This Week’s Product Pick

Cambridge Consultants (Boston) has unveiled DropTag, its new sensor system for monitoring parcel delivery. DropTag consists of simple electronics--memory chip, Bluetooth transmitter, battery, and accelerometer (with temperature gauge to come). An accompanying app allows customers to check the status of contents on their smartphone before they open the package. In addition to its obvious advantage in delivery approval, DropTag could be used for conventional asset tracking in conjunction with stationary readers in warehouses or with GPS in delivery vehicles, according to Cambridge. "By minimizing the complexity of the electronics in DropTag--and, instead, making better use of smart devices--we've calculated that DropTag could analyze and log crucial events for many weeks using just a single coin-cell battery, and could even perhaps be reused," mused Tom Lawrie-Fussey, Business Development Manager for Cambridge Consultants. "And, by keeping it simple, we're confident that the bill of material cost would be less than two dollars, making it a very affordable addition that would add significant value to the consumer and distributor alike."

Cambridge DropTag

COMPANY BUSINESS

Another Level for ShopKeep POS

Two of retail IT's young guns, ShopKeep POS (New York) and LevelUp (Boston), have joined hands to bring customer loyalty capability to iPad-based POS. With this new integration, merchants can now ring up sales and accept payments via LevelUp, which charges 0% processing fees while offering loyalty programs priced at various levels. Significantly, this is the first foray into loyalty for ShopKeep POS, one of the few iPad-based developers with any interest in the channel. As proof, ShopKeep POS successfully distributes through BlueStar (Hebron, KY).

"LevelUp is built into our software now," Jason Richelson, Founder and CEO of ShopKeep, told RRN.Com. "If the merchant wants to use it, they'll call or e-mail and we'll turn the feature on. They just enter their credentials from LevelUp into their back office, and when they open the next shift on the register, it's just going to work. There's no on-site installation, no need to load each terminal. They need to connect the scanner, but that's pretty simple."

Jason Richelson, CEO, ShopKeep POS

CAP Saddles Up With Sage

CAP Software (Fort Worth, TX) has looked to Sage North America (McLean, VA) in offering its customers an integrated, secure, payment processing environment. As part of the Sage ISV Partner Program, CAP has linked its POS package with Sage Exchange, the payment arm of the business management software enterprise. One of the pioneers in our channel, founded in 1978 by Chuck Atkinson, CAP Software currently serves 3,000 small and mid-sized specialty retailers.

"CAP Software is partnering with Sage to simplify the lives of our resellers and customers by providing an integrated payment processing solution that shifts the burden of PCI compliance from our POS software to the Sage Exchange platform," proclaimed Will Atkinson, President of CAP Software. "We also hope to provide additional value to our customers by leveraging the leadership of Sage in the accounting and enterprise resource planning (ERP) space." From its roots elsewhere, Sage continues to push into POS, recently teaming with PayPal.

Sage ISV partners receive its software development kit (SDK), including documentation and complete testing environment. Additional support comes from the professional services team for Sage Payments. After development is complete, Sage reviews and certifies the integration. All products from Sage Payment ISVs are listed in the Sage Partner Solution Source, an online search engine with exposure to customers. Jennifer Warawa serves as VP of Partner Programs and Channel Sales for Sage.

Best Selling CAP POS Software

Worth Your While

Field Service USA 2013
Worldwide Business Research
April 22-25
Indian Wells, CA

ETA Annual Meeting & Expo
Electronic Transactions Association
April 30 - May 1
New Orleans

THE Tech EVENT
(Formerly NACStech, National Association of Convenience Stores)
May 6-10
Dallas

NRA Show
National Restaurant Association
May 18-21
Chicago

HITEC 2013
Hospitality Financial & Technology Professionals
June 24-27
Minneapolis

RetailNow 2013
Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA)
August 4-7
Las Vegas

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

ALL IN THE FAMILY

Bematech on Display

Bematech (Bethpage, NY) has debuted two new displays, its LV4000 customer-facing LCD and its LE1100 touch monitor. Used in conjunction with supported POS software, LV4000 runs promotional information and social media messaging for customer engagement on its oversized, 8.4-inch screen. Graphics are enriched by 600:1 contrast ratio, 800x600 resolution, and 230 cd/m2 brightness, according to the vendor. Physical characteristics include dimensions of 15.75 in. (H) x 7.9 in. (W) x 5.9 in. (D), with pole taking half the height, as well as USB powered port and Displaylink USB driver--these two eliminating the need for external power adapter and second video port on the PC.

Bematech's new LE1100 delivers 15-inch five-wire resistive touch panel, 500:1 contrast ratio, and XGA 1024x768 resolution for clear visibility. Weighing less than 10 lbs., LE1100 incorporates power supply as well as speakers for computer-based training. Most notably for the LE1100, an adjustable base allows individual setting of height and tilt.

"The adjustable base can instantly increase the comfort level of any size operator," relayed Bridget Farrington, Marketing Coordinator for Bematech. "By improving the comfort level for workers, operators will fatigue less rapidly and provide enhanced customer service for a longer period of time. The touch monitor will also function well with various counter space heights."

Bematech's LV4000 LCD Customer Display

A Tight Fix for DataMan

Cognex Corporation (Natick, MA) has unwrapped its DataMan 50L scanner for machine vision and production systems. Measuring less than two inches long and one inch in width and height, with an IP-65 housing for water and dust, DataMan 50L carries three-position lens and integrated aimer for easy set-up at different working distances. Its small form factor and exceptional reading performance enables the reader to integrate into virtually any new or existing installation for industry, according to the manufacturer.

"This product is ideal for customers who want to improve read rates, especially if they have barcodes printed on reflective or pliable surfaces or damaged barcodes," noted Carl Gerst, Business Unit Manager for ID Products at Cognex. "Our technology has successfully replaced laser scanners in complex barcode reading applications, like multi-sided scanning, for years. The DataMan 50L is premium technology designed for 1-D-oriented barcode reading, and it delivers read rates that can surpass 99%."

DataMan 50L utilizes "Hotbars," the company's proprietary image analysis technology to boost read rates. Further, "no reads" may be examined more closely, either live on monitor or through image archiving. Finally, solid-state design of the subsystem removes moving parts that can become worn out and require replacement. Founded in 1981, Cognex has regional offices and distributors throughout North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia.

DataMan 50L Scanner From Cognex

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Did you miss one of our issues and suddenly realize your competitors know more than you do?

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Week of February 4

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Week of January 21

Channel Correction

Re: "EMV Made Easy," in Last Week's RRN.Com

Hi Michael,
Just noticed something that may cause some anxiety or confusion, or at least may be misunderstood. The April 2013 date is when processors/acquirers must be able to handle EMV chip card transactions. The key date for most POS channel people is that merchants need to be using EMV-capable systems by October 2015 (2017 for fuel dispenser payments) or they will be liable for fraudulent transactions that would have been caught if they had been using an EMV-capable system. Also, this ignores the fact that there is no date or even requirement for card issuers to issue the more expensive EMV chip cards, and who would incur the cost to upgrade their system to handle chip cards if few are issued and in use? There is still a lot of uncertainty about EMV adoption, which probably is in the future, but isn't what one would surmise from this article.
Regards,
Gayle Peters
VP of Sales & Marketing
Datacap Systems
Chalfont, Pennsylvania

RRN.Com Response:
Thanks for catching this!

INTEGRATION

Tablets Go Moo

At first glance, this week's World Ag Expo in California's Central Valley would seem an unlikely place to resell tablets. But the same processing power, wireless capability, and handy form factor have attracted ISVs outside POS. At World Ag Expo, for example, Valley Agricultural Software (Tulare, CA) will demonstrate its enhanced dairy farm solution running on the xTablet T7200 from MobileDemand (Hiawatha, IA). VAS supplies two of the wildly popular programs in this area, FeedWatch and Dairy Comp, which manage two-thirds of the cows in the U.S.

MotionDemand's xTablet T7200 brings industrial ruggedness to the platform, with magnesium alloy casing, IP-65 rating for water and dust, and MIL-STD-810G standard for drop and shock. The tablet measures approximately 9 in. (W) x 6 in. (H) x 1.5 in. (D), weighs 2.5 lbs., and features seven-inch display. Technical highlights include Windows 7, Intel Atom CPU at 1.6 or 1.8 GHz, and 3G or 4G LTE radio. A full complement of ports has allowed VAS to support necessary peripherals such as weigh scales for FeedWatch.

"MobileDemand xTablets are built to outlast demanding work environments such as that of the agriculture industry," declared Bob Zink, VP of Sales and Marketing at MobileDemand. "VAS has proven time and time again that they can significantly improve dairy farm operations with their software so there is no doubt that this partnership will be highly valued amongst dairy farmers." MobileDemand also offers its xTablet T1200, touted as the first rugged tablet PC to run Windows 8.

MobileDemand xTablet T7200 Supports Dairy Farms

Catching Another VIBE

Payment processor FreedomPay (Radnor, PA) celebrated the recent Missouri Restaurant Association Inaugural Ball by launching VIBE, its new mobile commerce platform, first previewed at last year's NRA Show. According to its developer, this cloud-based app delivers the three necessary advantages to end-users: direct access to the consumer's mobile phone; seamless integration with existing merchant hardware systems; and centralization of gateway processing and security solutions, including PCI-DSS. Both the Apple Store and Android Marketplace now offer VIBE for download.

"St. Louis is the perfect city to launch VIBE," suggested Tom Durovsik, CEO of FreedomPay. "It is a tight community with strong loyalty and a growing techno-savvy population. We are bringing VIBE to St. Louis with Companion Bakery, Chandler Hill Winery, and many more merchants in quick-service restaurants, table-service venues, and retail."

With VIBE, merchants may offer targeted incentives with alerts based on a wide range of factors such as popular purchases, customer location, weather, and time of day. Promotions may be launched instantly with success tracked in real-time to allow tweaking of the message. When business grows slow, for example, restaurants with open tables at five o'clock can offer incentives to prospective dinners within five miles, ending the promotion once tables have been filled. With particular strength in Fortune 1000, healthcare, and government, FreedomPay is an authorized partner of Micros, NCR, and Sharp.

FreedomPay Launches Its Mobile Commerce Platform in St. Louis

Code Corner

Blue Ridge (Marietta, GA) has released Clarity Mobile Connect, which relies solely on store counts for inventory replenishment purposes, without ties to POS. Store associates or brand field merchandisers can use the app to simply scan and count inventory to create accurate orders. This app accesses the advanced technology of Clarity Replenish in the Cloud to forecast demand, create the appropriate requisition, and enable approval. In so doing, the software eliminates problems caused by manual processes, inconsistent execution, and varying store systems. Clarity Mobile Connect was designed to consider all such inhibiting factors and assure common logic throughout the chain without being overly complex and time-consuming, according to the developer. "Like many people in retail management, I was a store manager myself before moving to the corporate office, and I've also consulted with hundreds of retailers, so I've seen what they're facing," recounted Greg White, CEO of Blue Ridge. "Just imagine the power this gives a convenience store chain like Circle K, a co-op like Ace Hardware, or a franchise like GNC, who have thousands of independently owned stores and nearly as many approaches to store ordering."

Channel Chatter

No leftovers for the POS channel from Breadcrumb POS, Groupon's iPad-based offering in San Francisco. First the company announced that sales will be handled exclusively by Apple VAR, Denali Advanced Integration. Now we've learned that service and support will go through Safeware, Inc., the third-party warranty provider. Called "AirLift," this extended warranty costs about $100 per terminal, or "hundreds of dollars less than similar plans and services from other POS providers," Breadcrumb said in its announcement.

NOTES FROM THE FIELD

You're Responsible for Your Cloud PCI

With the recent release of the PCI-DSS Cloud Computing Guidelines, one thing has become abundantly clear. As explained succinctly by security leader CipherCloud (San Jose, CA), "This new guidance is an eye-opener as it clarifies that cloud customers cannot shift responsibility to their cloud providers. Cloud customers are still responsible for ensuring that cardholder data is secure." This leaves three choices, CipherCloud surmised: encrypting cardholder data before sending to the cloud, encrypting cardholder data in the cloud itself, or not using the cloud for cardholder data altogether. You make the call, and do the lifting.

PCI Security Standards Council's 52-page publication was generated by the Cloud Special Interest Group, or Cloud SIG. More than 100 global organizations representing banks, merchants, security assessors, and technology vendors collaborated on this guidance, designed to help companies identify and address the challenges for different cloud architectures and models when it comes to payments. A number of appendices and matrices address specific PCI-DSS requirements, implementation scenarios, and frequently asked questions.

"At PCI SSC, we always talk about payment security as a shared responsibility. And cloud is by nature shared, which means it's increasingly important for all parties involved to understand their responsibility when it comes to protecting this data," stated Bob Russo, GM of the PCI Security Standards Council. "It's great to see this guidance come to fruition, and we're excited to get it into the hands of merchants and other organizations looking to take advantage of cloud technology in a secure manner." Interested parties may download the document from the PCI SSC website.

PCI SSC Sets Cloud Computing Guidelines

A Meritage of Inventory, Delivery, and POS

A pair of California VARs will combine capabilities to corner the growing "direct-to-consumer" wine industry. Under this merger, Napa Valley POS will now function as part of eWinery Solutions, which offers business software to wineries. This combined entity will maintain all 38 employees, two offices in Napa and Nevada City, respectively, as well as both brand names, reported the Napa Valley Register. More than 70% of the $600 million direct-to-consumer wine business in the U.S. in 2012 was conducted with customers of eWinery Solutions or Napa Valley POS, according to the two parties.

As part of the transaction, Martin Olsen, former President of Napa Valley POS, will become the Chief Technical Officer and "Customer Satisfaction Officer" of eWinery. Ron Scharman will remain President and COO of eWinery, with responsibility for finance, human resources, contracts, and partner channels. Richard Kline will continue as CEO of eWinery, providing strategic direction, product development, and sales management.

"This is a major step forward for both companies," commented Scharman. "Martin and his team have developed a reputation for rock-solid performance and superior customer service and satisfaction, and they will now bring both their staff and expertise to eWinery Solutions. We will use the best products and services of both companies, and over the coming months, we will be integrating many of their systems and procedures."

A Pair of VARs Target Home Wine Delivery

Key Advertiser Links

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Scanners
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Touchscreens & Monitors
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INSTALLATIONS

Sky High RFID for Aerospace Maker

One industry sold on RFID would be aerospace, with airlines required to provide full transparency on products throughout an entire lifecycle of manufacturing, usage, and maintenance. In order to comply, Honeywell Aerospace, one of the largest parts suppliers to Airbus and Boeing, recently rolled out company-wide RFID parts tagging for its components. ID Integration (Mukilteo, WA) serves as project manager for this program, which employs TegoView from Tego, Inc. (Waltham, MA), one of the leading software packages in this arena.

"After evaluating and testing TegoView's ability to write and read RFID tags on parts, we are convinced we can meet the stringent requirements of our customers," reported Jim Evans, UID/RFID Program Manager with Honeywell Aerospace, based in Phoenix. "TegoView is being deployed across many Honeywell locations where we are setting up workstations that we can configure for desktop and mobile use. One of our teams quickly learned the tagging process using defined templates and then walked the next group through the process."

"In an industry where thousands of airplanes each have millions of individual parts, airframe manufacturers and their suppliers need to manage and track an enormous inventory," observed Timothy Butler, CEO/President of Tego. "This is where the automation and accuracy of TegoView for writing and reading RFID tags on parts is of the greatest value to our customers, not only for compliance [with ATA Spec 2000] but for improved supply chain processes. Some parts suppliers are learning the hard way that not all software is compliant, endangering delivery of high-value components."

Honeywell Deploys RFID Airline Parts Tagging

[Editor's Note: RFID hasn't fared as well in retail of late, with JC Penney walking away from much publicized plans for store-wide tagging of its goods. For the immediate future, the retailer will now concentrate on tagging of certain product categories, such as footwear, undergarments, and denim.]

It's Micros for Cookie Puss and Auntie Anne

Another win for Micros Systems (Columbia, MD), as Focus Brands has chosen the e7 POS for its 450 Carvel Ice Cream franchises. In addition, Auntie Anne's Pretzels has extended its existing Micros e7 preferred vendor agreement for its 1,000 U.S. franchised locations. In making its announcement, Focus Brands cited the full functionality of the Micros e7 across guest transactions, staff productivity, menu offerings, and restaurant operations.

"Micros e7 has proved to be extremely reliable and easy-to-use for our Auntie Anne's locations," volunteered Paul Gerhart, Director of Retail Technology, Specialty Brands, for Focus Brands. "We were looking for the same results and track record for our Carvel locations. After deploying the Micros e7 product throughout Auntie Anne's brand over the past five years, the Focus Brands' Operations and IT team feels very confident that the easy-to-self-install Micros e7 product's all-in-one architecture is the right decision for Carvel's franchise system."

Elsewhere, Micros has announced the first beta test of Opera 9 Front Desk Mobile, its iPad-based Property Management System. With this scheme, Aspen Meadows Resort welcomes guests at the airport baggage claim area, allowing them to bypass the front desk and proceed directly to their rooms. In addition to remote check-in, Aspen Meadows Resort will take advantage of Opera 9 Mobile's housekeeping task companion, which provides instruction and directions to cleaning staff members.

Focus Brands Franchise Endorses Micros e7

Channel Factoid

As widely reported, Dell will be taken private, and the deal includes $2 billion loaned by Microsoft. What's the game here? David Johnson, Senior Analyst at Forrester Research, argues Microsoft could be helped in some key areas.

#1: "Microsoft needs more supply chain expertise and capacity for PC hardware and needs more dedicated focus from an OEM like Dell to execute on a strategy of better integration between the operating system and hardware--both on the desktop and in the data center."

#2: "Microsoft also needs an enterprise channel for hardware sales and support for in-house hardware--the Microsoft Store concept will not build buyer momentum fast enough, and this is not a trivial exercise."

#3: "Thirdly, converged infrastructures for cloud could get a boost through tighter integration between the hardware and operating system, thanks to performance optimizations, better resource automation, and fault management throughout the stack."

#4: "Finally, hardware + core systems + management + packages apps + services will belong to large companies with a lot of leverage in all the categories. IBM, HP, and Oracle are getting there. To be competitive, Dell has to be there too, and so does Microsoft."

HELLO GOODBYE

Spencer: Hire for Retail

Spencer Technologies (Northborough, MA), has drafted John Haddigan as its Director of Retail Technology, as the IT solution provider positions itself for growth. In business for 40 years, Spencer focuses on networking and POS in the retail and restaurant industries. It has over 250 employees and 150 technicians in five locations throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Prior to Spencer, Haddigan spent 12 years as POS Systems Development Manager, then Project Leader, for BJ's Wholesale Club. In this capacity, he oversaw 180 locations in 15 states, "and set-up the BJ's team for success by helping to ensure the technologies selected would add value in the future," in the words of Spencer. Earlier, he worked as QA Analyst for ADI and Assistant Manager at American Eagle Outfitters.

"John will bring significant experience in all areas of technology solutions," predicted David Strickler, Spencer's CEO. "We're confident he will expand our service offerings and continue our legacy of success. I know he will make major contributions to our company's long-term growth."

John Haddigan, Director of Retail Technology, Spencer Technologies

Where the Customers Now ROAM

ROAM (Boston) has launched its Professional Services Group to help customers deploy mobile payments. Comprised of "a dedicated team of solutions architects, engineers, project managers, and implementation specialists," the Professional Services Group will be led by Eric Spear. Spear comes to ROAM from Opera Solutions, where he served as VP of Software Development, and brings more than two decades of IT management expertise.

"What our experience has shown is that companies from virtually every market segment see the value in utilizing mobile payment methodologies but are at times challenged by the complexities associated with implementing something new into their current and often fragmented legacy technology infrastructures," indicated Ken Pauli, CEO of ROAM. "We felt that it was time to dedicate a team focused entirely on helping our clients take full advantage of their existing systems, while leveraging the power of platform in order to take their mobile commerce strategy to the next level." ROAM, RRN.Com readers may recall, was one of the first companies out of the gate with its mobile card reader hardware and billing. It became part of Ingenico in February 2012.

Formation of the Professional Services Group follows strategic staff reorganization by ROAM. Executives now include Benoit Boudier, SVP of International Sales; Eric Hoffman, SVP of U.S. Sales; Bill Pittman, SVP of Product Management; and Scott Holt, VP of Marketing. Pittman founded both GO Software (sold to VeriFone) and TPI Software (sold to Hypercom), two of the early integrated payment processing software packages.

Eric Spear, Head, Professional Services Group, ROAM