Our Product Pick

Nordic ID has unboxed its rugged Model HH85 RFID Handheld Reader. In dimensions of 8.4 in. (L) x 3.4 in. (W) x 5.3 in. (D), weighing 22.6 oz./642 g, the Nordic ID HH85 reads 1D/2D codes, NFC, and tags of EPC Class 1 Gen 2 RFID. It runs Android O/S, with ARM Octa-Core Cortex A53 CPU at 1.8 GHz, 2-GB RAM, and 16-GB ROM. As features, it includes 4.7" multi-touch capacitive touchscreen (1280x720), Bluetooth/BLE, 802.11 Wi-Fi, multiple triggers, and 18-hour Lithium-Ion battery. "The requirements of the industrial warehouse and manufacturing environment differs from that of retail, and the Nordic ID HH85 with its rubber buffer, IP-65 rating, and pistol grip was developed to meet the quality standard of this industry," emphasized Paul Murdoch, Chief Commercial Officer for Nordic ID. In the U.S. and Canada, Nordic ID, based in Finland, is distributed by BlueStar (Hebron, KY), ControlTek (Bridgewater, NJ), and ScanSource POS and Barcoding (Greenville, SC).

Nordic ID's Model HH85 RFID Reader

COMPANY BUSINESS

PAX Unpacks Self-Service

PAX Technology (Jacksonville, FL) has unwrapped its new SmartKiosks, Models SK600 and SK800, with PAXBiz powered by Android O/S. In portrait style, they furnish order screen, integrated contactless payments as well as MSR, thermal receipt printer at 3", biometric reader, front-facing camera, and scanning of QR and 1D/2D. As its display, Model SK600 has 15" multi-touch capacitive touchscreen (1024x768). As its display, Model SK800 has 23.8" multi-touch capacitive touchscreen (1920x1080). As markets cited by PAX: restaurants, ticketing, hospitality, and entertainment self-service.

Each features ARM Quad-Core Cortex A17 CPU at 1.8 GHz, 2-GB RAM, 16-GB ROM, and 128-GB Micro-SD. A full suite of ports is provided, including USB, HDMI, Ethernet, Serial RS-232, Phone Socket RJ-11, and Power. As offered communications, there's Bluetooth/BLE, 802.11 Wi-Fi, and 4G LTE. Without pedestal, Model SK600 measures 26 in. (H) x 12.8 in. (W) x 7 in. (D) and weighs 17.2 lbs./7.8 kg. Without pedestal, Model SK800 measures 38 in. (H) x 15.5 in. (W) x 6.9 in. (D) and weighs 28.6 lbs./13 kg. Each has moisture- and shock-proof casing.

"Merchants newly reopening their doors can utilize our secure SmartKiosks as a new way to order and pay within the evolving checkout environment," enthused Andy Chau, President and CEO of PAX Technology. "The PAX SmartKiosks offer everything for consumers to independently order and check-out on clean, ruggedized technology that can be repeatedly disinfected and used for hundreds of transactions a day." SmartKiosks are compliant with Payment Card Industry 5.0 as well as the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990.

SmartKiosk, Model SK600, by PAX Technology

SATO Takes Your Temperature

SATO America (Charlotte, NC) has unveiled its solution for health screening and temperature measuring in the workplace, entitled TEMPCHECK. It bundles three products from the company: the Model CT4-LX Printer, 4" x 2" direct-thermal labels, and TEMPCHECK Software. Used to screen employees, customers, or visitors at the point of entry, it reduces risk, ensures traceability, and extends HIPAA Compliance.

A variety of common thermometers may be employed (and are not included) with TEMPCHECK. Its bright white, top-coated direct-thermal labels carry removable adhesive for adherence to clothing. (Also, labels may be designed for ID badge holders.) Developed under SATO's Application Enabled Printing (AEP), the TEMPCHECK Software prompts health screening questions, enters temperature, and approves label printing. A confidential logging system safeguards entered information.

Introduced in January, the 4" CT4-LX measures 7 in. (W) x 9.4 in. (D) x 8.4 in. (H), weighs 7.5 lbs./3.4 kg, and features maximum print speed of 8 in./203 mm at 203 dpi and 6 in./152 mm per second at 305 dpi. A 4.3" color resistive touchscreen display, angled for easy viewing, combines with clear media window and one-touch printhead replacement. As computing, the CT4-LX carries ARM Cortex A9 CPU at 1 GHz, 1-GB RAM, and 4-GB ROM. As communications: USB, NFC, and Ethernet, with optional Serial RS-232, Bluetooth/BLE, and 802.11 Wi-Fi.

A Health Screening and Temperature Measuring Kit, Entitled TEMPCHECK, by SATO America

Worth Your While

RetailNOW
Retail Solutions Providers
Association (RSPA)
August 2-5
Las Vegas, NV

[Editor's Note: RSPA's RetailNOW Show has been cancelled for 2020.]

VARTECH
BlueStar
September 14-15
Orlando, FL

Shoptalk
Shoptalk Commerce, LLC
September 14-17
Las Vegas, NV

Impact 2020 Conference
Electronic Payments
September 22-25
Fort Lauderdale, FL

NACS
National Association
of Convenience Stores
October 11-14
Las Vegas, NV

FS TEC
Foodservice Technology/Winsight
October 25-27
Dallas, TX

Pack Expo
Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies (PMMI)
November 8-11
Chicago, IL

ALL IN THE FAMILY

APG Plugs In

APG Cash Drawer (Minneapolis, MN) has simplified device connectivity for POS with the release of its Model 485 USBProLite USB-to-Serial Emulation Interface. As plug-and-play, it combines the benefits of USB, including power delivery, with the ease in application integration of Serial. It eliminates the need for expensive Serial Ports, and provides higher security than typical cash drawer interface technologies, according to APG. A 6-ft./1.8-m USB-A/USB-B cable is provided along with the embedded I/O.

"We're excited to release a USB-to-Serial Emulation Interface option helping developers reduce time for POS integration," shared Ron Stephenson, Connectivity Manager at APG. "The USBProLite Interface provides software compatibility with RS-232-based legacy POS devices. Through such USB-to-Serial Emulation, the cash drawer is exposed to an operating system as another COM Port, making it compatible with Windows 10, Android, MacOSX 10.5+, and Linux."

"Innovative connectivity development is imperative to our business," reflected Bob Stone, VP of Global Product at APG. "APG now offers developers a USB-to-Serial Emulation with the 485 Interface--or a full, robust 554A USB Interface option--for developers and retailers that wish to manage events and monitor drawer status." Available through its resellers and distributors, the 485 USBProLite supports the Series 100, Series 4000, and Vasario Cash Drawers from APG Cash Drawer.

Simplifying Connectivity for POS With USB-to-Serial Emulation

Presto Gizmo! Contactless Dining!

Presto (Redwood City, CA) has extended its restaurant technology platform with the debut of its Contactless Dining Kit. Offered at no charge, the Contactless Dining Kit encompasses full functionality, including menu display, ordering, and payment. Able of operation in an hour or less, reportedly, it leverages enterprise technology by Presto currently deployed by "most of the Top 20 national restaurant chains."

It allows guests to use their smartphones, or the restaurant's tablet computer provided at the table, to scan NFC tags and QR codes to execute and complete the dining process--without the need for touching any foreign surface or any contact with people outside of their dining party. In addition, guests can check-in online using their smartphone, view wait time estimates in real-time, and get an alert when their table is ready. It also integrates with loyalty programs, stores dietary preferences, and reorders favorite items.

"Every restaurant needs to find ways to make their guests and staff feel safe in the age of COVID-19, while remaining profitable and delivering an outstanding guest experience," contributed Rajat Suri, Founder and CEO of Presto. "We believe this Contactless Dining Kit will enable restaurants to do all three of the above using best-in-class technology from Presto." In concert, Presto has established its Presto Preferred Partner Program for the Contactless Dining Kit. So far, 7,000 orders.

Presto Gives Free Contactless Restaurant Dining Kit

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ALLIANCES

Another Chapter by Faulkner

A consolidation of VARs in POS, with Staley Technologies (Little Rock, AR) buying Boise POS Solutions (Boise, ID). While the terms of the deal remain undisclosed, leadership continues under the direction of Andrew Faulkner, Owner and CEO of Staley Technologies. Together, Staley and Boise have 200 employees and operate in all 50 states in the U.S. Until further notice, Boise POS Solutions will hold its name.

As readers may recall, Andrew Faulkner, at that time President/Owner of Advanced POS Solutions, purchased Staley Technologies in 2018. (Earlier, in 2017, at Advanced POS Solutions, he was named to NCR's Advisory Board, which consisted of only seven VARs in North America.) Since the acquisition, Staley Technologies has focused on kiosks and POS, access control and CCTV, digital signage, and network infrastructure. (Also an NCR VAR is Boise POS Solutions.)

"We welcome Boise POS Solutions into the Staley family and to broaden the comprehensive suite of tools we offer clients," declared Faulkner. "It ensures that Staley Technologies remains well-positioned to serve customers' needs as well as allows Staley Technologies to deepen our impact in the Northwestern U.S." Added P.J. Yacuk, Owner of Boise POS Solutions, "The Staley Technologies merger allows Boise POS Solutions to remain family-owned while continuing to deliver exceptional, total solution provider support and customer service."

Andrew Faulkner, Owner and CEO of Staley Technologies, Purchases Boise POS Solutions

Star Puts Lid on It

Star Micronics America (Somerset, NJ) has stocked tamper-proof labels for the restaurant foodservice industry. In die-cut, permanent-adhesive, thermal design, for use in take-out, delivery and catering, these labels are offered in three sizes: 3" round labels to seal bags; 2"x 4" labels to seal larger bags or rectangular boxes; and 0.75" x 6.5" labels to close drink lids. Offered through the channel, they come pre-messaged, reading "Sealed for Safety & Freshness" or "Sealed to Serve," in rolls of 500. Also, the message may be customized with branding for larger opportunities or recurring specific needs.

Each label size, applied by hand, provides visual proof of security and post-preparation quality control for the food or drink. An optional table-top dispenser comes in two sizes: for 3" label width and 7" label roll diameter and for 4.5" label width and 7" label roll diameter. A cradle design holds the labels, with mechanical bench top, and sturdy steel construction of the dispensers. They may be used for single or multiple rolls, with label separators available for purchase as needed.

"We look forward to expanding our restaurant point-of-sale offering to include even more safe and secure solutions," related Christophe Naasz, Director of Business Development at Star Micronics America. "This simple yet effective label solution will put restaurants' and customers' minds at ease as the industry adapts and continues to prioritize safety." In May, Star Micronics America debuted its safety plexiglass partition between customer and cashier, dubbed POSShield.

Tamper-Proof Labels for Take-Out Offered by Star

Code Corner

Ivanti Supply Chain (Salt Lake City, UT) has added new Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) capabilities to its Ivanti Avalanche Enterprise Enabler, powered by Ivanti Wavelink. It allows supply chain organizations to quickly provision hundreds of fully managed Android O/S devices by leveraging an NFC "bump" or QR code. As benefits of Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM), Ivanti cites faster deployment, enhanced application access and control, and multi-platform support for both Android O/S and Windows Mobile O/S. Application parameters may be set based on location. Administrators configure what authorizations the applications have at the time of installation. "Securing and managing Android O/S-powered mobile devices can be challenging for supply chain organizations," projected Brandon Black, VP and GM of the Ivanti Supply Chain Business Unit. "This is especially true when there is a mix of BYOD (Bring Your Own Devices) and corporate-owned devices being used by warehousing and logistics workers."

Ivanti Enterprise Mobility Management

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

ENVIRONMENTS/PLATFORMS

Higher Gear at MenuDrive

MenuDrive, the white-labeled online ordering platform, which is now owned by Lavu (Albuquerque, NM), has launched its MenuDrive Self Sign-Up for Restaurants. As online ordering, it will not charge any installation fees or monthly fees; instead, restaurants will be charged the fixed price of 4.5% for each order. In comparison, third-party providers typically charge up to 40% of the sale and, further, manage the online system themselves, limiting the restaurant's access to their own customers, cautioned MenuDrive. (As physical delivery with MenuDrive, restaurants can add their own choice of provider.)

"An overwhelming majority of restaurants in the U.S. do not have online ordering, so they turn to expensive third-party providers," remarked Saleem Khatri, CEO of MenuDrive and Lava. "We want to provide restaurants a better alternative that allows them to not only survive, but thrive, in the new restaurant world driven by COVID-19." It includes full features such as online and mobile storefronts, e-mail marketing campaigns, coupons/offers, and customer loyalty program.

"Our goal is to provide restaurants with fast implementation, rather than weeks of back-and-forth, haggling over price, or figuring out which option to choose," continued Khatri. "With MenuDrive, there's no negotiation, no waiting, and no hassle. When a restaurant is ready, Self Sign-Up is waiting." As integrations for MenuDrive in POS, in addition to Lavu, there's Clover and Future POS.

MenuDrive Offers Online Ordering Self Sign-Up for Restaurants

A Clockwork Hamburger

. . . A take-out/delivery scenario for restaurants has long existed, of course: the drive-thru. One of the significant suppliers of this technology, ParTech (New Hartford, NY), has enhanced its offering with drive-thru timers (Model CTS-1000) and management software (Version DTS-1000) from Techknow (Houston, TX). "We are pleased to be working with ParTech as they continue to expand their portfolio in support of the quick-service and fast-casual markets," expressed Richard Elliott, CEO of Techknow.

With deployment of multiple sensors, Techknow's solution tracks the time and progress of vehicles in the drive-thru lane or lanes of the restaurant, resulting in real-time business intelligence, presented in simple, user-friendly graphics. It facilitates efficient scheduling of staff, and identifies trends such as peak traffic times, potential road blocks to performance, and station profitability, according to Techknow. A preview loop provides advanced warning of problems for managers.

"At ParTech, our purpose is to help restaurants elevate the guest experience, and a key component to this is gathering as much data as possible," noted Scott Marentay, Director of Products, Drive-Thru, at ParTech. "We expect the drive-thru to evolve significantly in the coming years, and our partnership with Techknow is a step towards that evolution. Techknow is a mature product with an eye towards innovation. We believe that together, ParTech's communications systems and Techknow's drive-thru management system, are the foundation to build the drive-thru of the future."

ParTech Brings Techknow Timers to Its Drive-Thru

[Editor's Note: Also, ParTech has endorsed enterprise restaurant management software by SynergySuite (Lehi, UT) for its Brink POS.]

Key Advertiser Links

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

POS & Peripherals
Aures
CRS, Inc.
Electronic Payments
Harbortouch
HP
Ingenico
Pioneer Solution
POSBANK USA
Posiflex
ShopPOSPortal

Barcode & Transaction Printers
Bixolon America
Brother Mobile
Godex Americas

Cash Drawers
APG Cash Drawer

Data Collection
CipherLab
Code Corporation
Janam Technologies

Integrated Payment Solutions
Datacap Systems
Electronic Payments
Ingenico
International Bancard
North American Bancard
Sound Payments

Receipt Printers
Bixolon America
Epson America
Star Micronics

Stands, Mounts, Cradles
Gamber-Johnson

INSTALLATIONS

A Plate of Halal, and More, at Revel

A growing fast-casual restaurant chain, the Halal Guys, has switched its entire legacy POS to Revel Systems (Atlanta, GA). Already using the Revel platform in 21 of its locations across the U.S., Halal Guys plans to have its remaining 62 locations in the U.S. up and running in August. Serving Mideastern food, as its name denotes, the Halal Guys has 400 locations in development, including overseas. It started with one food cart in New York City in 1990. It opened its first restaurant in 2014.

"When we were considering Revel, we saw it as the most compatible POS system for the Halal Guys because it supported franchisees, team members, and loyal customers," relayed Margaret Carrera, Chief Development Officer for the Halal Guys. "The most beneficial feature is that the whole system is cloud-based, which means our franchisees and corporate development team can access data from anywhere, allowing us to oversee and troubleshoot inventory employee management, sales reporting, and much more." Another benefit cited: integration with the loyalty program by Punchh (San Mateo, CA) and delivery management by ItsaCheckmate (New York, NY)--both key partners of Revel Systems.

Also this month, Revel Systems has enhanced its POS in response to COVID-19. "We are seeing many [of its restaurants and retailers] rush to update their POS systems to help process off-premise orders," reported Chris Lybeer, Chief Strategy Officer for Revel Systems. "We quickly shifted our research and development spend in March to double down on improving capabilities in our POS platform to assist merchants in optimizing order pick-up, curbside practices, deliver, and contactless payments. Over 20 new features are now available in an update release, and more will be announced throughout the summer."

Growing Restaurant Chain, the Halal Guys, Chooses Revel POS

Shopify Shops Walmart

A tale of omnichannel, with Shopify (Ottawa, ON, Canada) becoming the first e-commerce provider to be hosted on Walmart.com. Upon approval, participating merchants, in particular the SMB, may connect their storefront in Shopify to their Walmart Seller Account, enabling them to create product listings on Walmart.com. By the end of this year, 1,200 merchants of Shopify are expected to sell through Walmart.com, which has 120 million visitors each month in the U.S.

Among its capabilities, Shopify will automatically keep the merchant's products synced with Walmart.com, making it easy to track offers, orders, inventory, and fulfillment (within Shopify). Also, Shopify will allow merchants to add and manage their product information in bulk, all from one place, when connecting to Walmart.com. This saves merchants time and effort when listing many different products and product variations. In addition, Walmart Sellers do not pay fees for listing their products; instead, they pay referral fees when they make sales.

"At Shopify, we're focused on helping entrepreneurs go from just an idea to becoming thriving, scalable businesses. By partnering with Walmart, we will connect merchants with consumers across America within this trusted marketplace," proclaimed Satish Kanwar, VP of Product at Shopify. "Our expertise in multi-channel commerce, combined with the reach of Walmart, will allow us to create better online shopping experiences for both consumers and merchants."

An Integration by Shopify Opens Walmart to Merchants in the SMB

Channel Factoid

-69% of IT leaders say it has been surprisingly easy for the majority of their employees to work from home.

-71% of IT leaders say that the technology they have in place has enabled them to collaborate just as effectively as they can face-to-face.

-62% of IT leaders say their departments are considering downsizing physical IT infrastructure and transitioning to a cloud model.

-42% of IT leaders anticipate introducing digital workplace platforms.

-44% of IT leaders are looking to public cloud services to facilitate long-term remote working.

-70% of IT leaders are worried about information security as a result of employees working from home.

-54% of IT leaders say there's been a spike in employees installing unsanctified software.

-23% of IT leaders say that unscheduled Virtual Personal Network (VPN) shut-downs have been a key problem for their department over the last few weeks.

-77% of IT leaders say that IT is currently seen as "business critical to their organization."

-"COVID-19 has put already stressed IT teams to the test as mandates designed to show the spread of the virus have forced them to deliver digital work environments with unprecedented speed," summarized Meerah Rajavel, CIO for Citrix. "But as the results of our latest research reveal, they have responded and are stepping up their efforts to accommodate flexible models that will drive work for the foreseeable future."

Source: Citrix Systems (Fort Lauderdale, FL)

Working from Home Accelerates the Digital Transformation

HELLO GOODBYE

Damian Delivers at Ingenico

Ingenico (Alpharetta, GA) has named payment industry veteran Damian Tanenbaum as its Head of Customer Delivery and COO for North America. He most recently served as SVP of Operations at Cayan/TSYS/Global Payments (2015 to 2020). Earlier roles include SVP of Operations at Pivotal Payments (2009 to 2015), VP of Technical Contact Center at Fifth Third Processing (2006 to 2009), and Director of Customer Care at Heartland Payment Systems (2002 to 2006).

"To expand Ingenico Group's position as a technology leader in the payments industry, and continuing to evolve our software and hardware solutions, as well as our services and support offerings, will be paramount to helping our partners and customers stay ahead of consumer expectations," indicated Peter Stewart, EVP of North America for Ingenico Group. "As we look to deliver this commitment, Damian Tanenbaum's wealth of payment industry experience and operational excellence will be critical in how we serve our customers moving forward."

"I'm excited to have joined the Ingenico North America team and look forward to collaborating with the team to drive operational excellence," commented Tanenbaum. "As a long-standing member of the payments industry, I've always admired the solutions, services, and support provided by the company and have high expectations on how we can deliver even more scalable, reliable, customer-centric, and innovative solutions."

Damian Tanenbaum, Head of Customer Delivery and COO of North America, Ingenico Group

Electronic Payments Pops the Cork

A milestone for Electronic Payments (Calverton, NY and Boca Raton, FL), which will celebrate its 20th Anniversary in 2020. Founded by Michael Nardy, CEO, out of his dormitory room at Boston College in 2000, Electronic Payments now employs over 150 full-time staff and partners with over 900 independent sales agents. It has grown into the 18th largest processor in the U.S. based on Visa/Mastercard, with $13 billion in annual transaction volume and more than 35,000 merchants.

"When I started this company at the age of 19, my 1-800 phone number rang into my dorm room. I was the only employee for the first five years, when my college roommate, Matthew Findlan, started as our Chief Operating Officer, a position he still holds today," reminisced Mr. Nardy. "We've come a long way from our humble roots and we've achieved success by working hard and remaining dedicated to our merchant and agent partners."

"I've personally relied on the values instilled in me by my grandfather and father--both entrepreneurs," continued Mr. Nardy. "They taught me to answer the phone, call people back, and solve the problem. This commitment to service is something I'm deeply proud of, and it's why this company is an industry leader today."

Electronic Payments has been honored with a number of industry accolades, including eight consecutive years on the Nilson Report's list of Top Merchant Acquirers in the U.S. (2012 to 2019), five years of being named on Inc. Magazine's list of the 500 fastest-growing private businesses in the U.S., and recognition on Deloitte's Technology Fast 500. Mr. Nardy's contributions to the industry have also been acknowledged in his nominations for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2017 Award, for which he was a finalist, and most recently, in being named a 2020 Forty Under 40 honoree by the Electronic Transactions Association (ETA). In 2015, Electronic Payments acquired Exatouch Point of Sale.

Michael Nardy, CEO (Right Center), and Matthew Findlan, COO (Left Center), at Electronics Payments' 2019 Founder's Club Conference