Our Product Pick

Denso ADC (Long Beach, CA) has stocked its new pocket-sized barcode scanner, the SE1-QB. It measures 3.9 in. (L) x 1.6 in. (W) x 1.1 in. (D) and weighs 2.1 oz. Designed as the front-end for smartphones or tablets, the SE1-QB reads one- and two-dimensional barcodes with wireless link via Bluetooth. This includes LCD screens of mobile devices or symbologies printed on paper. Two AA batteries provide up to 50 hours of operating time, and its one-touch button opens the virtual keyboard in iOS. "The trend towards mobility keeps accelerating," noted Fran Labun, VP, Sales Group, Denso Products and Services Americas. "Our new SE1-QB scanner gives users a fast, reliable way of scanning codes and sending the data to a mobile device."

SE1-QB 2D Bluetooth Scanner

COMPANY BUSINESS

Datamax-O'Neil by Honeywell

A big present for Honeywell, right before the holidays, with the acquisition of Datamax-O'Neil. Honeywell will pay $185 million for the global manufacturer of fixed and mobile printers. Upon completion of this deal, which is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory review, Datamax-O'Neil will become part of Honeywell Scanning & Mobility (Fort Mill, SC).

"The addition of Datamax-O'Neil to our portfolio underscores our continued commitment to strengthen the depth of our technology and product offerings in the estimated $1.5 billion global barcode printing segment," remarked John Waldron, President of Honeywell Scanning & Mobility. "Thermal printing and media are important components of our strategy to offer customers one of the industry's broadest portfolio of ruggedized mobile computers, scanners, voice-enabled workflow solutions, printing, software, and service capabilities. We're excited to bring together two long-standing industry leaders, which will enable us to provide a broader array of new printing solutions to our healthcare, retail, field-service, and warehousing customers."

Previously owned by the Dover Corporation, and headquartered in Orlando, Datamax-O'Neil reported sales of approximately $135 million in 2014 with 300 employees. Honeywell's move follows its earlier acquisition of Intermec in 2013, which also brought fixed and mobile printers, so some product consolidation should be expected. Honeywell Scanning & Mobility, of course, was formed by the purchase of Hand Held Products, Metrologic Instruments, and LXE.

Datamax-O'Neil Brings A Popular Family of Fixed and Mobile Printers to Honeywell Scanning & Mobility

Earning Their Stripes at Zebra

On the heels of its own recent acquisition of Motorola Solutions, Zebra Technologies Corporation (Lincolnshire, IL) has announced the promotion of two key executives--Mike Terzich to Chief Administrative Officer, a newly created position, and Juliann Larimer to Chief Marketing Officer. Terzich most recently served as Chief Marketing Officer, preceded by SVP of Global Sales and Marketing from 2011 to September 2014. Larimer rejoined Zebra in October 2014, following three years at Motorola Solutions, most recently as VP of Americas Marketing. Both have enjoyed long, successful careers in our space.

"Mike Terzich's expanded portfolio of responsibilities, which includes business transformation, organizational development, and human resources, will help Zebra build on the positive momentum already generated in the integration of the enterprise business that we acquired from Motorola Solutions," stated Anders Gustafsson, Zebra's CEO. "With Zebra for more than twenty years, Mike has demonstrated an ability to lead the organization through change. His appointment will enable him to build on his former work as head of our Integration Management Office."

Gustafsson added, "Juliann brings a unique blend of talent and experience to the CMO role, which includes perspective gained from serving in leadership positions in both Zebra and Motorola Solutions for more than a decade. She has a deep understanding of Zebra's channel partners and customers, and an unwavering commitment to help them succeed. We look to 2015 with optimism in our ability to capture increasing opportunities to deliver more high-value solutions to our customers through the industry's strongest, most comprehensive go-to-market channels."

Mike Terzich, CAO, and Juliann Larimer, CMO, Zebra Technologies

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

Winmate Rides Herd on Haswell

Winmate (Atlanta, GA) has debuted its latest tablet, the M101H, designed for high-performance with Intel's Haswell Dual Core i5-4200U CPU at 2.6 GHz and Windows Embedded 8.1. With 10-inch projected capacitive touchscreen, and Intel HD Graphics, M101H features one- and two-dimensional barcode reading and two cameras (two-megapixel front for conferencing and five-megapixel rear for additional data capture). It weighs 2.6 lbs.

A full suite of communications has been added, with 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, and options for 3G or 4G LTE. Described as brilliant and outdoor-viewable, its display features 700-nits IPS (in plane switching) and 1920x1200 pixel resolution. A hot-swappable battery allows uninterrupted operation, with ruggedness ratings of IP-65 for dust, dirt, and water jets, MIL-STD-810G for shock and vibration, and 4 ft./1.2 m drops to concrete.

"With the latest Haswell processor, the M101H gives customers operating in the field and other challenging environments the power and performance they need to be highly efficient and effective," indicated Khalid Kidari, VP of Winmate. "We created the M101H as a high-performance solution for industries ranging from telemetry, transportation and logistics, supply chain, direct store delivery, and warehouse. Customer response has already validated the need for a mobile, enterprise-ready tablet of this caliber."

New M101H Tablet

B-FV4 Flies at Toshiba

Toshiba TEC (Irvine, CA) has rolled out its new label printer, the B-FV4 Series. Designed with small dimensions for desktop environments such as front counter, reception, or ticket window, the B-FV4 has four-inch print width, 203- or 300-dpi resolution, and maximum print speed of 6 inch/152 mm per second. Two versions are offered, the B-FV4D with direct thermal printing and the B-FV4T with both direct thermal and thermal transfer technology.

A number of benefits were cited by Toshiba TEC. In terms of easy maintenance, the B-FV4 features drop-in paper loading, snap-in printhead and platen assembly, and maximum ribbon length of 300 m. For integration, it carries multiple printer control languages, standard interface for LAN, and choice of communications such as RS-232C, USB, Bluetooth, or 802.11b/g WLAN. Engineered to be more powerful than the Toshiba B-EV4 Series, first label print is 13% faster and batch printing is 8% faster.

Both B-FV4D and B-FV4T printers have been developed with low energy consumption, and have Energy Star qualification. In addition, a version of the new B-FV4D model functions with linerless label material which helps to reduce waste. Finally, these printers are supported by a wide range of approved ribbons, labels, and cleaning products, which has become increasingly central to label printer marketing (see above story on Honeywell/Datamax-O'Neil as an example).

Toshiba's B-FV4 Thermal Label Printer

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ALLIANCES

Wield My Digital Shield, Says VAR

A leading VAR, Barcodes, Inc. (Chicago, IL), has enlisted My Digital Shield (Wilmington, DE) to furnish data protection. Under this agreement, Barcodes, Inc. will promote and sell this solution to its current and prospective customers in POS and Auto ID. In operation, My Digital Shield employs one piece of hardware, called MDS Cloud Link, which plugs into an Internet connection; its unified threat management (UTM) technology is deployed by large enterprises and government agencies.

"Because security threats are continuing to grow and cyber criminals are finding new ways to access confidential data, My Digital Shield is the perfect solution for ensuring complete security protection for our customers," commented Todd Muscato, Head of Product Technologies for Barcodes, Inc. "With MDS' affordable, subscription-based solution, our customers can focus on growing their businesses knowing that sensitive customer and credit card data are safe from hackers and handled in accordance with industry regulations." According to Andrew Bagrin, CEO and Founder of My Digital Shield, this new partnership should help to raise awareness of cyber security among small businesses.

Busy days for Barcodes, Inc. It also announced the purchase of OCR Canada, one of the largest resellers in that country. Based in Markham, Ontario, OCR Canada has an extensive roster of Auto ID vendors and more than 8,000 customers. The companies will combine their product line cards, software capabilities, and professional services "to drive an enhanced customer value proposition and accelerated growth in North America."

Data Protection From Barcodes, Inc.

Aloha, Paytronix!

It's official: Paytronix Systems (Newton, MA) has tied its rewards platform to NCR Aloha POS. Such integration takes place via NCR Cloud Connect. Introduced in January, NCR Cloud Connect allows retailers and restaurants to tap into offerings from third-party application providers, the so-called "partner ecosystem." On its part, Paytronix extends mobile, social, and digital marketing for restaurants to help grow revenue.

"Paytronix is delighted to extend its relationship with NCR. For years we have worked with a select group of restaurant chains that use NCR Aloha and we look forward to offering our services across the Aloha user base," reflected Andrew Robbins, President of Paytronix Systems. "The Cloud Connect platform enables Aloha users to easily find and implement recommended solutions that integrate with their existing POS."

While this is happening, Paytronix will continue to support dozens of restaurant chains, representing approximately 1,000 individual restaurant locations. Once available, the new Cloud Connect integration will enable Paytronix to deploy its solution across NCR's install base of 100,000 restaurant locations. "Adding Paytronix to our network further validates the value of the Cloud Connect platform to our customers, ecosystem partners, and NCR," suggested Paul Langenbahn, President of NCR Hospitality (Duluth, GA).

The World According to Paytronix

Code Corner

Supply chain software developer Datex (Clearwater, FL) has released its new multi-step loading process, which utilizes an advanced Microsoft workflow engine within the warehouse management system (WMS). Datex FootPrint WMS eliminates the need to write code or employ proprietary scripting languages. It delivers built-in recommendations for the location and staging of products. Pallets may be directed to multiple staging locations, while workers complete value-added services for which the third-party logistics provider can charge accompanying fees. From their staging location, products can be moved directly to the dock door for shipment. By informing workers of what needs to be done with the products before they are shipped, the Datex FootPrint WMS reduces the time from pick-to-ship, streamlining the entire process and improving operational efficiency, according to Datex.

NOTES FROM THE FIELD

ShopKeep Goes Shopping

A new credit card reader for ShopKeep (New York City), as it positions itself for Apple Pay, and eventually, EMV Chip & PIN. Provided by Ingenico Mobile Solutions, this iCAP device connects to the ShopKeep iPad POS via Bluetooth. It retails for $249, and for a limited time, new customers will receive the reader at no charge upon signing up for ShopKeep POS.

"We are seeing strong demand for Apple Pay acceptance among small businesses, and ShopKeep is a popular POS option in that category," acknowledged Greg Burch, VP of Mobility, Business Development and ISV Relationships at the Ingenico Group (Alpharetta, GA). "We're very pleased that ShopKeep selected Ingenico Mobile Solutions as the provider for its new mobile payment solution to accept Apple Pay and any other type of electronic payment." At present, ShopKeep serves approximately 10,000 small business owners.

The free credit card reader comes in conjunction with ShopKeep's new e-commerce website, which helps customers specify and buy peripherals or stock supplies. According to Shelley Hoy, Director of E-Commerce, ShopKeep will bundle products and offer discounts. Additionally, subscription customers have complimentary access to ShopKeep's 24/7 customer care team. In terms of our channel, ShopKeep is distributed by BlueStar as part of its "In-a-Box" Series.

ShopKeep Eyes Apple Pay and Chip & PIN

An Extended Epicor

POS leader Epicor Software Corporation (Austin, TX) will take ownership of ShopVisible, LLC (Atlanta, GA), one of the providers of cloud-delivered retail order management and digital commerce. Expected to close before the end of the year, this move will accelerate Epicor's efforts in omnichannel solutions for midsize and large retail chains, where it already has prominent presence in retail transactions, enterprise, and analytics. ShopVisible's Sean Cook, CEO, and Josh Loyd, Co-Founder and CTO, will join Epicor Retail.

"We are excited about this acquisition, as ShopVisible has spent several years developing and proving out its world-class order management and digital commerce solutions with some highly progressive companies," observed Noel Goggin, EVP and GM for Epicor Retail. "We believe ShopVisible's proven and scalable solutions will be the perfect complement to the Epicor solutions portfolio. We have our vision to enable the transformation of our customer's operations to meet the new retail reality--we call this 'Inspired Retailing.'"

Bluemercury, luxury beauty company, currently utilizes both Epicor and ShopVisible. "This move to a complete extended omnichannel cloud offering--combining full support for traditional POS and mobile POS devices in physical stores, fully functioning website and consumer mobile devices, with real-time order management and integration to enterprise applications such as merchandising, sales audit, and CRM--all from one vendor is extremely exciting," testified Barry Beck, Founder of Bluemercury. "There has been a lot of market discussion around the need for a true integrated omnichannel end-to-end solution that covers both enterprise and customer engagement processes, and this combination seems to deliver."

Noel Goggin, EVP & GM, Epicor Retail

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

A New Store's Springboard

Springboard Retail has nabbed NIC+ZOE for its iPad and cloud-based POS. Expanding from wholesale and e-commerce to brick and mortar, the national fashion brand has opened its first store in the Prudential Center in Boston, where both companies reside. In making its decision, NIC+ZOE pointed to three specific benefits: mobile dashboards, company-wide inventory visibility with distributed order management, and custom reporting capabilities. In particular, Springboard allows NIC+ZOE to fill orders placed on its website from its store.

"We chose Springboard for its ability to help us manage inventory and meet customer requests, and to quickly identify our best-selling merchandise to design the store for maximum revenue potential," reported Susie Mulder, CEO of NIC+ZOE. "Springboard was able to do all of this quickly to ensure we were customer-ready for our launch. It is so easy to use, and its positive impact was immediate."

"We're thrilled to partner with such a prominent fashion brand," relayed Gordon Russell, CEO of Springboard Retail. "We look forward to working with them as they continue to grow their national retail presence across the U.S." In addition to the tablet, Springboard draws in familiar hardware partners such as APG Cash Drawer, Star Micronics America, Socket Mobile, and Zebra Technologies. Mercury provides the payment processing.

Leading Fashion Brand Selects Springboard Retail For Its First Store

Impinj: Are You (RFID) Experienced?

Impinj has opened its Retail Experience Center, or REC, to showcase the expanse of RFID. Based in Seattle, REC occupies approximately 10,000 square feet of former retail space. Visitors can see how so-called "Item Intelligence" enhances functions such as inventory monitoring, loss prevention, customer tracking, omnichannel fulfillment, and more effective product displays.

"The REC is different than other RFID demo centers. It's more conceptual and less literal about store operations, which really activates the imaginations of visitors," declared Larry Arnstein, VP of Business Development at Impinj. "By leaning forward on digitally enhanced shopping experiences and data analytics, the REC engages executives who are planning how Item Intelligence fits into their long-term plans."

In terms of sponsors, the REC has drawn together some companies relatively new to readers of RRN.Com. Store stock includes snowboards, apparel, and accessories from retailer Mervin, all tagged with RFID from Smartrac. Impinj's xArray gateway provides monitoring of items. An interactive snowboard display from InMotion engages visitors with product information and "smart" fitting rooms provide visitors with information about items they have chosen. Jewelry tags have been fashioned by Data2, with workflow applicationsfrom CreativeSystems. More information may be found on the websites of these firms. Intel's tablet computers are used within the REC, by the way.

Impinj Opens Retail RFID Experience Center in Seattle

Channel Factoid

Are employees going rogue with corporate data because of the cloud? According to one study, SailPoint's 7th Annual Market Pulse, perhaps companies should worry. In the U.S., 22% of employees say they have uploaded proprietary corporate data to a cloud application, such as Dropbox or Google Docs, with the specific intent of sharing it outside of the company. One-quarter (24%) have purchased and/or deployed some cloud application, such as Salesforce.com, Concur, Workday, Dropbox, or DocuSign, without the help of IT. The survey also found an alarming 69% of users capable of accessing cloud storage applications after leaving their job. Despite the fact that the majority of employees (61%) were aware that their employer strictly forbids taking intellectual property, one in four (27%) admitted they would do so anyway. "In order to establish control over this 'bring your own app' phenomenon, it's critical to provide specific incentives for end-users to follow corporate policy," warned Kevin Cunningham, Founder and President of SailPoint.

HELLO GOODBYE

Star of the EMEA

BlueStar (Hebron, KY) has elevated Keith Robinson to the position of Managing Director of BlueStar EMEA. BlueStar's EMEA central distribution facilities and general headquarters are located in Veldhoven, Netherlands, with regional sales offices in Sweden, Germany, Denmark, Portugal, France, Belgium, Spain, and the U.K. Previously, Robinson served as EVP of Sales for BlueStar EMEA, as well as VP of Sales in Northern Europe. His resume includes time as Business Group Director, EMEA, for Avnet; Sales Director, Northern Europe, for ScanSource; and Channel Manager, EMEA, for the former Symbol Technologies.

"Keith has proven to be a true professional, guiding BlueStar's transition from a collection of seven regional facilities into an integrated, Pan-European distributor. His background with both electronics manufacturing and specialty distribution has provided BlueStar the strength required for our transition in Europe," remarked Steve Cuntz, CEO/President of BlueStar.

Keith Robinson, Managing Director, EMEA, BlueStar

It's Hip to Be Square

Square (San Francisco, CA), which recently released its free app for POS, Square Register, has enlisted Kevin Burke as its Head of Customer Acquisition. Burke comes from Visa, where he led marketing for consumer and commercial products as Chief Marketing Officer. Prior to his six years at Visa, he was President of JWT San Francisco and Co-Founder of Tonic 360, two advertising agencies serving major brand names such as Amazon, American Express, AT&T, and Microsoft.

Kevin Burke, Head of Customer Acquisition, Square