Our Product Pick

Touch Dynamic (Irvington, NJ) has updated its tablet POS with the Quest II. This device now comes with integrated 3G Sim card slot, Digital Persona biometric fingerprint reader, enhanced Honeywell N3680 Scan Engine, and most significantly, Level 2 EMV Certification. Supporting Windows 8.1, the Quest II has an Intel Quad-Core Bay Trail CPU at 1.33 GHz, 2-GB RAM, and 32-GB SSD. With new black casing, it comes in 7" and 10" screen sizes (true-flat design, projected-capacitive touch). A ruggedized construction holds an IP-54 rating with 4 ft./1.2 m drop resistance and full eight-hour-shift battery. "At Touch Dynamic, we are dedicated to taking partner feedback seriously and are happy to provide product enhancements that not only improve productivity and convenience, but also aesthetics," remarked Craig Paritz, President of Touch Dynamic.

Quest II by Touch Dynamic, With Dock

COMPANY BUSINESS

Vantiv Points to O.N.E.

Ah, summer, the time of year when Vantiv debuts its latest program for VARs and ISVs at the Retail Solutions Providers Association Show (RSPA). This year's effort: Vantiv O.N.E. (for "One Network Experience"). Leveraging its expertise in the channel (started by acquisition of the former Mercury Payment Systems), as well as the scale of its parent payment processor, Vantiv O.N.E. consolidates necessary elements for developers, "[in order to] help them solve even the most complex challenges the market is facing," in the words of Matt Taylor, Group President of Integrated Payments and Emerging Channels at Vantiv. It will be demonstrated this week at RSPA.

Offered at no cost, it has three elements. A comprehensive suite of integration tools, appropriately dubbed "TechTools," includes Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and Software Development Kits (SDKs), as well as sample code, "dev" sandboxes, and test environments. This spans brick-and-mortar, mobile, and "card-not-present." As the source of personalized help, "TechLift" enfolds dedicated payment experts as well as the physical Innovation Lab. Lastly, an online developer community has been christened as "TechTribe."

"At a single destination, Vantiv O.N.E., our developers can access the resources to integrate existing and emerging payment methods, support for our device, and support for any channel in all of the popular coding languages," indicated Viren Balar, Co-Founder and CTO at Ziosk (Dallas, TX), which supplies its ordering, entertainment, and pay-at-the-table tablet for hospitality. "It's powered by an open ecosystem approach that is unique to Vantiv." As always with Vantiv Integrated Payments, which is based in Durango, CO, an education series will follow for VARs and ISVs.

A Single Developer Network for Vantiv

. . . While MagTek Hunts VIPs

Along the same lines, MagTek (Seal Beach, CA) has launched its Vendor Integration Partner, or "VIP," Program. Aimed at those who integrate--primarily, VARs and ISVs--VIP promotes the company's extensive portfolio of payment processing hardware, which includes magnetic-stripe readers (MSR), terminals for EMV/NFC, and PIN Pads. It also provides greater access to the encryption-service-oriented Magensa Platform.

As would be expected, the VIP Program encompasses development, sales and marketing, and technical support. "A multitude of benefits," according to MagTek, such as "free Software Development Kits (SDKs) with no license agreement fees." In addition, for guidance, VIPs are assigned MagTek Account Managers. As distributors, MagTek lists BlueStar, Ingram Micro, and ScanSource.

"The payments environment is constantly changing, and not always in predictable ways," observed John Arato, VP and GM for Retail Solutions at MagTek. "From the introduction of EMV to disruptive mobile payment technologies, we recognize the wide-ranging needs of our customers. VIPs only have to make one call, saving time that can be better spent growing their business."

John Arato, VP and GM for Retail Solutions, MagTek

Worth Your While

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

VARTECH
BlueStar
September 12-14
Paradise Island, Bahamas

Pack Expo
PMMI
November 6-9
Chicago, IL

NRF's Big Show
National Retail Federation
January 15-17, 2017
New York, NY

INSPIRE
Retail Solutions Providers
Association (RSPA)
Jan. 29-Feb.1
St. Kitts, West Indies

ALL IN THE FAMILY

Going Mobile at Seiko

Seiko Instruments USA, Thermal Printer Division (Torrance, CA), has unwrapped its newest mobile thermal printer, the MP-A40 (for 4"). Significantly, it features 6.6 ft./2 m drop resistance and print speed of 3.9 inch/100 mm per second at 8 dots per mm resolution. In dimensions of approximately 6 in. (W) x 6 in. (D) x 2.8 in. (H), weighing 1.5 lbs., the MP-A40 fits into the palm of the user's hand, on belt clip, or with an over-the-shoulder strap/case. An ergonomic design adds to drop-in paper loading and easy access button, with roll diameter of 2.3 inch/58 mm.

As O/S, the MP-A40 offers compatibility with Windows 7/8/10. A pair of Software Development Kits (SDKs) address Android and Windows CE. As communications, it holds USB, Bluetooth Version 2.1, and 802.11a/b/g/n WLAN. As commands, there's ESC-POS/CPCL/Mark-Up Language (HTML). A full range of accessories (e.g., battery chargers) complete the MP-A40.

"At a time when today's end-users are looking to further mobilize their business processes, it was only natural that the MP-A40 mobile printer line was designed with these trends in mind," reflected Kaz Onishi, VP of Seiko Instruments USA. "In addition, our partners are realizing the demand from their customers for this technology, which is something that was at top of mind during our research and development process." A longtime supplier to the channel, Seiko distributes through Ingram Micro, ScanSource, and Synnex.

Seiko's MP-A40 Mobile Thermal Printer

Small Footprint at Posiflex

Posiflex USA (Hayward, CA) has showcased its space-saving All-in-One POS Terminal, designated HS3510. With small footprint of 6x6 inches for its base--likely half the counter space of most terminal and receipt printer combinations--and weight of less than 10 lbs.--the HS3510 delivers fanless design, 10" bezel-free projected-capacitive touchscreen, and, in its front module, integrated 3" thermal receipt printer and encryption-capable magnetic-stripe reader (MSR). Notably, it was awarded the 2016 Red Dot Award for Product Design.

As horsepower, the HS3510 has Intel Celeron Quad-Core J1900 at 2.4 GHz, 4-GB Standard RAM, and 128-GB SSD. It supports Windows 7/8/10. A full suite of ports is included: 3 x USB 2.0, 1 x USB 3.0, 3 x DB9 Serial, 1 x RJ-50 Serial, 1 x Gigabit LAN, 1 x Parallel, 2 x Cash Drawer and 1 x VGA. As options, the manufacturer offers two-dimensional scanner, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac WLAN, and customer-facing displays (2x20 and LCD).

"HS3510's integrated design with modular serviceability addresses the industry's most common mechanical points of failure--printer and MSR," stated Posiflex USA. "In the rare event of a mechanical component failure, the replacement module can be installed in minutes with the removal of a few screws and cables. It's that simple." As intended markets, the company cited food trucks, sidewalk sales, small shops, food concessions, and shopping stalls in malls and airports.

Posiflex's Mini HS3510 All-in-One POS

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ALLIANCES

Latest "Poll" on CRS Funding 2.0

ISV Tri-Technical Systems (Dubuque, IA) has teamed up with CRS Inc. (St. Paul, MN) to offer its V7 PC-Poll POS Software through the CRS Funding 2.0 Program. As "Systems-as-a-Service," rolled out in mid-2014, Funding 2.0 allows VARs to offer merchants one monthly price for POS, calculated by the combination of chosen hardware, software license, desired margin, and added cost of programming, installation, and training, or "PIT." It's backed by leasing agent, CD Financial (Herndon, VA). CRS supplies its hardware for POS.

"With Funding 2.0, resellers can add PC-Poll onto the sale of the register for less than $20 per month, in most cases," testified Amber Earles, Project Manager at Tri-Technical Systems. "This is an extremely affordable option that allows customers to enhance the functionality of the cash register with PC-based features and reporting." Added Bruce Mann, VP of Marketing for CRS, "Progressive dealers are utilizing Funding 2.0 as a tool to improve margins, customer retention, and business value." Over 250 resellers have taken the necessary steps to enroll in Funding 2.0, Mann told RRN.Com.

Delivering report polling and programming for an electronic cash register, or ECR, Tri-Tech's V7 PC-Poll links via RS-232 or TCP/IP. Data can be collected, viewed, printed, or exported to other software modules. It supports the extensive family of SAM4s ECRs distributed by CRS Inc. All resellers of Tri-Technical Systems and CRS Inc., with regards to SAM4s, are eligible for Funding 2.0, according to the two parties. (In addition to PC-Poll, Tri-Tech offers its PC-based AIMsi POS Software and web-based Active-e Platform.)

SAM4s SPS-530 From CRS Inc.

Janam Finds XM5 in the FieldStack

A new partnership between Janam Technologies (Woodbury, NY) and FieldStack (Portland, ME) addresses inventory management for mid-sized to large retailers. Specifically, Janam's XM5 has been chosen as the preferred rugged mobile computer for FieldStack's Lean Retail Software. Founded in 2013, FieldStack leverages customer data for optimized inventory management, tied to POS, via its Lean Retail Engine.

Measuring 6.1 in. (L) x 2.9 in. (W) x 1 in. (D), and weighing 10 oz., the XM5 supports both Windows Embedded Handheld 6.5 and Android 4.2. It furnishes Qwerty or Numeric keypad and 3.5" VGA display with resistive touchscreen. As communications, it has 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, 3G/4G WAN, Bluetooth Version 2.1, and GPS. Embedded RFID/NFC, laser scanner or two-dimensional imager (N4300 and N5600 from Honeywell, respectively), and front- and rear-facing cameras serve data collection. As technical specifications, XM5 has ARM Cortex-A8 CPU at 1 GHz, 512-MB RAM, 1-GB ROM, and Micro-SD. It holds an IP-65 rating with 5 ft./1.5 m drop resistance.

"It is very gratifying when the strengths of a product like the XM5--specifically, its small size, light weight, fast computing speed, all-day battery life, and best-in-class barcode scanning--come together to support a winning software solution like the one from FieldStack," shared Doug Lloyd, VP of Global Sales Operations at Janam Technologies. "We're excited by FieldStack's success in bringing the powerful benefits of mobile computing to its retail customers." According to Michael Stefanakos, VP of Lean Retail Partnerships at FieldStack, various mobile computers were tested before final choice of the XM5.

Janam's XM5 With Multi-O/S

Code Corner

Agilysys (Alpharetta, GA) has announced general availability of its self-service solution for hospitality, named rGuest Buy. With an order and pay process, tied to InfoGenesis POS by Agilysys, rGuest Buy allows customers to choose and scan (or weigh) menu items, process payments (via credit card, gift card, or payroll deduction), and print their receipt. A cloud-based solution, with accompanying kiosk, rGuest Buy eases deployment and management while improving order accuracy, increasing check size, and enhancing guest satisfaction, according to Agilysys. Its architecture also enables integration with applications from third-parties (as well as from Agilysys). Lastly, rGuest Buy processes credit cards through rGuest Pay, which carries PCI Validation. At present, rGuest Buy is currently deployed at more than two dozen corporate cafeterias in the U.S. It extends the push into sales of pre-packaged and barcoded food items by Agilysys.

Agilysys rGuest Buy Kiosk

ENVIRONMENTS/PLATFORMS

Feeling Groovv-y at TMS

Total Merchant Services (Woodland Hills, CA) has introduced Groovv Online Payments for the "card-not-present" world. A cloud-based platform, it allows merchants to accept non-cash payments made by phone, mail, or online, as well as recurring automatic payments--"all through one central tool and for one low monthly fee." Thus, it helps bring omni-channel to the SMB. An ISO/MSP of Wells Fargo Bank, Total Merchant Services has VARs and ISVs in POS.

With acceptance of major credit cards, debit cards, and ACH, Groovv Online Payments carries functionality to issue refunds, generate receipts, store customer payment information, and void transactions. It includes hosted payment pages for online checkout on the merchant's website. It also integrates with the business' e-commerce website and shopping cart, providing a uniform customer experience that complies with PCI, according to Total Merchant Services.

"Having secure and convenient payment options is a top priority for merchants and their customers," reaffirmed Joe Kaplan, CEO of Total Merchant Services. "With Groovv Online Payments, merchants have the tools they need to offer a full range of payment options, enabling them to expand buying opportunities for customers and grow their business." At this week's Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA) Show, his company will preview its tablet-based Groovv POS.

Joe Kaplan, CEO, Total Merchant Services

A Keystroke to PCI

Specialized Business Solutions (Dillon, CO), one of the historic ISVs, has received PCI PA-DSS Version 3.1 Validation for its Keystroke POS Version 8.0. It follows two years of testing by Qualified Security Accessor, Trustwave (Chicago, IL), and includes support for the popular payments middleware, NETePay, from Datacap Systems (Chalfont, PA). A software update of this certified Keystroke Version 8.0 has been offered at no charge to licensed users with any standard service plan, according to Specialized Business Solutions.

In partnership with leading payment processors such as Vantiv Integrated Payments (Durango, CO) and Cayan (Boston, MA), Keystroke Version 8 supports EMV. As additional security for critical cardholder data, these platforms include tokenization and point-to-point encryption (P2PE). According to estimates by Specialized Business Solutions, approximately 30% of its merchants have recently updated to accept EMV. A variety of popular payment terminals have been catalogued.

"SBS is committed to providing our valued customers with leading-edge payment capabilities that are both secure and future ready," declared Michael Gebb, SBS President and Lead Developer. "As retail technology and payment fraud continue to morph, SBS is well prepared to deliver the prompt support and functionality needed by our retail merchant customers." With Nik von Gundell as Manager of Dealer Relations, Keystroke sells exclusively through Dealers and VARs.

Keystroke POS Gets PCI PA-DSS Version 3.1

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.
Harbortouch
Hewlett-Packard
Pioneer POS
Poindus America
POSBANK USA
Posiflex

POS Software
Action Systems Inc.

Barcode & Transaction Printers
Brother Mobile
Citizen
CognitiveTPG
Godex Americas
Honeywell

Cash Drawers
MMF POS

Data Collection
AML
CipherLab
Code Corporation Honeywell
Janam Technologies

Distributors
Ingram Micro

Integrated Payment Solutions
Cayan
Datacap Systems
Moneris
Vantiv IP

Keyboards & Mobile POS
Cherry Americas, LLC
TG3 Electronics

Receipt Printers
Bixolon America
CognitiveTPG
Epson America
Star Micronics

Thermal Printers
Seiko Instruments USA

INSTALLATIONS

How to BiRite, Explains HotSchedules

BiRite Foodservice Distributors, based in Northern California, has turned to HotSchedules (Austin, TX) to automate food ordering and inventory management for its customers in hospitality. Addressing mobile devices as well as POS, HotSchedules offers an entire suite of human resource management, inventory, social media, and business analytic capabilities. Serving independent restaurants, caterers, universities, hotels, and country clubs, and family-owned, BiRite handles 14,000 foods.

"By partnering with HotSchedules, we can automate new orders yet still own our relationships with restaurants," proposed Michael Pendergast, VP of Sales at BiRite. "And by making ordering and inventory easier for customers, we can distinguish our service from competitors'. For busy managers, tapping a smartphone once is far more efficient than faxing or calling in every new order."

"For us, it's an honor to launch this new service with BiRite because they are highly respected in the foodservice industry," noted Anthony Lye, CEO of HotSchedules. "They understand that consumers want fresh, farm-to-table foods, and through this integration, they're making it simple for restaurants to order often and with minimal waste. We hope to work with distributors like them throughout the U.S."

Leading Foodservice Distributor Adopts Inventory Management Automation by HotSchedules

CoreSense: We Are the Tres Amigos!

A relative newcomer, CoreSense (Saratoga Springs, NY) has rolled out its software for POS for Tres Amigos, probably the largest source of Southwestern, Mexican, and Spanish Colonial home decorations and furniture in the U.S. Started modestly in 1999, with one pick-up truck, Tres Amigos has grown to four extensive warehouse showrooms in Tucson, AZ. Previously, it ran Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System (RMS).

"CoreSense had all the basics, plus it gave the visibility and control we needed to manage our growing retail business," reported Joe Litt, CFO of Tres Amigos. "It also integrates with QuickBooks and can be integrated with our Magneto-based e-commerce storefront. Although we have only just recently gone live on CoreSense, it's had a positive impact on our ability to track inventory from the vendor to the customer, better manage customer relationships, make more timely and intelligent business decisions, and simply operate more efficiently and profitably."

"We're thrilled that CoreSense could meet Tres Amigos' needs for a single solution that could provide a robust point-of-sale and retail management system where others could not," exalted Chris Martin, CoreSense President. As its name suggests, CoreSense prides itself on its centralized database. Other clients include Super Shoes, Vintage Wine Estates, and Vitaminlife. As expected, it sells through Software-as-a-Service (SaaS).

A Rollout of CoreSense for Major Furniture Wholesaler in the Southwest

Channel Factoid

The world market for barcode printers is expected to reach $4.5 billion by 2022, according to new research from Global Market Insights. As one would predict, thermal technology will dominate revenue prospects. Direct thermal barcode market share, for example, will grow at 9.7% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2015 to 2022, while thermal transfer barcode market share will exceed $1.7 billion by 2022. In terms of applications, industrial barcode printers, which accounted for 60% of the market in 2014, will continue to lead revenue, with an expected $2.8 billion by 2022. Retail barcode printer market share was valued at $350 million in 2014, with the forecast to top $800 million by 2022 (CAGR of 10.2%). A need for tracking patients, medicine, and equipment in the healthcare sector will help to drive growth. This sector should surpass $600 million in revenue by 2022. Led by the U.S., the North American market accounted for over 30% of global revenue in 2014, and should continue its dominance through 2022, along with Asia-Pacific.

Godex Model RT700iW Barcode Printer

HELLO GOODBYE

An Extended Family at Brother

Brother Mobile Solutions (Westminster, CO) has enlisted Nick D'Alessio as its Senior Business Development Manager. Previously, D'Alessio served as Global Retail Practice Leader for Zebra Technologies Corporation (2013 to 2015). He spent many years at Dell Corporation, in posts such as Retail Brand Manager of Global SMB Solutions (2010 to 2012), Technology Strategist (2005 to 2010), and Product Development Engineer (1998 to 2005).

"This is both an exciting and challenging time to be working in the retail solutions industry, especially for resellers and software partners," D'Alessio told RRN.Com. "We love iOS and Android and have products that are ideally suited to work with both of those platforms, while continuing to support Windows. At Brother, we own our manufacturing operations; that enables better quality control and lowers production costs."

He continued: "It's all about the customer experience to be sure--near real-time inventory tracking, mobile payments, buy online and pick-up at the store. However, we can't neglect the day-to-day efficiency of the retail worker--this stuff does not magically disappear. To the contrary, with the looming minimum wage hikes occurring across the U.S., retailers will need to get more done with the same or fewer employees. Therefore, store operational tasks have to be carefully considered--that's the benefit of mobile print technology."

"With his 20 year history of success in information technology and consumer electronics, Nick brings invaluable technical and marketing insights to our partners," emphasized Ravi Panjwani, VP of Marketing and Product Management for Brother Mobile Solutions. "He's a key addition to the Brother team and is already helping our partners thrive in very competitive markets." Brother Mobile offers its mobile printers, RuggedJet 3" and 4", as well as its high-capacity desktop TD-2000.

Nick D'Alessio, Senior Business Development Manager, Brother Mobile Solutions

APG Lifts Stone

APG Cash Drawer (Minneapolis, MN) has engaged Bob Stone as its Global VP of Engineering. Prior to APG, Stone served as SVP of Product for PowaPOS (2014 to 2016). He previously held the positions of Strategic Director of Product Management at NCR Corporation (2011 to 2014), Director of Product Management at Radiant Systems (1998 to 2011), and Product Manager at Verifone (1996 to 1998). He will be based in Atlanta, GA.

"We are excited to have Bob onboard," remarked Mark Olson, APG's President and CEO. "Bob is forward-thinking and his global expertise with industry-leading technology will serve as a catalyst as we continue to innovate and produce products that enhance retailer, hospitality, QSR, and grocery environments. With Bob's addition, APG strengthens its commitment to developing cutting-edge products and cultivating relationships with ISVs, integration partners, and resellers."

"I am impressed by APG's culture and their drive to continuously meet and exceed market demands and customers' evolving product requirements," commented Stone. "I am confident that our strong global engineering team will provide the best products and solutions for our partners and end-users." Following its merger with U.K.-based Cash Bases in 2015, APG has offered so-called "SMARTtill" cash management technology, which weighs coins and bills for totals, in the U.S.

Bob Stone, Global VP of Engineering, APG Cash Drawer