Michael Kachmar, Editor
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This Week’s Product Pick
Tatung Company of America (Long Beach, CA) unveiled its new line of TriView 32-inch (TLM-3201) and 42-inch (TLM-4201) High-Definition/1080-Pixel LCD monitors. Described as commercial grade, the new LCD monitors offer multiple inputs for various signal sources. With contrast ratio of 2500:1, the monitors are compatible with megapixel camera applications and are fully made of metal for durable and long-lasting shelf life. “Tatung is seeing extensive interest across all vertical markets for these products,” reported Richard Becker, East Coast Sales Manager for Tatung Company of America. “Demand for FHD (Full High Definition) and megapixel technology is increasing rapidly in everything from video surveillance to high-resolution imaging. We believe growth for these products will last through 2010.” Tatung has also launched its TriView “Top of the Line” X-Series. The new monitor provides best-in-class technology, according to the company. Features include 600 TVL, two composite BNC inputs, S-Video and DVI-I Input, Anti-Reflection Glass, 3D Comb Filter, 3D Video De-Interlaced, Dramatic Noise Reduction (DNR), Color Transient Improvement (CTI), Picture Freeze, and 1000:1 contrast ratio. The X-Series comes in three sizes: 15, 17, and 19 inches.
TriView 32” Full HD LCD Monitor from Tatung
MARKET WATCH RRN.Com Executive Interview Series Chatting with Steve Cuntz, President/CEO, BlueStar BlueStar (Hebron, KY) continues to make major news in the POS & Auto ID channel, with acquisitions, additions to its line card, and the recent opening of its new facility. With the popular VARTECH Show coming up in August, Steve Cuntz, President/CEO, took time out of his busy schedule to discuss his company’s plans, the state of the industry, and the road ahead for RRN.Com readers. -On BlueStar’s New Facility I think there are three tremendous benefits we can bring to our resellers from the new facility. First, we were able to triple the size of our value-add department. We’re constantly working to improve our throughput on reconfiguration requests, hardware integration, preloading of software applications, and other value-add services. We were too cramped in our last facility. Our goal is to do same-day turnaround and the new facility gives us a lot of capacity. We almost look like one of the bench manufacturers back there. We’ve got 20 stations set up right now, and there’s room to expand beyond that if needed. Second, our new location near the airport allows the freight carriers to extend our shipping day by about two-and-a-half hours later into the evening. So we can work later to get these things out on same-day turnaround. We’re at the tail end of their routes, so they can hit us last. Third, the size of the new facility allows us to bring our entire inventory under one roof. Anything we show in inventory can get picked, packed, and shipped at the last moment. This is extremely valuable for our partners. -On BlueStar’s Upcoming VARTECH Conference We’re going to continue to innovate. One of the things we’re most excited about will be the opportunities for resellers in the area of business enhancement. We’re going to have hands-on development and production facilities for partner marketing right at the show. This includes production of hosted video clips for VARs, to be sponsored by the manufacturers. We’re hoping our partners leave with professionally produced content that they can use to market their company. As you know, people are trying to be judicial with their travel budgets, so we’re also working with some of the ISVs and suppliers to schedule their dealer meetings to take advantage of the opportunity. Finally, our training sessions will get even more vertical. We’re going to have some very specific things going on with security and encrypted networks, for instance. This builds on the work we’ve been doing with Motorola in our new facility, where we’re running three networks, all with different levels of encryption and security. -Putting the “V” in VAR Let’s get away from slapping something on the Internet and selling it for lower prices. Those models are falling apart right now. It’s been a difficult year for resellers who don’t add value, when that ‘v’ is missing. Our partners have told us that their service revenue has gone sky-high this year. People are looking to get the most out of the stuff they already have, they’re not necessarily buying new stuff. So we’re seeing great interest in extended service warranties, for instance. I think that more than ever the true Value-Added Reseller stands in a wonderful position. We hope our programs will help them leverage that this year. -Opportunities from Hosted Services Frankly, the evolution of technology is pulling all of us into new areas. The nice thing is that we’re not going to sell any less hardware--probably just the opposite. -Impact of the Economic Downturn Several things surprise me when it comes to the reaction of the channel. It’s a different environment in several ways, if you’ve been in the channel for any length of time and have experienced previous downturns. I think some people in the channel must never have been through this before. Their reaction seems like disbelief, if not denial. So they haven’t made adjustments to their business models soon enough, which really surprises me. Another thing that has surprised me is the fact that the DMRs (Direct Market Resellers) have been impacted harder than the small-to-medium-sized reseller. I think this might be because the DMRs have more of their business with the Fortune 500 companies that experienced many of the budget cutbacks. Since they provide services as part of their focus, some of the smaller resellers are doing quite well right now. -Consolidation Among Distributors There seems to be a tremendous opportunity for acquisitions on a global basis. The hybrid model of distribution is fading away, so a lot of those owners don’t have much of a choice at this point. They need to decide if they’re VARs or Distributors. The largest consolidation has taken place at the manufacturing level, without question. Now it’s happening with resellers and distributors, for a lot of reasons. We have global partners asking us to assign specific, custom SKUs for advanced stage inventory of their parts worldwide, for instance. Some of the manufacturers are even hinting that their distributors should become factory-authorized. Distributors are taking on greater roles in support of their suppliers, becoming true partners. For more information on BlueStar’s VARTECH Show, set for August 13-15 in Nashville, TN, click here.
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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 Partner Conference
ScanSource
September 13-16
Savannah, GA
2009 APICS International Conference & Expo
Association for Operations Management
October 4-6
Toronto
NACS Show 2009
National Association of Convenience Stores
October 20-23
Las Vegas
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
Tharo Printer Travels with Keyboard
Tharo Systems (Brunswick, OH) has brought keyboard-driven, stand-alone capability to its H400 and H600 label printers. This new feature has been built in at no additional cost in an effort to provide companies with more flexibility in meeting their labeling requirements. With the latest H400 and H600 models, additional screen language support also has been added (such as German, French, and simplified Chinese) as well as the capacity to perform database look-up of records. Database look-up can be as simple as typing in, or scanning, the part number to populate an entire label format, RRN.Com was told by Randy Thatcher, Director of Operations for Tharo.
Tharo’s stand-alone capability allows users to download label formats, graphics, and databases to the printer’s flash memory (or CompactFlash card), disconnect the printer from the PC, plug in any standard PC keyboard, and take the printer to another location. Using the keyboard, the user can input data, specify the number of labels to print, and merge database information into an appropriate format. Wedge-style barcode scanners may also be used for data input. With the new keyboard capability, H-Series printers address user concerns about computer costs, work space, and harsh environments. They also provide greater security, since the format downloaded to the flash memory cannot be altered without re-attaching the printer to the PC.
“The H-Series keyboard stand-alone capabilities allow the end-user to skip the software training and need for PC skills,” Thatcher shared with RRN.Com. “The VAR could even up-sell the creation and loading of label formats to the printer and deliver this ‘ready to print’ solution for the end-user. This represents a great selling point for VARs, where an economically priced printer with robust features and future upgradeability is available. Tharo’s line of PA500 and PA2000 Applicators can be added to provide a fully automated print-and-apply solution, as an end-user’s needs grow.”
Tharo’s H-Series Label Printers
Sharp New POS
Sharp Electronics Corporation (Mahwah, NJ) introduced its new UP-V9900 POS System, which features open architecture, 15-inch TFT LCD touchscreen, and three choices of customer-facing display. All three models in the UP-V9900 Series provide Intel Celeron 2.8-GHz processing, integrated MSR, 512-MB memory (expandable to 2-GB), USB and serial connectors for additional peripherals, the Microsoft Windows XP Professional operating system, and OPOS common control object drivers. The durable, high-performance touchscreen makes the system suitable for heavy-use environments across retail, hospitality, and convenience, according to the company.
To fulfill individual customer viewing needs, Sharp offers the UP-V9900 base model without customer display; the UP-V9900V with two-line, 20-character VFD customer display screen; and the UP-V9900L with 12-inch customer display TFT LCD screen. Each model is ready for the different types of business that an owner might have (while utilizing common design that can be deployed over multiple locations). In addition, the system’s open architecture allows operators to choose from Sharp’s Certified Software Partners, or to use their own applications.
“Each of the UP-V9900 models is a very powerful and versatile solution that can be customized to fit a wide range of service needs,” stated Greg Tucker, Product Planning Manager, POS Sales, for Sharp. “They are compact and thanks to an open-system architecture, fully customizable. With the UP-V9900, dealers can give their customers a fully integrated system of terminals throughout one location, or across a number of locations, that fits the particular needs of each terminal location. It’s another smart, versatile POS solution from Sharp.”
New UP-V9900V POS System from Sharp
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STARTS & STOPS
BarVision Gets New Proprietor
SGS Technologies (Scottsdale, AZ) has purchased the BarVision liquor management product line from Nuvo Technologies (Tempe, AZ), including the entire hardware and software family, all related patents and intellectual property assets, inventory, support, and warranty administration. BarVision, RRN.Com readers will recall, employs wireless communications in its liquor pour spout to monitor bartender behavior and track inventory levels. Almost immediately, SGS has filed suit for patent infringement against Bevchek Global Systems (Richmond, BC, Canada), another supplier of liquor management technology. The suit, filed in Phoenix, seeks damages and an injunction precluding Bevcheck from selling its system in the U.S.
SGS has stressed its commitment to maintaining the BarVision product line, protecting the intellectual property, and assuring the investments of BarVision’s customer and dealer bases. “We recognize the potential of this technology and the robust nature of the surrounding patents,” declared Simon Sobrero, SGS Technologies’ CEO. “We look forward to using our own approach to expand the value of BarVision, for existing users and new customers.”
SGS said it will continue to sell these products under the BarVision brand and to invest in development and manufacturing. “The SGS development team is already forging ahead with enhancements to the existing product,” continued Sobrero, “as well as exploring some exciting new product ideas.” SGS recently bought a new building and began construction of its office and manufacturing facility. It expects to move into the new location in a few months.
Wireless Keeps Tabs on Every Pour
Tetherball Hits Mobile Marketing
Tetherball (Indianapolis, IN), the mobile marketing applications service provider, and ViVOtech (Santa Clara, CA), supplier of near-field communication (NFC) mobile payments, have teamed up bring RFID-based mobile loyalty to Dairy Queen. Upon joining the program, Dairy Queen’s customers are given their “Tetherball Tag” RFID chip that, when attached to their mobile phones, receives text-messaging of mobile coupons, rewards, and sweepstakes. Offers are redeemed electronically using contactless terminal technology provided by ViVOtech. No barcodes are required to redeem offers, nor any type of mobile screen visuals.
“This ground-breaking technology platform, which has been in the making for more than two years, will truly revolutionize the mobile marketing arena,” pledged Jay Highley, President/COO of Tetherball. “Mobile marketers have been struggling to develop a solution that not only provides an easy method to deliver targeted offers to mobile users, but allows them to truly measure the return on their investment. Our new technology solution does just that in a radically simple way.”
Interestingly, the Tetherball Tag acts as the gateway for additional retailer loyalty programs, since it can be “tethered” to unique short codes for different clients. Through the company’s “Mobiquitous” Web-based reporting system, clients have real-time access to coupon redemption rates and overall program performance. Dairy Queen has been working with Tetherball for nearly two years to refine the program, and reports solid growth in membership and redemption rates over that period.
Tetherball’s RFID Tag Sticks to the Customer’s Mobile Phone
Code
Corner
Datacap Systems (Chalfont, PA) has certified and made available its NETePay for TSYS-HCS. It utilizes the new TSYS Processing Solutions (formerly known as Vital and as VisaNet) via the new TSYS Summit Gateway. TSYS (Columbus, GA) plans to offer host-based Internet processing this month for retail and restaurant customers. The new TSYS/Vital NETePay delivers all of the key benefits of host-based service, such as simplified high-speed transaction processing, enhanced “problem tolerance,” and streamlined batch management and end-of-day processes using auto-batch close/settle. In addition, the new TSYS host-based service supports new partial authorization credit-card capabilities (aka, split-tender authorizations), introduced for Visa and MasterCard gift/prepaid cards, which are handled like credit cards at the POS. Finally, TSYS joins the short list of processors who can support table-service restaurants on an Internet, host-based platform. “Authorized Datacap resellers with customers interested in TSYS Summit Gateway services should contact their software developers to see when the new NETePay for TSYS-HCS will be supported with their POS software,” advised Gale Peters, VP, Sales and Marketing, for Datacap. “POS software developers should contact Datacap Developer Support for the Developer Notes for TSYS-HCS NETePay and for updated interface documentation, which addresses supporting partial authorizations and other TSYS Summit Gateway features.”
ALLIANCES
Island Pacific Validated by HP
Island Pacific (Irvine, CA) has become the latest POS ISV to join the HP Point of Sale Solution Ready Program, which was established last year to help software providers gain exposure to HP’s broad network of retail customers, sales channel, and engineering resources. Recommended software partners are listed on the ISV Partner Program Portal and marked with HP’s POS Solution Ready logo. In addition, they get access to HP’s PartnerOne, the company’s expansive partner benefit structure. To date, 29 ISVs have been tested and validated, spanning markets such as specialty retail, general merchandise, grocery, hospitality, and education.
“HP retail solutions offer customers of any size the opportunity to utilize the industry’s most secure, reliable, and durable POS systems that can be easily tailored to manage multiple aspects of the retailer’s operations,” commented Tate Davis, Manager, POS Product Marketing at HP. “By creating the HP POS Solution Ready Program, HP is extending the capabilities of its POS platforms to provide software vendors the tools they need to create a trusted technology offering that can help retailers increase business efficiencies, while offering the means for improving what matters most--customer service.”
Island Pacific Systems now functions as the wholly-owned subsidiary of 3Q Holdings Limited. In December 2007, 3Q Holdings acquired from Retail Pro (known at the time as Island Pacific, Inc.) its IPMS Division, including the “Island Pacific” name and related trademarks, service marks, and trade names. The company’s solutions address specialty retail merchandising and store operations.
Tate Davis, Manager, POS Product Marketing, HP
AB&R to Resell Omni-ID’s Passive Tags
Omni-ID (Foster City, CA and Surrey, UK) has signed American Barcode and RFID Inc. (Phoenix) as North American Value-Added Reseller for its low-profile, passive UHF RFID technology. AB&R also becomes the first VAR certified to deliver Omni-ID’s On Demand solution, which allows users to dynamically print, encode, and deploy their RFID tags on-site. On Demand will be included in AB&R’s bundled RFID asset-tracking solutions. AB&R brings additional value to Omni-ID through its existing relationship with Zebra Technologies, according to the two parties.
“American Barcode and RFID is one of the known leaders in our industry and fits well with our mission of bringing RFID innovation to a variety of markets,” observed Ken Edoff, VP of Worldwide Sales at Omni-ID. “We’re looking forward to working with them as we jointly focus on moving the market beyond point products to delivering full solutions for customers.”
“We are always looking for strategic partners that deliver best-in-class solutions that bring real world value to customers, and Omni-ID fits that bill perfectly,” said Mike Stryczek, CEO of American Barcode and RFID. “The ability to integrate cutting-edge solutions like On Demand and Omni-ID’s tags that perform in the harshest environments enhances our ability to deliver the complete innovative solutions that improve operational efficiencies.”
Ken Edoff, VP, Worldwide Sales, Omni-ID
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
Receipt
Printers
Star Micronics
Retail Software
Logivision
Screen Protection
3M Optical Filters
Thermal Printers
Seiko Instruments USA
Video Surveillance & Access Control
ScanSource Security
INSTALLATIONS
Psion Teklogix Catches Cold Storage
United States Cold Storage has begun nationwide implementation of new ruggedized mobile devices from Psion Teklogix (Hebron, KY) in over 30 sites as part of its “continuing effort to improve productivity and efficiency throughout the warehouse.” USCS, one of the leading public refrigerated warehousing (PRW) companies in the U.S., with over 155 million cubic feet of temperature-controlled space across 10 states, will roll out Psion Teklogix’s 7530 G2 handheld computer and its 8525 G2 vehicle mount computer. The devices function in temperatures as low as -15 degrees Fahrenheit.
USCS first implemented RF equipment from Psion Teklogix in 1997. Currently, the company has more than 1,000 ruggedized mobile devices deployed, ranging from handhelds to vehicle mount computers, helping to keep the global food distribution and supply chain moving with maximum efficiency by managing inventory in real-time, according to the two parties. As part of the rollout, Psion Teklogix will provide its upgraded Mobile Control Center device management software, designated MCC Version 6.03., which features GPS location services.
“For over a decade, we have been very impressed by the functionality, durability, and reliability of Psion Teklogix’s rugged mobile devices,” testified Terry Groff, IT RF Tech Specialist at USCS. “They are built like tanks. Many of the units initially deployed in the 1990s are still working extremely well today. As we phase out the older narrowband units and convert to the 802.11 technology standard with Psion Teklogix’s 7530 G2 flexible, rugged handheld and the 8525 G2 wireless vehicle mount computer, we look forward to getting the same type of exceptional results and reliability delivered by the older models.”
United States Cold Storage Facility in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Gryphon Brings Winn-Dixie Up to Snuff
Winn-Dixie Stores has chosen the Gryphon 2D Plus Imager from Datalogic Scanning (Eugene, OR) for use in its 520 retail grocery locations throughout Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia, and Mississippi. The Gryphon 2D Plus Imager, supplied by the SAM Group, will be used to help Winn-Dixie improve upon its processes related to the sale of age-related items. In addition, it comes armed with the ability to read the new GS1 DataBar codes which are beginning to appear on produce and other variable weight items. The SAM Group, an IBM Premier Business Partner, is headquartered in Greenville, SC.
“With the new Gryphon 2D Plus Imager, we are now able to provide higher levels of service to our customers by speeding up the checkout process,” reported Robin Miller, Director of Communications for Winn-Dixie. “The Gryphon 2D Plus Imager not only increases scanning speed, but it also enables our associates to easily scan large items on the bottom of the shopping cart.”
“Retailers who sell regulated goods such as alcohol and tobacco must adhere to federal AAMVA standards to verify customer drivers’ license data, including age, date of birth, and license expiration date,” said Glen Feeley, VP, Sales-the Americas, for Datalogic Scanning. “Enabling retailers to comply with these regulations, the Gryphon 2D Plus Imager used in conjunction with Datalogic’s parsing logic, which is part of the Datalogic Aladdin software configuration program, eliminates manual data entry, increases efficiency at the retail Point of Sale, and prevents errors in the sale of controlled items.”
Glen Feeley, VP, Sales-the Americas, Datalogic Scanning
Channel Factoid
Now this is scary. Nine out of ten large retailers (92%) report that their companies have been victims of organized retail crime during the past year, up 8% from 2008. Nearly three-quarters (73%) of retailers also reported the level of organized retail crime activity has increased over the past 12 months, an increase of 11% from 2008. Loss prevention executives from 115 companies, including department, discount, drug, grocery, restaurant, and specialty retailers, completed the recent Organized Retail Crime Survey by the National Retail Federation. When asked how they would rank organized retail crime as a threat to their company, nearly one-third (29%) of retailers assigned “four” or “five” ratings, indicating the problem as severe or significant. On average, retailers gave organized retail crime the rating of 2.87 on the 5.0 scale. “Organized retail crime rings have realized that tough economic times present new business opportunities by stealing valuable items from retailers and turning around to sell the merchandise to consumers looking for bargains.”
INTEGRATION
Let Your Fingers Do the Talking
3M Touch Systems (Methuen, MA) has offered its Multi-Touch LCD Developer Kit, which tracks up to 10 individual fingers and brings compatibility with the Microsoft Windows 7 platform. At its heart is 3M’s 19-inch wide-aspect-ratio LCD display featuring the company’s projected capacitive touch technology. Supporting standard flick and scale gestures, as well as accurately tracking 10 individual fingers from single or multiple users, this display features durable glass surface and less than 15 milliseconds touch response, making it ideal for developing next-generation games and user applications.
“Software developers have been clamoring for multi-touch functionality and the upcoming release of Windows 7 only increases the need for our full multi-touch display,” maintained Scott Hagermoser, Business Manager, 3M Touch Systems. “With the availability of this multi-touch developer kit, software developers now have the projected capacitive hardware platform that finally fulfills the promise of true multi-touch interactivity, which they can use to build next-generation software applications.”
The kit includes the 19-inch wide-aspect-ratio (16:10, 1440x900 resolution) LCD chassis display, desktop stand, and USB and VGA cables. It also grants access to the password-secure 3M Multi-Touch Developer Program site for firmware upgrades, online technical support, and hosted developer forum. Until June 30, the 3M Multi-Touch Developer Kit can be ordered for the introductory price of $1199 for delivery in July.
Developer Kit for 3M’s Projected Capacitive Touch Technology
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