This Week’s Product Pick

Poindus Systems Corporation (Austin, TX) has displayed its VariVitro "Touch-thru-Glass" interactive signage. This flat panel PC utilizes projected capacitive touch technology and Windows 7/8. Walkers can basically approach and swipe the screen from outside the store window, enabling access to catalogues, menus, reservations, and promotions. It may also serve as vandal-proof solution in industrial applications. A wide range of CPU options are offered, from Intel Atom to Sandy Bridge, along with fanless design, HDD, and die-cast aluminum housing. Both 15-inch and 19-inch screen sizes have been configured, with IP-66 ratings for water and dust and VESA mount support.

Poindus VariVitro

COMPANY BUSINESS

Tag, You're Not It

Microsoft (Redmond, WA) has announced that it will shut down its Microsoft Tag Service in two years, on August 19, 2015. Debuted in 2009, Microsoft Tags sought to compete with QR Codes through use of color elements in sequence. Although millions of Microsoft Tags have been adopted for mobile marketing and merchandising purposes, this technology always seemed somewhat of an awkward fit for Microsoft. Enter Scanbuy, Inc. (New York), the mobile engagement solutions provider with roots in barcode, which has been granted the license for Microsoft Tag.

Scanbuy plans to support Microsoft Tag on its ScanLife platform beginning no later than September 18, 2013, and to offer transition and migration services for Microsoft Tag customers in light of the August 19, 2015 cut-off. Scanbuy cited several benefits for end-users from its participation, such as access to mobile experiences that change based on context, easy creation of mobile landing pages, and advanced insights on activity. Also, new campaigns may employ multiple mobile triggers, including Microsoft Tags, QR Codes, Data Matrix or EZCode Formats, NFC, and URLs.

"We are humbled and honored to carry forward Microsoft Tag for the leading brands that use this technology as well as the millions of the app's users, allowing them to build upon the tremendous success of the platform," reflected Mike Wehrs, CEO/President of Scanbuy. "Microsoft's decision to allow Scanbuy to incorporate the Microsoft Tag technology into the ScanLife service is a testament to the power of our technology and team. With this ability to allow our ScanLife customers to create and scan tags using Microsoft Tag, Scanbuy will process data from an additional two million scans per month to help customers understand consumer interests and product intent."

Microsoft Tag Will Move to Scanbuy Under License

Mercury Pals Around

As part of its plan to enter the world of brick and mortar retail, PayPal (San Jose, CA) has turned to Mercury (Durango, CO) to reach the long tail of developers and resellers in POS. To date, PayPal has reached out to vendors such as NCR, Micros, ShopKeep, and Vend, and to payment processors through Discover, but this agreement with Mercury breaks new ground for the PayPal Mobile Wallet, RRN.Com was told by John Berkley, SVP for Product at Mercury. A toolkit for PayPal will be provided for Mercury's network of 550 POS developers and resellers of those systems, as many as 3,000, will be trained and certified to bundle acceptance of the new payment scheme with other merchant services they already offer. A number of developers, resellers, and merchants are already participating in the program.

"In many ways, PayPal is like another payment network, another card brand," suggested Berkley. "There's an authorization and there's settlement. We've taken PayPal's capabilities and we've distilled it down to a toolkit that we think is very consumable and adoptable by developers. We do integration, training, and certification all day long in POS, and we'll bring the same expertise to this new project."

"Another thing," continued Berkley, "is we're going to use the same Mercury business model for this as we do for everything else, meaning developers and resellers will get their piece of the action, as well as meeting mounting merchant demand. PayPal said, 'We don't want to be another one of those Silicon Valley companies that doesn't know how this industry works.' The channel is going to make or break this, so it has to be economically interesting to its members. Our message for the channel: It's coming your way, and it's coming your way on terms you can appreciate." A tipping point for mobile and digital wallets, in the words of Matt Taylor, CEO of Mercury.

John Berkley, SVP, Product, Mercury

Worth Your While

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

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

NACS Show 2013
Association of Convenience & Fuel Retailing
October 12-15
Atlanta

Customer Engagement Technology World
JD Events
November 6-7
New York City

IAAPA Expo 2013
International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions
November 19-22
Orlando

ALL IN THE FAMILY

One for the TEAM

TEAMSable (San Jose, CA) has showcased its TA-150 fanless, zero-bezel POS terminal. With 15-inch five-wire resistive touchscreen, aluminum die-cast housing (about 15 inches high and 9 inches deep), and two-tone color for visual impact, TA-150 addresses retail, hospitality, and convenience segments, RRN.Com was told by Kathy Wu, Sales and Marketing Manager for TEAMSable. It comes equipped with Intel Atom Dual Core CPU at 1.8 GHz, 2 GB RAM, and 320 GB HDD.

A full suite of ports are provided, along with Intel GMA 3650 VGA Controller and 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet. An integrated two-line VFD display, or 7-inch or 10-inch high-resolution LCD displays, may be added. Other offerings include magnetic-stripe reader (MSR), RFID, i-Button, internal speaker, and two-dimensional scanner. Significantly, TEAMSable will provide free 30-day evaluation units for first-time buyers in September.

"We have designed and manufactured POS terminals for over 15 years," emphasized Wu. "We provide prompt technical support for customers all over the U.S. Also, we can customize the product spec, and operating system, based on the customer's request." An OEM supplier of POS, TEAMSable has targeted VARs and ISVs.

Zero-Bezel TA-150 POS Terminal by TEAMSable

A Wasp Nest for Packages

Wasp Barcode Technologies (Plano, TX) has launched its new package delivery software, entitled Package Tracker. Offered as Software-as-a-Service, or SaaS, Package Tracker will go to market through Tech Data, as part of TD Cloud. It follows packages from the time they are received from the carrier until they are delivered and signed for by the intended recipient within the facility. A barcode label is generated for tracking the package, an onsite database gets updated, and users may select e-mail or text notifications.

"We are incredibly excited to launch Package Tracker," reported Brian Sutter, Marketing Director for Wasp Barcode Technologies. "Its top-notch features combined with its low price will bring additional efficiency to companies of all sizes. This product will help Wasp continue to increase our footprint in the education and hospitality industries, where demand for  streamlined, efficient delivery has never been higher."

As part of this release, Wasp has extended free 30-day trials of Package Tracker. Prices have been set at $69 per month for Wasp Package Tracker Standard Software, and $99 per month for Wasp Package Tracker Professional Software. A one-year subscription for Package Tracker Standard costs $745, with $1,069 for Package Tracker Professional. "We worked hard to keep the entry price low for each product, making it one of the most affordable solutions available," stated Cliff Anderson, Product Marketing Manager for Wasp Barcode Technologies.

Package Tracker by Wasp Barcode Technologies

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PARTNER PROGRAMS

Groupon Sees the Missing Link

More from Groupon (Chicago), which has now seen fit to provide credit card terminals for local businesses. Three approaches have been offered: configure an existing VeriFone or Ingenico device; purchase the VeriFone VX 520 from Groupon for $150 (with no monthly contract or fees); or, rent the VeriFone VX 520 to own for $15 per month (for 12 months). With the capacity to run across mobile, iPad, and terminal POS, Groupon now caters to every type of small business, the company boasts. Breadcrumb POS and Breadcrumb PRO represent the company's point of sale packages, which so far have ignored the channel.

"While merchants are attracted to the easy sign-up, low and transparent pricing, and powerful analytics provided by our payments service, not all merchants are ready to adopt an iPad or iPhone for their credit card processing needs," observed Sean Harper, Director of Product at Groupon. "We anticipate that most merchants will eventually migrate their payments to tablet and mobile POS, but for now, this option lets them use familiar hardware and still benefit from the features of our payments service to save money and better manage their businesses." Earlier in his career, Harper founded FeeFighters, which upon purchase, became Groupon Payments.

Groupon touted several attributes of its payment processing methodology. A low-price guarantee extends rates of 1.8% plus $0.15 per transaction (MasterCard, Visa, and Discover) with no additional costs or monthly fees. In addition, no processing fees apply on the first $5,000 in credit card transactions with this promotional effort. Finally, the so-called Payment Center furnishes reports on payment trends, top customers, refund amounts, and tip totals.

VeriFone VX 520, Now Distributed by Groupon

A Catapult to Mobility

ECR Software Corporation (Boone, NC) has unveiled its Catapult HHT App for Inventory Management via Apple iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch. This latest addition to the developer's retail suite targets store owners with complex, high-volume ordering needs, such as natural foods, cooperatives, grocery, beverage, pharmacy, convenience, and vending micro markets. It requires the Linea Pro or Infinea Tab scanning sled from Infinite Peripherals (Irvine, CA), as well as Catapult Version 5.2.3 or later.

Authorized users can perform tasks such as purchase orders, price spot checks, on-the-fly price changes, inventory adjustments and transfers, receive with or without purchase order, and physical inventory counts from anywhere in the store with real-time system-wide updates. Other notable features include Order Assist, which displays suggested item order quantities based on forecasted auto-replenishment calculations, such as ECRS's proprietary DemandFill. Completed purchase offers may be electronically transmitted directly to suppliers from the mobile device via the ECRS Gateway supply chain service. To complement its new Catapult HHT App, ECRS also offers mobile shelf label printing.

"Our goal was to develop a mobile inventory app that would be flexible and practical for today's on-the-go retail environments," remarked Mark Noble, VP of Development for ECRS. "With the addition of the new Catapult HHT App, ECRS is providing a comprehensive inventory and order management tool enabling the retailer to manage this critical piece of business operations according to their preference. Best of all, this new solution is fast, easy to implement, and affordable."

Catapult HHT App for iOS From ECR Software

Code Corner

ProPay (Lehi, UT), part of TSYS, has enabled rent payments via mobile devices for the property management industry. This platform empowers residents to send rent, communicate with property managers, and submit maintenance requests instantly through any smart device with having to log-in or download an app, according to its developer. Property managers also may implement mobile credit card readers to collect application fees and security deposits with virtually any smartphone or tablet using the ProPay JAK. This new service gets powered by Aptexx (Century City, CA), one of the first Mobile Software-as-a-Service (M-SaaS) providers to employ "Responsive Web Design" and HTML5. Aptexx fully leverages ProPay's Level 1 PCI Compliant tokenization platform (ProtectPay), and all merchant funds are FDIC-insured. "There are almost 50 million Generation Y Millennials (18 to 34) in the rental market and roughly 80% own smartphones. For property managers to remain competitive, they must adapt to the mobile renter," noted William Evick, CEO at Aptexx. "The majority of the property management industry is using software that was built over a decade ago for PCs and laptops; software that simply doesn't work well on smartphones. We've solved that problem."

ENVIRONMENTS/PLATFORMS

Service By the Dashboard Light

Autotask Corporation (East Greenbush, NY) has debuted new Performance Dashboards for its hosted IT business management software. "They unlock valuable information from our customers' Autotask systems and allow them to utilize data more effectively than ever before, significantly improving their efficiency, accountability, and profitability," proclaimed Patrick Burns, VP of Product Management for Autotask. So far, support has been extended for Service Desk Operations and Sales and Opportunity Management. To come later this year, Client Reporting, Financial Management, and Project Portfolio Management.

Several features have been cited by Autotask. First, more than 50 preconfigured, customizable reports can display thousands of data points. Next, reporting encompasses critical areas such as workforce efficiency statistics, customer satisfaction ratings, service level compliance, and financial performance, with filtering capability by subject and time. Lastly, at-a-glance views of employee productivity, sales opportunities, and market trends should help executives to make better, fact-based decisions, according to Autotask.

"For years, we had questions that we simply could not answer about our operations because we didn't know how to best access or use the information stored in our database," recounted Daniel Moshe, CEO of Tech Guru (Minneapolis). "Autotask's Performance Dashboards provide us with valuable insights that will undoubtedly lead to improved service delivery through better capacity management, resulting in happier clients and stronger profits." Autotask, RRN.Com readers may remember, targeted the POS & Auto ID channel with particular gusto several years ago.

Autotask Performance Dashboard

Refinishing the Antique World

E-SoftSys (Blue Bell, PA), which markets AntiqueSoft, has revealed that 50,000 antique dealers now track their daily merchandise sales through its Web Inquiry module. Based on Microsoft SQL Server, AntiqueSoft provides the full functionality for point of sale, booth rental management, payment processing, and inventory tracking via barcoding. It includes e-commerce, an interface to QuickBooks for billing, and website design and development.

As many antique dealers spread out their merchandise across multiple locations, Web Inquiry furnishes real-time sales information from one consolidated source. Antique mall owners and managers benefit from streamlined communication to their dealers, thereby reducing labor and administrative overhead costs. Along these lines, Web Inquiry also provides the latest updates on space bookings, overall daily sales, and outstanding balances from dealers.

"Several mid to large antique malls across the country have benefited by switching from their legacy or manual systems to the AntiqueSoft program, due to our ability to provide high quality and cost effective solutions," indicated Kat Shenoy, CEO/President of E-SoftSys. "AntiqueSoft uses the latest technologies and is backed by exceptional customer support that is rated very highly in the industry. We will continue to enhance our AntiqueSoft program based on customer feedback and also develop additional modules for the antique malls industry by leveraging modern technology." A member of the Microsoft Partner Network, E-SoftSys provides solutions for various sub-vertical markets.

Electronic Receipt for AntiqueSoft

Key Advertiser Links

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

POS & Auto ID Distribution
Synnex
Wasp Barcode Technologies

POS & Peripherals
AZT POS
Partner Tech
Pioneer POS
POS BANK USA
Posiflex
POS-X
TEAMSable
Touch Dynamic

POS Systems - Hospitality
PAR

POS Systems - Apple Based
LightSpeed Retail

POS & Inventory Software
New West Technologies

Barcode & Transaction Printers
Brother Mobile
Printronix
Sato America
Zebra Technologies

Cash Drawers
MMF POS

Data Collection Terminals
CipherLab
Datalogic ADC

Integrated Payment Solutions
Datacap Systems
Merchant Warehouse
Mercury

Keyboards
PrehKeyTec USA

Keyboards & Mobile POS
Cherry, ZF Electronics Corp

Receipt Printers
Bixolon America
Citizen Systems America
Epson America
Star Micronics

Scanners
Code Corporation
Honeywell
Motorola Solutions

Thermal Printers
Seiko Instruments USA

Touchscreens & Monitors
Elo TouchSystems

INSTALLATIONS

Honeywell Hooks Outdoors Retailer

Honeywell Scanning & Mobility (Ft. Mill, SC) has supplied its Captuvo SL22 scanning/payment sled for Sportsman's Warehouse, with four dozen big-box hunting, fishing, and camping stores throughout the Western and Southeastern U.S. Honeywell's Captuvo SL22 and SL42 are encasements for Apple iPod Touch 5 and iPhone 5, respectively. The first generation Captuvo SL22 sled for iPod Touch 4 was released in July 2012, RRN.Com readers may recall.

"The Honeywell Captuvo SL22 is a great fit for our low-key shopping environment," testified Mike Van Orden, CTO for Sportsman's Warehouse. "It extends our workers' product and inventory expertise, and is much easier for customers and our workers to use than the traditional aisle-based checkout lane. And because it's based on the Apple iOS, our employees already are familiar with the user interface, so there is very little training needed, even for temporary or seasonal help."

Honeywell's Captuvo SL22/42 Sled

Sonic Boom at Micros

Sonic, the largest chain of drive-in restaurants in the U.S. with over 3,500 locations, has standardized on Micros (Columbia, MD). This package will encompass point of sale, enterprise management, inventory and labor, business intelligence, and loss prevention. Implementation has begun for corporate drive-ins and all new drive-in openings. Installation at existing franchise locations will follow shortly thereafter, according to the two parties.

"We are honored to be selected by Sonic as its strategic technology partner," relayed Jenny Kurdle, EVP for the United States and Canada at Micros. "With Micros' innovative food and beverage technology solutions, advanced e-commerce capabilities, and open systems platform, we are uniquely positioned to help Sonic." This solution will include an audio system to enhance drive-in efficiency, as well as customized e-learning content for training of employees.

Leading Drive-In Chain Picks Micros

Channel Factoid

A new study, sponsored by Motorola Solutions, finds that 66% of warehouses plan to expand their technology investments by 2018. More than one-quarter of respondents (26%) reported that company management views warehouses and distribution centers as an asset that can drive growth for the business. By 2018, more than one-third of respondents (35%) plan to increase the number of warehouses and distribution centers they operate, jumping 71% from current expansion plans in action today. The most commonly cited reasons for such expansion include lower transportation costs (36%), shorter delivery times (35%), new suppliers and trading partner locations (31%), and heightened omni-channel pressures (11%). As the industry moves to reduce order fulfillment costs and increase worker efficiency and productivity, the picking and replenishment solutions of the next five years will shift more toward true multimodal operation, with the doubling of voice-directed and screen-directed picking on flexible mobile devices as well as voice-, scan-, and keyed-response workflows. Warehouse professionals expect continuing shift away from pen and paper-based processes (71% decrease) to handheld mobile computers and tablets (100% increase) for cycle counting and inventory validation by 2018. While only 67% of items received at warehouses carry barcodes today, respondents expect that total to reach 84% by 2018. This survey was targeted to IT professionals in the logistics, manufacturing, retail, and wholesale market segments who work for firms that have at least $15 million in annual revenues.

HELLO GOODBYE

POS Nation Hails Youthful Chief

POS Nation (Charlotte, NC) has named Cort Ouzts as its new CEO. At 29, Ouzts returns to the "Queen City" after earning his MBA from the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business. Previously, he worked in investment banking and  private equity for Blue Point Capital Partners and Edgeview Partners. A division of Crimson Solutions, POS Nation supplies hardware and software from various vendors to our channel.

"I met with POS Nation's Board and began discussing the idea of joining the company in the winter of 2012," commented Ouzts. "After learning more about the opportunity, I saw a company with enormous potential and strong ties to the local community. Admittedly it's not the standard post-MBA, post-investment banking track, but I couldn't pass on this opportunity. I'm thrilled to be joining the team."

"We're excited about the level of professionalism and energy that Cort brings to POS Nation," declared Luke Tashie, Chairman of POS Nation. "Cort and I previously worked together in a separate venture, and when the Board met to discuss candidates, there was simply no other individual that matched the attributes we were seeking. He's young, but he brings a breadth of business experience to the table, and more importantly, he shares our vision of differentiating POS Nation through customer service and support."

Cort Ouzts, CEO, POS Nation

Of Marketing, Meridian, and MZero

Meridian (Aberdeen, NC) has enlisted Brian Sykes as its Director of Marketing. In this role, Sykes will lead development and execution of strategic marketing plans, oversee research and communication efforts, and "reinvigorate the Meridian and MZero brand," according to the kiosk vendor. He brings 14 years of marketing and advertising experience from AdJourney, which he owned and served as Chief Creative Officer.

"We're delighted to have Brian join our team," remarked Chris Gilder, CEO of Meridian. "I have known Brian a long time and we started our companies at the same time in 1999. I have worked with Brian over the years. In fact Brian came up with our slogan, 'Concept to Completion.' This was at least my third attempt to get Brian to join us on a full-time basis, and as they say, 'the third time's the charm.'"

Brian Sykes, Director of Marketing, Meridian