This Week’s Product Pick

TouchSystems (Hutto, TX) has debuted its newest family of monitors, the Innova Touch series. First out of the gate: the IW2235P-U 22-inch desktop display. In addition to multi-touch and gesture capability through projected capacitive technology, the IW2235P-U features modern bezel-free design. Additional benefits include sturdy stand and casing for durability in high-traffic areas, wide tilt angles, built-in speakers, and HID compliance. It also incorporates lockable control buttons for screen settings and efficient cable management. Although the monitor may function primarily as an interactive display in storefronts or public information spaces, Carol Nordin, President of TouchSystems, explained that it transforms readily into POS via an optional magnetic-stripe reader (MSR).

Innova Touch Monitor by TouchSystems

COMPANY BUSINESS

CAM Sold, MicroBiz Bold

Celerant Technology (Staten Island, NY) has purchased CAM Commerce Solutions (Fountain Valley, CA), the subsidiary of Robertson Piper Software Group and supplier of Retail Star POS software--and part and parcel of this transaction, another ISV, MicroBiz, has been reborn. While Celerant/CAM Commerce turns its attention to direct sales to larger retailers, MicroBiz has set aggressive plans for the reseller channel. This week, RRN.Com spoke with Kevin Kogler, CEO/President of MicroBiz LLC, and former President of CAM Commerce with Robertson Piper.

According to Kogler, MicroBiz will be located in Las Vegas, with core employees from CAM Commerce, including Jose Arteaga as Sales and Marketing Manager and Stephen Walcott as Software Developer. In addition to nurturing its current reseller network--which Kogler describes as underserved by CAM Commerce--MicroBiz plans an extensive upgrade that will add requested features to its POS package. MicroBiz, as many RRN.Com readers will remember, uses its Windows-based MicroBiz Business Controller to address very specific vertical market segments within retail. It was bought by CAM Commerce Solutions in August 2000.

But MicroBiz has set its sights much higher, Kogler shared with RRN.Com. Going forward, the software will be totally rewritten to migrate to web-based POS. This new build will feature full integration with e-commerce through the Magento platform as well as inventory management, purchasing/receiving, and back-office systems, Kogler said. “Products will be more robust than any web-based POS solution I’ve seen,” he predicted, “and it goes through the reseller channel with recurring revenue opportunities.” MicroBiz currently sources its hardware through BlueStar (Hebron, KY) and Kogler expects that relationship to continue.

Kevin Kogler, CEO/President, MicroBiz LLC

PayPal Here, There, and Everywhere

Now comes PayPal Here, the company’s credit card reader for iPhone, and soon Android, thickening the race for low-level mobile payments. With this new hardware and service, small businesses, service providers, and casual sellers can send invoices or accept debit and credit cards, checks, and, of course, PayPal. In concert, PayPal also released the latest version of its payment app, which carries the so-called “local” feature to find nearby merchants accepting PayPal Here.

“Helping small businesses grow and accept payments has been in PayPal’s DNA since its inception 14 years ago,” professed David Marcus, VP of Mobile at PayPal (San Francisco). “We’ve heard small businesses loud and clear. They don’t want to miss sales opportunities because they can’t accept the payment type that their customers want to use. They want quick access to their money, a reliable card reader, and one transparent, low fee to process these payments. I’m thrilled to launch PayPal Here because we’ve been able to bring all of these key features together into a product that’s so simple to use.”

PayPal Here requires no monthly account or set-up fees. Merchants pay the simple flat rate of 2.7% for card swipes and PayPal payments. In addition, every participant will receive their own business debit card for quick access to cash as well as 1% rebate on eligible purchases. Reportedly, in the first 24 hours of its introduction, 1,000 sign-ups were received per hour for PayPal Here, putting the new offering “squarely” among the leaders in dongle-based payment processing.

Moving Ahead in Mobile Payments With PayPal Here

Worth Your While

2012 Annual ETA Meeting & Expo
Electronic Transactions Association
April 17-19
Las Vegas

NRA Show 2012
National Restaurant Association
May 5-8
Chicago

WERC 2012
Warehousing Education and Research Council
May 6-9
Atlanta

NACStech
National Association of Convenience Stores
May 21-23
Nashville, TN

VARTECH Canada
BlueStar
June 4-5
Toronto

HITEC 2012
Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP)
June 25-28
Baltimore

RetailNOW 2012
Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA)
July 29-August 1
Las Vegas

ALL IN THE FAMILY

I-Class Marks Milestone for D-O

Datamax-O’Neil (Orlando) has unveiled its new I-Class Mark II industrial label printer with advanced capabilities and feature benefits. This four-inch, direct thermal or thermal transfer device is offered in three models at varying resolutions and print speeds: I-4212 at 203 dpi and 12 inch/second, I-4310 at 300 dpi and 10 inch/second, and I-4606 at 600 dpi and six/inch second. According to Datamax-O’Neil, the I-Class Mark II can outperform any printer in its class with “20% faster print speeds, 44% faster processing, and 61% lower power consumption.” It also carries 32-MB DRAM and 64-MB Flash as standard features.

Measuring 12.7 in. (H) x 12.6 in. (W) x 18.6 in. (D), and weighing 45 lbs., with die-cast aluminum frame and metal cabinet, the I-Class Mark II was designed for ease of integration, with the full selection of communication ports, including Serial, Parallel, USB, and LAN, as well as SDIO, WLAN, and GPIO applicator cards. Its easily-accessible IntelliSEAQ printhead has durable coating, better abrasion resistance, and longer life. Finally, I-Class Mark II represents the first printer to come equipped with OPTIMedia, which allows automatic adjustment to optimum heat, speed, darkness, and contrast settings.

“The original I-Class series revolutionized the barcode printer industry with its award-winning modular design, field installable options, and rugged reliability, and was named ‘best channel product’ in some of the industry’s most reputable independent surveys,” related Umesh Cooduvalli, Senior Product Manager at Datamax-O’Neil. “I’m thrilled to have been involved in making the best even better, and to offer this printer that outpaces its competition in terms of performance, reliability, and integration.” In its product literature, Datamax-O’Neil positions the I-Class Mark II as “the mid-level industrial printer between the compact M-Class Mark II and the high-performance H-Class.”

I-Class Mark II Industrial Label Printer by Datamax-O’Neil

Resistive Touchscreen Loses Its Bezel

TE Touch Solutions (Menlo Park, CA) has released new Elo TouchSystems AccuTouch five-wire resistive touchscreens with zero bezel. Covering the range of common sizes from 7 to 22 inches, these new subsystems have been configured as an alternative to more costly touch technologies for integration into equipment for retail, hospitality, industrial, and medical environments. Eliminating the bezel simplifies cleaning and offers more streamlined, smartphone look and feel, according to the manufacturer.

In addition, without front bezel, it is now possible to achieve reduced costs and complexities in supply chain and integration processes, TE continued. A decorative front foil is no longer needed, for example, and the scratch-resistant hardness of the AccuTouch screens provide durable, reliable use over long periods of time. As one would expect, standard Elo controllers and drivers used in conjunction with the new touchscreens support familiar operating systems.

“The new zero-bezel AccuTouch family illustrates TE’s ongoing commitment to deliver innovative touchscreen products,” relayed Ellen Liang, Product Manager for AccuTouch at TE. “As one of the first companies to introduce resistive touchscreen technology, it remains one of our core products, one which we are continuously improving and refining to meet customer needs.” Units will begin shipping worldwide next month and samples are available now, TE added.

AccuTouch Five-Wire Resistive Screens by Elo

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ALLIANCES

Deep Dish Dashboard

Pizza and delivery POS developer SpeedLine Solutions now offers access to popular online marketing channels through the dashboard supplied by middleware provider, eThor. Through the merged platform, restaurants can manage all their social media, e-mail, text, and blog marketing--along with web, mobile, and Facebook ordering if they choose--for single sites or chain operations. All of eThor’s tools, such as campaign management, business intelligence, and online ordering, will be fully integrated within SpeedLine POS, according to the two parties. Web ordering from outside vendors also will be supported.

“This collaboration marks an undeniable leap forward in the world of online to offline commerce, and our combined solution is the first of its kind in the marketplace,” proposed Gary Ziegler, CEO of eThor. “Our partnership will give SpeedLine POS users the tools to harness the enormous and ever-growing mobile commerce industry.” Based in Calgary, Canada, eThor has offices in Sunnyvale, CA, and cleverly calls its two-way POS bridge, “e.Thority.”

“Restaurant operators get bombarded with calls all the time from vendors offering to manage their Facebook or text marketing,” commented Jennifer Wiebe, Marketing Manager at SpeedLine Solutions (Vancouver, BC, Canada and Lynden, WA). “With this new solution, our users can easily administer all their online marketing themselves, at the fraction of the cost.” Elsewhere, last month, SpeedLine rolled out its POS for 113 locations of D’Angelo Grilled Sandwiches, part of Papa Gino’s, Inc. Overall, in conjunction with NCR, SpeedLine will replace existing POS in 320 locations for the two restaurant concepts by this summer.

E-Marketing for Pizza Operators Through SpeedLine and eThor

Tekserving An Infinite Appetite

TekservePOS (Hoffman Estates, IL) will handle the Linea-pro product line from Infinite Peripherals Corporation (Irvine, CA), which adds barcode scanning and magnetic-stripe reading (MSR) to Apple’s iPhone and iPod Touch devices. “With our exploding Apple resell and support business, adding the IPC product line to our portfolio completes our product offering,” declared John Pruban, CEO/President of TekservePOS. “IPC is clearly one of the leaders in the Apple space and we are proud to be associated with them.”

“As the Linea-pro continues to change retail, we have partnered with TekservePOS to help mid-market and tier-one retailers benefit from all this versatile tool offers, particularly in terms of expediting checkout, increasing conversion, and maximizing efficiency,” said Andrew Graham, President of IPC. “With the strong track record of TekservePOS, we have great expectations to expand our business even more.” Both TekservePOS and Infinite Peripherals represent established POS channel players that have embraced the growing role of consumer-grade devices in retail environments, RRN.Com readers will note.

Earlier, at the National Retail Federation Show in New York in January, TekservePOS announced its support for more rugged tablet PCs from Motion Computing (Austin, TX). “We’ve come to learn that the top priority for 63% of retailers is to get mobile devices into the hands of store associates,” Pruban noted at that time. “Mobile POS is transforming the retail industry and fueling retailers’ ability to ultimately increase their bottom line, and by partnering with Motion, we’re able to do just that.”

TekservePOS to Resell Infinite Peripherals’ Linea-pro

Code Corner

Axis Communications (Chelmsford, MA) has issued Axis Camera Companion, its IP video solution designed specifically for small-scale installations in retail stores, hotels, and professional offices. Centered around the free software client for up to 16 of the company’s network cameras or video encoders with SD memory card, and employing edge storage, this new solution requires only network cabling and standard switch/router to stream and record surveillance video. Unlike analog systems, which are prevalent for low camera counts, Axis Camera Companion requires no central recording device, whether digital video recorder (DVD), network video recorder (NVR) or even central computer in order to operate. (Laptop or PC is needed for initial set-up, but video is controlled and recorded inside the camera or encoder.) Axis Camera Companion supports motion detection and pan/tilt/zoom control, with video clips and snapshots easily exported. Video may be viewed live or played back from any web-connected device and network attached storage (NAS) may be added for higher capacity. “While network video surveillance is the de facto choice in North America for larger installations, analog still has its hold on the smaller system, less-than-two-dozen camera market,” observed Fredrik Nilsson, GM of Axis Communications, Inc. “Axis Camera Companion offers an entirely new IP option for this segment--our high-quality, reliable, intuitive, and scalable solution to drive the shift from analog to digital surveillance.”

STARTS & STOPS

Posera-HDX on the Prowl

Posera-HDX (Montreal), maker of Maitre’D restaurant software, has advanced on two fronts with new solutions for both wait staff and cooks. First, the ISV has launched the latest version of its Kitchen Color Video Monitor (CVM) system. CVM V 3.5 furnishes support for up to 10 displays in the kitchen, monitor redirection, as many as 12 orders on the screen, and full touch capability. For quick-service, it offers on-the-fly transmission, park functionality, and drive-thru order confirmation screen support. For casual and fine dining, new features include item timing, display of recipes, bump by order (expo screen) or bump by item (prep screen) formats.

“We’re very excited about the new CVM release, which has really evolved and improved,” volunteered Chris Reiff, Manager at Posera-HDX for CVM. “This new version has been successfully installed at several of our customer sites and the feedback has been very positive. Increases in accuracy and productivity coupled with decreases in service times give instant ROI. The cost savings on paper and ribbon alone will quickly pay for the conversion from printers to kitchen video.”

At the front of the house, Posera-HDX will work with the Desjardins Group, one of Canada’s largest financial entities, to offer new wireless payment platforms as part of Desjardins’ Flex portfolio. This project will integrate electronic payment into the Maitre’D software package while meeting PCI-DSS certification, according to Michel Cote, President of Posera-HDX. New wireless terminals from the Desjardins Group will first roll out for La Cage aux Sports Restaurants in Quebec.

CVM Version 3.5 Kitchen Display System by Posera-HDX

Another Source for FOX IV

FOX IV (Export, PA) has added Source Technologies (Charlotte, NC) as one of its suppliers of label printers for its automated packing systems. Specifically, the ST Performance Series will be integrated into FOX IV’s printer applicators, joining the roster of OEMs such as Datamax-O’Neil, Intermec, Printronix, Sato, and Zebra Technologies. One of the longtime leaders in its field, FOX IV cited the ST’s faculty in auto-loading, software printhead adjustments, and PCL5e industry-standard printer language as benefits for its customers.

According to Dave Malarik, VP of Engineering for FOX IV: “Our label printer applicators are designed to operate 24/7 in hostile manufacturing environments all over the world. Because of that, we only select printer models for our printer applicators capable of such performance. Source Technologies’ printers provide the duty cycle and rugged design, along with excellent print quality, that we need to operate in our customers’ demanding applications.”

“As many manufacturers and distributors look to take advantage of the efficiencies associated with standard print language, Source Technologies’ PCL5e-based thermal printers open new markets for FOX IV,” stated Chris Popper, Enterprise Sales Director with Source Technologies. “Their clients worldwide can now take advantage of the forward-thinking combination of FOX IV’s proven print and apply systems and Source Technologies’ PCL5e-based thermal printers.” As readers of RRN.Com may know, Source Technologies also markets secure MICR print technology.

FOX IV Printer Applicator

Key Advertiser Links

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

POS & Auto ID Distribution
BlueStar
Wasp Barcode Technologies

POS & Peripherals
FEC/Acrelec
Posiflex
POS-X
Touch Dynamic

POS Systems - Hospitality
PAR

Barcode & Transaction Printers
Datamax-O'Neil
Zebra Technologies

Cash Drawers
MMF POS

Data Collection Terminals
CipherLab
Datalogic ADC
Janam Technologies

Data Collection Software
Wavelink

Integrated Payment Solutions
Datacap Systems
Merchant Warehouse
WorldPay US

Keyboards
Cherry, ZF Electronics Corp.

Mobile Marketing & Loyalty
Sundrop Mobile

Receipt Printers
Bixolon America
Citizen Systems America
Epson America
Star Micronics

Repair & Refurbishment
AMCOR Tech Solutions

Thermal Printers
Seiko Instruments USA

Touchscreens & Monitors
TE/Elo TouchSystems

INSTALLATIONS

Frozen Yogurt Topped With Google Wallet

Micros Systems (Columbia, MD) will help implement Google Wallet for its customer, Pinkberry. When used with Micros POS, the new payment scheme allows patrons of the trendy yogurt purveyor to tap their smartphones on the near-field communication (NFC) reader to make their purchase and simultaneously redeem coupons and receive discounts. Google Wallet, now marketed on the Nexus S from Sprint with payment support through Citi, MasterCard, and First Data, has gone live in 69 Pinkberry locations in the U.S.

“At the core of everything we do is our commitment to exceptional customer service,” offered Tony DiCenzo, SVP of IT for Pinkberry. “The rollout of Google Wallet underscores our goal of using innovative technology to enhance our customers’ experience. Now, with just the swipe of their smartphone, consumers can purchase Pinkberry products.”

“We are thrilled to have been selected as Pinkberry’s preferred POS technology partner and are greatly pleased to have watched Pinkberry expand and grow its concept so rapidly,” added Ed Chapel, SVP of Micros North America Distribution. “Micros understands Pinkberry’s need to provide superior service with highly efficient operations. We have worked together to create solutions that will benefit both Pinkberry as an organization as well as its customer base.”

Micros Rolls Out the New Payment Scheme for Pinkberry

Retalix Remembers the Maines

Retalix USA (Dallas) will deploy its Power Delivery software package for Maines Paper and Food Service for use in tracking shipments to its customers. This enhanced system will support 11 warehouses run by Maines to deliver products across 33 states in the U.S. Power Delivery integrates with the Conklin, NY-based distributor’s existing implementation of Retalix’s Warehouse Management System and should improve customer service, visibility, and proof of delivery while reducing costs across the enterprise, according to the two parties.

“We are very pleased to strengthen our relationship with Maines through the deployment of another leading product from our supply chain portfolio,” remarked John Taylor, EVP and GM of Supply Chain Management for Retalix USA. “Maines is among the top companies in the industry leading the charge for more effective traceability processes and technologies in the supply chain. Our Power Delivery and Warehouse Management provide Maines with the tools needed to achieve improved traceability, by efficiently and accurately tracking each product from its point of origination through its point of delivery.”

Retalix also has announced that Retalix 10, its next-generation store suite, has been offered as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). Notably, Retalix 10 on the Cloud was built on Microsoft’s Window Azure platform. “Offering our advanced store solution from the cloud will enable retailers of all sizes to simplify their IT infrastructure and operations, reduce maintenance, IT resources, and capital expenditure, and enjoy benefits of per-demand scalability and elasticity, as well as accelerated time-to-market,” suggested Shuky Sheffer, CEO of Retalix. “Additionally, smaller retailers can now afford access to enterprise applications that are currently only offered to large retailers.”

Better Tracking of Deliveries for Paper and Food Distributor

Channel Factoid

More than half of SMBs have appointed their CIOs/IT managers as the key decision makers when it comes to cloud applications, according to the recent survey conducted by Dell. Among SMBs who have adopted cloud applications, those polled said they expect to increase their participation in 2012 to an overall count of seven (up from just two in 2010). Interestingly, customer relationship management (CRM) has the highest penetration of any cloud application at 55%, showing growth of 34% from 2010. In discussing providers, 69% of SMBs would prefer to purchase cloud applications from one trusted vendor. As underlying reasons, 50% of respondents noted significant challenges in keeping track of different service-level agreements (SLAs) while 48% complained that explaining their business to each vendor was tedious and time consuming. SMBs desire flexibility in integration, with 74% of respondents using in-house IT staff to merge new cloud applications with on-premise technology and 61% willing to write software code to accomplish this task. Looking forward, 63% want the freedom to modify the integration based on business process changes. In terms of results from cloud-based applications, SMBs report they have experienced 38% improvement in operational efficiency and corresponding 39% improvement in employee productivity, both resulting from greater automation of tasks and information sharing. “This new research echoes what our customers are asking for,” said Paulette Altmaier, VP and GM of Dell Cloud Business Applications. “Customers are looking for a trusted IT partner who has evaluated the right cloud applications for their businesses and who can accelerate their time to value with turnkey services.”

HELLO GOODBYE

One Overseas Ruler for ScanSource

ScanSource (Greenville, SC) has named Xavier Cartiaux as its President of International Operations, effective in April. In this newly created position, Cartiaux will be responsible for leading the strategic direction and management of the distributor’s international business units, which today include Europe and Latin America. He previously served as President of ScanSource Europe, where he supervised all facets of that effort, including the POS & Barcoding and Communications sales units.

Cartiaux joined ScanSource in 2002 as Merchandising Director, later becoming Managing Director before being chosen as President in 2009. He has more than 18 years of experience in distribution, including more than seven years with Ingram Micro, where he held positions such as Purchasing Manager and Senior Buyer. In his new role as President of International Operations, he will be working closely with Elias Botbol, ScanSource Latin American President, it was noted.

“We see great opportunity for continued growth internationally and know that Xavier will bring excellent leadership and insight to our international efforts,” stated Scott Benbenek, President of Worldwide Operations for ScanSource, Inc. “Under Xavier’s leadership, ScanSource Europe has grown to become one of the largest value-added distributors in Europe.”

Xavier Cartiaux, President of International Operations, ScanSource

Staub Meets Sterling’s Standard

Sterling Payment Technologies (Tampa, FL) has tapped Gary T. Staub as its Chief Sales and Marketing Officer. Over many years, Staub has helped build and manage several of the leading payment processing companies in the U.S., emphasized his new employer. He comes to Sterling from GTS Consulting, at which he advised on acquisitions, business development, strategic planning, and product and market evaluations of new payment services.

Prior to founding GTS Consulting, Staub served as EVP and Manager of Strategic Initiatives for Elan Financial Services, the wholly owned subsidiary of U.S. Bank. He joined U.S. Bank from Genpass, Inc., where he was EVP and Chief Marketing Officer of its ATM and Card Business line. Previous roles within the payment processing industry included Group Executive for Business Development at Paymentech, Founding Officer and EVP of Gensar Holdings, and Business Manager of Merchant Processing and Network Services at Mellon Bank.

“Gary will bring his extensive knowledge of the industry, as well as his keen marketing and sales skills, to help set the course for Sterling’s next level of growth,” commented Paul Hunter, CEO/President of Sterling Payment Technologies. “He will lead our diverse team as well as spearhead our direct and third-party initiatives while helping our company continue our commitment to product innovation. I know he is up for the challenge.”

Gary Staub, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Sterling Payment Technologies