Our Product Pick

TSC Printronix Auto ID (Brea, CA) has unwrapped its new direct-thermal mobile printers: Alpha-30L (at 3 in./76 mm) and Alpha-40L (at 4 in./104 mm). Citing maximum print speed of 5 in./127 mm per second at 203 dpi, Alpha-30L and 40L carry an IP-54 ingress rating and 6 ft./1.8 m drop resistance (with protective case, 8.2 ft./2.5 m). Additional features include smart battery technology (Li-ion), Bluetooth 5, NFC, and 802.11 WLAN. Also, Alpha-30L and 40L are the first mobile printers released by TSC with remote device management support via SOTI Connect. "As the sixth and seventh models in our portfolio, we now have more mobile solutions than ever before," enthused David Lundeen, VP of Marketing at TSC Printronix Auto ID. "Alpha-30L and 40-L extend more features, more communication abilities, and more integration tools."

New Mobile Printers by TSC

COMPANY BUSINESS

Code Calls the Shots

A pathway between barcode reading and vaccination efforts for COVID-19 has been navigated by Code Corporation (Murray, UT) and Epic Systems (Verona, WI). It embeds Code's CortexDecoder into Epic's Rover Mobile Software, "enabling healthcare professionals to quickly find and open the patient's chart, and move the patient through the vaccination process," states Kent Hansen, CEO of Code Corporation. As part of this widened effort between the parties, a free six-month demo license of CortexDecoder has been offered for Epic Rover Mobile.

As its name describes, Code's CortexDecoder is an enterprise-grade barcode reading technology. It can read barcodes of virtually any format, print quality, at any angle, and on any surface--including curved or reflective surfaces--as well as handle damaged barcodes, stressed Code. In addition to hospitals and healthcare clinics, this combined solution by Code and Epic Systems supports non-traditional care settings such as pharmacies and drive-through vaccination centers.

Also of interest, Code Corporation has launched its new Developers Portal. "Our Dev Portal is a ground-up build that provides a much more robust platform and better user experience," indicated Brian Lampright, Senior Product Manager at Code Corporation. "Its self-guided nature makes it easier and faster to search for and access SDKs (Software Development Kits) or essential documentation, such as online click-through licenses and contracts." All existing user information, and log-in, has been transferred to the new Dev Portal.

Code's CortexDecoder Supports Epic's Rover Mobile Software to Speed Up Vaccinations for COVID-19

An Extra Exatouch

Electronic Payments Inc. (Calverton, NY) will provide its Exatouch POS at no charge for new merchants employing its payment processing services. As functionality, Exatouch includes employee, customer, and inventory management, an easy-to-use register, loyalty programs, and reporting capability. In making its offer, EPI, which emphasizes the central role of VARs and ISVs, specifically cited the needs of the SMB.

Included in this offer is the necessary suite of hardware. A list has the following components: touchscreen terminal, thermal receipt printer, card reader, customer facing display, barcode scanner with stand, wireless keyboard with mouse, and router and networking cables. (Existing merchants are not impacted by this new program, RRN was told, and at this time, no end date has been set for the free Exatouch.)

"Small businesses nationwide have been under pressure like never before since the onset of COVID-19," emphasized Michael Nardy, Founder and CEO of Electronic Payments. "With regulations and mandates constantly changing, merchants need adaptable solutions. Exatouch is certainly that tool, and now, since it's available with no hardware fees, it's even more accessible and can help business owners navigate evolving challenges--as well as position themselves for greater sales, more profit, and future growth."

Electronic Payments Supports SMB With Offer of Exatouch

Worth Your While

NRA Show
National Restaurant Association
May 22-25
Chicago, IL

SEAA Conference
Southeast Acquirers Association
May 24-26
Bonita Springs, FL

NRF Show
National Retail Federation
June 6-8
New York, NY

RetailNOW
Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA)
July 25-28
Nashville, TN

Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo
Clarion Events
August 22-24
Anaheim, CA

The NGA Show
National Grocers Association
September 19-21
Las Vegas, NV

Money 20/20
Ascential
October 24-27
Las Vegas, NV

ALL IN THE FAMILY

Unitech Fashions WD200

Unitech America (Cypress, CA) has debuted its new rugged wearable computer, designated as WD200. In compact dimensions of 3.8 in. (L) x 2.3 in. (H) x 0.5 in. (D), WD200 weighs only 3.8 oz./110 g--less than half the weight of some popular wearable computers from competing manufacturers. With 2.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 Octa-Core CPU, and 3 GB RAM/32 GB Flash, it runs Android 10 O/S with Google Mobile Services (GMS). As features, it has 3.1" color capacitive touchscreen (800x480, 450 nits), dual microphones, and 13-MP camera.

As communications, WD200 supports Bluetooth 5, NFC, 802.11 WLAN, and 4G LTE WWAN. A 3.8-V/2050-mAh replaceable Li-polymer battery, embedded in the device, supports full-shift operation. As ruggedness, WD200 has an IP-67 ingress rating and 5 ft./1.5 m drop resistance. An adjustable wrist strap with tension dial supports hands-free tasking.

"The WD200 eliminates common data collection problems such as losing devices or carrying around bulky scanners," proposed Scott Chung, President of Unitech America. "Its wearable design and large screen facilitate a number of uses and frees the worker to attend to multiple tasks." As wearable ring scanners, Unitech America offers its 1D MS650 and 2D MS652+. It also offers its mobile device management software, called Mobolink (as well as third-party SOTI, AirWatch, 42 Gears).

Unitech's WD200 Wearable Computer

Datalogic Charts Magellan

Datalogic USA (Eugene, OR) has unveiled its new pair of single-plane scanners for retail as part of its Magellan Series: Models 3410VSi (on-counter vertical format) and 3510HSi (in-counter horizontal format). With the same cables, mounts, and exterior plastics as the Magellan 3450VSi and 3550HSi, thereby replacement, these new scanners offer enhanced features, state-of-the-art performance, and greater ease-of-use, specifies Datalogic. Specifically, Magellan 3410VSi is 5.4 in. x 6 in. x 3.7 in., and Magellan 3510HSi is 6 in. x 6 in. x 3.4 in. (Depth Below Counter).

A large field of view and accelerated sweep speed supports seamless reading of 1D and 2D barcodes, as well as watermarking by Digimarc (Beaverton, OR), via solid-state electronics and advanced algorithms. In the area of operator comfort, so-called adaptive illumination, in non-reflecting and non-flickering "soft red lighting," dims when not scanning and resumes automatically for use. A highly visible good-read indicator and distinctive beeper ensure that every item has been recognized.

A single Type-A USB connection may power both Magellan 3410VSi and 3510HSi. An optional Magellan Customer Service Scanner allows the shopper to scan coupons and loyalty cards, either paper or on-screen of his or her phone, without disrupting the checkout process and simultaneously maintaining safe non-contact. An auxiliary USB allows attachment of handheld scanners to read large items without lifting from the shopping cart.

Datalogic's New Magellan 3410VSi and 3510HSi

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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, business models, and consumer concerns. We look forward to continuing that mission and welcome your suggestions and thoughts on improvement.

Michael Kachmar, Editor

ALLIANCES

Casting the "Net" for ISVs

It's all about ISVs, with the news that Worldnet Payments has endorsed the payment processing platform of ISVPay. A cloud-based solution, Worldnet Payments has omnichannel capabilities across e-commerce, mobility, and POS, with customized workflows, branding opportunities, and centralized reporting. As its name makes clear, ISVPay offers an integration approach for ISVs via APIs (Application Programming Interfaces). Both companies are located in the Greater Atlanta Area.

"Our partnership with ISVPay provides flexibility to service the ever-changing requirements of our ISV partners," expressed Conn Byrne, SVP of Sales for Worldnet Payments. "The Worldnet Gateway caters to ISVs and integrators of all shapes and sizes across multiple verticals. We are delighted to have a partner in ISVPay who can match that from a processing perspective and help us achieve the all-in-one payments solution our partners require." As SVP of Partner Development at ISVPay: Sarah Adams, former VP of Global Products at First American Payment Systems (2019 to 2020), VP of Card Products at Paysafe (2013 to 2019), and Senior Product Manager at POS Portal (2011 to 2013).

In another move, Worldnet Payments has teamed with POSDATA (Gig Harbor, WA) to distribute payment terminals from mPlus Technology (Taipei, Taiwan) in North America. Affiliated with CipherLab, mPlus Technology will supply its payment terminal, dubbed Hera51, with Android 8 O/S, 1.8 GHz Cortex A53 Octa-Core CPU, 2 GB RAM/16 GB Flash, 4.7" capacity touchscreen (720x1280), and Bluetooth 4, NFC, 802.11 WAN, and 4G LTE WWAN. Integration and key injection services will take place at POSDATA's PCI-certified deployment center in Louisville, KY.

Conn Byrne, SVP of Sales for Worldnet Payments, and Sarah Adams, SVP of Partner Development at ISVPay

NMI: Living in the USAePay

An acquisition in payments, with NMI (Schaumburg, IL) taking USAePay. In making its announcement, NMI cited the benefit of wider coverage in several key verticals, including retail and hospitality, where USAePay has established footprints due to its card-present offerings in POS. In parallel, NMI projects benefits for its partners: ISVs, VARs, and FinTech. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the combined company has $100 billion in payments volume and 1.5 billion transactions for 2020.

"Addition of USAePay to the NMI family will complement our existing products and bring additional expertise to our team," projected Vijay Sondhi, CEO of NMI. "It will further establish our commitment to offering greater scale, breadth, and depth in our solutions and resources to better serve the market. It reinforces our position as the main independent player of scale delivering flexible white-labeled solutions agnostic of acquirer or merchant account provider."

"We're thrilled to become part of NMI's growth story and to join their global footprint," added Ben Goretsky, CEO of USAePay. "We're proud of the success we've had as an independent payments solutions provider and look forward to enjoying even greater success by combining our complementary capabilities and market coverage with NMI to support a wider range of partners and their merchants with a stronger set of omnichannel solutions." According to NMI, USAePay, founded in 1998, will maintain its staff and offices in Glendale, CA.

NMI Acquires USAePay

Code Corner

Virtual Graphics (Easton, PA) has released its solution, "RevealPrint," which adds easy-to-read color-coding on packaged food labels, in order to indicate the "Nutri-Score." Such colors may be incorporated into stand-alone labels or used as part of scale-generated labels, according to the ISV. Either in-store or processing facilities for packaged foods employing direct-thermal labels may be supported. Also, RevealPrint can be used to identify allergens such as Nuts or Dairy. "Since the labels are BPA/BPS/Phenol and Leuco Dye Free, they are safe for use around foods and are easily recycled," remarked John Guzzo, CEO of Virtual Graphics. "The best part is that RevealPrint works with existing printers and software--with no investment to take advantage of on-demand color."

Nutri-Score Label Using RevealPrint

CERTIFICATION

At the Equinox: Monetra

A turn-key solution for payments has been configured from gateway services by Monetra Technologies (Gainesville, FL) and hardware terminals from Equinox Payments (Phoenix, AZ). Addressing ISVs and VARs, it includes the fixed Luxe 8500i and portable Luxe 6200m by Equinox, using the TranSafe Gateway and UniTerm Device Interface Software by Monetra. It has received certification for Fiserv/First Data.

Accepting credit and debit card payments via EMV and NFC (including Apple Pay and Google Pay), Luxe terminals meet security standards of PCI PTS 5.x, as well as EMV Levels 1&2 and PCI P2PE V3.0 Domains 1&5. A common, proprietary Operating System (O/S) accommodates fixed and mobile use cases, with Luxe SDK (Software Development Kit) supporting development via REST Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) in Linux/HTML/JavaScript (JSON)/C++. Approved Remote Key Injection facilitates upgrade of the software and terminals in the field.

"Every aspect of Luxe terminals has been designed to simplify use, optimize engagement, and reduce PCI overhead," declared Rob Hayhow, VP of Equinox. "Thanks to this plug-and-play integration with the TranSafe gateway, ISVs and POS Developers can quickly offer retailers an improved customer experience backed by robust security technology." As its parent company, Equinox Payments, which was established in 2014, from Hypercom, has NBS Payment Solutions (Toronto, ON, Canada).

A Turn-Key Solution for Payment Processing

SAP Weaves EVO

Approval by SAP for electronic payments through the PayFabric Gateway by EVO Payments (Atlanta, GA). A cloud-based solution, PayFabric hosts credit-card storage with PCI Level 1 Compliance. With such recent certification, it ties payments to the ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) of SAP (sited in the U.S. in Newtown Square, PA).

"With integration of our proprietary technology to the SAP digital payments add-on solution, businesses will be able to utilize our fast and secure solutions to accept and track digital payment transactions for all of their business needs," suggested Brendan Tansill, President of Americas at EVO Payments. As some readers may recall, in 2019 EVO Payments acquired an established partner in processing transactions through SAP: Delego Payments (Kitchener, ON, Canada). Other platforms utilizing EVO's PayFabric include Microsoft Dynamics and Oracle.

In other news, EVO Payments has introduced its pay-at-the-table functionality for hospitality, called "SimpleTab." It supports all credit and debit card transactions, as expected, with EMV and NFC (including Apple Pay and Google Pay). It was introduced with the Move/5000 mobile payment terminal from Ingenico (Greater Atlanta, GA). In dimensions of 6.6 in. (L) x 3.1 in. (W) x 2.2 in. (H), weighing 11 oz./320 g, the Move/5000 runs Ingenico's Telium TETRA O/S, with 3.5" capacitive touchscreen (480x320), integrated thermal printer (2 in./58 mm), 16 keys, and as wireless, Bluetooth 2, 802.11 WLAN, and 4G LTE WWAN.

SAP Certifies PayFabric Platform by EVO Payments

Key Advertiser Links

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

POS & Peripherals
Electronic Payments
Epson America
Harbortouch
HP
Ingenico
Pioneer Solution
POSBANK USA
Posiflex
Revel Systems

Barcode Printers
Bixolon America
Brother Mobile
Godex Americas

Cash Drawers
APG Cash Drawer

Data Collection
CipherLab
Code Corporation
Janam Technologies
Unitech America

Integrated Payment Solutions
Datacap Systems
Electronic Payments
Ingenico
International Bancard
North American Bancard
PAX Technology

Receipt Printers
Brother Mobile
Bixolon America
Epson America
Star Micronics
Woosim Systems

Stands, Mounts, Cradles
Gamber-Johnson

Channel Chatter

Posiflex (New Taipei City, Taiwan) has brought Android 10 with Google Mobile Services (GMS) to its kiosk portfolio of both Posiflex and its subsidiary, Kiosk Information Systems. "This new Android 10 GMS certification milestone is quite significant," reported Owen Chen, CEO of Posiflex. "It allows Google Play and other GMS applications to be installed in our platforms with Android. [Also] it streamlines onboarding onto Google's proven and secure network."

Posiflex Adds GMS to Kiosks

INSTALLATIONS

Crispy Qu Chicken

Qu (Bethesda, MD) has been chosen to overhaul the POS for quick-service restaurant chain, Church's Chicken. As part of its digital transformation, Church's Chicken will employ "Unified" Qu POS for on- and off-premise orders--orchestrated via its single menu management system--thereby adding data-driven marketing and better guest engagement in addition to refreshed POS. At present, Church's Chicken has approximately 1,000 locations in the U.S.

A Request for Proposal (RFP) selection and vetting process was nearly two years in duration and included competitive evaluations of many enterprise POS systems, according to Church's Chicken. A six-month pilot was successfully completed, with widespread roll-out planned. As third-party participants, there's Synergy Suite (back office, in Lehi, UT), Bridg (consumer data and loyalty, in Los Angeles, CA), and HonorBuilt (hardware installation and support, in McDonough, GA).

"Deploying the Qu POS system will help us remove technology barriers blocking our ease of operations and guest engagement," observed Dusty Profumo, EVP and CFO for Church's Chicken. "We're doubling down on new systems to give franchisees the tools for success. Moving to Qu allows us to empower the other best-in-class vendors in our ecosystem. As an organization, we want to be more agile, collaborative, and to help our operators drive top- and bottom-line growth."

Qu POS Deployed by Church's Chicken

Oracle Gives Off Vibes

A trendy urban hotel chain, with "home away from home vibe," Arlo Hotels has turned to Oracle Hospitality's Opera Cloud Property Management System (PMS). It now runs at Nautilus by Arlo in Miami, FL, along with New York City's Arlo SoHo, Arlo Nomad, and the soon-to-open Arlo Midtown. In addition, Arlo Hotels will migrate its food and beverage operations to Oracle-Micros Simphony Cloud Point of Sale.

"We've seen numerous advantages at those hotels using and moving to Opera Cloud during the pandemic," affirmed David Meltzer, Group VP at Oracle Hospitality (Irving, TX). "Staff required to work remotely have full visibility into operations from wherever they are, increasing their efficiency. And they have been able to more quickly adapt to changing market conditions and guest needs whether implementing contactless check-in or marketing to a more local audience."

"As a forward-thinking organization, we knew we wanted to create an experience that was underpinned in innovative and new technologies," contributed Javier Egipciaco, SVP and Managing Director of Arlo Hotels. "This approach allowed us to manage the events of the past year and pave our way forward." Via Opera Cloud's APIs (Application Programming Interfaces), Arlo Hotels has added third party solutions from Zaplox (mobile room keys, New York, NY), IDeas (room inventory control, Bloomington, MN), Knowcross (housekeeping management, New York, NY), and Shift4 (payment processing, Allentown, PA).

Arlo Hotels Turns to Oracle Hospitality

Channel Factoid

A Merchant View

2021 POS Priorities:

-67%: Add/Enhance Order Management System (OMS)/Real-Time Product Visibility

-52%: Omni-Channel Capabilities/Integration of BOPIS (Buy-Online/Pick-Up In-Store) or BOPAC (Buy-Online/Pick-Up at Curb)

-52%: POS Software Upgrade/Replacement

-33%: Mobile POS

2021 Future Growth Plans:

-56%: Brick-and-Mortar Stores

-48%: Regional Fulfillment Centers

-44%: Store-within-a-Store

-26%: Pop-Up Shops

-22%: Dark Stores/Dedicated Online Fulfillment

-19%: Special Event Hosting/Venue

-11%: Mall Kiosks

-7%: Cafe/Restaurant/Bar

-7%: Showrooms

Source: "2021 POS & Customer Engagement Report," by Retail Consulting Partners (Boston, MA)

A Priority for Merchants: POS Software Upgrade

HELLO GOODBYE

A Ripe Cherry

A new CEO for Cherry Americas (Kenosha, WI): Richard Simone. He joins the company from video surveillance manufacturer Hanwha Techwin America, formerly Samsung Techwin America, where he served as VP of Sales and Merchandising (2015 to 2020). Earlier, he rose from Group Manager to VP of Sales and Merchandising at Panasonic (2005 to 2015).

"Cherry is a premier global brand known for superior product quality, style, and ergonomic design," reflected Simone. "My goal is to significantly expand our footprint in both consumer and B2B markets. To that end, we're planning to bring a slew of exciting new products to market, while we substantially expand our presence in both traditional and digital commerce channels. I'm proud to join a passionate and highly capable team here at Cherry."

"This is an exciting time for Richard to join our company," commented Rolf Unterberger, CEO of Cherry GmbH (Germany). "We want more American consumers and organizations to experience the Cherry difference. Richard possesses the experience and leadership capabilities we need to achieve that goal." In POS: Cherry's G86 Series.

Richard Simone, CEO, Cherry Americas

Action at FAPS

First American Payment Systems (Fort Worth, TX) has enlisted Oscar Lopez as its Director of Sales. He joins the payment processor from Clearent, where he served as Regional Director of Sales (2020-2021). Previous roles include VP and Regional Sales Leader at Bank of America Merchant Services (2017 to 2020) and Associate VP at Wells Fargo (2010 to 2017). An enhancement of the company's strategic partnership and reseller channel was cited as one of his responsibilities.

"Taking a successful team to the next level requires skill, passion, and the ability to articulate knowledge into actionable lessons," noted John Newton, VP of the Strategic Partnership Channel at First American Payment Systems. "Oscar is an accomplished salesperson, and I am confident his leadership style will build both the trust and respect of his team and help us achieve our goals."

At First American, also, several executives will hold positions in the Electronic Transaction Association (Washington, DC) for 2021: Angela Carranza, Manager of Strategic Partnerships, for the Engagement and Technology Committees; Fred Clayton, Manager, Information Security and Compliance, for the Technology Committee; Brian Dorchester, EVP of Operations, for the Risk, Fraud, and Security Committee; and Rebecca Walden, VP of Marketing, for the Communications Committee.

Oscar Lopez, Director of Sales, First American Payment Systems