This Week’s Product Pick

POSBANK USA (Gardena, CA) has unveiled its second-generation 15-inch touchscreen monitor, the POSMO-LED. With stable, compact base for saving space at the cash wrap, the POSMO-LED has been engineered for minimal unit vibration, according to the company. In addition, it has an industrial-grade LCD panel as standard feature. A five-wire resistive touchscreen provides 1024x768 resolution and flexible angle adjustment. Significantly, an LED backlight produces high-resolution graphics with bright 450 nits for clear, crisp images. "The new POSMO-LED touchscreen provides unheard of quality and durability that's packaged at a price point of only $264," noted Grace Goo, GM of POSBANK USA.

POSMO-LED by POSBANK USA

COMPANY BUSINESS

Datacap's Doubleheader

One of the founders of payment processing via POS, Datacap Systems (Chalfont, PA), has embraced network security through an agreement with Phoenix Managed Networks (Reston, VA). Under this partnership, Datacap Systems will offer so-called "PhoeniXSentry" to its network of POS resellers. A cloud-based network security service for protecting debit and credit card data, health records, and other sensitive and personal information of consumers, PhoeniXSentry meets PCI-DSS Level One compliance requirements and was described as "channel ready."

"We see a great deal of value in providing this added security solution to our dealers who are increasingly hearing concern from merchants wanting to ensure their networks and sensitive data are secure and not at risk of being compromised," relayed Justin Zeigler, Marketing Director for Datacap Systems. "The network security and management service provided by PhoeniXSentry will give our POS dealers not only a revenue center, but also a way to provide their customers with elite data protection at a fraction of the cost and complexity of traditional network security solutions." Phoenix Managed Networks provides its payment communications, gateway, and network security services to many major financial institutions.

In keeping with the times, Datacap Systems also has addressed Mobile POS with its latest new product. "IPTran LT Mobile was created on the premise that the majority of Mobile POS developers are new to this arena," shared Zeigler. "This solution provides a head start to new ISVs by instantly adding support for all processors, a variety of POS peripherals, and the ability to remotely shut down the entire POS for ISVs intending to market their solution under the SaaS model." Integration has taken place with APG Cash Drawer (Minneapolis).

Justin Zeigler, Marketing Director, Datacap Systems

How the Leaf Turns

An interesting turn of events for Leaf, which markets its engineered tablet for retail and hospitality, dubbed "Leaf Presenter." On the heels of raising $20 million in first round funding from Heartland Payment Systems in October, Leaf has expanded its executive team and moved to new headquarters. Most significantly, and least surprisingly, one of Heartland Payment Systems' bright lights, Sarah McCrary, has been named as Leaf's COO.

Prior to Leaf, McCrary held a variety of project and product development leadership roles at Heartland Payment Systems, one of the major transaction processors. She most recently served as Strategic Planning Director, given credit for helping develop Heartland's E3 end-to-end encryption technology. Joining McCrary at Leaf are Chad Kelly, new VP of Finance, and Dan Smith, new VP of Engineering. (Neither Kelly nor Smith came from Heartland.) In addition, the company has moved into its new 15,000 square foot office in the technology hotbed of Kendall Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

"For a two-year-old company, Leaf has an impressive track record of growth and customer adoption," remarked McCrary. "The team's done an excellent job in developing its vision and product roadmap toward an open and easy-to-use platform that will become the business owner's best friend, and has really put the company in a unique position to challenge the way business operators think about the tools they use to run their business. It's an exciting time to join the team to help bring the company to the next level." According to McCrary, Leaf expects to double the size of its staff this year to 100.

Sarah McCrary, COO, Leaf

Worth Your While

Modex: Supply Chain Conference
MHI Solutions
March 17-20
Atlanta

Toshiba Connect 2014
Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions
April 7-10
La Jolla, CA

ETA Annual Meeting & Expo
Electronic Transactions Association
April 8-10
Las Vegas

WERC
Warehousing Education and Research Council
April 27-30
Chicago

NRA Show
National Restaurant Association
May 17-20
Chicago

RetailNOW
Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA)
August 3-6
Orlando

ALL IN THE FAMILY

A Kiosk Star Is Born

Star Micronics America (Edison, NJ) has turned to Sanei Electric (Tokyo) to strengthen its kiosk offerings. Under this exclusive pact for North and South America, Star Micronics America will stock three thermal kiosk printers made by Sanei Electric: the two-inch SK1-20, the three-inch SK1-30, and the four-inch SK1-40. All will be handled through the normal distribution channels for Star Micronics America.

Designed for the wide spectrum of kiosk applications, the SK1 delivers dependable, maintenance-free printing and compact, lightweight form factors, according to Star. It achieves print speed of 200 mm/second (8 inch/second) at 203 dpi for the SK1-20 and SK1-30, and 150 mm/second (6 inch/second) at 203 dpi for the SK1-40. As versatility, either horizontal, vertical, or drop-in paper loading formats have been provided for the SK1-20 and SK1-30 Series. (With horizontal paper loading format for the SK1-40.) Full or partial cut may be selected.

As expected, both RS-232C and USB have been provided for ease of integration with typical kiosk configurations. Some members in the SK1 family may also be ordered with paper presenters; additional options include large paper roll holder and bezel paper detector for the SK1-20 and SK1-30 Series. As applications, Star Micronics lists gas pumps, airline e-ticket/boarding passes, ATMs, bus/rail tickets, gift registries, maps/directions, and lottery/gaming.

Star Micronics Offers SK1 Family of Kiosk Printers by Sanei Electric

Direct Talk From Brady

Brady Corporation (Milwaukee) has rolled out direct thermal paper labels. A standard, white top-coated thermal product, these labels may be ordered as permanent (B-813) or removable (B-816). Somewhat surprisingly, they represent the first direct thermal solution from Brady, and target typical applications such as short-term industrial tagging, warehousing, general barcode labeling, and standard laboratory identification.

In making its announcement of direct thermal, Brady emphasized confidentiality of printed information (as well as quicker, neater material changeovers). Since direct thermal printing is ribbonless, it does not generate a carbon copy of the label's contents. In particular, this satisfies requirements in evidence labeling, pharma labeling, and other medical or healthcare environments, according to Brady.

Direct Thermal Printer Labels From Brady

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ALLIANCES

Zebra Beats the TomToms

Zebra Technologies (Schaumburg, IL) has teamed up with TomTom Business Solutions to integrate fleet management and mobile printing. With this agreement, field service companies can now use Zebra's RW Series to print receipts, invoices, and barcodes and Zebra's RP4T to print RFID labels. TomTom's WebFleet platform will populate GPS location as well as job and journey information, providing clear proof that service level agreements and deliveries have been fulfilled.

"Zebra's first ever integration with a fleet management provider will see a wide range of businesses benefit from greater administrative efficiencies," indicated Chris Ayres, ISV Development Manager for Zebra Technologies. In this application, the mobile printers communicate via Bluetooth with TomTom's in-vehicle LINK tracking unit. It ties with the WebFleet platform and open API, permitting data exchange with any back-office software system without incurring additional mobile connectivity charges.

Zebra's Mobile Printers, Such as RP4T, Support Fleet Management

Buenos Dias From Genius

A little background: with nearly 40 million Americans speaking Spanish at home, business solutions must be found. Along such lines, Merchant Warehouse (Boston) has added Camaleon Systems (Houston) to its roster of ISVs employing the Genius Customer Engagement Platform, which provides maximum flexibility among payment methods--whether card, NFC, QR Codes, or mobile wallets. Users select an appropriate icon on Genius. As its name suggests, Camaleon, or "chameleon" in Spanish, enables ready transactions in English and Spanish. 

"In teaming up with Merchant Warehouse, we're providing our customers with a more comprehensive tool to connect with their customers," asserted Luis Aguilar, CEO of Camaleon Systems. "In addition to significant reporting capabilities, the Genius platform enables our customers to reduce losses by directly connecting the POS system to their in-store surveillance, a key feature for businesses that sell individual products like those in the specialty retail and food industries. The Genius platform also offers a sleek, modern look, something our customers find particularly attractive."

"In today's diverse world, businesses are seeking new technologies to more effectively manage their business processes, while still meeting the ever-growing and varying demands of their customers," observed Henry Helgeson, CEO of Merchant Warehouse. "With Genius, we enable businesses to deliver a world-class customer experience in a cost-effective way. We're looking forward to the evolution of our partnership with Camaleon Systems." As an additional benefit from Genius, Merchant Warehouse cites out-of-scope PA-DSS.

Embracing Hispanic-Focused POS at Merchant Warehouse

FIDO Chases Off Passwords

PayPal and Samsung have collaborated on mobile fingerprint identification, with this payment capability embodied on the new Galaxy S5. Consumers may swipe their finger to pay with PayPal in the Cloud via the dedicated software on the Galaxy S5, cleverly dubbed FIDO (for "Fast IDentity Online").  A unique encrypted key allows verification of the customer's identity without the need for storing any biometric information on the supporting servers, according to the two parties.

"We spearheaded the Fast IDentity Online Alliance last year and predicted that the industry would soon move beyond passwords, and this announcement brings us one step closer to that reality," proclaimed Hill Ferguson, Chief Product Officer at PayPal (San Jose, CA). "By working with Samsung to leverage fingerprint authentication technology on their new Galaxy S5, we are able to demonstrate that consumers don't need to face the trade-off between security and convenience. With a simple swipe of a finger, consumers can still securely log into their PayPal account to shop and pay with the convenience that mobile devices afford." At Samsung, Hankil Yoon, SVP of Mobile Product Strategy, led this effort.

Samsung's New Galaxy S5 With Mobile Fingerprint Authentication

Code Corner

Cognex Corporation (Natick, MA) has released its DataMan 5.2 barcode scanning software with expanded tuning and scripting capability. Incorporating the company's high-performance "Hotbars" algorithm, it significantly increases read rate by decoding lower resolution one-dimensional barcodes and extending intelligent tuning capabilities to all symbologies, such as Aztec, MaxiCode, PDF-417, and QR Codes. This new release also adds capabilities to the scripting features for advanced logic and decision making in the reader, as well as one-dimensional barcode quality metrics for users to optimize their processes. "The DataMan 5.2 software release gives the DataMan 300 and 503 readers a significant performance boost in both capability and ease of use," emphasized Carl Gerst, VP and Business Unit Manager, ID Products. "The field-proven intelligent tuning has been extended to all symbologies, making set-up as simple as pushing the button. For more difficult applications, the enhanced scripting engine allows the logic and decision making to be done within the reader. This simplifies the PLC code integration into the factory network and saves our customers time and money."

DataMan Version 5.2

NOTES FROM THE FIELD

Of Ahearn & Soper, Provision, and 3PL

Ahearn & Soper, a long-standing solution provider in barcoding, has widened its footprint with the purchase of Provision WMS. A mid-range supplier of warehouse management systems, Provision has an established customer base in distribution, manufacturing, and third-party logistics (3PL). Both companies are headquartered in Toronto.

"This acquisition will permit Ahearn & Soper to deepen our already extensive set of hardware, software, supplies, and services for warehouse management, and our investment demonstrates a commitment to be a major player in this marketplace," declared Paul Pope, VP and GM of Ahearn & Soper, Inc. "Provision WMS is also one of a very few warehouse management systems with explicit support for third-party logistics (3PL), which we see as a rapidly growing area of opportunity in North America." It should be noted that Ahearn & Soper already operates from multiple offices across North America.

Expansion for Ahearn & Soper in North America

Time, Time, Time for Cash Register Services

Cash Register Services has made an unspecified capital investment in TimeForge, a major provider of labor management software for retail. Cash Register Services, one of the leading solution providers for independent grocery, particularly in the Southwestern U.S., has had historic relationships with Retalix, Fujitsu, IBM, and Microsoft. Both companies are located in Lubbock, Texas.

"TimeForge is proud to continue to build on an already strong partnership with CRS," reported Anthony Presley, Owner of TimeForge. "TimeForge and CRS have worked closely together since 2008 and provided proven value through managing labor, by department, in real-time. With increasing changes to healthcare compliance, managing full-time and part-time employees is becoming a growing business pain within the grocery industry. The TimeForge features for online scheduling, management of attendance, and tracking human resource documents are solutions that improve efficiency of operations."

"TimeForge affords our customers a full-feature, integrated labor management solution for all of the point-of-sale platforms that we endorse," observed Steven Watters, President of CRS. "We operate with our customers' best interest in mind at all times, and our investment in TimeForge is directly in line with this principle. CRS is motivated to continue to capitalize on technology solutions that we believe provide significant value for our customers."

A Capital Investment in TimeForge

Key Advertiser Links

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

POS & Auto ID Distribution
Synnex
Wasp Barcode Technologies

POS & Peripherals
Harbortouch
Pioneer POS
POS BANK USA
Posiflex
POStablets
POS-X
TEAMSable

POS Systems - Hospitality
PAR

Barcode & Transaction Printers
Brother Mobile
CognitiveTPG
Intermec by Honeywell
Printronix
Zebra Technologies

Cash Drawers
MMF POS

Data Collection
CipherLab
Code Corporation
Datalogic
Honeywell Scanning
Intermec by Honeywell
Trimble MCS

Integrated Payment Solutions
Datacap Systems
Merchant Warehouse
Mercury Payment Systems

Inventory Systems
New West Technologies

Keyboards
PrehKeyTec USA

Keyboards & Mobile POS
Cherry, ZF Electronics Corp

Receipt Printers
Bixolon America
Citizen Systems America
CognitiveTPG
Epson America
Fujitsu Components
Star Micronics

Thermal Printers
Seiko Instruments USA

Touchscreens & Monitors
Elo TouchSystems

INSTALLATIONS

Archer Takes Bow

Juniper Systems (Logan, UT) has supplied its Archer 2 rugged handheld to Carlson Software (Maysville, KY), which will add its proprietary software and rebrand the device as the MINI 2. Recently debuted, the Archer 2 measures 7.25 in. (L) x 3.6 in. (W) x 1.5 in. (D), weighs 1.3 lbs., and carries ARM Cortex at 1 GHz, 512 MB RAM, 8 GB Flash, and Windows Embedded Handheld 6.5.3. Three software packages will be offered by Carlson: SurvCE for data collection in surveying; GIS360, incorporating surveying workflows and GIS; and CSI Mobile for crash and crime reconstruction. Previously, Archer Field PC from Juniper served as Carlson's MINI.

As additional benefits from MINI 2, also carried by Archer 2, the two companies enumerated 4.3-inch "Illumiview" high-visibility display, scratch-proof projected capacitive touchscreen, and "Overtime Technology" Lithium-Ion battery lasting 20 hours on one charge. Encased in hardened plastic to IP-68 and MIL-STD-810G for environmental resistance, MINI 2 furnishes one- and two-dimensional barcode scanner and five-megapixel camera, with connectivity via Serial and USB. A full suite of communication schemes includes Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, 3.75G cellular modem, and GPS.

Carlson MINI 2 for Surveying Rebrands Archer 2 From Juniper Systems

A SNAP for NACS

Some ramifications from February's U.S. Farm Bill, which specifically addresses the role of convenience stores in dispensing benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Advocates such as NACs, the Association for Convenience and Fuel Retailing (Alexandria, VA), have argued that c-stores play an important role as grocery providers, particularly in so-called "food deserts" sometimes found in rural or deep urban settings, and thus should not be driven out of SNAP. According to NACS, the new Farm Bill, approved by Congress and signed by President Obama, reaches an acceptable compromise.

In regards to POS, noted NACS, "it will require SNAP retailers to implement point-of-sale technology systems that will not redeem SNAP benefits for the purchase of ineligible items, and will further preclude cashiers from manually overriding this prohibition. A majority of convenience store operators already have such systems in place. For those that do not, they will eventually need to upgrade their systems, although this provision does not become effective until the Department of Agriculture issues regulations implementing it. This is likely to take at least several months."

In regards to inventory, continued NACS, "it requires SNAP retailers to stock at least seven different items in each of the four 'staple food' categories. (Prior law required only three items in each category.) It also requires SNAP retailers to stock at least one perishable food item in at least three of the four 'staple food' categories. (Prior law required perishable items in only two of the categories.)" You should expect your ISV to be up to speed.

U.S. Farm Bill Mandates C-Store Changes

Channel Factoid

Some interesting feelings on mobile wallets. A new report by the Yankee Group, "U.S. Mobile Wallet Roundup: Gauging the Future Potential of Today's Solutions," has found that two-thirds of consumers are interested in learning more, but that fact hasn't translated into widespread adoption, as just 16% of mobile device owners have used their phone to make an in-store payment in the past three months. Among providers, PayPal has taken an early lead in the mobile wallet race. With 15% of consumers having used its application in the past month to make an in-store transaction, PayPal enjoys nearly four times the adoption rate of its closest third-party wallet competitor, Google. Other significant players, according to respondents, include Isis, LevelUp, Loop, MCX, and Square. Of particular importance to the channel, the report advised integration with POS for the SMB, after finding that smaller merchants see greater value in third-party wallet solutions as compared to their bigger counterparts.

Some surprising impressions on credit card security. Despite the recent hackings at Target and Neiman Marcus, fully 67% of business owners are not concerned with credit card security. This from the "Small Business Authority Market Sentiment Survey" by Newtek Business Services. Additionally, 63% of these business owners are unaware of EMV Chip & PIN. "It's not a problem until it happens to you," warned Barry Sloane, Chairman and CEO of Newtek Business Services. "Business owners need to scan their websites continuously for vulnerabilities, use tokenized gateways, and have cyber liability insurance for the protection of the enterprise and business franchise."

HELLO GOODBYE

ShopKeep Spreads Out, Speaks Out

ShopKeep POS (New York), one of the well-known purveyors of iPad-based POS, has reached 10,000 customers and will expand in both the U.S. and overseas with two new locations. The company employs almost 100 staff members and moved into its new 15,000 square foot office in SoHo, New York in 2013. In making its announcement, Jason Richelson, Founder and CEO, had strong remarks on the future of the POS industry.

"We are excited to open an office in Belfast, Northern Ireland, which will serve as a launch pad for our expansion into Europe," stated Richelson. "We are also continuing to expand in the U.S. with a second location opening soon on the West Coast which will allow us to extend our customer service hours across multiple time zones." ShopKeep POS, RRN.Com readers will recall, first launched its iPad POS in 2011.

ShopKeep iPad-Based POS Bundle

He Gets Logged In

LogMeIn has recruited W. Sean Ford as its new SVP and Chief Marketing Officer. Ford most recently lead worldwide marketing for media platform provider, Avid Technology. Earlier in his career, he was VP of Global Business Unit Marketing for Oracle. Active in our world, serving both end-users and resellers as customers, LogMeIn furnishes remote control, file sharing, systems management, and data backup.

"Sean has successfully led the marketing efforts of both start-ups and Fortune 100 tech companies, alike," stressed Michael Simon, CEO of LogMeIn. "He provides a natural complement to the strengths of our existing leadership team and brings proven experience that we believe will be key to accelerating our next phase of growth."

"LogMeIn has been one of the great technology success stories, from its industry leading products that are used by millions of professionals worldwide, to its place today as the largest high-tech company in Boston's Innovation District," suggested Ford. "I am delighted to be able to join such an innovative company and help LogMeIn write the next chapter of their story as it looks to build further momentum in some of technology's most transformative markets." South Boston Waterfront has been positioned as Boston's Innovation District.

W. Sean Ford, SVP and CMO, LogMeIn

A Winner Named Winans

PCMS (Cincinnati) has enlisted retail technology executive Andrew Winans as its CEO for the Americas. Previously, Winans served as President of Walton Creek Ventures, which consulted with start-up and early phase companies, and before that, President, Retail Product Leadership with The Neilsen Company. His background also includes key positions with companies such as Netezza, MicroStrategy, Tandem (now part of HP), and NCR. An outsourced IT firm for retail and supply chain, PCMS handles IBM, Microsoft, Symantec, and VMware, with clients such as Bass Pro Shops, Best Buy Mobile, Camping World, Fred Meyer Jewelers, and Walgreens.

"Andy is a welcome addition to our company. His experience with rapidly growing technology companies and his proven leadership in retail technology and data organizations will be tremendous assets to our clients and employees," shared Richard Smith, Founder and PCMS Group CEO. "His background will provide fresh perspective to key areas within our Americas operation."

"From my view, PCMS is an incredibly dynamic company. PCMS has a strong customer base and outstanding products, and is making major investments in both product development and people," volunteered Winans. "I'm looking forward to the opportunity to build on and strengthen the good things that are already happening." PCMS exhibits at the NRF Show.

Andrew Winans, CEO, Americas, PCMS