This Week’s Product Pick

Zebra Technologies Corporation (Lincolnshire, IL) has added the ZXP Series 7 to its portfolio of card printers. ZXP Series 7 delivers fast, efficient performance while lowering the printer's total cost of ownership, according to the vendor. It supports numerous encoding and connectivity methodologies, along with single or dual-sided lamination for extra security or durability. It automatically adjusts to the thickness of the card, with easy ribbon loading, color-coded guides, and clear LCD control panel. "The ZXP Series 7 works out of the box in a wide range of environments and applications," noted Keith LeFebvre, VP of Product Management for Zebra Technologies, citing government, education, service bureaus, and retail and hospitality enterprises.

Zebra ZXP Series 7

COMPANY BUSINESS

Mobeam Us Up, Scotty

Mobeam (San Francisco) has announced the new Samsung Galaxy S4 will become the world's first mobile device to integrate its light-based communications (LBC) scheme. This will allow the smartphone to "beam" mobile coupons as one-dimensional barcodes (through pulses of infrared). With such technology, screen-based coupons may be read by every one of the 165 million red laser scanners currently in use at retailers, according to the company.

"Mobeam's vision is simple--to make mobile commerce work with existing point-of-sale technology," declared Chris Sellers, CEO of Mobeam. "Making cutting-edge smartphones work with barcodes might not sound sexy, but it means consumers now have the ability to 'beam' items such as coupons, loyalty cards, gift cards, and event tickets at millions of locations, something that was previously impossible. Barcodes are universal and won't be replaced anytime soon, meaning retailers don't need to upgrade their POS systems. The mobile industry now has a commerce technology that can work everywhere, and the world will see it first on the Samsung Galaxy S4."

In the past year, Mobeam also has partnered with Proctor & Gamble, the world's largest consumer packaged goods producer, to address mobile couponing. "We know that our consumers are increasingly on the go and looking for opportunities to simplify their lives," relayed Laura Becker, GM of P&G Global Business Development and the Connect+Develop Program. "We also know that they see coupons as a great way to try new products or save on trusted brands their families have come to love. Delivering both--in other words, couponing on the go--through this new technology creates a double win for the shopper, and with no added cost for the retailer." Mobeam predicted the first third-party mobile communication app for its technology will be released later this year.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Carries Mobeam's Barcode Conversion Scheme

ScanSource's Subject Matter

Call them Solutions Consultants, not merely Technical Services. Seeking more involvement in the presale process from the perspective of vertical market configuration, ScanSource POS & Barcode (Greenville, SC) has encouraged its Technical Services team to provide deeper subject matter expertise in high-growth areas such as healthcare, mobile POS, payment processing, managed services, wireless infrastructure, and field service. This shifts the focus somewhat from their previous assigned responsibility for specific product categories, such as barcoding, and draws together the package of software, hardware, and services recommended for end-user customers.

"They're already 75% of the way there," Paul Constantine, President of ScanSource POS & Barcode, told RRN.Com. "This is something they've been doing unofficially for some time. We're formalizing the role and giving them a little more responsibility, a little more freedom, and, most importantly, some direction. This idea came out of meetings with the team, who suggested more involvement with developing an entire solution."

ScanSource's Solutions Consultants have an average tenure of nearly 10 years, according to the distributor, with typical industry certifications of CompTIA A+, Network+, and RFID+, in addition to experience and training with major vendors. "We have eighty-odd companies in our ISV program," Constantine pointed out, "so they'll have to become familiar with those solutions to make good suggestions for our customers. With greater utilization of this terrific team, we feel we can provide more value to our partners and our vendors."

Paul Constantine, President, ScanSource POS & Barcode

Worth Your While

Field Service USA 2013
Worldwide Business Research
April 22-25
Indian Wells, CA

ETA Annual Meeting & Expo
Electronic Transactions Association
April 30 - May 1
New Orleans

THE Tech EVENT
(Formerly NACStech, National Association of Convenience Stores)
May 6-10
Dallas

NRA Show
National Restaurant Association
May 18-21
Chicago

HITEC 2013
Hospitality Financial & Technology Professionals
June 24-27
Minneapolis

RetailNow 2013
Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA)
August 4-7
Las Vegas

Pack Expo 2013
Packaging Manufacturers Machinery Institute
September 23-25
Las Vegas

ALL IN THE FAMILY

A Bigger Star With iOS

Star Micronics (Edison, NJ) has shipped its SM-T300i three-inch mobile POS printer. The latest entry in Star's "i" Series, with iOS compatibility and Bluetooth Serial Port Profile (SPP), the SM-T300i has been certified by Apple as "Made for iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch" (abbreviated as MFi). Measuring 4.7 in. (W) x 5.2 in. (H) x 2.3 in. (D), and weighing slightly less than 1 lb., the SM-T300i features IP-54 dust protection and splash-proof resistance for use by outside field workers, restaurant servers, and store clerks.

Using direct thermal technology, the SM-T300i prints at 3 inch/75 mm per second at 203 dpi. A Lithium-Ion battery furnishes eight-hour printing at five minute intervals. Ease-of-use is furthered by an LCD display indicating battery life and print error as well as drop-in paper loading. "Reliable, durable, and now compatible with Apple iOS devices, the SM-T300i is a must-have for anyone seeking a portable mobile printing solution for standard three-inch receipt formats in any venue," suggested Christophe Naasz, Director of Business Development at Star Micronics America.

Elsewhere, Star Micronics has attracted support from Qminder (London, U.K.), for use of its printers with the developer's queue management software. This clever app estimates wait time for customers for service or scheduled appointments, freeing them to multitask and plan other activities. Qminder has endorsed the TSP650 from Star Micronics for producing tickets for customers who do not use their smartphones for updates.

SM-T300i Portable Printer From Star Micronics

Deep Dive for DT Tablets

Group Mobile (Chandler, AZ) will resell two new rugged tablet computers from DT Research (San Jose, CA). With the WebDT 315CT and WebDT 395, users may choose between Microsoft Windows Embedded Standard 7, Windows 7 Professional, or Linux. Both tablets carry Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, and 3G WWAN module with GPS positioning and optional navigation. An MIL-STD-810G rating ensures high levels of shock and vibration protection.

WebDT 315CT features 9.7-inch LED backlight screen with capacitive touch display and weighs just under 2 lbs. Semi-rugged with four-foot drop rating on all sides, it has an integrated half-slot built-in smart card reader, optional back camera, and two-dimensional scanner. WebDT 395 features 9-inch LED backlight screen with resistive touch display and weighs just under 2.5 lbs. Fully rugged and IP-65 rated for water and dust resistance, it has an integrated full-slot smart card reader, optional front and back cameras, and two-dimensional scanner.

"DT Research's rugged tablets provide a strong mobile computing platform at a very affordable cost," commented Stephanie Kreitner, Marketing Director for Group Mobile. "We expect these new point-of-sale tablets to be very well received among our customers." In addition to Group Mobile, DT Research distributes its products through Synnex, Metropolitan Sales, M-S Cash Drawer, and Seneca Data.

Group Mobile Adds Two New Tablets from DT Research, Including WebDT 395

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Week of March 11

Week of March 4

Week of February 25

Channel Correction

In our recent edition of March 4 and the story "A River of Mercury," we described the "Business Starter" POS bundle from uTouchPOS (Vienna, VA) and included the participation of Mercury (Durango, CO). Mercury's role in this product, it should be noted, is limited to providing its normal payment processing services. It does not specifically endorse or market this product.

PARTNER PROGRAMS

Zip Line to Restaurant Sales

A strategic dealer partnership between National Merchants Association (Temecula, CA) and Future POS (Butler, PA) will address the needs of the restaurant industry going forward. Under terms of this agreement, Future POS will serve as an underlying technology for the financial service firm's growing efforts in this vertical market. In addition, National Merchants Association will integrate Future POS into its existing restaurant merchant base, bringing increased efficiency, reduced complexity, and improved workflow to their businesses, according to the two parties.

"At National Merchants Association, we have long recognized the power of providing superior products to our merchants," remarked Heather Petersen, CEO of NMA. "As we increase our merchant base, we are delighted by the innovative technology platform created by Future POS and the opportunity to create a truly global POS solution. The potential for this partnership is limitless."

"National Merchants Association is one of the most recognized and respected merchant processing brands in the industry and we are proud to be their POS software partner," stated Steve Pritchard, Dealer Manager for Future POS. Meanwhile, fans of the Spike TV show, "Bar Rescue," may have noticed that the March 10 episode, "Empty Pockets," highlighted Future POS, as well as hardware from Pioneer POS and Touch Dynamic. This technology make-over was conducted for Zanzibar, an under-performing billiards parlor and lounge, when Retail Data Systems, Denver-based VAR, switched from basic cash registers to full POS. Zanzibar is located two blocks from Coors Field, home of the Colorado Rockies.

Future POS Teams Up With National Merchants Association

Will Leaf Rake-In the SMB?

Another tablet POS upstart, Leaf (Cambridge, MA) has launched its Leaf Appstore for the small business community. This repository will support the company's LeafPresenter, described as "built for business" with customized form factor, Android, and Wi-Fi, as well as its online analytics and management portal, LeafBusiness. Leaf has targeted verticals such as retail, quick-service, and restaurants, with necessary checkout, reporting, and customer loyalty, secure credit card processing, and promoted entry cost of $50 per month.

"The Leaf Appstore fulfills our vision and our promise to small business owners that making the switch to Leaf is the last technology upgrade they'll ever need," declared Aron Schwarzkopf, CEO of Leaf. "Small business owners don't have time to piece together solutions from multiple vendors, let alone the time it takes to search for all the latest technology. Once they pick up the LeafPresenter, they get it--they instantly understand how their individual needs can be met with one simple device. As we've seen in other mobile app marketplaces, there are talented and creative developers out there, and we're excited to see the innovations they can bring to the small business community on top of the Leaf platform."

With registration through the company's website, the Leaf Appstore offers the required set of application programming interfaces (APIs), thereby delivering common functions on top of which developers can build their own solutions. Examples cited by Leaf include online ordering, restaurant reservation systems, or salon appointment scheduling. Several high-profile companies came onboard during the previous beta phase for Leaf Appstore, such as PayPal and LevelUp (which just announced it has passed one million users). Both tablet and back-end apps will be considered by Leaf.

LeafPresenter POS Tablet Gets Appstore

Code Corner

Here we go. Heartland Payment Systems (Princeton, NJ), one of the largest payment processors, and LevelUp (Boston), the largest mobile payment and loyalty network, have joined forces to make mobile payments mainstream in 2013. After successful pilot programs in select cities in the U.S, including New York, Boston, and Minneapolis, the pair plans to roll out across the country. As part of the deal, LevelUp will call upon Heartland's 800-person sales force and customer base of 250,000 merchant locations to accelerate adoption of its mobile payment and loyalty platform, which allows consumers to pay with their iOS, Android, and Windows-based devices. LevelUp also will leverage Heartland's scalable, multi-site authorization and settlement network, currently capable of 3,000 transactions per second. Beyond payment, LevelUp allows consumers to save when they try new places and unlock rewards for returning to their favorite merchants. In turn, merchants are empowered to run performance-based campaigns with real-time marketing analytics while paying zero interchange fees (with charges accessed by level of marketing program). In addition to LevelUp for individual merchants, the companies will also co-promote white-labeled apps for businesses with multiple locations. Here, Heartland and LevelUp will absorb 25% of the development cost of such white-labeled iPhone and Android packages for merchants with 10 or more locations that switch their processing to Heartland, or extend their existing processing relationship with Heartland. "Heartland and LevelUp are both innovative companies with a shared vision and commitment to accelerate the shift from card payment to mobile payments," declared Ian Drysdale, President of the Network Solutions Group with Heartland. "Our collective goal is to proactively expand the market share while creating additional value at the point-of-sale for both merchants and consumers."

ENVIRONMENTS/PLATFORMS

Pizza POS, Extra Topping of Marketing

Andromeda Point of Sale (Seattle) has enlisted eThor (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) to add mobile marketing capability to its solution for the delivery foodservice industry. Through this partnership, eThor will help bridge the gap between off-line and online commerce for Andromeda's customers, furnishing social media, e-mail, and online ordering, along with one-stop dashboard and comprehensive reporting and analytics. Customers like Papa John's Pizza, New York Pizza, and KFC deploy Andromeda POS software in 14 countries.

"This is our first international partnership and is a key piece of our global expansion," indicated Gary Ziegler, CEO of eThor. "Combining eThor's innovative technology with Andromeda's best-in-class POS software shows our commitment to bringing the best technology the world has to offer to our customers across the globe. Andromeda services some of the world's top brands in international markets and we are very pleased to work together in an effort to change the way the world finds and purchases food online."

"We're eager to deliver this kind of functionality that is definitely not standard for many POS out there," volunteered Dave Hick, VP of the Americas at Andromeda. "eThor has done so many of these integrations that we know our customers will be able to bake this capability right into their regular business processes, without any disruption to operations. Customers can order however they want and that means extra profits." Another leading pizza POS provider, SpeedLine (Lynden, WA), has partnered with eThor in similar manner.

Andromeda POS Solution for Foodservice Delivery

Jump Start Your RFID Demo

Label maker IC-TAG Solutions, Inc. (Bridgeview, IL) has offered its "IC-DEMO" kit for jump-starting RFID in asset tracking and access control, with an eye towards outfitting VARs. Comprised of IC-TAG's UA1000i RFID Appliance, integrated middleware, and various passive RFID tags, this kit allows configuration to customized specifications in less than 30 minutes, according to the vendor. Access to IC-TAG's HyperSage and AnyHost software facilitates the selection of critical performance parameters such as data acquisition mode, timing, data filtering, and maximum temperature.

"This new product is a great way for your engineers to evaluate RFID and to test application concepts," IC-TAG Solutions announced. "It allows VARs to perform live demonstrations on sales calls with end-users, or present before management in the board room to secure project funding. Once you discover how RFID can improve your business, using the IC-TAG UHF Series Appliances for system development is just as easy as the IC-DEMO."

A collection of UHF and HF RFID badges comes with IC-DEMO. Major vendors are represented, such as Avery Dennison, Smartrac, and Alien Technology, with formats ranging from on-metal, low-cost, and key fob, as well as an assortment of sizes. "Test the read range at selectable power levels and see the impact of each RFID tag selection,"  stated IC-TAG. "All you need is the IC-DEMO and your laptop."

IC-TAG Offers Tools for RFID Hopefuls

Key Advertiser Links

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

POS & Auto ID Distribution
Metropolitan Sales
Synnex
Wasp Barcode Technologies

POS & Peripherals
Harbortouch
Partner Tech
Pioneer POS
Posiflex
POS-X

POS Systems - Hospitality
PAR

POS Systems - Apple Based
LightSpeed Retail
ShopKeep POS

Barcode & Transaction Printers
Zebra Technologies

Cash Drawers
MMF POS

Data Collection Terminals
CipherLab
Datalogic ADC
Trimble

Data Collection Software
Wavelink

Integrated Payment Solutions
Datacap Systems
Merchant Warehouse
Mercury

Keyboards
Cherry, ZF Electronics Corp
PrehKeyTec USA

Receipt Printers
Bixolon America
Citizen Systems America
Epson America
Star Micronics

Scanners
Code Corporation
Honeywell

Thermal Printers
Seiko Instruments USA

Touchscreens & Monitors
Elo TouchSystems

INSTALLATIONS

Urban Outfitters Garbed in StoreTrac

PCSTrac (Philadelphia) has developed its next-generation of StoreTrac software in conjunction with Urban Outfitters. This web-based inventory control and management platform delivers item-level snapshots of shipments, including volume, category type, and other key product attributes. All of the specialty retailer's brands--Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, and Free People--will use the new solution, totaling 430 stores.

Prior to this latest release of StoreTrac, Urban Outfitters could only view cartons by category. Armed with more detailed merchandise data, the retailer's operations staff will improve store set-up, preplanning, and labor management, according to the two parties. Moreover, SKU search capacity provides visibility to cartons in transit and allows store personnel to see what items are on the way to better serve customers.

"It's been an exciting opportunity to collaborate with Urban Outfitters to advance StoreTrac to the next level," proclaimed Chandra Allred, COO of PCSTrac. "It is gratifying to know that their store operations and visual team benefit every day from better upstream visibility and have more robust tools to plan receiving." In addition to Urban Outfitters, PCSTrac serves leading retailers such as Gap, Under Armour, and Bed, Bath and Beyond.

PCSTrac Supplies Advanced Inventory Control for Specialty Retailer

PTA Meeting at PayAnywhere

PayAnywhere (Troy, MI) will supply its mobile payment product to PTO Today (Wrentham, MA), which bills itself as the leading service provider for groups such as the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and Parent Teacher Organization (PTO). Utilizing PayAnywhere, PTO Today members may accept credit and debit card payments for the full spectrum of K-8 sponsored events--including group dues, field trip fees, and fundraisers--directly from the public's smartphones and tablets. An estimate puts the number of PTA and PTO leaders in the U.S. at 83,000, perhaps accounting for all that gift wrapping in my closet.

"People are carrying less cash these days, but that doesn't mean parent groups have to miss out," maintained Gene Schenberg, PayAnywhere's VP of Sales. "PayAnywhere makes it simple to pay with your credit card: just swipe, sign with your finger, and go. It's safe and easy, but also brings additional benefits like electronic receipts for easy record keeping and automatic deposit of funds into parent group's accounts, saving time and hassle." On the flip side, it also reduces the need to handle cash.

In order to participate, PTO Today members and helpers have been directed to PayAnywhere's website. After signing up, they will be sent their free credit card reader by mail. There are no set-up, monthly, or cancellation fees, according to PayAnywhere, and swiped transactions are charged at 2.69%. Say this for PayAnywhere, it has outlasted VeriFone, which has lowered its SAIL in mobile payments.

PayAnywhere Mobile POS Module

Channel Factoid

Hopping around tight budgets, the average person celebrating Easter will spend $145.13 on candy, decor, apparel, and food, making things flat with last year's $145.28. Total spending will reach an estimated $17.2 billion, according to the NRF's Easter Spending Survey conducted by BIGinsight. A family brunch or dinner accounts for much of their spend, with 86.9% planning such festivities. With Easter traditionally representing the start of spring, nearly half (48.4%) will purchase new clothes. And nine in ten (90.5%) will stock up on Easter candy, shelling out an average of $20 for their basket. Additional spending will concentrate on gifts, flowers, and decorations, not surprisingly. When it comes to where people will shop for their Easter needs, the survey found families want price and value. Most people (63.4%) will call upon discount stores and four in ten (40.7%) will visit their favorite department store. Others will shop at specialty stores (24.9%), online (21.1%), and specialty clothing stores (10.6%). "With budgetary concerns already on their plates, Americans this Easter will look for creative ways to celebrate the holiday without breaking the bank," observed Matthew Shay, CEO/President of NRF. "Retailers have lined their shelves with specials on chocolates, warm-weather apparel, and even gardening tools and outdoor furniture."

HELLO GOODBYE

An Eastern POS Pioneer

Pioneer POS (City of Industry, CA) has engaged industry veteran Nancy Szczudlik as its Eastern Region Sales Manager. Szczudlik brings 25 years of experience in the POS market, having held sales and management positions with Positive ID, ScanSource, Logic Controls/Bematech, and most recently, Seneca Data. In her new posting, she will be responsible for developing new partnering opportunities with VARs and ISVs, while enhancing existing business relationships in her geographic territory.

"Nancy's knowledge of POS markets and experience with resellers, ISVs, and distribution, along with her regional focus, will play a critical role as we continue to grow our brand and reach throughout the U.S.," Michael Flores, Director of Business Development for Pioneer POS, told RRN.Com. "We are excited to have her on our team and look forward to the future for Pioneer POS."

"I was drawn to Pioneer POS not only because they are a great company with quality products, but because they are customer focused with a high level of flexibility and they pride themselves in being 'Made in America'," stated Szczudlik. "I sold their products with great success back in my distribution days because of the level of service that they offered. I'm now thrilled to be a part of this great team and share with others all that I know about this exceptional company."

Nancy Szczudlik, Eastern Region Sales Manager, Pioneer POS

VeriFone Rallies Executives

Just days after Douglas Bergeron's departure as CEO, VeriFone has moved four key executives into top leadership: Jennifer Miles to President, VeriFone Americas; Bulent Ozayaz to President, VeriFone Southern Europe, Russia, Middle East, and Northern Africa; Johan Tjarnberg to President, VeriFone Europe and Southern Africa; and Eliezer Yanay to Chief Operations Officer. "VeriFone is committed to build on our customer focus and operational excellence," commented Richard McGinn, Interim CEO. "VeriFone's board of directors and I are proud to provide each of these proven executives with expanded responsibilities."

Miles joined VeriFone in 2001 and has led the significant growth of the company's North American business, progressing from VP and GM of Integrated Systems, to SVP of Vertical and Security Solutions, to EVP of North America. As President of Americas, she will now lead VeriFone's business in North America, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Prior to VeriFone, she served as Treasury Services Officer for Wachovia Bank.

Yanay has supervised the company's global research and development, supply chain, and product management programs as EVP of Operations since 2011. In his previous role at VeriFone, which he joined in 2006, Yanay was responsible for all operations and manufacturing in Israel, as well as business development, sales, and marketing in Continental Europe, Southeastern Europe, and Asia. As Chief Operations Officer, he will now oversee, he will now oversee the "localization" of the company's global product portfolio, including necessary customizations and certifications as well as centralization of regional procurement. Both Ozayaz and Tjarnberg were similarly promoted from within VeriFone.

Jennifer Miles, President, VeriFone Americas