This Week’s Product Pick

POS-X, Inc. (Bellingham, WA) debuted the newest member of its product line: the XR520 Extreme Performance thermal receipt printer. Engineered for high-volume retail and hospitality operations, the XR520 delivers 300 mm/second print speed with 180-dpi resolution, jam-free auto-cutter technology, easy drop-in paper loading, and ESC/POS and OPOS compatibility. A sleek, modern form factor measures 6.1 in. (W) x 8 in. (D) x 6.1 in. (H) and weighs 3.7 lbs. XR520 comes standard with USB, with additional interfaces such as USB plus RS-232, Parallel, or Ethernet. Cables and power supply are included with all models, as well as an industry-leading five-year warranty, with two-day advance exchange service. “POS-X’s flagship thermal receipt printer has received a significant increase in print speed,” stated Dan Moseley, CEO/President of POS-X, Inc. “The XR520 rivals the best in performance, yet has maintained the previous generation’s aggressive price point.”

XR520 From POS-X

COMPANY BUSINESS

The Nth Degree at Zebra

Zebra Technologies Corporation (Lincolnshire, IL) has premiered its QLn mobile label printer family, the third generation of the popular QL, which has over 700,000 units shipped to date. First out of the gate is the three-inch QLn320, to be followed by the two-inch QLn220 in Q3 of this year. Both target retail applications such as shelf-edge, mark down, price, and return labels and tags. A four-inch model will be introduced early next year for warehouse/distribution environments.

During an interview with RRN.Com, Marty Johnson, Product Marketing Manager, stressed that Zebra has pushed the envelope with the new printers in terms of usability, performance, and total cost of ownership. First and foremost, the vendor has incorporated Ethernet-based device management into the QLn, as well as battery-status reading technology, in an attempt to reduce operational expenses. Overall, the new printer is 23% smaller and 10% less expensive than its predecessor. It weighs 1.6 lbs. and addresses reliability with tempered-glass display and rubber-infused over-molding. Print speed is 100 mm/second with 203-dpi resolution.

To reduce training requirements and speed user adoption, Zebra has added larger LCD display, user alerts, five-way navigation keys, and intuitive label peeler. In keeping with its role as the next generation, the QLn is backwards compatible with QL and QL Plus printers, with no need to change media or label formats, network, or wireless infrastructure. In addition, Zebra’s new Power Smart Print Technology monitors and controls individual pixels to deliver faster processing and throughput with lower power drain.

“Our target audience is our existing customer base,” Johnson told RRN.Com, pointing out that Zebra has 70% market share in mobile printing for retail. “Resellers can go back in and spark conversation about all the benefits of this new generation. During this upgrade cycle, their customers can get more value in every way.”

Zebra’s QLn Mobile Label Printer

M-S Lines Up CRS

Two longtime players in the POS channel--M-S Cash Drawer (Pasadena, CA) and CRS, Inc. (St. Paul, MN)--have forged deeper relations. Under terms of their new distribution agreement, M-S Cash Drawer will handle CRS products such as electronic cash registers (ECRs), All-in-One touchscreen POS terminals, receipt printers, and embedded systems. Effective immediately, M-S Cash Drawer customers and resellers in North America, South America, and the Caribbean have access to the CRS product line.

“CRS products are well-known for reliability, quality, and performance,” indicated Paul Masson, President of M-S Cash Drawer. “Through this relationship, our channel partners may offer SAM4s cash registers and embedded systems, SNBC and SAM4s printers, SAM4s POS systems, and peripherals to serve the needs of their end-user customers.” Among its two dozen vendors, M-S Cash Drawer includes Pioneer POS, Protech Systems, Sharp, and NCC in the POS terminal category. In the case of printers, Star Micronics, Bixolon, and CognitiveTPG are handled.

“CRS is very pleased to have M-S Cash Drawer join us as our new distributor,” said Bruce Mann, Vice President of Marketing at CRS. “We look forward to the added service and support that M-S Cash Drawer will be able to provide to our dealer channel.” Mann told RRN.Com that the new relationship will bring CRS greater exposure into the retail space, as well as better geographical coverage in certain markets.

Paul Masson, President, M-S Cash Drawer

Worth Your While

RetailNOW 2011
Retail Solutions Providers Association
July 24-27
Orlando

VARTECH 2011
BlueStar
August 15-17
Miami

AIM Expo
Association for Automatic Identification and Mobility
September 26-28
Las Vegas

NACS 2011
National Association of Convenience Stores
October 1-4
Chicago

ALL IN THE FAMILY

FEC Shows Retail Smarts

Firich Enterprises Co. (FEC) shipped its new portable POS terminal, dubbed Retail Smart, which wraps all critical functionality into an extremely compact footprint. Measuring 10.2 in. (W) x 11.4 in. (D) x 7.3 in. (H) with its screen down, Retail Smart, also designated as MP-2410, incorporates motherboard, 10.4-inch LED touchscreen, magnetic-stripe reader, and VFD customer display. The thermal receipt printer at the center of its design supports paper roll capacity of up to 100 mm and print speed of 230 mm/second. A full complement of Serial and USB ports are provided, as well as Intel Atom N270@1.6 GHz processor, 2-GB system memory, SATA HDD, and support for Microsoft Windows.

To increase reliability and portability, the chassis of Retail Smart utilizes both aluminum and plastic. The aluminum base acts as the heat sink for the fanless terminal, while the plastic housing reduces weight to 13 lbs. for easy carrying. The LED display provides lucidity in outdoor environments (300 nits), according to the manufacturer, with viewing angle of H160/V140. In addition, the terminal has been made water resistant for use in temporary POS settings and quick-service vendor carts. Two covered USB ports handle wireless communication through optional modules (CDMA/GSM/Wi-Fi).

FEC also addressed environmental trends with Retail Smart. By using an LED screen as opposed to an LCD, power consumed gets reduced by 40%. Moreover, under Auto Sleep mode, Retail Smart draws only 0.8 W. Finally, the product is made and shipped as 100% recyclable, including its packaging. FEC, based in Taiwan, has its U.S. offices in Freemont, CA. Just recently, Acrelec America was assigned responsibility for distribution of its products.

FEC’s New Portable POS Terminal

Checking ID at Tokenworks

Tokenworks (Bronxville, NY) unveiled its IDVisor Touch ID Scanner for use in nightclubs, bars, and other public venues. Moving beyond simple scanning and recording of identification, the new IDVisor Touch offers customer relationship management (CRM) features to track visits, oversee reward programs, store information such as e-mail and phone, and set up custom tags for various membership levels. It reads driver’s licenses from the U.S. and Canada, as well as U.S. military IDs.

In addition to its CRM benefits, IDVisor Touch delivers enhanced ID scanner capabilities, according to its manufacturer. A new Scan Count feature indicates how many people have entered the building and identifies new and frequent customers. Voice Warnings and Vibrating Warnings allow the end-user to customize how the scanner alerts when underage, expired, banned, or rescanned IDs get swiped, with Flexible Age Thesholds available from 18 to 45 years. Finally, scans are stored in an encrypted SQL database, making the unit fully compatible with states that have data retention mandates, such as Utah and Nebraska.

IDVisor Touch carries barcode scanner and magnetic-stripe reader, full-color touchscreen, and rechargeable Li-Ion batteries. Quad-band phone, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth allow for easy connectivity. The device comes with ruggedized housing capable of withstanding four-foot drops onto concrete. It also includes protective vinyl covering to ward off splashes and spills commonly encountered in its target environments.

IDVisor Touch ID Scanner by Tokenworks

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CERTIFICATION

Star Takes Credit

Symitar (San Diego), one of the leading providers of core information processing for community banks and credit unions, has approved two printers from Star Micronics America (Edison, NJ) for use with its Episys software platform. “Star’s HSP7000 series printer/check endorser and FVP-10 receipt printer are wonderful fits for our clients’ needs and will be added to our list of approved peripherals,” declared Walter Hoffman, Product Manager at Symitar. Both integrate seamlessly with the SymForm PDF solution, according to the company, which supports more than 700 credit unions, including 30 with assets exceeding $1 billion, and was acquired by Jack Henry in 2000.

The HSP7000 multi-function printer is one of the fastest on the market, according to Star, reading MICR and endorsing checks in one pass. For its part, the FVP-10 offers advantages such as 250 mm/second print speed, front paper loading, square “platform” design, onboard USB, and receipt compression. Recently, Star Micronics announced that its TSP100ECO and TSP100GT now come with standard four-year “bumper-to-bumper” warranty, with the first year carrying Swap-A-Star, the company’s next-day replacement service.

“Star is extremely excited to see two of our finest printers integrate so easily and be approved with one of the most recognizable financial service organizations in the credit union industry,” noted Christophe Naasz, Director of Marketing at Star Micronics. “This is an important new relationship for Star, and we look forward to our products providing the level of service Symitar is looking for.”

Christophe Naasz, Director of Marketing, Star Micronics

CognitiveTPG: Oh Canada!

CognitiveTPG (Lincolnshire, IL) received approval for its A799 and A798 receipt printers from Revenue Quebec, the tax authority of Quebec. This makes the thermal printers compatible with the microprocessor-based sales recording module (SRM) to be installed at the POS in all restaurants in the Canadian province under legislation first enacted in 2010. Implemented to combat suspected tax evasion, the rule stipulates that restaurant customers receive receipts listing menu items, price, and applicable taxes paid.

“This certification allows for continued deployment of our A799 and A798 printers in restaurants across the Canadian province,” commented Jason Swenson, Sales Manager for CognitiveTPG. “We want our resellers and restaurant operators to have the very best printing solution, and as such we are happy to take the necessary steps to ensure complete compatibility.” CognitiveTPG’s discontinued A794 receipt printer received similar certification.

CognitiveTPG also announced that its A799 printer has been certified for use with Keystroke POS from Specialized Business Solutions (Dillon, CO). “Our product is best of breed, flexible, and easy to use,” stated David Hunsinger, Director of Sales for Keystroke POS. “Adding the CognitiveTPG A799 to the recommended receipt printer list gives our dealers a new, cost-effective alternative, particularly with the A799’s four-year standard warranty and sub-$400 MSRP price point.”

CognitiveTPG's A799 Printer Approved by Revenue Quebec

Code Corner

Galleria Retail Technology Solutions (Chicago), one of the leading providers of retail and category optimization, has launched Version 3.0 of its Behavioral Cluster Planning platform. This new release helps retailers and suppliers maximize sales by clustering (or grouping) stores based on historic product, market, or manufacturer performance. It features improved statistical data-cleansing, enhanced reporting functions, and stronger management tools to provide more accurate and effective clusters. In particular, the solution’s enhanced reporting enables users to create multiple tabs to compare and contrast various scenarios on demand, eliminating the need to compare reports manually. It also allows users to preview how new or remodeled stores will perform in the cluster without having to recalculate the entire strategy. “Version 3.0 of Behavioral Cluster Planning offers a higher level of science and sophistication to help users create a precise cluster strategy in less time,” declared Mike Humphreys, CTO of Galleria. “This intuitive, user-friendly solution offers the same robust scalability, but provides added functionality to help retailers and manufacturers gain more insight into consumer behavior to satisfy their merchandising needs and achieve faster return on investment.”

ALLIANCES

Two Hands for TouchSystems

TouchSystems (Hutto, TX) has entered into distribution through Ingram Micro’s Digital Signage Division (Santa Ana, CA). This new agreement addresses North America and Mexico and covers all of TouchSystems’ touchscreen products, including desktop monitors, large format displays, open frame components, and All-in-One Panel PCs. “We are thrilled about this relationship with Ingram Micro, the world’s largest technology distributor,” shared Carol Nordin, SVP of Sales for TouchSystems. “Ingram Micro’s diversified distribution network will allow us to best serve our reseller and integration customers across the continent.”

TouchSystems also has joined forces with Lo-K Systems (Houston) to debut new kiosk products, according to an announcement at the recent Customer Engagement Technology World in San Francisco. Utilizing the NEC product platform, these new terminals will combine 32-inch and 42-inch open-frame touch displays from TouchSystems with Lo-K’s self-service software for retail. Displays employ dispersive signal technology (DST) and commercial-grade design, along with comprehensive input panel, text ticker, and six-axis color control, according to the vendor.

“After speaking with the team at Lo-K, it was obvious there was a real opportunity for collaboration,” Nordin reported. “They have a great, innovative software package and we have the creativity and hardware to help create an attractive, unique kiosk that helps to enhance the customer shopping experience.” Founded in 1996, TouchSystems also distributes through Synnex (Greenville, SC).

Open Frame Touch Display From TouchSystems

EMV for ECRs

Precidia Technologies (Ottawa) and Global Payments Canada (Toronto) have collaborated to help Canadian merchants bring payment processing to their electronic cash registers (ECRs). Utilizing Precidia’s TransNet/POSLynx220 technology in conjunction with VeriFone Vx570 and Vx810 EMV chip-enabled terminals, this approach delivers many of the benefits of fully integrated POS, according to the two parties, but without the need to replace existing hardware. ECR manufacturers such as Sharp, Samsung, and Toshiba TEC can be supported.

“The Global Payments Canada and Precidia Technologies semi-integrated solution for ECRs has been designed for simple deployment, management, and support,” related Jamal Awad, VP, Strategic and Third Party Solutions, Global Payments Canada. “Global Payments offers 24/7 support in English and French to complement the suite of tools included with this solution, such as detailed transaction reporting. For resellers in Canada, this new, quick-to-market offering will have merchants up and running with minimal effort.”

Fabricland, Canada’s largest fashion supplies merchant with 170 stores, has deployed this scheme with Toshiba TEC MA-1595 cash registers.“This solution has afforded us the convenience, security, and reliability of an integrated platform, at a fraction of the cost of a new integrated POS system,” stated Irene Stepkowski, Controller of Fabricland. Deliverables include EMV chip capability, contactless processing, PCI PA-DSS compliance, SSL encryption, and automatic dial back-up for enhanced reliability.

Toshiba TEC MA-1595 ECR Supported by Precidia

Key Advertiser Links

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

POS & Auto ID Distribution
BlueStar
ScanSource

POS & Peripherals
Logic Controls
POS-X
Touch Dynamic

POS Software - Retail
Tri-Technical Systems

POS Systems - Hospitality
PAR

POS Software - Hospitality
Aldelo Systems

Barcode & Transaction Printers
Datamax-O'Neil
Zebra Technologies

Cash Drawers
MMF POS

Data Collection Terminals
CipherLab
Datalogic Mobile
Janam Technologies

Data Collection Software
Wavelink

Integrated Payment Solutions
Datacap Systems
Merchant Warehouse

Keyboards
Cherry, ZF Electronics Corp.

Mobile Marketing & Loyalty
Sundrop Mobile

Pay at Table
Bellatrix Systems

Receipt Printers
Bixolon America
Citizen Systems America
Epson America
Star Micronics

Thermal Printers
Seiko Instruments USA

INSTALLATIONS

Simphony Heard by Mobi Munch

Uber-cool street-food provider Mobi Munch has selected Simphony POS from MICROS Systems (Columbia, MD) for its “integrated food truck technology suite.” This centrally hosted platform will provide truck owners with comprehensive enterprise management for top-of-line ordering, payment, marketing, and even social networking, according to the two parties. Based in Los Angeles, Mobi Munch has trucks deployed in cities all over the U.S., selling unique, sometimes gourmet foods, at affordable prices and with very quick curbside service.

“We partnered with MICROS for its market leadership as well as its leading-edge technology platforms,” recounted Josh Tang, CEO of Mobi Munch. “MICROS Simphony is an ideal solution to meet the very specific needs of food trucks. As food trucks proliferate into the mainstream, we anticipate the unique advantages of having centralized, accurate, and up-to-date information on daily sales, service locations, and sales taxes will be critical to the success of our operators.”

Mobi Munch, founded in 2009 by a group of entrepreneurs and restaurateurs, now promotes its business model through channels such as the National Restaurant Association (NRA) Show. As part of its package for prospective owners, it designs and builds customized trucks, outfits them with technology, wraps them in advertising, and links suppliers, logistic facilities, and the restaurant community. Such mobile food trucks have quickly become one of the hottest trends in the hospitality industry, with customers tracking schedules and routes over the web.

Chairman Bao Chinese Lunch Truck in San Francisco

Hawkeye Watches Roundy’s

Agilence (Camden, NJ) will supply its Hawkeye POS video monitoring system to Roundy’s Supermarkets, the 155-store grocery chain located throughout Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois. The initial 25-store deployment, sold through IBM’s Retail Store Solutions team, will allow Roundy’s to strengthen its asset protection program by focusing on “centralized and objective auditing.” Roundy’s plans to roll out Hawkeye to an additional 25 locations this year.

Roundy’s will leverage Agilence’s Hawkeye to minimize POS losses that stem not only from traditional shrink activities, but also operational and training errors, according to the two parties. “Agilence’s technology gives us the tool to identify areas of POS losses that we suspected were taking place but couldn’t confirm or quantify,” explained Mike Santimauro, VP of Loss Prevention for Roundy’s. “We now have better visibility at the POS and can see how operational and training issues impact profitability.”

“With Agilence's powerful query tool, grocers like Roundy's can combine more than 40 variables to quickly identify profit-margin-robbing activities that occur at the POS,” indicated Derek Rodner, VP of Product Strategy at Agilence. Hawkeye pulls data directly from the POS system and marries it with video in real-time, in so-called “item-level synchronization.” In addition, Roundy’s will employ Hawkeye AdCheck, which ensures that its weekly circular offers are entered correctly into the POS system and that store employees are properly executing such promotions.

One of Roundy’s Five Retail Banners

[Editor’s Note: MMV Financial (New York) recently committed $2.5 million in venture capital funding to Agilence. “This will enable us to invest further in the development of our POS video auditing solution and our service infrastructure,” said Russ Hawkins, CEO/President of Agilence. “It validates the extraordinary growth we’ve experienced.”]

Channel Factoid

Worldwide end-user spending on IT services totaled $793 billion in 2010, up 3.1% from 2009 revenue of $769 billion, according to Gartner, Inc. Software support showed the highest growth at 6.6%. Weaker performances came from process management and hardware support, both of which grew approximately1% less than expected. Consulting and development and integration services came in slightly above expectations as organizations that had put investments on hold began investing again in 2010, particularly in the second half of the year. From the perspective of vertical segments, the government sector showed the lowest growth rate in 2010 (tied with the education sector at 1.6%) as countries around the world implement budget cuts aimed at reducing deficits. “There is little doubt that the effects of the global recession of 2008 and 2009 are still very much being felt, but the market for IT services bounced back in 2010 after 5.1% revenue decline in 2009,” observed Kathryn Hale, Research VP at Gartner.

HELLO GOODBYE

Aldelo’s Pair of Aces

Aldelo, LP (Modesto, CA) has strengthened its national business development efforts with the addition of two new staff members: Allyn Grindle, Director of National Business Development - Aldelo POS Solutions, and Tina Terrezza, Director, Major Accounts. “Our two new directors are representative of our commitment to excellence and of our growth,” testified Harry Tu, President of Aldelo Ventures LLC. This follows the earlier hiring of Joel Snyder as Director, National Business Development - XERA POS Solutions.

As Director of National Business Development - Aldelo POS Solutions, Grindle takes responsibility for the planning, implementation, and execution of business plans and strategies related to channel sales of these products. This includes soliciting, building, and maintaining relationships with vendors and dealers to grow new dealer sales. Prior to joining Aldelo, Grindle held management positions with leading POS players such as ReSource Point of Sale, Posera, BMI-POS, RDS of Florida, Touch Tech, and Squirrel Systems.

As Director, Major Accounts, Terrezza will oversee Aldelo’s major account business relating to both the Aldelo POS and XERA POS line of products. Her responsibilities include working with reseller partners in growing chain accounts, as well as developing new sales opportunities within the major account segment. Her career has included sales positions at two major POS providers--ParTech and MICROS Systems.

Tina Terrezza, Director, Major Accounts, Aldelo

Cybra Signs RFID Heavyweight

Cybra Corporation (Yonkers, NY), developer of EdgeMagic RFID and MarkMagic barcode technology, has engaged industry veteran Michael J. Shabet as its VP of Sales and Marketing. In his new role, Shabet will focus in particular on global sales and marketing activities for the company’s RFID solutions team. Shabet comes to Cybra following more than 20 years at Avery Dennison, where he served as Senior Product Specialist and Global Sales Manager in the RFID and barcode arena.

“Michael Shabet’s joining Cybra as Vice President, Sales and Marketing, is a significant milestone for our rapidly growing company,” remarked Harold Brand, Cybra Founder and CEO. “It’s as if Michael was custom-made for Cybra. He brings with him extensive sales experience, customer focus, and mastery of sales development and empowerment for high-performance sales organizations. This, combined with his expertise in RFID technology, makes him an ideal fit for Cybra at this stage in our growth, when we are shifting into high gear and introducing innovative RFID solutions for item-level tagging to fully serve the demands of our customers.”

“I am delighted and honored to join Cybra,” Shabet said. “I am extremely impressed with the breakthrough capabilities of Cybra’s software and early leadership position of the company in the exploding market for RFID and advanced barcode solutions. Demand for these products and services has accelerated dramatically, not only in the U.S., but throughout the world, and I eagerly look forward to this challenging opportunity to help take the company to the next level.”

Michael Shabet, VP of Sales and Marketing, Cybra Corporation