This Week’s Product Pick

Datalogic Scanning (Eugene, OR) unveiled its Gryphon I GM4100 cordless scanner, designed for retail and light industrial environments. Gryphon I GM4100 delivers improvements in reading capability, system-level performance, and ergonomics, according to the vendor. Featuring advanced linear imaging technology, the device achieves reading speed of 325 scans per second, with “superb reading field, both in depth and width.” Radio range reaches 99 feet for 433 MHz and 49.2 feet for 910 MHz and point-to-point and point-to-multipoint connectivity are supplied by the Datalogic STAR Cordless System, which allows up to 16 scanners to be connected to one base station. Batch mode offers retention of 1,200 scanned barcodes captured outside the radio range, automatic or manual. Further device enhancements include the graphic display and three-button keypad that allows real-time interaction between the operator and the host. In addition, scan-while-charging/hands-free reading offered by the new two-position cradle boosts worker productivity. Gryphon I GM4100 comes with Datalogic Scanning’s “Green Spot” good-read technology, Lithium-ion battery pack, and three-year warranty. “Over the course of the past decade, Datalogic Scanning has invested heavily in the development of a complete family of cordless products to bring mobility to our customers,” remarked Pietro Todescato, GM, Handheld Business Unit, Datalogic Scanning. “We are confident the winning attributes of the Gryphon I GM4100 reader will enhance our position in the marketplace.”

Gryphon I GM4100

Worth Your While - 2010

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

RSPA Inspire
Retail Solutions Providers Association
February 7-10
Cancun, Mexico

Connect
Radiant Retail User Conference
February 24-26
Atlanta

Self-Service Expo & Digital Signage Show
KioskCom
April 14-15
Las Vegas

FMI
Food Marketing Institute
May 10-13
Las Vegas

NRA Show
National Restaurant Association
May 22-25
Chicago

POS Partner Invitational
Ingram Micro Data Capture/POS Division
May 26-28
Chicago

ALL IN THE FAMILY

HP’s Heavier Touch

Hewlett-Packard (Palo Alto, CA) shipped its HP Compaq L5009 15-inch touchscreen monitor, built to withstand the needs of commercial markets such as POS, self-service, education, manufacturing, and banking. Significantly, the L5009 employs Acoustic Pulse Recognition (APR) touch technology, which combines glass overlay mounted in front of the display, together with an electronic controller board, to better recognize screen taps from pens, credit cards, or fingers, but not water droplets, according to the vendor. In addition, the stable, removable base of the L5009 has been engineered specifically for the physical demands of high-traffic touchscreen use and the glass screen provides greater durability in contrast to film-coated displays.

“HP is launching the L5009 with its APR touch-panel technology to meet the demands of HP resellers serving end-users in the restaurant and hospitality markets,” RRN.Com was told by Darryl Valdes, Worldwide Product Marketing Manager, Displays Commercial Business Segment, at HP. Further, the L5009 has been priced the same as HP’s previous touchscreen, so it represents better technology at the same cost. Each monitor carries three-year limited warranty backed by HP’s worldwide service and support and has been guaranteed to be compatible with other HP business products.

This month, HP also launched its HP Interactive Solutions ISV Partner Program to help software developers build new commercial applications for HP TouchSmart PCs and digital signage displays. Developers in the program benefit from equipment discounts as well as technical, marketing, and sales resources. HP has identified ISVs in retail, hospitality, and healthcare as candidates for its support.

HP Compaq L5009 Touchscreen Monitor Opens Door to Hospitality

An Industrious Intermec

Intermec Technologies (Everett, WA) has issued enhanced versions of seven industrial printers--the PD41, PD42, PF2i, PF4i, PM4i, PX4i, and PX6i. Improvements include all-in-one printer programming languages, increased memory, and stronger network security and flexibility, according to the vendor. Overall, these products have been designed to raise productivity, reduce application complexity, and lower total cost of ownership for their target markets of warehousing, logistics, and manufacturing.

Through Intermec’s Smart Printing technology, companies can deploy the printers as stand-alone smart clients running custom applications. Now Intermec has added its new all-in-one printer programming language design, and integrated SmartSystems remote management software, to facilitate installation, integration, and reconfiguration. With metal construction and an enhanced label self-strip feature, the seven printers have been further ruggedized for mission-critical environments. Finally, the printers now feature WPA2 wireless connectivity, Cisco CCX and Wi-Fi Certification, as well as standard support for IPv4 and IPv6 network protocols.

“For decades, businesses have purchased Intermec technology because of its strength, intelligence, and security,” declared Tom Roth, Director of Intermec Printer Marketing. “These impressive enhancements illustrate Intermec’s commitment to exceeding customer expectations by delivering solutions that meet the need for rugged, multifunctional, highly reliable printing.”

Printer Family Includes the PD41, PM4i, and PX4i

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Week of November 16

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Week of November 2

CERTIFICATION

More ISVs for Citizen Systems

Busy month for Citizen Systems America (Torrance, CA), as the company continues to expand its roster of certified ISV partners for its new CT-S801 “intelligent” thermal receipt printer. Just added to the list are Microsoft RMS (Redmond, WA), pcAmerica (Pearl River, NY), Posera/Maitre’D (Seattle), and Xpient Solutions (Charlotte, NC). Resellers can expect such announcements to continue, Oscar Ibarra, EVP, Citizen Systems America, told RRN.Com--both on the POS and barcode sides of the house.

“We’re redefining our strategy,” Ibarra related. “We want to be truly compatible and an easy sell for anybody who wants to move our printers through the channel. Certification allows us to reach out and communicate to the market. It also helps smaller VARs and ISVs learn more about the advantages our products offer.”

Looking ahead, Ibarra pointed to product development, growing markets in mobility and self-service, and the setting of global, unified company strategies as receipt printer trends to watch. “Our company is truly financially solid, which gives us competitive advantage,” Ibarra said. “You’ll see many new products introduced by Citizen Systems during the coming year. We are making the investments required to be more competitive and to maximize the very strong brand that we enjoy.”

Oscar Ibarra, EVP, Citizen Systems America

Pharmacists Fly Like Eagle

Pharmacists OnLine (Sarasota, FL) has tied its RxLoyalty Genius program with the Activant Eagle business management and POS system from Activant Solutions (Livermore, CA). The new interface takes sales data from the POS and automatically posts it onto the central database. Using RxLoyalty Genius, pharmacies can then leverage this information to create targeted customer lists for “cross-sell/up-sell” opportunities and automatically generate and distribute branded postcard and e-mail promotions. The system allows pharmacies to maintain regular and relevant communication with customers, driving them back to the store with targeted promotions based on demographics, store visit history, and purchase behavior.

“Pharmacists OnLine and Activant came together because our two organizations are committed to improving front store sales at pharmacies,” stated Paul Salsgiver, EVP for Activant Solutions. “The combination of Activant’s transaction processing and retail business management solutions with Pharmacists OnLine’s innovative customer service and marketing products provides pharmacists with the tools to make themselves better retailers and raises the bar for pharmacy retail.”

Pharmacists OnLine, a division of Living Naturally LLC, is an Internet-based technology provider to more than 3,000 retailers and suppliers in the North American healthcare sector. The company develops and markets two solutions specifically for independent pharmacies, RxLoyalty Genius and RxWeb Genius, its content-driven website framework. Pharmacists OnLine has also integrated RxLoyalty Genius with Star-Plus POS software supplied by Retail Management Solutions (Olympia, WA). RMS serves as the dedicated reseller of Star-Plus in the pharmacy sector for Auto-Star (Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada).

Paul Salsgiver, EVP, Activant Solutions

Code Corner

Oracle (Redwood Shores, CA) introduced PeopleSoft Enterprise Financials and Supply Chain Management 9.1. This latest release drives increased user effectiveness with Web 2.0 functionality that helps companies connect and service their workforce using new engagement and collaboration tools, according to the company, and offers workbenches, dashboards, and embedded analytics. It contains significant enhancements across all of the major product areas, including Financials, Supplier Relationship Management (Procurement), Enterprise Service Automation (Projects), Supply Chain, and Asset Lifecycle Management solutions. PeopleSoft 9.1 is built on Oracle’s PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools 8.50, the technology platform that allows customers to manage, customize, integrate, and support their PeopleSoft applications in its highly flexible development environment. Compatible with previous application releases, PeopleTools 8.50 can reduce the total cost of ownership by providing customers valuable enhancements without requiring an upgrade to core Financials and Supply Chain Management applications, Oracle suggested. “This release of PeopleSoft Enterprise Financials and Supply Chain Management helps companies operate more efficiently, saving time and money,” indicated Paco Aubrejuan, Oracle’s VP and GM of PeopleSoft. “We developed PeopleSoft 9.1 based on feedback from customers and have responded to their needs by adding functionality that helps them improve financial processes and better manage their supply chains.”

PARTNER PROGRAMS

ISOs Offered Cash for POS Leads

UP Solution, the subsidiary of United Merchant Services (Hackensack, NJ), launched its POS Referral Program for Independent Sales Organizations. The new program, described as the first of its kind, rewards ISOs for referring potential POS customers to UP Solution--up to $2,000 per lead, according to Bryan Daughtry, VP of Sales and Marketing for UP Solution. UP provides self-branded hardware and software solutions for restaurants, salons, and retail locations, based around the UP-7000 and UP-5200 POS terminals, while United Merchant Services offers bank card processing.

“Our program is truly revolutionary because it provides ISOs with little to no POS knowledge with the opportunity to offer merchants our state-of-the-art POS system while receiving the biggest upfront bonus in the industry,” Daughtry asserted. “The program is very simple: the ISO generates the lead and closes the deal, with our staff supporting every step of the way in-between, including sales consultation and installation. Combining significant hardware revenue with processing residuals takes the ISO business model to an entirely new level. Given the fact that these POS units are nearly impossible to reprogram, the term ‘lifetime residuals’ is no longer far-fetched--it’s reality.”

Added Jay Yoon, CEO/President of UP Solution and United Merchant Services: “Our program further distinguishes itself from our competitors by providing merchants with a true one-stop shop. Our partners no longer deal with finger pointing between multiple providers as we deliver all POS services--hardware, software, and credit card processing--to the end-user. One phone call resolves any and all POS-related issues.”

Bryan Daughtry, VP of Sales and Marketing, UP Solution

WiZit Conjures Reseller Network

Sterizon (Atlanta) wants resellers for its wiZit wireless handheld data collection terminal, which supports direct marketing, polling, and customer loyalty. The device incorporates Wi-Fi communications, color LCD screen, and complete QWERTY keyboard in its compact form factor of 3.5 in. x 2.5 in. x 1 in. and weight of six ounces. It allows customer information and feedback to be gathered at the point of service, where it tends to be more timely and accurate. Target markets include brick and mortar businesses in retail, hospitality, and professional services, according to the company.

The Sterizon wiZit Reseller Program comes in two variants: Affiliate and VAR. The Affiliate Program rewards customer referrals by businesses not focused on direct marketing, surveying, or rewards. The VAR program, by comparison, seeks organizations with their core business in customer loyalty and corresponding capabilities in e-mail, SMS messaging, and social media marketing such as Twitter and Facebook. Participating VARs will represent Sterizon in all pre-sales and post-sales activities. In the case of both programs, Sterizon said it will offer marketing and sales support, sales training, and regular product updates.

“These strategic alliances will enable our partners’ business clients to replace their current paper sign-up sheets and comment cards with eco-friendly, secure, wireless data collection using Sterizon wiZit handheld devices to quickly, efficiently, and effectively build intelligent customer information databases for marketing purposes,” declared Tippu Gagguturu, Co-Founder of Sterizon. Over the past year, Sterizon has introduced products such as wiTweet, wiLoyalty, wiCoupon, and wiSurvey. Additionally, it has entered strategic partnerships with companies such as Touchpoint Technologies, Constant Contact, and Zipit Wireless.

Sterizon’s WiZit Handheld Terminal for Customer Loyalty

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
pcCashDrawer
Pioneer POS
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

Keyboards
Cherry Electrical Systems

MICR Check Printers/Self-Service Kiosks
Source Technologies

Receipt Printers
Bixolon America
Citizen Systems America
Star Micronics

Retail Software
InfoTouch

Screen Protection
3M Optical Filters

Video Surveillance & Access Control
ScanSource Security

INSTALLATIONS

Autotask Pilots IT VAD

Interwork Technologies (Williamsville, NY), the value-added distributor specializing in information security, voice, and IT management solutions, has selected Autotask as its exclusive Professional Services Automation (PSA) offering for all of its 4,000 VARs and solution providers. Under the agreement, Interwork will encourage its partners to adopt the IT business management practices built into Autotask. In addition, Autotask will become the centerpiece of Interwork’s new S-Sphere Managed Security Suite, featuring Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) products from five industry-leading vendors.

The decision by Interwork to work exclusively with Autotask came after an extensive evaluation of all the leading commercially available PSA solutions, according to the two parties. By standardizing on the PSA platform, Interwork also has encouraged more collaboration between partners. The Autotask “cloud” includes private and public online communities, allows for universal sharing of service tickets between service providers, and features direct connections to clients through the branded service portal.

“We are thrilled that another important player in the IT services industry has picked Autotask as their exclusive PSA platform,” shared Bob Godgart, CEO of Autotask Corporation (East Greenbush, NY). “Autotask is perfectly suited to be a fully functional command and control center for virtually all of Interwork’s specialized VARs and solution providers, giving them a better way to manage their IT businesses and generate higher profits.”

Bob Godgart, CEO, Autotask Corporation

WebDT 430 Starring at Movie Tavern

Custom Business Solutions, Inc. (Irvine, CA) has rolled out DT Research’s next-generation handheld POS terminal, dubbed the WebDT 430, for Movie Tavern, the combined theatre-restaurant concept with 14 locations in the Midwestern U.S. Wireless terminals have been put into the hands of every server on every shift, for 300 in all. “The goal is to stay within eyesight and earshot of our guests, to be able to take and deliver orders without being a distraction,” noted Scott Nixon, IT Director for Movie Tavern.

With the 4.3-inch screen of the WebDT 430, staff can easily see menu selections, according to Nixon. If the guest pays by credit or debit card, the server can swipe the card through the unit’s MSR at the table, with requisite PCI compliance. Equipped with full POSitouch capabilities, the handheld POS terminals support Movie Tavern’s managers as well, Nixon continued. Finally, in the back-office, Movie Tavern locations cap the solution with NorthStar Desktop, the CBS-developed software product that customizes task lists, reports, alerts, and financial management tools.  

“CBS goes back many years with handheld installations and it’s exciting to see where the technology is today and what impact it can have on an operator’s success,” observed Art Julian, CEO of Custom Business Solutions. “Today the WebDT 430 handhelds have all the capabilities of a full-size POS terminal, and then some. For a concept like Movie Tavern, handhelds are key to the guest’s experience and one big factor in keeping labor costs where they should be.” DT Research (San Jose, CA) has started to attract attention from the channel for its wireless tablets, POS handhelds, and digital signage solutions, as the relationship with CBS indicates.

WebDT 430 Handheld POS from DT Research

Channel Factoid

Number of shoppers up, average spending down. That’s the verdict on the Black Friday weekend. According to the National Retail Federation, 195 million shoppers visited stores and websites over the long Thanksgiving weekend, up from 172 million last year. However, the average spending over the weekend dropped to $343.31 per person, down from $372.57 one year ago. Total spending reached an estimated $41.2 billion. Shoppers’ destination of choice seemed to be department stores, with nearly half (49.4%) visiting at least one, up 12.9% from last year. Discount retailers took an uncharacteristic back seat, with 43.2% of holiday shoppers heading in that direction over the weekend and another 7.8% stopping at outlet stores. Shoppers also patronized electronics stores (29.0%), clothing stores (22.9%), and grocery stores (19.6%). According to the survey, nearly one-third of shoppers (32.2%) purchased toys, an increase of 12.9% from last year. Additionally, more people bought sporting goods (12.6% vs. 11.4% last year), personal care or beauty items (22.4% vs. 19.0%) and, somewhat surprisingly, gift cards (21.2% vs. 18.7%). The most popular purchases were of clothing (50.9%) and books (40.3%), which remained nearly unchanged over last year. “Shoppers proved this weekend that they were willing to open their wallets for a bargain, heading out to take advantage of great deals on less expensive items like toys, small appliances, and winter clothes,” said Tracy Mullin, NRF President/CEO. “While retailers are encouraged by the number of Americans who shopped over Black Friday weekend, they know they have their work cut out for them to keep people coming back through Christmas.”

HELLO GOODBYE

Jensen Joins Touch Dynamic

POS industry veteran Toby Jensen has joined Touch Dynamic (Irvington, NJ) as its Western Region Business Development Manager. In his new position, Jensen will open and manage the company’s new warehouse and service center in Portland, Oregon, as well as handle sales in Western U.S. states and Canadian provinces. He will work the territory in conjunction with Stephanie Rahija, based in Arizona. Jensen has more than 25 years of experience in the POS industry with companies such as POS Sales Management, Ready Distribution, and Posiflex USA.

“When Toby took on the Touch Dynamic product line at POS Sales Management, his previous company, it quickly became their largest PC POS line,” remembered Craig Paritz, President of Touch Dynamic. “Toby is well respected in the industry and has, over the course of his career, played a significant role in building several very successful POS distribution companies. These companies have earned numerous awards from the Retail Solutions Providers Association and Independent Cash Register Dealers Association [the RSPA’s forerunner], including the Gold Medallion Award.”

“The timing of this opportunity was right for me and the addition of our West Coast warehouse and service center will benefit all of Touch Dynamic’s loyal customers in the region, who have asked for such local support,” Jensen said. “I’ve long felt that Touch Dynamic is unmatched in its ability to provide an excellent product mix, quick service, and rapid ship times--just the way our customers require it. Further, we are sales driven, and can move quickly on any opportunity.”

Toby Jensen, Western Region Business Development Manager, Touch Dynamic

AIM President Wanted

Looking for work? AIM (Warrendale, PA), the international association for automatic identification, data collection, and mobile computing technologies, has announced that the search has begun for its new President, following the departure of Dan Mullen. Job requirements for the position will be posted on the AIM website by mid-December, AIM indicated. A full job description and how to apply will be included.

“The AIM Board and staff wish to express our appreciation to Dan Mullen for his long and loyal service to AIM, and wish him success as he pursues other interests,” said Clive Hohberger, Chairman of the AIM Board of Directors. “Looking ahead, the AIM Board will seek a vision-oriented individual with strong leadership experience and knowledge of the AIDC industry to enable the association to grow and to ensure the success of the launch of the AIM Expo 2010.”

In the breach, Mary Lou Bosco, AIM COO, will serve as acting Executive Director of AIM until the new President takes office. Similarly, Steve Halliday of High Tech Aid has been contracted to oversee all AIM standards activities on an interim basis. The AIM Expo, by the way, has been scheduled for November 2-3, 2010 in the Windy City. That’s Chicago, for RRN.Com’s growing body of overseas readers.