This Week’s Product Pick

Primera Technology (Plymouth, MN) has shipped its new PX450 Color Printer, targeted for use in POS and Point of Issue environments calling for the printing of coupons, receipts, tickets, name badges, and wristbands with narrow-format output. Print times are among the fastest of any full-color POS printer, according to the company, with the PX450 producing the typical 4 in. x 2.5 in. coupon in just five seconds. A standard USB interface port is provided for use with the accompanying Windows XP/Vista and Mac OS 10.2 or higher print drivers. Supplies include drop-in paper or label roll and snap-in tricolor ink cartridge. Paper widths are flexible, with minimum width of 1 inch and maximum width of 4.25 inches. In addition, the built-in guillotine cutter allows forms of any length to be printed, cut, and dispensed with clean, finished edges instead of perforations. “Until now, there were almost no options for full-color printing of narrow-format output at Point of Sale or Point of Issue,” said Mark Strobel, Primera’s VP of Sales and Marketing. “PX450 allows our customers to enjoy the benefits of full-color output at a reasonable price. Its fast print speeds won’t slow down checkout lines, registration desks, or admission counters.” PX450 sells for an MSRP of $1,495, with significant quantity discounts available, said Primera.

PX450 Full-Color Printer from Primera Technology

Worth Your While

HITEC 2009
Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals
June 22-25
Anaheim, CA

RetailNow 2009
Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA)
July 11-16
Las Vegas

VARTECH 2009
BlueStar
August 13-15         
Nashville, TN

2009 APICS International Conference & Expo
Association for Operations Management
October 4-6
Toronto

BAI Retail Delivery Conference & Expo
Bank Administration Institute
November 3-5
Boston

Synergy 2009 Customer Conference
Retalix
November 8-11
Dallas

ALL IN THE FAMILY

Datalogic Strengthens Gryphon

Datalogic Scanning (Eugene, OR) introduced its Gryphon GM4100 cordless linear imager designed with new features for retail and light industrial applications. The new device, which carries an IP42 environmental rating, achieves reading speeds of 325 scans per second, and radio range of 30 m/99 ft. for 433 MHz and up to 15 m/50 ft. for 910 MHz. Both point-to-point and point-to-multipoint connectivity are supported by the Datalogic STAR Cordless System.

Users now enjoy two-way communications with the host computer through the scanner’s three-button keypad and graphic display, according to the vendor. Together with the recently introduced two-position base station, the GM4100 provides practically continuous productivity with its “Scan-While-Charging” hands-free scanning capability. The GM4100 also works in batch mode, retaining up to 1,200 scanner bar codes when scanning outside the radio range. As an added benefit, its “Leash Mode” audible signal and “Find Me” paging button offers investment protection.

“Over the course of the past 10 years, Datalogic Scanning has invested heavily in the development of a complete family of cordless products to extend our customers’ mobility in comparison to the use of traditional tethered devices,” stated Giulio Berzuini, VP of EMEA Sales and Marketing. “Now we are very excited to announce the new Gryphon GM4100 imager, which will enhance our winning position in cordless scanning.”

Gryphon GM4100 Cordless Imager from Datalogic Scanning

A Wake-Up Call from NEC

NEC Unified Solutions (Irving, TX) has armed its Univerge UA5200 Attendant Console with its new module specifically designed for the hospitality industry. The new module tightly integrates the hotel’s communications services with its property management system (PMS) to better manage guest data. It also enhances capabilities for wake-up calls, guest messaging, and updating property information for attendants, according to NEC.

“Guests want to know that their every need will be met and hoteliers want to keep their guests coming back,” noted Jay Krauser, GM, Portfolio Management, NEC Unified Solutions. “By providing integration into the PMS, hotel employees using the Univerge UA5200 Attendant Console can more quickly assist guests with wake-up calls and messaging while monitoring current information that could impact their guests.”

The Las Vegas Hilton recently deployed the Univerge UA5200 as the property’s primary solution for centralized hotel operator services. When guests contact an operator from their rooms, the attendant sees the full view of available services and offerings as well as historical information about the caller based on the solution’s integration with the hotel property’s PMS. The overall result is an enhanced guest experience that otherwise could not have been achieved, according to Hilton.

Communications Tied to the Hotel’s Property Management System

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STARTS & STOPS

NCR:  Now or Never for 2ST License

NCR Corporation (Dayton, OH) will end the market-building phase of its two-sided thermal printing technology, or 2ST, licensing program on December 1, 2009. Companies that enter into the 2ST intellectual property (IP) license by that date will receive the favorable terms now offered. After that date, 2ST IP licenses will be offered on “significantly higher terms, if they are offered at all,” said the company.

NCR’s patented 2ST printing technology seeks to improve the efficiency of the printing process by allowing simultaneous printing on both the front and back sides of receipts, labels, or other media. By printing on both the front and back side, 2ST printing also provides significant environmental benefits by using as much as 45% less paper. The adoption rate of 2ST is growing, according to NCR, which estimated that 2009 2ST printer installations are on track to more than double the current installed base.

“The value of 2ST printing has been clearly validated by continued customer adoption and industry recognition, such as NCR’s customer, Sainsburys, winning the 2008 European Retail Solutions Award for Best Green IT Initiative,” remarked Dan Bogan, SVP and GM, NCR Consumables Solutions.

Two-Sided Thermal Printing from NCR

Can Pitney Bowes Make RDC Click?

Jack Henry & Associates (Monett, MO), one of the leading providers of technology solutions and data processing services for financial institutions, has announced an initiative between its ProfitStars Division and Pitney Bowes (Stamford, CT) that should facilitate the sale, installation, and support of ProfitStars’ remote deposit capture (RDC) solution. The new offering, dubbed Click Deposit, will be marketed to Pitney Bowes’ large base of postal meter users. For one price, users will be able to scan checks automatically, balance deposits, enter any missing information and make necessary MICR repairs, and send the funds to their financial institution. Pitney Bowes helped to revolutionize mailing by enabling businesses to buy postage online, and now hopes to do the same for the check payment process.

Commented Rob Goldberg, VP of Global Strategy and Development for Pitney Bowes, “We chose ProfitStars based on the richness of its platforms and we believe that we have established an outstanding, mutually beneficial partnership. We expect our combined solution to solve the problem that exists in the market with businesses that are not taking advantage of RDC.”

Click Deposit provides instant visual records of all deposited checks, expedites funds availability, and provides seamless links to accounting systems such as QuickBooks. “Our turn-key approach will help diverse financial institutions increase deposits and deploy remote deposit capture to business customers without sales, installation, hardware, or support costs,” maintained David Foss, President of ProfitStars. “At a time when businesses are aggressively looking for ways to maximize their limited resources and improve operating efficiencies, we expect the competitively distinct Click Deposit solution will be especially attractive.”

Code Corner

Kaseya (San Francisco), one of the leading providers of IT automation software for solution providers and corporate users, has released Kaseya 6, the newest version of its IT automation framework. Kaseya 6 delivers powerful new capabilities for automating remote management and control functionality, according to the UK-based developer. Its new User Interface, with Web 2.0 look, provides easier navigation for increased productivity and functionality. An ITIL-Based Service Desk delivers advanced workflow capabilities for incidents, problems, and changes involving not only physical assets but people and financial resources as well. Live Connect, “the new paradigm for working with remote systems without the need to remote control the computer,” provides command line, registry, file, performance, log, and remote desktop quickly and seamlessly. Expanded scheduling capabilities throughout Kaseya 6 help meet the demand for increased automation, with new options for time and day periodic scheduling along with load balancing of tasks. Finally, as the most important platform for most of its users, Kaseya 6 provides the basis for scalability and extensibility, through APIs and Web Services, which will allow users to create add-ons and augmentations so they can extend the management of their entire IT environment from one Kaseya platform. “Customers who provide managed services using our platform will be able to offer more services more efficiently and make more profit,” suggested Gerald Blackie, CEO of Kaseya. “It’s small-to-medium-sized business and corporate customers who will see the greatest benefit. Kaseya 6 enables them to automate and streamline menial, repetitive IT tasks in ways they never thought possible.”

MILESTONES

North Country Expands into Chicago

North Country Business Products (Bemidji, MN), the largest NCR retail reseller in the U.S., will expand into the Chicago metro area following its acquisition of the grocery POS division of Merchants Solutions (Hillside, IL). Merchants Solutions, which also focuses on hospitality and specialty retail, will drop NCR from its line card. To kick things off, North Country Business Products and NCR are inviting retailers from Chicago and surrounding areas to attend their joint reception and technology fair scheduled for June 9.

“With our unmatched service and support, as well as superior products, NCBP is well-positioned to meet the ever-changing demands of current and future customers,” declared Dean Crotty, President of North Country Business Products. “In addition, we are very excited that the employees dedicated to the Merchants grocery division have joined the rest of our 220-plus employee-owners.”

Established in 1948, NCBP is 100% employee owned with 15 locations in 11 states. “Because of their long record of success, as well as their experience and knowledge, we’re confident NCBP will provide the highest quality of service for our mutual customers,” observed Brad Tracy, NCR VP for Retail Channel Sales. “We also look forward to working with NCBP to further expand the base of customers for NCR solutions throughout the area.”

Dean Crotty, President, North Country Business Products

Change in Leadership at Mercury

Mercury Payment Systems (Durango, CO) announced that Founder and CEO Marc Katz will step down from daily operations effective June 1. He will assume the position of Chairman of the Board and will also remain involved with the payment processor in a consultative role. The Mercury Board of Directors has named Matt Taylor, currently COO, as the company’s next CEO. Taylor joined Mercury in 2003, and has since held numerous key roles.

“Mercury continues to grow because we have never wavered from our mission to create competitive advantages for POS developers and their sales channels,” Taylor stated. “We started by integrating our payment processing technology into POS systems for free. Our partnerships with POS developers and resellers enable easy and more reliable payment processing solutions for merchants.”

Founded in 2001 by Katz and his brother, Jeffrey, Mercury now has more than 300 employees with locations in Durango, Denver, and across the U.S. and Canada. “Mercury has never been stronger,” Katz said. “This transition has been over a year in the making, and I have complete faith that Matt and our management team will take the company to the next level.”

Marc Katz	Matt Taylor

Key Advertiser Links

Be sure to visit these vendors for the latest in channel products and offers for resellers.

POS & Auto ID Distribution
BlueStar
M-S Cash Drawer

POS & Peripherals
Aures Technologies
FEC USA
Logic Controls
Pioneer POS
POS-X
Touch Dynamic

Barcode & Mobile Printers
Datamax-O'Neil

Cash Drawers
MMF Cash Drawer

Data Collection Terminals
CipherLab
Datalogic Mobile
Janam Technologies
Motorola

Integrated Payment Solutions
Datacap Systems

Payment Engine Solutions
Precidia Technologies

Receipt Printers
Star Micronics

Retail Software
Logivision

Screen Protection
3M Optical Filters

Thermal Printers
Seiko Instruments USA

Video Surveillance & Access Control
ScanSource Security

INTEGRATION

HID Seeks Card Convergence

HID Global (Irvine, CA) announced that its iCLASS secure contactless technology for identification and physical access control has been successfully combined with Inside Contactless’ MicroPass contactless payment platform featuring Visa PayWave capability. This represents the industry’s first converged card solution that incorporates identity and access control with payments, according to the two parties. “A solution that is at the forefront of things to come as convergence becomes commonplace,” in the words of Mark Scaparro, SVP, Identification Solutions for HID.

The new system recently underwent pilot test by U.S. Bank in Minneapolis. Users were able to make purchases using U.S. Bank’s AccelaPay Visa Card, its prepaid payroll account, then turn around and present the same card for physical access to their building or facility. Support for the installation was supplied by HID’s 13.56-MHz iCLASS technology, which includes smart cards and readers.

“With its multi-application capability, the MicroPass platform is the ideal converged solution for organizations with corporate and campus environments looking to simplify their payment and access control schemes,” offered Charles Walton, EVP of Payments at Inside Contactless (Redwood City, CA). “Not only does this solution make it possible to combine ID and access control applications with Visa PayWave contactless payments, it does it in a convenient and user-friendly format that is compelling to our customer base.”

Combining Access Control and Payments in One Contactless Card

Hand-in-Hand Material Handling

In an attempt to create the leader in automated material handling, Intelligrated (Cincinnati) will purchase the North and South American operations of FKI Logistex (St. Louis) from Melrose plc, the UK-based specialist manufacturing investment group. The combined company will supply and service products such as brand loop sorters, brand palletizers, and real-time fulfillment systems traditionally offered by both Intelligrated and FKI Logistex (with brand names such as Crisplant and Alvey). Target markets include warehouse, distribution, postal, and consumer goods manufacturing.

“This exciting agreement brings together the talent and innovation of two market-leading companies that offer complementary material handling solutions and shared focus on customer relationships,” said Christopher Cole, CEO and Co-Founder of Intelligrated, which is privately owned by Gryphon Investors.

Added Stephen Ackerman, President of FKI Logistex, who will continue in an executive leadership role in the combined company:  “This agreement signals a new era for us all, bringing together our respective resources, technologies, and expertise, and becoming the leading single-point provider of automated material handling solutions. Importantly, our customers will remain our top priority as we seek to execute this seamless transition.”

Christopher Cole, CEO, Intelligrated

Channel Factoid

The global market for RFID can be expected to grow approximately 11% this year, to $4.4 billion, after reaching nearly $4 billion in 2008. Demand for RFID solutions softened in Q4 2008, continued to contract in Q1 2009, and the next two quarters will present more challenges to suppliers and their channel partners, said VDC Research in the Sixth Edition of its RFID Business Planning Service. But the supplier community expects market stabilization during the next six months and return to growth as early as Q4 this year. “Even though the total global RFID market grew nearly 35% from 2007 to 2008, approaching $4 billion, it’s not recession-proof,” reported Drew Nathanson, RFID Practice Director at VDC. “The good news is that the market will still grow and should rebound in early/mid 2010.” For 2010, the total global market should touch $5.1 billion, according to the research group, which predicts the eventual return to historical RFID growth rates of 30% by 2013.

INSTALLATIONS

A Haul of Used POS Gear for DataMax

Here’s something different. Instead of selling POS hardware, DataMax System Solutions (Boca Raton, FL) has bought 40 tractor-trailers worth of it. The haul became available following Mervyns' bankruptcy liquidation and subsequent closing of 176 department stores. It includes current-model NCR POS terminals, Motorola data collection devices, Ingenico payment terminals, Monarch printers, and other store system equipment, according to the new owner.

 “There is significant demand for high-quality refurbished Point of Sale equipment and, as a result, DataMax has become one of the largest buyers of surplus POS equipment in the country,” noted Elliott Wallace, President/CEO. “We are able to provide this equipment to our customers at substantially reduced prices--prices that would be unheard of in a normal economy.”

After delivery to DataMax’s technical facility, all of the equipment will be disassembled down to the component level and thoroughly cleaned and painted, if necessary. Components will be reassembled, tested, and properly packed for shipment. All refurbished POS equipment DataMax sells is guaranteed to manufacturer’s maintenance, the company pledges, and extended warranties are available.

Bankruptcy Leaves 40 Tractor-Trailers Worth of Store System Equipment