This Week’s Product Pick

Seiko Instruments USA, Thermal Printer Division (Torrance, CA), has unwrapped its Smart Label Printer 600 Series (SLP 600). Offered in three models, this new desktop targets professional service firms, healthcare applications, small businesses, and home office users. Benefits include small footprint of approximately 4.5 in. (W) x 5.8 in. (H) x 6.8 in. (D), advanced direct thermal print technology, and free Smart Label software for use with Microsoft Access, Excel, Outlook, and Word. Starting at $62.50, the Smart Label Printer 600 Series offers various print speeds, resolution (both 203 and 300 dpi), and USB or Serial communication interfaces. "The Smart Label Printer Line from Seiko Instruments is ergonomically friendly, fast, and easy to use," stated Kaz Onishi, VP of Seiko Instruments USA. "These features, linked with the Smart Label Line's capacity for easy integration with Microsoft Office, make it a suitable choice to complete everyday organizational and administrative tasks."

Seiko Smart Label
Printer 600 Series

COMPANY BUSINESS

Auto ID Across the Miles

Barcoding, Inc. (Baltimore) has purchased fellow system integrator Miles Technologies, Inc. (Lake Zurich, IL). With two office locations in the greater Chicago market and one in St. Louis, Miles Technologies will provide the reach throughout the Central and Western U.S. long sought by Barcoding, Inc. Equally important, Barcoding, Inc. will add significant capabilities in RFID to its product portfolio.

Included in the sale, terms of which were not disclosed, will be the Miles' Technology Integration Center (Addison, IL), with 7,500 square feet of demonstration area for RFID, voice picking, wireless, and barcode applications. In addition, 15 Miles Technologies employees will become part of the Barcoding, Inc. team. On their part, current clients of Miles Technologies will now enjoy more comprehensive "go live" and "continuing care" support through Barcoding's Professional Services Group.

Shane Snyder, President, Barcoding, Inc.

LightSpeed's Mac Master

LightSpeed Retail (Montreal) has showcased StoreMaster, its re-engineered browser for Apple's Mac, intended to serve as the "command center" for retail operations, in the words of Dax Dasilva, President. In an interview with RRN.Com, Dasilva pointed to the growing need for omni-channel sales reporting, accurate inventory tracking, and critical business decision-making. "For the past couple years, we've focused on front-end stuff, on iPhone, on iPad," said Dasilva, referring to his company's POS. "Recently we've started revisiting all the back-office needs of the store owner, who must be empowered."

To that end, StoreMaster features its dynamic dashboard with graphical widgets and real-time updates. "For example, you can drag in sales by hour, which shows peak activity so you can staff accordingly" noted Dasilva. "You can see comparison of sales weekly, or monthly, or yearly. You can set sales targets and see where you stand. All sorts of things to help the store owner stay on top." Additional capabilities include up-to-the-minute notifications of web orders, "hover over" gallery for product and customer information, sell-through reporting of trending products, and cash rounding for various countries.

At least for now, StoreMaster will follow LightSpeed's license-based model, Dasilva told RRN.Com, with resellers also sharing in maintenance upgrades. "StoreMaster gives resellers compelling reason to re-engage with existing customers and introduce some new workflows, in addition to benefiting from our new integrations," he suggested. In the area of payment processing, this includes new partnerships between LightSpeed and Moneris and Merchant Warehouse. Going forward, Dasilva expects to see some of these tools migrating to other devices, in the manner of his original POS for the Mac.

LightSpeed's StoreMaster Dashboard

Worth Your While

NRA Show
National Restaurant Association
May 18-21
Chicago

HITEC 2013
Hospitality Financial & Technology Professionals
June 24-27
Minneapolis

RetailNow 2013
Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA)
August 4-7
Las Vegas

VARTECH US/LATAM 2013
BlueStar
September 9-11
San Antonio, TX

Pack Expo 2013
Packaging Manufacturers Machinery Institute
September 23-25
Las Vegas

ALL IN THE FAMILY

Dascom Dashes to Direct Thermal

Dascom Americas (Waynesboro, VA) has unveiled the first in its new line of direct thermal POS printers, the DT-230. With three-inch print width, DT-230 delivers speed of 260 mm/second (10 inch/second) at 203 dpi. It measures 5.8 in. (W) x 5.7 in. (H)  x 7.8 in. (D), weighs approximately 4 lbs., and features one-handed media loading, heavy-duty cutter, and ESC/POS emulation. Standard connectivity includes USB and Cash Drawer, with optional Serial, Parallel, Ethernet, and Wi-Fi.

"The DT-230 is the perfect printer for many vertical industries, including retail, hospitality, foodservice, and healthcare, among others," relayed Chuck Ward, Product Manager for Dascom Americas. "This printer is very intuitive to use, offers a host of features, and has a robust design and wealth of connectivity options. The choice of either wired or wireless interfaces also allows the DT-230 to be installed in the most difficult space configurations and external power supplies make it easy to inventory this POS printer for operation in all parts of the world."

"We think our customers will be greatly impressed that a printer in this class can deliver so many features and such flexibility and performance relative to print speed," predicted Juan Vidaurrazaga, VP of Sales for Dascom Americas. "Usually these types of features and speed are reserved for more expensive POS models." Established in 2010, Dascom Americas markets Tally and Tally Dascom serial matrix, specialty, and thermal printers in North America. The DT-230 will be sold through its network of regional and national resellers.

DT-230 POS Printer From Dascom

Next Comes Nexcom

Another new entry into our channel, Nexcom (Taipei, Taiwan), has premiered its NPB 3550 POS computer and NPD 1050 15-inch touch monitor. "Together, the NPB 3550 and NPD 1050 allow quick installation, maintenance, and upgrades that satisfy key selection criteria for POS systems," commented Joann Truong, Marketing Manager for Nexcom. With its Pan American Service Center in Fremont, California, opened in 2006, Nexcom stocks the full catalogue of horizontal hardware for industrial computing, multi-media, mobility, and digital security and surveillance.

Leveraging fanless design, aluminum casing, and booksize form factor, the NPB 3550 carries Intel Atom D2550 CPU at 1.8 GHz, DDR3, 2.5-inch SATA HDD, and assorted I/O interfaces for peripheral expansion. Powered USB at 12V simplifies cabling and the top latch cover gives technicians easy access to internal hard drive, boards and card slots, with wall-mount kit included. "NPB 3550's design offers unparalleled uptime by taking installation, operation, and maintenance into consideration," emphasized Truong.

The NPD 1050 touch monitor features 15-inch LCD panel with VGA resolution (1024x768) and offers five-wire resistive or projected capacitive touch technologies. It supports integration of magnetic-stripe reader (MSR), customer-facing displays (VFD), and biometric fingerprint identification. Built to the IP-65 standard for water and dust, the NPD 1050 ensures industrial-grade reliability with "stylish true flat outlook," as described by Nexcom.

Nexcom's NPD 1050 Touch Monitor for POS

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Week of April 22

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Week of April 8

PARTNER PROGRAMS

A Cool Million for White Label

Two industry leaders, Merchant Warehouse and LevelUp, both based in Boston, have pledged $1 million in development funding for merchants interested in their technologies. Under this offering, qualifying merchants will receive up to 25% of the cost of creating their custom-branded mobile payment and loyalty application running on the "White Label" classification from LevelUp. Final product includes integration with the Genius Customer Engagement Platform from Merchant Warehouse, which spans credit card, QR Code, NFC, and EMV Chip-and-PIN payment schemes.

"More and more merchants are looking for ways to engage their customer base across multiple channels," observed Henry Helgeson, CEO of Merchant Warehouse. "Mobile gives merchants a tremendous opportunity to know their customers better than ever before. LevelUp and Merchant Warehouse want to give more merchants the opportunity to extend the reach of their brand and tap into a wealth of customer data to help them grow their businesses."

"This development fund is an awesome opportunity for even more merchants to keep building brand loyalty while growing their businesses," added Chris Mahl, Chief Revenue and Strategy Officer at LevelUp. "Merchant Warehouse has been a key partner in distributing the LevelUp platform to small businesses as a part of our strategy to scale nationwide. LevelUp White Label and Genius are a perfect pairing when it comes to getting a mobile payment solution directly into the hands of the consumer, while giving merchants the platform they need to make the customer experience second-to-none."

Development Funding Provided for White Label Payment and Loyalty Apps

Honeywell Deep Dive for IM

Ingram Micro Data Capture/POS (Carlsbad, CA) has broadened its relationship with Honeywell Scanning & Mobility (Ft. Mill, SC) to encompass its supply chain line of products such as vehicle-mounted computers, industrial grade scanners, and wearable mobile computers. This includes the majority of the former LXE product line, such as the Tecton, Thor, MX-Series, VX-Series, and HX-Series. A team of market development and business development specialists has been assembled, according to the distributor, and sales resources and technical training services also have been committed.

"The addition of Honeywell's proven supply chain products gives our channel partners another way to go after new market segments and generate even stronger sales and profits," remarked Justin Scopaz, Executive Director, Data Capture/POS Business Unit, Ingram Micro US. "We are excited to strengthen our relationship with Honeywell and to continue to add products that complement our industry-leading portfolio of scanning and mobility solutions." Scopaz and his team are headed to their International Solutions Partner Invitational in Hollywood, Florida, next week.

Elsewhere at Ingram Micro, the Physical Security Business Unit has assembled its SecurePOD bundle for IP Video Surveillance. Created in conjunction with industry leaders Axis Communications, Dell, Intel, and Milestone Systems, SecurePOD features an open platform and pre-validation to help resellers and system integrators jump-start their practice in this area. In making the announcement, Ingram Micro cited research showing that by 2020 nearly 100% of surveillance systems will utilize IP camera, storage, and network technology.

Honeywell Mobility & Scanning's Tecton Industrial Mobile Computer

Code Corner

Snapfinger (Atlanta), which helps consumers remotely place and pay for restaurant orders, has launched its on-premise self-checkout and mobile payment application. Prosaically entitled Snapfinger Mobile Payment, this app exploits the developer's current platform for web and phone-based take-out, which already runs on the restaurant's POS. It will give restaurants visibility into their on-premise customer data much like their online ordering data, according to the developer. Snapfinger Mobile Payment allows consumers to check-in and open their ticket in the restaurant's system. Tickets may be updated by the server or directly by the consumer. When done, diners can pay their ticket with their mobile device using credit, debit, or prepaid cards, branded merchant accounts, PayPal, or Google Wallet. "Restaurants have long struggled with how to collect data on in-store diners, so they can provide a richer user experience based on ordering preferences and past history," indicated Jim Garrett, Snapfinger's CEO. "With Snapfinger Mobile Payment, restaurants can provide check-in and checkout to diners that links to their loyalty programs and creates a total consumer picture based on both on-site and remote ordering histories."

Channel Correction

In last week's edition of RRN.Com, and our coverage of the Synnex Canada/NCR agreement, we stated that NCR distributes exclusively through ScanSource in the U.S. That information was incorrect. In the U.S., NCR distributes through both ScanSource and Ingram Micro's Data Capture/POS Division.

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ENVIRONMENTS/PLATFORMS

Wavelink Surfs Android

Wavelink (Salt Lake City), now part of LANDesk Software, has expanded features for its Terminal Emulation Version 1.3.5 for Android. This includes support for double-byte character languages used in Asia-Pacific as well as customization options for soft input panel (SIP) keyboards. With elimination of the need to toggle between different command and control keyboards, through SIP customization, application developers may combine the most frequently used keys together in one place, boosting efficiency and ease of use for end-users.

"Every warehouse is different, even within the same company," explained Mikkel Storm, Principal Product Manager at Wavelink. "These new features make it possible for that uniqueness to extend even further, letting application developers for companies of all sizes create complete customized application workflows within individual warehouses. One of the best parts about Android is how flexible the platform can be and we wanted to extend that characteristic even further."

"By adding support for the platform in the Asia-Pacific region, we're giving customers in this part of the world the option to preserve their existing infrastructure investment, while still providing them with a clear, easy, and inexpensive path to a more efficient application workflow," Storm proposed. "Terminal emulation is rapidly growing in adoption worldwide and within task worker operations. By adding customization options that make it easier to implement in a wider variety of regions, we're facilitating TE's continued growth."

Wavelink Terminal Emulation for Android Adds Asian-Pacific Languages and Customizable Keyboards

PCI-DSS Surprise

Will your merchants pass their PCI audit this year using last year's technology and standards? Maybe not, according to Patrick Townsend, Founder and CTO of Townsend Security (Olympia, WA). In particular, audit failure due to poor encryption key management has begun to happen more frequently as time goes by, he noted in the company's latest blog.

Townsend referenced the case of one leading omni-channel merchant who had passed on-site QSA audits for several years before failing because the encryption key used to protect credit card numbers was stored on the same server as the protected data. A previous auditor had granted the merchant "compensating controls" for their encryption key management strategy--but the new auditor deemed those controls inadequate. Thus the audit failure and need to remediate this situation.

In his posting, Townsend shared some helpful thoughts for merchants and resellers. First, PCI-DSS standards are not set in stone, they can and will evolve. Second, QSA auditors vary in their assessment of risk and requirements to meet these standards. Third, in the early years of PCI-DSS, auditors tended to focus on basic compliance and high security risks. Now more effort gets paid to critical components such as encryption key management. Finally, QSA auditors have become much more educated on the issues of dual control and separation of duties for encryption key management systems, meaning hardware security modules (HSM) will be needed to comply with PCI-DSS in most cases.

Patrick Townsend, Founder and CTO, Townsend Security

Key Advertiser Links

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

POS & Auto ID Distribution
Metropolitan Sales
Synnex
Wasp Barcode Technologies

POS & Peripherals
Harbortouch
Partner Tech
Pioneer POS
Posiflex
POS-X
Touch Dynamic

POS Systems - Hospitality
PAR

POS Systems - Apple Based
LightSpeed Retail
ShopKeep POS

Barcode & Transaction Printers
Brother Mobile
Sato America
Zebra Technologies

Cash Drawers
MMF POS

Data Collection Terminals
CipherLab
Datalogic ADC
Trimble

Data Collection Software
Wavelink

Integrated Payment Solutions
Datacap Systems
Merchant Warehouse
Mercury

Keyboards
PrehKeyTec USA

Receipt Printers
Bixolon America
Citizen Systems America
Epson America
Star Micronics

Scanners
Code Corporation
Honeywell

Thermal Printers
Seiko Instruments USA

Touchscreens & Monitors
Elo TouchSystems

INSTALLATIONS

MobileDemand: The King of Beers

MobileDemand (Hiawatha, IA) will place its xTablet T7200 with Anheuser-Busch, following certification for the beer maker's Presell and Driver Sell mobility software platforms. T7200 represents the fifth generation of MobileDemand's durable tablets to be approved for use by Anheuser-Busch sales and delivery representatives throughout the U.S. It will be supplied through one of MobileDemand's major resellers, Daugherty Business Solutions, conveniently located in St. Louis.

"MobileDemand was founded back in 2003 with the very first customer being Anheuser-Busch," recounted Bob Zink, VP of Sales and Marketing for MobileDemand. "We're thrilled that xTablet T7200 is now certified to run AB Mobility software. It's proof that our rugged tablets have been helping improve daily operations of AB sales reps since day one and will continue to do so into the future."

Designed to withstand the elements encountered by beverage distributors, including beer coolers, desert heat, and multiple drops to various surfaces, xTablet T7200 runs Windows 7 on an Intel Atom CPU. Taking inventory in the store can be accomplished with an integrated barcode scanner. Additional functions such as stocking, work orders, proof of delivery, and presentations can all be completed on the device, enabling AB employees to supply customers and sell even more while they are on the site, according to MobileDemand.

Anheuser-Busch Approves Newest Tablet

No Sweaty Palms at Fujitsu

Fujitsu Frontech North America (Foothill Ranch, CA) has rolled out its PalmSecure biometric authentication technology for MVP Sports Clubs, the fitness, sports, and recreation chain with multiple locations in Florida and Michigan. PalmSecure employs near-infrared light to capture an individual's palm vein pattern, generating the biometric template used for identification purposes. Unlike typical biometric readers, it does not require contact with the skin, making it very hygienic and non-intrusive. Moreover, this device will only recognize palm vein patterns with active blood flow, which makes forgery virtually impossible. (Sorry screenwriters, no severed hands may be used.)

"Before adopting the PalmSecure system, we used membership cards for physical access to the facility," reported Mike Lodes, Director of Information Systems for MVP Sports Clubs. "Members were continually forgetting or losing their cards, and front desk personnel were forced to manually look-up registrations, tying up the line to enter the facility. Now, once the member is enrolled, they simply and quickly check in by scanning their palm, eliminating the need for cards."

"MVP Sports Clubs' decision to deploy Fujitsu's PalmSecure technology in each of their locations is a significant win for our business," suggested Randy Fox, Senior Director of Currency Handling and Identification Product Solutions for Fujitsu Frontech North America. "MVP Sports Clubs is widely recognized as a market innovator in the health club and wellness space. With this marquee name, we are confident other clubs will consider biometrics as a viable solution for authentication to permit their members' physical access."

Leading Fitness Chain Installs PalmSecure

Channel Factoid

A "Recruiting for IT Talent" survey of companies in the U.S., conducted by Monster, reveals increased hiring intentions over the next 60 days (accounted for by staff increases, cited by 60%, and company expansion, by 45%). Employers will focus on the following functions: application development (72%), database management (58%), web design (57%), networking (56%), and business intelligence (55%). While the survey revealed one-half (49%) of employers were confident in their ability to find the talent they need, some hiring challenges remain. These include: perceived skills gap of applicants (70%), need for highly specialized requirements (52%), and an inability to recruit solely on terms of compensation (52%). More than one-half (53%) of employers responded that there are fewer IT professionals searching for jobs in the U.S. And nearly half (48%) report IT jobs continue to be outsourced to other countries, an important contributing factor. Additionally, these companies think training is not enough preparation (40%), while certifications provide an advantage (85%). Employers also cite the need for qualifications that go beyond technology, such as communication skills, personality/cultural fit, and relevant work experience.

HELLO GOODBYE

Ground Control for Equinox Apollo

Equinox Payments, LLC (Scottsdale, AZ), which retains the title of second largest provider of payment terminals and related technologies in North America, has bolstered its executive team prior to the launch of Apollo, its newest product family. "Equinox is committed to investing in the quality and talent of strong leaders," proclaimed Patrick Hazel, Chairman and CEO. "We understand the transformation going on in our industry and our new leaders are especially well-suited for this type of mission." Equinox Payments, RRN.Com readers will recall, was spun from VeriFone's acquisition of Hypercom.

In this new team, Chris Dismukes, who oversaw the acquirer and distributor channel selling efforts for Equinox, has been promoted to VP of the North American Client Group. In this new role, he will be responsible for all revenue generation activities across the company's product lines. In addition, Leonard Biankin has been promoted to VP of Supply Chain and Service Operations. Biankin also will supervise Equinox's North American Service Center as well as key supply and manufacturing relationships.

Further, Equinox has added two new people to its senior leadership group from outside the company. First, Dustin Howard has been appointed to VP and CIO. Previously, Howard held executive IT roles with SunGard, Apollo Group, Lucent, and the U.S. Marine Corps. Secondly, Nancy Ribble has been appointed VP of Professional Services. Previously, Ribble held executive IT roles with Prudential and Oracle Corporation.

Patrick Hazel, Chairman and CEO, Equinox Payments

First Data "Banks" on Bisignano

Payment processing leader First Data Corporation (Atlanta) has named Frank Bisignano, former Co-Chief Operating Officer for JP Morgan Chase, as its CEO. Bisignano succeeds Ed Labry, who has held the dual titles of Interim CEO and President of Retail and Alliance Services since late January. Labry will continue in his role as President of Retail and Alliance Services. At JP Morgan Chase, Bisignano also served as CEO of Mortgage Banking and held seats on the Operating Committee, the most senior governing body, as well as the firm's Executive Committee.

"Frank has a proven track record of catalyzing positive change on a global business operating in a dynamic industry. At Citigroup, he built--from the ground up--the largest transaction services business in the world and oversaw the largest technological and operations business in the financial services industry," summarized Joe Forehand, Chairman of the Board of First Data. "Frank is known for managing technological innovation in customer-focused businesses, and can now apply his skills and experience to leading the largest transaction payment processing company in the world. Frank is the ideal CEO for First Data and having an executive of his caliber is exactly what we need to continue to grow our leadership role in payment processing globally."

"First Data has an impressive customer-centric business and I look forward to joining the team and building on our strong partnerships with customers," stated Bisignano. "New technological advances are impacting the payments industry every day, making life easier for our partners, our merchants, and consumers. First Data can and should lead the way when it comes to offering the most innovative solutions and service."

Frank Bisignano, CEO, First Data