Our Product Pick

A member of the Flytech Group, iRuggy Systems Co. (Taipei, Taiwan), has debuted its G10 10" mobile tablet. Weighing 2.2 lbs., and less than 1 inch thick, iRuggy G10 has 10" multi-touch display, Intel Quad-Core Z3735F CPU at 1.8 GHz, and Windows 10 IoT Enterprise. Other specifications include 2-GB RAM, 64-GB Storage, and Micro SD. As connectivity, it has USB x 2, HDMI, Bluetooth 4.0, 802.11a/c Wi-Fi, GPS, NFC, and optional 3G WAN. Additional benefits are front- and rear-facing cameras (two- and five-megapixels, respectively), an IP-65 rating for water and dust, 4-ft./1.2-m drop resistance, and "Tab2D" mount for POS. As add-on modules, characterized as "ADD-f(x)," it furnishes barcode scanner, fingerprint biometrics, card reader with MSR/EMV, and RFID. "We engineered the iRuggy G10 to be versatile," enthused Mark Wallace, EVP at iRuggy.

G10 Mobile Tablet by iRuggy Systems

COMPANY BUSINESS

Posiflex: "Non-Stop POS"

Posiflex (Hayward, CA) has rolled out its newest terminal for POS, the XT3915, with standard 128-GB SSD and Intel Celeron J1900 CPU at 2 GHz--"for non-stop POS service." A bridge between the company's value (XT3215) and midrange (XT3815) terminals in the XT Series, according to Ron Chan, Director of Marketing at Posiflex, the XT3915 has fanless design, 15" resistive touchscreen, and 2-GB RAM (expanded to 8-GB). In keeping with the XT Series, it has folding base for easy shipping and optimum viewing adjustment, spill and dust resistance, and support for POSReady 7, Windows 7 Professional, Windows Embedded 8.1 Industry, and Windows 10 Iot.

In making its announcement, Posiflex cited certifications from seven of the leading retail and hospitality ISVs: 2Touch POS, Action Systems, Inc., Digital Dining, Dinerware, Focus POS, Future POS, and pcAmerica. In addition, Aloha POS has been reseller tested and approved. As an example of benefits, Action Systems reported the XT3915 took just 21 seconds to boot up--"fastest time to ready of any unit tested to date and performance overall was rated exceptional in running Restaurant Manager POS." Praising "fast touch response," Andre Nataf, SVP of the Heartland Dealer Channel (which includes Digital Dining, pcAmerica, and Dinerware), alluded to "adding SSD speed to Posiflex's solid legacy of reliability." According to Brandon Wermes, Director of Operations at Focus of California, "the layout of connectors and ability to add an optional 24-V Powered USB in the base is thoughtfully done." (A second hard drive, back-up battery, and eight-port hub may also be added.)

With dimensions of 14.6 in. (W) x 12.5 in. (D) x 9.9 in. (H), the XT3915 weighs 12.3 lbs. A full range of ports (e.g., Serial x 4, USB x 7, Mini-PCIe for Wi-Fi) and peripherals (e.g., VFD, MSR, VESA) are furnished. It will ship to distributors--BlueStar, Metropolitan Sales, Ready Distribution, and ScanSource--after July 4, Chan told RRN.Com. It also may be ordered with HDD.

New XT3915 POS Terminal by Posiflex

AmEx Takes a Breather

With only halfway adoption of EMV, American Express has made some changes to its chargeback policy. By the end of August, merchants will not be held liable for chargebacks for counterfeit fraud when the transaction is under $25. In addition, by the end of 2016, it plans to limit the number of counterfeit fraud chargebacks to a total of 10 per card account. After that, the card issuer--not the merchant--will bear financial responsibility for any additional counterfeit fraud transactions.

"Combating fraud is an ongoing priority for American Express," remarked Mike Matan, VP of Global Network Business at AmEx. "We recognize the migration to EMV in the U.S. is an effort that will take time, which is why we are making these policy changes." An analysis by American Express found that more than 40% of its counterfeit chargebacks in the U.S. fall under $25. Its new changes will remain in effect until April 2018.

At the same time, AmEx has adopted the software, Quick Chip. It lets the customer dip, and immediately withdraw, his or her chip card from the payment terminal. This cuts the time of payment with EMV chip cards to two seconds or less--similar in duration to MSR--and less than the current 10 to 20 seconds. It will be provided free of charge to the payments ecosystem. Visa also has Quick Chip, while MasterCard has M/Chip Fast.

American Express Makes Changes to Its Chargeback Policy for Merchants Without EMV

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

Elo Applies Android

Elo Touch Solutions (Milpitas, CA) has unwrapped its new Android I-Series for POS. Along with the company's projected capacitive touch technology, it embeds the powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon Quad-Core ARM A15 CPU at 1.7 GHz. As benefits, the company cites enterprise-grade durability, larger display sizes, and versatile connectivity. It comes in sizes of 10", 15", or 22". A full range of peripherals are offered.

"Our exciting new I-Series Android mPOS fills a huge unmet need in the retail and hospitality markets. Our partner ISVs (Independent Software Vendors) and end customers have been waiting for just this type of solution," declared Craig Witsoe, CEO of Elo. "The cost and simplicity of mPOS has made it increasingly popular, but it has lacked true commercial design, durability, and the long product lifecycles that Elo brings. We have also paired the Android O/S with our EloView system, which enables ISVs, retailers, or restaurants to remotely load and update their software, as well as monitor the status and health of their POS terminals."

In concert with the Android I-Series, Elo has introduced its new tablet-swivel "Flip Stand." An expansion module for POS accommodates sharing of peripherals (via Ethernet) and simplifies cable management at the checkout. Applications include self-service, loyalty program participation, and customer signature capture. Elo also offers an option to install this expansion module on the back of the I-Series with VESA.

Android I-Series for POS by Elo Touch Solutions

A White Star

Star Micronics America (Somerset, NJ) has added white-finish versions of cash drawers to its Tradition Series. Two models have been stocked: medium-sized CD3-1313 at 13 x 13 inches and full-sized CD3-1616 at 16 x 16 inches. Both feature durable steel construction and printer driven interface with bottom exit cable, hidden from the customer's view (cable included). "The smooth white coated finish provides a unified appearance and complements the connected peripherals for POS," stated Star.

Models in Star's Tradition Series have dual media slots for extra storage of checks and large bills. A three-function lock system allows for manual release (in addition to the drawer's electronic release). In terms of cash till, options include currency from the U.S., Canada, and Latin America, with configuration of three-bill, five-coin or four-bill, five-coin for the CD3-1313 and four-bill, eight-coin or five-bill, eight-coin for the CD3-1616. Another option: under the counter mounting brackets.

Overall, printers vendors such as Star Micronics have proven to be extremely resourceful in the face of industry changes. Case in point: Star recently added WLAN to its TSP100III receipt printer. A pair of new ISVs--PHP Point of Sale (Rochester, NY) and Retail Cloud (Concord, CA)--immediately bundled this. Also, payment processor Shift4 (Las Vegas, NV) has adopted Star's mPOP terminal for its new mobile POS, baptized as the "VT4." An integrated subsystem for consumer tablets, whether iOS, Android, or Windows, mPOP combines receipt printer and compact cash drawer (12 x 12 inches), with Bluetooth.

Star's White-Finish CD3 Cash Drawers

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ALLIANCES

A Big Brother Named Netsurion

A new Gold Partner has been chosen by cyber-security vendor Netsurion: VAR POS Solutions (Austin, TX). As part of this partnership, POS Solutions will resell Netsurion's services, entitled Brand Guard, as part of its POS. It brings Payment Card Industry (PCI) Compliance at reduced cost, according to the two new partners. In addition, Netsurion will sponsor training for Qualified Integrators and Resellers (QIR) for POS Solutions.

"Netsurion has been helping merchants since the inception of the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS) through our affordable systems and services," suggested Mark Cline, VP of Channel Sales at Netsurion (Houston, TX). "Plus, our managed firewall network allows control over outbound network traffic, preventing data from being sent to malicious sites and countries, as well as denying traffic requests containing other potential vulnerabilities. By partnering with POS Solutions, we have the opportunity to protect even more companies from the constant barrage of cyber-threats."

"At POS Solutions, we believe that service is the cornerstone of any business," flourished Chad Edwards, Director of Operations at POS Solutions. "We have a staff of like-minded employees who have worked in the hospitality and retail industries. We're thrilled to combine our expertise and 24x7x365 support with Netsurion's established security and compliance portfolio." Founded in 1999, POS Solutions focuses on NCR/Aloha POS.

Mark Cline, VP of Channel Sales, Netsurion

Oracle's Tea Leaves (for FreedomPay)

A growing player in payment technology, FreedomPay (Radnor, PA), has joined the Oracle Partner Network (OPN). With this move, FreedomPay's Commerce Platform formalizes its ties to Oracle Micros POS, Xstore, Opera Property Management System (PMS), and recently launched Micros Pay-At-Table. A resulting secure solution is delivered through payment terminals from the Ingenico Group, and is offered as an integrated toolkit with the Micros 3700 and 9700, Symphony 1.x, and Symphony 2.x, Opera PMS, and Xstore (previously known, pre-acquisition, as Micros Retail Xstore).

Started in 2000, FreedomPay lays claim to numerous industry firsts. In 2014, most recently, it earned Payment Card Industry (PCI) Validation in North America for its fully functional point-to-point encryption (P2PE) solution with support for EMV/NFC. Other benefits of its Commerce Platform include tokenization, digital signature capture, dynamic currency conversion, card blacklisting, advertising management, offline support, and integration with online travel agents (OTAs), according to FreedomPay. In particular, it focuses on hospitality.

"FreedomPay offers the only Commerce Platform of its kind, able to handle the rapidly expanding needs of our world class clients," elaborated Christopher Kronenthal, Chief Technology Officer at FreedomPay. "Gaining membership into the OPN will enable our platform to be quickly deployed at hundreds of thousands of Oracle client locations across the globe." As additional partners in POS, FreedomPay has Agilysys, Halo, Heartland Commerce, Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System (RMS), NCR, Nextep Systems, and Revel.

FreedomPay's Commerce Platform, Shown on Ingenico's iWL 250, Now Part of the Oracle Partner Network

Code Corner

HighJump (Minneapolis, MN) has added HighJump Plus, an analytics module, to its HighJump Supply Chain Advantage Suite. It provides an enterprise-level view of warehouse and distribution operations to enable process improvements, according to the ISV. With its open connectivity layer, HighJump Pulse pulls key data from various business systems such as warehouse management, parcel and transport execution, trading networks on EDI, and ERP. It aggregates this data into visual dashboards that leverage HighJump One, built on HTML5. Each role within the organization can have individual views, or dashboards, including charts, graphs, data grids, and pivots. An alerting engine allows end-users to define events that can be delivered via e-mail, text message, or dashboard notices depending on specified key performance indicators (KPIs). Also, drill-down capabilities are offered within dashboards, allowing the viewer to access granular information on each metric and perform root cause analysis. "Leveraging HighJump Pulse, our warehouse managers have set a sequence of live reports that display on an 177-inch screen in the warehouse to encourage productivity," shared Jon Christensen, Senior Director of Distribution and Contract Services for Caribou Coffee. "This gives warehouse employees the ability to track their performance against industry standards and others within the warehouse. The shift supervisor also uploads notes on a daily or weekly basis to help remind our staff of key objectives."

INTEGRATION

Gaining Velocity for RMS

North American Bancard has provided plug-in support between its omni-channel payments platform, NAB Velocity, and the Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System (RMS). This semi-integrated processing solution, abbreviated as "VSI RMS Plug-In," allows Dynamics RMS to work with Ingenico's Telium Series of payment terminals and Velocity's pre-certified EMV. It eliminates the need for software changes and additional database set-up and maintenance within Dynamics RMS.

Specifically, the plug-in supports Microsoft Dynamics RMS 2.0. It's certified for EMV on Ingenico's Telium Models iCT 220/250, iPP 320/350, iSC 250/480, and iWL 228/258. In addition to EMV, and MSR, it accommodates contactless payment schemes based on NFC, such as Apple Pay, Android Pay, and Samsung Pay. It employs authentication, point-to-point encryption, and tokenization to protect customer data.

"It makes it easy for small-to-midsized businesses with RMS," related Pat Ward, VP of Channel Sales at NAB Velocity (Denver, CO). "Users can take advantage of the many top-notch features offered by Velocity, from fast adoption of EMV to data security, and some of the best interchange rates in the industry. We're delighted to offer this as part of our free terminal program."

An Integration Path for Payments and Microsoft RMS From North American Bancard

GS1 Gets With It

A new solution, designated GS1 US Mobile Scan, released by the barcode standards holder, GS1 US (Lawrenceville, NJ), seeks to address next-generation product identification. Enfolding so-called "DWCode," its scanning methodology employs technology from Digimarc (Beaverton, OR), which layers the symbology directly, and invisibly, into the graphics of print media and consumer packaging. For consumers, this provides smartphone access to product information, special offers, and rich media. For retailers, GS1 US Mobile Scan includes the same Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) as the UPC Code, allowing the product to be scanned on all surfaces, speeding checkout.

"Consumers are increasingly demanding access to complete and accurate product information to inform their purchase decisions and more than 90% use their smartphones while shopping in retail stores," noted Laura DiSciullo, SVP of Solutions at GS1 US. "The combination of mobile technology and shopper expectations has created the perfect storm and is challenging brands and retailers to respond with richer information for the consumer. GS1 US Mobile Scan addresses those requirements."

Simultaneously, GS1 US has approved the barcode beaming technology of Mobeam (Palo Alto, CA). With this move, it seeks to extend digital mobile couponing programs beyond the scope of retailers, to the manufacturers. "An antiquated process of shipping coupons out of the country to be manually counted and cleared can be replaced with fast, secure digital processing," explained George Garrick, CEO of Mobeam. With its "Beep'nGo" App, Mobeam translates any symbology into infrared light pulses, which may be read by one-dimensional scanners. Its technology has been adopted by Samsung.

Moving to Advanced Scanning Schemes on the Part of Barcode Standards Group, GS1 US

Key Advertiser Links

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

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

Barcode & Transaction Printers
Brother Mobile
Citizen
CognitiveTPG
Godex Americas

Cash Drawers
MMF POS

Data Collection
CipherLab
Code Corporation

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

Janam Cleans Up

Janam Technologies (Woodbury, NY) has deployed its XM5 rugged mobile computers for leading facilities management firm, IST Management Services (Atlanta, GA). Used with the firm's proprietary web-based IST-Suite, the XM5 has improved mailroom and package delivery, copy center and equipment control, and hospitality services, according to the two parties. Of particular importance, Janam's XM5 Dual-O/S capability allows IST to run Windows Embedded Handheld, to be followed by Android.

"Janam has been instrumental in the growth of our business," testified Chris Ionetz, National Director of IT for IST Management Services. "I cannot speak highly enough about the quality of products and the overall service and support we receive. Working with more than 400 corporations in 38 U.S. markets, we heavily rely on Janam's XM5 to keep operations running smoothly." Among its customers, IST has Tiffany & Co. and Yum! Brands. It has 1,000 employees.

A busy season for Janam Technologies. Its XT1 rugged mini-tablet, with Android, has been selected as the preferred device for use with Inspector+ software from industrial VAR, Wireless Network Solutions (Excelsior, MN). Its XM2-RFID for Rail, specifically designed to read tags of Automatic Equipment Identification (AEI), has been recommended for Quick Read software from railroad VAR, Buckeye Mountain (Niwot, CO). In addition, in May, its XT1 was adopted by ID Card (St. Louis, MO) to provide "virtual tickets" for carnivals and festivals conducted in Central and Northern California by Johnston Amusements.

Janam's XM5 Features Dual-O/S

APG Plays PGA

APG Cash Drawer/Cash Bases (Minneapolis, MN) fielded its hardware for the PGA's 2016 Memorial Tournament at the Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, OH, on May 30 to June 5. Concessions at the Memorial Tournament were equipped with APG's Vasario cash drawers and Apple iPads through Flying Connected (New York, NY). Additional sites included the Souvenir Tent, Pro Shop, and Club House. Overall, the event drew thousands of visitors per day, according to APG.

"This is our second year teaming up with the PGA Memorial Tournament," reported Stephen Bergeron, VP of Global Marketing at APG Cash Drawer. "As we saw at this event in 2014, cash continues to be a preferred form of tender within the golfing community. The simplicity of APG's USB drawers allows companies like the PGA to enjoy a new flexibility not normally associated with traditional POS terminals. [In addition], all-white solutions are clean and modern and stylistically match specialty environments such as PGA."

"We're seeing a trend within hospitality as consumer expectations change," added Schneur Landa, Co-Founder and CFO of Flying Connected. "Business owners are moving toward mobile or thin POS solutions that appeal widely to today's consumers. Flying Connected's rental services are aimed at enhancing corporate events without breaking the bank. With daily and weekly hardware rental rates that keep event production costs low, our products and services help accelerate the payment process and check-in experience." (FYI: Tournament was won by William McGirt.)

APG's Vasario Cash Drawer, with iPad, Deployed at PGA 2016 Memorial Tournament

Channel Factoid

Members of customer loyalty programs generate between 12% and 18% more revenue for retailers than customers who are not members, according to new research from Accenture. However, in terms of metrics, retailers focus largely on factors such as membership growth rates (cited by 45%), share of transactions by members (42%), number of transactions per year (36%), and retention rates (40%). Fewer are focused on return on investment signs such as number of reward redemptions (cited by 32%), campaign response rates (27%), and customers engaged socially (16%). When asked to identify their biggest challenges in the area of customer loyalty programs, retailers identified: keeping up with technology (40%), competitive loyalty programs (33%), financial complexity (33%), and finding the right personnel (30%). Nearly all respondents (97%) said their loyalty programs receive C-suite support. However, fewer than half (43%) receive what they consider "strong" C-suite support, with slightly more than half (54%) receiving "moderate" C-suite support. "Today's customer loyalty programs are an increasingly expensive, complex, and expansive business that extend beyond the marketing team into the entire organization," observed Farrell Hudzik, Managing Director of Accenture Interactive's Global Loyalty and Rewards Practice. "Given that loyalty program members generate significant incremental revenue compared with non-members, retail loyalty program leaders must anticipate future growth trends and capture the opportunity to differentiate in an increasingly fragmented marketplace."

HELLO GOODBYE

New Blood, Trueblood at Cayan

Cayan (Boston, MA) has engaged Rachel Trueblood as its SVP of Marketing. She joins the payment processor from Staples, where she most recently served as Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives, which included overseeing their private label credit portfolios, mobile payments, and gift cards, as well as developing and launching Staples Business Loans. Previously, she was Head of Marketing Channels for Staples UK & Europe and VP of Staples Corporate Branding and Advertising.

"Rachel is taking the helm of Cayan's marketing team at a pivotal time," commented Henry Helgeson, CEO and Co-Founder of Cayan. "As Cayan continues to adapt, evolve, and lead the way innovating within the payments industry, Rachel's marketing expertise is exactly what we need to continue differentiating ourselves." Along related lines, Cayan recently expanded its headquarters in the U.S. and established its new office in Belfast, Ireland.

"It's a privilege to work alongside some of the most innovative, forward-thinking individuals Boston has to offer," volunteered Trueblood. "One of our greatest challenges as a company is to put the stake in the ground as leaders in this rapidly changing industry. I'm greatly looking forward to bringing my marketing experience to the table in order to help accomplish that goal."

Rachel Trueblood, SVP of Marketing, Cayan

Passing of Randy Clark

One of the truly great guys in our channel died suddenly on March 30. All you needed was 15 minutes with Randy Clark to come away friends. He joined Mercury Payment Systems in 2012, serving as SVP of Marketing. Subsequently, he helped Mercury in its transition to Vantiv Integrated Payments.

A skillful businessman, marketing innovator, and mentor to staff, Randy also was hysterically funny. At the Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA) Show, I once shared my concern over the disheveled state of my son's college apartment, and Randy responded with his own regaling of fraternity days and abandoned pizzas, empty beer bottles, improvised towels, and questionable cleaning practices. It was late at night, and drinks were involved, but I don't think I've ever laughed so hard.

Randy leaves his wife Isha, daughter Sabrina, and sons Randy and Sam. An online tribute has been posted on the website, www.letterstorandy.com. A crowdfunding appeal has been posted on the website, www.youcaring.com/randy-clark-550950. He passed away on vacation in a place sunny and bright--like his impact and legacy on everyone. He was 48.

In Memorium, Randy Clark, Vantiv IP