This Week’s Product Pick

NEC Display Solutions of America (Itasca, IL) has added the 43-inch X431BT “bar-type” display to its X Specialty Series. This display was designed for customers who want to capitalize on digital signage but do not have an environment that allows for standard-sized screens. Such areas may include transportation facilities, quick-service restaurants, and retail stores, according to the manufacturer, with suitability for menu boards, scrolling text, and advertising of promotions. In addition, the X431BT expands messaging possibilities for customers with its DisplayPort, HDMI, and DVI-D inputs, as well as Ethernet and RS-232 for remote monitoring, multi-display control, and daisy chain capabilities. Information may be presented in Picture in Picture (PIP), Picture on Picture (POP), and side-by-side modes, and two inputs can be shown simultaneously, either by maintaining one aspect ratio or evenly stretching both images to fill each half of the screen. Technical specifications include 1920x480 native resolution, 3000:1 contrast ratio, and 105 W typical power consumption, with less than 1 W in standby mode. The X431BT has an estimated street price of $3,799 and ships with three-year limited parts and labor warranty, including the backlight. “The X431BT carries with it the superior technology and management features of NEC’s professional P and S Series, but can also be used in tricky areas, like store shelves, stadium pillars, or ceiling-mounted in hallways,” stated Keith Yanke, Director of Product Marketing for NEC Display Solutions. “Our ultimate goal through all of our products and platforms is to advance the market and cultivate the potential of our customers, and we believe the X431BT will fill some missing areas.”

NEC’s X431BT LCD Display

Worth Your While

VARTECH 2010
BlueStar
August 29-31
Cincinnati, OH

NACS Show
National Association of Convenience Stores
October 5-8
Atlanta

CTIA Enterprise & Applications
CTIA-The Wireless Association
October 6-8
San Francisco

Pack Expo International
Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute (PMMI)
October 31-November 3
Chicago

AIM Expo
Association for Automatic Identification and Mobility
November 1-3
Chicago

Customer Engagement Technology World
(Formerly KioskCom & The Digital Signage Show)
November 10-11
New York

ALL IN THE FAMILY

MMF Takes the Stand

MMF POS (Wheeling, IL), which recently changed its name from MMF Cash Drawer to reflect its expanded scope, has introduced its new line of transaction terminal stands. In comparison to typical installations, which rest the terminal on the counter, held in place only by the power cord, the MMF POS stands bolt down firmly and employ securing brackets to lock the terminal in place. By preventing unauthorized removal of payment terminals, the new hardware helps support PCI requirements for protecting customer information, according to the manufacturer.

“It’s important to deliver a well-engineered, secure solution at an affordable price,” stated Greg Carlson, CEO of MMF POS. “Our stands have been designed and built to deliver at a competitive price and with the features customers demand--functionality, appearance, high-quality, and resistance to tampering.” Stands feature steel construction, rotation of 180 degrees, and tilt of 45 degrees.

Two configurations have been placed in stock to meet the needs of popular payment terminals. The first, with two-inch height, accommodates Hypercom’s Models L4100/L4150/L4200, VeriFone’s MX800 family, and Ingenico’s Models i6550/i6780/i3070. The second, with fixed counter height, handles all of these terminals except the Ingenico Model i3070. “MMF POS provides custom solutions for OEMs developing special configurations, while remaining compliant,” Carlson added.

New Hardware Locks Down Payment Terminals

Zebra Itemizes the RXi4

Zebra Technologies Corporation (Vernon Hills, IL) debuted the RXi4, its first high-performance RFID printer/encoder designed to address the growing market for high-volume item-level RFID tagging. Based on Zebra’s Xi4 printers, released earlier this year, the RXi4 (R110Xi4, formally) can reduce media costs by as much as 10%, according to the vendor. In addition, Zebra’s proprietary Adaptive Encoding technology detects the RFID inlay position within the label and automatically configures the printer/encoder without having to manually calibrate for the inlay, ensuring tag accuracy and system efficiency.

The RXi4 supports UHF EPCglobal Gen 2 tags and features resolutions of 203 dpi, 300 dpi, and 600 dpi for various labeling needs, print width of up to 4 inches, and maximum speed of 356/mm second, or 14 inches/second. In the area of media savings, the printer utilizes “on-pitch encoding” to produce small tags very close together with distance as narrow as 0.6-inch, or 16 mm. Further, “variable inlay placement” optimizes encoding and allows the use of media converted for other brands of printer/encoders with minimal reconfiguration. Finally, Zebra’s global certification process for the RXi4 supports multi-national supply chains--critically important for item-level tracking in verticals such as retail, consumer packaged goods, and healthcare.

“Zebra is responding to an overall RFID market shift from compliance-based tracking to more item-level tracking with the high-performance RXi4,” related Carolyn Ricci, Product Manager at Zebra Technologies. “The RXi4’s new RFID printer/encoder brings innovation, functionality, and cost benefits to an industry that hasn’t seen technology like this rise up to meet the demand head on--making it the smart investment for organizations with high-volume, mission-critical, or specialty labeling applications.”

RXi4 High-Performance RFID Printer from Zebra Technologies

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NOTES FROM THE FIELD

Honor Roll from RSPA

Several sponsors of RRN.Com received Awards of Excellence in their respective categories during last month’s Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA) Show in Las Vegas, dubbed RetailNOW 2010. Such awards from the RSPA have been presented for over 30 years, with dealers themselves voting for their favorite vendors. This year, the following companies were celebrated for their roles in the channel:

Hardware Provider: Epson America, Gold; CRS, Inc., Silver; APG Cash Drawer, Bronze. Applications Software Provider: Micros, Gold; Future POS, Silver; Posera/Maitre’D, Bronze. Distributor: ScanSource, Gold; BlueStar, Silver; CRS, Inc., Bronze. Consumables: California Ribbon, Gold; Ritemade Paper Convertors, Silver; Bushnell Ribbon Corp., Bronze. Electronic Payment: Mercury Payment Systems, Gold; Datacap Systems, Silver; First Data Corp., Bronze. In addition, Mercury Payment Systems won the Gold Medallion.

RetailNOW 2010 drew 1,300 attendees and 125 exhibitors. “A sold-out exhibit hall and record attendance validates the importance of RSPA’s mission as an industry association for retail technology,” commented Joseph Finizio, CEO/President of RSPA. Interestingly, RetailNOW 2011 will leave the familiar setting of Las Vegas and will head to the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort in Orlando for next year’s gathering on July 24-27, 2011.

Epson America’s Jeff Burroughs and Barry Wise (At Center) Receive Gold Award of Excellence for Hardware at RetailNOW 2010. Brad Holaway, Outgoing RSPA Chairman (Far Left), and Joseph Finizio, RSPA CEO/President (Far Right), Make the Presentation.)

A Chip for Any Speed

Impinj (Seattle) will ship its Indy R500 chip, developed expressly for the emerging market for low-cost, embedded RFID readers. Based on the company’s common architecture, and drop-in compatible with the high-performance Indy R2000, the R500 will furnish UHF EPCglobal Gen 2 readers with the lowest development times and per unit cost on the market, according to Impinj. In performance, the new chip delivers necessary features such as low phase noise, stray read reduction, and active carrier cancellation. It also meets regulatory requirements from over 100 countries.

“In 2010 we’re seeing a surge in the use of UHF RFID technology and rapid growth in the variety of RFID-enabled devices,” observed Kerry Krause, VP of Marketing at Impinj. “In addition to dedicated RFID readers, users have begun embedding RFID capabilities in a variety of traditionally non-RFID-enabled devices to enhance functionality. The Indy R500 capacitates many of these products by providing a solution for lower price-performance applications without sacrificing quality, compatibility, or regulatory compliance. With the addition of the R500, there is an Indy chip for any speed.”

The R500 Indy Development Platform (IDP) will be available from distributors at the suggested price of $1,500 on August 16. This IDP, which comprises development board, reader module, reference design, software,and documentation, allows reader developers to begin immediate activities. Sample Indy R500 chips will be offered in Q4 in 64-pin 9x9-mm QFN (Quad Flat No Lead) packages.

Low-Cost Indy R500 RFID Reader

Code Corner

Terra Technology (Norwalk, CT) released the Transportation Forcasting module of its POS-based supply chain solution. Today, transportation and warehouse managers typically rely on the orders they have in hand to plan shipments, according to the developer. Because they do not have systematic, lane-level visibility into when promotions are planned, they cannot effectively schedule for spikes in demand. This increases their transportation costs and results in emergency shipments as well as increased spot buying. With its Transportation Forecasting module, Terra has addressed reputed white spaces in the supply chain between transportation procurement, mode selection, and labor planning. Visibility into promotions enables transportation and warehouse planners to contract for shipping that matches actual demand, in some cases reducing forecast error by up to 50% and inventory by up to 20%, the company reports. Further, analysis of network changes provides more accurate strategic sourcing, increases efficiency, and conserves natural resources. “Transportation planning is the next big savings opportunity for consumer products companies,” maintained Robert Byrne, CEO of Terra Technology. “Our Transportation Forecasting brings the visibility and rigor of finished goods planning to transportation planning, providing visibility into promotions and capacity issues and enabling manufacturers to create proactive plans based on better mathematics and downstream data.”

ALLIANCES

Mobile Marketing for the ISO?

Mocapay (Denver) will provide its mobile commerce and marketing engine to eNational Payments (Chicago), the registered ISO/MSP of Wells Fargo Bank, as the POS, payment processing, and business intelligence worlds continue to entwine. Mocapay’s proprietary platform delivers 360-degree interactivity between the consumer and merchant, according to its developer. It allows merchants to create customized campaigns that, in turn, provide valuable information regarding demographics, redemption rates, and purchasing behavior. As part of its charter, eNational Payments supplies electronic payments, check warranty, and back-office conversion to more than 2,800 non-banking financial services businesses, collectively processing over $9 billion.

“We chose Mocapay as a partner because they are the only player in the market that offers a secure mobile payment solution that eliminates the transmission of customer-sensitive data,” declared Sean Kumar, CEO of eNational Payments. “As retailers and merchants continue to evolve their mobile strategy, we want to be at the forefront in providing the most secure, innovative solution while making it cost-effective to implement for merchants of any size.”

“Our partnership with eNational is a natural fit as both companies continue to innovate in the payments space by providing retailers and merchants new and exciting channels to reach customers,” added Kevin Grieve, CEO of Mocapay. “Due to customers demanding mobility in every facet of their lives, merchants are asking for more unified solutions that go beyond just payments but also offer mobile marketing and loyalty components.”

Mocapay’s Platform for Payments and Loyalty on iPhone

Panini Dished Out by U.S. Bank

U.S. Bank, the nation’s fifth-largest bank, will offer the I:Deal check scanner from Panini (Dayton, OH) as part of Deposit Express, its Remote Data Capture (RDC) solution for the SMB market. U.S. Bank was among the first financial institutions to offer RDC to business customers when it launched On-Site Electronic Deposit in 2004. As part of its small business banking services, it followed up with Deposit Express in November 2009, and now actively markets the RDC product.

“We have enjoyed a very successful partnership with U.S. Bank for years, centered on our mutual commitment to innovation,” stated Doug Roberts, President of Panini North America. “U.S. Bank’s addition of the Panini I:Deal underscores their understanding of the small business market and their dedication to providing customers with products designed to meet their needs.”

Targeted directly at the SMB, Panini I:Deal delivers dual-sided image capture, document franking, and advanced reading technologies in the areas of MICR and OCR (Optical Character Recognition). Through self-adjusting capabilities, the I:Deal provides an optimum user experience in the wide variety of environmental conditions encountered in small business, according to its manufacturer. Panini, headquartered in Turin, Italy, is one of two vendors aggressively pursuing RDC for this segment. Epson America represents the second.

Panini’s I:Deal Check Scanner

Key Advertiser Links

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

POS & Auto ID Distribution
BlueStar
ScanSource

POS & Peripherals
Logic Controls
Pioneer POS
Posiflex Business Machines
POS-X

POS Systems - Hospitality
PAR

Barcode & Mobile Printers
Datamax-O'Neil
Godex International

Barcode & Transaction Printers CognitiveTPG

Cash Drawers
APG Cash Drawer
MMF POS

Data Collection Terminals
Datalogic Mobile
Datalogic Scanning
Janam Technologies

Data Collection Software
Wavelink

Integrated Payment Solutions
Datacap Systems

Keyboards
Cherry Electrical Systems

Receipt Printers
Bixolon America
Citizen Systems America
Epson America
Star Micronics

Screen Protection
3M Optical Filters

Thermal Printers
Seiko Instruments USA

Video Surveillance & Access Control
ScanSource Security

INSTALLATIONS

No Concession to Coins

Apriva (Scottsdale, AZ) has teamed with MWJ LLC, the operator of numerous food concessions at Atlanta’s Hartsfield International Airport, to bring cashless vending machines to busy concourses. In all, 48 machines will offer travelers various food and beverage items, including, given the location, Coca-Cola. The technology framework, dubbed Apriva Vend, incorporates hardware and software, wireless connectivity, reporting capabilities, and integration with leading payment processors. Apriva Vend also provides ongoing service and support through its “Cashless Coach” program.

“Many times, passengers do not have the coins or bills required to make purchases at cash-only vending machines,” explained Casandra Harmon, Director of Operations for MWJ, based in Atlanta. “Our cashless vending initiative allows us to better serve customers by giving them the convenience of paying by card if they choose and avoiding the long lines of food courts between flights. Not only does it benefit our passengers, cashless has helped grow our sales by some 18%--a staggering number within our industry.” MWJ also finds cashless vending to be much simpler than its cash operations, where money must be collected, counted, bagged, and sent to the bank.

“Operators like MWJ are proving that with the right locations and business profiles, cashless vending enables operators to grow sales and reduce costs across the entire business,” confirmed Bill Clark, EVP and GM for Apriva. “Its ability to provide new levels of convenience is proven to attract new customers, increase retention of existing ones, and improve overall profitability.” Several POS players have recently expressed interest in the area of unmanned foodservice vending for the U.S. when speaking with RRN.Com. Not surprising, given the popularity of such systems in other parts of the world.

Cashless Vending Machines at Atlanta’s Hartsfield Airport, Courtesy of Apriva

Here Comes the Bridal Kiosk

NCR Corporation (Duluth, GA) has placed its SelfServ 60 kiosks with Hudson’s Bay Company, Canada’s largest general merchandise retailer and gift registry provider. During the national roll-out, which took place between December 2009 and March 2010, in time for the 2010 bridal season, NCR worked closely with Hudson’s Bay to train sales associates and gift registry consultants in proper use of the platform, according to the two parties. In addition to highly responsive capacitive touchscreens, power-saving measures, and NCR’s 2ST double-sided thermal printing, NCR SelfServ 60 carries Intel’s Active Management Technology, which enables remote problem diagnosis, updates, and repairs, even when the device is turned off or the operating system is not functioning.

“This exciting initiative allows us to build upon the success of our gift registry business at the Bay and Home Outfitters, and continue to enhance our customer experience in-store with new and innovative technologies,” remarked Stella Farrace, National Sales and Service Manager, Home Division and National Gift Registry, at Hudson’s Bay Company. “This system also offers a number of environmental benefits, which is in keeping with our ongoing commitment in this area.”

NCR also has licensed its NCR 2ST technology to China’s Shandong New Beiyang Info-Tech Co., more commonly known as SNBC. This agreement gives SNBC the worldwide right to make, use, and sell two-sided thermal printers under NCR’s intellectual property rights. “We look forward to having the ability to help our customers reduce paper consumption and offer additional promotional options to their end-users,” said Qiangzi Cong, GM of SNBC.

NCR SelfServ 60 Kiosk for Retail

[Editor’s Note: Interesting thoughts on the future of kiosks included in recent research by Greg Buzek at the IHL Group, entitled “2010 North American Self-Service Kiosks.” While predicting transactions at such kiosks will surpass $740 billion this year, Buzek speculates that the rate of growth going forward may be tempered due to the rise of mobile devices such as smart phones, “the kiosk in the consumer’s pocket.” Of particular interest, he notes that Apple holds patents in both payment and loyalty technologies.]

Channel Factoid

Google is the perceived leader for set-up, infrastructure, and application management in the “public cloud” while IBM is the top choice of developers for “private clouds,” according to Evan Data’s recently released Cloud Development Survey 2010. Over 40% of developers cited Google as the public cloud leader and almost 30% identified IBM as the top private cloud provider. Developers also feel it is very important to be able to move applications between the two architectures and in particular to move from the public cloud to the private cloud. This bi-annual survey also uncovered several additional concerns on the part of developers. Over 80% feel that it is important for cloud providers to give 100% backward compatibility as the cloud infrastructure matures. Fully 60% are concerned with government geographical restrictions with cloud deployments. Finally, better data encryption is the most wished for security improvement for the public cloud. “Most developers expect to be in a hybrid situation going forward with respect to application deployment in the cloud,” suggested Janel Garvin, CEO of Evans Data.”With no other vendors even close in perceived leadership, it’s likely that we’ll see IBM and Google dominating the cloudscape for the foreseeable future.”

HELLO GOODBYE

Hawker Nests at CRS

CRS, Inc. (St. Paul, MN) has named industry veteran Peter Hawker as its Business Development Director. Hawker brings 20 years of experience in POS printer sales. Most recently, he served as Director of Distribution Sales for Citizen Systems America. Prior to Citizen, he worked in sales management for both Star Micronics and Epson America.

“Peter’s vast receipt printer, kiosk printer, and printer mechanism experience will be invaluable as CRS continues to expand the penetration of SNBC ‘extraordinary value’ printers into these and other burgeoning markets,” indicated John Soderquist, CRS Division Manager. CRS, which imports and distributes ECRs, POS terminals, printers, peripherals and parts, handles SNBC exclusively for the Americas.

“The partnership that CRS has created with SNBC is the model for the future,” Hawker suggested. “SNBC, the largest printer company in China, provides the highest quality products and CRS contributes support in the Americas in such areas as local parts and service, engineering/technical resources, customization, and logistics. I am confident that SNBC and CRS will lead the printer industry by continuing to develop new products that include superior features, software, capabilities, and support.”

Peter Hawker, Business Development Director, CRS, Inc.

Todd and Franklin Bound into ParTech

ParTech (New Hartford, NY) continues to pour resources into its Boundless Hospitality effort. Now Mike Todd, well-known POS executive, has joined the company as VP-Americas’ Sales, where he will lead both direct and channel efforts. Todd comes to ParTech from MATRA Systems, where he held the office of CEO. Before MATRA, he was VP of Sales and Marketing at Torex Retail, Americas and VP of Sales at Agilysys, Keylink Division, Retail Solutions. Many RRN.Com readers will remember Todd from his long tenure at Kyrus Corporation (previously MidSouth Data Systems), which was acquired by Agilysys in 2003.

“Mike’s strong leadership skills, industry knowledge, and customer relationships will be instrumental in helping our customers meet their technology needs with the right solutions,” commented Tim Votaw, SVP of Sales and Marketing, ParTech, Inc. “His extensive experience will be valuable as PAR continues to expand its presence in the marketplace. Our continued strong growth demonstrates the strength of our existing sales team and the addition of Mike will enhance our capabilities and accelerate our growth.”

ParTech also has enlisted Rick Franklin as its VP of Global Client Services, in charge of all integration, implementation, hardware maintenance, and customer support/help-desk activities. Franklin formerly served as VP, Global Services at Honeywell Scanning & Mobility; in this role, he reportedly increased such revenues by 325% in five years. At ParTech, he will report to Ed Soladay, President, who recently cited increased emphasis on service as one of the company’s goals in conversations with RRN.Com.

“Rick has a strong track record of success in leading services teams in the technology industry,” said Soladay. “His extensive industry experience and proven leadership will be valuable assets in maintaining, and continuing to build upon, PAR’s strong reputation for quality service. We are excited that Rick has joined our team and look forward to leveraging his wealth of skills and experience to benefit our customers.”

Mike Todd, VP-Americas’ Sales and Rick Franklin, VP of Global Client Services