Our Product Pick

Pioneer Solution (City of Industry, CA) has previewed its new All-in-One, designated ST3. With 15.6" projected-capacitive touchscreen (1366x768 or 1920x1080), ST3 has Intel Celeron i5 CPU, 4-GB/16-GB RAM, and 60-GB/450-GB SSD. With support for Windows 10 (and Linux), it features screen thickness of 1.5". A water- and dust-proof front panel (IP-54), base/stand, and full connectivity (USB, Ethernet, Serial, HDMI, 802.11 WLAN) are offered. As peripherals, there's MSR, EMV, RFID/NFC, 2D scanner, biometrics, single sign-on, and secondary display. "A tablet-like appearance to empower trend-setting millennials, yet its rugged and long-life components will work well in harsh and demanding environments," according to Pioneer Solution.

Pioneer's Ultra-Thin ST3 AiO

COMPANY BUSINESS

X Marks the Spot at Custom

A chat with Karl Schoessler updates the status of POS-X and Custom America. As readers will recall, Custom purchased POS-X in October 2018. A merger of the two hardware vendors is underway, with Schoessler, former CEO of POS-X, now serving as VP of Channel Sales, Americas, for Custom America. As before, Nicola Ciarlante serves as CEO of Custom America, which is based in Boothwyn, PA. (No longer involved in things, Dan Moseley, Executive Chairman of POS-X, who has sold his share of ownership of POS-X.)

As VP of Channel Sales, Americas, based in Bellingham, WA (site of POS-X, to be christened Custom America West), Schoessler now handles an expanded product line, which includes vertical markets such as parking, aviation, and entertainment, as well as retail. A large player in international markets, Custom, based in Italy, hadn't previously cultivated significant presence among VARs/ISVs in North America. In short-term, at least, the POS-X brand will be maintained, according to Schoessler, although all new products will carry the logo of Custom.

In the meantime, an existing product from Custom America, the K3 thermal receipt printer, has been introduced to the reseller network of POS-X. With 3" print width, it features maximum speed of 13 in./350 mm per second at 203 dpi, and support for iOS, Android, and Windows O/S. It measures 5.8 in. (W) x 8.1 in. (L) x 5.5 in. (H), weighs 4.4 lbs., and has Serial+USB+Ethernet+Cash Drawer (with optional 802.11 WLAN). Under POS-X, it gets to distribution via BlueStar (Hebron, KY) and ScanSource (Greenville, SC), noted Schoessler.

Karl Schoessler, VP of Channel Sales, America, Custom America

Honeywell Yells "GO!"

A rewards component for its Performance Partner Program for VARs/ISVs has been launched by Honeywell (Fort Mill, SC). Entitled "Honeywell GO!" it gives its partners' sales representatives an opportunity to earn points for the sale of products by Honeywell. It covers scanners, printers, mobile computer devices, service contracts, and software in retail, field service, warehouse/logistics, and manufacturing vertical markets.

Sales data will be uploaded to the dedicated rewards portal, under Honeywell GO!, where designated users can allocate sales to themselves and/or their colleagues. After sufficient points are collected, they may be redeemed for rewards. This includes gift cards, so-called luxury items, and other experiences, said Honeywell.

"Honeywell GO! is another feature we're implementing to reward channel partner sales representatives for their dedication in delivering Honeywell solutions to customers," commented Taylor Smith, Chief Marketing Officer at Honeywell's Productivity Products Business. "Our loyal channel partner community is the foundation for our growth and success, and we continue to invest in resources to help those who choose to be Honeywell Performance Partners grow their business and provide their customers with solutions to increase operational performance." In March, Honeywell opened its web store for business software, called the Honeywell Marketplace.

Taylor Smith, Chief Marketing Officer, Honeywell Productivity Products Business

Worth Your While

Transact Tech
Electronic Transactions Association (ETA)
June 20
Atlanta, GA

Profit Booster Dealer Conference
CRS, Inc.
June 25
Santa Ana, CA

RetailNOW
Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA)
July 28-31
San Antonio, TX

VARTECH
BlueStar
September 16-17
Paradise Island, Bahamas

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

Money 20/20
October 27-30
Las Vegas, NV

NRF 2020 Vision
National Retail Federation
January 12-14, 2020
New York, NY

Inspire
Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA)
January 26-20, 2020
Nassau, Bahamas

Transact
Electronic Transactions Association (ETA)
April 28-30, 2020
Las Vegas, NY

ALL IN THE FAMILY

Bixolon Spells Out SPP-L410

Bixolon America (Gardena, CA) has unwrapped its new 4" mobile thermal label printer, stocked as Model SPP-L410. In compact size of 5.6 in. (W) x 5.4 in. (L) x 2.6 in. (D), weighing 1.7 lbs. with battery and full paper, the SPP-L410 has maximum print speed of 4 in./102 mm per second at 203 dpi with media roll diameter up to 2.2 in./56 mm. It offers 128/256-MB RAM and 256/512-MB Flash, with USB 2.0+Serial or USB 2.0+Serial+Bluetooth/802.11 WLAN and support for iOS, Android, Windows, and Linux O/S (and with certification to Apple MFi).

As additional features, the SPP-L410 has adjustable media guide, splash-proof design, status sensors, rechargeable 2750-mAh Lithium-Ion battery, an IP-54 rating for water and dust, and 6-ft./1.8-m drop resistance. As programming languages, there's SLCS, BPL-Z, and BPL-C, with "Easy Bluetooth Pairing" via NFC and Chrome and Xamarin Software Development Kits (SDKs). As software for label design, Bixolon cites its own free Label Artist-II and Label Artist Mobile, as well as BarTender by Seagull Scientific (Bellevue, WA). As expected, it accommodates linerless media.

"As a global leader in mobile printing, Bixolon highly believes its customers have the right to choose a cost-effective model for low to medium volume labeling applications," declared John Kim, Marketing Director of Bixolon (South Korea). "The SPP-L410 is aimed at the logistics, manufacturing, and retail markets due to its compact, yet rugged design with proven-level functionality and agile technical support to enable customers to easily integrate mobile label printing into their applications." (FYI: In addition to its family of receipt printers, look for an increased emphasis on label printing this year from Bixolon America, RRN was told. In February, it debuted its 3" Model SPP-L310.)

Bixolon's 4" SPP-L410 Mobile Label Printer

Trimble Maps TDC600

Trimble (Sunnyvale, CA) has unveiled its new rugged smartphone/Global Navigation Satellite System (GNNS), the Model TDC600. With Bluetooth 4, 802.11 WLAN, and 4G LTE, the TDC600 addresses field inspection via the Global Information System (GSI). As features, it furnishes 6" capacitive touchscreen (1920x1080), front- and rear-facing cameras (5- and 13-megapixel), and 15-hour 8000-mAh Lithium-Ion battery. With Qualcomm Octa-Core Snapdragon CPU, 4-GB RAM, and 64-GB Storage, its runs Android 8 O/S.

In physical dimensions of 7.7 in. (L) x 3.6 in. (W) x 0.7 in. (D), the TDC600 weighs 13.6 oz. It carries an IP-67 rating for water and dust, military standard of MIL-STD-810G, and 4-ft./1.2-m drop resistance. An operating temperature range of -4 to +131 Degrees F (-20 to +55 Degrees C) is cited. A fitted strap provides extra handling security.

As associated data collection software, there's Trimble TerraFlex and Trimble Penmap for Android, as well as third-party apps such as Esri Collector for ArcGIS. It also supports the subscription-based Trimble Catalyst GNSS positioning service and carries Google Mobile Services. "A powerful, comprehensive, and cost-effective entry-level system to collect and retrieve highly accurate GSI data virtually anywhere in the world," is how the TDC600 was described by Rachel Blair-Winkler, Business Area Manager for Trimble Mapping and GIS.

Trimble's TD600 Smartphone/Global Navigation Satellite System

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Week of June 3

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Week of May 6

ALLIANCES

NAB to the Rezku

North American Bancard (Troy, MI), via its partner network, will resell the restaurant iPad POS by Rezku POS, part of Guest Innovations (Sacramento, CA). Appearing in 2012, Rezku POS, which will handle onboarding, configuration, and tech support, has particular strength in the bar and nightclub verticals. As part of its market launch, North American Bancard will offer biweekly training sessions to all of its reseller base on Rezku POS, according to the two parties.

"Sales partners of NAB can be proud to show Rezku POS to their merchant customers," relayed Paul Katsch, CEO and Founder at Rezku POS. "I know what it's like to be on the front line, making promises to clients and how important it is in this business to protect your reputation. We stand behind all of our partners, providing your customers with a quality product that does what it's meant to and a support team that cares as much about your clients as you do."

"Our sales partners are gaining an incredible advantage to compete at the highest level in the restaurant marketplace and a tremendous value-add solution that will grow their portfolios," proposed Ryan Malloy, VP of Partner Relations at North American Bancard. "Being able to deliver a powerful POS system that manages fast-paced service and high-quality customer experiences makes Rezku POS an incredible addition to the NAB suite of POS solutions." At present, North American Bancard has more than 350,000 businesses and annual processing total of $45 billion.

A Reseller Agreement Signed Between North American Bancard and Rezku POS

Datacap: EMV Via USB

Datacap Systems (Chalfont, PA), in collaboration with processing partner EVO Payments (Atlanta, GA), has simplified the path to EMV via the Augusta USB card reader by ID TECH (Cypress, CA). With this bundle, customers of Datacap's popular middleware, NETePay, may upgrade to the Augusta without any additional integration or certification. As another benefit, adoption of ID TECH's Augusta, which carries tokenization, point-to-point encryption (P2PE), Payment Card Industry (PCI) Validation, and EMV Level 1 and 2, does not require significant capital outlays by merchants, noted the vendors.

"We are thrilled to collaborate with EVO to add the ID TECH line of EMV readers to our semi-integrated payments solution," remarked Terry Zeigler, President and CEO of Datacap Systems. "Datacap's partners in POS now have this cost-effective and easy-to-implement path to EMV for merchants with pre-EMV processes looking to mitigate their chargeback liability." Also, in May, as exclusively reported in RRN, Datacap Systems purchased the gateway and gift loyalty platform of the former Monetary LLC. "We think we'll be the only guy in the market with the ability to support both store-level and hosted solutions [for agnostic payment processing] with an integrated, transparent command interface for ISVs/VARs," stated Zeigler.

"Datacap is a great partner to work with, and we look forward to supporting the ID TECH EMV hardware solution together," affirmed Brendan Tansill, President, North America, at EVO Payments. For its part, in May, EVO Payments announced it has expanded its relationship with the National Computer Corporation (Greenville, SC). As intent for both companies: expanding their ISV/VAR POS network in Canada. "EVO has worked with NCC in the U.S. for more than 15 years, and we look forward to continuing our relationship," stated Tansill.

A Bundle of "Simple, Cost-Effective" EMV Payment Processing Via Datacap, EVO Payments, and ID TECH's Augusta

Code Corner

Ekos (Charlotte, NC) has released its newest product, Ekos Winemaker. A cloud-based solution, it provides comprehensive management of inventory, production, sales, and accounting, with specific functionality for the winery. It includes: raw material, packing, and finished goods inventory; barrel inventory and management, plus the topping off process; pre-harvest planning for insights into potential batch yields and packaging material needs; vendor bills, sales orders, invoices, and delivery shipments; customizable reports and dashboards; and customer information and lead tracking. It syncs in accounting with QuickBooks or Xero, and, for wineries with tasting room, Square POS. "Our team is excited to further our mission of helping craft manufacturers all over the world scale their business, streamline their processes, and optimize their teams. Delivering an easy-to-use affordable solution to winemakers has been one longtime goal of ours," related Josh McKinney, CEO of Ekos. "From working with the more traditional bottling wineries to the innovative wineries also using cans and kegs, our solution does it all."

Ekos Winemaker Software

ENVIRONMENTS/PLATFORMS

Cresting With iKDS

WaveSoft (Richmond, BC, Canada), longstanding restaurant ISV, has showcased its iKDS Kitchen Display System for iPads. Addressing front- and back-of-house operations, it comprises two parts: native iKDS App and cloud-based Manager Dashboard. A scalable solution, it allows restaurants to implement as few or as many tablets as needed, according to WaveSoft. It accompanies middleware for mobile POS, WavePOS, and bring-your-own device (BYOD) software for iPad POS, WaveTouch.

As features, iKDS may be customized to fit the needs of each unique restaurant. It displays food items in any language, any size, and any color, as well as drawing food and drink options together by order type. Another feature is its ability to display food and drink images instead of plain text, for maximum efficiency and accuracy of kitchen preparation.

"We realized that all restaurants, whether they are quick service or table service, struggle with quickly and accurately communicating orders from the wait staff to the kitchen," indicated Wilson Chao, CEO at WaveSoft. "We wanted to create an application that solves this problem, as well as eliminates the need for inaccurate handwritten tickets or kitchen printers. iKDS is perfect for restaurants looking for a reliable, simple, and cost-effective kitchen management solution."

WaveSoft Offers iKDS Kitchen Display Software

Stopping the Blurring

Dynamsoft Corporation (Vancouver, BC, Canada) has developed its enhanced Barcode Reader SDK (Software Development Kit). As Version 6.5.2, it improves recognition rates for blurred or out-of-focus barcodes as well as the capacity to decode barcodes from video, according to the ISV. Available for download, it enables application developers to more easily embed barcode reading functionality--web, desktop, and mobile.

As specific improvements, in tech speak, Dynamsoft has optimized its algorithms to speed the recognition process for 1D and 2D barcodes. It also further improved the accuracy of border localization and symbol segmentation for Aztec Code. In the JavaScript Edition of the SDK, Dynamsoft added the built-in scanner constructor to support video settings. Also, the Decode Buffer now supports 48- and 64-bit image data in the SDK.

Supported developer platforms include Windows (C, C++, .NET, ActiveX, JavaScript), Linux (C, C++), iOS (Objective-C), and Android (Java). Supported 1D barcodes include Code 39, Code 128, Code 93, Codabar, Interleaved 2 of 5, Industrial 2 of 5, EAN-13, EAN-8, UPC-A, and UPC-E. Supported 2D barcodes include QR Code, DataMatrix, PDF-417, and Aztec Code. There are also Mac and Raspberry Pi Editions.

Dynamsoft Version 6.5.2 Barcode SDK

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
HP
Ingenico
Pioneer POS
POSBANK USA
Posiflex
Protech Technologies
Toshiba
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

INSTALLATIONS

Star Makes Reservations

Star Micronics America (Somerset, NJ) will supply its popular 3" TSP143III direct-thermal receipt printer for reservation and seating platform, SevenRooms (New York, NY). Established in 2011, and financially backed by Amazon and Comcast Ventures, SevenRooms addresses restaurants, hotels, nightclubs, and sporting and entertainment centers. It integrates with more than three dozen purveyors of POS, including Lightspeed, Toast, and Silverware POS.

"When exploring new partners to add to our network, we look for companies that enable our restaurant operators to do better business, faster--and this is true of Star Micronics," enthused Kinesh Patel, Chief Technology Officer at SevenRooms. "Their technology enables operators around the world to quickly and easily print out information related to a reservation or guest, enabling better in-service experiences across the board. We are happy to be able to partner with them as we offer best-in-class technology to our joint restaurant clients."

As features, Star's TSP143III has "flat print" technology, "drop-in & print" paper loading, and 9.8 in./250 mm per second print speed at 203 dpi. As connectivity, it carries USB/Lightning USB, Ethernet, Bluetooth, and 802.11 WLAN. It has dimensions of 5.6 in. (W) x 8 in. (D) x 5.2 in. (H) and weighs 3.7 lbs. With Star's PromoPRNT, it offers an in-store marketing solution for printed promotions, which will be employed in combination with reservations and seating by SevenRooms.

Star Micronics Partners With SevenRooms

A Laughing Matter at PAR

A win for ParTech, subsidiary of PAR Technology Corporation (New Hartford, NY), with selection by fast casual dining chain, Laughing Planet. With 17 locations in the Pacific Northwest, and based in Portland, OR, Laughing Planet will install PAR's cloud-based Brink POS. A prominent VAR, POSitive Technologies (also in Portland, OR), chose the Brink POS for Laughing Planet.

"So far, the implementation of Brink has helped us streamline our business operations by quickly having access to sales data from all of our 17 locations with a few clicks of the computer," reported Vanessa Parscale, Controller of Laughing Planet. "Our front-of-house staff have enjoyed the ease of inputting orders that allow them to have better interactions with our customers." Offered dishes with multiple ingredients, customers often ask for substitutions and modifications to their order--something difficult for Laughing Planet's previous POS, also noted.

A busy time at ParTech, which appointed Savneet Singh as its new CEO and President in January. A string of new partners have integrated with Brink POS: Altametrics (enterprise resource planning), Exponent HR (human capital management), Goji Systems (self-order technology), Gratuity Solutions (payroll), NovaDine (online ordering), PXYData (business analytics), PingHD (digital signage), and 7shifts (employee scheduling). "We are honored to add these great partners to our industry leading ecosystem," flourished Stephen Lee, Manager of Strategic Partnerships at ParTech. "We'll do great things together."

A Healthy Dining Chain, Laughing Planet, Chooses Brink POS by PAR

Channel Factoid

-A whopping 91% of hotel executives surveyed said mobile technologies are critical to improving the guest experience and cultivating loyalty.

-A smaller number of hotel executives, 69%, were confident in their company's ability to adopt and deliver such mobile experiences.

-As key, hotel executives identified: offering Wi-Fi throughout the property, guest-facing apps to enhance the customer experience, and staff-facing mobile to improve the hotel team's daily workflow.

-Concurrently, 50% of hotel executives expressed fear that their company would be disrupted by more mobile friendly competitors.

-So it was not surprising that 90% of the hotel executives agreed that mobile was critical to maintaining their competitive advantage.

-A similar number of hotel executives, 91%, said their guest-facing mobile app is the preferred way they'd like guests to request service.

-In addition to enhancing guest experience, 66% of hotel executives said reducing operational costs was another major driver for embracing mobility.

-"Customers want to be able to engage with brands wherever they are, whether booking the room from their child's soccer game or ordering drinks while sitting poolside at the hotel. The properties that can't deliver these kinds of mobile experiences will quickly lose to those that can make the engagement simple and seamless for their customers," stressed Greg Webb, SVP and GM of Oracle Hospitality.

Source: "2019 Hospitality Benchmark--Mobile Maturity Analysis Study," by Oracle Hospitality (Redwood Shores, CA).

Hotels Embrace Mobility

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

HELLO GOODBYE

Emily Writes Code

Code Corporation (Draper, UT) has engaged Emily Scales as its Channel Marketing Manager. A veteran in channel marketing for Auto ID, Scales most recently worked as Information and Communications Manager for the Escher Group in Dublin, Ireland (2015 to 2018). Previously (before marriage, as Emily Massaglia), she served as Channel Marketing Manager at ParTech (2013 to 2014) and Channel Marketing Manager-North America for Honeywell (2006 to 2012).

"As a strong channel advocate, I am delighted to be joining such a customer-centric, channel-friendly company," testified Scales. "Code has made a name for itself by creating market-leading products that focus on the complete solution. I am proud to join this accomplished team to continue growing the Code story."

"I am super excited to have Emily come on board at Code, and for her to guide the expansion of Code's channel program, CodeAlliance," contributed Garrett Russell, VP of Sales-Americas and Global Marketing. "Emily's background is a perfect fit for this role." (FYI: Russell and Scales worked together at Metrologic Instruments, which was bought by Honeywell in 2008.)

Emily Scales, Channel Marketing Manager, Code Corporation

Paya's Generator

Paya (Reston, VA) has enlisted Mark Engels as its Chief Revenue Officer. He joins the payment processor from Hyperwallet, where he also served as CRO (2016 to 2019). Earlier roles include EVP of Business and Channel Development for SecureNet Payments (2011 to 2016), which was acquired by Worldpay, and SVP of Business Development for First Data (2007 to 2011).

"I'm pleased to join Paya and its leadership team," shared Engels. "Paya is extremely well-positioned in a dynamic marketplace through its platform capabilities, vertically tailored solutions, and rich understanding of the integrated payments landscape. I look forward to helping the company continue its rapid growth to serve an expanding network of partners and customers."

"Paya has invested to significantly enhance our technology and offerings over the past 18 months as an independent company," reflected Jeff Hack, CEO of Paya. "We've launched our next-generation connectivity platform, Paya Connect, and increased the breadth and depth of our software offerings to enable payments integration into customers' day-to-day workflow. Our recent acquisitions of Stewardship Technologies and First Billing Services further accelerate our deep capabilities in serving target verticals." (In 2017, readers may recall, private-equity firm GTCR purchased Paya, formerly known as Sage Payment Solutions. Hack, former EVP at First Data, joined in November 2018.)

Mark Engels, Chief Revenue Officer, Paya

Ready is Roddy for RSPA

The Retail Solutions Providers Association (Charlotte, NC) has added Jim Roddy as its VP of Marketing. Most recently, he served as Reseller and ISV Business Advisor for Worldpay (2016 to 2019). A majority of his career was spent at Jameson Publishing, and Business Solutions Magazine, where he rose to President and GM (1998 to 2016).

A longstanding participant in the RSPA, since 2007, Roddy has served as Board Member, Executive Committee Member, and Chairman of the Board (2014 to 2015). He has also been an active volunteer at RSPA, serving as Marketing Committee Chair, Vendor Working Group Chair, and Membership Committee Co-Chair, as well as on Education and Certification. "Jim is an unique talent and will help our team expand and accelerate our success as we focus on member value, industry positioning, and organizational strength," expressed John Kirk, President and CEO of the Retail Solutions Providers Association.

"The RSPA community is very special to me, and I'm thrilled for the opportunity to serve the members in this new role," volunteered Roddy. "I'm eager to continue learning from them and I'm happy to accelerate their success any way I can. I look forward to engaging with as many members as possible on the phone, online, and in person at RetailNOW." (FYI: Its annual show, RSPA's RetailNOW takes place on July 28 to 31 in San Antonio, TX.)

Jim Roddy, VP of Marketing, Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA)