Our Product Pick

Posiflex (Hayward, CA) has unwrapped its new kiosk, the Paragon TK3200 Series. It features high-definition 32" projected-capacitive touch display, purpose-built componentry, and durable enclosure (for single- or dual-sided pedestal, or wall-mount). In dimensions of 19.5" (W) x 7.2" in. (D) x 46.4" (H), the main unit weights 62 lbs. It has Intel Bay Trail J1900 Quad-Core CPU at 2.4 GHz, 2M Cache, 8-GB Memory (for Model TK3230) or Intel Skylake i3-6100U Dual-Core CPU at 2.3 GHz, 3M Cache, 16-GB Memory (for Model TK3250). A detachable 3" printer with auto-cutter is standard, with optional peripherals for scanner, proximity sensor, camera, MSR/EMV, RFID, and Wi-Fi. A major push into self-service for Posiflex, now comprised of Posiflex Business Machines (POS), Kiosk Information Systems (Kiosks), and Portwell (Embedded Computing).

Paragon TK3200 Series by Posiflex

COMPANY BUSINESS

A Sky Full of ISVs (at Star)

Star Micronics America (Somerset, NJ) has unveiled its new program for ISVs, entitled the Star Select Club. It offers exclusive benefits and resources for software developers involved with the popular family of printer products by Star. With this membership, ISVs will gain access to the Star ISV Partner Portal.

A tier of levels, with escalating benefits, comprise the program: Bronze, Silver, and Gold. In addition to the sales and technical support and marketing resources of the Bronze Level, the Silver Level adds digital marketing initiatives, pre-release product information, and extended sales support. A Gold Level contains all the benefits from Bronze and Silver, and adds dedicated technical and marketing support with first-pick selection of co-marketing activities. Upon sign-up, members will be informed on their tier level, what it includes, and how to advance.

"We deeply value our partnerships with ISVs," indicated Christophe Naasz, Director of Business Development at Star Micronics America. "Because of this, we are always looking for new ways to provide them with additional value. We've been committed to building this loyalty club for the benefit of our software vendors and are looking forward to the launch of this program." Any questions, contact Brianna Moriarty, Partner Development Manager at Star Micronics America.

Star Micronics Launches Star Select Club for ISVs

A New Label for TSC

A major move for printer vendor TSC Auto ID Technology, new owner of Diversified Labeling Solutions, Inc. (Itasca, IL). Established in 1985, DLS has grown into one of the largest business-to-business label companies in the U.S. It has over 200 employees, locations in Illinois, Georgia, Texas, and Nevada, and 320,000 square feet of production space. As customers, it serves VARs, Distributors, and OEMs.

Under this acquisition, DLS will remain as separate entity, retain its name and brand, and maintain all of its current employees and executive leadership, including CEO, Jim Kersten, according to TSC. Additional oversight of DLS for both TSC and subsidiary Printronix Auto ID will be provided by John Otott, Global GM of TSC's Consumable Products Business Unit. (Based in Brea, CA, TSC America is led by Kevin Aie, CEO, and David Lundeen, VP of Sales and Marketing.)

"We are very excited about the new offerings we are going to be able to provide our partners, and we could not have found a better company to acquire than DLS," remarked Sam Wang, President of TSC Auto ID Technology (Taipei, Taiwan). "They have a great reputation in the industry for quality and integrity." And with this move, TSC--one of the top manufacturers of thermal label printers worldwide--joins its largest competitors in the U.S. in having its own printer manufacturing and label converting facilities. "We will faithfully adhere to, and build upon, this excellent foundation," stated John Otott.

TSC Auto ID Technology Buys Diversified Labeling Solutions, Inc.

Worth Your While

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

WERC
Warehousing Education and Research Council
April 28-May 1
Columbus, OH

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

NACS Show
National Association of Convenience Stores
October 2-4
Atlanta, GA

ALL IN THE FAMILY

Bixolon: Big on Barcode

Bixolon America (Gardena, CA) has furthered its efforts in label printing with the introduction of its industrial thermal XT5 Series. First to market is the 4" XT5-40 with print speed of 14 in./356 mm per second at 203 dpi for text, graphics, and 1D/2D barcodes. It features durable aluminum body and anti-adhesive metal case, space-saving double-folding door, toolless maintenance, 3.5" full-color TFT LCD with intuitive UI, built-in Bluetooth and 802.11 Wi-Fi, and USB, Parallel, Serial, and Ethernet I/O's. It's compatible with market-leading programming languages, including SLCS, BPL-Z, BPL-E, and BPL-D. Options include Model XT5-43 at resolution of 300 dpi and Model XT5-46 at 600 dpi.

In addition, it supports label design software such as Bixolon's Label Artist, Label Artist Mobile (for iOS and Android), and Seagull Scientific's BarTender. A "Smart Connection" facilitates set-up with Wi-Fi, and its "Twin Function" enables transfer of printer settings and data (templates, images, and fonts) via USB Storage. A web-based remote profile manager, or "XPM," will soon be introduced by Bixolon.

"Bixolon is striving to continuously extend its label printer line-up," proclaimed John Kim, Marketing Director at Bixolon Ltd., based in South Korea. "The XT5 Series is designed for heavy-duty label printing in the logistics, manufacturing, and warehousing industry due to its robust design, high-quality performance, easy maintenance, and flexible support and service." In conversation at the recent National Retail Federation (NRF) Show, Bixolon, one of the leading players in receipt printing, emphasized its elevated efforts in label printing for 2019.

Bixolon's XT5-40 Industrial Label Printer

Seiko Shows 3" Mobile

Seiko Instruments USA, Thermal Printer Division (Torrance, CA), has presented its new mobile thermal printer, the 3" MP-B30. With print speed of 5 in./127 mm per second at 203 dpi, it features dimensions of 4.1 in. (W) x 5 in. (L) x 2.3 in. (D) and weight of 14 oz. As connectivity, in addition to USB, it offers Bluetooth and 802.11 Wi-Fi. A rechargeable Li-Ion Battery is supported by optional charging cradle.

Supporting iOS, Windows, and Android O/S, with Software Development Kits (SDK), the MP-B30 has ruggedness of IP-54 for water and dust and 6-ft./1.8-m drop rating. An operating temperature range of -4 to +131 Degrees F is cited, along with "simple operation and stylish design." As markets for the MP-B30, Seiko identified retail, hospitality, e-citation, and warehousing/logistics.

"In following up to both the 4" MP-A40 and 2" MP-B20 Mobile Printers, our new 3" MP-B30 far exceeds any other printer in its class when it comes to reliability, ease of use, and durability," declared Yoshi Murakami, GM, Thermal Printer Division, Seiko Instruments USA. "Keeping the needs of our customers in mind, the printer will go above and beyond to deliver high-quality receipt printing in settings where speed, easy access, and unpredictable conditions might occur, thus making it one of the most versatile printer models currently on the market." Shipments of the MP-B30 Series will start in the Spring.

Seiko Instruments' MP-B30 Mobile Printer

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Week of January 7

A Year in Review 2018

Week of December 10

ALLIANCES

Janam Goes Sledding

Janam Technologies (Woodbury, NY) has unboxed its new UHF RFID Sled for its popular rugged touch computers, the XT2 Series. It enables tag writing and tag location, with read range of more than 22 ft./6.7 m for EPC Global Gen2 ISO 18000-6C. Weighing less than 1 lb., with comfortable, ergonomic design, it carries its own 3350-mAh battery.

Debuted in 2016, the XT2 has 5" capacitive touchscreen (720x1280), Zebra's SE4710 1D/2D scan engine, front- and rear-facing cameras (2- and 8-megapixel), Bluetooth, 802.11 Wi-Fi, and 4G LTE WAN. It measures 6.1 in. (L) x 3.2 in. (W) x 0.9 in. (D), and weighs 10 oz., with ratings of IP-67, MIL-STD-810G, and 5-ft./1.5-m drop resistance. It runs Android 5. Janam offers Android 6, or Windows 10 IoT Mobile Enterprise, and Honeywell's N6603 1D/2D scan engine on its Model XT2+.

"Janam's state-of-the-art UHF RFID Sled turbo-boosts the capabilities of the XT2 Series for organizations that require superior barcode scanning and enterprise-class RFID reading capabilities in the same device," emphasized Harry Lerner, CEO of Janam Technologies. "By providing users with the ability to easily slip an XT2 or XT2+ into the sled or detach those same devices to use them in standard mode, Janam's newest RFID accessory combines power, performance, and flexibility in the most challenging work environments." Expect more news from Janam Technologies, Lerner told RRN.Com at the recent National Retail Federation (NRF) Show.

Janam's UHF RFID Sled for XT2 Series

Equinox Shines With NCR

NCR Corporation (Atlanta, GA) has approved use of payment devices from Equinox Payments (Scottsdale, AZ) for its cloud-based security platform, NCR Connected Payments. As part of this partnership, the Equinox Luxe 8500i and Luxe 6200m Terminals achieve end-to-end EMV on the processing platform by First Data. Advanced features include Payment Card Industry (PCI) 5.x Certification, Secure Reading and Exchange of Data (SRED), and Point-to-Point Encryption (P2PE).

A capacity to remotely perform in-lane key injection and software downloads delivers operational efficiencies, stressed Equinox Payments. Also, vivid touch displays--5" or 7" for the countertop Luxe 8500i, 2.4" for the mobile Luxe 6200m--encourage customer engagement. NCR engaged cybersecurity advisor Coalfire (Westminster, CO) to assess and validate the bundle of Equinox/NCR Connected Payments. A Qualified Security Assessor (QSA) for the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), Coalfire.

"We're delighted to be an integral part of NCR's end-to-end payment solution that ticks all the boxes related to changing shopping habits while reducing the time, labor, and overhead of device management," relayed Rob Hayhow, VP of Equinox Payments. "NCR's commitment to future-oriented solutions that support the latest payment schemes and security technologies and engage customers wherever payments take place, means that retailers can implement these future-oriented solutions with confidence." In addition, Equinox Payments has partnered with payment provider ACCEO Tender Retail (Montreal, Canada) for PCI 5.x Certification and P2PE for its Luxe 8500i and Luxe 6200m Payment Terminals with First Data. ACCEO runs Linux.

Equinox Payment Terminals Endorsed by NCR

Code Corner

The Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) has published new requirements for the secure design, development, and maintenance of modern payment software. A PCI Secure Software Standard and PCI Secure Lifecycle Standard are part of this new PCI Software Security Framework. An updated validation program for software vendors and qualification program for assessors, it replaces the current PCI Payment Application Data Security Standard (PA-DSS), which will be retired in 2022. As one quality, it emphasizes the software development process, rather than after-the-fact testing. "Innovation in payments is moving at an incredible pace," noted Troy Leach, Chief Technology Officer for the PCI SSC (Wakefield, MA). "Each advancement provides the industry the opportunity to develop applications more quickly and efficiently than before and to design software for new platforms. The new PCI Secure Software Standard and PCI Secure Lifecycle Standard support this evolution in payment software practices by providing an advanced, dynamic way for developers to demonstrate their software protects payment data." For details, visit the website at www.pcisecuritystandards.org.

New PCI SSC Standards

ENVIRONMENTS/PLATFORMS

Vital Signs at TSYS

A new product suite for POS, dubbed "Vital," has been launched by payment processor TSYS (Columbus, GA). At its center, cloud-based Vital POS Software, with common Vital Back-Office Software. It builds upon assets attained through the purchase of mobile and tablet player iMobile3 (Jacksonville, FL) in June 2018, according to TSYS.

Addressing differing business levels, Vital POS has three choices. As its entry-level option, there's Vital Mobile, which works on the business owner's mobile phone or tablet with an inexpensive, dongle-format card reader for MSR/EMV. As "replacement for countertop payment terminals and electronic cash registers," in the words of TSYS, there's Vital Plus, employing the Model A920 Payment Terminal by Pax Technology (Jacksonville, FL). Finally, for full-featured POS, and its range of accompanying peripherals, there's Vital Select, with PayPoint by Elo (Milpitas, CA).

"Business owners are looking for more than just payment acceptance, and that's what's delivered by Vital," enthused Philip McHugh, Senior EVP and President of Merchant Solutions for TSYS. "It allows them to run their whole business on the platform through a single user interface--making short work of tasks like inventory, time and attendance, and reporting." According TSYS, which purchased integrated payments leader Cayan (Boston, MA) in 2017, Vital offers white-label opportunities for the Channel.

Vital POS Suite Offered by TSYS

. . . And "Revel-ation" for Worldpay

Another joint payment/POS solution, this time from processor Worldpay (Atlanta, GA) and tablet/iOS ISV Revel Systems (San Francisco, CA). With expanded capabilities of Worldpay, end-users of Revel will enjoy more payment options and single point of contact for support, according to the two parties. Additional benefits include dashboard for financial reporting and "more consolidated pricing."

Also with this strengthened relationship, customers of Revel may utilize so-called Fast Access Funding by Worldpay. It allows them to settle their batch and receive same day access to funds 365/24/7. In making their announcement, Worldpay and Revel emphasized merchant data security, such as Point-to-Point Encryption (P2PE) and Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). Also, scalability from start-ups, to multi-locations, to large enterprises.

"Revel's intuitive POS platform with Worldpay's integrated payments processing brings new value to businesses looking for forward-thinking solutions," suggested Matt Taylor, EVP, Head of Global Integrated Payments and SMB E-Commerce at Worldpay. "By working with innovative leaders like Revel, Worldpay is better able to deliver products like Fast Access Funding to the merchant and business owners who can truly benefit from them." As many readers will recall, Taylor was CEO of integrated payments pioneer Mercury Payment Systems.

An Enhanced Relationship for Payments/POS by Revel Systems and Worldpay

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
Bixolon America
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
Star Micronics

Thermal Printers
Seiko Instruments USA

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

Self-Checkout: Grocery Is Green

An interesting confluence of independent grocery, self-checkout technology, and the Channel, with Interstate Cash Register (Knightdale, NC) deploying the System 6 by Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions (Research Triangle Park, NC) for Green Valley Marketplace. In all, 10 stations were placed in two of the three locations in Maryland for Green Valley Marketplace. Almost half of the two stores' transactions--resulting in about 30% of their total revenue--now go through the Toshiba Self Checkout System 6, according to Green Valley Marketplace.

"While only in place a short time, Toshiba's Self Checkout solutions are already paying significant dividends by enabling us to operate in an increasingly profitable and efficient manner," observed Matt Battaglia, VP of Procurement and Marketing for Green Valley Marketplace. "Though we continue to fully staff POS checkout lanes, our customers are finding the self-service systems convenient and intuitive. In light of these encouraging results, we are moving forward to implement additional Toshiba systems throughout other locations."

Running on Toshiba's 4690 O/S, Self Checkout System 6 offers individual scanning, payment, and bagging modules. It leverages the Checkout Environment for Consumer Service (or "CHEC") Software, by Toshiba, for POS and Cash Management. In addition, Self Checkout System 6 now has Enterprise Back-Office System Server (or "eBoss"). Interesting to see more and more sales of self-service and self-checkout--solutions extremely visible at the recent National Retail Federation (NRF) Show--go through the Channel.

Interstate Cash Register Deploys Self Checkout System 6 by Toshiba

[Editor's Note: Also, Toshiba will install 28 of its Self Checkout System 6 and Xsellrate Kiosks for Western Beef in New York. Serving as VAR, STCR (Endwell, NY). Elsewhere, in grocery, it will roll out its TCx 300 POS for Roche Brothers with 20 sites, and 300 lanes, of Sudbury Farms and Brothers Marketplace in Massachusetts.]

A Script for Walgreens: Zebra

Zebra Technologies Corporation (Lincolnshire, IL) has supplied its enterprise data collection hardware for prominent drugstore chain, Walgreens. With approximately 10,000 stores in the U.S., Walgreens has chosen the Model ET50 Tablet and Model TC51 Mobile Handheld Computer by Zebra. With inventory management and assisted selling applications, store employees will more readily perform such functions as planogram checks, product information look-up, and order-for-home or direct-store-delivery--enhancing the customer experience.

"Every customer has his or her unique need when shopping, so each experience needs to be personalized for it to be successful," explained Steve Turner, CIO and SVP of Walgreens. "Zebra's mobile solutions make it easy and frictionless for our team members to complete store management tasks and assist shoppers, so that we can focus on delivering the best possible experience for customers every time." (According to Zebra's 11th Annual Global Shopper Study, 55% of surveyed shoppers and 74% of retail store associates believe store associates equipped with the latest technology improve the overall shopping experience. Good news for Zebra!)

"Zebra's intuitive mobile computing solutions provide Walgreens' team members with an edge in performance," expressed Jeff Schmitz, SVP and CMO for Zebra Technologies. "Through better training and visibility into everything from inventory to shopping behavior, Walgreens is optimizing operations and improving the customer experience with quicker, more knowledgeable service." In deployment for Walgreens, both ET50 and TC51, introduced in 2015 and 2016, respectively, will run Android O/S, supported by Zebra's Mobility DNA.

Walgreens Adopts Zebra's ET50 Tablets and TC51 Mobile Handheld Computers

Channel Factoid

-Retail industry employment in December increased by 15,200 jobs seasonally adjusted from November and 37,600 jobs unadjusted Year-over-Year in the U.S.

-December's retail job numbers build on the revised increase of 31,100 jobs in November from October. The three-month moving average, which had been at a loss of 6,700 jobs as of November, rose to an increase of 13,300 jobs in December.

-December saw monthly gains of 15,000 jobs at general merchandise stores, which include department stores and warehouse clubs, and 4,000 jobs at food and beverage stores. There were losses of 1,100 jobs at online and other non-store retailers, and 9,400 jobs at sporting goods and hobby stores.

-Employment numbers in retail do not include automobile dealers, gasoline stations, and restaurants. Neither do they include retail workers in other parts of the business, such as corporate headquarters, distribution centers, call centers, and innovation labs.

-Preliminary numbers show that retailers hired 576,800 seasonal employees during November and December, down slightly from 582,500 in 2017. A lack of applicants was cited.

-"Today's numbers indicate that labor demand remains strong and signal that the economy is more stable than what the financial markets suggest," expounded Jack Kleinhenz, Chief Economist at the NRF.

Source: National Retail Federation (Washington, DC)

Channel Chatter

A significant change in name and charter for POS Partners, Inc. (Oakbrook Terrace, IL). Adopting the new moniker of ServingIntel Inc., the longtime VAR will shift more efforts into enterprise, cloud, e-commerce, and mobility, while still addressing POS. "The acronym 'POS' is as outdated as the electronic cash register," asserted Lance Bell, President and CEO. "Our up-branding name change is the result of our company's commitment to excel with the fast-paced technological advancements demanded by the marketplace today."

Lance Bell, President and CEO of ServingIntel (Formerly POS Partners)

HELLO GOODBYE

A New Star Sighted

Star Micronics America (Somerset, NJ) has selected Michael Flores as its new Channel Partner Manager. He joins Star from Pioneer Solution, where he served as VP of Distribution (2004 to 2019). Earlier, he served as Sales Director for ScanSource POS and Barcode (1996 to 2004).

"I am excited to be part of the team at Star. The people, products, and company are great," reflected Flores. "Star has seen remarkable growth over the last few years and is positioned to continue leading and looking at new areas of opportunities, and the fact I can contribute to help drive this is exciting." He will be based in Southern California.

Michael Flores, Channel Partner Manager, Star Micronics America

Under PAR

PAR Technology Corporation, parent company of ParTech (New Hartford, NY), has executed the "strategic reduction" of its workforce. It was announced by Savneet Singh, who was appointed Interim CEO and President in January 2019 following the departure of Donald Foley. 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), and Founder of GBI LLC (2009 to 2017).

"The reductions announced today [Monday, January 14, 2019] are another critical step in PAR becoming an efficient and flexible organization in a highly competitive market and in building a solid foundation for the company's future growth," commented Singh. "As a company, we've begun to put a deep discipline around capital allocation with a constant focus on return on invested capital."

"The people who are leaving today have made huge contributions to our company and culture," continued Singh. "We've been humbled to work with each and every one of them and have not lost sight of the impact of our decision; it was difficult, but necessary as we prepare PAR for the future we deeply believe in." According to comments on social media, approximately 20 to 50 employees were terminated. A longtime supplier of POS to the Channel, ParTech.

A "Strategic Reduction" of Workforce at PAR

Atop the Billing Tree

Billing Tree (Phoenix, AZ) has enlisted Christine Lee as its new CEO. She brings an extensive resume in payments, in roles such as President of Moneris U.S. (2012 to 2018), SVP of Vantiv (2010 to 2012), and SVP of National Processing Company/NPC (1995 to 2003 and 2004 to 2010). She's currently President Elect of the Electronic Transactions Association. She's also served as President of the Women's Network in Electronic Transactions and 11-year Board Member of ETA.

"I am pleased Christine accepted the CEO position here at Billing Tree," contributed Edgars Sturans, Former CEO and Board Member. "Her outstanding resume and experience are the perfect fit to build on our 15-year sustained track record of success, innovation, and excellence in client service." As many readers know, Billing Tree provides integrated payment solutions for industries such as healthcare, mortgage, property management, business-to-business, and financial services,

"I'm thrilled to join Billing Tree, a proven payments company with innovative technology solutions, including Payrazr and CareView, which position us for rapid growth within our current and future target verticals," volunteered Lee. "The payments industry is rapidly changing, and my career history will serve us well as we continue to scale Billing Tree's revenue growth and software solutions." With an additional office in Toledo, OH, Billing Tree annually handles $4 billion.

Christine Lee, CEO, Billing Tree