Our Product Pick

Bematech (Bethpage, NY) has debuted its new two-dimensional scanner, the S302D. In gun format, with over-molded housing and secured cable, the S302D features omni-directional reading, measures 7 in. (L) x 2.8 in. (W) x 4.2 in. (D), and weighs 0.35 lbs. As technical characteristics, it has 617-nm visible red LED with 26-degree vertical and 40-degree horizontal field of view, 9.8" to 25" focusing distance, and resolution of 5-mil (Code 39) and 6.8-mil (PDF-417). It handles fast triggered or automatic scanning even on damaged and poorly printed barcodes, in addition to barcodes from the screens of smartphones and tablets, according to the manufacturer. Other characteristics include interfacing USB, green and red "read" indicators, and programmable operation of power mode, audio beeper, and image/focus control.

Bematech's S302D Scanner

COMPANY BUSINESS

Hug the Curve on Security, Says Mercury

As many readers will agree, it's Mercury Payment Systems (Durango, CO), now part of Vantiv, which has fully realized the payment processing potential of traditional POS VARs and ISVs. A new program from the company, dubbed "Security Pays," will further this tradition. "We're getting ahead of the curve by providing education, certification, and incentives to sell security-based products," explained Matt Taylor, Group President of Integrated Payments and Emerging Channels. "This is the time to act." Rolled out at the recent Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA) Show, this effort runs through the end of 2015, just in time for "the commercialization of EMV."

"A huge investment for us," continued Taylor, noting, "there's no product out there like it." As one of the major elements of Security Pays, Mercury will support its ISVs--to date, approximately 800, along with more than 2,000 VARs--with training, integration of security protocols, and even rewards for selling. Once an ISV "has committed to any integration path," in the words of Taylor, its VARs may extend merchants an impressive $500 per location subsidy for security-based software or hardware. "We're putting capital dollars on the line," emphasized Taylor.

As another aspect of Security Pays, Mercury has offered training and testing for its partners in order to meet Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS) Version 3.1. This qualification culminates when partners are certified as Qualified Integrators and Resellers, or QIR. "There's no cost to VARs," stated Taylor, "in fact, we're subsidizing their testing for QIR." In forming Security Pays, Mercury enlisted the participation of RSPA, the PCI Security Standards Council, and Visa. So far, more than 300 companies have enrolled in Security Pays, RRN.Com was told.

Matt Taylor, Group President, Integrated Payments and Emerging Channels for Vantiv, Announces Mercury's "Security Pays" Program for ISVs and VARs

After the Flood--Future POS & NAB

If there was any doubt lingering, events continue to demonstrate the lack of demarcation between electronic transactions and POS. As only one case in point, take this week's joint product and marketing agreement between Future POS (Butler, PA) and North American Bancard (Denver, CO). It brings an integrated solution for restaurants, "from coffee shops to fine dining establishments," capped by the front-end gateway, NAB Velocity. "Merchants may begin processing as soon as the system is powered up," reported Pat Ward, VP of Channel Sales for NAB Velocity. It also follows last month's agreement between North American Bancard and Aldelo (Pleasanton, CA).

"Future POS is extremely excited to partner with North American Bancard to bring merchants a best-of-breed solution," remarked John Giles, President of Future POS. "We have all seen how the marketplace has become flooded with half-baked software offerings being peddled by referral agents who know nothing about point-of-sale. This partnership represents a shift towards a day when merchants can get a top-notch product from two of the best companies in their respective industries."

Founded in 1998, Future POS has developed into one of the leading ISVs, with approximately 100 dealers, according to its website. Last year, its sales reportedly increased by 22%. At the recent Retail Solutions Providers Association Show--or Retail Solutions "Payments" Association Show, perhaps, given the prominence of that discipline on the expo floor--Future POS won three awards, including the Gold Medallion. Does anyone remember the Independent Cash Register Dealers Association, precursor to RSPA, with only three people talking payments--Terry Zeigler at Datacap Systems, Steve Elefant at ICVerify, and Bill Pittman at GO Software?

John Giles, President, and Kelly Giles, VP, Celebrate Awards Received by Future POS at the Recent Retail Solutions Providers Association Show in Orlando

Worth Your While

VARTECH 2015
BlueStar
September 14-18
Enchantment of the Seas - Departs Orlando

Pack Expo
PMMI
September 28-30
Las Vegas

NACS Show
Association for Convenience & Fuel Retailing
October 11-14
Las Vegas

Money 20/20
i2i Events
October 25-28
Las Vegas

IAAPA Expo 2015
International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions
November 16-20
Orlando

ALL IN THE FAMILY

MMF Sees the Light

MMF POS (Wheeling, IL) has unveiled its new cash drawer for low-light settings in restaurants, bars, and nightclubs, dubbed "PayVue." It cleverly incorporates an energy-saving, warm white LED light source, which automatically turns on when the cash drawer opens, and turns off when it's closed. In dimensions of 18 in. (W) x 16.7 in. (D) x 4.6 in. (H), PayVue includes an "On/Off" switch and LED power supply on its back plate, along with 12-V or 24-V RJ-12.

As noted by Ivelisse Gomez, New Product Development Manager for MMF POS, many establishments install bright spotlights or tract lighting so that staff can more easily perform the giving and receiving of cash, which, in turn, compromises the ambience desired. She identified the market need for PayVue by conducting research which showed 75% of cash drawer end-users felt that illumination would be "very valuable." As Gomez told RRN.Com, "It also will add another layer of loss prevention by strategically illuminating the area where cash gets handled."

In addition to its lighting, PayVue carries benefits of the company's established product family, such as heavy-gauge steel construction, scratch and chip-resistant finish, roller suspension system, and four-function/three-position front lock. A five-bill/five-coin fixed till has been molded out of high-impact ABS plastic, with under-till storage area with adjustable dividers. A stainless steel front has three media slots, one of which is dedicated to the "Lock-It" cash drop compartment.

Illuminated Cash Drawer, "PayVue," by MMF POS

Partner Tech Stands PAT-100

Partner Tech USA (Irvine, CA) has unwrapped its All-in-One Android POS, entitled the PAT-100. Measuring 13 in. (W) x 11.4 in. (D) x 9.7 in. (H), and weighing 8 lbs., with fanless design, the PAT-100 carries 10" projected capacitive touchscreen with backlight LED. As technical specifications, it has Freescale i.MX 6 Dual Lite CPU at 1 GHz, 1-GB RAM, and 8-GB eMMC.

Significantly, the PAT-100 brings integrated peripherals such as two-inch/58-mm thermal receipt printer, magnetic-stripe reader (MSR), and customer-facing 2 x 20 VFD (with optional cash drawer). As ports, there's 4 x USB 2.0, RJ-45 LAN, RJ-11 Cash Drawer, 2 x COM (optional 4 x COM), and Micro SD. As additional benefits, the company cited modular design for easy maintenance, efficient cable management, as well as Wi-Fi.

Also, Partner Tech has enlisted Steve Pergantis as its Central Region Sales Manager. A familiar face in our channel, Pergantis most recently served as National Sales Manager of POS Perfect, preceded by channel sales posts at CipherLab USA, CognitiveTPG, and Star Micronics. "With his extensive background with various POS technologies and working with VARs, ISVs, and Distributors, Steve understands our commitment to our business partners," emphasized Sandra Hsia, President of Partner Tech.

All-in-One Android POS by Partner Tech

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ALLIANCES

Brothers in Arms (With AirPrint)

Brother Mobile Solutions (Broomfield, CO) has enhanced its RuggedJet 3 mobile thermal printer with support for Apple AirPrint. This allows end-users to print receipts and labels wirelessly from iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch without need of additional printer drivers or interfaces. RuggedJet 3, with 3-inch/76-mm print width, joins the RuggedJet 4, with 4-inch/102-mm print width, in offering free firmware update for AirPrint.

"Support for AirPrint is significant for many mobile and field service enterprises, but is especially valuable in the retail environment," suggested Ravi Panjwani, VP of Marketing and Product Management for Brother Mobile Solutions. "As retailers implement mobile networked POS systems that run from a wider and wider variety of handheld devices, our job is to make mobile printers that connect easily and reliably--yet are simple and even fun for end-users." In addition to iOS, of course, the RuggedJet 3 and RuggedJet 4 support Android and Windows.

Two versions of the RuggedJet 3 Wi-Fi/Bluetooth with AirPrint are offered--the RJ-3050 and RJ-3150. "Ideal for associate-friendly in-store POS," according to the vendor, the RJ-3150 has full-color LCD display for easy menu navigation as well as 6-ft./2.8-m drop protection. Both RuggedJet 3 and RuggedJet 4 feature print speed of 5 inch/127 mm per second at 203 dpi, an IP-54 rating for water and dust, ZPL II and CPCL Emulations, and the vendor's "Bumper-to-Bumper" warranty.

RuggedJet RJ-3150 From Brother Mobile

Return of the Native for Printronix

Teklynx International (Whitefish Bay, WI) now supplies native printer drivers for the latest mobile thermal printer from Printronix (Irvine, CA), the M4L. With 4-inch/102-mm print width, the M4L is supported by Teklynx Label Matrix 2014, Label View 2014, Code Soft 2014, and Teklynx Central 4.5. Overall, Teklynx now provides almost 3,000 native printer drivers for "What You See Is What You Get" (WYSIWYG) barcode labeling, in support of every major hardware brand.

"Printronix's partnership with Teklynx provides the opportunity to offer a complete application-focused solution," enthused Andrew Kim, Product Manager for Printronix. "The Teklynx certified native printer driver developed for the M4L is more than just hardware, it's a cost-effective solution that seamlessly implements mobile label printing into a multitude of business processes." As features, the M4L carries 4-inch/102-mm per second print speed at 203-dpi, full-color LCD display, Wi-Fi/Bluetooth, and ZPL II and CPCL Emulations.

Elsewhere, Teklynx has worked with VAR ValuTrack (Medway, MA) to bring compliance with the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) for BeanTown Chemical. Mandated by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) on June 1, 2015, GHS addresses classification and labeling (including hazard phrases and pictograms). Using Code Soft 2014 by Teklynx, in conjunction with "ColorWorks" printers from Epson America (Long Beach, CA), BeanTown Chemical produces labels of various sizes for over 7,000 products. "Chemical labeling is one of the most daunting projects you can have," counseled Barry Singelais, President of BeanTown Chemical.

Teklynx Supplies Native Printer Drivers for the M4L From Printronix

Code Corner

OpenEdge (Pleasant Grove, UT), part of Global Payments, has been certified by the four major credit card brands to process EMV transactions in the U.S. All the company's systems are tested and ready to process EMV. As benefits from such pre-certification, OpenEdge cited: easing the task of software developers, shielding third-parties from certification requirements, swifter deployment for merchants, and future-proofed technology as well as greater device flexibility. "Consumers, merchants, and developers have anticipated the introduction of chip-based payments for some time," commented Sid Singh, President of OpenEdge. "We are now fully certified by Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover to process EMV in the U.S. We look forward to helping our partners transition to this exciting new technology."

Sid Singh, President, OpenEdge

ENVIRONMENTS/PLATFORMS

EMV To-Go by ID TECH

One of the more quiet suppliers to our channel, ID TECH (Cypress, CA) has stocked its new NFC and Contactless EMV Reader, the ViVOpay Kiosk III. Targeted at its namesake self-service, drive-thru's, vending machines, and gas pumps, ViVOpay Kiosk III has EMV Levels 1 and 2, with support of ISO-14443, ISO-21481, and ISO-18092 NFC. In two pieces, controller and antenna (with square bezel or angle bezel), this small, lightweight subsystem carries an IP-65 rating for water and dust, befitting its use in outdoor environments. As data encryption there's DUKPT, with optional SRED.

"We are very pleased to introduce the Kiosk III," shared Ginger Wu, ViVOpay Product Manager. "It is completely backwards compatible with its predecessor, the ViVOpay II, but with extended features such as a more modular firmware code called 'NEO' and ISO-21481 (PCD and Peer-to-Peer) support. We believe the Kiosk III will be a great addition to our growing ViVOpay line." ID TECH purchased ViVOpay in 2012, readers of RRN.Com will recall.

ID TECH also has achieved EMV Level 2 for its one of its popular audio-jack-based payment dongles, the UniPay. With this new software development kit (SDK), UniPay now features both EMV Level 1 and 2 via MSR and Smart Card for both iOS and Android. "It is just one example of ID TECH's commitment to our partners, as well as our investment into our mobile payment portfolio," declared Yvonne Yong, Product Manager at ID TECH, which distributes through BlueStar (Hebron, KY).

ID TECH's ViVOpay Kiosk III

Another Conquest for Heartland Payment

Payment processor Heartland Payment Systems (Princeton, NJ) continues its seduction of Digital Dining (Springfield, VA). Under this new agreement, partners of the two companies will offer EMV compatibility and data protection via "Heartland Secure." Both companies, or course, target hospitality. Heartland, which recently purchased three leading ISVs--Xpient (Charlotte, NC), pcAmerica (Pearl River, NY), and Dinerware (Seattle, WA)--supplies its end-to-end encryption and tokenization scheme for more than 50,000 restaurants and retailers, according to its own figures.

"Heartland and Digital Dining have come together to offer one of the industry's first EMV-ready, secure point-of-sale solutions, which is a game-changer for restaurants," exclaimed Michael English, VP of Product Management for Heartland (formerly of Ingenico and NCR). "Our out-of-scope technology materially reduces the opportunity for criminals to steal and monetize card data. And restaurant operators with the Digital Dining EMV-ready, Heartland Secure-certified POS, who are processing with us, are also fully protected by our Breach Warranty."

"We are proud to be one of the first restaurant POS solutions to certify with the Heartland out-of-scope solution for PCI PA-DSS on the PAX S300 PIN Pad," contributed Andre Nataf, Director of Business Development for Digital Dining."Heartland and Digital Dining have created a solution for high-volume and high-end restaurants that want to be out of scope and have the ability to accept EMV-enabled credit and debit cards and mobile payment brands, like Apple Pay." Digital Dining, of course, is one of the historic ISVs in the channel for POS.

Michael English, VP of Product Management, Heartland Payment Systems

Key Advertiser Links

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

POS & Peripherals
AnywhereCommerce
Bematech
Elo Touch Solutions
Harbortouch
Hewlett-Packard
Partner Tech
Pioneer POS
POSBANK USA
Posiflex
PowaPOS
TEAMSable

Barcode & Transaction Printers
Brother Mobile
CognitiveTPG
Honeywell Scanning

Cash Drawers
MMF POS

Data Collection
CipherLab
Code Corporation
Datalogic
Honeywell Scanning

Integrated Payment Solutions
Cayan
Datacap Systems
Discover
iPayment Inc.
Mercury/Vantiv
Shift4

Keyboards & Mobile POS
Cherry, ZF Electronics Corp
PrehKeyTec

Receipt Printers
Bixolon America
CognitiveTPG
Epson America
Star Micronics

Thermal Printers
Seiko Instruments USA

Touchscreens & Monitors
Elo Touch Solutions

INSTALLATIONS

A Rose Is a Rose Is a Revention

A novel branding exercise for ISV Revention, which has garnered multi-year naming rights to one of the premier music theaters in its hometown of Houston, Texas. Formerly known as the Bayou Music Center, and run by Live Nation Entertainment, this venue will now carry the designation, "Revention Music Center." According to Drew Dixon, its GM, "It's such a great opportunity to showcase the point-of-sale technology of Revention."

"From the beginning, this relationship has been absolutely synergistic," recounted Jeff Doyle, CEO/President of Revention. "As a growing technology company, we are honored to have the opportunity to strengthen our business by partnering with such a strong leader in the music and entertainment industry. We are thrilled to further engender ourselves to the community in Houston, and look forward to our mutual success." A roster of major performers in rock, country, and comedy have appeared.

As part of this investment, employees of the ISV will enjoy tickets, meet-and-greets with performers, and access to the VIP Club. A custom renovation of this space includes the new viewing area, called, appropriately enough, "The Revention Suite." In addition to its POS, Revention supplies its online ordering platform, Hunger Rush, as well as its suite of mobility, reporting, and management capabilities, Revention Enterprise.

Revention Music Center in Houston

Ever Expanding, the Payment Galaxy Is

Add to the witches brew, Samsung Pay. Officially coming to the U.S. on September 28, this vendor-specific payment scheme will be preloaded on select Galaxy S6 edge+ and Galaxy Note5 devices, with free software upgrades for earlier versions of Galaxy. In some ways, Samsung Pay mirrors Apple Pay (and Android Pay), allowing consumers to swipe, scan their fingerprint, and check out via NFC. It also employs advanced tokenization technology for security.

However, it differs in the use of so-called magnetic secure transmission, or MST. Samsung acquired this technology with its $250-million purchase of LoopPay in February 2015. MST, as some readers of RRN.Com may recall, allows the smartphone to communicate directly to the credit card reader without NFC, which, theoretically, should bring wider acceptance for Samsung Pay. Gentlemen, start your engines.

"The future of mobile payments has arrived," heralded InJong Rhee, EVP of Samsung Electronics and Global Head of Samsung Pay. "We are partnering with card networks, issuers, and acquirers, and Samsung Pay will also be the first to support contactless payment for store-branded credit cards. The list of partners will only grow." Chipped in Jim McCarthy, EVP of Innovation and Strategic Partnerships at Visa, "We see this as a huge step forward for consumer choice and payment security."

Coming in September, Samsung Pay

Channel Factoid

Even with the increasing influence of digital technology on retail habits, the in-store experience continues to lead major purchase decisions, with an overwhelming majority of shoppers buying in person, according to Synchrony Financial's "Fourth Annual Major Purchase Consumer Study." At the same time, shoppers continue to carefully research major purchases of $500 or more, including financing choices. Examples in this category include appliances, automotive services, electronics, fine jewelry, furnishings, home improvement, musical instruments, and sports and fitness equipment. Overall, the major purchase journey is getting shorter, with shoppers spending an average of 68 days researching products, down from 80 days in 2014. Digital tools continue to be an important part of the research process, and online purchasing of large ticket items remained stable at 13% year-over-year (with the exception of consumer electronics). Apparently, an in-store experience matters more than ever, with 73% of respondents conducting research during their visit and 87% of respondents purchasing in person. Almost two-thirds of all shoppers surveyed (64%), said in-store visits have greater influence on their purchasing decisions than online research. Lastly, 75% of those surveyed "always" seek promotional financing. "A valuable reminder of the importance of the in-store experience as part of the true omni-channel strategy for retailers," summarized Toni White, CMO at Synchrony Financial. "Providing an integrated and consistent experience across all channels bridges shoppers from online sources of information to visit the physical store, validate their choices, and ultimately purchase."

HELLO GOODBYE

Chief of CitiXsys

A new entry in retail and distribution software, CitiXsys (New York City), has named Mick Adamson as its VP of North America. In this role, Adamson will oversee the firm's channel efforts, strategic partnerships, product launches, and sales activities. "The timing couldn't be better to join CitiXsys as the company launches its products into North America," stated Adamson.

"Mick has extensive international experience powering sales and support with technology-based companies," commented Kamal Karmakar, CEO of CitiXsys. "We're excited to add Mick to our leadership team and help continue to raise awareness of the CitiXsys brand and iVend Retail suite of applications [including POS], as well as continue to grow our network of channel partners in North America." Worldwide, CitiXsys tallies 1,000 customers in mid-market retail.

Prior to CitiXsys, Adamson served as VP of Worldwide Sales and Support Services for Teradici Corporation. As such, he sold cloud technology to Amazon SaaS WorkSpaces and VMware's Horizon View. Previously, he worked as EVP of Worldwide Sales at LogLogic, VP of International Sales for Kronos, and VP of Sales for U.S. and Asia-Pacific for Santa Cruz Operation (SCO).

Mick Adamson, VP of North America, CitiXsys

[Editor's Note: Also, CitiXsys has engaged with Cayan (Boston, MA) and its Genius Customer Engagement Platform, which handles the range of payment types--MSR, EMV, NFC, and Mobile Wallets. Indicating its interest in our channel, CitiXsys exhibited at the recent Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA) Show.]

A Peachy Hire

PeachWorks (Southfield, MI), formerly WhenToManage, has engaged Robert Blackwell as its new Director of Global Sales. Blackwell brings eighteen years of experience selling technology into restaurant and hospitality environments. His resume includes titles of National Sales Manager at CrunchTime Information Systems, Account Executive at Horizon Software, and Regional Sales Manager at ParTech, Inc.

"We are delighted to have Rob join our leadership team," relayed Mark Symonds, CEO of PeachWorks. "Rob shares our vision for the groundbreaking Peach platform and next generation restaurant management apps. He is an industry veteran whose expertise will be one of the key drivers to our future growth."

"PeachWorks has become the leading restaurant management software in the industry," proclaimed Blackwell. "We truly have a best-in-class solution suite that empowers restaurant managers and owners to have complete control over their operations. I am looking forward to expanding the footprint of PeachWorks."

Robert Blackwell, Director of Global Sales, PeachWorks