This Week’s Product Pick
Intermec (Everett, WA) announced that its CN3 mobile computer will ship with Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1. This upgrade will provide users with features such as enhanced virtual memory, increased application speed, and faster boot-up times, according to the company. The O/S also boasts an improved user interface with increased performance and stability. Users of the CN3 with Windows Mobile 6.1 can also take advantage of the Microsoft System Center Mobile Device Manager to improve control for mobile system and application management. Using administrator-driven management policies, Mobile Device Manager enhances on-device security, making it easy to provision, configure, and deploy devices while giving mobile employees access to confidential information on corporate networks with firewalls. “Over the past year, we have expanded our end-to-end enterprise solutions by introducing Windows Mobile 6.1 and Mobile Device Manager,” said Grace Ho, Director at Microsoft. “We are pleased to work with Intermec and believe the CN3 will empower mobile workers with the highest degree of performance and manageability available in a ruggedized device.”
Intermec’s CN3 Mobile Computer
COMPANY BUSINESS HP Targets SMB with rp3000 Hewlett-Packard (Palo Alto, CA) has unveiled its new POS solution optimized for the SMB market, the HP rp3000. The new terminal starts shipping this month, both through HP’s resellers and its distributors, and features an aggressive price point of $1,600 in some combinations of platforms and peripherals. “In the past 18 months or so, we’ve built the foundation to really go after the small business segment,” noted Tate Davis, Product Manager for HP’s POS Business in North America. “We feel the channel is HP’s core competency and the only way we’re going to reach those retailers with 50 stores or less.” The terminal has been designed “from the ground up” to address retail requirements, and builds upon the success of the high-end HP rp5700, according to the company. It features the low-power and low-heat Intel Atom processor, durable steel chassis, and the capability of operating in high temperature environments without additional external cooling. Only two power outlets are needed per system, including power for the monitor and all peripherals, with powered serial and USB ports standard to eliminate cable clutter and color-coded I/O ports to simplify set-up. The solution’s space-saving form factor maximizes counter space and its clean back panel and integration tray offer “the sleek, pulled together look” for customers. “We’re moving quickly to build out our network of ISVs,” Davis said in our telephone interview, “from the big boys like Oracle, Microsoft, and Intuit to the very important smaller players down at the vertical market level. We’re trying to make it very easy and simple, both for the reseller and for the merchant. Being able to shrink-wrap and package the solution through distribution, we see as very powerful.” The rp3000 ships with Windows Vista Business with downgrade to Windows XP Professional, as well as FreeDos. As part of the launch, HP has expanded the family of POS peripherals to include receipt printers with higher functionality, keyboard with integrated credit card reader, customer pole display, and free-standing credit card reader. In the area of payment processing, HP’s relationship with First Data will be extended to the rp3000, with more announcements expected shortly in this arena. In addition, an HP ISV Certification Program is in the works. “You get the very aggressive price point, designed for retail, then you get the power of the HP brand behind that, with our three-year warranty and service support,” emphasized Davis. “The channel is absolutely critical for HP’s growth. And with the rp3000, we really feel we’re giving POS resellers something they can wrap their expertise around.”
Zebra Revamps PartnersFirst Zebra Technologies (Vernon Hills, IL) has made major enhancements to its popular PartnersFirst channel program, including new resources such as eLearning modules, demand generation tools, and access to the “Chart Your Own Course” (CYOC) business planning tool. The new changes also integrate card printer resellers into the Zebra partner program with all financial benefits, sales enablement resources, and marketing support. Under the CYOC program, piloted last year with select partners, Zebra will work with the reseller to map out an individual strategic plan to grow their business. Zebra partners that have taken advantage of this program have seen an average of 30% growth in overall revenues with Zebra, double that of partners that did not participate, according to the vendor. Zebra will roll this tool out to other geographies over the next few months. In addition, an exclusive portal has also been launched for PartnersFirst resellers, facilitating access to resources such as order information, lead tracking, selection of consumables, training programs, and collaboration opportunities. “Our partners are a critical component to Zebra’s success so it is essential for us to continually enhance and evolve PartnersFirst to address changing market conditions and to meet the needs of our partners,” observed Michelle Kabele, Senior Manager, Channel Programs and Marketing. “These recent enhancements allow us to deliver new methods and new markets to our partners to ensure they have every resource available to grow and expand their business.”
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Worth Your While
VARTECH 2008
BlueStar
September 15-17
Orlando
Poll-A-Rama III
Tri-Technical Systems
September 30-October 1
Dubuque, IA
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
NRF Annual Convention & Expo
National Retail Federation
January 11-14, 2009
New York
Inspire 2009
Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA)
January 18-21, 2009
Aruba Marriott Resort
INTEGRATION This ISV Checks Your ID A leading POS ISV, pcAmerica (Pearl River, NY) has added age verification to its retail solution, courtesy of Honeywell/Metrologic’s EasyID software plug-in. EasyID parses barcode data found on government-issued identification cards for applications involving age verification or automatic electronic form population at the scanner level, eliminating the need for host system software to process the encoded information. This age-verification functionality has been incorporated into Cash Register Express (CRE) and Restaurant Pro Express (RPE) from pcAmerica. CRE addresses retail environments such as convenience, liquor, and grocery stores. When an age-restricted product get scanned using an EasyID-enabled scanner such as the MS7580 Genesis and MS1690 Focus, the software will prompt the cashier to scan the customer’s ID. The monitor then displays an “ID Accepted” or “ID Rejected” message, depending on the customer’s date of birth. CRE prevents the sale in the case of “ID Rejected” status. RPE software provides similar checks for bars, nightclubs, and restaurants. Through automatic electronic form population, either system can quickly collect customer information for marketing and loyalty programs. “We are proud that our relationship with pcAmerica has resulted in the development of a complete age-verification solution,” stated Darius Adamczyk, President of Honeywell Imaging and Mobility (Blackwood, NJ). “We invite our customers to experience the intuitive age-verification process that this complete solution delivers.”
The Buzz on BizTalk We’ve excerpted these remarks by Oliver Sharp, GM of the BizTalk Server Group at Microsoft (Redmond, WA), on progress and plans for the next version of the product, BizTalk Server 2009. Sharp also noted that his goal is to provide a BizTalk Server release approximately every two years, plus additional interim releases of service packs as appropriate. All in the name of “Real World SOA.” “The next upcoming release of BizTalk Server was announced previously, and I’m happy to say that it’s on track for availability in the first half of calendar year 2009. We’ve already delivered a first community technology preview (CTP) to select customers, and they’re giving us great feedback, and we plan on doing another broader CTP later this calendar year. We’ll use this broad feedback from customers and partners to help us validate the features and readiness of the product.” “We have also updated the name of the next version from BizTalk Server 2006 R3 to BizTalk Server 2009. BizTalk Server 2009 will be a full release of the product. It delivers a full upgrade to enable customers to take advantage of the latest platform wave (delivered through Windows Server 2008, Visual Studio 2008, SQL Server 2008, .NET Framework 3.5). In particular, the platform updates enable greater scalability and reliability, the new Hyper-V virtualization support, and many advances in the latest developer tools.” “BizTalk Server 2009 also delivers some of the top features that have been requested by our customers, including the new UDDI V3-compliant services registry, new and enhanced line-of-business (LOB) adapters (Oracle E-Business Suite, SQL Server), enhanced host systems integration, new Mobile RFID platform and management tools, enhanced B2B capabilities, enhanced developer and team productivity through application lifecycle management (ALM) integration with Team Foundation System and Visual Studio, and the new release of Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) Guidance 2.0 patterns and practices.”
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STARTS & STOPS
RTE Gets Clever
Retail Technology Experts (RTE) has purchased Clever Computing, Inc. (Minneapolis), the Retail Pro Master Platinum Reseller and Microsoft Dynamics RMS Partner. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Clever Computing has provided POS software solutions to retailers in the Midwest since 1989 and currently supports over 200 clients and 500 locations.
“We are looking forward to integrating the Minneapolis team into RTE,” shared Mahendran Ramanathan, President of Retail Technology Experts (Miami Lakes, FL). “The combined expertise of the two teams will allow us to expand nationally and better service our clients. This acquisition also moves us closer to becoming a national player in the retail technology industry.”
Retail Technology Experts also serves as Retail Pro Master Platinum Business Partner and has been named to the 2008 Microsoft Dynamics President’s Club. RTE, which changed its name from Business Automation Consultants, started its expansion efforts earlier this year by buying Retailer INC (Columbus, OH), the 2007 Microsoft Dynamics RMS Partner of the Year.
Avalanche Loaded by Datalogic Mobile
Datalogic Mobile (Eugene, OR) will pre-license Wavelink’s emulation and management software, load it into its mobile devices, and ship the devices at no additional cost to its customers. This marks the first time that one of the major mobile device manufacturers is shipping devices with a pre-licensed management solution, according to the vendor.
“In looking to provide additional value to all our customers with key applications already installed, integrated, and licensed, it was only natural that we would partner with the industry leader in device management,” declared Francesco Montanari, VP and GM of Datalogic Mobile. Wavelink Avalanche will come pre-licensed on all Datalogic Windows CE devices, while Wavelink Emulators will be pre-licensed on select models and pre-loaded on all other devices. In addition, Datalogic Mobile customers will receive technical support for Wavelink applications as part of their standard support agreements.
“When Datalogic Mobile customers purchase mobile devices they are now ready to manage those devices right out of the box to increase productivity and efficiency,” promised Lamar Van Wagenen, President of Wavelink (Midvale, UT).
Code
Corner
Openbravo (Cambridge, MA) has offered Version 2.20 of its open-source POS software. Available in twelve language packs, this new release includes improved tax functionality, new customer invoicing features, and simpler installation, according to the developer. As well as running in one-off single POS deployments, Openbravo POS 2.20 is integrated to run as a single combined offering with Openbravo ERP. Openbravo has also updated its installer packages in Version 2.20 to handle Microsoft Windows, the Ubuntu Linux-based O/S, and Novell’s SUSE Linux. Openbravo POS 2.20 also brings updates to the latest versions of third-party report engines such as JasperReports and supporting libraries such as Barcode4J, the software application that generates barcodes in the Java programming language. “The pace at which we are able to release ten new language packs and this range of new features and functionality reflects the strength of our community base and the number of contributors on Openbravo’s projects,” observed Paolo Juvara, Chief Products Officer. “As our retail solution gathers momentum we will continue to work with our community to consistently deliver features to help the retailers and businesses that rely on our software to have the most functionality and the best user experience.”
HELLO GOODBYE
BlueStar Welcomes European Sales Director
BlueStar (Florence, KY) has appointed Martin Kirmis to the position of Sales Director of BlueStar Europe, its new subsidiary located just north of Frankfurt, Germany. Before joining BlueStar, Kirmis served as the Channel Sales Manager for Honeywell Imaging and Mobility for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, in addition to holding previous sales and product management positions for IT distribution organizations.
“Bringing Martin Kirmis on board will help BlueStar grow and expand its business in the European marketplace,” commented Alexander Stahl, President of BlueStar Europe. “BlueStar has an excellent reputation as a distributor, and we will live up to that here in Europe.”
Observed Kirmis: “The POS and AIDC markets are currently changing in their channel structure. It is my goal to fully support our resellers in these new structures. I am excited about the opportunity to work for a worldwide leading company such as BlueStar.”
Martin Kirmis, Sales Director, BlueStar Europe
Datalogic Mobile Designates VP of Sales & Marketing
Datalogic Mobile (Eugene, OR) has selected Gary Glaser for the position of VP of Sales & Marketing for the Americas. For the last five years, Glaser has served as Director of Sales for Latin America at Datalogic Scanning. In making the announcement, Datalogic pointed to Glaser’s extensive experience in the AIDC industry, connections with resellers throughout the Americas, and language skills.
“We are very excited to have Gary join our staff,” said Gian Paolo Fedrigo, CEO of Datalogic Mobile. “It is great to find someone within the Datalogic family of companies that can take on this very important role. As Datalogic Mobile continues to grow, we need to find people who can lead this organization with growth in mind. Gary is that type of person.”
“We are fueling growth on both continents,” added Francesco Montanari, VP and GM of Datalogic Mobile. “Gary has the knowledge and personal market experience to boost Datalogic Mobile’s growth in the Americas.”
Gary Glaser, VP of Sales & Marketing for the Americas, Datalogic Mobile
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
ScanSource
POS & Peripherals
Bematech
Logic Controls
pcCashdrawer
POS-X
Barcode Printers
Wasp Barcode Technologies
Data Collection Terminals
CipherLab
Datalogic
Mobile
Honeywell
Imaging and Mobility
Janam
Technologies
ECRs / Touchscreens / Printers/
Parts and Supplies
CRS, Inc.
Receipt
Printers
Citizen Systems America
Star Micronics
Retail Software
InfoTouch
Logivision
Screen Protection
3M
Optical Products
Thermal Printers
Seiko Instruments USA
Touchscreens
FireBox Displays
ENVIRONMENTS/PLATFORMS
No Need for Compliance?
Element Payment Services (Phoenix) has launched “Hosted Payments,” its payment processing solution that removes software vendors from the scope of looming Payment Application Data Security Standards (PA-DSS and PABP), by shifting the responsibility of handling sensitive cardholder data to Element. The solution was developed for software application vendors that sell, distribute, or license applications that facilitate electronic payments. By October 1, remember, newly boarded Level 3 and Level 4 merchants must be PCI DSS-compliant or use PA-DSS (PABP)-compliant software.
“Our innovative Hosted Payments solution offers software vendors an alternative to PA-DSS (PABP) compliance that alleviates their cost burden, reduces their risk, and enables them to give their customers a completely secure, reliable payment application,” stated Sean Kramer, CEO of Element. Hosted Payments integrates with Element’s PCI DSS-compliant Express Processing Platform and is offered in versions for distributed applications as well as Web-based software applications, according to the company.
Element brings its integrated transaction processing solutions to merchants both directly and through partnerships with business management software providers. Based on Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA), Element’s Express Processing Platform supports credit and debit card, ACH, and check solutions. It processes $4 billion in annual transaction volume and utilizes Hypercom’s Smart Payments Server.
Dialing for Dollars at Mercury
Mercury Payment Systems (Durango, CO) has extended its Mercury Stand-In payments authorization platform to include dial processing. The service, introduced in 2004 for IP processing, guarantees uninterrupted credit card transactions in the event of an authorization network outage for merchants processing payments with Mercury. If an outage occurs, Mercury turns on the service and approves and guarantees all credit transactions within the merchant’s floor limit.
“Not being able to take card payments during an outage can be financially devastating for any merchant,” said Steve Wilson, Mercury’s VP of Merchant Sales. “Mercury is excited to offer reliable, ‘always-on’ payment processing for both IP and dial customers through our unique Stand-In service.”
At the recent RSPA Show in Las Vegas, Mercury made available its new instant notification system, Mercury Alerts, which helps partners detect and prevent merchant processing irregularities “that can lead to bigger problems, such as missed batches,” according to the company. Resellers can choose to be notified about batch close, purchase, return, percentage keyed, and idle time. These settings can apply to individual merchants or an entire group. If the limit is exceeded in any chosen category, an e-mail will be sent alerting everyone designated on the account. After one week of using Mercury Alerts, POS dealership Delaware Business Systems (New Castle, DE) corrected 10 merchant processing issues, saved merchants thousands of dollars in processing fees, and deposited over $70,000 in unclaimed funds, reported Mercury.
Channel Factoid
Businesses in the U.S. will spend roughly $11.6 billion on mobile applications by 2012, compared to an estimated $4.9 billion this year. This market is poised for double-digit annual growth over the next five years, driven by the increasing number of remote and telecommuting employees, the movement in “open mobile devices,” and the explosion (figurative, we hope) of new and emerging free and fee-based mobile applications available for download. Good news for VARs: $6.3 billion will be spent on mobile applications by the SMB market by 2012, according to this new research by Compass Intelligence.
MILESTONES
Sausilito: Ground Zero for RFID
A new association has been formed to further the cause of RFID, with market education and discussion about security and privacy issues at the top of its immediate agenda. The RFID Security Alliance (Sausilito, CA) counts 10 companies as founding members: Awid, GraniteKey, Mikoh Corporation, NeoCatena Networks, QLM Consulting, SecureRF Corporation, Sensitel, Sybase, Veratag, and Verayo. It has issued an invitation for membership to firms with “substantial business” in providing RFID or security hardware, software, and services, in addition to interested law firms, accounting firms, and educational institutions.
“Founding members of the RFID Security Alliance all share the common vision of implementing RFID applications with the appropriate level of security and privacy, balancing risk and cost,” announced Mike Ahmadi, Chairman of the RFIDSA and COO of GraniteKey (San Francisco). “We want others to realize that security and privacy are functions that can successfully be part of an RFID solution, and that should be considered during the design process, not after.”
Going forward, the group intends to develop metrics that can be used to establish common terminology concerning security and privacy topics within the industry. It also hopes to develop and demonstrate RFID security threat assessment models, monitor and promote legislative efforts in this area, and provide resources to help members in RFID development and implementation. Interested parties can learn more by visiting www.RFIDSA.com.
Casio Names ECR Dealer of the Year
BlueStar Canada (Montreal) has announced that Lirette, Inc, one of its resellers, was chosen as “2007 ECR Dealer of the Year for North America” by Casio. The award was presented at the recent RSPA Show in Las Vegas, where Casio held its national dealers conference. Established in 1965, Lirette, a family-operated business, became one of the pioneers in Quebec in the sale of cash registers and POS.
“We are honored to receive this award from Casio,” said Richard Lirette, VP of Marketing. “We have been selling Casio’s ECR for 20 years, and are thrilled to see our efforts publicly recognized. I would like to seize this opportunity to thank our Casio distributor, BlueStar Canada, and specifically our Account Executive, Mathieu Piche, for his support and service throughout the years.”
“I am very pleased to announce that Lirette, Inc. has put forth its best in order to raise Casio sales for the year, and I am thrilled to see the company’s efforts and hard work rewarded,” added David Sebbag, Business Development Manager for Casio at BlueStar Canada.
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