Our Product Pick

CognitiveTPG (Ithaca, NY) has enhanced, with paper-saving features, its popular thermal receipt printers, the A798 and A799. A reduction in receipt size of up to 40% may be achieved, according to the company, with easy configuration and testing. Specifically, there's white space reduction; reduced font size of 25%; reduced barcode height of 75%; and tighter positioning of logos. In dimensions of 5.7 in. (W) x 5.3 in. (H) x 7.3 in. (D), the 3" A798/A799 weighs 3.4 lbs. A798 (with 128-KB RAM and 2-MB Flash) has print speed of 6 in./152 mm per second at 203 dpi. A799 (with 512-KB RAM and 4-MB Flash) has print speed of 9.8 in./250 mm per second at 203 dpi. Both carry self-sharpening ceramic knife, full suite of ports, and ReceiptWare Software.

CognitiveTPG A798/A799 Adds Paper Saving

COMPANY BUSINESS

A First Look at HP ElitePOS

With its eye on the changing retail landscape, HP Inc. (Palo Alto, CA) has drawn upon its prowess in computing, network security, and purpose-driven design for its new ElitePOS. Comprised of head unit, stand, and connectivity base, this All-in-One mirrors the sleek form factor of tablet POS. In performance, it incorporates 7th Generation Intel CPUs, DDR4 RAM, M.2 SSDs, and Windows 10. A projected-capacitive 10" display (1920x1080) has been ruggedized to MIL-STD-810G.

A number of innovations follow, including channeling for water spills on the head unit, optimized air flow via side venting, edge-to-edge narrow bezel glass, and optional integrated 3" thermal receipt print inside the stand. A single cable simplifies power and connectivity. In briefing RRN.Com, two executives at HP--Aaron Weiss, VP and GM of Retail, and David Gosman, Manager, Global Hospitality Segment, in Retail--noted the versatility of ElitePOS extends to fixed point-of-sale, self-service, and interactive signage. Both retail and hospitality were cited as markets.

In keeping with Elite by HP, ElitePOS brings impressive security. HP Sure Start Gen3 automatically detects and recovers from BIOS corruption or attacks. HP Credential Guard ensures user authentication and password protection, while HP Device Guard only allows white-listed applications to run. In addition, of similar interest to the channel, HP's Care Pack furnishes on-site repair anywhere in the U.S. According to Gosman, former CEO of pcAmerica, this will make "an enormous difference." Initial reaction has been "Wow" to ElitePOS, stated Weiss (former VP and GM of Displays and Accessories, Personal Systems, at HP Inc.).

Innovative ElitePOS System by HP

Follow Your NorthStar, Urges CBS

A longtime provider of hospitality IT, Custom Business Solutions (Irvine, CA), has announced plans to develop a reseller network for its signature NorthStar Software. Developed for the restaurant industry six years ago, and cloud-based, NorthStar features an omnichannel, five-touchpoint capability--spanning POS, guest ordering, self-service kiosks, web ordering, and mobile POS. (In addition to NorthStar Order Entry, there's NorthStar Recipe Viewer.)

A reseller itself for more than two decades (of POSitouch), Custom Business Solutions suggested it "knows what it takes to deliver value and results in this channel." It will look for "regional resellers with technical expertise and track record of positively serving customers in the hospitality industry." Such resellers "will work directly with regional restaurant brands that would benefit from the easy-to-install and user-friendly NorthStar."

"A reseller network will help us connect with more customers who desire a modern, cloud-based POS system that delivers a competitive advantage in today's challenging environment," summarized Jeremy Julian, COO of Custom Business Solutions. While reluctant to share details of the program at this time, Julian told RRN.Com that there's revenue share on the Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), as well as input into product development at CBS. Current customers for NorthStar include Romano's Macaroni Grill, Red Mango, The Melting Pot, Kona Grill, Blue Ribbon Restaurants, Ruby's Diner, and Norwegian Cruise Line.

A Reseller Program Launches for NorthStar POS at Custom Business Solutions

Worth Your While

RetailNOW
Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA)
August 6-9
Las Vegas, NV

VARTECH
BlueStar
September 18-19
Orlando, FL

Pack Expo
PMMI
September 25-27
Las Vegas, NV

RFID in Retail and Apparel
RFID Journal
September 26
New York, NY

NRF's Big Show
National Retail Federation
January 14-16, 2018
New York, NY

ALL IN THE FAMILY

A Display of Cubism by Epson and Touch Dynamic

Touch Dynamic (Irvington, NJ) has redesigned its terminal printer base exclusively around the TM-m30 receipt printer by Epson America (Long Beach, CA). In cubic dimensions of 5 in. x 5 in. x 5 in., the 3" Epson TM-m30 will be compatible with the family of All-in-One POS by Touch Dynamic, including the Acrobat, Pulse, Breeze, Breeze Performance, and Breeze 18.5. In such configuration, it addresses customer issues such as space restrictions, environmental roadblocks, and peripheral specifications, according to Touch Dynamic.

"Epson's brand equals quality, which is why, when we decided to make our printer base lighter and sleeker, we chose to integrate it exclusively with Epson's TM-m30," explained Craig Paritz, President of Touch Dynamic. "Space restrictions are a big issue for our customers and this Epson printer's small size helps save precious real estate. Other features, such as the one power cord that powers the entire device, deliver true convenience as well." Touch also separately sells Epson's Mobilink P20, TM-70II, TM-T88V, TM-T20, and TM-U220.

"With its refreshed printer base, Touch Dynamic has shown once again that it understands the demand on channel partners and the need to provide top quality and unique products to help them meet their specific customer requirements," testified Tom Kettell, Director of Commercial Channel Sales for North America at Epson America. "They have been a valued Epson partner for more than five years, and together, we provide a complete All-in-One POS." Unveiled in 2015, Epson's TM-m30 has print speed of 8 in./200 mm per second at 203 dpi. Its modular casing can switch from top-load to front-load for flexibility.

Touch Dynamic's All-In-One POS, Such as Breeze, Carries Epson's TM-m30 Receipt Printer

Close at Hand With Denso's AT31Q

Denso ADC (Long Beach, CA) has unwrapped its new one- and two-dimensional barcode scanner, designated as AT31Q. In two versions, USB and Serial RS-232C, it features both close range and distance scanning. Its high-performance scan engine accommodates dirty, damaged, and poorly printed codes, as well as mobile coupons and membership cards. Approximately six inches long, and weighing 4.4 oz., AT31Q furnishes an ergonomically shaped grip, trigger which clicks when pulled, and buzzer and light confirmation of successful scans.

A trio of user-selectable modes allow single-scan reading of linked QR Codes or barcodes with up to three rows, as well as reading of an individually targeted code. The device is also equipped with the capability to compare the registered master data with the read data, which facilitates creation of inventory systems. In terms of ruggedness, AT31Q has an IP-42 rating for water and dust, drop specification of 6.5 ft./2 m, and power-connector cover.

"Our new AT31Q scanner is especially well-suited for scanning operations where the codes are close at hand, but it has the versatility of being able to scan at a distance whenever required," expressed David Keller, Business Manager at Denso ADC. "It fits our goal of increasing our customers' productivity by providing them with the latest technology and the lowest cost of ownership." AT31Q comes with ADF Script and Denso's Scanner Setting 2D Software.

AT31Q 1D/2D Scanner by Denso ADC

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ALLIANCES

Datacap Donned by POS Portal

Another significant step in payments, with the relationship between POS Portal (Sacramento, CA) and Datacap Systems (Chalfont, PA). With one of the largest key libraries in the U.S., POS Portal will distribute payment devices configured with integrated payment middleware by Datacap Systems, including the popular NETePay. A leader in this area, POS Portal provides an end-to-end hardware program, with product selection, testing, and delivery of Datacap-ready devices for VARs, ISVs, and the SMB. It has certified necessary downloads and encryptions.

"With broadening consumer buy-in and use of chip cards, and the reality of liability for fraudulent payments made at the point-of-sale, more merchants are looking for a simple, quick, and cost-effective way to upgrade to EMV," affirmed Brooke Turner, Product Marketer at POS Portal. "Datacap has a rich EMV solution that offers POS developers an easy integration to a wide range of solutions, devices, and processor options, providing our partners an easy path to EMV." Just this week, in one of the most significant events for our channel in recent memory, ScanSource (Greenville, SC) finalized its acquisition of POS Portal.

"Providing a robust payments solution coupled with trouble-free installation is paramount to Datacap, so our partnership with POS Portal provides peace of mind for our partners that EMV-enabled PIN Pad hardware is loaded correctly the first time and ready to plug and play upon arrival," remarked Justin Zeigler, Director of Product Strategy at Datacap Systems. "We're looking forward to the continued simplification of EMV installations in the U.S. and our partnership with POS Portal represents another crucial step in that direction." (And to think back to the Independent Cash Register Dealers Association, forerunner to the Retail Solutions Providers Association, when only three companies addressed payments: the late ICVerify, the late Go Software, and Datacap Systems.)

A Big Driver of Partnership Between POS Portal and Datacap Systems: EMV

On PAR With Omnivore

Another major participant in the "Universal" Application Programming Interface (API) for POS from Omnivore: in this case, ParTech (New Hartford, NY). Integration with PAR's Brink POS Software "will provide restaurants and suppliers with quick and easy activation of digital solutions," according to the two new partners. In February, readers may recall, Omnivore launched its App Marketplace for third-party developers in reservations, delivery, gifting/loyalty, mobile ordering, labor management, etc. It includes players such as DoorDash, EZ-Chow, ItsOnMe, MenuPad, Resy, Rooam, SeatNinja, TABu, and Zapper.

"Omnivore helps create the ultimate set of customer service tools by allowing operators to easily test and deploy the latest app technologies and maximize revenue opportunities by increasing customer engagement," indicated Mike Wior, CEO and Co-Founder at Omnivore (Hayward, CA). "We have a history of extremely positive experiences working with Brink, and set the goal early on to integrate with the software because we knew it would provide operators with competitive advantage in the crowded restaurant landscape." With this integration, ParTech joins other prominent names in POS such as Oracle Retail, NCR/Aloha, POSitouch, Agilysys/InfoGenesis, and Heartland Commerce.

Also, ParTech has deployed its PAR Brink POS Software, and EverServ 500 and 550 Workstations, for Crazy Bowls & Wraps, with 16 sites in Missouri and Illinois (and growth plans). A replacement of legacy POS was led by the VAR Retail Data Systems of St. Louis. As advantages, Chris Cutting, GM of RDS of St. Louis, cited robust reporting, remote management capability, online ordering, and gifting/loyalty.

ParTech Adopts Omnivore's Universal Application Programming Interface (API) for POS

Code Corner

Oracle Hospitality (Redwood Shores, CA) has rolled out its Data Science Cloud Services. It gives food and beverage operators the ability to analyze key information such as sales, guest, marketing, and staff performance at unprecedented speed, according to the company. It comprises two offerings--Data Science for Menu Recommendations and Data Science for Adaptive Forecasts. The first, Data Science for Menu Recommendations, allows food and beverage operators with multiple locations to evaluate their menus and identify enhancements. It also seeks up-sell or cross-sell options by location or time of day, with recommendations dynamically updating based on customer behavior. Such recommendations are displayed at point-of-sale. The second, Data Science for Adaptive Forecasts, lets operators predict stock and labor needs at each location. It creates a single forecast by item, location, and day part, and factors in weather, events, time of day, day of the week, and "net promoter" scores. "Margins are being squeezed in hospitality like never before," observed Mike Webster, SVP and GM of Oracle Hospitality. "Labor and food costs are increasing, and competition for the dining dollar is high. With our Data Science Cloud Services, we are giving our customers the ability to be as profitable as possible, by helping them pinpoint cost savings in each location while optimizing every single sales opportunity to deliver revenue growth."

ENVIRONMENTS/PLATFORMS

Monetary's Policy: Tie to TSYS

An intriguing start-up in integrated payments, Monetary LLC (Denver, CO), has signed an exclusive, long-term agreement with powerhouse TSYS (Columbus, GA). In addition to payment processing services from TSYS, ancillary tools such as merchant onboarding will be added to the Connected Commerce Platform at Monetary. As one of its first steps into the market, significantly, Monetary established its Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) for ISVs in POS.

Aspiring to offer value-added services such as customer relationship management and mobile commerce--from its base in payment processing--Monetary LLC sits in the portfolio of companies held by Jeffrey Katz, who founded Mercury Payment Systems (now Vantiv Integrated Payments). Shelley Plomske, President and CEO of Monetary, worked at Mercury Payment Systems from 2003 to 2012, rising to SVP and CTO. (Mercury, of course, demonstrated the critical role played in electronic payments by VARs and ISVs in traditional POS.)

"TSYS has a distinguished history in payment processing," noted Plomske. "Monetary is pleased to be working with this respected resource for payment processing services. Together we offer best-in-class solutions for the dealers and developers we work with." In speaking with the Durango Herald in Colorado, Plomske disclosed that Monetary currently has 22 employees and 10 partnering POS ISVs.

Shelley Plomske, President and CEO, Monetary LLC

A New Comer Called Como

Establishing new offices in New York City, Como (Ness Ziona, Israel) has addressed the needs of small retailers with its Como Sense Express. An entry-level version of the firm's Como Sense, which claims increases in monthly purchase frequency of 48%, it brings personalized loyalty programs, branded mobile apps, and business intelligence. Significantly, it goes to market through VARs and ISVs in POS.

"Until now, restaurant owners and small retailers have found it difficult to run their own loyalty program. They typically employ outdated stamp cards or generic point programs that reveal little about their loyal customers. They are impeded from using smarter, deeper loyalty solutions by implementation requirements, service costs, and lack of skilled staff," elaborated Yair Holtzer, Co-Founder of Como and Head of Como U.S.

"The best thing about Como Sense Express is that business owners can continue working with their current provider of POS, since that provider will set up the solution and furnish ongoing support," continued Holtzer. On its website, Como lists software partners such as AccuPOS, ICG Software, MicroSale, Oracle Retail, ParTech, and Revel Systems. A player in customer engagement technology in the cloud since 2005, with focus on the restaurant sector, Como has customers such as Burger King, Quiznos, and Golden Krust.

Como Sense Express Brings Customer Engagement for the SMB

Key Advertiser Links

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

POS & Peripherals
Aures
Bematech
Harbortouch
Hewlett-Packard
Pioneer POS
POSBANK USA
Posiflex
Tailwind Solutions

Barcode & Transaction Printers
Brother Mobile
CognitiveTPG
Godex Americas
Honeywell

Cash Drawers
APG Cash Drawer
MMF POS

Data Collection
CipherLab
Code Corporation
Denso ADC
Honeywell
Janam Technologies

Distribution
Ingram Micro

Integrated Payment Solutions
Datacap Systems
iPayment
Payment Logistics
Sterling Payment

Keyboards & Mobile POS
Cherry Americas, LLC
TG3 Electronics

Mounts for POS
Innovative
SpacePole

Receipt Printers
Bixolon America
CognitiveTPG
Epson America
Star Micronics

Thermal Printers
Seiko Instruments USA

INSTALLATIONS

ABC Uncorks Oracle

ABC Fine Wine & Spirits has chosen the Oracle Retail Xstore Point-of-Service for its 130 stores across Florida. An Oracle Gold Partner, SkillNet Solutions (Sunnyvale, CA), led the project. "A sustainable path to benefit from mobile and cross-channel functionality" as the upgrade was described by Charlie Daggs, VP at SkillNet Solutions.

"Our team was able to deliver the pilot in seven months with SkillNet," recounted Tina Burleigh, Director of Store Systems at ABC Fine Wine & Spirits. "We wanted to leverage the new functionality of the Oracle Retail Xstore Point-of-Service solution as quickly as possible. With the implementation, we were able to reduce our number of customizations by over 80%."

"By leveraging Oracle Retail Xstore Point-of-Service as a platform to connect with customers, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits can execute a superior shopping experience," commented Ray Carlin, SVP and GM at Oracle Retail. "With the latest innovations in our Xstore Point-of-Service, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits can provide a single, 360-degree view of its customers in real time for all touchpoints to facilitate more meaningful engagements." In June, Oracle's Retail Xstore Point-of-Service went live across hundreds of stores for the Red Wing Shoe Company, with installation led by BTM Global Consulting (Minneapolis, MN).

ABC Fine Wine & Spirits Deploys Oracle Retail Xstore Point-of-Service

Zebra Finds the Stuff at Bon-Ton

Zebra Technologies Corporation (Lincolnshire, IL) has brought its Enterprise Asset Intelligence to The Bon-Ton Stores. Based in York, PA, with more than 260 stores in 26 states (although struggling mightily in today's retail climate), The Bon-Ton Stores operates the brands of Bon-Ton, Bergner's, Boston Store, Carson's, Elder-Beerman, Herberger's, and Younkers. In its new inventory management system, it has fielded Zebra's MC3190-Z RFID Handheld.

Upon arriving in the morning, associates scan the selling floor using the Zebra MC3190-Z to compare items on display against on-hand inventory. Previous store audits revealed that with its manual system, up to 20% of merchandise in certain categories might be missing from the sales floor during any given week, resulting in missed sales opportunities (which Bon-Ton can ill afford). "We look forward to expanding this rollout to include additional use cases across all of our stores in support of our omnichannel strategy," enthused Lisa Celebre, VP of Store Operations at The Bon-Ton Stores.

Introduced in 2010, Zebra's MC3190-Z added RFID to the MC3100. It weighs 23 oz. with 3" color display, 48-key alphanumeric keypad, and omnidirectional antenna. It's powered by Marvell PXA320 CPU at 640 MHz, 256-MB RAM, 1-GB Flash, and Windows Embedded Handheld 6.5.3. As ruggedness, there's an IP-54 rating for water and dust, MIL-STD-810 for shock and vibration, and 4-ft./1.2-m drop resistance. On the wireless side, there's Bluetooth and 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi.

Inventory With Zebra's MC3190-Z RFID Handheld

Channel Factoid

An interesting effort to encourage businesses to go cashless has been mounted by Visa. Prosaically entitled "The Visa Cashless Challenge," the program asks small business owners of restaurants, cafes, or food trucks "to describe what cashless means for them, their employees, and customers." Moreover, Visa will award up to $500 to 50 who become 100% cashless. A recent study by Visa claims that if businesses in 100 cities transitioned from cash to digital, their cities stand to experience net benefits of $312 billion per year. According to this study, in only New York City, businesses could generate an estimated $6.8 billion in revenue and save more than 186 million hours in labor, by making greater use of digital payments. Its reasoning will be revealed in the study, "Cashless Cities: Realizing the Benefits of Digital Payments," to be released by Visa in Q4. "At Visa, we believe you can be everywhere you want to be, and that it should be easy to pay and be paid in more ways than ever--whether it's via phone, card, wearable, or other device," proclaimed Jack Forestell, Head of Global Merchant Solutions for Visa.

HELLO GOODBYE

I Payment, by John Badovinac

An aggressive payment processor in our channel, iPayment, Inc. (Westlake Village, CA), has engaged industry veteran John Badovinac as its VP of Integrated Payments. Prior to his new role, Badovinac served as VP of Developer and Partner Services for TSYS (2016 to 2017). Before that, he held executive positions at Discover Financial Services (2007 to 2016), culminating in Head of Integrated Payments. At present, iPayment has 140,000 customers in the SMB.

"iPayment has proven core processing capabilities and decades of demonstrated expertise in serving merchant needs," reflected Badovinac. "When I met with the leadership team and took a deep dive into Expinet, our payment gateway, I knew that both the foundation and commitment to succeed in this channel were there. Now, I cannot wait to get started building a team of fun and experienced individuals that are as passionate about this channel as I am."

"We understand the complexities around integrated payments and, as such, knew that we had to find the precisely right individual to lead this critical team for us," shared O.B. Rawls IV, CEO and President at iPayment Inc. "When we met with John, we witnessed an energy, experience, and passion that we had not seen with other candidates." Introduced in June, iPayment's Expinet has tokenization and encryption, with advanced fraud management tools and Application Programming Interface (API). As expected, it supports any payment type, from magnetic-stripe reader (MSR) to EMV to NFC/Contactless (i.e., Apple Pay, Android Pay, and Samsung Pay).

John Badovinac, VP, Integrated Payments, iPayment

Paging Doctor RF

An early player in healthcare Auto ID, RF Technologies (Brookfield, WI), has named Sean Pettibone as its President. He joins the firm from medical device supplier, Medela AG, where he served as VP of Operations and Supply Chain (2013 to 2015) and COO (2015 to 2017). With 10,000 installations, RF Technologies focuses on safety and security solutions employing wireless, RFID, and Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS).

"Sean is a talented executive with a strong track record of aligning companies around growth, accountability, and continuous improvement," volunteered Glenn Jonas, CEO and Owner of RF Technologies. "When we started RF Technologies thirty years ago, we had one mission: to keep people safe. I am very pleased to have Sean help lead this mission." An advisory capacity as CEO for Jonas.

"I am excited and proud to join the RFT team," contributed Pettibone. "RFT's mission is inspiring, and I feel the passion the team has for our mission and customers. I look forward to working with hospitals, senior living facilities, hotels, and schools to protect our children, our parents, our brothers and sisters, and the staff that serves them."

Sean Pettibone, President, RF Technologies