Our Product Pick

Denso ADC (Long Beach, CA) has stocked its BHT-1500 Series of one-dimensional CCD barcode terminals. Weighing only 4.5 oz., with dimensions of 5.5 in. (L) x 1.9 in. (W) x 1.1 in. (D), the BHT-1500 has 2" QVGA LCD, 21 keys, Micro SD card reader, and 32-MB Flash. Configured for batch data collection, with automatic restoration, it runs Basic O/S. Optional device cradles allow communication via Ethernet, USB, or RS-232C. In addition, there's an IP-54 rating for water and dust, drop test resistance from 6.6 ft./2 m, three-year warranty, and out-of-box software. "A new price level for a compact, high-speed, durable, and easy-to-use device with a full-size color screen," indicated David Keller, Sales Manager at Denso ADC.

Denso BHT-1500 Series

COMPANY BUSINESS

Zebra Busts Out 3600

Over the next nine months, Zebra Technology Corporation (Lincolnshire, IL) will roll out its new purpose-built family of ultra-rugged scanners, the 3600 Series. As the replacement for the LS3400 and DS3500, the Zebra 3600 represents the culmination of "redesign, not refresh," RRN.Com was told by John Britts, Senior Director of Product Management for Zebra. "Everything is new in this device: plastics, scan engine, decode algorithms, battery." Citing its use in demanding industrial and warehouse environments, he points to three overriding goals: durability, scan performance, and device management.

In all, six new models of 3600 have been showcased (counting cordless, or "3678," it's 12). Reflecting the growing trend, all but one--LI3608 (for "Linear")--utilize two-dimensional imagers. A line card includes Standard Range DS3608-SR, High Density DS3608-HD, High Performance DS3608-HP, Extended Range DS3608-ER, and Direct Part Mark DS3608-DP. All handle poorly printed, damaged, or obstructed codes, according to Zebra. All feature precise, rugged construction to IP-65 or IP-67, with complete water immersion for up to 30 minutes and 8-ft./2.4-m drop specification--23% more durability, says Zebra.

Zebra's 3600 Ultra-Rugged Scanner

Verifone's Building Block: Carbon

Verifone (San Jose, CA) has manifested its vision of next-generation checkout, cleverly dubbed "Carbon." Comprised of modernistic, dual-screen payment terminal and accompanying stand with receipt printer and cash drawer, Carbon runs Intel and Android. It detaches for mobility, with thin, lightweight form factor, built-in handle, MSR/NFC/EMV, and USB/Ethernet/Bluetooth/Wi-Fi. On the tablet-sized screen, the merchant has point-of-sale and business applications; on the smaller, secondary screen, the customer pays, and hopefully, engages with personalized messaging.

Along those lines, Verizon Carbon will come loaded with Verifone's Commerce Platform. As its name suggests, this scheme encompasses loyalty and reward capability, promotional media and couponing, built-in beacon technology, and resulting business analytics. Merchants may also download additional mobile commerce solutions via the dedicated App Marketplace (which is open to third-party developers).

"Verifone Carbon is our most well-designed and technologically advanced product ever," relayed Glen Robson, EVP and Head of Global Terminal Solutions at Verifone. "It uniquely delivers on our vision of the future of commerce in a connected world by bringing together payments, applications, customer service functions, and other solutions into an integrated system. It's a cutting-edge solution for merchants who want to experience the joy of truly frictionless commerce." [Editor's Note: Love the name!]

New Carbon Payment Terminal by Verifone

Worth Your While

Transact 16
Electronic Transactions Association
April 19-21
Las Vegas

WERC 2016
Warehousing Education and Research Council
May 15-18
Providence, RI

NRA Show 2016
National Restaurant Association
May 21-24
Chicago

RetailNOW 2016
Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA)
July 31-August 3
Grapevine, TX

ALL IN THE FAMILY

Cognex Fortifies Your Smartphone

An interesting approach to mobile computing has been proposed by Cognex Corporation (Natick, MA). A new product, designated the MX-1000, encases smartphones with snap-on polycarbonate housing, complete with overmold, and the company's vision-enabled scan engine (with advanced software such as 1DMax, 2DMax, and DataMan). A bold move into the $500 million ruggedized mobile terminal market, according to the company.

"Cognex is disrupting the market for mobile terminals by offering customers the power, ease of use, and low cost of Android and iOS-based smartphones together with Cognex's barcode reading technology," declared Robert Willet, President and CEO of Cognex. "Customers no longer need to choose between ruggedness and flexibility." Added Robert Shillman, Founder and Chairman of Cognex, "I envision that in the near future, customers will ask us to add other valuable vision-based capabilities such as Optical Character Recognition (OCR), packaging dimensioning, and inspection."

Cognex's MX-1000 for Rugged Mobile Computing

IPC Sews New Label

Infinite Peripherals Inc. (Elk Grove, IL), which goes by "IPC," has unboxed its new DPP-255 mobile printer. Accommodating both receipts and labels, the direct thermal DPP-255 features 2" print width and speed of 4 inch/100 mm per second at 203 dpi. It measures 3.5 in. (L) x 4.7 in. (W) x 2.5 in. (H), and weighs 1 lb. As expected these days, it supports iOS, Android, and Windows.

As interfaces, there's USB, RS-232C, and Bluetooth, with optional Wi-Fi. It includes two resident fonts and two loadable fonts, along with several one- and two-dimensional barcodes. It runs on rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery that lasts for 2.5 paper rolls, according to IPC. It also has label gap sensor, label peeler, and integrated belt clip. It joins IPC's existing line of receipt-only models: 2" DPP-250, 3" DPP-350, and 4" DPP-450.

IPC's DPP-255 Mobile Receipt/Label Printer

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ALLIANCES

A Good Month for CipherLab's RS30

CipherLab (Plano, TX) has received certification from two more ISVs for its flagship touch computer with Android, the RS30: Mobisoft (Eden Prairie, MN) and Novex Software (Wolfville, NS, Canada). Via their software packages, MOBlair and ZiiZii, respectively, both ISVs target customer order entry and related labeling. Such integration enables users "to pull up virtual product catalogs, search for products, receive e-mail confirmations, and have orders integrated into existing systems," enthused Louis Wu, VP and GM of CipherLab USA.

Debuted in January 2015, the RS30 has Cortex Quad-Core CPU at 1.3 GHz, 1-GB RAM, 8-GB Flash, and Micro SD. With 4.7" capacitive touchscreen protected by Gorilla Glass 3, it features an extra-protective boot for ruggedness (IP-54 and 5-ft./1.5-m drops). A full suite of communications--including 802.11b/g/n--ensures location roaming, with one- and two-dimensional scanning, eight-megapixel camera, and NFC/RFID. With 8-to-10-hour, rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery, the RS30 weighs 9.2 oz.

And some kudos forthcoming. One of the leading players in Auto ID, EMS Barcode Solutions (Plano, TX) has named the CipherLab RS30 as its "2015 Best Android Product of the Year." According to Dan Stevens, Director at 415 IT (San Francisco, CA), "The device performed well in various lighting conditions and from various angles. One of the features we love most about these devices is the clip-on chargers that are included. Not only do they make it easier to charge, but they are much more rugged than the tiny USB cords that come with consumer smartphones--a common point of failure in the workplace."

CipherLab's RS30 Series Touch Computer

Cracking the Vault (at Electronic Payments)

Electronic Payments (Calverton, NY) has scooped up Vault Payments Group (Clarkston, WA). Integrated payment offerings from Vault Payments Group address, in particular, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), including offerings by Acumatica, Microsoft, NetSuite, and Sage 100, 300, 500. Since 2006, Electronic Payments has supplied integrations into QuickBooks Accounting and QuickBooks Point of Sale.

"As a complete payment processing company, our integrations into ERP software are essential additions to our service offerings," indicated Michael Nardy, Founder and CEO of Electronic Payments. "Between our gateway, point-of-sale software, and integrated divisions, we deliver tools for merchants of all sizes." All of Vault's employees have joined Electronic Payments, which will offer branded "Vault Plug-ins."

At the end of last year, in November, Electronic Payments purchased Exatouch POS (Boca Raton, FL), which furnishes software and hardware for POS. Target markets are liquor, grocery, convenience, and salon and spa, as well as hospitality. "As a payments processor, we understand the need for progressive point-of-sale solutions that still possess an element of familiarity to the end-user," proposed Nardy. Soon after, in January 2015, Electronic Payments also launched its Clover Replacement Program, for First Data's Clover POS.

Michael Nardy, Founder and CEO, Electronic Payments

Code Corner

ADSI (Schaumburg, IL) has released its enhanced Pack-It and Ship-It Software, now fully optimized for mobile deployment. It tracks worker activities at every step in the fulfillment process, providing real-time visibility into an entire order lifecycle. A new module analyzes order contents to determine the optimal carton size (which the company calls "cartonization"). Additional benefits include: improved international shipment rating and export documentation generation; new tools to expedite and simplify the onboarding of carrier rates and services; certified integration with FedEx FSMS 2015 and Web Services 2015 software; certified integration with providers of Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) such as SPS Commerce; certified integration with the IDim 100 dimensioning system; and greater functionality in Size-It (ADSI's scanning software). "We've always focused on providing robust functionality, but our customers let us know they also wanted our software to run on devices like ruggedized mobile computers and tablets. That's what we've delivered in this release," relayed Bob Fischer, President and CEO of ADSI.

ADSI's Fulfillment Software on Zebra's TC8000 Mobile Computer

Channel Chatter

Another sign of the times, as Barcode ID Systems (Atlanta, GA) has changed its name to Inovity. "We felt our company name was far too limiting because we provide so much more for our customers," explained Steve George, Co-Owner and EVP of Inovity."

ENVIRONMENTS/PLATFORMS

Another Bite of the Apple

SuiteRetail (Kemblesville, PA) has launched its SuitePOS 2.0. An independent VAR specializing in cloud-based platforms such as NetSuite, and now Salesforce, SuiteRetail has two partner levels--Referral (with 10% commission) and Solution (with 20% commission). It focuses on Apple iPad and iPhone, with an eye towards midsize and enterprise customers.

A number of enhancements are cited for SuitePOS 2.0, including self-service kiosk capability, embedded barcode support for pricing, and more hardware options (including the mPOP from Star Micronics). In security, there's support for EMV/NFC, Point-to-Point Encryption (P2PE), and PCI-DSS. This new release also brings full access to NetSuite and Salesforce at the POS, which enables processing of in-store pick-ups, ship-from-store, customer dashboards, and inventory update. Lastly, multi-store retailers will receive support from NetSuite OneWorld.

"With EMV, Apple and Samsung Pay, an enhanced UI, and even more speed for 2.0, there's no cloud-powered point-of-sale solution that performs better or offers cooler checkout tech than SuitePOS," remarked Jeff Schneider, Co-Founder and Director of SuiteRetail. "For NetSuite retailers, we focused on how to bring deeper omnichannel data to the point-of-sale and provide additional tools for clerks and other in-store personnel to interact with their customers better. The beauty is way more than skin deep with this release and continues from the front of the store to the back, and across all channels."

SuitePOS 2.0 Launched by SuiteRetail

Shout Out in the Warehouse

A pair of supply chain players, LogFire (Atlanta, GA) and Wavelink (South Jordan, UT), seek to further the cause of voice-picking technology. A combined solution pairs LogFire's Warehouse Management Cloud with Wavelink's Speakeasy. Wavelink adds voice-based data entry, or "speech-to-text," as well as voice direction from an application, or "text-to-speech." It engages barcode scanning, RFID, and keyboard entry. As usual in such schemes, employees access the system via wireless computers with headsets and microphones.

"Wavelink can voice-enable any RF operation on the LogFire Warehouse Management Cloud, and it supports a wide range of mobile devices, eliminating a dependency on specific voice hardware that other solutions may require," reported Arun Murugan, CTO at LogFire. "Our customers also demand a high level of security offered by Wavelink. The LogFire and Wavelink solutions implement at a fraction of the time compared to other voice-pick-enabled Warehouse Management Systems (WMS)." [Editor's Note: In some cases, less than 30 days.]

"The combination of Wavelink and LogFire will provide customers with a powerful, flexible warehouse solution," related Steve Bemis, VP of Worldwide Sales for Wavelink. "Customers will benefit from streamlined warehouse operations, increased workforce productivity, and greater ease of use, all without sacrificing order accuracy." A longstanding supplier in our channel, Wavelink offers popular products for mobile device management such as Avalanche, Certificate Manager, Terminal Emulation, and Velocity.

A Partnership Between LogFire and Wavelink Addresses Voice Picking

Key Advertiser Links

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

POS & Peripherals
AnywhereCommerce
Bematech
CRS, Inc.
ECR Software
Elo Touch Solutions
Harbortouch
Hewlett-Packard
Partner Tech
Pioneer POS
POSBANK USA
Posiflex

Barcode & Transaction Printers
Brother Mobile
Citizen
CognitiveTPG
Godex Americas

Cash Drawers
MMF POS

Cyber Security for POS
Signature Systems/PDQ

Data Collection
CipherLab
Code Corporation

Integrated Payment Solutions
Cayan
Datacap Systems
Moneris
Vantiv IP

Keyboards & Mobile POS
Cherry Americas, LLC
TG3 Electronics

Receipt Printers
Bixolon America
CognitiveTPG
Star Micronics

Thermal Printers
Seiko Instruments USA

Touchscreens & Monitors
Elo Touch Solutions

INSTALLATIONS

Alert POS Calls 911!

An industry first? Alert POS (Jensen Beach, FL), which develops cloud- and tablet-based POS, in this case for Windows, has debuted its "Active Intelligence." Addressing security concerns, this new feature links the checkout to appropriate law enforcement, fire department, and first responder phone systems. If needed, it communicates up-to-the-minute information, including location, crowd, and point of alarm. In addition, all other terminals in the store are activated into emergency mode and will immediately update the "event link."

"The POS terminal is the most utilized piece of technology in business today, tracking and updating key data such as employee management, number of customers in a store, and floor layouts," noted Brad Jarrett, CEO of Alert POS. "It makes perfect sense for us to create a direct link from the terminal to law enforcement to quickly deliver the critical information they need in an emergency." Going forward, the company reportedly plans to add drone technology for live video.

Alert POS also has established an exclusive relationship for credit and debit card processing with Moneris Solutions (Toronto, ON, Canada). "Alert POS has created a unique value-add for the point-of-sale with the introduction of the Active Intelligence security feature," reflected Pat Woods, VP of Strategic Partner Sales at Moneris. "With the integration of Moneris' state-of-the-art payment processing, businesses now have access to a POS solution that looks after nearly every aspect of their enterprise, including the security of their operating space." [Editor's Note: Alert POS is part of InfoSoft.]

An "Event Link" for Emergencies Via POS

Beacons Shining Bright

A high-flyer, Point Inside (Bellevue, WA), has unveiled its new beacon management system, entitled "StoreLocation." A "beacon planner" determines overall placement via digital store maps, while the "beacon activator" addresses in-store control and movement via any device running iOS. As scale, the firm cites hundreds or thousands of individual store locations

"One of our core missions has always been to unlock the potential of indoor location technologies to benefit our retail partners and their shoppers," remarked Josh Marti, Co-Founder and CEO at Point Inside. "Beacons are powerful tools that retailers can utilize to bridge the gap between the physical and digital worlds and personalize each interaction with an individual shopper." Added Aaron Dane, Retail Experience and Innovation Manager at Point Inside, "By making it easy to manage and deploy beacons, StoreLocation helps retailers digitally connect with shoppers in-store through relevant and contextual messages."

StoreLocation has been built on Point Inside's StoreMode, which creates an exact digital representation of each retail store, capturing current product locations, departments, and even services. According to leading research firm, the IHL Group (Franklin, TN), more than half of large retailers are planning to deploy beacons by the end of 2016. As customers, Point Inside has big names such as Target, Lowe's, and Meijer. It naturally supports hardware from leading beacon providers.

Point Inside Launches StoreLocation Beacon Management System

Channel Factoid

Over the past nine years, the number of women-owned firms has grown five times faster than the national average, reaching its post-recession high, according to the "2016 State of Women-Owned Business Report," commissioned by American Express OPEN. It finds that between 2007 and 2016, the number of such firms rose by 42%, with women starting over 1,000 new businesses every day. It indicates that women-owned firms now number 11.3 million, employ nearly 9 million people, and generate more than $1.6 trillion in revenue. In employment, growth has been strong, with an increase of 18% since 2007 (while hiring declined 1% among all businesses during the same time period). In addition, business revenues increased by 35% since 2007 (compared to 27% among all U.S. firms). With this surge, women are now the majority owners of 38% of the country's businesses, up from 29% in 2007. The five states home to the greatest number of women-owned firms as of 2016 are California, Texas, Florida, New York, and Georgia. The five metropolitan areas are New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, and Atlanta. As vertical segments, the report cites: home care, hair and nail salons, and pet care (up 98%); janitorial, landscaping, and travel agencies (up 64%); accommodation and foodservice (up 64%); and construction (up 56%). "We are pleased to see the continued rise of the vital role that women-owned businesses play in our country's post-recession recovery," commented Susan Sobbott, President of American Express Global Commercial Payments.

HELLO GOODBYE

Bixolon Bulks Up

Bixolon America (Torrance, CA) has strengthened its executive team with two new hires: Mark Hernandez as Director of AIDC Solutions and Rick Pino as Channel Sales Manager. Hernandez brings more than 20 years of experience with companies such as Symbol Technologies (now Zebra), Honeywell Scanning & Mobility, and most recently, OKI Data Americas. At OKI, he led the thermal label and POS printer business as Director of Specialty Products. For his part, Pino has 18 years of experience with Ingram Micro, most recently serving as Senior Market Development Specialist for Star Micronics.

"I have long admired Bixolon's dedication to technology advancement, global leadership initiatives, and commitment to social responsibility," stated Hernandez. "Bixolon's customer-centric business culture and solution portfolio are what progressive companies are looking for in a long-term strategic partner. It is my privilege to join Bixolon, and to help lead industry changes, direction, and market expansion."

"While I am still learning and collecting information, I am soon realizing the superior products and services Bixolon offers as compared to other solutions I have become familiar with in my past job," stated Pino. "I plan to build my knowledge of the Bixolon product line to seamlessly integrate into the reseller, end-user, and distributor community that I am so familiar with." Bixolon America also has announced availability of its 3" SPP-R310 mobile printer with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, USB, and Serial.

New Bixolon Hires: Mark Hernandez, Director of AIDC Solutions, and Rick Pino, Channel Sales Manager

A High Priestess of Payments

TSYS (Columbus, GA) has enlisted payments veteran Pamela Joseph as its new President and COO. Before announcing her retirement in June 2015, Joseph had served as Vice Chairman of the Payment Services Division of U.S. Bancorp as well as Chairman and CEO of Elavon, Inc., in both cases since 2004. Previous employers have included Visa International and Wells Fargo Bank. She currently serves on the Boards of Directors of TransUnion, Paychex, and Centene Corporation.

"We are delighted that Pam will be joining our executive team," commented M. Troy Woods, Chairman, President, and CEO at TSYS. "She is immensely respected within the payments industry and has a deep familiarity with our company from years of working together, which are tremendous assets as we strive to deliver 'people-centered' innovation in this rapidly evolving payments industry."

"I have known and done business with TSYS for more than twenty years and am thrilled to be joining the team," proclaimed Joseph. "TSYS clearly has best-in-class technology platforms and a blue-chip customer roster. I look forward to driving additional client and partner benefits through product innovation and service enhancements."

Pamela Joseph, President and COO, TSYS