Our Product Pick

Honeywell Safety and Productivity Solutions (Charlotte, NC) has presented its versatile imager subsystem, designated 6803FR (for "FlexRange"). With dual-lens architecture, the 6803FR may capture near-, mid-, and far-range symbologies with no change on the part of the warehouse worker. A range of 5 in./0.1 m to 35 ft./10.7 m was demonstrated. As such, it handles the broadest category of workflows, from picking, to the pallet, to the rack. And with no moving parts, explains Honeywell Safety and Productivity Solutions, there's no time spent re-focusing, so the 6803FR always operates at full speed. An integration with the new RT10 Rugged Tablet and all Mobility Edge products for Auto ID/AIDC by Honeywell for the 6803FR FlexRange.

Honeywell's 6803FR FlexRange Imager Module

COMPANY BUSINESS

An Industry Response to COVID-19

Datacap Systems (Chalfont, PA): Offering free e-commerce functionality with every installation of NETePay Hosted for the next six months . . . Shift4 (Allentown, PA): Waiving fees for three months for its online ordering, gift cards, and service and hardware for its SkyTab Mobile . . . Electronic Payments (Calverton, NY): Suspending support costs for its TableTurn and Exatouch Point of Sale through May . . . Revel Systems (Atlanta, GA): Establishing $1 million Customer Relief Program . . . OrderCounter (Pensacola, FL): Waiving set-up cost and fees for its Online Ordering through May . . . Focus POS (San Antonio, TX): All "Delivery with Dispatch" tools provided at no charge through May . . .

Ready (Vancouver, BC): Launching "virtual ordering kiosk" with no additional cost above transaction fees through May . . . iVend Retail (New York, NY): Offering free iVend Mobile POS through May . . . Heartland Payment Systems (Atlanta, GA): Offering online ordering at no charge for 90 days . . . Paytronix (Newton, MA): Launching Rapid Order & Delivery . . . Lightspeed (Montreal, QC): Waiving fees for Lightspeed Delivery, Lightspeed eCommerce, and Lightspeed Loyalty for 90 days . . . Revention (Houston, TX): Waiving online ordering for customers through May . . . Celerant (Staten Island, NY): Waiving fees for its POS and E-Commerce for first three months . . .

Linga (Naples, FL): Waiving fees for Linga Online Ordering for six months . . . Park City Group (Salt Lake City, UT): Offering its ReposiTrak Online Supplier Marketplace at no charge . . . Future Proof Retail (New York, NY): Donating its Mobile Checkout to grocery stores, pharmacies, and supermarkets . . . ParTech (New Hartford, NY): Introducing an online order and pick-up platform using QR code and Brink POS, called "PARk it" . . . CardFree (San Francisco, CA): Supplying its Order & Go at no cost for 90 days . . . Lavu (Albuquerque, NM): Free software hosting to struggling customers, and free online ordering with its MenuDrive . . . Sound Payments (Jacksonville, FL): Waiving service fees for Sound POS for three months for existing merchants and for new merchants added in April . . .

And more: be sure to contact your supplier - Editor's Note.

"PARk it" Virtual Drive-Through by PAR

APG: Guarding the Countertop

In rapid response to the dangers to retail and hospitality of COVID-19, APG Cash Drawer (Minneapolis, MN) has debuted its Guardiant Countertop Shield. As constructed of clear acrylic plexiglass with aluminum frame, in heavy weight for stability, Guardiant comes in several choices for overall size and type of opening for exchange between customer and clerk at the Point-of-Sale. A single countertop screen measures approximately 32 in. (W) x 29 in. (H). A tri-fold countertop screen provides wrap-around protection of 6 ft., 8 in.

"We've created a solution to help mitigate the health risks many essential employees are faced with today," asserted Paul Griffiths, President and CEO at APG Cash Drawer. "The Guardiant Countertop Shield will reduce the spread of airborne germs and minimize the risk of virus spread and the exposure to employees and customers during checkout at the Point-of-Sale." As attributes, it is: collapsible for portability, cleanable with common disinfectants, transparent for barcode scanning, and adjustable with feet risers for necessary cabling.

"The Guardiant Countertop Shield provides peace of mind and can reduce concerns for employees working in retail, grocery, gas stations, convenience stores, pharmacies, and health clinics, and wherever essential business is conducted," manifested Stephen Bergeron, VP of Sales and Marketing, North America, at APG Cash Drawer. "These roles are vital to our economy and the Guardiant Countertop Shield can help provide comfort and relief for employees and the customers they serve during this critical time." Available through the channel of APG.

A Guardiant Countertop Shield for Point-of-Sale From APG Cash Drawer

Worth Your While

NRA Show
National Restaurant Association
May 16-19
Chicago, IL

[Editor's Note: The NRA Show has been cancelled for 2020.]

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

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

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

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

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

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

ALL IN THE FAMILY

CRS Practices Cubism

CRS, Inc. (St. Paul, MN) has stocked its new cube-shaped thermal receipt printer, the SAM4S GCUBE. In approximate dimensions of 5 in. x 5 in. x 5 in., the SAM4S GCUBE offers the choice of top or front paper exit, accommodating paper widths of 2 in./58 mm and 3 in./80 mm, with maximum print speed of 9.8 in./250 mm per second at 203 dpi. As design features, SAM4S GCUBE has auto-cutter, drop-and-print paper loading, paper-end and cover-open sensor, and storage of 255 images.

As connectivity, the SAM4S GCUBE furnishes standard triple interface of USB+Serial+Ethernet (and Cash Drawer). In addition to support for Windows (and Mac OS), it offers SDKs (Software Development Kits) for iOS and Android O/S. As well, contactless NFC allows set-up on devices with Android O/S. A spill-proof cabinet, along with standard cable cover, supports demanding environments in hospitality and retail.

An "out-of-the-box" shipment includes printer, cables, power supply, power cord, and starter paper roll. As options, there's under-the-counter bracket, wall-mount bracket, and integrated kitchen bell. "[With the GCUBE,] SAM4S delivers an affordable cube-style POS printer that features all popular connection interfaces--USB, Serial, Ethernet--along with superior speed and reliability," enthused James Sanders, VP of Marketing at CRS, Inc. An addition to the family of products from SAM4S/Shinheung Precision (Seoul, South Korea).

CRS Ships SAM4S GCUBE Thermal Receipt Printer

TD Gets Edge-y

Touch Dynamic (South Plainfield, NJ) has unwrapped its new pavilion-style self-service kiosk, dubbed the "Edge." It carries 21.5" projected-capacitive touchscreen in portrait mode (16:9 aspect ratio, 1920x1080 resolution, 250-nits brightness) and integrated thermal receipt printer in the pedestal (Epson's 3" TM-M30). As options, there's webcam, credit card reader (ID TECH or MagTek), and 2D barcode scanner (Honeywell or Zebra Technologies). Overall, it measures 12.9 in. (W) x 26.8 in. (H) x 8.3 in. (D) and weighs 30 lbs./13.6 kg.

As technical specs, the Edge offers Intel Skylake i3-6100U CPU at 2.3 GHz (Windows), Intel Skylake i5-6300U CPU at 3 GHz (Windows), and Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 CPU at 1.8 GHz (Android). As memory, there's 8-GB (Windows) and 2-GB (Android). As storage: 2.5" SSD at 128-GB (Windows) and eMMC at 16-GB (Android). A range of I/O includes USB 2.0, USB 3.0, Serial, Ethernet, VGA, and Cash Drawer. As wireless, there's Bluetooth 5 and 802.11 Wi-Fi.

It ships in one box, ready to be deployed, noted Touch Dynamic. As another benefit, its large touchscreen makes it simple to navigate software. "Customers are demanding more self-service options in retail, hospitality, cinema, and more," reported Craig Paritz, President of Touch Dynamic. "With Edge, which broadens our kiosk product line, we are helping our customers meet these self-service demands."

Touch Dynamic's Edge Pavilion Kiosk

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Week of March 16

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Week of February 17

ALLIANCES

Oracle: From Here to Mobivity

An integration for customer engagement has taken place between Oracle Food and Beverage (Columbia, MD) and Mobivity (Chandler, AZ). It ties Mobivity's Recurrency Platform to Oracle-Micros Simphony POS. Via Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML), customers of Simphony may now create 1:1 customer engagement and improve Return on Marketing Spend (ROMS), according to Mobivity and Oracle.

An example of Mobivity's Personalized Receipt Promotion, this new functionality enables creation of personalized, multi-channel, single- and multiple-use offers and promotions. It also tracks and manages scannable offer codes across all media and channels for accurate attribution, and identifies pre- and post-redemption purchase activities. Such codes can be delivered to consumers via third parties as well as Mobivity's Mobile Messaging.

"Consumers simply expect a more personalized experience with brands, especially those with loyalty programs," indicated Chris Adams, VP of Food and Beverage Strategy for Oracle. "With Mobivity as a member of the Oracle Partner Network, restaurants can now quickly understand and adapt to guest behavior with an intelligent data approach." Among customers of Mobivity, major brands such as Papa Gino's, Blimpie, Subway, Round Table Pizza, and Smashburger.

Mobivity's Recurrency Tied to Oracle-Micros' Simphony POS

Korber (Uh, HighJump) Racks It Up

An interesting relationship for Korber Supply Chain--under which banner, following its acquisition in 2017 by Germany's Korber Group, now operates longtime ISV HighJump Software (Minneapolis, MN). It has partnered with Twinlode Automation (South Bend, IN), an integrator of high-density storage solutions, specializing in beverage, produce, and food processing industries. As such, it deals in drive-in/drive-thru, push back, pallet flow, and case/carton flow rack systems. Their goal: next-generation warehousing and logistics.

"Supply chains are becoming increasingly complex," confirmed Pieter Feenstra, Chief Sales Officer at Korber Supply Chain. "Korber's partnership with Twinlode is an opportunity to support customers in North America to transform these complexities into a strategic differentiator through automated facilities. Be it more products, suppliers, distribution channels, or labor challenges, we assure supply chains are ready to meet consumer expectations now and beyond."

"Twinlode is pleased to be partnering with a global leader such as Korber Supply Chain," contributed Mike Klaer, President of Twinlode Automation. "With this relationship comes the opportunity to expand our expertise and provide more complete solutions for automation intelligence, software, and racking needs to our customers. We look forward to a long and successful relationship for years to come."

Korber Supply Chain, Including the Former HighJump Software, Partners With Twinlode Automation for Warehousing

Code Corner

Bixolon America (Gardena, CA) has released its new driver in support of direct label printing from applications by SAP/ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning). It eliminates the need to translate data into the printer's command through additional software or middleware, and thus, reduces the risk of errors and total cost of ownership (TCO), according to Bixolon America. Once device types are registered in the initial stage, all users accessible to the same server may simply output the labels created with texts, barcodes, and graphics in the so-called "smart form" using SAP. At present, it covers the following products by Bixolon: Model XT5-40 Industrial Label Printer and Models XD5-40d, SLP-TX400, and SLP-DX420 Desktop Label Printers. In conjunction, Bixolon has attained Silver Member Status in the SAP Printer Vendor Program.

Bixolon XT5-40 Industrial Label Printer

A Message From the Editor

As we enter another year, our mission stays constant: to fill the need for timely, focused, non-biased news in the channel for POS & Auto ID. If anything, that need grows more pressing in the face of changes in technology, go-to-market strategies, and business models. We look forward to continuing that mission and welcome your suggestions and thoughts on improvements.

Michael Kachmar, Editor

ENVIRONMENTS/PLATFORMS

A Social Distance for CR2700

Code Corporation (Salt Lake City, UT) has extended remote management for its family of barcode readers with release of its CortexTools2 Version 1.4.2.3. A command line utility allows administrators to reconfigure or make updates to an entire fleet of scanners at once with this new software, as opposed to manually, one by one. In making its announcement, Code emphasized the use in critical hospital settings of its new scanner model CR2700.

"This functionality is particularly timely as hospitals and clinics around the world are overwhelmed with new cases of the COVID-19 virus," observed Kent Hansen, CEO of Code Corporation. "Any new layer of efficiency and safety is important. In a hospital, barcode readers are the bridge between the patient and the electronic health records and are generally located near patient beds. IT administrators can manage and update the software or settings on the readers remotely, which means they do not have to visit patient floors or individual rooms to manually conduct an update."

If IT managers so desire, they can still leverage the Graphical User Interface (GUI) to make updates and reconfigure the barcode readers with the new software. Also, they may execute configuration changes and updates via third-party remote management software such as MobiControl by SOTI or AirWatch by VMware. Also included in this update is communication to base station or PC via Bluetooth 5.

Code Software Update Provides Remote Access to Barcode Readers

[Editor's Note: Also, Code Corporation has named Dennis Kaill as its new Chairman of the Board of Directors. A member of Code's Board since 2015, he succeeds Barclay McFadden as Chairman. McFadden will remain on the Board of Directors. A Partner in the Inviso Consulting Group, Kaill served as President/Managing Director of of Microscan from 1998 to 2007.]

"It Pays to Be Froogal"

Anywhere Commerce (Fresno, CA), developer of mobile payments, has called upon banking middleware provider FroogalPay (Chicago, IL). An integration by the two companies has been rolled out for raffle ticket sales at stadiums and sports arenas in the U.S. As elements, this payment processing platform includes credit card readers and gateway by Anywhere Commerce. (In addition to its developer tools, Anywhere Commerce has debuted its Terminal-as-a-Service, or TaaS.)

"Integrating Anywhere Commerce readers into the FroogalPay system increases our value as middleware for payments," expressed Jonathan Reinsdorf, CEO of FroogalPay. "Ease of integration and dedicated support of Anywhere Commerce has enabled us to quickly bring our solution to market. We are seeing success with existing clients and have growing demand for implementations from coast to coast."

"We're thrilled to team with FroogalPay as they build and expand payment apps and services for professional and collegiate sporting venues nationwide," shared Jeff Park, Chief Revenue Officer at Anywhere Commerce. "They have been a tremendous partner, and we look forward to promoting, and supporting, the FroogalPay team as they forge ahead on future rollouts." Started in 2008, FroogalPay cites its "virtual terminal/invoicing system/hosted payment pages platform" that supports 120+ payment gateways for both credit cards and ACH.

Anywhere Commerce Teams With FroogalPay

Key Advertiser Links

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

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

Barcode & Transaction Printers
Bixolon America
Brother Mobile
Godex Americas

Cash Drawers
APG Cash Drawer

Data Collection
CipherLab
Code Corporation
Janam Technologies

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

Receipt Printers
Bixolon America
Epson America
Star Micronics

Stands, Mounts, Cradles
Gamber-Johnson

INSTALLATIONS

NRS Climbs Nielsen Ratings

National Retail Solutions (NRS) has joined Nielsen's Connect Partner Network. As such, integration enables customers of Nielsen's Global Connect Business to access NRS' Point-of-Sale scanner data curated from over 8,000 independent, small-sized--and predominantly urban--retailers in the U.S. All of the data gathered by NRS will fit within the product hierarchy of Nielsen and channel definitions of Nielsen TDLinx (which are widely used to categorize and compare store performance).

"NRS is pleased to offer its store-level, inner-city, independent retail transaction data through the Nielsen Connect Partner Network. Nielsen is the global leader in marketplace measurement. It was a natural fit to bring data from our network of retailers to market through the Connect Partner Network," relayed Elie Katz, President and CEO of NRS.

"Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) manufacturers have enormous growth potential in the inner-city independent retailer sector. Alignment with Nielsen's master data ensures that client adoption of this database is frictionless," added Eli Korn, COO of NRS. A bundle from NRS, a subsidiary of IDT Corporation (Newark, NJ), consists of touchscreen-based terminal, "POS+", and software platform, "Elmer." Also, for small retailers, NRS emphasizes its BR Club Loyalty Program.

National Retail Solutions Joins Nielsen's Connect Partner Network to Share POS Data

Arranging the Furniture

A large regional home-furnishings retailer, with sales topping $700 million from 14 locations, American Furniture Warehouse (Englewood, CO) has chosen digital receipt technology from FlexEngage (Orlando, FL). As elements, in addition to digital receipts at the checkout, it extends print offers, order/ship notifications, packing slips, order tracking, and so-called "white glove" support. "A more personalized post-sale experience," in the phrasing of FlexEngage, which, as readers may recall, entered the market in 2014 as FlexReceipts.

"FlexEngage really stepped up our game in communicating purchase information with our customers. Simply e-mailing receipts wasn't enough," reflected Tony Mitchell, Director of Omni-Channel at American Furniture Warehouse. "We wanted to engage our customers with rich content and provide helpful service links in a format consistent with our branding guide. The FlexEngage team was great to work with and implementation was virtually seamless."

"American Furniture Warehouse is the latest innovative retailer to implement FlexEngage's personalized digital receipts within their Point-of-Sale," heralded Tomaz Diaz, CEO of FlexEngage. "Our POS marketing solution is an ideal way for retailers to connect with their customers at the moment after purchase. We are looking forward to growing our partnership while supporting AFW's growth of brand enrichment."

FlexEngage Deployed by American Furniture Warehouse in Colorado, Arizona, and Texas

Channel Factoid

Most Important Technologies Cited for "Smart" Retail

-Workforce Analytics: 86%

-Smart Check-Out: 83%

-Visual Search: 80%

-Contextualized Real-Time Pricing: 79%

-Robot Assistance: 69%

Associate Device Usage in Store

-Hand Computers/Scanners: Today, 76%; by 2026, 93%

-Mobile POS: Today, 76%; by 2026, 92%

-Rugged Tablets: Today, 66%; by 2026, 89%

-Wearable Computers: Today, 59%; by 2026, 86%

Real-Time Inventory Technologies in Place by 2021

-Case or Pallet-Level RFID: 85%

-Price Management Look-Up: 80%

-Automated Inventory Verification: 79%

-Automated Alerts for Out-of-Stocks: 76%

-Product Locators: 75%

-Video Monitoring of Inventory: 74%

-Item-Level RFID: 68%

-Endless Aisles: 57%

Source: "2020 Shopper Study, Volume 2" by Zebra Technologies Corporation (Lincolnshire, IL).

A New Reality: Tech-Powered Retail

HELLO GOODBYE

RS2, Too?

An aspiring player in payments, RS2 Software (Denver, CO and Malta, Europe) has tapped its Chief Commercial Officer for North America, Bjorn Ovick. He brings more than two decades of experience, including Head of Merchant Solutions at Samsung Electronics America (2017 to 2019), Head of Innovation/Global Acquirer Processing at Visa (2011 to 2014), VP and GM of Business Development at American Express/Serve (2010 to 2011), Consultant at PayPal (2009 to 2010), and VP of Business Development and Channels at Wells Fargo Bank (2003 to 2008). Over the last five years, he has secured more than a dozen patents on processing and securing transactions, payment account identifiers, and communication protocols for authorization, notes RS2.

"As we navigate a new market in 2020, we recognize that, in the United States, payment systems are experiencing demands for industry-specific solutions, the need for alternative payment types, and instant payments coupled with real-time infrastructure needs," commented Daniela Mielke, CEO of RS2 North America. "Bjorn has a really impressive track record in successfully steering top-tier payments and technology companies into new markets. We're excited to have him on board as we tackle these challenges in North America."

"I'm very happy to take on the opportunity to elevate RS2 as the one-stop solution for software partners who want payments embedded into their platform to power their business across borders," remarked Ovick. "RS2 has made waves in Europe, and I am ready to help drive them toward the same success in North America." A number of familiar faces from the payments arena are involved with RS2, including CEO Mielke (previously, Vantiv), Chief Product Officer Chuck Danner (previously, Vantiv), COO Lisa Blandford (previously, Mercury Payment Systems), and Board Members John Elkins (previously, First Data), Osama Bedier (currently, Poynt), and O.B. Rawls (currently, Paysafe).

Bjorn Ovick, Chief Commercial Officer for North America, RS2 Software

Ivanti, to the Channel!

A recharged channel effort at Ivanti (Salt Lake City, UT) with the hiring of Gary Abad as VP of Global Channels and Leigh Lebow as Senior Director of Channel Marketing. Earlier in his career, Abad served as Senior Director of Channel Sales at LogRhythm (2015 to 2020), VP of Global Channels at Meru Networks (2012 to 2015), and VP of Channel Sales at Kaspersky Lab (2010 to 2012). In her background, Lebow served as Senior Director, Education Programs at Infor (2013 to 2020), Director of Channel Marketing at Kaspersky Lab (2010 to 2012), and Director of Channel Marketing at Computer Associates (2001 to 2010).

"We are underscoring our customer-first commitment as we build the go-to-market programs that spell success for our customers and channel partners alike," declared Jeff Abbott, President of Ivanti. Also of interest, Ivanti's Supply Chain Business Unit has named Brandon Black as VP and GM and Joe Wilson as VP of Global Sales. Among its portfolio, Ivanti has the widely-employed device management products of the former Wavelink: Avalanche, Speakeasy, Terminal Emulation, and Velocity.

At Ivanti: Gary Abad, VP of Global Channels and Leigh Lebow, Senior Director of Channel Marketing