Our Product Pick

TSC America (Brea, CA) has unboxed its new thermal PEX-1000 Series Print Subsystem. Measuring 9.7 in. (W) x 11 in. (H) x 15.4 in. (D), weighing 28.7 lbs., the PEX-1000 features die-cast, bolt-compatible construction, 3.5" color display (320x240), 32-Bit RISC CPU, 512-MB ROM/512-MB RAM, and Micro-SD. With print width of 100 mm (4"), it furnishes print speed of 6 in./152 mm to 18 in./457 mm per second and resolution of 203, 300, and 600 dpi. As connectivity, in addition to General Purpose I/O (GPIO), there's USB, Parallel, Serial, and Ethernet, with optional Bluetooth 4.0 and 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi. It's ideal for manufacturing and logistic applications requiring high speed and high demand label printing, and offers simple integration for new and existing installations, stated TSC America.

PEX-1000 Label Print Subsystem by TSC

COMPANY BUSINESS

HP "Primes" the SMB

HP (Palo Alto, CA) has unveiled its new all-in-one for the SMB, entitled HP Engage One Prime. In sleek design, the Engage One Prime, described as "budget friendly," has 14" backlight touchscreen (1920x1080) that flips between store associates and customers (with optional 7" customer-facing display). It measures 13.1 in. (W) x 10.2 in. (D) x 5 in. (H), weighs 7.9 lbs., runs Android 8.1 O/S, and has Qualcomm APQ8053 Snapdragon Processor and choice of CPU, Memory, and Storage.

A suitable line-up of features includes cable management, camera-based scanner, MSR, NFC, USB-C x 1, USB-A x 2, Bluetooth 4.2, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi, and rating of IP-52. Interestingly, with the debut of Engage One Prime, HP has partnered with payment pioneer PayPal (San Jose, CA). A bundle may hold software and peripherals for POS; chip, tap, and swipe payment reader by PayPal; and HP Warranty. A select number of ISVs in POS will work with HP.

"To effectively compete in today's market, small and medium-sized retailers and hospitality operators need more than a cash register and a storefront, they want solutions that enable them to improve customer experiences in their retail and hospitality environments," expressed Aaron Weiss, VP and GM for Retail Solutions at HP. "HP Engage One Prime is built to meet the needs of smaller retailers, and our collaboration with industry leading payment processor PayPal delivers an end-to-end solution that's versatile, reliable, and secure." It joins the Engage One and Engage Go in HP's new retail portfolio for POS.

HP Engage One Prime POS Terminal

Celerant's MePOS Movement

Celerant Technology (Staten Island, NY) has enlisted UK-based vendor of POS, Unique Secure. Under this partnership, Celerant's store management system, designated Status Retail, will run on the tablet-based MePOS by Unique Secure. As one of the leading developers in mid-market retail, including apparel, gift shops, and sporting goods, Celerant Technology recently celebrated its 20th Anniversary.

"Integrating our browser-based point-of-sale and retail software with Unique Secure's tablet-based MePOS Pro devices simplifies the buying decision for our retail clients," elaborated Ian Goldman, President and CEO of Celerant Technology. "Our combined mobile solution offers everything a retailer needs in a single package, including innovative retail software through a mobile POS terminal with flexible EMV payment options." (At Unique Secure, Jay Overholts serves as Channel Development Manager for MePOS.)

A modular system comprised of base unit, tablet tower, and pillar for payment device, the MePOS easily converts to kiosk or mobile station. As integrated thermal printer there's the Model A798 from CognitiveTPG (Ithaca, NY), with 80-mm (3") print width, maximum speed of 6 in./152 mm per second, and 203-dpi resolution. With polycarbonate panels and skins in black, white, or custom graphics, the base unit measures 12 in. (W) x 9.8 in. (H) x 6.5 in. (D), weighs 10.3 lbs., and furnishes USB, Serial, and Ethernet I/O's. As readers may recall, MePOS was promoted at the 2016 National Retail Federation (NRF) Show by AnywhereCommerce (Montreal, Canada).

A Bundle of Stratus Retail by Celerant Technology and MePOS by Unique Secure

Worth Your While

NRF's Big Show
National Retail Federation
January 13-15
New York, NY

Inspire
Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA)
February 3-6
Fort Myers, FL

NGA Show
National Grocers Association
February 24-27
San Diego, CA

ProMat
Material Handling Institute (MHI)
April 8-11
Chicago, IL

ETA Transact
Electronic Transactions Association
April 30-May 2
Las Vegas, NV

NRA Show
National Restaurant Association
May 18-21
Chicago, IL

Pack Expo
Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute (PMMI)
September 23-25
Las Vegas, NV

ALL IN THE FAMILY

Epson Goes Sticky

A longer list of choices in concert with printers by Epson America (Long Beach, CA). As repositionable media, to accompany the thermal Epson TM-L90 Plus Liner-Free Compatible (LFC), there's new possibilities from MAXStick Int. (Lancaster, PA) and StickyPOS/Documotion Research (Santa Ana, CA). In the first: MAXStick X2 Full Coverage Adhesive-MS214290X2, MAXStick2GO Diamond Adhesive Formation-MS2143852GOPLUSD, and MAXStick Plus Diamond Adhesive Formation-MS318290PLUSD. In the second: StickyPOS ECO-BT-58X315, ECO BT-40X315, and ECO BT-80X315. (Earlier products from the suppliers were approved.)

"Use of tested labels helps ensure that print quality and print-head life will be maintained, which is critical for our customers," stressed Gregg Brunnick, Director of Product Management and Technical Services, Business Systems Division, at Epson America. As benefits of the TM-L90 Plus LFC, Epson cited enhanced paper savings, support for receipt printing, built-in USB, flexibility for 40-, 58- and 80-mm (3") media, and more intuitive on-off switching. All new media choices from MAXStick and StickyPOS are Silicon-Free and Bisphenol-Free (BPA-Free).

Also, Epson America has added two new partners for its thermal TM-m30 Receipt Printer: Aila Technologies (Natick, MA) and SpeedETab (Miami, FL). Aila will integrate the Epson TM-m30 into its scanning-enabled Interactive Kiosk, which provides coupons and tickets at deli counters and custom-order stations. SpeedETab will utilize the TM-m30 in its mobile ordering solution for iPad POS. In cubic dimensions of 5 x 5 x 5 in. (127 x 127 x 127 mm), the Epson TM-m30 has print width of 80 mm (3") and print speed of 7.9 in./200 mm per second at 203 dpi.

More Media Choices for Epson's TM-L90 Plus LFC

Casting Light Upon Loyalty

ISV Lightspeed POS (Montreal, Canada) has introduced its new functionality, entitled Lightspeed Loyalty. It follows the recent purchase of branded loyalty platform, ReUp (Toronto, Canada). As elements, there's rewards program, automated marketing, customer insights, and native application (in this case, for restaurants only). At present, ReUp has awarded 60 million points to over 200,000 customers.

"Lightspeed Loyalty allows retailers and restaurants to take service to the next level," suggested Dax Dasilva, Founder and CEO of Lightspeed. "We're providing these businesses with the tools to break down barriers, thus fostering strong customer relationships, driving repeat visits and increasing revenues, no matter the season." As ideal markets for Lightspeed Loyalty, Dasilva identified independent businesses such as boutiques, pet stores, coffee shops, and fine dining restaurants.

One of the very first developers of Apple POS, founded in 2005, Lightspeed raised $166 million in Series D Funding in 2017. With 700 employees, it plans an IPO, expecting upwards of $200 million, in 2019. Earlier this year, it unveiled its Retail Success Index (RSI) which allows retailers and restaurants to evaluate their capabilities in five key areas: inventory management, employee management, marketing and customer relationship management, data intelligence, and sales sophistication. After taking the test, "business owners can refocus their efforts on improving key categories, which in turn elevates business health," expounded Dasilva.

Debut of Lightspeed Loyalty for the SMB

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A Year in Review 2018

Week of December 10

Week of November 26

ALLIANCES

POSDATA Gets the Poynt

POSDATA Group will distribute payment systems by Poynt in North America. Included are the Poynt Smart Terminal and Poynt 5. In sleek consumer design, the Poynt Smart Terminal has 7" merchant-facing touchscreen, integrated thermal receipt printer, and 4.3" customer-facing touchscreen. In smartphone format, the Poynt 5, with 5" touchscreen, addresses mobile environments such as pay-at-the-table. Running PoyntOS, each takes MSR, EMV, NFC, and QR Codes.

"Poynt is the type of organization we strive to work with, as they have deep expertise in point-of-sale and payments, with an innovative product line," indicated Jeffrey Creighton, President and CEO of POSDATA (Gig Harbor, WA). "This agreement provides our reseller community with access to products that are technologically advanced, cost-effective, and portable, with strong wireless communications capabilities." With its certified point-to-point encryption (P2PE) key injection and distribution center in Louisville, KY, POSDATA is one of the largest shippers of payment processing systems for the POS Channel.

"With an open commerce ecosystem, we can enable an amazing level of innovation and growth that hasn't existed before, and merchants can finally match consumer expectations," declared Osama Bedier, Founder and CEO of Poynt (Palo Alto, CA). Launched in 2013, and enjoying funding from Elavon, Google Ventures, and the Stanford-StartX Fund, among others, Poynt has shipped 150,000 devices in the last 16 months. Approximately 8,000 third-party developers reportedly build on Poynt.

Poynt Smart Terminal for Payments

It's Better With Coca-Cola

An investment of $10 Million in Series A Funding for Omnivore (Hayward, CA). Investors include the Coca-Cola Company, the Performance Food Group, and Owner of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Jeff Vinik. A leading foodservice distributor, the Performance Food Group has 73 Distribution Centers (DC's), 5,000 suppliers, and 150,000 customers across the U.S. Established in 2014, Omnivore offers its "Universal" API (Application Programming Interface) for POS.

"We clearly understand that the growth in the restaurant and hospitality industry is pinned to consumer and staff expectations of technology and how they use it, very similar to what happened with the travel, lodging, and retail industries," relayed Mike Wior, CEO of Omnivore. "We've enjoyed playing a role enabling innovation and integration in all restaurant technology categories such as online ordering, third-party delivery, pay-at-the-table, loyalty, and labor. We will continue to enable the industry in these areas while adding new capabilities and ensuring agility and affordability."

A pair of new platforms were announced by Omnivore: data warehousing and central menu management. Each addresses operators and technology providers in hospitality. As its goal, the central menu management platform will seek to consolidate dozens of offerings across online ordering, third-party delivery, digital menus, and self-service kiosks. In July 2018, perhaps not coincidentally, Omnivore hired an executive from Coca-Cola, Shane Wheatland, as its new Chief Marketing Officer.

A New Round of Investment in Omnivore, Led by Coca-Cola

Code Corner

Linga POS, the flagship product of Benseron Hospitality (Naples, FL), now features full integration with QuickBooks, QuickBooks for Windows, QuickBooks Online, Xero, Sage One, and Exact. Achieved via a third party middleware, Shogo, it enables sales data to be posted automatically each day, without hand counting, importing, or exporting. End-users may choose posting methods. In QuickBooks, for example, sales data may be entered as sales receipts or journal entries, while in Xero, entered as invoices or journal entries. And data may be grouped in whole or in part to match the way it's deposited to the business bank account by the merchant services provider. Also, with this integration, Linga provides sales dashboards for individual locations and across multiple locations. In addition to POS, Linga has Inventory Management, Customer Loyalty, Online Ordering, and Reporting and Analytics. "Expanding our platform to meet the needs of our customers," noted Onur Haytac, Linga CEO.

Linga POS Links to Major Accounting Systems

ENVIRONMENTS/PLATFORMS

ISVs Hook Bluefin

Bluefin (Atlanta, GA) has offered its standalone version of its online Point-to-Point Encryption (P2PE) Manager. Intended for processors, payment gateways, and ISVs, the P2PE Manager addresses the Payment Card Industry (PCI) chain of custody requirements for devices and automatically logs all records needed to generate reports for compliance, eliminating the need for spreadsheet-based manual tracking. Along with the company's "Decryption-as-a-Service," dubbed "Decryptx," P2PE Manager was originally deployed by Bluefin in 2014.

According to Bluefin, P2PE Manager works with all major device manufacturers and integrates to nine key injection facilities (KIF). In September 2018, Bluefin added capabilities to track and facilitate remote key injection (RKI). As many readers will recognize, RKI allows for devices already deployed in the field to be injected onsite rather than taken out of service and shipped to the KIF. (Coming for Bluefin P2PE Manager, more KIF's.)

"We quickly realized that in order to simplify the chain of custody requirements for our merchants, we had to build an online system where our clients could track, activate, and retire their P2PE devices, as well as easily produce their 'attestation' reports," recounted Ruston Miles, Chief Strategy Officer for Bluefin. "Today, we have more than 90 partners that have connected to Bluefin for P2PE and we believe that decoupling our P2PE Manager will greatly benefit other P2PE providers, who may not offer any sort of device tracking or program management system for P2PE." (A rule of thumb in payment processing: to authenticate the card, EMV; to protect card data in motion, P2PE; to protect card data at rest, Tokenization.)

Bluefin P2PE Manager's Device Activation Guide

Raising Its iQ

A new name and identity for video surveillance leader DTT, now calling itself "DTiQ." A number of moves have preceded the rebranding--its new corporate headquarters in Boston, MA; purchase of loss prevention supplier LP Innovations (Milford, MA) and data analytics firm 360iQ (Los Angeles, CA); recruitment of its new management team; and addition of 5,000 new customer locations--all of which took place in 2018. Addressing retail, restaurants, and convenience stores, DTiQ partners with many the leading vendors of POS.

"We help [owners and operators] measure the real customer experience," proposed Mike Coffey, CEO of DTiQ. "We identify which employees are engaged, deliver loss prevention services, and can even interact in real-time remotely [as MSP]. We do this with the best technology, using a true 'mobile first' experience, with state-of-the-art surveillance equipment supported by cloud-based analytics and AI. Our solution delivers in a way that cuts through the clutter--bringing the key metrics that matter to the forefront for [owners and operators] with our SmartAudits."

"My business has so many moving parts and I needed a way to be in multiple places at one time. I also needed to see the most important data--the critical insights that would enable me to maximize profit and loss prevention at my Burger King franchises at over 30 locations," contributed Sanjay Patel, Principal at Devs Foods LLC (Edison, NJ). "I have been one of their customers for over three years and have been thrilled with how they have helped me improve my business and bottom line." A long list of national brands/franchises employ DTiQ.

DTT Recharges as DTiQ

Key Advertiser Links

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

POS & Peripherals
Aures
Bematech
CRS, Inc.
Electronic Payments
Harbortouch
Hewlett-Packard
Ingenico
Pioneer POS
POSBANK USA
Posiflex
Toshiba GCS
WooPOS

Barcode & Transaction Printers
Brother Mobile
CognitiveTPG
Godex Americas

Cash Drawers
APG Cash Drawer
MMF POS

Data Collection
CipherLab
Code Corporation
Janam Technologies

Integrated Payment Solutions
Datacap Systems
Electronic Payments
EVO Payments/Sterling
Ingenico

Receipt Printers
Bixolon America
CognitiveTPG
Epson America
Fujitsu
Star Micronics

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

INSTALLATIONS

A Wager on RFID in Reno

A leading integrator of Auto ID, MSM Solutions (Memphis, TN), has installed real-time inventory management via RFID for the world's largest men's accessory company, Randa, in their Reno, NV, Fulfillment Center. Employing its flagship Portal Track Software and hardware from Zebra Technologies (Lincolnshire, IL), MSM Solutions furnishes visibility of pallets by information such as Customer Name, Destination, P.O. Number, and Date. It provides mapping, by designated zones, of the entire 525,000-square-foot facility, including main staging and shipping areas as well as cross ways. An unique ID is assigned.

Its solution has Model FX7500 Fixed RFID Readers from Zebra, with cube of four antennas, evenly distributed on overhead support beams. All pallets are tagged with labels for RFID by Smartrac (Amsterdam, The Netherlands). As web-enabled devices for workers, MSM Solutions chose the Model MC3190-Z Mobile RFID Reader by Zebra. Overall, tens of millions of units of product will efficiently move through this facility annually, according to MSM Solutions and Randa.

"We have replicated this same model with other customers and see a continual climb in the number of requests for similar applications," disclosed Brett Wilkerson, Barcode/RFID Business Development Manager for MSM Solutions. "As RFID becomes more and more mainstream, we will see many more customers adopt this approach and leverage the power of RFID to identify, track, count, and manage inventory." Started in 1981, MSM Solutions was formerly known as Mid-South Marking Systems.

MSM Solutions Deploys Real-Time Inventory Management for Randa Fulfillment Center in Nevada

Warming Up at Jesta I.S.

Jesta I.S. (Montreal, Canada), one of the leading solution providers in apparel, housewares, and electronics, has deployed its retail suite for Christy Sports. With 55 locations in CO, UT, NM, and WA, Christy Sports sells winter gear and patio furniture. The first phase of this implementation is complete with Jesta's Financials, Merchandising, POS, Mobile, Gift Cards, and Loyalty currently operational across one of the recent acquisitions of Christy Sports, BootDoctors.

In addition to the suite of installed modules of Jesta I.S., Christy Sports will implement Jesta's Warehouse Management and Analytics Solutions. "With our continued growth and acquisitions, Christy Sports needed a partner to work with us from beginning to end to provide a complete omnichannel software solution and also robust implementation and service," emphasized Matt Gold, CEO at Christy Sports. "The convenience and economies of scale that Jesta I.S. provides by packaging multiple solutions in a single platform will improve our operational excellence and efficiency, and also allow us to further elevate our high levels of guest service and experience."

"We are delighted to be partnering with Christy Sports and to complement their impressive growth with our omnichannel foundational solutions," remarked Arvind Gupta, COO of Jesta I.S. "We have taken a practical, multi-phased approach to roll out our Vision Suite across all Christy Sports banners. With the successful launch of live operations at BootDoctors, we are now looking forward to delivering inspiring associate and customer experiences while introducing operational efficiencies across all Christy Sports divisions."

Vision Suite by Jesta I.S.

Channel Factoid

-Most retail decision makers, 83%, and store associates, 74%, concur that shoppers can have a better in-store experience via technology.

-66% of store associates believe if they are equipped with tablets, they could provide better customer service and improve the shopping experience.

-55% of store associates agree that their company is understaffed, and 49% feel overworked.

-42% of store associates find they have little time to help shoppers because of pressure to get other tasks completed, while 28% claim it's difficult to get information to help shoppers.

-13% of shoppers completely trust retailers to protect their personal data, the lowest level of trust among ten industries surveyed, and 73% of shoppers want flexibility to control personal information.

-80% of retail decision makers--compared to 49% of store associates--agree that staff checkout areas are becoming less necessary due to new technologies.

-68% of store associates feel that electronic shelf labels would improve the customer experience, and 54% of shoppers are likely to read them.

-60% of retailers plan to increase their spend on handheld mobile computers by more than 6%, and 21% of retailers plan to increase their spend on rugged tablets by more than 10% over the next three years.

-"Our study reveals shopper expectations are on the rise," observed Jeff Schmitz, SVP and CMO for Zebra Technologies. "While retailers are addressing fulfillment challenges, they also need to provide more trusted, personalized shopping experiences."

Two Thirds of Store Associates Approve of Tablets

Channel Kudos

. . . to POS Nation (Charlotte, NC), which for the fourth straight year has been named the Top pcAmerica Dealer by Heartland Payment Systems/Global Payments.

HELLO GOODBYE

An Opening at PAR

A job posting at PAR Technology Corporation, parent of ParTech (New Hartford, NY): CEO. Following the recent departure of Donald Foley, CEO and President since April 2017, PAR has named Savneet Singh, of the Company's Board of Directors, as its Interim CEO and President. A resume in venture capital and crypto-currency accompanies Singh, with roles of Partner in Tera Holdings (2017 to Present), Partner in CoVenture (2018 to Present), Founder of GBI LCC (2009 to 2017), and Advisor to the Digital Currency Group (2014 to 2015).

"Don [Foley] helped guide the company through a period of significant transition and development," commented Cynthia Russo, Lead Independent Director of the Board. "We thank Don for his service. Looking ahead, the search to identify a permanent CEO is well underway and we will work diligently to identify the best candidate to lead the company and drive stockholder value. We are pleased to have an executive of Savneet's caliber lead the company during this interim period and expect his technology and business experience will ensure a smooth transition period." A longtime supplier of POS, ParTech.

Savneet Singh, Interim CEO and President, PAR Technology Corporation

On the Up

Hospitality ISV Upserve (Providence, RI) has engaged Sheryl Hoskins as its new CEO. She comes from the Active Network (a former part of Vista Equity Partners, now owned by Global Payments), where she served as GM (2012 to 2018). Outgoing CEO Angus Davis will serve as Strategic Advisor to the Upserve Board of Directors. As many readers will remember, Davis founded Swipley in 2009, purchased Breadcrumb POS from Groupon in 2016, and rebranded the combined entity as Upserve.

"I'm excited to be joining such a high growth, ambitious, and truly talented team at Upserve," volunteered Hoskins. "A total of 14.7 million Americans work in the foodservice industry and Upserve has a unique opportunity to make their lives easier and drive more profits for small business owners that make up 90% of our customer base. There's a lot of opportunity to help these restaurants thrive."

Sheryl Hoskins, CEO, Upserve

In Mi9's Service

Mi9 Retail (Miami, FL), one of the energetic suppliers of enterprise software for retailers, wholesalers, and consumer brands, has signed John Sarvari as its Chief Technology Officer. He brings his experience from fellow ISV, JDA Software, in roles of Group VP of Technology (2014 to 2018), Group VP of Global Solutions Engineering (2012 to 2014), and VP of Solutions Engineering (2005 to 2012). Earlier, he served as Director of Solutions Consulting at Manugistics (1998 to 2005).

"The remarkable growth that Mi9 Retail has achieved over the last few years makes it an especially exciting time to join the company," shared Sarvari. "I look forward to guiding the leadership team to make new technology investments and decisions that will drive a culture of innovation and excellence while equipping our current and future customers to grow and outsmart their competition." Added Neil Moses, CEO of Mi9 Retail, "As [his being] both a recognized technology strategist and visionary leader, I have no doubt that John's proven track record of success will benefit the company and our customers."

John Sarvari, Chief Technology Officer, Mi9 Retail