This Week’s Product Pick

Microscan (Renton, WA) presented its new C-Mount lens configuration for two of its leading products: the QX HAWK imager and Vision HAWK smart camera. Both may now be used with interchangeable lenses to address more specific application needs, such as high magnification and wide fields of view. QX HAWK employs state-of-the-art algorithms to read virtually all one or two-dimensional barcodes, from high-density Data Matrix, to very large linear, to low-contrast Direct Part Marking (DPM). Vision HAWK combines this decode capability with its complete vision toolset to address inspection and identification tasks such as cap alignment, label positioning, and fill level verification. With industrial IP-65/67 housing and built-in Ethernet connectivity, both devices integrate into common production environments. “With C-Mount, these are ideal cameras for applications requiring external lighting, right angle mounting in tight spaces, or fields of view that the integrated lens models don’t address,” stated Jonathan Ludlow, Product Manager at Microscan.

Microscan Adds C-Mount Design

[Editor’s Note:  Some news from the two largest POS & Auto ID distributors. ScanSource (Greenville, SC) will soon announce the new President of ScanSource POS & Barcoding, following the recent resignation of Jeff Yelton. Meanwhile, BlueStar (Hebron, KY) has announced the formation of its new Security Product Solutions Division, headed by VP Jeff Brummett. RRN.Com will have more on these two stories in an upcoming edition. See you in 2012!]

COMPANY BUSINESS

A Continuum of MSP Focus

No grass growing under the feet of Zenith RMM (Warrendale, PA), which has pioneered remote monitoring and management (RMM) for MSPs addressing the SMB market. Advancing simultaneously on three fronts, the company--which spun out of Zenith Infotech in October--has now rebranded itself as Continuum, added back-up and disaster recovery (BDR) to its wares, and hired software industry veteran Mark Connolly as VP of Sales. This combination of RMM and BDR, dubbed Continuum Vault, will enable MSPs to unify their offering under one SaaS-based platform supported by the company's Network Operations Center, or NOC.

Continuum Vault provides complete end-to-end business continuity and features enterprise-class protection, instant virtualization, cloud-based replication and recovery, and full-monitoring and management support--all for one fixed monthly price per protected server or desktop. “A turning point in managed services,” testified Tim Ancona, President of Ticomix Inc., one of Continuum’s customers. In the near term, Continuum also intends to expand beyond Microsoft Windows by adding support for Linux, Mac OS, and mobile devices, as well as lengthening the hours of operation of its U.S.-based help-desk to 24/7.

For BDR, Continuum Vault leverages industry-leading technology powered by Datto (Norwalk, CT), in which back-up snapshots are stored natively as virtual images allowing MSPs to gain almost instant access to any recovery point, according to Continuum. Files, folders, and even data in Microsoft Exchange or SharePoint can be stored in minutes--not hours, days, or weeks. Speaking with RRN.Com, Steve Ricketts, VP of Marketing, emphasized that the target market for this composite MSP approach remains the SMB, with the typical Continuum partner having 10 employees and utilizing the NOC to deepen its technology base.

“We were inspired by our MSP partners to deliver the most cost-effective, fully managed BDR solution on the market,” stated Michael George, Continuum’s CEO. “In entering the BDR marketplace, we not only wanted to make good on a promise to increase our managed services footprint, but also to create a solution that was purpose-built to the specifications of our customers. It was a staggering opportunity to break new ground and unify both disciplines, RMM and BDR, in the most optimal way.”

Connolly brings more than 20 years of experience to his role, and has served as VP of Sales for several software companies, including Bowstreet, Watchfire, Healthcare Source, and e-Credit. He was also Director of Sales for IBM in the Lotus Division, VP of Business Development for Computer Associates, and held various sales and leadership positions with Kronos, Inc. George, Ricketts, and Connolly all worked together at Bowstreet before its purchase by IBM in 2005.

Michael George, CEO & Steve Ricketts, VP of Marketing

Argox Rounds Out SATO

A bigger footprint in Auto ID for SATO (Tokyo), following its recent purchase of Argox Information Co., Ltd. (New Taipei City, Taiwan). Founded in 1996, Argox supplies thermal-transfer and direct-thermal label printers, barcode scanners, and portable data terminals. Focusing on mid- and entry-level products, the manufacturer sells in more than 60 countries over the world, with significant market shape in Brazil, Turkey, and China, as well as recent excursions into India, Russia, and South Africa.

“SATO adopted its holding company structure on October 3 of this year, which resulted in benefits such as strengthened profitability, growth potential, advancements in technology, and an increased capacity for investments,” noted Kaz Matsuyama, the new CEO/President of SATO Holdings Corporation. “This acquisition of Argox exemplifies our mission and complements the business models of both Argox and SATO alike. SATO will continue to escalate its expansion of business into emerging markets, which includes the strengthening of our label production facility for printer consumables in Poland, and simultaneous acquisitions of label production companies in China, Argentina, and Brazil.”

“To ensure the continuity of business,” Argox will continue its operations as an independent entity, reporting to SATO Holdings Corporation. Current management of Argox will stay in place, according to the new owner, and future plans call for joint product development as well as “strategically complimentary relationship to ensure that both companies take full advantage of their resources.” SATO has sales and support offices in over 20 countries--including its facility in Charlotte, NC--and sells its barcode and RFID products to more than 90 countries through its network of partners.

Argox X-3000 Thermal-Transfer Printer

Worth Your While

2012 Events

NRF 101st Annual Convention & Expo
National Retail Federation
January 15-18
New York

INSPIRE 2012
Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA)
January 29-February 1
Herradura, Costa Rica

MODEX 2012
Material Handling Industry of America
February 6-9
Atlanta

2012 Annual ETA Meeting & Expo
Electronic Transactions Association
April 17-19
Las Vegas

NRA Show 2012
National Restaurant Association
May 5-8
Chicago

GS1 Connect Conference
GS1 US
June 4-7
Las Vegas

PARTNER PROGRAMS

Tracking Your Cherry Pickers

Cherry has added Deal Registration to its Cherry xPOS Partner Program, itself debuted in April. This latest element covers sales of Cherry’s LPOS, MPOS, and SPOS keyboards, RRN.Com was told by John Enderlin, Product Sales Manager, POS and Healthcare, at ZF Electronics Corporation (Pleasant Prairie, WI), parent company of the Cherry brand. It augments Partner Program benefits such as product training, discount incentives, demo pool, and marketing and technical support. Importantly, the xPOS Program also introduces partners to Cherry Tools set-up software.

“VARs asked for Deal Registration to reduce channel conflict,” Enderlin recounted. “We also wanted to help smaller VARs who may not compete in the Tier 1 or Tier 2 worlds. Many times these smaller VARs have amazing relationships with SMBs, and we want to help them remain competitive. In addition, VARs love the ease in which we have worked with their distributors to get them any qualifying discounts on the front end with no ongoing paperwork.”

Cherry’s xPOS Partner Program and xPOS Deal Registration targets VARs with at least 50% of their revenue derived from POS and Auto ID markets. “Basically, resellers that are not web-based only, with an active outbound sales team,” Enderlin characterized prospective candidates. There is no fee for approved parties. To register, visit www.cherrycorp.com/webapp/cherry/partnercare.jsp.

Cherry Boosts xPOS Partner Program for Retail Keyboards

Coalfire Fuels Datacap

The Canadian EMV (Chip-and-PIN Debit) scheme from Datacap Systems (Chalfont, PA) has been validated by independent assessor Coalfire Systems (Louisville, CO) as truly “Out of Scope.” Thus, POS developers who integrate to Datacap’s NETePay with appropriate interface (DSIEMVClientX or dsiPDCX) can now process integrated transactions through major Canadian payment processors without the duress of PCI PA-DSS audit and annual listing. This designation follows extensive testing which demonstrated Datacap’s EMV solution completely removes all cardholder data from the POS application.

“Datacap Systems is one of the few truly neutral middleware providers left in the industry due to our resolute stance on catering exclusively to the ISV/Dealer channel without forcing proprietary processor relationships,” contended Justin Zeigler, Director of Marketing at Datacap. “Other non-validated ‘Out of Scope’ solutions, currently being offered by payment processors, lock POS applications into a single platform, considerably handicapping the ISV’s ability to accommodate merchants who aren’t willing to switch payment processors. With Datacap’s interfaces, ISVs can spend precious development dollars on improving their POS offering, as opposed to dealing with PCI.”

“Because Datacap works closely with such a variety of ISVs, and is required to accommodate a broad range of vertical market applications, it’s crucial that we offer feature-rich products that meet or exceed the needs of all of our POS partners,” Zeigler continued. “In the 28 years that Datacap has offered integrated payment solutions, we’ve worked to build a substantial market presence, which allows us to invest in innovative development and certifications. Datacap was early to market with integrated payments, first to market with IP-based integrated payments, first to market with a validated ‘Out of Scope’ interface for all payment processors in the U.S. and now Canada, and currently works with strategic partners to offer standardized, integrated mobile payments to our POS partners.”

Datacap’s Canadian Chip-and-PIN Validated as PCI PA-DSS “Out of Scope"

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ALL IN THE FAMILY

Honeywell’s New Vu of Scanning

Honeywell Scanning & Mobility (Ft. Mill, SC) unveiled the Vuquest 3310g scanner module, featuring the integration of its popular Adaptus Imaging Technology 6.0. A direct replacement for the Vuquest 4980, this new device also incorporates reduced illumination and the capacity to read highly reflective surfaces such as mobile phone screens without sacrificing scan performance, according to the vendor. Carrying sleek and compact housing, and intelligent multi-interface design, it readily fits kiosks or price checking systems from OEMs, space-constrained point-of-service environments in retail, transportation, and law enforcement, as well as light industrial manufacturing settings.

A custom sensor in Vuquest 3310g delivers supply chain stability as well as improved scanning aggressiveness, since the sensor gets manufactured specifically for Honeywell. Further, Honeywell’s Remote MasterMind for Scanning software allows end-users to update and manage Vuquest 3310g devices deployed across the network from one centralized location. Finally, Honeywell’s TotalFreedom 2.0 development platform helps meet emerging needs by generating decoding and formatting plug-ins that can be loaded directly onto the scanner.

“Designed to meet the evolving needs of our customers, the Vuquest 3310g continues to arm the enterprise with a compact and flexible scanning solution paired with industry-leading Adaptus 6.0 Imaging Technology,” declared Taylor Smith, Director of Product Management, Honeywell Scanning & Mobility. “With its ability to merge innovative scanning technologies into one versatile device, the Vuquest 3310g showcases Honeywell’s position as a global leader in imaging.”

Next-Generation Vuquest 3310g by Honeywell

Staying Well-Grounded

Smart Power Systems (Houston) has introduced its SmartNet II data line and signal protector with easy grounding. Guarding any networked electronic equipment from surges and spikes, the SmartNet II accommodates T1, T3, 10/100/1000 Base T, ISDN, or DSI. It handles speeds of over 300 MHz, and boosts downloading time by as much as 200%, according to the vendor. All units come with the necessary patch cables, except for coaxial and BNC.

“We are excited to announce the release of the SmartNet II,” relayed Roger Faridi, VP of Operations for Smart Power Systems. “This product eliminates the need to manually screw to a metal chassis on the equipment. The SmartNet II model simply plugs into a receptacle for grounding.” This new device comes in colors of black or computer gray, with lifetime warranty.

Smart Power Systems also announced that its SPV400-TBF Uninterruptible Power Supply has been deployed for healthcare provider Alegent for use with Sharp POS ECRs and Datacap credit card modems. Sale and installation went through S&S Cash Register (Omaha, NE). “We recommend to customers that they use devices from Smart Power on every system,” stated Ted Sledge, Owner of S&S Cash Register. “Taking this necessary precaution eliminates the potential for power quality issues which ensures maximum uptime for our customers and eliminates unnecessary tech support calls.”

SmartNet II from Smart Power Systems

Code Corner

Citrix (Santa Barbara, CA) launched its GoToMyPC for Android tablet. This new app joins GoToMeeting and GoToManage as the latest addition to the growing suite of “GoTo” services for mobile users. Citrix also announced updates to Citrix Receiver for Android, as well as the general release of its new Citrix XenApp 6.5 Mobility Pack and XenApp Mobile Application SDK. XenApp 6.5 Mobility Pack automatically re-skins XenApp-shared desktops for more intuitive touch-friendly use on tablet devices, according to the company. Moreover, it furnishes true native device experience by recognizing the type of end-point operating system and enabling functionality such as auto-keyboard pop-up, local selector controls, and auto-scrolling. The XenApp Mobile Application SDK allows software developers to create custom enterprise packages hosted with XenApp that have full access to mobile device sensors such as GPS and cameras. Finally, the latest updates in Citrix Receiver for Android include RSA soft token integration and support for Citrix CloudGateway. “Enterprises are being flooded with employee requests to support new mobile devices, especially as more companies are adopting the ‘Bring Your Own Device’ policy in response to employee demand for anywhere, anytime access to corporate networks from their personal devices,” noted Brett Caine, SVP, Citrix Online Services Division. “These new mobile applications are designed to enable organizations to simply and cost-effectively grant employees the secure mobile productivity and flexibility they need.”

ALLIANCES

Office 365--Not Priceless, but Cheaper

MasterCard Worldwide (Purchase, NY) and Microsoft Corporation (Redmond, WA) have extended their ongoing collaborative efforts to deliver advanced technology and payment services to the SMB market. Now MasterCard has joined the partner program for Office 365, the cloud service for access to e-mail, documents, contacts, and calendars debuted by Microsoft in June. Under this relationship, MasterCard will furnish 10% savings to eligible small business cardholders when they purchase Office 365 through the MasterCard Easy Savings Program.

“Our goal is to help small businesses thrive, and Office 365 can help them do just that by providing technology that is trusted by many of the most successful businesses in the world,” remarked Giovanni Mezgec, GM of MFST Office/Office 365. “Partners like MasterCard bring Office 365 to millions more small businesses and help them reduce costs while gaining access to critical business services. This collaboration between Microsoft and MasterCard builds on our history of launching and testing new consumer and merchant solutions together, and represents our shared commitment to small businesses.”

“MasterCard is pledged to providing small businesses with innovative products and services that improve efficiencies and help them achieve their full potential,” added Eugene DeSilva, Senior Business Leader, Small and Medium Enterprise Global Products, MasterCard Worldwide. “The strength of our knowledge, insights, and offerings will continue to drive real value for small businesses in two specific areas that are core to their business needs--payments and technologies.” Most recently, in October, the two behemoths, in concert with another, Dell, chose the oddly spelled Shwood Handcrafted Wooden Eyewear as the winner of their self-titled “America’s Favorite Small Business” contest.

Eugene DeSilva, Senior Business Leader, Small and Medium Enterprise Global Products, MasterCard Worldwide

NFC on Main Street

HID Global (Irvine, CA) and Sony Corporation (Tokyo) have jointly premiered their contactless smart-card reader platform that embeds secure access control capabilities and Near-Field Communication (NFC) functionality into laptops and other mobile devices. It supports widely used contactless protocols for applications ranging from physical access control and identity assurance at the desktop to transit-fare, POS, and loyalty programs, according to the two parties. A secure element stores cryptographic keys which secure the authenticity and integrity of user credentials.

“HID Global and Sony have delivered an exciting new embedded reader platform that will be offered to all manufacturers of laptops and other mobile devices,” reported Debra Spitler, VP of Mobile Access Solutions with HID Global. Added Yoshihiko Kawakami, GM of Sales with Sony’s FeliCa Business Division: “We are very pleased with this first solution from our strategic partnership with HID Global. This is an important milestone that moves our FeliCa contactless card technology and NFC solutions into the global market.” Simultaneously, the reader platform has been submitted to the NFC Forum Certification Program as reference sample.

Above and beyond Sony’s FeliCa technology, the new platform supports HID Global’s iCLASS and iCLASS SET credentials, MiFARE, and other broadly adopted technologies falling under the ISO/IEC 14443 Type A/B contactless smart card standard. It also fulfills the industry-standard PC/SC Version 2.0 specification for programming interfaces between PC applications, the OS, and smart cards. Going forward, it anticipates proximity features of the next major release of Microsoft Windows, which enable communication between NFC tags and computing devices using simple tap gestures, as well as the Android OS for tablet products.

HID Global and Sony Team Up on Smart Card Reader Platform

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
Casio America
Logic Controls
Posiflex
POS-X
Touch Dynamic

POS Systems - Hospitality
PAR

Barcode & Transaction Printers
Datamax-O'Neil
Zebra Technologies

Cash Drawers
MMF POS

Data Collection Terminals
CipherLab
Datalogic Mobile
Janam Technologies

Data Collection Software
Wavelink

Integrated Payment Solutions
Datacap Systems
Merchant Warehouse
WorldPay US

Keyboards
Cherry, ZF Electronics Corp.

Mobile Marketing & Loyalty
Sundrop Mobile

Receipt Printers
Bixolon America
Citizen Systems America
Epson America
Star Micronics

Thermal Printers
Seiko Instruments USA

INSTALLATIONS

Gaga Over Mobile POS

MICROS-Retail (Westboro, MA) has implemented its new miStore Mobile POS for Barney’s flagship outlet in New York, put in place for the holidays and the creation of “Gaga’s Workshop.” An ironic take on Santa’s headquarters, this retail environment dedicated to the pop star’s fashion sense took over the entire 5,500-square-foot fifth floor of the Madison Avenue location, with limited-edition products and eight category stations--all of which will benefit from the portability and flexibility of miStore, according to the two parties. In addition to Gaga’s Workshop, Barney’s New York also has redesigned and reopened its eight-floor, 22,000-square-foot CO-OP area, combining men’s and women’s departments, with further opportunities for implementation of the platform.

Barney’s New York has long used MICROS-Retail for its POS, loss prevention, and order management. It expects to expand the roll-out of miStore to its other outlets across the country, following its positive reception in New York. Significantly, the system allows store associates to conduct sales and locate inventory via portable Apple products, predominantly the iPod Touch, as MICROS refuses to concede this emerging space to third-party developers.

“We are very pleased to have a long-term customer such as Barney’s New York launching our MICROS-Retail miStore solution, especially during the holiday season,” shared Jeremy Grunzweig, EVP of Store Systems for MICROS-Retail. “Our customers have noticed a marked decrease in wait times in their stores upon switching to miStore. With increased traffic, the holiday rush is the perfect time for Barney’s New York to make this move as it will drive greater efficiency and shorter wait times.”

MICROS-Retail's miStore Deployed at Barney's New York and "Gaga's Workshop"

Tea Time for SaaS

Retail Anywhere (Paso Robles, CA) has rolled out its POS and Retail Management System--through SaaS--for Mahamosa Gourmet Teas, Spices & Herbs. Mahamosa first launched an e-commerce site for sale of its products in May, and has now expanded to kiosk retail locations at the Perimeter and Cumberland Malls in Atlanta. Along with Retail Anywhere, Mahamosa selected IBM SurePOS 500 hardware for its durable, easy-to-use touchscreen platform, reportedly, along with the Microsoft Windows Embedded POSReady OS.

“As a brand new small business, our POS system represents one of our largest investments,” related Raghu Raju, Owner of Mahamosa. “After thorough research, we selected Retail Anywhere because its SaaS solution model allowed us to reduce our upfront costs in addition to delivering robust and real-time retail POS that we could learn quickly and grow with. The user interface is friendly as well as customizable, so we can express and represent our company and company’s logo via the POS screen. Additionally, the POS software is an on-premise solution, so our retail locations can continue to operate when the Internet in the mall goes down.”

Interestingly, Mahamosa donates 50% of its after-tax net profits to charity, thereby putting cost efficiency as an uppermost priority. The SaaS delivery model from Retail Anywhere mixes on-demand and on-premise software along with professional services, updates, maintenance, and support all provided with minimal upfront costs and one monthly fee. “I’m confident that our solutions and services will make a positive impact on their business, enabling Mahamosa to further support their non-profit organizations,” volunteered Branden Jenkins, CEO of Retail Anywhere.

Retail Anywhere Chosen for Brick-and-Mortar by Charity-Minded Specialty Retailer

Channel Factoid

Three in four (75%) of retail associates and managers surveyed believe they provide better in-store customer experience when equipped with the latest mobile technologies, according to the latest Holiday Shopping Survey from Motorola Solutions. Shoppers feel the same, with two-thirds (67%) reporting heightened satisfaction with retailers employing state-of-the-art technologies. Specifically, the vast majority of shoppers welcome self-help systems, with favorable percentages of 83% for price checkers, 65% for self-checkout payment lanes, and 59% for information kiosks. Almost four in ten (38%) of shoppers would be likely to utilize retailers’ wireless web access to search for product information and slightly more (43%) would likely utilize proprietary store applications on their smart-phones to guide them through the aisles. Still, retailers appear to be losing significant revenue due to inefficient payment approaches, out-of-stock occurrences, and lack of selection. One-third of store visits (33%) ended with no purchase due to such missed opportunities, representing an average of $125 unspent. Approximately 41% of brick-and-mortar shoppers were not satisfied with the ability to receive in-stock status, versus only 20% of online shoppers. Fully 68% of lost sales could have been recaptured if retail associates were able to order the desired item and have it delivered to the shopper’s home. Likewise, 55% of shoppers would have made their purchase if an associate could find another location that had the item in stock and told them how to get there. On the positive side, 43% of surveyed shoppers confirmed that Mobile POS improved their shopping experience. “Retailers continue to deploy technology to improve the shopping experience, but need to pay closer attention to the growing expectations of the omni-channel shopper,” concluded Michelle Crissey, Customer Solutions Lead at Motorola Solutions.

HELLO GOODBYE

A League of Its “Own”

Own Point of Sale Corporation (San Francisco), the tablet-based POS upstart, has enlisted Alicia Policinski as its COO and added four software developers to its technical team--Dan Sabin, Carlos Sosa, Michael Choi, and Irene Haque. This follows last month’s $1.2 million in seed funding led by Detroit Venture Partners. Founded in Ann Arbor, MI, in 2009 to exploit web-based retail store operations and social media on the growingly popular hardware format, Own has followed very aggressive growth plans from the outset.

“Alicia brings tremendous financial and digital leadership, which will be an invaluable asset in support of Own’s continual product and client growth throughout 2012,” offered Rajeev Viswanathan, CEO of Own, which supplies both web services and tablet. “We’re committed to leading the point-of-sale industry and enabling store owners to maximize customer loyalty, operations, and most importantly, revenue.” Prior to Own, Policinski worked at Stonepine Advisors as SVP and, before that, at Jeffries & Company as VP.

Own’s Advisory Board and Board of Directors recently welcomed Shail Arora (Vineyard Capital), Raul Vejar (Head of Corporate Strategy, SAP), and Nik Harris (Head of Integration, North America, InMobi), to join Peter Chane (Director of Business Development, Google Chrome OS) and Scott Crosby (Co-Founder, Google Analytics). Added to the Board of Directors was Bob Stefanski (Co-Founder, Tibco) alongside Jacob Cohen (Detroit Venture Partners). “Independent businesses want the tools and analytics of big retailers,” commented Verdi Ergun, Founder of Own and former restaurateur. “But those tools are outdated already. So we went beyond that. It is time that every retailer has data, scheduling, and social media all at their fingertips.”

Alicia Policinski, COO, Own Point of Sale Corporation

Great Demand for Garf

Demandware, Inc. (Burlington, MA), which provides SaaS-based e-commerce, has recruited retail industry veteran Rob Garf as its VP of Product and Solutions Marketing. In this role, Garf will leverage his 20 years of experience to drive the developer’s go-to-market strategy, including new product messaging and packaging for retailers and brands worldwide. He will also hold responsibility “for articulating the company’s vision and differentiation” through oversight of Digital Commerce Management (DCM), the company’s cloud portfolio strategy across channels, applications, and devices.

“Rob is no stranger to the industry and the challenges retailers face,” stated Jamus Driscoll, SVP of Marketing for Demandware. “He’s been on all sides of this business and his extensive knowledge and experience, combined with his foresight for where the industry is headed, is invaluable to our company as we continue to develop new ways to help our global clients deliver rich, innovative experiences to their consumers.”

Rob Garf, VP of Product and Solutions Marketing, Demandware