Our Product Pick

Honeywell (Fort Mill, SC) has unboxed its new wearable "mini-mobile" scanner, designated Model 8680i. Measuring 3.2 in. (L) x 2.2 in. (W) x 1.2 in. (H), weighing 5.3 oz. with triggered ring, the Model 8680i supplies two-dimensional scanning and 1200-mAh battery with 3,000-scan, 8-hour life. (An extended battery version is also offered.) Instructions for workflow are provided on the user-facing display, with two-button operation. It has drop resistance of 5 ft./1.5 m and 2,000 tumbles. As communication capabilities, there's Bluetooth 4, 802.11 Wi-Fi, and NFC. "To keep workers safe and healthy, we designed this scanner to be up to 17% lighter than competing wearables," enthused Stan Zywicki, GM of Scanning and Printing at Honeywell.

Honeywell's 8680i Wearable Scanner

COMPANY BUSINESS

A Slice of Paya

A catch-up call with Greg Cohen, President of Paya (Reston, VA), gives more insight into channel plans of the new payment processor. As readers will recall, Paya spun off Sage Software in August 2017, under private equity firm GTCR. A team of veterans has been assembled, including Joe Kaplan, CEO, formerly CEO of Total Merchant Services (2012 to 2017) and CEO of Intuit's Innovative Merchant Solutions (1999 to 2008), and Greg Cohen, formerly COO of iPayment (2014 to 2017) and Chief Strategy and Revenue Officer of Cayan (2013 to 2014).

As point of differentiation for Paya, Cohen cited the new, best-of-breed, cloud-based platform developed under Sage Software, which includes: card, EFT (Electronic Funds Transfer), and ACH (Automated Clearing House); advanced call center, ticketing, and contact management; and perhaps most importantly, familiarity with Business-to-Business (B2B) and ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning). While most processors have evolved to focus on retail or hospitality, postulated Cohen, Paya expands the playing field into cases of more "bilateral data exchange." Accounting and supply chain firms (wholesale, for instance) fall into his definition of ERP. "Back to the ERP, so you can post it in the G&L," he offered.

As to the channel, "one of the nice parts is our open approach," continued Cohen. "No matter how you want to do business, we can support you." A "100% partner-centric philosophy" includes VARs, ISVs, and ISOs. In the case of VARs and ISVs, there's both reselling and referral opportunities. Also, unlike the restrictions of some payment processors, "you can leverage our tools and white label to create your own channels," flourished Cohen. About 100,000 merchants employ Paya. Organic and inorganic growth are predicted by Cohen.

Greg Cohen, President, Paya ("Pie-ya")

Shift4 Has "Micros"-scope

A double shot of Micros for Shift4 Payments (Allentown, PA), with the hiring of Michael Russo as its Chief Development Officer and Daniel Drasin as its EVP of Development. At Micros Systems, and subsequently Oracle Hospitality (following its acquisition by Oracle in 2014), Russo served as Chief Technology Officer (2011 to 2018) and Drasin served as VP of Food and Beverage Development (2010 to 2018). At their new employer, they will work on software for the company's payment and point-of-sale brands, as well as other technology products and internal systems, according to Shift4.

"We are very excited to have Michael and Daniel join the Shift4 team," remarked Jared Isaacman, CEO of Shift4 Payments. "They were driving forces behind the successful development of Micros Systems for many years, and their experience in the industry will be invaluable." In addition to Micros/Oracle, Russo and Drasin earlier worked together in software development at two healthcare technology firms, Prematics and Artromick.

A prime example of evolution has led to Shift4 Payments. Initially, United Bank Card debuted its "POS-as-a-Service" pioneer, entitled Harbortouch, in 2008. Next came purchase of three major ISVs in hospitality POS--Future POS, POSitouch, and Restaurant Manager--to form Lighthouse Network in July 2017. After adding the well-established payment gateway by Shift4, the entire ensemble of processing and point-of-sale at Lighthouse Network was reformed under the brand of Shift4 Payments in January 2018. More to come from Shift4, no doubt.

On the Job at Shift4: Michael Russo, Chief Development Officer, and Daniel Drasin, EVP of Development

Worth Your While

Transact
Electronic Transactions Association
April 17-19
Las Vegas, NV

WERC
Warehousing Education and Research Council
May 6-9
Charlotte, NC

NRA Show
National Restaurant Association
May 19-22
Chicago, IL

RetailNOW
Retail Solutions Providers Association
August 5-8
Nashville, TN

NACS
National Association of Convenience Stores
October 7-10
Las Vegas, NV

ALL IN THE FAMILY

Janam Keys Up XM75

Janam Technologies (Woodbury, NY) has unveiled its newest rugged mobile computer, designated the XM75. In consumer smartphone format, with enterprise-grade features, the XM75 runs Android 6. It measures 6.5 in. (H) x 3 in. (W) x 1.2 in. (D) and weighs 10.5 oz. with 4.3" capacitive touchscreen (480x800) with Gorilla Glass 3--as well as, significantly, 24 numeric keys. As performance, it has Qualcomm Quad-Core Snapdragon CPU at 1.2 GHz, 2-GB/16-GB RAM, and Micro-SD. A removable and rechargeable 4100-mAh Li-Ion battery supports the work day.

As data collection, the XM75 furnishes two-dimensional scanning (Honeywell's Model N6603), 13-megapixel rear-facing camera, NFC, and RFID. As communications, there's Bluetooth 4, full 802.11 Wi-Fi, 4G LTE, and GPS. As ruggedness, there's rating of IP-67 for water, dust, and extreme temperatures, and 5-ft./1.5-m drops to concrete. Another benefit: certification to Google Mobile Services (e.g., Google Play, Google Maps, Chrome). An optional trigger handle is offered.

"A large segment of our customer base is looking for a key-based rugged mobile computer, not one of the many copycat devices with zero differentiation now flooding the market," emphasized Harry Lerner, CEO of Janam Technologies. "Janam's XM75 provides the best of both worlds for organizations that want a rugged mobile computer with a slim smartphone-like design, but don't want to choose between a keypad and touchscreen." A standard two-year warranty may be supplemented by the company's Comprehensive Service Plans.

Janam's XM75 Rugged Mobile Computer With Keypad and Touchscreen

Making a Stand at Advantech

Advantech (Irvine, CA) has rolled out two new self-service stations, based upon its PC's, and listed as UTC-720/750. A system for pole, ceiling, or wall mounting, with choice of 21.5" or 31.5" LCD, the UTC-720 features slim steel chassis with side-open design for easy system maintenance. By contrast, UTC-750 has maximum flexibility, accommodating diverse table and floor stands, and supporting 10.1" to 42" LCD's. As applications, Models UTC-720/750 address the spectrum of retail, restaurants, lodging, cinema, transportation, and public service.

As performance, Models UTC-720/750 feature fanless design, Intel Core i5-6300U CPU at 2.4 GHz, 4-GB/16-GB RAM, and Windows Embedded 7/8, Windows 10 IoT, and Linux O/S. Displays have 16:9 widescreen, 1920x1080 resolution, and 250-nit brightness. An IP-65 rating for the front panel withstands water, dust, and extreme temperatures.

With multiple I/O's (i.e., Ethernet x 2, Com x 2, USB 3.0 x 2, USB 2.0 x 4), the UTC-720/750 supports necessary peripherals such as thermal printers, barcode scanners, credit card readers, and NFC. As an example, the UTC-720 may be fitted with two 10-W speakers and an optional front-facing camera to provide an enhance multimedia experience. As options for the touchscreen in UTC-720/750, there's projected-capacitive, resistive, and glass (non-touch). A well-known brand in horizontal computing, Advantech also serves the POS Channel.

New Self-Service Stations by Advantech

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ALLIANCES

A (Blue)Print for Digital Signage

As drivers for its digital "POS Signage," Sophatar (San Jose, CA) has endorsed receipt printers from both Star Micronics America (Somerset, NJ) and Epson America (Long Beach, CA). A monthly subscription-based service, with accompanying hardware, Sophatar utilizes line items shown by the printer receipts, data analytics, and social media to produce so-called "contextual" displays. It can play from any device with an embedded web browser, such as tablet or PC, or media player.

"We make digital signage contextual so it becomes relevant," relayed Bart DeCanne, Founder and CEO of Sophatar. "We give shoppers in brick-and-mortar stores, or visitors to hospitality businesses, a similar experience as what they have become used to online: dynamic product recommendations based on sales patterns and other factors. Research shows that shopper basket size can increase up to 35% when customers are being reminded of other products sold at the store."

"Solutions other than point-of-sale and payments should be very high on the list for resellers," counseled David Salisbury, VP of Sales and Marketing at Star Cloud Services, part of Star Micronics America. "Sophatar's digital signage delivers revenue to the reseller from hardware supply and installation, in addition to the actual service and upgrades. And it's totally agnostic to the retailer's chosen POS."

"POS Signage" by Sophatar Embraces Star and Epson Receipt Printers

A Spot of EMV at POS-X

POS-X (Bellingham, WA) has turned to two popular OEMs to deliver certified EMV payment processing in its All-in-One POS. In the case of its Model EVO TP4, POS-X had added the MultiGrip Mounting Plate from SpacePole (Norcross, GA), which supports terminals with EMV from either Ingenico or Verifone. As another option for its Model EVO TP4, POS-X offers the Augusta Reader from ID TECH (Cypress, CA), mounted by side bracket, similar to MSR.

In the case of its Model ION TP5 and TP5 Pro, POS-X has turned to the UniPay 1.5 Reader from ID TECH, with custom enclosure and integrated cabling for USB. Both Augusta and UniPay 1.5 supply MSR and EMV (Levels 1 and 2). In customer-facing configuration, and with tilt handle, the MultiGrip Mounting Plate from SpacePole, for the Model EVO TP4, also allows the payment terminal with EMV from Ingenico or Verifone to be detached for needs such as disability access.

"POS-X has a large network of dealers, ISVs, and channel partners, all with existing payment integrations that have different encryption requirements," commented Philip Sanborn, Product Manager at POS-X. "By utilizing a 'bring your own device' option, our partners are able to get the exact encryption they require for their payment integration with EMV." Observed Justin Ning, VP of Product Management and Marketing for ID TECH, "Our integrated solutions are certified to most major processors and deliver turnkey EMV."

SpacePole's MultiGrip Mounting Plate Holds EMV Payment Terminals for POS-X's Model EVO TP4 All-in-One POS

Code Corner

ASAP Systems (San Jose, CA) has enhanced its inventory system, entitled BarCloud, with extensive, customizable graphics and charts. Administrators may choose the most suitable format for displaying their critical data--in formats such as column charts, bar charts, line graphs, and pie charts. Users may opt to view inventory by stock number, category, or type. A line graph may be used to identify market trends, for example. A stock control chart, similarly, may be used to provide insights on inventory levels, including minimum, maximum, reordering, and shipping/receiving. "Inventory data reporting remains one of the main metrics required for further visibility," declared Nicholas Saliba, Digital Marketing Manager at ASAP Systems. "Opportunities for incorporating visual inventory reporting exist in multiple areas of our inventory management system. We made realizing those opportunities one of our primary missions in 2018."

Inventory Visibility by ASAP Systems

INTEGRATION

Showing Gusto for Loyalty

Another step for loyalty, with the partnership between LevelUp (Boston, MA) and Gusto Point of Sale (Bethesda, MD). Under this agreement, Gusto's cloud-based POS integrates seamlessly with the LevelUp platform for mobile loyalty and payments, both in-store and in-app. Also of interest, partners of Gusto will have access to LevelUp's channel distribution service, dubbed Broadcast, by which restaurants can be listed on Facebook, Yelp, Chase Pay, etc.

"We are very pleased to team up with Gusto to provide restaurant operators with a dynamic digital loyalty program fully integrated into their point-of-sale system," volunteered Seann Moriarty, Director of Strategic Partnerships at LevelUp. "Consumer demand for speed and convenience, especially through use of mobile apps, is influencing the way operators run their businesses. [With this pact] we provide another easy access point for them to connect with their customers."

An up-and-comer, Gusto focuses on fast-casual and quick-service restaurants; its most recent deployment was Saladworks, with 100 sites. As typical of cloud-based providers, it offers three levels of service--in its case, Core, Complete, and Concierge, ranging in base charge of $39 to $149 per month. Established in 2011, LevelUp now serves one million customers per month at 50,000 locations in the U.S.

Gusto Point of Sale Adopts QR Code Based Mobile Loyalty and Payments by LevelUp

Mi9 Says "Aye" to Adyen

ISV Mi9 Retail (Miami, FL) has added payment processing through platform provider Adyen (San Francisco, CA). Through this partnership, the customers of Mi9 will gain access to Adyen's newly released Terminal API (Application Programming Interface), which brings the benefits of e-commerce into the physical store. Retailers can integrate and scale this offering to their needs and will have the capacity to provide checkout from anywhere in their store, on any device.

"Adyen seeks partners who can help provide a seamless checkout experience for consumers," elaborated Kamran Zaki, President for North America at Adyen. "Mi9 understands the shifting retail landscape and has a proven track record of working with world-class retailers. Our combined services create a number of powerful benefits for both retailers and consumers."

"Our partnership with Adyen was designed to meet the evolving needs of retailers," contributed Neil Moses, CEO of Mi9 Retail. "We collaborate with companies that provide great services for our customers, and we know that they will immediately see the advantages that Adyen offers. We're delighted to bring this combined offer to the market."

Mi9 Retail Processes Payments Via Adyen

Key Advertiser Links

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

POS & Peripherals
Aures
Bematech
Electronic Payments
Harbortouch
Hewlett-Packard
Pioneer POS
POSBANK USA
Posiflex

Barcode & Transaction Printers
Brother Mobile
CognitiveTPG
Godex Americas

Cash Drawers
APG Cash Drawer
MMF POS

Data Collection
CipherLab
Code Corporation
Janam Technologies

Integrated Payment Solutions
Datacap Systems
Cayan
iPayment
Monetary LLC
Sterling Payment

Keyboards & Mobile POS
TG3 Electronics

Mounts for POS
SpacePole

Receipt Printers
Bixolon America
CognitiveTPG
Epson America
Star Micronics

Thermal Printers
Seiko Instruments USA

INSTALLATIONS

Moving the Cheese at SuiteRetail

SuiteRetail has been chosen by iconic Murray's Cheese in New York City. With specialty stores in Greenwich Village and Grand Central Station, and more than 300 stands throughout grocery chain Kroger, Murray's Cheese wanted to consolidate its business on one platform, according to the two parties. It settled on Oracle's NetSuite for ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) and SuiteRetail's SuitePOS as replacements for Intuit QuickBooks and Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System (RMS).

A cloud-based system on iOS, delivered as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), SuiteRetail integrates seamlessly with NetSuite (and Salesforce). As hardware, it employs tablets and payment processing via Square. A combination of SuiteRetail and NetSuite provides benefits in checkout, inventory, item-level promotion handling, complex tax management (using Avatax), gift-cards, e-commerce, and consolidated reports, according to the two parties.

"SuiteRetail and NetSuite has been the perfect solution for Murray's," reported Andrew Perlgut, Director of Technology at Murray's Cheese. "We are able to run our entire business on the one platform and it is easily scalable to meet our growing needs. The checkout process is quick and seamless for our employees, and customers get to enjoy a better shopping experience as well." A self-described virtual company, SuiteRetail is led by Founders/Directors Ray Tetlow and Jeff Schneider.

Murray's Cheese Selects SuitePOS and NetSuite

Revention Goes "Off"

Revention (Houston, TX) will deploy its restaurant system for the "off-mall" locations of pizza chain, Sbarro. It includes Revention point-of-sale, HungerRush online ordering, and the R-Enterprise cloud-based remote management portal. In an attempt to rescue its brand--known largely for sites in airports and shopping malls--Sbarro has revamped older stores, established stand-alone "off-mall" locations, and debuted its fast-casual concept, called Cucinova. It has experienced several well-reported bankruptcies over the past decade.

"Having one provider of POS for our off-mall expansion will allow us to achieve standardization across this important growth initiative," indicated Ben Mills, VP of IT at Sbarro. "We researched and tested numerous solutions. Revention offered all the services we needed and provided the open architecture we required for our data mining needs. Big data requires consistency."

"As a company experiencing rapid growth ourselves, we have the tools and knowledge to take our customers to the next level," expressed Laura Gaudin, Director of Product Management at Revention. "We approach each customer as their partner, and work collaboratively with them to achieve milestones that are mutually beneficial." Also, Revention will provide programs for the franchise community of Sbarro to upgrade from their current technology platforms.

Sbarro Adopts Revention POS for Its Off-Mall Sites

Channel Factoid

The Future of Fulfillment

A Survey of the
On-Demand Economy

-78% of companies in retail and delivery expect to provide same-day delivery of products by 2023 and 40% expect to provide delivery of products within two hours by 2028

-Only 39% of manufacturers, logistics companies, and retailers report operating at an "omnichannel level," due to issues with back orders, inventory allocation, and freight costs

-76% of retailers use store inventory to fill online orders and 86% of retailers plan to implement buy-online/pickup-in-store in the next year

-72% of manufacturers, logistics companies, and retailers currently utilize barcode scanners, but 55% still employ manual pen-and-paper processes for omnichannel purposes

-By 2021, handheld mobile computers with barcode scanners will be used by 94% of respondents for omnichannel logistics, and RFID will grow by 49%

-Disruptive technologies in the supply chain are identified as crowd-sourced delivery (87%), drones (39%), driverless vehicles (38%), wearable and mobile technology (37%), and robotics (37%)

-Manufacturers, logistics companies, and retailers ranked current inventory accuracy at 74%, but report needing to be at 83% to handle the needs of omnichannel logistics

Source: "Future of Fulfillment Vision Study" by Zebra Technologies Corporation (Lincolnshire, IL)

Yankee Opening Day

In the cold and rain on April 3: Your editor, Michael; his son, Christian; and his son’s friend, Izzy. Yankees won 11-4. Hope weather, and Yankees, heat up!

HELLO GOODBYE

There's Job Opening at NCR

NCR (Atlanta, GA) has announced the pending resignation of Chairman and CEO Bill Nuti due to health reasons. A search for new CEO has started, led by the company's Board. Upon stepping down, Nuti will be named Chairman Emeritus. Also, Paul Langenbahn, EVP of NCR Software, has been elevated to COO of NCR, replacing Mark Benjamin. Before becoming EVP of NCR Software in 2011, Langenbahn was President of the Hospitality Business Unit at Radiant Systems (1994 to 2011). NCR, of course, purchased Radiant Systems in 2011.

"As the third longest serving CEO in NCR's 134-year history, Bill Nuti is a great leader who has had a profound impact on the company's successful evolution," noted Chinh Chu, Independent Lead Director of the NCR Board. "Bill's vision and focus on execution has driven the reinvention of NCR, transforming our company into a software and services-led organization, and we are pleased he will stay involved with the company." Nuti joined NCR as President and CEO in 2005. He previously served as President and CEO of Symbol Technologies (2002 to 2005).

"I want to thank the people of NCR, past and present, for their dedication, focus, and results," reflected Nuti. "As much as we have accomplished over the past 13 years, I'm even more excited about the future. In a world where physical and digital boundaries are increasingly blurred, nobody is better positioned than NCR to help companies with their business challenges." A $6.5 billion business at NCR now includes $2 billion in software ($600 million in the cloud).

Bill Nuti, Chairman and CEO at NCR, Steps Down

Paul Langenbahn, EVP of Software at NCR, Named COO

RSPA Gets the Basics

A pair of new hires for the Retail Solutions Providers Association (Charlotte, NC) will deep-dive into market analytics and sales training. As Market Research and Chief Strategist, Marie Perry will identify market opportunities for members, including expanded portfolios and recurring revenue streams. As VP of Sales and Member Strength Coach, Dave Menton will teach techniques for recruiting, onboarding, deployment, and sales management for members of RSPA.

"Success starts with understanding the market and the opportunity," stated Perry. "I look forward to assisting our members in establishing a strong foundation for growth and long-term success." Before RSPA, Perry served as Manager of Partner Data and Analysis for Aptean (2016 to 2018), Channel Operations Manager for NCR (2011 to 2016), and Channel Operations Manager for Radiant Systems (2006 to 2011).

"Helping those in our industry to be successful, to drive improvements, and to strengthen their businesses has always been a pillar of what motivates me," stated Menton. "I look forward to working with our community in these fast-changing times." Before RSPA, Menton served as GM of Channels, Eastern U.S. and Canada, for NCR (2013 to 2018), Regional Sales Manager of Channels, Southeastern U.S., for NCR (2009 to 2013), and Field Services Manager for Micros Systems (2002 to 2008).

"As we expand our offerings and our value to our members we have added two unique building blocks pertaining to market segmentation and sales training expertise to our foundation," related John Kirk, President and CEO of the RSPA. "Please join me in welcoming Marie Perry and Dave Menton to our team." Note: This year's RetailNow Show by RSPA takes place in Nashville, TN, from August 5 to 8.

Marie Perry, Market Research and Chief Strategist, and Dave Menton, VP of Sales, Join the Retail Solutions Providers Association

Heather Grows in Georgia

Agilysys (Alpharetta, GA) has engaged Heather Foster for the new role of VP of Marketing. Most recently, Foster served as VP of Marketing at Worldpay U.S. (2017 to 2018). Previous roles have included VP of Marketing at StrataCloud (2014 to 2016) and VP of Marketing at ControlScan (2007 to 2014).

"Heather has demonstrated tremendous success in formulating and executing on clearly defined strategies for increasing brand awareness, product acceptance, and customer engagement for innovative and effective software technology solutions," cited Ramesh Srinivasan, President and CEO of Agilysys. "She will play a crucial role in helping us accelerate our growth."

Heather Foster, VP of Marketing, Agilysys