Our Product Pick

Bematech (Bethpage, NY) has unwrapped its new widescreen 15.6" LCD touch monitor, the LE1015W. About 12 inches high, weighing 10.3 lbs., the LE1015W has five-wire resistive touch technology with 200 cd/m2 brightness, 12-ms response time, and 600:1 contrast ratio. Its true-flat, bezel-free design fits environments in hospitality and retail. A solid base and extra-wide hinge provide maximum stability, with built-in UPS. As options for the LE1015W, there's projected-capacitive touch, three-track magnetic-stripe reader (MSR), and customer-facing displays (VFD or LCD). "A sleek exterior that would fit flawlessly in any professional environment," according to Bematech.

LE1015W Touch Monitor by Bematech

COMPANY BUSINESS

Taking It to the POSBANK

POSBANK USA (Gardena, CA) has enlisted industry veteran Greg Feeback as its VP of Sales and Marketing for the Americas. He brings his long pedigree in POS, starting with NCR, and followed in succession by Aloha, Posiflex, and Partner Tech USA. Most recently, he served as Director of PixelPoint North America for ParTech. During his long career, he has established deep ties to ISVs and VARs in POS.

"I've been watching POSBANK USA for some time, and I've admired their tenacity, their growth, and their marketing prowess," remarked Feeback. "The more I've learned about their manufacturing processes, their quality processes, and their service processes, the more impressed I've become. I will take the success they've had in the U.S., and build upon it."

"As VP of Sales and Marketing, he will be introducing affordable and reliable products to the market," commented Steven Eun, President of POSBANK. "His addition to our team will further our company's plans for growth and expansion, especially in the Americas, while continuing to provide the commitment and quality that our customers have known for over 20 years." In support of its plans, POSBANK USA has established warehouses on the East and West Coast. Further hirings will be announced shortly.

Greg Feeback, VP of Sales and Marketing for the Americas, POSBANK USA

Opening Day for Walmart Pay

Walmart Pay, the retailer's proprietary payment platform, has rolled out in all 4,600 stores in the U.S. Accessed through the retailer's app, which has 20 million consumers, it works with both iOS or Android. Avoiding NFC (as opposed to Apple Pay and Android Pay) it employs scanning of the QR Code. As security, it conducts transactions behind the firewalls of Walmart, with no critical customer data stored at the POS.

"There is something very powerful about the ease and simplicity of Walmart Pay," declared Daniel Eckert, SVP of Services at Walmart U.S. "What's even more powerful, though, is what this means for our customers. Walmart Pay is just the beginning. We're connecting all the parts of Walmart into one seamless shopping experience--with great stores, easy pick-up, fast delivery, frictionless checkout, and our apps and websites."

In making its announcement, the world's largest retailer cited favorable early results for Walmart Pay. It reported increases in such transactions (by 45%), in recommendations by customers (by 82%), and in frequency of repeat transactions (by 88%). A five-star rating in the Walmart App has been given by 75% of customers. It works with any credit, debit, pre-paid or gift card.

Retailer's Self-Contained Payment Scheme Rolls Out Across U.S.

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

Honeywell's Thin Engine

Honeywell has unboxed its new ultra-slim area-imaging engine, designated the N6600. Measuring approximately 0.9 in. (L) x 0.6 in. (W) x 0.3 in. (H), and weighing 0.1 oz., the N6600 reads one- and two-dimensional codes at 60 frames per second. It has horizontal field angle of 42 degrees and vertical field angle of 33 degrees, with operating temperature range of -13 to +122 degrees F. As aimer, it carries red laser or green LED, depending on environmental conditions and use cases, with global shutter, as well as the company's Adaptus 6.0 Imaging Technology.

"The N6600 Series is the slimmest 2D scan engine on the market," suggested Emre Onder, VP of Electronic and Optical Sensing, Honeywell Sensing and Productivity Solutions (Fort Mill, SC). "It offers a range of data capture applications that can be used by workers in a variety of rugged environments, from delivery drivers attempting to scan barcodes outdoors in bright sunlight to distribution center workers who need to quickly capture data from a package's damaged label." As embedded form factors, Honeywell cites smartphones, tablet sleds, and mobile or wearable scanning solutions, in particular.

In addition, the N6600 may be paired with the Mini DB, the company's next-generation miniature-sized decoder board. Mini DB reduces size by 60%. It offers board-to-board connection configuration and choice of RS-232 and USB. A limited 15-month warranty is extended for the N6600.

Honeywell's N6600 2D Scan Engine

Location, Location at Trimble

Trimble has shipped its new handheld computer with advanced data collection--including built-in Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)--the TDC100. Running Android 5.1, the TDC100 has Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 Quad-Core CPU at 1.2 GHz, 5.3" high-resolution capacitive touchscreen, and IP-67 rating for dust and moisture. In smartphone format, it has physical dimensions of 6.5 in. (L) x 3.2 in. (W) x 0.6 in. (D) and weight of 11 oz. It will go to market through the company's partners.

A pair of versions has been offered. A TDC100 "Wi-Fi" furnishes 8-megapixel camera, 8-GB Flash, 3100-mAh Li-Ion battery, and 802.11b/g/n WLAN. A TDC100 "4G" furnishes 13-megapixel camera, 16-GB Flash, 4800-mAh Li-Ion battery, and 4G WAN. Both have 2-GB RAM, Bluetooth 4.0, and support for the different schemes for Geographic Information System (GIS).

"We believe the TDC100 will be a workhorse," exclaimed Ron Bisio, VP of Trimble's Geospatial Division (Sunnyvale, CA). "It has been designed for mobile workers who need a functional field computer that is tougher than a consumer-grade device, while providing easy-to-use features and convenience that people have come to expect. Users can collect and retrieve highly accurate spatial data any time, and from virtually any place, while remaining in touch with the office--with a single device." (As accuracy: 2 to 5 meters/6.5 to 16.4 feet.)

TDC100 Mobile Computer by Trimble

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INTEGRATION

Revel Stays Restless

Revel Systems, one of the aggressive sellers of iPad-based POS, has enfolded automatic expense reporting via third-party developer, Expensify. "Through Revel's open API (Application Programming Interface), we were able to easily integrate with this system, making it the best and most natural choice for our first integration in point-of-sale," relayed David Barrett, Founder and CEO of Expensify. With this effort, his company joins the app-driven "Revel Marketplace" of payroll, inventory tracking, and customer relationship marketing (CRM).

In forwarding the receipt to Expensify from Revel's POS, the merchant name, date, and receipt amount are immediately "Smart Scanned" with Expensify's patented OCR (Optical Character Recognition) technology. It creates an associated "expense" within Expensify, and transactions made with debit or credit cards will then be "auto-categorized." Currently, 13 of Revel's clients have turned on the service. "It transfers my customers' business expenses automatically into reports," observed Oussama Mannaa, Owner of Soma Eats in San Francisco, CA (where both Revel and Expensify are located).

Also, Revel Systems has partnered with channel-centric payment processor Vantiv Integrated Payments (Durango, CA) to launch the "Revel Up Your Dream" social media contest. It invites entrepreneurs to submit their videos via Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook explaining the type of business they would like to start and why. Ideas will be judged on business potential and creativity. A winner, announced in September, will receive funds to start their business, including iPad POS and 12 months of hosting, worth $25,000.

Automated Expense Reporting Via Expensify

After Bluetooth, Try BlueBrain

A pair of technology developers--Fujitsu Components America and Cratus Technology (both based in San Jose, CA)--have offered an expeditious edge device for the Internet of Things, called "BlueBrain." Encompassing both software and hardware, this new platform utilizes the ARM Cortex-M4 microcontroller from ST Microelectronics and the Bluetooth Smart wireless module from Fujitsu Components America (i.e., Bluetooth Low Energy, or Version 4.0). On-board sensors can detect motion and temperature events, as well as installation orientation, and also can connect or control hundreds of sensor combinations with analog or digital I/Os, according to the two parties.

It also features an on-board real-time clock, configurable ADC (Automatic Data Collection) channels, and GPIOs (General Purpose Input/Outputs), with Apps for iOS and Android. It attaches to any standard 32-Pin 1.6-inch x 0.7-inch EEPROM IC Socket, or equivalent footprint, on any "mezzanine board." A series of such boards have been customized for specific markets such as industrial, agriculture, automotive, retail, smart buildings, and civil infrastructure, with widespread distribution kicked off this month.

"With the ubiquitous presence of smartphones and tablets in work environments, industrial IoT, particularly in factory automation, is primed for tremendous growth," emphasized Bob Thorton, COO of Fujitsu Components America. "BlueBrain's backward compatibility and flexibility makes it easy for systems designers to collect, store, view, and monitor machine data on any Bluetooth Smart device, at any time." According to Zeki Gunay, CEO at Cratus Technology, feedback from customers directly propelled the path to development for BlueBrain.

Fujitsu and Cratus Technology Address IoT

Code Corner

Enspire Commerce (Indianapolis, IN) has released its new version of RetailPoint Software. This cloud-based POS targets the SMB. It includes standard mobile capabilities to support customer transactions on smartphones or tablets. In addition, customer profiles may be shared across channels, enabling retailers to offer services such as in-store returns for online purchases. With inventory visibility, retail associates can ship an item from any store location, warehouse, or distribution center, or have items drop-shipped from the vendor. Further, "look book" capacity allows customers to review product catalogs and designer collections. Both employee management and Application Programming Interface (API) are added. "We are proud to offer retailers the ability to provide a better customer experience, with more relevant engagement and clienteling capabilities," enthused Jim Barnes, CEO of Enspire Commerce.

Channel Correction

In last week's edition, we included the statement that the new Model SRP-F310II from Bixolon America is the "only POS receipt printer available in the U.S. that has a full four-year warranty." In fact, Star Micronics also offers a full four-year warranty on its Model TSP100ECO POS receipt printer, debuted in 2006. We'd like to thank Star Micronics America for their reminder.

TSP100ECO by Star Micronics

CERTIFICATION

iBeacon Enters the ION

Sionic Mobile (Atlanta, GA) has added iBeacons from Apple to its mobile marketing solution, entitled ION Loyalty. Under this enhancement, customers are digitally greeted and offered one-tap checkouts. On their part, merchants may process mobile payments on their smartphone or tablet--or existing terminals for POS--using the system's proprietary, three-digit code. As expected, it supports either iOS or Android, with rollout of iBeacon scheduled over the next few weeks.

"ION Loyalty is simple to use, and eliminates the traditional barriers like rising costs, hardware, and software requirements, or simply lack of time and resources, that up until now, have prevented many small business owners from taking advantage of the mobile opportunity," indicated Ronald Herman, CEO and Founder of Sionic Mobile. "In less than 10 minutes, a small business owner can be up and running on ION Loyalty, and with the new iBeacons, the customer experience is far superior to other mobile apps available today. It's incredible to see how quickly these business owners begin seeing results."

At present, Sionic Mobile has 100,000 retail and restaurant locations in the U.S. Consumers may spends IONs (1,000 IONs = $1.00) at any merchant in the ION Marketplace. Beacons represent the next phase of mobile payments and mobile loyalty platforms, by all accounts. As an example, 85 of the Top 100 retailers have adopted or have plans to adopt beacon technology, and experts feel beacons will help drive an estimated $44 billion in retail sales in the U.S. in 2016.

Sionic Mobile Puts iBeacons in ION Loyalty

Notes From the Field

- Prominent POS VAR Retail Control Systems (Enfield, NH) has embraced up-and-coming POS ISV, Toast (Boston, MA). As its name suggests, Toast targets foodservice. Its software emphasizes mobility and cloud delivery. "We are always pleased to partner with other innovative companies, like Toast, to offer restaurants better, more efficient ways of doing business," shared Dave Albert, President and Owner at RCS.

- Unitech America (Cypress, CA) has received certification for its PA700V "phablet" on Verizon's 4G LTE network. Now suited for use "outside the four walls," the PA700V runs Android 4.3 and features 7.2" touchscreen, two-dimensional scanner, and $1,650 MSRP. "Mobile workers in field service and field sales can benefit from this powerful communication platform by quickly managing assets and automating orders," espoused Unitech America.

- Notable hospitality VAR Focus POS (San Antonio, TX) has collaborated on EMV with Sterling Payment Technologies (Tampa, FL). In addition to tokenization, mobile wallets are addressed via contactless NFC. "The payments landscape is constantly evolving, but our continued commitment to protecting customers has allowed us to provide robust and integrated payment solutions that can adapt to changes in the industry," stressed Joe Gage, Executive Director of the IPOS Channel at Sterling Payment Technologies.

Unitech's PA700V on Verizon's 4G LTE Network

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

POS Software
Action Systems Inc.

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

A Prime Example of Mobility, Says Epson

Another example of mobile POS by Epson America (Long Beach, CA), this time placed for popular prime rib restaurant, Bully's East (San Diego, CA). Installation was led by Hospitality Technology Systems, which resells Digital Dining software (and is based in Redlands, CA). In replacing fixed terminals, it recommended moving to iPads and Epson's Mobilink P20 wireless printers, in addition to Digital Dining.

"When we armed our wait staff with iPad Mini's for tableside ordering and payments using Epson's Mobilink P20's, they were able to really speed up service for large parties," reported Derek Dahlen, Owner at Bully's East. Also included in this configuration are Epson's TM-T20 thermal receipt printers in stations on the floor (with iPads) and Epson's TM-U220 impact printers in the kitchen. A "Send and Stay" function in Digital Dining provides additional efficiency for wait staff.

With a state minimum wage increase on the horizon, Bully's sought ways to reduce growing labor costs, disclosed Dahlen. "All restaurants struggle to balance labor costs with service delivery," he stated. "So if I can work more efficiently with fewer employees, it's a win-win; my servers can handle more tables in a shift, so they'll make more tips, and customers have a smoother service experience." Also, foot traffic and errors are reduced.

A Trio of Partners--Epson America, Hospitality Technology Systems, and Digital Dining--Bring Mobile POS to Bully's East Restaurant in San Diego

Nextep: Semper Fi, Burger-Fi

A few years ago, I asked one of the leading VARs in hospitality where the junction fell between POS and Digital Signage. His response: consider Nextep Systems (Troy, MI). His observation has held, as Nextep continues to rack up contract wins. Most recently, it deployed its technology for fast-casual burger chain, Burger-Fi. An initial install, in Jupiter, FL, has employed the full suite of self-order touchscreens, dynamic menu displays, and POS. As its cloud-based platform lies Foundation 7 by Nextep.

"Burger-Fi has a modern, forward-thinking brand that fits perfectly with our touchscreen self-order and dynamic menu displays. Menus, product photos, and layout looked beautiful, almost from the very beginning," flourished Tommy Woycik, President of Nextep. "This was a textbook installation from a brand perspective." As expected, it includes gift, loyalty, and credit-card payment at the self-order kiosks and the POS.

"Installing a new POS in an existing store is always a major challenge, but based on how the system is performing and customer feedback, we are confident we made the right decision," related Lou Palmero, Director of Operational Planning and Support at Burger-Fi. "The system has outperformed our expectations, and we are looking forward to our next store installations." Established in 2011, it projects to have 100 restaurants across the U.S. by the end of 2016.

Fast-Casual Burger Chain Deploys Self-Order Touchscreens, POS, and Dynamic Menu Displays

Channel Factoid

A third of all parents (34%), and nearly half of parents of college freshmen (49%), have already started back-to-school shopping, according to the Consumer Pulse Survey conducted by the Rubicon Project. Almost two-thirds of all parents (61%) plan to spend more than they did last year: on average, approximately $917 per child. Parents of college freshmen plan to spend $1,378 per child, twice the average of parents of students in K-12 ($684). While school supplies and clothing remain top priorities for the coming school year, the biggest budget item for both K-12 ($343) and college freshmen ($470) will be technology. For K-12 parents, clothing ($232) was the second largest spend, while for parents of college freshmen, dorm supplies ($324) were the second largest spend. When it comes to how they shop, more than half of parents surveyed plan to purchase technology and telecommunications online, while clothing, school supplies, and food and beverage remain primarily brick-and-mortar shopping purchases. A near third of parents (30%) will do at least 25% of their back-to-school shopping on their mobile devices. "As parents spend more and begin shopping earlier than ever, it's essential for retailers and marketers to create personalized and precisely targeted campaigns," advised Harry Patz, Chief Revenue Officer of the Rubicon Project.

HELLO GOODBYE

Your Mission, Mi9

Another acquisition for store management software supplier, Mi9 Retail (Miami, FL), in the form of Upshot Commerce (Salem, MA). With this move, Mi9 continues its omni-channel evolution via order management and e-commerce capabilities. Upshot Commerce has two decades of experience working in direct-to-consumer as well as business-to-business merchandising, with customers such as Cosabella, Tea Collection, Ergo Baby, Sideshow Collectables, and The National Gallery of Art. Terms of the sale were not disclosed.

"More and more, large and mid-sized retailers want to work with a single supplier that can provide the end-to-end, enterprise retail systems on which they run their businesses," confirmed Neil Moses, President of Mi9 Retail. By combining an e-commerce platform with Mi9 Mosiac (store operations and POS), Mi9 Merchant (inventory and merchandising), Mi9 CRM (customer relationship management), and Mi9 Intelligence (business analytics), it offers an integrated solution suite that is unrivaled in the market, the company stated. In the past year, Mi9 has purchased mobility specialist Raymark (Montreal, Canada) and jewelry specialist Application Systems Corporation (Boston, MA).

It also has added industry veteran Charles Kaplan as its SVP of Marketing. His background includes VP of Field Operations at MicroStrategy, International Marketing Director at Lexmark, and VP of Marketing and Product Management at Brainware. "We are happy that Charlie has agreed to join our executive team," commented Moses. "His ability to create new markets and support our growth strategies comes at the perfect time for Mi9 Retail."

Charles Kaplan, SVP of Marketing, Mi9 Retail

The Password is "C.J."

Trustwave (Chicago, IL) has appointed Charles "C.J." Spallitta as its SVP of Product Management. He comes to the security firm from Hewlett Packard Enterprise, where he served as the Executive Director of Worldwide Portfolio Management. Before HP, he was Executive Director for Global Security Product Management at Verizon Enterprise Solutions. As previous employers, in similar roles, he lists Price Waterhouse Coopers, Cybertrust, Betrusted, and Security Assurance Group.

"C.J. brings three decades of technology leadership experience to this position, and we're excited to welcome him to the team," expressed Robert McCullen, President and CEO of Trustwave. "His industry knowledge of the security market and the larger information technology landscape will be integral to growing our comprehensive portfolio of cyber-security technologies and managed security services." As an indication of its interest in our channel, Trustwave will exhibit at the upcoming Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA) Show on July 31 to August 3 at the Gaylord Texan Grapevine Resort.

Charles "C.J." Spallitta, SVP of Product Management, Trustwave