Our Product Pick

Touch Dynamic (South Plainfield, NJ) has unwrapped its upgraded Quest VIII Tablet. With Intel Atom X7-Z8700 CPU at 1.6 GHz, 4-GB RAM, and 64-GB eMMC, Quest VIII runs Windows 10 IoT and Windows 10 Pro. It carries an 8" projected-capacitive touchscreen with backlight LCD (resolution 1920x1200), 1D/2D barcode scanner, 2-MP front-facing and 5-MP rear-facing cameras, Bluetooth 4/BLE, 802.11 Wi-Fi, 4G LTE WWAN, and NFC. In slim dimensions--0.7 inches thick, weighing 1.3 lbs./0.6 kg--Quest VIII has an IP-65 rating. A hot-swappable 7560-mAh battery, full suite of ports, charging cord, and (optional) full-swivel premium dock are offered. A choice of payment card readers from ID Tech, Ingenico, and MagTek address EMV and Apple Pay and Google Pay.

Quest VIII by Touch Dynamic

COMPANY BUSINESS

A Trifecta: MagTek, nCLOSE, and HP

An integration between MagTek (Seal Beach, CA) and nCLOSE (Moorpark, CA) has facilitated use of credit cards, including EMV Chip, with the Engage One Prime POS by HP (Palo Alto, CA). It embeds the eDynamo MSR (Magnetic-Stripe Reader)/SCR (Smart-Card Reader) by MagTek in protective, retail-hardened enclosure designed by nCLOSE. In dimensions of 2.5 in. (L) x 1 in. (W) x 1.5 in. (H), eDynamo meets EMV Levels 1/2, with MagneSafe Security (i.e., Triple DES Encryption, DUKPT Key Management, Tokenization, Authentication, Dynamic Data).

"Merchants need more versatile solutions than ever before," indicated John Arato, VP and GM of MagTek Retail Solutions. "That's why MagTek engineers our products to meet the latest in payment trends. Now, with the partnership of MagTek, nCLOSE, and HP, we believe we have created a simple and easy turnkey solution that utilizes the very best technology the industry has to offer, combined with major processor certifications."

Introduced in January 2019, addressing the SMB, HP's Engage One Prime has 14" projected-capacitive touchscreen with backlight LED (aspect ratio 16:9, resolution 1920x1080) that flips between store associates and customers (with optional 5.5" customer-facing display). It measures 13 in. (W) x 16.5 in. (D) x 5 in. (H), weighs 10.8 lbs./5 kg, and runs Android 8.1 ("Oreo") O/S. As power: ARM Octa-Core Cortex A53 CPU at 1.8 or 2.2 GHz, 2-GB/4-GB RAM, and 16-GB/32-GB Storage. (A previous built-in MSR enables user authentication.)

A Module for MSR/EMV for HP's Engage One Prime

Sound Hits the Gas

With an eye on growth, Sound Payments has opened its new office for its Petro Solutions in St. Petersburg, FL. A retrofit payment solution, the company's EMV Easy Pump supports the range of types: MSR, EMV Chip-and-PIN, PIN-on-Glass, NFC for Apple Pay and Google Pay, and QR Codes. It employs the A80 payment terminals from Pax Technology, with 4" color touchscreen, thermal printer, front camera, Bluetooth 4/BLE, and 802.11 Wi-Fi. It meets Payment Card Industry (PCI) PTS 5.x. (Sound Payments and Pax Technology are both based in Jacksonville, FL.)

"We are proud to expand into the beautiful St. Petersburg area and build our petroleum team to help stations cost-effectively upgrade their pumps before the EMV mandate deadline in October," enthused Andrew Russell, President of Sound Payments. "We chose this location because of the talent and expertise, exceptional quality of life, and the business climate, which will be helpful as we grow by 50% in 2020 and create more than 20 jobs." A longtime practitioner in payments, Bill Pittman, serves as VP of Petro Solutions for Sound Payments.

In addressing gas stations and convenience stores, Petro Solutions at Sound Payments also offers its Sound Vault and Sound POS. A cash deposit machine, Sound Vault enables the management, monitoring, and transfer of large cash totals (via cloud portal). A Sound POS Lite and Sound POS, suitable across retail and hospitality, and addressing go-to-market through the channel of VARs/ISVs, were released in 2019.

At Opening Ceremony, Andrew Russell, President of Sound Payments (Second from Left), and Bill Pittman, VP of Petro Solutions at Sound Payments (At Far Right) With St. Petersburg Officials

Worth Your While

NGA Show
National Grocers Association
February 23-26
San Diego, CA

RC Show
Restaurants Canada
March 1-3
Toronto, Canada

Modex
Material Handling Industry (MHI)
March 9-12
Atlanta, GA

Shoptalk
Shoptalk Commerce, LLC
March 22-25
Las Vegas, NV

Transact
Electronic Transactions Association (ETA)
April 28-30
Las Vegas, NV

NRA Show
National Restaurant Association
May 16-19
Chicago, IL

RetailNOW
Retail Solutions Providers
Association (RSPA)
August 2-5
Las Vegas, NV

Impact 2020 Conference
Electronic Payments
September 22-25
Fort Lauderdale, FL

NACS
National Association
of Convenience Stores
October 11-14
Las Vegas, NV

ALL IN THE FAMILY

CRS Shows Its Hisense

CRS, Inc. (St. Paul, MN) has stocked its new widescreen terminal for POS, the Hisense HK560. In dimensions of 16 in. (W) x 8 in. (D) x 12.5 in. (H), weighing 9.5 lbs./4.3 kg, the Hisense HK560 features 15.6" projective-capacitive touchscreen with backlight LED (aspect ratio 16:9, resolution 1920x1080). Shipped with Windows, and fanless, it has Intel Bay Trail Quad-Core J1900 CPU at 2 GHz, 4-GB/8-GB RAM, and 128-GB SSD.

A sleek cabinet design has true-flat surface. A full suite of external ports includes Serial x 5, Powered USB x 1, USB 2.0 x 3, USB 3.0 x 1, RJ-45 Ethernet LAN x 1, and RJ-11 Cash Drawer x 1. An adjustable hinge allows for multiple height configurations and screen rotation, for installation flexibility. As options, there's MSR, biometric fingerprint reader, 802.11 Wi-Fi, wall-mount bracket with VESA, and customer-facing displays (2x20 VFD, 10.1" LCD, and 15.6" LCD).

"Attractive and powerful, the Hisense HK560 is ideal for harsh environments across quick-service restaurants, retail, or hospitality," according to CRS, Inc. "In addition, its workstation footprint may be minimized by adding a popular cube-style receipt printer on the base of the terminal, and clutter may be eliminated with fully integrated cable management in the stand of the terminal." It will also be offered with Android O/S, in the model named the HK316.

Hisense HK560 POS Terminal From CRS, Inc.

Janam: Ticket to Ride

An interesting solution for ticketing has been unveiled by Janam Technologies (Woodbury, NY). It combines the company's new XT3 mobile computer with its new Guardian GT1 pedestal system. With Android 9 ("Pie") O/S, Janam's XT3 offers the same form factor and ultra-rugged design as Janam's XT2+--measuring 6.1 in. (L) x 3.2 in. (W) x 0.8 in. (D) and weighing 9.5 oz./272 g, with 5" capacitive touchscreen (resolution 1280x720)--and boosts computer processing (with Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 Octa-Core CPU at 2.2 GHz), wireless communication (with dual-band 802.11 Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5/BLE, 4G LTE WWAN), and data capture (with 1D/2D Honeywell N6703 Scan Engine).

Significantly, XT3, and select models of Janam's XT2+, support both Enhanced Contactless Polling (ECP) for Apple Wallet and Smart Tap for Google Pay. Individuals can now simply tap their iPhone, Apple Watch, or Android-powered smartphone for NFC. A GT1 pedestal, holding the XT3 or XT2+, comprises an entry system for sports, entertainment, healthcare, travel, retail, and hospitality, according to Janam. It seeks to increase patron throughput, eliminate fraud, and minimize costs.

"Rather than fight the disruption to barcode scanning that is created by NFC and contactless technology, Janam is embracing it," proclaimed Harry Lerner, CEO of Janam Technologies. "More people are using Apple Wallet and Google Pay than ever before, and we are excited for the day that consumers will no longer need to carry unwieldy wallets stuffed with paper tickets, IDs, boarding passes, and multiple membership cards and are thrilled that Janam is playing an integral role in this evolution." In addition to its pedestal form factor, Janam's Guardian GT1 will soon be offered in other form factors.

Harry Lerner, CEO, Displays Janam's Guardian GT1 Self-Credentialing Pedestal Powered by Its XT3 Mobile Computer

Join the Party at No Charge

Subscribe Today! Email:

Do you need to reach the POS & Auto ID resellers who really drive business? With the most targeted editorial environment, and on the most cost-effective basis?

E-mail Michael Kachmar for advertising information,
or call 973-270-3284

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

Hurry ! Use the links below to catch up :

Week of January 27

Week of January 6

Week of December 16

ALLIANCES

Going Beyond With Factor4

Another payments partner has been recruited by loyalty provider Factor4 (Broomall, PA), in the form of Beyond (Louisville, KY). An omnichannel solution, addressing, in particular, the SMB, Factor4 encompasses in-store, online, and mobile gift card sales and redemption. It serves over 11,000 customers in the retail and restaurant sectors and offers its RewardOS Application Programming Interface (API).

Established in 2017 by Bob Carr, who founded and built Heartland Payment Systems, Beyond furnishes its line-up of payment processing, point-of-sale, lending, and payroll. It suggests, as company commitments, "flexible contract terms, no-penalty termination rights, and customer service based in the U.S." As another goal, Beyond has included the non-profit Give Something Back as founding partner. (In 2016, Carr sold Heartland Payment Systems to Global Payments.)

"We are gratified to be the preferred gift and loyalty provider for Beyond and to provide their customers with this complete gift and loyalty solution that enables businesses of all types to increase revenue and reduce attrition," volunteered Dan Battista, Factor4's CEO. "We share a lot of the principles on which Beyond was founded." Added Chad Carr, Chief of Business Tool Products for Beyond: "We really like the core value Factor4 brings to the table and we believe this will drive more revenue for our customers who participate in this program."

A Partnership Between Beyond's Payment Processing Platform and Factor4's Gift and Loyalty Program

CAP Calls Chetu

CAP Software (Fort Worth, TX) has drawn upon the development skills of Chetu (Plantation, FL) for refresh of its core product, SellWise Pro. It now extends an intuitive dashboard functionality as well as faster navigation and loading times. Also, CAP will work with Chetu to add more benefits, such as greater back-office functionality and better web reporting, according to Will Atkinson, President of CAP Software.

"It was challenging to find a local, quality developer with expertise in retail technology that could meet our tight deadline," reported Atkinson. "Chetu helped us quickly define and maintain our development stream without using expensive in-house resources. Our partnership gave us more flexibility as we develop, and continue to offer our customers the best in POS." An early player in the channel for POS, CAP Software was founded in 1978 by Chuck Atkinson.

"We take pride in our expertise when it comes to POS technology development, and we are delighted to see the latest version of SellWise Pro enter the market," contributed Nikhil Koranne, Assistant VP of Operations at Chetu. "Our team members' performance on this project truly exhibits why our software delivery method is one of the best in the industry." A leader in custom software, founded in 2000, Chetu has designed software for POS for some of the world's major brands.

CAP Software Draws on Chetu for Enhancement of Its SellWise Pro POS

Code Corner

Checkpoint Systems (West Deptford, NJ) has released its HALO platform for IoT with omnichannel and task management functionality via RFID. A mobile app, HALO shows store staff the order information, helps scheduling fulfillment, locating the items, and preparing the order for both buy online pickup in store (BOPIS) and buy online deliver from store (BODFS). A Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), the HALO platform synchronizes with the ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) and the WMS (Warehouse Management System). At full capability, it tracks every tagged piece of merchandise in the retailer's inventory and supply chain. It distributes orders among stores based on availability. "HALO uses near real-time inventory data and supports the associate with an easy-to-use app throughout the in-store fulfillment process, making it fast and efficient," observed Phil Fisher, Product Manager for HALO at Checkpoint Systems.

Checkpoint's HALO App Speeds Up Omnichannel Orders With RFID

ENVIRONMENTS/PLATFORMS

I, Zebra

A so-called "intelligent automation" system, very high tech, has emerged from Zebra Technologies Corporation (Lincolnshire, IL). It rolls up the benefits of computer vision, machine learning, workflow automation, and self-propelled robotics capability (of Zebra's EMA50) under the banner of "SmartSight." Intended for mass merchants, grocers, supermarkets, and hypermarkets, it autonomously monitors and identifies out-of-stock conditions, pricing inconsistencies, and improper execution of planograms on the store shelf. As such, it allows retailers to reassign workers to high value tasks, according to Zebra.

Available exclusively on subscription basis, SmartSight includes the hardware, retail automation software platform, and both professional and managed services. It ties into existing retail systems, according to Zebra, supporting both buy online pickup in store (BOPIS) and buy online deliver from store (BODFS). Also, it communicates with mobile computers, including those from Zebra, carried by workers. As inventory accuracy: above 95%.

"SmartSight and the EMA50 were developed to help retailers fully capitalize on the opportunities presented by the on-demand economy despite heightened competition and ongoing labor shortage concerns," elaborated Joe White, SVP and GM of Enterprise Mobile Computing for Zebra. "Leveraging Zebra's deep retail experience and market leadership over the last 50 years, SmartSight provides brick and mortar retailers a performance edge by autonomously prescribing corrective actions to associates based on what is happening at the shelf while also freeing up more of their time to focus on providing the best service to shoppers." According to Zebra's "Global Shopper Study," the primary reason retailers are losing in-store purchases to online shopping is due to problems with inventory management, especially out-of-stocks.

A Robotic Solution for Inventory Management From Zebra Technologies: SmartSight/EMA50

A Stash of Crypto Cash

A novel problem for sales of cannabis: hesitancy in the banking system, and concurrently, too much cash. As one solution, the firm Alt Thirty Six (Tempe, AZ), founded in 2015, has fashioned its blockchain-based digital payments platform (founded on the cryptocurrency, Dash). It partners with cannabis ISVs, most recently, Zuna (San Jose, CA), which offers its "seed-to-sale" platform, entitled Radix. As its family of products, Zuna has its self-explanatory CannPOS and CannERP.

"Zuna's direct integration with Alt Thirty Six enables dispensaries across legal cannabis in North American to accept fully legal, compliant, and user-friendly digital payments," relayed Ken Ramirez, Co-Founder and CEO of Alt Thirty Six. "Zuna's partnering dispensaries no longer need to face high costs and risks associated with running cash-only operations or accepting non-compliant payments. Our integration is equipped with additional features dispensaries can use to create promotions, track sales trends, maintain back-end records, and manage inventory."

"Alt Thirty Six provides access to banking relationships and modern payment technology that's compliant with cannabis regulations," remarked Vidyadhar Handragal, CEO of Zuna. "Through integrating with Alt Thirty Six, Zuna's platforms are not just built for compliance through traceability, but now also offer compliance through digital payments that meet all federal and state requirements." In April 2019, Alt Thirty Six raised $10 million in Series A Funding.

Ken Ramirez, Co-Founder and CEO of Alt Thirty Six, Which Provides Blockchain Payments for the Cannabis Industry

Key Advertiser Links

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

POS & Peripherals
Aures
CRS, Inc.
Electronic Payments
Harbortouch
HP
Ingenico
Pioneer Solution
POSBANK USA
Posiflex

Barcode & Transaction Printers
Bixolon America
Brother Mobile
Godex Americas

Cash Drawers
APG Cash Drawer

Data Collection
CipherLab
Code Corporation
Janam Technologies

Integrated Payment Solutions
Datacap Systems
Electronic Payments
EVO Payments/Sterling
Ingenico
International Bancard
North American Bancard

Receipt Printers
Bixolon America
Epson America
Star Micronics

Stands, Mounts, Cradles
Gamber-Johnson

INSTALLATIONS

Pineapple's Tee Time

Pineapple Payments (Pittsburgh, PA) has partnered with provider of golf IT, OntoGolf (Atlanta, GA). An equipment management and lesson scheduling system for golf courses and ranges, OntoGolf supplies iPad-based self-service kiosks as well as the ball-dispensing "Range Servant." At Pineapple, the core payment gateway and suite of value-added payment tools--such as Hosted Payment Pages, Recurring Billing, Invoice Management, and QuickBooks--are distributed by VARs/ISOs.

As an entrepreneur, Brian Shanahan, CEO of Pineapple Payments, also owns the Cool Springs Sports Complex, an award-winning, two-story driving range and sports complex located in Pittsburgh's South Hills. In bringing in new ball-dispensing machines for Cool Springs, Shanahan saw an opportunity to add payment processing (to the POS). It was at that time he was introduced to Hormuz Minina, Founder of OntoGolf.

"It just makes sense to work together. Pineapple's services align perfectly with OntoGolf's revenue-generating model," reflected Shanahan. "Our vision, to make commerce easy and accessible in a variety of different markets, happens through powerful collaborations. By combining our experience in payments with their expertise in golf technology, we're able to support a stronger point-of-sale offering and target industries we hadn't been able to previously."

Adding Payment Processing to Range Servant Ball-Dispensing System by OntoGolf

Adyen on the Subway

Adyen (San Francisco, CA) will deploy its payments platform across the sites of Subway in North America. A simpler and more customer-centric payment experience will be extended in-store, online and through the Subway App, according to Mike Macrie, CIO of Subway. At present, Subway, the largest quick-service restaurant company (QSR), by count, has over 25,000 locations in North America, and 40,000 worldwide. Headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Adyen serves major customers such as Facebook, Uber, Spotify, Microsoft, Bonobos, and L'Oreal.

As benefits, Subway cites automated franchisee on-boarding, with franchisee dashboard for easy reconciliation of all payment methods, refunds, and terminal fleet management. It extends support for preferred payment methods such as in-app, terminals, mobile wallets, gift cards, loyalty systems, and foreign currencies. It furnishes single data view and shopper insights across all channels and franchisees, which includes revenue by channel, franchisee, or restaurant-level.

"We are extremely happy to be partnering with Subway. Together we are streamlining operations, increasing efficiencies, and creating new pathways to building customer relationships in this digital age," declared Kamran Zaki, COO of Adyen. "[It] not only simplifies business for QSRs, but also makes the experience better for their franchise owners and consumers alike. Adyen's platform provides the flexibility to meet shoppers needs today and tomorrow."

Subway Deploys Adyen's Payment Platform

Channel Factoid

-Age is a huge factor in driving contactless adoption: Gen-Z (70%) and Millennials (75%) report satisfaction with contactless payments and 65% of Gen-Z consider it "must have."

-Consumers are satisfied with contactless: 72% consider it easy to learn and 74% consider it convenient.

-About one-third of consumers under 35 predict that merchants will become 100% cashless in the next five years.

-84% of businesses accept credit card or debit card contactless EMV payments, but only 37% of consumers are aware of this option.

-The most important aspect of loyalty programs for consumers is earning rewards on everything they purchase.

-70% of consumers want to earn or redeem rewards without providing sensitive personal information to their loyalty program.

-About half of consumers have reported experiencing challenges with loyalty programs such as too many restrictions on spending rewards.

-87% of consumers and merchants identify security as the top attribute when choosing their payment methods.

-Younger consumers that are digital natives, however, use credit or debit cards because they like that they enable them to track their purchases.

Source: "Emerging Trends at the POS" by Hanover Research, Conducted for FreedomPay (Philadelphia, PA) and Ingenico (Alpharetta, GA).

Acceptance of Contactless Payments

A Message From the Editor

As we enter another year, our mission stays constant: to fill the need for timely, focused, non-biased news in the channel for POS & Auto ID. If anything, that need grows more pressing in the face of changes in technology, go-to-market strategies, and business models. We look forward to continuing that mission and welcome your suggestions and thoughts on improvements.

Michael Kachmar, Editor

HELLO GOODBYE

Cracking the Code

Code Corporation has engaged Bruce Scharf as its VP of Products. A long career in engineering and research and development includes roles as VP of Engineering, then Intellectual Property Advisor, at Microscan (1995 to 2015). At Code, he will be responsible for setting strategy, scaling product teams, and developing the product roadmap.

"Code is in an enviable market position due in no small part to the fact that we win the vast majority of business when we go head-to-head with any of our competition," related Scharf. "The prospect of charting future markets and developing new technologies to grow Code is what makes this exciting. This company has a winning formula with its collaborative culture and talented team of global experts in both software and hardware. I can't wait to turn them loose on new markets, customers, and opportunities."

"Bruce's experience in innovating, building teams, and product design in a rapidly evolving marketplace will be a tremendous asset to Code," commented Kent Hansen, CEO of Code Corporation. "We have an incredibly bright future and I am very pleased to bring on such a visionary leader with the skill, technical knowledge, and industry passion to meet the needs of our growing customer base by bringing more cutting-edge products and solutions to life." Also, Code has moved into its new corporate headquarters at 434 West Ascension Way, Suite 300, Murray, UT 84123.

Bruce Scharf, VP of Products, Code Corporation

Keith Makes PAR

A familiar face in the channel for POS, Keith Schroer, has enrolled with ParTech, a division of PAR, as Business Development Manager. Previously, he served as VP of Sales/Channel Development at OnePOS (2018 to 2019). In previous posts, he was Director of Sales at POSBANK USA (2016 to 2018), VP of Sales and Marketing at Partner Tech (2002 to 2011 and 2012 to 2016), and VP of Sales and Marketing at Firich (2011 to 2012).

"Keith is an accomplished sales professional with vast knowledge of the hospitality, retail, cinema, convenience-store, and other verticals. His leadership and proven track record for establishing successful go-to-market strategies is a great asset to ParTech as we grown into new markets," testified David Richards, VP of Strategic Accounts for ParTech. "His customer-first attitude provides new clients with high levels of service and customer satisfaction over the life of the technology solution."

Keith Schroer, Business Development Manager, ParTech

A Hungry Omnivore

Omnivore, which supplies an integration platform for restaurant IT, has enlisted Dan Singer as its COO. He joins the company from Fair Warning, where he served as VP of Finance (2012 to 2019). An earlier career in business management includes roles of Senior Consultant at Deloitte (2010 to 2012), Associate at KPMG (2008 to 2009), and Consultant at Deloitte (2005 to 2007).

"Restaurant technology is going through a stage of rapid evolution and deployment, and new tools to manage this change are becoming a key element to building a sustainable and flexible technology strategy. Omnivore is extremely proud to be first to market with an integration platform that directly addresses these new challenges," expounded Mike Wior, CEO of Omnivore. "We're gladdened to have Dan's trusted leadership to help grow the company and deliver consistent results as Omnivore continues to bring added value to our restaurant customers."

"I have been impressed with Omnivore's solid growth and progressive performance as they help restaurants to break through technology barriers," shared Singer. "I am excited to be working with Mike Wior and the team as we take the company into its next phase of growth with operational excellence." Also, Omnivore has moved into its new corporate headquarters at 13577 Feather Sound Drive, Suite 390, Clearwater, FL 33762.

Dan Singer, COO, Omnivore