANY BUSINESS Where Intuit Will Go Intuit (Mountain View, CA) has outlined details of its “Connected Services” strategy, which seeks to address what the company describes as “the changing landscape” of the small business market. Starting this fall, Intuit will advance on three fronts by offering new online services that connect to its market-leading QuickBooks products, new software delivered in the Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model, and tools that connect users to each other within the Intuit small business network. More than 4 million small businesses currently use Intuit’s products and services, with 250,000 of them online. “This year, Intuit will offer products that solve even more important customer problems that go beyond accounting,” said Rick Jensen, SVP and GM of Intuit’s Small Business Group. “We’re finding new ways to solve problems, increasingly connecting customers to solutions. Those solutions may come from one of our products, or perhaps from a software developer who adds greater value to one of our products. And in some cases, we give customers a forum to help each other by sharing ideas.” Moving forward, Intuit will continue to fine-tune online services such as Intuit Payroll and Merchant Services, which leverage data within QuickBooks, while extending support for these services delivered on mobile devices. In addition, the QuickBooks Development Environment, launched in closed beta test last April, will be expanded for third-party developers of Web products. With the recent acquisition of Homestead (Menlo Park, CA), Intuit has moved into delivery of software and e-commerce services to small businesses to help them establish their presence on the Web, maintain and promote their Websites, and sell or market their products online. Also, QuickBooks Online, the company’s online accounting service, currently used by 130,000 small businesses, has been made available for the iPhone and will support Blackberry devices in the coming weeks. Finally, the recently announced Intuit Accountant Work Exchange allows accounting professionals to network with each other, and Intuit intends to increase the role of such information-sharing platforms. “As our strategy evolves, we remain committed to developing innovative products and services that are convenient and easy to use and which help small business owners become more productive every day,” continued Jensen. “We are embracing new technologies and inventing business models to help our customers achieve their dreams.”
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PARTNER PROGRAMS
Printer Service Partners “Rolled Out” at Intermec
Intermec (Everett, WA) has launched its Intermec Printer Service Partner (IPSP) program, designed to provide end-users with authorized printer service from Intermec Honours Partners. IPSP will enlist partners who have demonstrated expertise and excellence in serving the printer and media marketplace, according to the manufacturer, who announced the first 19 such resellers in North America. In addition to servicing the company’s printers, partners will be rewarded with new business opportunities and incentives on the back end.
“We are pleased to recognize and certify our valued partners who are fully committed to the printer market, and who maintain the highest level of technical adeptness regarding our printer solutions,” declared Earl Thompson, VP and GM of Printers & Media, Intermec Technologies. “The IPSP designation provides customers with the confidence that they are receiving superior, end-to-end Intermec printer sales, service, and support from their trusted, local provider.”
All IPSP members must complete Intermec’s printer certification process, including “rigorous training” on the company’s most popular fixed printer products. This designation signifies that these partners fully understand and support the fixed printer product market, and have proficiency in media applications. Each member is required to have Intermec-certified technicians on staff to provide Intermec Medallion services, including on-site and depot repair services. The program, launched initially in North America, will continue to roll out to select partners who meet the requirements in their respective regions. According to company officials, the new program dovetails with Intermec’s renewed emphasis on the channel, mandated by CEO Patrick Byrne.
Avnet at Your Service
Avnet Technology Solutions (Phoenix) has expanded its OneTech Managed Services to include remote monitoring and management, enabling its reseller partners to leverage their services portfolio and engage in more consultative relationships with their customers, according to the distributor. Three levels of support are offered: availability monitoring, which provides an entry point into managed services; preventative monitoring, designed to proactively monitor hundreds of components and detect problems before they impact performance; and comprehensive remote management, which supports partners’ customers with incident response and resolution, extensive reporting, and customized administration management.
“Remote monitoring and management offerings are a great way for partners to enter the fast-growing managed services market and increase their services revenue,” explained Jack Morris, VP of Services, Avnet Technology Solutions, Americas. “We developed our new offerings so partners can quickly add remote monitoring and management capabilities to their services line-up without capital investment or additional resources. Our partners will find that managed services enhance their relationships with customers and provide great opportunities for incremental projects.”
Avnet’s OneTech Remote Monitoring and Management Services provide 24x7 monitoring for five critical components: CPU, memory, disk space, network interfaces, and network unavailability, as well as alerts for problems. The services are designed to be flexible and are available for resellers supporting data centers located at the customers’ facilities and those that are outsourced.
Code
Corner
Xterprise (Dallas) announced a new suite of RFID-based solutions for specialty retail applications. Store Inventory Management, the initial offering of Clarity-ARS (Advanced Retail Solutions), leverages RFID and Microsoft technologies—including BizTalk Server 2006 R2, BizTalk RFID, and SQL Server—to enable store-wide inventory management and integrated security at the individual garment or item level, according to the developer, which was recently named Microsoft’s RFID Partner of the Year for 2008. By providing up-to-the-moment inventory visibility and control, Clarity-ARS automates many of the manually intensive store processes such as receiving and matching of merchandise, cycle counting, and restocking the sales floor from back-stock, according to Xterprise. The solution also greatly reduces out-of-stocks, missing items, and shrink while moving the retailer much closer to the “one touch” goal for store inventory management. Built on Microsoft’s scalable, service-oriented architecture (SOA) platform, Clarity integrates seamlessly to POS, back-office, and retail enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions. “RFID in retail has been the buzz for many years, yet actual implementations are few, and adoption of the technology has been slow,” conceded Dean Frew, Founder and CEO of Xterprise. “We have been quietly deploying item-level inventory systems over the last three years and are excited to announce Clarity-ARS, which provides a new level of lifecycle inventory management for retailers. We expect this to be the first of a number of retail products.”
HELLO GOODBYE
BlueStar Drafts New HP BDM
BlueStar (Florence, KY) has named Jerry Shively as its Business Development Manager for Hewlett-Packard. As BDM, Shively will manage the distributor’s channel marketing and business development efforts for Hewlett-Packard’s POS products in North America.
Shively joins BlueStar after 13 years with DAT/EM Systems International, the 3-D mapping software development company, where he served as International Sales Director. In that role, he built and managed the business development of the international reseller distribution channel throughout 60 countries, and was instrumental in improving sales revenues by 70% in three years.
“BlueStar is very pleased to have Jerry Shively join our team as Business Development Manager for HP,” said Mark Fraker, BlueStar VP of Marketing. “He has the experience and track record of building business through the reseller distribution channel and using new marketing techniques such as those in our Fusion program, allowing us to continue to achieve our growth goals.”
Jerry Shively, HP Business Development Manager, BlueStar
Star Deputizes Systems Sales Manager
Star Micronics America (Edison, NJ) has appointed James Prince to the position of Systems Sales Manager, with responsibility for key POS solution accounts in the U.S. Prince will report to Christine Duffy, National Sales Manager for Star Micronics America, and will be based in the company’s Dallas office. Prior to joining Star, Prince spent nine years within the small printer industry in various sales and management roles. Before entering the printer industry, he held sales management positions in the test and measurement industry.
“The appointment of James Prince to Star’s sales department further strengthens one of the most talented and experienced sales teams in the POS industry,” Duffy noted. “James’ strong OEM and regional manager experience is invaluable to the Star family. His role will enable him to be a true champion for our customers.”
Star has also announced its platinum sponsorship of BlueStar’s VARTECH 2008 Conference, scheduled for September 15-17 at the Loews Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando. Star will host the conference’s opening reception, three classroom sessions, and team-building outing, as well as showcasing its products in the CodeZone exhibition.
“The annual VARTECH conference and trade show continually proves to be one of the most successful shows that Star Micronics participates in,” observed Christophe Naasz, Director, Business Development. “The show has continued to expand and always proves to be an ideal environment for manufacturers and VARs to meet and generate new business.”
[Editor’s Note: Advanced registration for BlueStar’s VARTECH 2008 ends on Monday, August 25. For more information, or to register, click here.]
James Prince, Systems Sales Manager, Star Micronics America
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POS & Auto ID Distribution
BlueStar
Ingram Micro
POS & Peripherals
Bematech
Logic Controls
pcCashdrawer
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Data Collection Terminals
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Imaging and Mobility
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Technologies
ECRs / Touchscreens / Printers/
Parts and Supplies
CRS, Inc.
Receipt
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InfoTouch
Toshiba TEC
Screen Protection
3M
Optical Products
Thermal Printers
Seiko Instruments USA
Touchscreens
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INSTALLATIONS
These Tags Are Meant for Walkin’
Jones Apparel Group, the prominent supplier and retailer of apparel and accessories, will test the feasibility of item-level RFID in select locations of its Nine West women’s footwear chain. The pilot program will start this year in one or two locations in New York and will run for approximately six months, at which time the company will decide whether or not to proceed further into the technology. It seeks to explore the impact of EPC Gen 2 RFID in three areas: enhanced productivity, customer service, and inventory accuracy. It will also gauge item-level RFID system performance during peak business hours.
“We are eager to begin this test to explore the benefits that RFID can provide in our retail footwear locations,” shared Norm Veit, EVP, MIS at Jones. “RFID has interested us for some time, and we believe it has reached the point where launching a pilot program of this nature makes sense. We are also pleased to be working with chosen partners on this project, and we look forward to the support and expertise we are confident they will provide.”
Those partners and their contributions include: Vue Technology (Lake Forest, CA), RFID software and system management; Motorola’s Enterprise Mobility Business (Holtsville, NY), fixed and handled RFID readers and antennas; Avery Dennison (Pasadena, CA), RFID tags and printers; and InCode Wireless (Alpharetta, GA), installation and integration services along with RFID Sherpas (Wilmette, IL), which will perform operational and business case analysis. The apparel market appears to offer the best near-term hope for item-level RFID implementation, so this pilot will be watched closely.
Digital Signage Conquers Planet Hollywood
Interested in digital signage?
Stop by the new Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip to see the technology in all its glory. As the heart of its “video-centric” theme, the resort has festooned its space with LED large-screen systems, plasmas and LCD displays, projection systems, and an outdoor LED ribbon board than runs the entire length of the building. Panasonic Systems Integration (Secaucus, NJ) provided the hardware, content management software, and network design for the resort, which replaced the Aladdin and officially re-opened in November 2007.
The Planet Hollywood exterior, which sets the tone, features all of the following: 57-foot-high curved LED large-screen display, 180-foot-high pylon with back-to-back LED boards measuring 40 feet wide x 30 feet high, two additional curved LEDs, as well as the undulating ribbon display that stretches 600 feet and runs continuous text and graphics. Inside, digital signage greets the visitor from every direction. The casino area is outfitted with 200 Panasonic plasma displays mounted in a variety of portrait and landscape configurations, in addition to end-caps and ceiling-mounted projectors that display graphics on walls and facades. The Heart Bar features 32 Panasonic 65-inch plasma screens for watching sporting events. In the front lobby, 15 Panasonic plasma displays deliver promotional information. In the elevators, screens are mounted in the ceiling.
Panasonic’s NMstage (Network Media Stage) content management software drives the system, which employs 90 media players running off the central server. “Using this technology, we were able to create the kind of video-centric environment that owner of Planet Hollywood, Robert Earl, wanted,” commented Keith Hanak, Group Director, Panasonic Systems Integration. “NMstage is an advanced system that lets Planet Hollywood’s management schedule and deliver targeted messages in real time.” The central server also monitors all system components to ensure reliable performance and continuous operation. All in all, “the massive deployment of digital signage technologies” claimed by Hanak.
Planet Hollywood’s Signage Lights Up the Strip
Channel Factoid
Over half of small companies in the U.S. (53%) do not have an e-mail archiving system implemented within their organization. Among the reasons given: company is too small to need an archiving product (26%), they are not impacted by compliance regulations (21%), no budget (26%), and e-mails are stored on the mail server (23%). Among companies describing themselves as covered in this area, 35% are relying on end-users to maintain their own e-mail archives, while 35% use an in-house solution to archive e-mails, and 33% use tape back-ups. Tellingly, 47% have been required to search for an old or deleted e-mail for compliance purposes or internal inquiries. This survey was carried out by eMediaUSA on behalf of GFI Software, which develops e-mail archiving software.
CERTIFICATION
RedBeam Shines on CipherLab
CipherLab (Plano, TX) has announced that its 9400 Industrial Mobile Computer has achieved certification from RedBeam (Alpharetta, GA), one of the leading providers of barcode-based software solutions, and that the company is a full RedBeam Solution Partner. The CipherLab 9400 supports Microsoft Windows CE 5.0 and brings industry-leading features such as wireless communications, built-in digital camera, multi-form data input (touchscreen or keyboard), and the ability to read and write RFID tags. Certification ensures it integrates seamlessly with RedBeam Asset Tracking, Inventory Tracking, and Check In/Check Out.
“We’re highly selective about the hardware manufacturers we work with and we’re very pleased to have CipherLab as a RedBeam Solution Partner,” said David Bissonnette, President of RedBeam. “Certification offers our mutual customers a plug-and-play solution that’s extremely easy to install and use.”
“CipherLab is achieving another milestone by meeting RedBeam’s stringent certification requirements with the 9400, a product line specifically designed for the needs of the retail and logistics industries,” added Leslie Mesh, CipherLab’s SVP-The Americas. “Customers and resellers will find the 9400 excels in the most demanding environments, and when integrated with RedBeam’s products, offers a very powerful, yet easy-to-use and affordable solution.”
Vocollect Calls Upon Psion Teklogix
Psion Teklogix (Hebron, KY) has become one of Vocollect’s Voice Total Solution Providers, cementing the long-standing relationship between the two companies. Psion Teklogix is now trained and certified to offer Vocollect Voice products, professional services, and support worldwide to help customers and partners benefit from voice-driven technology. Psion Teklogix also serves as Master Value-Added Reseller for Vocollect, partnering with small-to-midsized warehouse management system (WMS) providers to supply voice solutions through its reseller network.
“Our customers can leverage our Total Solution Provider status to bring the most complete and affordable Vocollect Voice-enabled WMS to a larger number of businesses worldwide,” reported Mike McGuriman, VP of Voice Solutions for Psion Teklogix.
TekSpeech, Psion Teklogix’s Vocollect Voice-based solution, bundles hardware, software, and professional services to facilitate implementation in warehouse environments. It utilizes the Workabout Pro G2 rugged mobile data terminal, which combines scanning and speech recognition in one device. In addition, TekSpeech features Speech Process Analyzer software that allows customers to optimize the performance of warehouse workers. Since 2004, Psion Teklogix has partnered with Vocollect (Pittsburgh, PA) to deliver solutions to more than 150 organizations worldwide.
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