Our Product Pick

Trimble (Sunnyvale, CA) has unveiled its R1 Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Receiver. This pocket-sized, rugged, standalone device works with iOS, Android, or Windows to bring professional grade geo-location capabilities to consumer devices such as handhelds, smartphones, and tablets. Weighing 6.5 oz., with 10-hour battery, R1 GNSS enables users to achieve reliable, sub-meter accuracy (with Trimble ViewPoint RTX). It supports multiple satellite constellations, as well as Trimble Mapping and Geographic Information System Software (GIS). "Addition of the R1 GNSS Receiver expands our portfolio to address the needs of organizations that have adopted the bring-your-own-device, or BYOD, strategy for their businesses," commented Alain Samaha, Business Area Director of GIS and Software for Trimble's Geospatial Division.

Trimble R1 GNSS Receiver

COMPANY BUSINESS

Samsung's Loopy Plans

Samsung Electronics (Mountain View, CA) has taken full control of LoopPay (Boston, MA), and its "magnetic secure transmission" scheme, which turns existing magnetic-stripe readers into contactless receivers. LoopPay's technology has the potential to work with approximately 90% of fielded POS, according to Samsung, and thus greatly boost acceptance of the mobile wallet. An earlier investment, which was facilitated by Samsung's Global Innovation Center, helped fuel LoopPay.

"We are excited to take our relationship with LoopPay to the next level, by bringing consumers a mobile wallet solution that is not just safe and reliable, but also widely accepted at more locations than any competing service," enthused David Eun, EVP of Samsung's Global Innovation Center. "Through this deal we can significantly accelerate our mobile commerce efforts. LoopPay's outstanding leaders and team have deep-rooted relationships with banks, card networks, and merchants that will complement those Samsung has established over the years."

Launched in 2012, LoopPay's digital wallet supports the wide range of magnetic-stripe cards, including credit, debit, private label, gift, rewards, and loyalty. Access to the LoopPay app and data is password and PIN-protected and LoopPay encrypts and stores all card track data within the device. Of particular significance, of course, is the fact that there's no need for NFC, or new equipment, as is the case with Google Wallet and Apple Pay. As part of the acquisition, LoopPay founders and veteran payment industry entrepreneurs Will Graylin and George Wallner will work closely with Samsung's Mobile Division.

LoopPay's Embedded Magnetic Coil Talks to Standard Magnetic-Stripe Readers

Bindo Builds Bridges

Signs of interest in the channel on the part of Bindo (New York City), which supplies its iPad POS. As part of its efforts, the firm has announced an integration with Brother International (Bridgewater, NJ), and the QL-710W and QL-720NW Label Printers, whereby merchants may create UPC codes, and more easily track SKUs, directly from their iPad POS. As its name would suggest, Bindo touts the strength of its inventory management capabilities.

Establishing ties with other manufacturers, as well as payment processors, Bindo also has started to build out its reseller program. "I'm on the phone with resellers every day," Dan Merns, Director of Channel Sales, told RRN.Com, estimating the current number of participants at 15 for the U.S. In its earliest stages, this partner network now consists of two factions: one-time referrals and traditional resellers. A number of benefits have been discussed for the second category, including an aggressive incentive structure, geographic territories, and sales support.

"It will be formalized further as we grow," predicted Merns. So far, Bindo has targeted specialty retail, such as the liquor, pets, tobacco, and apparel segments. Interestingly, the company started as an online marketplace, outside of POS. Coming soon, the revived "Bindo Marketplace" will allow consumers to make same-day delivery purchases from the Bindo iPhone App.

Dan Merns, Director of Channel Sales, Bindo

Worth Your While

ProMat 2015
Material Handling Industry
March 23-26
Chicago

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

WERC
Warehousing Education Research Council
May 3-6
Orlando

NRA Show 2015
National Restaurant Association
May 16-19
Chicago

ALL IN THE FAMILY

Datalogic Races With 2K

Datalogic (Eugene, OR) has released its new 2K Series of industrial laser barcode scanners, which encompasses the DS2100N and DS2400N. DS2100N has read range of 50 to 300 mm (2 to 11.8 inches), and DS2400N has read range of 70 to 600 mm (2.75 to 23.6 inches); both have resolution of 0.12 mm (5 mils) and performance rate of 500 to 1000 scans per second. In aluminum case, they feature compact footprint (no more than four inches high and two inches thick), aperture angle of 60 degrees, and an IP-65 rating for water and dust.

Significantly, the 2K Series furnishes combinations of onboard PROFINET, EtherNet/IP, and Ethernet TCP/IP communications (as well as RS-232/RS-422/RS-485). As highlights, the manufacturer cited embedded switches, EDS-AOP set-up tools, dual PROFINET ports, and rotating connector blocks for installation flexibility. An advanced microprocessor allows for "advanced code reconstruction" of low-quality or damaged labels by the 2K Series.

"The new 2K Series eliminates the need for external devices and improves installation efficiency in response to industry demands for a lower total cost of ownership identification solution," related Alberto Bertomeu, VP and GM of Datalogic Industrial Automation. As target markets, he identified warehousing and manufacturing, such as automated storage and retrieval systems, shop floors, pick modules, and facilities requiring multiple scanning devices. (Editor's Note: Look for an upcoming exclusive interview with Valentina Volta, Datalogic CEO of Business Development, in RRN.Com.)

Datalogic DS2100N Barcode Scanner, Part of 2K Series

J2-Aures Yells "Yuno"

A new POS terminal, dubbed "Yuno," has been showcased by the J2-Aures Group. Featuring the company's typical sleek styling, Yuno utilizes fanless, heat-dissipating, aluminum construction, with "no screw" access to the back panel. A choice of zero-bezel, projected capacitive touchscreen has been offered--in either 4:3 15.1" or 16:9 15.6". Units come in black or white.

As technology, Yuno carries Intel Quad-Core Celeron J1900 CPU at 2 GHz, 4-GB RAM, and 64-GB SSD. It supports Windows 7 or 8. A full suite of ports, "discretely concealed," has been provided, with Mini PCI-E for Wi-Fi and tilting base of 0 to 90 degrees. As options, the company has magnetic-stripe reader, biometric reader, customer display, second screen, RFID, and VESA Mount.

"Yuno is the first 'next-generation' POS terminal collaboratively designed between recently merged POS manufacturers J2 and Aures; it exemplifies combined design excellence," reported Kurt Ericson, VP of J2 Retail Systems USA (Tustin, CA). "The New Yuno offers retailers a cost-effective, reliable, compact and stylish point-of-sale computer with a minimum five-year product life." In North America, the J2-Aures Group distributes through ScanSource POS and Barcode (Greenville, SC).

Yuno POS From J2-Aures Group

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ALLIANCES

A Package of Powa

A new bundle of point-of-sale/payment processing has been presented by Powa Technologies (Roswell, GA) and eProcessing Network (Houston, TX). It combines an ePNMobile for Tablet iOS and Android App from eProcessing Network with the PowaPOS T25 tablet-based system from Powa Technologies. As such, it aims directly at the SMB.

Introduced last year, the PowaPOS T25 assembles peripherals into one neat package, including tilting/swiveling tablet stand, high-speed receipt printer, two-dimensional scanner, cash drawer, credit card reader (with so-called PowaPIN EMV), and multiple expansion ports. A PowaPOS Software Development Kit (SDK) and Application Programming Interface (API) support developers across iOS, Android, and Windows, with associated Developer Portal. Also, Powa Technologies, which is based in the U.K., offers its fast-growing mobile commerce solution, PowaTag.

"With the demand for tablet-based payments growing at a rapid pace, retailers are searching for a smart but powerful solution: a fully integrated, secure, and easy-to-implement point-of-sale system," emphasized Michael Struttmann, SVP and GM of North America for PowaPOS. "By combining the all-in-one functionality of the PowaPOS T25 with the strength of the ePNMobile application, merchants have a true 'plug-and-play' solution - and one that provides a higher level of service and peace of mind to their customers." A relative newcomer, eProcessing Network sells exclusively through VARs and ISOs.

PowaPOS T25 Attracts Payment Processor

RFID: "No Dirty Laundry"

A trio of firms has come together to address inventory management for the rental business, via RFID. On the technology side, there's integration of UHF tags from Positek RFID (Norristown, PA) with inventory management software from Point-of-Rental Systems (Grand Prairie, TX). As beta-test site for this new service, Prime Time Party Rental (Dayton, OH) employs either stationary or fixed readers to keep track of its stock of linens.

"We are delighted to partner with Positek RFID to add these best-in-market RFID capabilities to our software and give our customers the ability to reduce labor and asset costs, and increase customer satisfaction," commented Wayne Harris, CEO of Point-of-Rental Systems. "This eliminates huge amounts of labor spent counting, but more importantly, it increases customer service by validating contracts and identifying which customers should be billed for missing items." His firm has thirty years of experience in party, tools, and equipment rental.

As back story, Bart Nye, President of Prime Time Party Rental, first approached Positek RFID over four years ago. "Since then," he stated, "the technology enhancements in RFID have made that dream a reality and with all of my assets tagged, I now know truly where all my assets are." Hundreds of pieces of laundry may be read simultaneously, according to Positek RFID.

Inventory Management for Rental Business

Code Corner

ShopKeep (New York City) has advanced on two fronts with its iPad POS, ShopKeep Register. First, it has launched its mobile application, ShopKeep Pocket, which allows merchants to access their business data from their smartphones or tablets. Distributed for free in the App Store in iTunes, ShopKeep Pocket provides real-time reporting, key performance indicators (such as number of customers, hourly sales data, and top-selling items), previous daily sales figures for day-over-day comparison, aggregation of the performance of multiple storefronts, and personalization to suit individual business needs. "As a former merchant, I know how difficult it is to balance day-to-day operations with life away from your store," relayed Jason Richelson, ShopKeep's Founder and Co-CEO. "That's why we've designed ShopKeep Pocket to give business owners the freedom and confidence they need to step back and still keep their fingers on the pulse of their business." In addition, ShopKeep has integrated with MailChimp, the e-mail marketing platform. This allows merchants to engage with their most loyal customers based on insights into their purchase behavior. At present, ShopKeep supports approximately 16,000 registers in retail and restaurant.

ENVIRONMENTS/PLATFORMS

Extra Texture for Cognex

Cognex Corporation (Natick, MA) has revealed its new code reader scheme, entitled "Power Grid." A texture-based location algorithm takes an "inside-out" approach to reading two-dimensional matrix and direct part mark (DPM) symbologies, explained the vendor. Unlike conventional feature-based algorithms which first locate the finder pattern, "Power Grid" looks for the pattern of alternating light and dark modules within the code.

Thus, it dramatically increases read rates in cases in which an item's geometry, poor lighting occlusion, or print registration errors make it difficult to capture an image of the entire code. Unlike previous solutions, the new technology can locate and read codes even when they exhibit significant damage to elements such as finder pattern, clocking pattern, or quiet zone. A specialist in machine-vision systems, Cognex already offers its 2D Max Software for industrial environments.

"Cognex is constantly seeking opportunities to improve our decoding algorithms," elaborated Carl Gerst, SVP of ID Products for Cognex. "After analyzing images of codes that we couldn't read, we determined that a high percentage showed significant finder pattern, clocking pattern, or quiet zone damage. Leveraging our thirty-plus years of vision experience, our engineers came up with a completely new and innovative technique that can find and read these codes without relying on the finder pattern. The result is nothing short of incredible."

Cognex Debuts Power Grid Algorithm

A Master's Degree in Security

MasterCard has disclosed plans to invest more than $20 million in new cybersecurity-related technology in 2015. First, we will see the launch of MasterCard Safety Net, which provides an independent layer of security on top of the tools and policies of financial institutions. Designed to intervene "only in extreme cases," this technology will monitor and block specific transactions based on selected criteria (which obviously were not disclosed).

Later this year, MasterCard and First Tech Federal Credit Union will roll out their pilot program in biometrics. This allows consumers to authenticate and verify their transactions via techniques such as facial and voice recognition and fingerprint matching. It holds the potential to deliver greater security without compromising convenience for consumers, according to MasterCard. Based in Beaverton, Oregon, First Tech Federal Credit Union has 350,000 members at companies such as HP, Microsoft, Amazon, and Cisco.

"These new activities will help us continue to deliver the tools and solutions that instill a peace of mind by protecting each transaction that crosses our network," declared Chris McWilton, President of North American Markets for MasterCard. "While progress is being made with the move to EMV and mobile payments, our continued investments reinforce the efforts we are taking to protect the payments system for cardholders, merchants, and issuers."

$20 Million Investment by MasterCard

Key Advertiser Links

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

POS & Peripherals
Bematech
Harbortouch
Hewlett-Packard
Partner Tech
Pioneer POS
POS BANK USA
Posiflex
PowaPOS
TEAMSable

Barcode & Transaction Printers
Brother Mobile
CognitiveTPG
SATO America

Cash Drawers
MMF POS

Data Collection
CipherLab
Code Corporation
Datalogic
Trimble MCS

Integrated Payment Solutions
Cayan
Datacap Systems
Discover
Mercury/Vantiv

Keyboards & Mobile POS
Cherry, ZF Electronics Corp
PrehKeyTec

Receipt Printers
Bixolon America
CognitiveTPG
Epson America
Star Micronics

Thermal Printers
Seiko Instruments USA

Touchscreens & Monitors
Elo TouchSystems

INSTALLATIONS

Bank Job at Epson

Another case of the financial route to market. Epson America (Long Beach, CA) has supplied its TM-S9000 Multifunction Teller Device for Numerica Credit Union, which serves more than 100,000 members throughout Central and Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho. Epson's TM-S9000 handles every customer-facing process, whether desktop check scanning, endorsement printing, cashier's check printing, or receipt printing, as well as identification scanning.

Epson's TM-S9000 has dimensions of 15.75 in. (L) x 14.2 in. (W) x 11.4 in. (H). It incorporates Epson's TM-T88V receipt printer with speed of 300 mm/11.8 inch per second and paper savings of 30%. An ink-jet printer handles 16 lines of endorsement and may print an oversized area of up to two inches high. Additional features include best-in-class image quality of over 99.9%, check scanning speed of 200 documents per minute (DPM), 100-check document feeder, optional magnetic-stripe reader and second pocket, and two-year limited warranty.

"A teller line that can help members complete transactions quickly is very important to us," indicated Kelley Ferguson, CIO for Numerica. "When I saw Epson's TM-S9000 perform at the Symitar Educational Conference, I was really impressed with its print speed, scan accuracy, and small footprint. Since Numerica installed Epson's TM-S9000, we have been able to serve our members quickly, so that they can get back to doing the things that are important to them, whether that's work or play."

Epson's TM-S9000 Multifunction Teller Device

Sharpening Pencils at Revention

Accounting Solutions (Boise, ID) has integrated its GetLinked Software with the POS from Revention (Houston, TX). This integrated solution has been deployed at the Pizza Cottage, with six sites and one food truck in Ohio. It ties data from the POS--General Ledger, Deposits, Payroll, Receivables, and Payables--with QuickBooks and ADP.

"Today, users and their accountants demand consistent and reliable integration between their systems," observed Jim DeFede, Marketing Manager for GetLinked. "This interface with Revention keeps the process easy, fast, and reliable. It allows users to have better control of their POS data and eliminate hours of manual work."

In addition to QuickBooks, GetLinked ties to companies such as InterAcct, Microsoft Financial Systems, PeopleSoft, Heartland Payment Systems, and First Data Merchant Services. It spent seven years in development, according to the firm, and gets delivered on-premise or via Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). "Collaboration between Revention and GetLinked has provided industry owner/operators with both point-of-sale solutions and financial integration tools that are both cutting-edge and powerful," maintained Laura Gaudin, Product Manager for Revention. Overall, GetLinked has more than 750 integrations.

GetLinked Software Ties Revention POS to Accounting and Payroll for Pizza Cottage

Channel Factoid

A bit of indecision on the part of consumers when it comes to mobile payments, according to new research conducted by Verifone. Half of consumers polled were unfamiliar with mobile payments, and half said mobile payments were important. As might be expected, positive response was higher among younger consumers: 64% of respondents aged 40 and below agreed that more stores should install devices that allow customers to pay via smartphones, for example. Credit/debit cards remain the primary method of payment for 63% of all survey respondents, with 6% favoring alternative methods such as PayPal and 4% preferring mobile wallet services. (A total of 54% said they were familiar with EMV!) More than half of respondents, 56%, were willing to continue shopping at stores where credit card information was stolen. Interestingly, half of respondents said they were unlikely to shop in stores that employed in-store tracking technology to provide offers on mobile devices. When citing advantages for using smartphones instead of traditional payment methods, speed of use was ranked first (34%), followed by freedom from carrying wallet (29%), access to mobile deals (24%), ease in tracking spending (23%), and perhaps unexpectedly, safety of personal data (18%). "What's essential now is for the industries driving the mobile payment revolution, from finance to retail to system providers, to educate consumers on mobile payment's benefits and ease-of-use," related Joe Mach, SVP and GM of Vertical Solutions for Verifone.

HELLO GOODBYE

Tales of TSYS

TSYS (Columbus, GA), one of the payment processors engaged in our channel, has named Thomas Boyer as President of TSYS Merchant Solutions. Prior to joining TSYS, Boyer was SVP/Portfolio Management Executive for Bank of America Merchant Services. Much of his earlier career took place at Elavon, in offices such as Group Executive/Regional President, SVP of Business Development, and SVP of Vertical Markets.

"Tom brings a depth of business development, sales, and P&L experience to this role at TSYS Merchant Solutions," remarked Mark Pyke, President of TSYS Merchant Services. "We are pleased to welcome him and look forward to his strong leadership and proven results orientation, which will help us achieve our growth objectives." In his new job, Boyer will manage all aspects of direct-to-merchant sales, operations, and customer support.

Elsewhere, TSYS Merchant Services became the first processor to Class A certify the new PCI 3.0 products from the Ingenico Group (Atlanta, GA). A new payment application by TSYS, designated INGEMV2, will support Ingenico's "smart" terminals, the iCT 220 Contactless and IPP 310 PIN Pad. "These new products ideally position TSYS and Ingenico Group to address the unprecedented demand for field upgrades that EMV and Apple Pay are creating," suggested Bernie Frey, SVP of Acquirer Sales for Ingenico Group North America.

Thomas Boyer, President, TSYS Merchant Solutions

Youth on Display

NEC Display Solutions of America (Itasca, IL) has recruited its new CEO/President of the Americas, Todd Bouman, 44. He most recently served as VP of Marketing for Commercial Displays and Mobile Products in the Enterprise Business Division at Samsung Electronics. He also worked at Hewlett-Packard, leaving as Product Marketing Manager for Mobile Computing.

"Todd is a top performer and will take NEC Display to the next level of product innovation, market growth, channel development, and solutions selling," relayed Nick Akagi, President of NEC Display Solutions Worldwide. "The display industry continues to grow and evolve with new technologies and services, making it possible to dynamically share and interact with digital information. Under Todd's leadership, NEC will help many industries, including retail, transportation, and education, improve their business models, and enhance customer experiences through their deployment."

"NEC Display is a global leader in display solutions and is well positioned in the market with its broad commercial product portfolio, solutions strategy, services, and support capabilities," volunteered Bouman, who starts in May. " I look forward to working closely with our partners and customers to continue to innovate, expand, and grow the display market."

Todd Bouman, CEO/President, NEC Display Solutions of America