Our Product Pick

Godex (Camarillo, CA) has presented its RT700iW desktop thermal barcode printer with optional Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Measuring 11 in. (L) x 7.3 in. (H) x 8.3 in. (W), and weighing 6 lbs., RT700iW holds 32-Bit RISC CPU, 128-MB Flash, and 32-MB SDRAM. Model RT700iW has maximum print speed of 7 inch/177 mm per second at 203 dpi, while Model RT730iW has maximum print speed of 5 inch/127 mm per second at 300 dpi. With four-inch print width, they support 300-meter ribbon with 10-inch-diameter label stand for bulk jobs. A color TFT LCD with navigation button furnishes intuitive operation with the full suite of ports--USB 2.0, USB Host, Serial, Parallel, and Ethernet. As software, the company offers its free GoLabel.

RT700iW by Godex

COMPANY BUSINESS

Amador Alights at Posiflex

A major move in the market for Posiflex (Hayward, CA), which has launched its lower-priced, fixed-configuration touchscreen terminal for POS, dubbed Amador. Well-known in our channel for high-quality, Posiflex has positioned Amador as the simple solution for many scenarios--with Windows Embedded POS Ready 7, 2-GB of RAM running on an Intel Celeron CPU, and fanless design. A sturdy plastic housing holds down cost, and Amador is manufactured in the same factory as the premium Posiflex XT Series.

With dimensions of 14.6 in. (W) x 12.5 in. (D) x 9.9 in. (H), and weight of 11 lbs., Amador has low profile, foldable base for optimal viewing by store attendants. It furnishes 15" LED-backlit LCD with resistive touch technology and the full set of ports--Serial, Parallel, USB 2.0, GigaBit LAN, Cash Drawer--for peripherals necessary for POS. Again, simplicity is key. As recognized by many readers of RRN.Com, the Posiflex XT Series offers choice of CPU, RAM, O/S, and Powered USB (as well as metal alloy housing).

"Amador is driven by quality, but is value priced to make it ideal for terminal replacement situations driven by issues such as Windows XP not being PCI-compliant, software is bogged down needing more CPU and RAM, terminal parts are no longer available, or the customer's main priority is price," Ron Chan, Posiflex's Director Marketing, told RRN.Com. "Just as Toyota has multiple brands such as Scion, Toyota, and Lexus to meet every price point, Amador is priced and configured to complement the premium Posiflex XT Series." It replaces no current company products, he emphasized, and has been stocked at the company's distributors: BlueStar, Metropolitan Sales, Ready Distribution, and ScanSource POS and Barcode.

Amador Touchscreen Terminal by Posiflex, With Fixed Configuration Simplicity

The Logic Behind Micros

Logic Information Systems (Bloomington, MN), one of the major system integrators in Oracle Retail, has snapped up Cascadera (Austin, TX), described as the number one independent system integrator of Oracle's Micros Systems. On the heels of Oracle's acquisition of Micros Systems in September 2014, Logic formally launched its Oracle Micros professional services practice to support major retailers. This new deal adds dozens of new personnel--with deep technical capabilities in Oracle Micros--from Cascadera.

Citing "a surge in global demand" in this arena, Logic Information Systems listed numerous benefits from its expanded capability in Oracle Micros. These include increased user adoption, shorter project timelines, reduced costs for both third-party and internal IT, and smoother upgrades. A full suite of best-practice methodologies and services now encompasses Oracle Retail XStore, Oracle Retail Order Broker, Oracle Retail Customer Engagement, and Oracle Retail XBRi Loss Prevention.

Bill Szlaius, CEO, Logic Information Systems

Worth Your While

RetailNOW 2015
Retail Solutions Providers Association
August 2-5
Orlando

VARTECH 2015
BlueStar
September 14-18
Enchantment of the Seas - Departs Orlando

Pack Expo
PMMI
September 28-30
Las Vegas

NACS Show
Association for Convenience & Fuel Retailing
October 11-14
Las Vegas

IAAPA Expo 2015
International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions
November 16-20
Orlando

ALL IN THE FAMILY

Fixer Upper at Cognex

Cognex Corporation (Natick, MA) has unboxed its new DataMan 150, 260, and 360 Series of fixed-mount, image-based barcode readers. Utilizing the latest Cognex algorithms, these devices deliver enhanced performance, flexibility, and ease-of-use, according to the company. Notably, they feature 1DMax with HotBars, 2DMax with PowerGrid, field-exchangeable lighting and optics, and auto-tune and trigger buttons for set-up and operation without PC.

USB-based DataMan 150 and Ethernet-based 260 offer straight or right-angled configurations to fit tight environments. Such flexibility removes the need for equipment redesign or complicated optical paths with mirrors. DataMan 360 carries light-ring which provides 360-degree visual read indicator and Micro SD for system-level back-up. It also offers triple the memory of its predecessor, the DataMan 300, allowing for improved image buffering and increased image storing.

Cognex Unveils New DataMan Series

Orderman7 Hits Our Shores

NCR Corporation (Duluth, GA) has brought its Orderman7 Mobile POS Terminal to North America. (NCR purchased Orderman, based in Austria, in 2008, readers of RRN.Com will recall.) With Orderman7's 5" touchscreen display (720x1280 pixels), and proprietary radio (range of 160 feet indoors and up to 980 feet outdoors), users can assist customers in various serving scenarios, even in direct sunlight. With consumer appearance, it measures approximately 6.5 in. (L) x 3.3 in. (W) x 1 in. (D), weighs 10 oz., and features shock-resistant and watertight design (IP-67 and 4 ft./1.3 m drops), while offering programmable side buttons for the most frequently used functions. As expected, it may be shipped with Bluetooth, NFC, MSR, and barcode scanner.

In North America, Orderman7 runs NCR Aloha Mobile, which mirrors the well-known UI of Aloha POS. In addition, Orderman7, when operating with Aloha Mobile, meets PA-DSS. Additional characteristics include five-megapixel autofocus camera, integrated speaker and vibration function, as well as 3150-mAh Lithium-Ion battery with 18-hour lifetime.

"Productivity gains and delivering an amazing customer experience continue to be the key drivers of technology investments in the hospitality industry," suggested Paul Langenbahn, President of NCR Hospitality. "The NCR Orderman7 is ideal for restaurants and cinemas of any size looking to embrace mobile innovations and transform the customer experience." [Editor's Note: As widely reported in the financial press, NCR is facing growing headwinds caused by the falling price of its stock--down 10% this year and trading below where it was 10 years ago. Stay tuned.]

Orderman7 Mobile POS Terminal From NCR

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ALLIANCES

A Harbor Full of Verifone

Harbortouch (Allentown, PA), an early leader in so-called "Free POS," will field payment processing hardware from Verifone (San Jose, CA). Included in this agreement will be Verifone's VX 520 countertop payment terminal in combination with the VX 805 PIN Pad. As benefits, the two parties point to faster checkout speeds, ease-of-use with backlit screens and keypads, and increased processing power for handling complex transactions.

"After comparing various next-generation terminals, we felt that Verifone offers the most capable and secure solution for our merchant customers," reported Jared Isaacman, CEO of Harbortouch. In his remarks, Isaacman emphasized the impending liability shift for EMV and emergence of new NFC-based payment types such as Apple Pay. Harbortouch currently handles merchant accounts for more than 110,000 business locations and each year processes in excess of $9 billion. In April, it opened shop for its Echo POS terminal--the "tablet killer"--with brushed aluminum finish, screen size of 13", and swivel base for the customer.

"By partnering with Verifone, Harbortouch is able to provide its merchant clients with a future-proof terminal solution backed by more than thirty years of payment innovation and expertise," proposed Shan Ethridge, VP and GM for the North America Financial Services Group at Verifone. "The VX 520 is an incredibly reliable device that supports emerging payment methods that are growing in demand amongst consumers, as well as applications that can add more value to the POS, while the VX 805 is a stylish and sleek customer-facing PIN Pad that is easy to hand over to consumers for card acceptance and PIN entry." [Editor's Note: Another prominent player in POS, NCC (Greenville, SC) also has chosen to use Verifone's Secure Commerce Architecture.]

Verifone's VX 805 PIN Pad and VX 520 Countertop Terminal for Harbortouch POS

In the DNA (for EMV)

Two headliners in payments--Vantiv (Cincinnati, OH) and Ingenico (Atlanta, GA)--have joined forces for EMV. Under this relationship, Vantiv's EMV-certified payment processing application will be added to Ingenico's smart terminal solution for the SMB. This solution offers the latest fraud and security features, including EMV and Point-to-Point Encryption (P2PE), designed to help merchants reduce chargeback liability following the dreaded deadline of October 1, 2015.

"Our SMB customers need a payment acceptance solution that meets today's needs as well as tomorrow's," remarked Patty Walters, Vantiv's SVP of Corporate EMV Strategy. "Vantiv's new EMV-certified solution is designed to enable them to accept a wide range of payment methods and to improve security for both cardholders and merchants." Virtually any form of payment will be accepted--EMV Chip-and-PIN, EMV Chip-and-Signature, MSR, and Contactless NFC (including Apple Pay and Android Pay).

"Security is in our DNA. Ingenico Group was the world's first terminal manufacturer to achieve EMVCo certification back in 1998 and has implemented EMV-certified payment solutions in 170 countries supporting small and medium-sized merchants," reflected Bernie Frey, SVP Of Acquirer Sales at Ingenico Group North America. "We're pleased to continue our longstanding relationship with Vantiv in this important new product line."

Patty Walters, SVP of Corporate EMV Strategy, Vantiv

Code Corner

PeachWorks (Southfield, MI) has tied its Whisk and POS Hub Apps to NCR Aloha and Oracle Micros. Appropriately named POS Hub creates two-way connections between one or more point-of-sale systems and the restaurant's back-of-house. This allows for up-to-date sales reporting, accurate inventory tracking, and standardized menu changes. A recipe nutrition and cost management solution, Whisk helps restaurants comply with new menu labeling rules from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. It dramatically reduces the time needed to build and maintain menu-item recipes, according to PeachWorks, while maintaining consistency and necessary inventory levels. A cloud-based platform allows access from any computer device, including smartphones and tablets, and Whisk immediately warns end-users when there's problems. "Our commitment has always been to provide an entire seamless solution by integrating all our back-of-house restaurant apps with every POS system that our customers use," proclaimed Mark Symonds, CEO of PeachWorks (which was formerly entitled WhenToManage). "By merging recipe cost and nutrition management with POS data, restaurant managers get an extremely powerful sales intelligence tool that can help them succeed in their segment or market."

INTEGRATION

DD-Day for M-POS

Menusoft Systems (Springfield, VA), supplier of the popular Digital Dining POS, has called upon MyCheck (New York City) to extend mobile commerce capabilities. As part of this integration, MyCheck has created the new DDpay App for Digital Dining, which spans online ordering, payments, and loyalty. DDpay and MyCheck will go to market via Digital Dining's extensive dealer network, and will not require any special hardware. In addition, MyCheck partners with PayPal.

Installation onto Digital Dining is performed remotely, with the DDpay button installed on the payment screen. An order is entered with random four-digit code from the user's smartphone. In quick-service environments, the user will receive an automated receipt; in full-service environments, the user may view their bill in real-time before making payment (with the capacity to split checks between other DDpay App users, traditional credit cards, or even cash). Collection and redemption of loyalty rewards will be automatically reflected in the DDpay App and on the POS. As expected, the DDpay App will be offered for free download in the App Store and Google Play.

According to Andre Nataf, Digital Dining's Director of Business Development, "The market is looking for an integrated approach from POS vendors, and in looking for a mobile payment partner, MyCheck was an easy choice. They are unique in being able to offer a one-stop shop capability for full-service, quick-service, loyalty, online, and more. The DDpay App will serve our merchants well, giving them the ability to offer their guests an easier and more convenient way to pay that ties in various aspects of the dining experience."

MyCheck Develops the DDpay App for Digital Dining

Pick Your Own at JDA

JDA Software Group (Scottsdale, AZ) has added capabilities to its JDA Category Management with the ultimate goal of making it easier to produce localized approaches to displaying products (something, hopefully, of interest to VARs). Specifically, it addresses space plans, displays, and merchandise assortments--thereby replacing manually intensive customization tasks. "As the battle for consumer loyalty continues to escalate, retailers are increasingly focused on understanding, and meeting, the targeted needs of local shoppers in all their markets," counseled JDA.

A trio of new capabilities has been provided. Under "Store Clustering," part of JDA Assortment Optimization, retailers may define strategies and tactics for a group of stores, and then apply these same parameters to a sub-cluster of stores, or even individual stores. In addition to exploiting "Customized Local Planograms," part of the JDA Planogram Generator, retailers also may generate associated signage. Finally, with "Flexible Scalable Code Base," delivered as JDA Space Automation Professional, it becomes easier to automate all aspects of JDA Category Management.

"Our retail customers and their trading partners know that the key to winning consumer loyalty is having precisely targeted assortments in every store," relayed David Johnston, SVP of Global Industry Strategies at JDA Software. "With the new enhancements in JDA Category Management, retailers can create tailored local assortments that are based on proven real-world shopper needs--without investing huge amounts of time and resources. With this release, JDA has made the production of customized plans and assortments faster and more automated than ever before, creating a real competitive advantage for our Category Management customers."

An Example of Planogramming

Key Advertiser Links

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

POS & Peripherals
Bematech
Elo Touch Solutions
Harbortouch
Hewlett-Packard
Partner Tech
Pioneer POS
POS BANK USA
Posiflex
PowaPOS
TEAMSable

Barcode & Transaction Printers
Brother Mobile
CognitiveTPG

Cash Drawers
MMF POS

Data Collection
CipherLab
Code Corporation
Datalogic

Integrated Payment Solutions
Cayan
Datacap Systems
Discover
Mercury/Vantiv
Shift4

Keyboards & Mobile POS
Cherry, ZF Electronics Corp
PrehKeyTec

Receipt Printers
Bixolon America
CognitiveTPG
Epson America
Star Micronics

Thermal Printers
Seiko Instruments USA

Touchscreens & Monitors
Elo Touch Solutions

INSTALLATIONS

Going Crackers at QSR

QSR Automations (Louisville, KY) will roll out its DineTime Guest Management for all Cracker Barrel Old Country Stores in the U.S., with plans to complete the contract by the end of Summer 2015. As anyone who has ever driven long distances with an elderly relative will recognize, that's more than 600 Cracker Barrel Old Country Stores. Debuted in 2013, and subsequently tweaked with various enhancements, DineTime tracks wait times, notifies customers via text message when tables are ready, and captures dynamic information.

Cracker Barrel is employing DineTime in a multi-platform approach with both Apple and Windows clients, as well as DineTime Assist for remote floor management. It also will leverage DineTime's Enterprise Configuration and Reporting Portal. A Guest Book will allow restaurants to access key information, such as notes and visit history, to build stronger relationships with their customers.

DineTime Guest Management for All Cracker Barrel Old Country Stores

Agilysys: Get Your Beer Here

One of the marquee stadiums in the U.S., American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, home to the Mavericks and Stars, has bolstered its POS with InfoGenesis Flex from Agilysys (Alpharetta, GA). Built around InfoGenesis POS, which was installed in the arena with its opening in 2001, Flex offers full functionality delivered on the Dell Venue Pro. As an enterprise solution, InfoGenesis Flex is scalable to hundreds of mobile devices. (In 2014, American Airlines Center was named the fourth busiest arena in the U.S., and ninth busiest in the world.)

A consistent interface for InfoGenesis allows staff to seamlessly switched from terminals to mobile tablets across the venue. It supports Apple Pay and NFC contactless "tap-and-go" credit card payments, as well as a wide range of USB peripherals. An innovative tablet stand easily converts to portable terminal format to address peak volumes and special events, as well.

InfoGenesis Flex for American Airlines Center

Channel Factoid

As its title indicates, "EMV: Retail's $35 Billion 'Money Pit,'" produced by the IHL Group, draws some contrarian conclusions. According to this new study, most retailers will never recoup the expense that EMV imposes. "The single biggest problem with the EMV mandate is that it is focused on trying to solve last century's problem and completely ignores the reality that retailers are facing today," postulated Greg Buzek, President of IHL Group. "Twelve years ago, when EMV was introduced into Europe it made tremendous sense. Today, it stands in the way of real data security by stealing critical budget away from focusing on the risks that retailers face from online hackers." According to this research, unless the merchant is on the front lines of fraudulent card transactions--e.g., electronics, fuel, mass merchants, or related gift cards--the risk of loss is extremely small compared to criminal online activity. And thus, end-to-end encryption and tokenization should be moved to the forefront in place of EMV. Some further findings: EMV costs are additive to what retailers are already paying for PCI, which now consumes 55% of their total data security budget; the typical EMV transaction will take 5 to 8 seconds longer to conclude; many consumers will leave their card in the payment device, since insertion is required for the entire transaction; EMV, with some probable confusion, will be introduced just before the critical shopping season on October 1; and the average ROI for your typical $1 billion specialty store for EMV is projected at -77% over three years. "Retailers who simply focus on EMV at check-out without focusing on end-to-end encryption and tokenization in all of their sales channels are actually opening up a significant security hole," warned Buzek.

Greg Buzek, IHL Group

HELLO GOODBYE

Living in the Materials World

Avery Dennison Corporation (Glendale, CA) has elevated Georges Gravanis to President of its Materials Group. Based in Hong Kong, Gravanis will be responsible for the global pressure-sensitive materials businesses now comprised of Label and Packaging Materials, Graphics Solutions, and Reflective Solutions. This group serves more than 10,000 converters, brand owners, and retailers, and operates in more than 30 countries.

Gravanis has served as VP and GM of the Asia Pacific Division of the Materials Group since August 2010. He will continue in this role during the transition to new leadership. Other roles with Avery Dennison have included VP of Sales, Roll Materials Europe from May 2006 to July 2010; VP and GM of Roll Materials Europe Southern Region from March 2004 to April 2006; and GM, Roll Materials France from May 2003 to March 2004.

Georges Gravanis, President, Materials Group, Avery Dennison

Palhetas, the Rain Maker

Impinj (Seattle, WA), premier provider of RFID RAIN, has recruited Walter Palhetas as its new SVP of Global Sales. His new charter encompasses both channels and OEMs. He will remain based in Newport Beach, California, and reports to Impinj President and COO, Eric Brodersen. Impinj served as one of the founding members of the RAIN RFID Alliance in 2014.

"Walter brings deep experience in leading sales across a range of channels and strategies and has successfully led teams through fast growth trajectories," observed Brodersen. Prior to Impinj, Palhetas was EVP of Sales and Worldwide Marketing at Nexsan Technologies. Earlier employers have included StorageTek (now part of Oracle), Troika Networks, and Sun Microsystems.

Walter Palhetas, SVP of Global Sales, Impinj