Our Product Pick

Mettler Toledo (Columbus, OH) has introduced its new compact checkout weigh scale, the Ariva-S-Mini. In physical dimensions of approximately 6 inch x 8 inch, with single or dual-interval weighing technology, the Ariva-S-Mini handles maximum load of 15 lbs./6.8 kg. It features cast aluminum housing and stainless steel platter, with ingress sealing, and connects to the POS via RS-232 or USB. It offers resolution of up to 0.002 lbs./1 g for weighing lightweight, high-value items. As an extra benefit, there's energy-saving functionality, along with five-digit backlight display. In addition to less demand for counterspace, "it provides fast weighing and exceptional transaction speed to reduce customer wait times," testified Mettler Toledo.

Ariva-S-Mini Weigh Scale by Mettler Toledo

COMPANY BUSINESS

A New Frontier for Pioneer

A new name and look for one of the stalwarts of our channel: Pioneer Solution Inc. (the former Pioneer POS). Started in 1994, Pioneer (City of Industry, CA), which manufactures "from start to finish" in the U.S., has long sold through ISVs, VARs, and Distributors (i.e., BlueStar, M-S Cash Drawer, and ScanSource POS and Barcode). In addition to retail and hospitality, it markets its terminals to gaming, government, factory automation, and healthcare.

"We are excited to unveil our fresh new look and company name," shared Gee Singgih, CEO. "We are changing our name to Pioneer Solution Inc. to better reflect the broadness of our solution offerings and the verticals our products are designed for. We will still enforce the same product design disciplines and quality assurance to our offerings. Our new website has been custom designed to showcase all of our devices and for ease of use of our partners and their clients."

As part of its rebranding, Pioneer Solution emphasizes three recent product introductions. Of the 15" S-Line II All-in-One POS, stated Singgih, "we have a sleeker look and new technology, along with an integrated thermal receipt printer." Of its 10" Tablet, dubbed T3, "we designed it to be very versatile," continued Singgih, "that's why it has several integrated device and mounting options." Its third new featured product, the 3" STEP-5e direct-thermal printer with front exit, has print speed of 11.8 inch/300 mm per second, auto-cutter rated to 2 million, and USB or Ethernet (with optional Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, of course).

Pioneer Solution's 15" S-Line II POS

Zebra Stages Fashion Show

Zebra Technologies Corp. (Lincolnshire, IL) has showed its new summer line: Total Wearable Solutions. In keeping with future migration, this new ensemble of wearable devices for mobile computing in warehousing and retail targets the Android O/S. It comprises three new pieces of hardware--the WT6000 Industrial Wearable Computer, the RS6000 Wearable Ring Scanner, and the Wireless HS3100 Headset. With this new "multimodal solution"--combining voice, scanning, and visual direction--improvements of 15% in productivity and 39% in accuracy may be achieved in pick-and-pack functions, RRN.Com was told by Michael Petersen, Head of Global Product and Solutions Marketing at Zebra Technologies Corp.

At the heart of the solution lies the WT6000, which measures 4.7 in. (L) x 3.5 in. (W) x 1.3 in. (D) and weighs 8.7 oz. It features 3.2" projected-capacitive touchscreen with on-screen keyboard, Gorilla Glass 3, and "tap-to-pair" NFC technology (as well as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi). A human factor comes into play here, with non-absorbent, "micro-adjustable" vented silicon sleeve, rather than the standard velcro mount for the employee's arm. In addition, WT6000 is "dust-proof, spray-proof, and built to handle sub-zero temperatures as well as 1,000 tumbles," according to Zebra. It has Quad-Core CPU at 1 GHz, 1-GB RAM, and 4-GB Flash.

In the case of the RS6000 Wearable Ring Scanner, Zebra has improved picking speed and accuracy with programmable line-of-sight LED colors to direct user activity as well as improved range and motion tolerance. As the final piece of its Total Wearable Solutions, Zebra has its "Mobility DNA," its software ecosystem for Android (with includes the multimodal, speech-directed TekSpeech Pro 4). "This type of wearable technology will become increasingly important," Petersen told RRN.Com. Over the next four or five years, he estimates the size of the market--and channel sales--could double.

Zebra's New Wearable Warehouse Solution of Mobile Computer, Ring Scanner, and Headset

Worth Your While

RetailNOW
Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA)
July 31-August 3
Grapevine, TX

VARTECH
BlueStar
September 12-14
Paradise Island, Bahamas

Pack Expo
PMMI
November 6-9
Chicago, IL

NRF's Big Show
National Retail Federation
January 15-17, 2017
New York, NY

ALL IN THE FAMILY

Four Years, Pledges Bixolon

Bixolon America (Torrance, CA) has unwrapped its new direct-thermal receipt printer, the 3" SRP-F310II. Measuring 6 in. (W) x 8 in. (L) x 5.8 in. (D), and weighing 4.4 lbs., the SRP-F310II features print speed of 13.8 inch/350 mm per second at 203 dpi. (A 29% increase over the SRP-F310, according to Bixolon.) With front exit design and easy paper loading. the SRP-F310II has the suite of common drivers, Windows, OPOS, JPOS, Linux, along with iOS and Android Software Development Kits (SDKs).

"It's the only POS receipt printer available in the U.S. that has a full four-year warranty," emphasized David Roberts, SVP at Bixolon America. "The SRP-F310II was designed to withstand the most arduous and hectic environments, especially within the hospitality industry. It's also the industry's first waterproof and dust-proof POS receipt printer with an IP-12 class rating."

Other enhanced benefits include its triple interface with on-board USB and Ethernet (and optional Serial, Parallel, Powered USB, Bluetooth, and 802.11b/g/n WLAN). As durability, there's thermal print head with life of 250 km and auto-cutter rated to 3 million. A built-in power supply saves counter space and provides protection from spills. A trio of sensors include paper end, paper near-end, and cover open; eco-friendly low power consumption technology was adopted, with Energy Star.

SRP-F310II Receipt Printer From Bixolon Carries Four-Year Warranty

Partner Tech--The Transformer

Partner Tech (Irvine, CA) has unveiled its next-generation, "configurable" POS, the SP-2500 Series. It provides fanless operation with choice of bezel-free projected-capacitive touchscreen sizes--18.5", 15.6", and 11.6" LCD--for both operation and customer-facing sides. A typical suite of peripherals--two-dimensional barcode scanner, fingerprint reader, camera, MSR, and RFID--add to functionality. It may be mounted on-stand, on the counter, or fixed to the wall.

In terms of power, the SP-2500 Series has Intel Quad-Core Bay Trail J1900 CPU at 2 GHz, 2.5" SATA HDD, and DDR3. It supports Windows 7, POS Ready 7, Windows Embedded 8.1 Industry Pro, and Windows 10 IoT. A full slate of ports further connectivity--including USB 2.0 x 5, USB 3.0 x 1, RJ-45 LAN x 1, RJ-11 Cash Drawer x 2. As options, there's Powered USB (24-V x 1/12-V x 1), Mini-PCIe, and WLAN.

"The SP-2500 Series represents a new standard of POS terminals," declared Sandra Hsia, President of Partner Tech USA. "It combines system performance, functionality, and flexibility for POS environments as they transform in the era of IoT [Internet of Things]. We believe the versatility of the SP-2500 Series is a smart choice, ensuring the continued success of our business partners."

Partner Tech Ships SP-2500 POS Series

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ALLIANCES

ScanSource "LoGs" Vehicle Mounts

ScanSource POS and Barcode (Greenville, SC) will bring the industrial computers of Advantech-DLoG to North America. Based in Germany, DLoG (for "Digital Logistics") was purchased by Advantech in 2010. An exclusive distribution relationship with ScanSource for North America extends satellite offices in Chicago, IL, Atlanta, GA, Palm Desert, CA, and Toronto, Canada.

"In order to provide the service that our customers demand, we continue to build on a world-class network of partners established over many years," observed Michael Kreft, Head of Global Sales at Advantech-DLoG. "ScanSource is our newest partner in this network. They provide excellent services for vendors and resellers and we are looking forward to working with them." As historic partners, he listed VARs, ISVs, and OEMs.

"We are pleased to expand our relationship with Advantech-DLoG to North America," contributed Brenda McCurry, VP of Merchandising, ScanSource POS and Barcode, U.S. and Canada. In her remarks, McCurry emphasized the appeal of Advantech-DLoG's vehicle-mount offerings, in particular. In the latest rankings, ScanSource (including POS and Barcode, Catalyst, Communications, Networking and Security, and Services Group) has moved up 90 spots on the Fortune 1000 to number 685, with $3.2 billion in total sales for Fiscal Year 2015. I remember my first week in our industry, breakfast with CEO Mike Baur of ScanSource and the late Doug Edgell of Edgell Communications, at the National Retail Federation (NRF) Show in the mid-1990's, when they proudly announced they had broken $5 million.

ScanSource Distributes Advantech-DLoG, Including DLT-V72 Series

Look to Gift and Loyalty, Says Datacap

Another gift and loyalty integration for payment middleware technology provider, Datacap Systems (Chalfont, PA): in this case, Factor4 (Broomall, PA). With this effort, the Factor4 software platform now ties to Datacap's ePay and Tran products, which include GIFTePay, TwinTran Server, IPTran LT, and TranCloud. In 2015, Factor4 licensed SparkBase, which Datacap previously supported; it marks two dozen such ties in gift and loyalty for Datacap Systems.

"Gift and loyalty support is an excellent way for ISVs/VARs to provide additional value to their merchant customers," Justin Zeigler, Head of Product for Datacap Systems, told RRN.Com. "Gift cards expand the merchant's consumer base and are generally an easy upsell for ISVs/VARs who can bill additionally for the supplementary features and services. ISVs/VARs who try to upsell every install on gift and loyalty functionality earn more revenue on average per installation than those that only offer gift and loyalty upon request."

"The SparkBase program has been a solid performer with broad usage over the past several years, and Factor4's experience, focus, and dedication is clearly taking it to the next level," corroborated Gale Peters, VP of Sales and Marketing at Datacap Systems. "We look forward to working with Factor4 to expand our mutual success and benefit everyone involved." A Premier Partnership Program has been offered by Factor4, which "is committed to integrating its gift and loyalty platform with all solutions for EMV," in the words of Dan Battista, President.

Gale Peters, VP of Sales and Marketing, Datacap Systems (At Center, White Shirt)

Code Corner

Wavelink (South Jordan, UT) has released "Velocity with Speakeasy," its path forward for voice recognition on Android. It builds, of course, on the company's popular terminal emulation and web-based application generation platform, Velocity. (Along with Wavelink Speakeasy). A variety of warehouse tasks--from receiving and cycle counting to truck loading and put-away--will boost productivity with Velocity with Speakeasy and Android, according to Wavelink. "With the addition of voice via Velocity with Speakeasy, any previous hesitations or objections about adopting Android in the warehouse are significantly reduced, or eliminated altogether," proposed Steve Bemis, VP of Mobile Productivity at Wavelink.

Demandware (Burlington, MA) has added support for Apple Pay to its Demandware Commerce Cloud. It allows retailers to offer customers an ability to make payments in Safari on their iPhone or iPad, rather than reverting to their Desktop. Apple Pay on the web will go live for consumers in the fall. "In the last year, mobile has become the consumer's number one choice for shopping; however, the checkout process hasn't caught up with this shift," advised Elana Anderson, SVP of Marketing at Demandware. "Now, by enabling Apple Pay on their storefronts in Demandware, retailers will offer frictionless checkout."

NOTES FROM THE FIELD

Circles of Certification

- As everyone scrambles to meet deadlines, hospitality ISV Aldelo (Pleasanton, CA) has partnered with payment processor Vantiv Integrated Payments (Durango, CO) for EMV. Elements include point-to-point encryption (P2PE), integrated gift cards, and Apple Pay and Samsung Pay NFC. It supports Aldelo's POS 3.8 Release E, Revision 6021 and XERA POS 1.0, Revision 6011.

- It seems overdue, but ISV Retail Pro (Folsom, CA) has certified the X-Series and E-Series touchscreen terminals from Elo Touch Solutions (Milpitas, CA). A bundled solution with X-Series (enterprise-grade) and E-Series (small footprint) includes Retail Pro Prism and Retail Pro 9. "Our flexible software, coupled with Elo's hardware, powers point-of-sale as well as self-service, endless aisle, and other exciting applications," noted Alexandra Frith, Director of Marketing for Retail Pro.

- With an eye steady on IBM and UNIX, Janam Technologies (Woodbury, NY) has validated "TinyTERM" mobile access from Century Software (Salt Lake City, UT). It supports Janam's Android-based XM5, XM70, XT1, and XT2 rugged mobile computers, and offers access to hosts via IBM 5250 and 3270, as well as VT100, VT220, VT320, VT420, and HTML5. "[It] enables organizations running legacy applications on antiquated hardware to effortlessly upgrade to Janam's newest Android mobile computers, improving productivity and reducing training time," suggested Harry Lerner, CEO of Janam Technologies.

Retail Pro Approves Elo's E-Series

Hubba, Hubba at GS1 US

GS1 US (Lawrenceville, NJ), the barcode standards holder, has debuted its new web-based "GS1 US Data Hub." It consolidates three existing tools--GS1 US Data Hub-Version 2.0, Data Driver, and GLN Registry. As modules, these have been tagged, respectively, as Company, Product, and Location. As an automated, seamless platform, GS1 US Data Hub will help improve business processes and data quality, cited GS1 US.

As its name describes, GS1 US Data Hub-Company provides access to information on firms that license GS1 Company Prefixes in the U.S. On its part, GS1 US Data Hub-Product enables brand owners to create necessary Global Trade Item Numbers (GTINs) and high-resolution GS1 barcodes (such as UPC and GS1-128). Lastly, GS1 US Data Hub-Location serves as the central source of details on assigned Global Location Numbers (GLNs). More details can be found on the website.

"The new GS1 US Data Hub is timely, as more companies recognize a growing need to access quality data in a way that is easy, scalable, and shareable," postulated Laura DiSciullo, SVP of Solutions at GS1 US. "Through GS1 US Data Hub, users now have key GS1 identifiers--GTIN, GLN, and Company Prefix--in one place. By bringing all three capabilities together, companies of all sizes will be able to better manage data quality efforts in today's data-driven business environment."

A GS1 US Data Hub Consolidates Supply Chain Tools

Key Advertiser Links

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

POS & Peripherals
AnywhereCommerce
Bematech
CRS, Inc.
Elo Touch Solutions
Harbortouch
Hewlett-Packard
Pioneer POS
Poindus America
POSBANK USA
Posiflex

Barcode & Transaction Printers
Brother Mobile
Citizen
CognitiveTPG
Godex Americas

Cash Drawers
MMF POS

Data Collection
AML
CipherLab
Code Corporation
Janam Technologies

Distributors
Ingram Micro

Integrated Payment Solutions
Cayan
Datacap Systems
Moneris
Vantiv IP

Keyboards & Mobile POS
Cherry Americas, LLC
TG3 Electronics

Receipt Printers
Bixolon America
CognitiveTPG
Epson America
Star Micronics

Thermal Printers
Seiko Instruments USA

Touchscreens & Monitors
Elo Touch Solutions

INSTALLATIONS

Alfa People Want Liquor!

An international systems integrator, AlfaPeople (based in Denmark, with offices in New York, NY), will fulfill software, hardware, and service needs for POS and ERP at the New Hampshire Liquor Commission. Under terms of the $19 million contract, which runs for 10 years, AlfaPeople will install Azure-based Microsoft Dynamics AX in 79 locations in New Hampshire. A Microsoft Gold Partner, AlfaPeople promotes itself as one of the top ten resellers of Dynamics AX and CRM.

"The new system will provide us with a state-of-the-art solution that will support our business needs today and long into the future," expounded Joseph Mollica, Chairman of the New Hampshire Liquor Commission. "This is yet another example of the continued investment in our infrastructure and operations, allowing us to better serve our 11 million annual customers of N.H. Liquor & Wine Outlets." It replaces custom systems that are decades old, according to officials in NH.

"By focusing on State Liquor (ABC) organizations in the U.S., we have built deep knowledge about the specific areas that are important to our customers," remarked Erik Hoiden, Managing Partner at AlfaPeople. "Together with the Microsoft Dynamics AX software, we have generated a solution that can solve the specific requirements of New Hampshire and other State ABC's." In all, AlfaPeople Group has 450 staff in 14 countries.

System Integrator Wins Contract for POS and ERP for New Hampshire Liquor Commission

Agilysys: DaaS at the Dunes

Agilysys (Alpharetta, GA) will deploy its hospitality suite--InfoGenesis POS, InfoGenesis Flex, and rGuest Pay--for the Wild Dunes resort in Isle of Palms, SC. Located in close proximity to Charleston, Wild Dunes resort has 1,600 acres with lodging, golf, spa, and restaurants. It's managed by Destination Hotels, the largest operator of independent hotels, resorts, and residences in the U.S. Relatively new, InfoGenesis Flex offers fully functional tablet-based capabilities in POS.

Just recently, Agilysys packaged its business intelligence solution, designated rGuest Analyze, with InfoGenesis POS. It allows managers to identify key performance metrics--such as sales trends, table turns, server performance, and product mix. In addition to supporting customized dashboards, its data stream easily integrates into users' own workflows, according to the longstanding POS VAR/ISV. Inevitably, this has been characterized as Data-as-a-Service (DaaS).

"With a property as large and diverse as Wild Dunes, we needed to upgrade our technology to streamline our foodservice operations," reported Dave Mounce, Director of IT at Wild Dunes. "InfoGenesis offers all the functionality and flexibility we need, with both fixed and mobile point-of-sale solutions, while rGuest Pay offers PCI-Validated security for credit card transactions. We're excited about using InfoGenesis to better serve our guests, particularly poolside and beachside."

Wild Dunes in South Carolina Adopts InfoGenesis POS, InfoGenesis Flex, and rGuest Pay

Channel Factoid

A single commerce platform will be in place at 75% of top retailers in North America within three years, according to the "2016 Customer Experience/Unified Commerce Survey" by Boston Retail Partners. Already, 23% of such retailers have implemented such platforms. In the same vein, nearly half (44%) of retailers also want to increase customer loyalty efforts over the next 12 months. A full nine in 10 (90%) of retailers plan to have as part of their unified commerce platform, centralized inventory management, order management, and integrated customer relationship management (CRM). Almost the same total (89%) feel that within three years social media will be the predominant forum for interaction with the brand. And finally, 75% of retailers plan to have mobile apps for associates and customers within three years. "Over the last several months we have read stories that indicate malls and traditional in-store retail are dead. In reality, retailers like Zara and Apple are thriving in many of the same mall locations," related Ken Morris, Principal at Boston Retail Partners. "The key difference between retail 'winners' and 'losers' is the customer experience. Going forward, retail success will be dependent on delivering an exceptional customer experience, and without it, retailers will fail."

HELLO GOODBYE

Action at ASI

Action Systems, Inc. (Silver Spring, MD) has enlisted Chuck Twesten as its new Regional Business Development Manager. He brings three decades of work in the channel for POS, with previous positions such as Owner of VAR Hospitality Data Systems and Partnership Manager of Pivotal Payments. Most recently, he served as the Midwest and Southeast Regional Director of Sales for VAR Retail Control Solutions.

"Chuck's wealth of experience and industry knowledge will bring value to both our resellers and ASI," commented Joe Finizio, VP of Sales and Marketing. "ASI is on a growth track, bringing our new tablet/cloud-based product, Duet, and a new version of our traditional POS product, Restaurant Manager, to market exclusively through our reseller channel. We are glad to have a person with Chuck's experience on our team."

"I am excited to start a new challenge with ASI and I look forward to working with the team to further develop their already extensive products and services," enthused Twesten. "I am fortunate to be joining such a respected and forward-thinking company that takes a partner-centric approach to its business relationships and prides itself on offering top quality POS software products." Twesten, who is based in St. Louis, MO, is a longtime member of the Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA), Hospitality Systems Dealer Association Board of Directors (HSDA), and the Missouri Restaurant Association Board of Directors.

Chuck Twesten, Regional Business Development Manager, Action Systems, Inc.

Flying High at Seagull

Seagull Scientific (Bellevue, WA) has elevated Harold Boe to the title of President and CEO. He previously held the title of President. Seagull's Founder, Chairman, and Former CEO, Jeremy Seigel, retains his role as Chairman. Celebrating its 30th year, Seagull Scientific recently released its BarTender 2016 for creation of labels, cards, and RFID. It also has moved to new, larger headquarters in its home city; overall, it sells through its global network of local partners in more than 150 countries.

"Harold joined Seagull in 1988 as a software developer," recounted Seigel. "As our company grew, he developed not just his technical skills but also his managerial abilities, quickly blossoming into our first Chief Technical Officer, then into President and CTO in 1996, and finally into President in 2013. Over that time, he has taken on direct responsibility for Sales, Support, Marketing, Accounting, and HR--essentially all day-to-day operations. I'm delighted that his title finally reflects the full scope of his responsibilities."

"I am truly grateful to have played a role in the evolution of both Seagull Scientific and our BarTender software," commented Boe. "And I am pleased to be entering Seagull's next phase with the continuing partnership of Jeremy Seigel as a long-term strategist and the majority shareholder. Seagull has tremendous potential, and I can't wait to see how high we can fly."

Harold Boe, President and CEO, Seagull Scientific