This Week’s Product Pick

Janam Technologies (Woodbury, NY) delivered two new XM Series rugged mobile computers: XM66 (with Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1) and XM60+ (with Microsoft Windows CE 5.0). With these two devices, Janam brings the powerful Freescale i.MX31 ARM 11 processor and double data rate (DDR) memory to the rugged mobile computing space, resulting in performance that significantly outpaces the competition, according to the company. The new XM Series embeds Summit Data Communication’s Wi-Fi technology, with Cisco CCX Version 4 Certification and WLAN 802.11b/g and a/b/g radio options. Additional features include Adaptus 2D barcode and imaging capability, “Hi-Speed” USB 2.0 (40x faster throughput than competitive devices), serial output, user-accessible MicroSD card slot, and increased battery capacity. “As its name suggests, double data rate memory is twice as fast and power-efficient as conventional memory,” commented Harry Lerner, CEO of Janam. “We’re thrilled that Janam is first to migrate this leading cell phone technology to the rugged mobile computing space. When you combine this winning feature with the fact that the XM Series represents the only fully rugged mobile computers that offer full 3.5-inch display at less than 10 ounces, we believe this product line has exactly the right features for the markets it serves.”

For more information, click here.

Janam’s XM66 Rugged Mobile Computer

Worth Your While

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

2009 IFDA Distribution Solutions Conference
International Foodservice Distributors Association
October 19-21
Baltimore

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

IH/M&RS
International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show
November 7-10
New York

Synergy 2009 Customer Conference
Retalix
November 8-11
Dallas

Fall 2009 Self-Service Expo
KioskCom
November 10-11
New York

NRF 99th Annual Convention & Expo
National Retail Federation
January 10-13, 2010
New York

ALL IN THE FAMILY

POS-X Deals Pair of New Scanners

POS-X (Bellingham, WA) introduced its new XI3200 family of barcode scanners, designed to replace the popular XI3000 series while delivering increased performance at reduced cost. The scanners come in both USB corded models (XI3200U) as well as with Bluetooth wireless connectivity (XI3200BT). They feature read range of up to 14 inches, speed of 230 scans per second, and the ruggedness to withstand multiple 6.5-foot drops to concrete. Both models are backed by POS-X’s Two-Day Advanced Replacement Service at no additional charge. If the scanner goes down at any time during the warranty period, five years for the XI3200 and three years for the XI3200BT, POS-X will cross-ship the replacement unit for delivery in no later than two business days.

Thanks to POS-X’s exclusive “BlueLED” technology, the XI3200 corded scanner can be used with an optional autosense stand for hands-free device operation regardless of light conditions. With its Class 1 Bluetooth range (up to 328 feet from base), the XI3200BT satisfies POS, inventory, and asset management applications, according to POS-X. The XI3200BT includes Bluetooth charging base with USB interface to facilitate use with PCs, and can also be paired with Bluetooth-enabled devices such as cell phones, PDAs, and mobile computers.

“With all the choices of barcode scanners on the market, we felt it was important to design a core scanner that met the needs of the average retail store,” stated Dan Moseley, President/CEO of POS-X, Inc. “With the new XI3200 family of scanners, we not only were able to increase scanning performance, but we successfully brought to market the lowest cost, hands-free autosense scanner and lowest cost, Bluetooth scanner on the market today.”

XI3200BT Bluetooth Scanner from POS-X

MC9500 Hammer Time at Motorola

Motorola Enterprise Mobility Solutions (Holtsville, NY) unleashed its MC9500 industrial-class mobile computer, which “takes innovation to the next level,” according to the vendor. The MC9500 provides modular 3.5G WAN with support for GSM HSDPA or CDMA-EVDO Revision A wireless broadband--all in one device. Known as Motorola MAX FlexWAN, under Motorola’s Mobility Architecture eXtensions (or MAX), this cellular network flexibility allows businesses to deploy one pool of mobile computers that will provide the best coverage for users in different geographies. The MC9500 has features such as modular, swappable keypads, 1D laser scanner or 2D imager, three-megapixel digital color camera, and motion-sensing technology to detect and log device drops. The first computer to be based on Motorola’s Mobility Platform Architecture 2.0, the MC9500 comes equipped with the Marvell XScale PXA320@806 MHz processor and Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 O/S.

Along with the MC9500, Motorola has introduced “the first universal accessory system,” which optimizes the space needed for mobile computers, charging cradles, power packs, and cables. In addition, this new backroom management system delivers increased Return on Investment by supporting the variety of Motorola mobile computers, allowing customers to migrate to future generations of hardware without replacing or upgrading their infrastructure in these areas. To further increase productivity and reduce downtime, Motorola MAX Battery carries indicators of charge levels and battery health.

“Motorola has proven leadership in mobile computing--initially changing the market landscape with the introduction of the MC9000,” suggested Gerald McNerney, VP of Mobile Computing Product Management, Motorola Enterprise Mobility Solutions. “The new MC9500 is the testament to our commitment to innovation and demonstrates our continued ability to redefine the industry standard with the most versatile solutions on the market.”

Motorola’s MC9500 Mobile Computer, with 3.5G WAN Flexibility

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COMPANY BUSINESS

Payment Processing Plumbed by RDS

Retail Data Systems (RDS), which bills itself as the largest reseller of POS equipment in the U.S., with more than two dozen offices and 500 employees, has formed its new Payment Services Division to supply its customers with “the most cutting-edge integrated payment products and services available.” RDS has appointed Richard Roscher to head the effort. Roscher has worked for such companies as Chase Paymentech and RBS WorldPay, as well as having launched his own consulting company and ISO.

“Richard will benefit RDS and our customers with his vast payment experience and great long-term industry relationships,” declared Robert Seider, President of Retail Data Systems, based in Atlanta. “Richard is very well respected in the payments industry and we are excited to have him representing the RDS family.”

RDS currently services all front-line calls for credit, debit, and gift cards with its 24/7/365 help-desk. “It was the natural progression to bring this type of service in-house,” continued Seider. “This division will benefit our customers’ overall experience, not to mention exclusive negotiated fees for processing services which are competitive with any major processor.”

VeriFone Sets Security SBU

VeriFone Holdings, Inc. (San Jose, CA) announced its Global Security Solutions Business Unit, focused on delivering security solutions, including VeriShield Protect end-to-end encryption, to defend cardholder data throughout merchant and processor systems. Specifically, the business will focus on sales, consulting, and implementation of VeriShield Protect and VeriShield Retain, as well as future initiatives aimed at helping retailers and processors protect consumer data while reducing the complexities and costs of PCI compliance, according to the company.

Jeff Wakefield, formerly VP of Marketing for VeriFone’s Integrated Systems Business, has been named GM and VP of the new business unit. Wakefield has 30 years of experience in senior marketing and general manager roles for retail system and payment solutions companies. He currently serves as VeriFone’s representative on the PCI Security Standards Council Board of Advisors and has chaired the SPVA’s Security Threat Analysis and Intelligence Working Group. SPVA, the Secure POS Vendor Alliance, was founded in April 2009 by VeriFone, Hypercom, and Ingenico S.A., RRN.Com readers may recall.

“To effectively protect cardholder data against current and future threats, complete security solutions must span both merchant and processor systems,” said VeriFone CEO Doug Bergeron. “The global focus of this business unit will ensure that all our customers are able to take advantage of these solutions throughout their entire operations.”

As methodology, VeriFone’s VeriShield Protect eliminates usable cardholder data from the merchant’s POS applications, networks, and servers, using AES-level encryption that preserves existing card track data formats so it works transparently with retailers’ existing payment infrastructure. In addition to encrypting card data, VeriShield Protect monitors all systems in real time at the device level with VeriShield Secure Device Management Service (VSDMS), so if any breach occurs, the retailer will be immediately alerted. Further, data encryption keys can be managed remotely as part of the device management service.

Jeff Wakefield, GM & VP, VeriFone Global Security Solutions

Code Corner

Wasp Barcode Technologies (Plano, TX) released QuickStore Point of Sale RapidStart, which includes POS hardware (minus PC) and POS software, and retails for $999. The new bundle features QuickStore, Wasp’s Microsoft Windows-based POS software that handles checkout, inventory tracking, payment processing, and capture of customer information. Hardware includes Wasp’s receipt printer, barcode scanner and stand, cash drawer, and credit card reader. Free technical support and maintenance are provided for one year, along with online instruction in getting started. Wasp QuickStore RapidStart was designed to get new retailers up and running quickly, but can grow to accommodate increased needs, according to the developer. Retailers can upgrade to QuickStore Pro or QuickStore Multi-Store as their businesses grow. “In today’s marketplace, we are seeing many start-up retail businesses that are determined to stretch their initial budgets as far as possible,” related Tom O’Shea, Wasp’s GM. “They want the automation and convenience of a POS system, but can’t afford a huge up-front investment. With QuickStore RapidStart, we are providing a complete solution that meets their requirements for functionality and affordability.”

Numara Software, Inc. (Tampa, FL) launched its new family of integrated IT asset management solutions. Built upon the Numara Asset Management Platform, or NAMP, the suite includes eight individual software products for inventory management, software deployment, patch management, remote control, power management, vulnerability, compliance, and device management. By leveraging the “power of one”--one console, one agent, one database, one rules and reporting engine--the products that operate on the platform work seamlessly together to reduce the cost and complexity of managing both hardware and software assets, according to Numara. This approach also makes the complete IT asset management solution much more powerful than the sum of its parts. If desired, each modular NAMP product can be purchased and used individually, it should be noted. “With the NAMP family of products, we’re now offering an expanded set of integrated solutions that help organizations tackle broader IT operational issues, such as power, compliance, and vulnerability management,” explained David Weiss, President/CEO at Numara Software. “These solutions are based on feedback from our worldwide customers, who asked for integrated and affordable technology that eliminates the inefficiencies of traditional IT asset management point products.”

ENVIRONMENTS/PLATFORMS

Source Puts “SP” in SaaS

Source Technologies (Charlotte, NC) now offers SaaS delivery of its secure printing solutions portfolio. Under the banner of “Software-as-a-Service for Secure Print”--or SaaS/SP--the solution enables users to securely print negotiable, time- and information-sensitive documents with centralized administration and control. The SaaS delivery method lowers costs relative to traditional enterprise software licensing agreements and provides ready-made scalability, according to Source Technologies, which markets MICR printing and self-service kiosks through the channel.

“With today’s economic climate, organizations are facing extremely tight capital expenditure budgets, yet their mission-critical projects must continue,” commented Doug Salvador, VP of Marketing for Source Technologies. “Taking advantage of our service-oriented solution lowers the Total Cost of Ownership for these projects and gives organizations the opportunity to reallocate funds to other areas of their business.”

With SaaS/SP, users may manage on-demand requests, approvals, and the printing of secure documents simultaneously, from multiple locations, utilizing pre-defined security structures. The offering can sustain an unlimited amount of document types while controlling access to all operations--allowing it to serve as an enterprise document security platform. In addition to documents, print targets may include checks, prescriptions, healthcare and employee forms, and shipping labels, invoices, and distribution pick/pull tickets.

SaaS/SP Architecture Generates and Manages Secure Documents

[Editor’s Note:  Source Technologies has joined the National WIC Association as one of the Sustaining Business Council Members. WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) is the federal program that attempts to provide nutritious foods and nutrition education to participants at no charge. Based in Washington, DC, the National WIC Association, or NWA, represents 12,200 state and local service agencies in the U.S.]

Bixolon Shines SilverWare

SilverWare POS (Markham, Ontario, Canada) has added Bixolon to its list of certified POS hardware providers. The recent certification covers Bixolon’s SRP-275 impact receipt printer and SRP-350plus thermal receipt printer, both of which were rigorously tested for conformance to and operability with SilverWare software standards, according to the two parties. SilverWare focuses exclusively on the foodservice and hospitality industries; in 1994, it introduced one of North America’s first Windows-based hospitality POS systems.

“SilverWare users can now take advantage of the industry’s highest ROI (Return on Investment) with the certification of Bixolon Samsung Mini Printers, helping them to improve competitive advantage in the marketplace,” said David Roberts, VP, Sales and Marketing, at Bixolon America, Inc.

Bixolon has also relocated its U.S. headquarters from Carson, California, to 3171 Fujita Street in Torrance, California. The new, larger facilities will better meet continued growth and increased product demand, according to the company. “We have a large room dedicated to testing equipment, separate marketing room, accounting office, sales office, technical support office, conference room, lobby, and more than 26,000 square feet of warehouse space,” Sheri Warner, Marketing Manager, told RRN.Com.

New Headquarters for Bixolon America, Inc.

Key Advertiser Links

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

POS & Auto ID Distribution
BlueStar
ScanSource

POS & Peripherals
FEC USA
Logic Controls
POS-X

Barcode & Mobile Printers
Datamax-O'Neil

Cash Drawers
MMF Cash Drawer

Data Collection Terminals
CipherLab
Datalogic Mobile
Honeywell Scanning & Mobility
Janam Technologies
Motorola

Data Collection Software
Wavelink

Integrated Payment Solutions
Datacap Systems

MICR Check Printers/Self-Service Kiosks
Source Technologies

Receipt Printers
Bixolon America
Citizen Systems America
Star Micronics

Retail Software
InfoTouch
Logivision

Screen Protection
3M Optical Filters

Thermal Printers
Seiko Instruments USA

Video Surveillance & Access Control
ScanSource Security

STOPS & STARTS

Radiant: Aloha, Configuration Center

Radiant Systems (Atlanta) officially launched its Aloha Configuration Center, which enables multi-store restaurant operators to quickly manage, schedule, and distribute data across all their units using robust software architecture, according to the developer. Built on the Microsoft .NET platform, this “above-store” POS management solution has already been implemented in 2,000 quick-service and table-service restaurant sites, including Smokey Bones, Back Yard Burgers, and two major Burger King franchisees, Heartland Food Group and Strategic Restaurants Acquisition Company. In addition to its core functionality, its secure off-line mode allows users to make modifications without persistent site connectivity, which update when the connection gets restored.

“We are excited to expand the Aloha Enterprise solution to include Aloha Configuration Center, which is one of the most powerful and effective restaurant management tools Radiant has released to date,” reported Paul Langenbahn, President of the Hospitality Division at Radiant Systems. “Aloha Configuration Center will allows restaurant administrators to quickly deploy configurations across the board, saving them both time and money.”

Radiant Systems also announced two recent contract wins. First, Café Rio Mexican Grill will deploy Radiant P1220 hardware terminals with Aloha POS and back-office applications such as MenuLink Labor and Inventory. In that deal, Radiant has been chosen as the exclusive technology provider for more than 50 corporate locations. Secondly, Radiant will supply its Quest solution and V-Touch hardware for the “loaded ticket” incentive program opened by the San Francisco Giants. Combining Uptix (the joint venture between Givex and Tickets.com) and the Quest solution, the concept allows extra monetary value to be added to game-day tickets for use at concession stands and premium food and beverage areas.

Paul Langenbahn, President, Hospitality Division, Radiant Systems

Rocket Fuel for M-Commerce

IBM and Sybase will join forces to pursue the global market for mobile commerce. Under the new agreement, IBM Global Business Services and Sybase 365’s M-Commerce team will work together to target the mobile commerce opportunity with both hosted and on-premise solutions in developed and emerging markets. The scale of this joint effort should give the two companies distinct advantage in this arena, as well as help to legitimize the mobile channel in the minds of businesses worldwide, according to Nick Holland, Senior Analyst for the Aite Group, which consults on technology issues.

“This agreement not only extends the long-term collaboration between our two companies, but also coincides with the launch of IBM’s Banking Framework, our unified platform to help accelerated transformation and reduced project risk right cross the bank’s operations from risk management to m-commerce,” noted Ranjit Balaram, Practice Executive, Wireless & Emerging Technology Applications, IBM Global Business Services (Armonk, NY). “With access to Sybase’s complete m-commerce solution, the breadth of the IBM Banking Framework, and the global reach and expertise of IBM Global Services, we can simplify deployments for our joint clients and help them introduce more consistent experiences for end-users”

Added Matthew Talbot, VP, M-Commerce for Sybase 365 (Dublin, CA), “This relationship between Sybase and IBM furthers our strategy to build global partnerships that will ensure the secure mobile commerce ecosystem benefiting mobile subscribers, mobile operators, and financial institutions around the world.” For the record, Sybase 365 processes more than one billion messages per day, reaching 800 operators and 3.4 billion subscribers.

Worldwide M-Commerce Market May Reach $250 Billion by 2012

Channel Factoid

During the first seven months of 2009, the 68 retailers who make up the Kronos Retail Labor Index received 8.9 million job applications, 12% higher than the same period in 2008 and 33% higher than the same period in 2007. Of the 15 million applications received by these retailers during the last 12 months (August 2008 through July 2009), 529,000 resulted in hires. This fell 28% compared to the prior 12 months (August 2007 through July 2008). In what could be signs of recovery in retail hiring, hopefully, the Kronos Retail Labor Index increased slightly to 2.99% between January and July 2009, showing improvement from its lowest recorded level of 2.75% at the start of that six-month period. (This metric defines the percentage of job applications that result in hiring.) In October 2006, for sake of comparison, that number stood at 7.1%.

HELLO GOODBYE

Ibarra to Steer Citizen Systems America

Citizen Systems America (Torrance, CA) has named Oscar Ibarra as its Executive Vice President. Ibarra will be responsible for the overall operations of Citizen Systems America and “is particularly eager to work closely with the Citizen Systems America sales and marketing team in sustaining the company’s strong presence as a major printer manufacturer.”

Prior to joining Citizen Systems America, Ibarra served as Director, Americas at Bixolon Printer Division, where he led and managed Samsung’s printer business in the U.S., Canada, and Latin America. Before Bixolon Printer Division, he worked as Global Strategic Alliance Manager for Hewlett-Packard, where he supervised strategic global alliances in addition to planning, directing, and monitoring high-end operational and tactical activities.

According to Max Yamazaki, President/CEO of Citizen Systems America, “We believe that Oscar’s strengths and global experience in business development, finance, and strategy are extremely valuable assets for our company’s future.”

Oscar Ibarra, EVP, Citizen Systems America

Sterling Mints New VP of Sales

Sterling Payment Technologies (Tampa, FL) has hired Robert Ficarra as its VP of Sales, with particular focus on expanding the company’s ISO channel. “Bob Ficarra is a dynamic leader,” commented Paul Hunter, President/CEO of Sterling. “His expertise and drive will be invaluable in fueling Sterling’s continued growth.” Sterling offers full-service electronic payment processing, including credit, debit, fleet, gift card, Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT), and check authorization and conversion.

Ficarra comes to Sterling from CrossCheck, Inc., one of the leading check approval, guarantee, and conversion processors, where he served as VP of ISO and Partner Sales. Before his time at CrossCheck, he held the position of VP of Sales for American Marketing Corporation (AMCOR), one of the first “Mega-ISOs.” During his long career, he has taken leadership positions on various committees of the Electronic Transactions Association (ETA).