Our Product Pick

Cherry/ZF Electronics (Pleasant Prairie, WI) has presented its wireless desktop keyboard and mouse bundle, the JD-0700EU-2. It comes with four hot keys (calculator, e-mail, browser, and sleep mode) and service life of greater than 10 million key actuations. Other features include so-called whisper-quiet-keystroke keys and wear-resistant laser key legends. Range of wireless operation, at 2.4 GHz, reaches 32 ft./10 m. As applications for the JD-0700EU-2, which has six keyboards in master packaging, Cherry/ZF Electronics cites airlines, banking, education, medical, transport, and retail. A two-year warranty has been extended.

Cherry Wireless Keyboard

COMPANY BUSINESS

One Big Auto ID VAR

Another case of consolidation in the channel, as Quest Solution, Inc. (Henderson, NV) scoops up Bar Code Specialties, Inc. (Garden Grove, CA). This transaction should propel Quest Solution to become one of the largest integrators in the industry, particularly for Honeywell Scanning & Mobility, Motorola/Symbol, and Zebra Technologies. BCS was founded in 1992 by David Marin, and reported revenues of $26 million in 2013. Completion of this sale awaits customary closing conditions.

"I am excited about the next phase of our company's growth and teaming up with visionaries like Quest Solution's Kurt Thomet and George Zicman, whom I have known and respected for many years," remarked Marin. "The collective service offering we can now provide in the marketplace is truly unprecedented and unparalleled." A sole shareholder in BCS, Marin will remain with the company.

"As we have long stated, our team plans to continue to focus on our three-tier approach for growth in the company," relayed Jason Griffith, CEO of Quest Solution. "One, organic growth; two, acquisitions of companies in our space which allow us to use synergies to provide tremendous shareholder value while allowing us to help our customers achieve more; and three, the growth of technologies presented to us that we feel through our existing connections and resources we can help to expand rapidly. This acquisition should add revenue to the top line, income to the bottom line, and all without any immediate issuance of shares of stock." Quest Solution also disclosed that Thomas Miller, former Intermec President and current Partner in The Sage Group, has joined its Board of Directors.

David Marin, Founder, Bar Code Specialties, Now Sold to Quest Solution

Kounta Plants the Seed

An Australia-based upstart in iPad POS, Kounta, has made plans to tackle the market in the U.S. Targeting hospitality, with cloud delivery and functionality for ordering, inventory, menu management, employee scheduling, and reporting, Kounta will launch its efforts next year. In preparation, it has hired Jason Seed as its President for the U.S. Based in Palo Alto, California, Seed has identified channel and strategic partnerships as one of his first priorities.

"I've been following Kounta closely, and what they've managed to achieve in Australia and New Zealand in such a short span of time has me genuinely excited about challenging the status quo in the U.S.," declared Seed. "With a host of changes happening in the industry, like Apple Pay and Chip & PIN, it's important for merchants to have a flexible solution that can integrate with everything in the market. Rather than using a device that locks you into one system and takes a clipping off each transaction, running a business on Kounta with a small flat fee puts the power back in the hands of merchants."

Seed had prior success with Shortcuts Software, another company in POS from Australia. As CEO from 2000 to 2006, he helped the company grow from five to ninety staff members with direct operations in the U.S. and U.K. He also brings many years of experience in technology start-ups and international trade groups. Nick Cloete serves as Founder and CEO of Kounta.

Jason Seed, President, U.S., Kounta

Worth Your While

NRF's Big Show - Annual Conference
National Retail Federation
January 11-14
New York City

Inspire 2015
Retail Solutions Providers Association
January 25-28
Maui, Hawaii

TransAct 15
Electronic Transactions Association
March 31 - April 2
San Francisco

Retail Realm Technology Conference
"Microsoft for the Retail Sector"
April 25-27
Las Vegas

NRA Show 2015
National Restaurant Association
May 16-19
Chicago

ALL IN THE FAMILY

A Zebra Pocket-Sized

Zebra Technologies (Lincolnshire, IL) has unveiled its newest mobile printer, the entry-level ZQ110. Weighing 0.5 lbs., and measuring 4.7 in. (L) x 3.2 in. (W) x 1.5 in. (D), the ZQ110 may be carried in the end-user's shirt pocket. With direct-thermal technology, it provides two-inch print width, 203-dpi resolution, and maximum print speeds of 3.5 inch/90 mm per second for receipts and 2.4 inch/60 mm per second for linerless media (with custom roller). It supports Apple iOS, Android, and Windows, with linking via Bluetooth 3.0+EDR or 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi.

As benefits, ZQ110 has clamshell design for easy media loading (maximum roll outer diameter of 1.2 inch/30 mm), visual sensors for status updates (six LEDs), and tear bar for dispensing of receipts. A 1200-mAh Lithium-Ion battery provides an entire shift of operation with sleep mode to conserve power; formats, fonts, and graphics are supported with 4-MB Flash; and ESC/POS programming language facilitates integration. With applications in retail, supply chain, hospitality, and government, either vertical or horizontal printing may be used, with any orientation.

ZQ110 Mobile Printer by Zebra

TSC Cuts Ribbon on New Printers

TSC Auto ID Technology America (Pomona, CA) has unwrapped its TX200 Series of desktop barcode printers. With three models, four-inch print width, and thermal-transfer technology, the TX200 fulfills needs across shipping, product marking, and safety signage, according to the vendor. It includes: TX200 with print speed of 8 inch/203 mm per second at 203 dpi; TX300 with print speed of 6 inch/152 mm per second at 300 dpi; and TX600 with print speed of 4 inch/102 mm per second at 600 dpi (for precise calibration and registration).

All models support an economically efficient 300-meter ribbon on one-inch core. A spring-loaded center-based clamshell design allows easy drop-in media loading of five-inch rolls. As significant benefits, TSC cites rugged double-wall construction, an LED multi-icon display, user-friendly label-holder design, and optional color LCD display (standard on the TX600). As computing, there's 128-MB Flash, 128-MB RAM, and 32-GB Micro SD.

Standard interfaces include USB 2.0, USB-A Host, 10/100 MBPS Ethernet, and Serial. Optional communications include Bluetooth, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, and Centronic Parallel. As with all the company's products, the TX200 Series features the TSPL-EZ printer control language, with compatibility for TPLE (Eltron) and TPLZ (Zebra). It also features internal scalable true-type fonts, which are typically found in more expensive printers, according to TSC America. Availability starts in Q1 2015.

TX200 Series of Desktop Label Printers

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ENVIRONMENTS/PLATFORMS

A Lifeline From SATO

You'll soon see SATO Online Services, or "SOS," which will employ the Internet of Things (IoT) to provide networking and worldwide customer support for the company's products in barcoding, labeling, and RFID. Scheduled for 2015, SATO SOS leverages two segments of Salesforce--Heroku Connect and Service Cloud--for real-time, 24x7 monitoring down to the level of individual printers. By seeing any potential issues in advance, necessary maintenance can be carried out quickly, according to SATO, ensuring smooth operations and maximum efficiency for customers.

"SATO is transforming how it connects with its customers," testified Mike Rosenbaum, EVP for Salesforce (San Francisco, CA). "SOS is about servicing customers in real-time, from anywhere. It's about being 'always on.' SATO is setting the standard for how service will be delivered in its industry."

SATO's CL4NX Industrial Label Printer

MagTek Goes Pro

MagTek, Inc. (Seal Beach, CA) has launched its new QwickPAY Pro for iPad. Available for free in the Apple App Store, QwickPAY Pro works with the company's dedicated mobile card readers secured by its MagneSafe Security Architecture, such as uDynamo and iDynamo. It builds upon QwickPAY, which was earlier debuted for the iPhone. MagTek, of course, is the leading supplier of payment card readers and supporting technology.

"MagTek's new app allows us to offer our merchants a new set of features for accepting credit and debit cards on an iPad," relayed John Leehy, CEO of Payment Alliance International (Louisville, KY). "Small to medium businesses should be able to focus more on their customers than PCI compliance, and QwickPAY Pro allows them to do just that." A leading reseller of QwickPAY, Payment Alliance International made its mark as one of the largest deployers of ATMs in the U.S.

Mimi Hart, CEO/President of MagTek, noted, "QwickPAY Pro extends the value of the QwickPAY product line by targeting merchants wanting a larger, tablet-sized user interface while continuing to leverage the protection offered by the MagneSafe Security Architecture. By combing the app, the card reader, and card processing services, resellers like Payment Alliance International have the opportunity to confidently resell the entire platform for QwickPAY." A major reseller for hospitality, Custom Business Solutions (Irvine, CA) has added the MagTek DynaPro Mini card swipe and PIN entry device to its NorthStar Order Entry iPad POS. Art Julian serves as CEO.

MagTek's QwickPAY Pro for iPad

Code Corner

Internals LLC (Austin, TX), self-described as start-up, has released its PoS Shield. As its name suggests, PoS Shield reportedly protects credit card numbers and sensitive customer information. In particular, it blocks "RAM Scrapers," the malware that searches for credit card track information. All flavors of RAM Scrapers, such as BlackPOS, Backoff, Dexter, and Alina, will be thwarted by this "secure container" around the memory of the point-of-sale software, according to the developer. In addition, PoS Shield detects and blocks keylogging and screen-grabbing malware. All of this is performed without requiring continuous updates to signatures or white-lists, according to the developer, and with the capability to block the latest strains of malware, even those yet to be encountered. "Recent attacks on Target and Home Depot that led to the leak of millions of consumer credit cards have proven that solutions such as anti-virus and white-listing are inadequate when it comes to protecting point-of-sale terminals from malware," contended Yariv Kaplan, Chief Security Officer for Internals LLC. "What we have created is an affordable, but robust, solution to this significant issue."

NOTES FROM THE FIELD

Electric Compass Points to Austin

ISV Electric Compass (Darien, CT) has joined the Valued Partner Program at Motion Computing (Austin, TX). Its flagship solution, Electric Compass Tracker, allows enterprises to follow the location of field workers using the built-in GPS and mobile broadband capabilities of rugged tablets such as Motion's CL920, R12, and F5Te. A number of specific business benefits are cited by the two parties, including greater visibility into field operations, improved response to service calls or sales opportunities, enhanced compliance with safety regulations and company guidelines , and better business intelligence.

"Motion Computing is known for its superb rugged mobile tablets, its commitment to quality and service, and its ecosystem of innovative partners," volunteered Michael Forbes, Managing Director of Electric Compass. "We are honored to join such an exceptional group of software and service companies as Motion Valued Partner." As one would expect, Electric Compass supports iOS, Android, and Windows 7 and 8.

Electric Compass Joins Motion Valued Partner Program

Your Calorie Needs May Vary

After some fuss, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has finalized its rules on calorie labeling on menus and menu boards. This now applies to restaurants and similar retail food establishments if they are part of a chain of twenty or more locations, doing business under the same name, and offering for sale substantially the same menu items. In such cases, calorie information must be clearly and conspicuously displayed next to the name or price of the item on menus and menu boards. Seasonal items, daily specials, and condiments for general use are exempt from the final labeling requirements.

In response to comments, the FDA narrowed the scope of foods covered by the rules to more clearly focus on restaurant-type food, extended flexibility for multi-serving dishes (such as pizza to be labeled by the slice rather than the whole pie), and provided establishments additional time to comply (one year). To help consumers put things in perspective, menus and menu boards must include the following statement: "2000 calories per day is used for general nutrition advice, but calorie needs vary."

In addition, the final rules now include certain alcoholic beverages served in the specified food establishments and listed on the menu, although there's some flexibility in how establishments meet this provision. The majority of comments supported including alcohol because of the impact on the public health. Also included are food facilities in entertainment venue chains such as movie theaters and amusement parks, as well as vending machine networks. Calorie labeling was required by the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration Finalizes Its Menu Labeling Requirements

Key Advertiser Links

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

POS & Auto ID Distribution
Wasp Barcode Technologies

POS & Peripherals
Harbortouch
Hewlett-Packard
Pioneer POS
POS BANK USA
Posiflex
POS-X
PowaPOS
TEAMSable

POS Systems - Hospitality
PAR

Barcode & Transaction Printers
Brother Mobile
Citizen Systems America
CognitiveTPG
Intermec by Honeywell
Printronix
SATO America
Zebra Technologies

Cash Drawers
MMF POS

Data Collection
CipherLab
Code Corporation
Datalogic
Honeywell Scanning
Intermec by Honeywell
Trimble MCS

Integrated Payment Solutions
Datacap Systems
Discover
Merchant Warehouse
Mercury Payment Systems

Keyboards & Mobile POS
Cherry, ZF Electronics Corp

Receipt Printers
Bixolon America
Citizen Systems America
CognitiveTPG
Epson America
Star Micronics

Thermal Printers
Seiko Instruments USA

Touchscreens & Monitors
Elo TouchSystems

INSTALLATIONS

Fujitsu Feels Fashionable

Fujitsu America (Sunnyvale, CA) has implemented its TeamPoS 7000 All-in-One POS at Danier Leather's flagship store at the Toronto Eaton Centre. An element of the store's new design with metallic counters, sleeker displays, and accent lighting, Fujitsu's TeamPoS 7000 AIO runs the Fujitsu Retail Suite. It will now be offered to Danier Leather's ninety stores across Canada, which offer leather garments, handbags, and accessories.

"As a fashion company, store aesthetics are extremely important to our customers, from the fashions we offer, to our retail displays and even our checkout terminals and technology," postulated Rodney McBrien, CIO at Danier Leather. "We needed a solution provider that understood our customer experience goals as a fashion-conscious business and one that could further enhance our long-term strategy to adopt new technology as our needs evolve. Fujitsu offered the perfect fit with a premier solution that not only met our technology and design requirements today, but as importantly, positions us well for a successful future."

Fujitsu's TeamPoS 7000 All-in-One

RMS Takes Good Care of Pharmacies

Retail Management Solutions (Seattle, WA) will deploy its POS for the Care Pharmacy Cooperative and its 85 store locations. RMS (which shouldn't be confused with Microsoft RMS) supplies dedicated pharmacy solutions such as Ultra-Lite, Star-Lite, and Star-Plus. For Care Pharmacy, it will add its mobile payment platform--dubbed Evolution POS--as well as delivery services and electronic signature capture for HIPAA.

"We're very pleased to work with this group," shared Mike Gross, VP of Sales and Marketing at RMS. "What they are doing in the retail pharmacy market is very innovative, and will greatly change how independent pharmacies promote a singular brand among all their members. Using our solutions will help drive this goal and bring the stores closer together, despite their member stores being located across the country."

"We were happy to choose RMS because as most other POS providers are spread across the retail spectrum, RMS has demonstrated a single focus and dedication to pharmacy," reported Mark Ey, Director of Operations with RMS. "We believe their broad range of solutions will support the many specialized services that Care Pharmacies offer." As lineage, Brad Jones, Owner and CEO of RMS, worked in his father's pharmacy while growing up; following two years as POS Manager for NDC Health, he started RMS in 1998.

Dedicated Pharmacy POS by Retail Management Solutions

Channel Factoid

Lots of publicity, for sure, but are consumers actually using mobile wallets? Among customers surveyed, 24% of smartphone owners have used one or more mobile payment apps to make purchases, according to PunchTab. Out of these users, the two most popular mobile payment apps are the Starbucks App (29%) and Google Wallet (25%), with Visa Checkout (10%), PayPal Wallet (9%), Square Wallet (6%), Apple Pay (4%), Softcard (2%), and others (15%) trailing the leaders. As motivation for Starbucks fans: speed of checkout, 66%; automatic points for loyalty program, 65%; special coupons or offers, 59%; and eliminating the need to carry cash or credit cards, 38%. Some of the top reasons consumers don't use mobile payment apps include the fact they are comfortable with traditional payment methods, they expect difficulty in using such apps, and they are concerned about data security. "It is clear that consumers are ready to accept mobile payments into their daily lives, but will only be won over by special offers, loyalty programs, and most importantly, a unified app that will work at multiple stores," summarized Robyn Hannah, VP of PR and Communications at PunchTab. "Consumer expectations are high, and the entire mobile payment process has to be convenient."

Starbucks Mobile Wallet

HELLO GOODBYE

A Snapshot of ETA

The Electronic Transactions Association (Washington, DC) has named its 2015 Board of Directors, Officers, and Presidential Advisory Council. Six new members were confirmed for two-year terms on the Board of Directors. First term: Eric Dunn, SVP, Payments and Commerce Solutions, Intuit; Kevin Jones, CEO/President, Anovia Payments; and Chris Lee, President, North American Strategic Partnerships and Emerging Markets, Moneris Solutions. Second term: John Barrett, President, North America, NXGEN Payment Services; Joan Herbig, CEO, ControlScan; and Jennifer Miles, President of Americas, VeriFone. Also, Tim Tynan, CEO of Bank of America Merchant Services was appointed to the Board of Directors.

As its Officers, the ETA Board of Directors has: President, Debra Rossi, EVP, Wells Fargo & Company; President Elect, Greg Cohen, President, iPayment; Treasurer, Jeff Rosenblatt, President, EVO Payments International; Secretary, Jeff Sloan, CEO, Global Payments, Inc.; and Past President, Kim Fitzsimmons, U.S. Market President, Chase Merchant Services. For its Presidential Advisory Council, ETA has: Guy Harris, President, North America, Elavon; Colson Hillier, VP, Precision Marketing, Verizon Wireless; Joe Kaplan, CEO, Total Merchant Services; Steve Klebe, Business Development, Google, Inc.; and O.B. Rawls, SVP and GM, National Merchants and ISOs, First Data Corporation. Some familiar names to readers of RRN.Com.

"Our new board members and officers reflect ETA's broadened membership which includes the world's largest payments and technology companies," commented Jason Oxman, CEO of ETA. "The impressive accomplishments and leadership expertise of our board members will serve our membership well as we work to advance the payments technology industry. I know the talent, energy, and experience they bring to the table will strengthen our organization."

Debra Rossi, EVP, Wells Fargo & Company, and President of ETA's Board of Directors

Sultan of Service

Hospitality ISV Agilysys (Alpharetta, GA) has promoted Rehan Jaddi to SVP of Customer Support and Services Solutions. Since 2012, Jaddi has served as VP of Product Development Engineering for Agilysys. Previously, he was Principal Group Program Manager at Microsoft and Consulting Manager at Accenture. He will report to Jim Dennedy, CEO/President of Agilysys.

Of Jaddi, Dennedy stated, "His strong focus on how technology can improve customers' business performance as well as the guest experience will drive significant growth for our company and our people. In his previous position, Rehan made a major impact on our company by leading the development of the rGuest Stay property management system. He will bring that same drive and focus to our customer-facing business, positioning Agilysys to more effectively meet the challenges of a rapidly changing industry."

Rehan Jaddi, SVP, Customer Support and Service Solutions, Agilysys

And She Always Has Paris, Too

Printronix (Irvine, CA) has elevated Rosemarie Zito to the role of VP of Sales and Marketing for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). Based in Paris, she will report to Mark Edwards, SVP of Global Sales and Marketing at Printronix. A fifteen-year veteran of the company, Zito has worked as EMEA Supplies Sales Manager, then Southern Europe Sales Manager, and more recently, EMEA After Market Sales Director.

"We are fortunate to have such as talented leader and EMEA sales and marketing expert to drive our efforts," indicated Edwards. "She has been a key contributor to our success with her strong business acumen and understands how to create value for our business partners and customers."

Rosemarie Zito, VP, Sales and Marketing, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, Printronix