Our Product Pick

Partner Tech USA (Irvine, CA) has launched its compact All-in-One POS, called PAT-120. It comes in two versions: Android 5.1 or Windows 10. As technical specs, it carries Intel Atom CPU at 1.5 GHz, 2-GB/4-GB RAM, and 16-GB/64-GB ROM. As features, it offers 10" projected capacitive touchscreen with LCD (1280x800), 2-megabit front-facing and 8-megabit rear-facing cameras, Bluetooth 4, 802.11 Wi-Fi, and 7900-mAh Li-Ion battery. A base adds 3" thermal receipt printer (6.3-in./160-mm per second at 203 dpi), power supply, and peripheral ports (USB x 5, Ethernet x 1, Cash Drawer x 1, COM x 1). With base, PAT-120 measures 10.6 in. (W) x 10.4 in. (H) x 9.8 in. (D) and weighs 28 oz.

Partner Tech's PAT-120 POS

COMPANY BUSINESS

ACCESS to Brother Mobile

Brother Mobile Solutions (Westminster, CO) has unveiled its new ISV Partner Program, entitled ACCESS. A section of Brother's THE NEXT Partner Program, ACCESS furnishes custom product configurations, solution integration, engineering software support, and marketing resources for ISVs. Examples include demo and evaluation programs, software development kit (SDK) Library, free printer hardware, and Partner Portal. Application to the program is open to ISVs of every size, according to Brother Mobile Solutions.

"This program is one more step in our mission to help build out and increase the capabilities of many vertical market software developers and ISVs," expounded Ravi Panjwani, VP of Marketing and Product Management for Brother Mobile Solutions. "As we see the traditional Auto ID VAR channel changing shape and mission, engaging with and supporting software developers has become a critical mission for us. Today we're actively working to build a broader knowledge base and drive industry innovation by supporting the developers of tomorrow's mobile apps and related software."

"If you're an ISV out there with mobility on your mind, becoming a Brother Partner can help you increase your presence in the marketplace, improve your solutions, deliver greater market value, and boost revenues," reflected Nick D'Alessio, Senior Manager of Business Development (and ACCESS Manager) for Brother Mobile Solutions. "When it comes to technology partnerships, we have the experience, the engineering know-how, an award-winning line of rugged mobile and label printers, and a wide array of marketing, pricing, and support resources to help ISVs thrive." Brother Mobile rolled out THE NEXT Partner Program for VARs in September 2017.

Heading the Effort: Ravi Panjwani, VP of Marketing and Product Management, and Nick D'Alessio, Senior Manager of Business Development, at Brother Mobile Solutions

Re-Writing Roth at POS Partners

POS Partners (Oakbrook Terrace, IL) has snapped up the customers of Roth Cash Register, following the retirement of John Roth. A new office of POS Partners had been established in Pittsburgh, PA, site of Roth. It will serve PA, Eastern OH, and Northern WV. An historic reseller of POS, Roth Cash Register was founded in 1952.

"Leaving the point-of-sale industry for retirement, I wanted to make sure our employees and customers would be taken care of in my absence," indicated Roth. "POS Partners is an amazing company, which excels at taking care of people. I am pleased with our arrangement for them to move in and take over, and I wish everyone many more years of success."

"We are excited to add this great group of restaurants to our nationwide list of satisfied partners," contributed Lance Bell, President and CEO of POS Partners. "We are very pleased that many of the employees of Roth Cash Register have already committed to joining our team, and we will work hard to minimize the impact of the transition on our new customers." At present, POS Partners has 12 field offices across the U.S. (and counting?).

Lance Bell, President and CEO, POS Partners

Worth Your While

NRA Show
National Restaurant Association
May 19-22
Chicago, IL

RetailNOW
Retail Solutions Providers Association
August 5-8
Nashville, TN

LabelExpo Americas
Tarsus Group
September 25-27
Chicago, IL

NACS
National Association of Convenience Stores
October 7-10
Las Vegas, NV

Pack Expo
Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute
October 14-17
Chicago, IL

ALL IN THE FAMILY

CipherLab's Presentation: RFID

CipherLab USA (Plano, TX) has shipped its new omnidirectional presentation scanner, designated the 2200 Series. It comes in three versions: Model 2200 with two-dimensional imager, Model 2210 with two-dimensional imager and electronic article surveillance (EAS), and Model 2220 with two-dimensional imager and UHF RFID. Employing image sensor CMOS (1280x800) and red LED light source (620 nm), it features an accelerated scan rate of 60 scans per second, with reading of low contrast barcodes down to 25% print contrast signal (PCS).

In compact dimensions of 3.2 in. (D) x 3.3 in. (W) x 5.9 in. (H), weighing 11 oz. (with UHF RFID, 13 oz.), the 2200 Series has the flexibility to tilt 45% forwards and 15% backwards. (A trigger is also provided for scanning of large items.) As depth of field: Code 39, 3-mil, 2 in./5 cm; QR Code, 7-mil, 1 in./2.5 cm; EAN 13, 13-mil, 7.9 in./20 cm; and PDF-417, 5-mil, 2.4 in./6 cm. As indicators, there's buzzer with adjustable tone and volume as well as good read LED.

As ruggedness, the 2200 Series has an IP-52 rating and 4.9-ft./1.5-m drop resistance. "This is our first entry-level presentation scanner with RFID capabilities," expressed Steven Liau, Chairman of CipherLab Co., Ltd. (Taipei, Taiwan). "Its fast and reliable scanning is also easily configurable to your needs." A software tool, interface auto-detection, and locking mount are included with the 2200 Series from CipherLab.

CipherLab's 2200 Series Presentation Scanner

Unitech Unlatches PA726

Unitech America (Cypress, CA) has unwrapped its newest rugged mobile computer, listed as the PA726. In smartphone format, it measures 6.7 in. (L) x 3.1 in. (W) x 1.1 in. (D), and weighs 10.1 oz., with 4.7" capacitive touchscreen with color LCD (1280x720) and Gorilla Glass 3. As performance, it has Qualcomm Octa-Core Snapdragon CPU at 2 GHz, 3-GB RAM, 32-GB ROM, and Micro-SD. It runs Android 7.1.

As data collection, the PA726 furnishes one- and two-dimensional barcode scanner, 5-megabit front-facing and 16-megabit rear-facing cameras, NFC/Contactless, and RFID. As communications, there's Bluetooth 4, full 802.11 Wi-Fi, 4G LTE, and GPS. In durability, it has an IP-65/IP-67 rating and 6-ft./1.8-m drop resistance (with optional bumpers). A hot-swappable 3220-mAh Li-Ion battery supplies power.

"This is one of our most versatile devices because of its speed, form factor, and app management efficiency," proclaimed Scott Chung, President of Unitech America. "Data collection is faster and you will notice apps running faster on Android 7." Intended for retail, warehousing, logistics, and transportation, the PA726 carries an MSRP of $1,690.

Unitech's PA726 Rugged Mobile Computer

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ALLIANCES

A Bolt of Mobile POS

Advantech (Milpitas, CA) has drawn upon ID TECH (Cypress, CA) to bring cashless payment to its industrial tablet, Model AIM-35. By adding the ViVOpay 3300 Reader by ID TECH, Advantech's AIM-35 now handles MSR, EMV, and NFC/Contactless. "Together, these two secure and reliable components create an extremely rugged handheld tablet POS," suggested Justin Ning, VP of Product Management for ID TECH.

With 8" projected-capacitive touchscreen with color LCD (1200x1920), the AIM-35 weighs 1.3 lbs. It furnishes Intel Atom Quad-Core CPU at 1.5 GHz, 2-GB/4-GB RAM, 32-GB/64-GB ROM, and Micro-SD, with support of Android 6.0 and Windows IoT Enterprise. As features, it offers one- and two-dimensional barcode scanner, 2-megapixel front-facing and 5-megapixel rear-facing cameras, RJ45+COM, Bluetooth 4, 802.11 Wi-Fi, and 4G LTE WWAN. Also, there's 5060-mAh Li-Ion battery, an IP-65 rating, 4-ft./1.2-m drop resistance, and Gorilla Glass 3.

In dimensions of 2.5 in. (H) x 1.9 in. (L) x 0.75 in. (W), with Bluetooth 4, ID TECH's ViVOpay 3300 has EMV Levels 1 and 2, Common L2 Kernel, and TDES/AES Encryption. It offers standard USB, optional audio jack, and one-year warranty. "ID TECH payment modules provide the perfect combination of modern features and interoperability for our mobile POS tablet, which helps us deliver this seamless off-the-shelf solution," declared Jason Zhang, Product Manager for Advantech.

Advantech's AIM-35 With ID TECH's ViVOpay 3300

A Watermark for Windows 10

An extended partnership puts advanced scanning by Digimarc (Beaverton, OR) into Windows 10 by Microsoft (Redmond, WA). As widely demonstrated, and employing patented digital watermarking technology, Digimarc Barcode makes entire consumer packaged goods scannable--not just the traditional UPC. It requires use of devices with built-in camera, such as scanners or smartphones, and application programming interfaces (API) are offered for Windows 10.

"Inclusion of Digimarc's detection and scanning software in Windows 10 and future releases of Windows is a testament to the growing value and maturity of our platform," remarked Bruce Davis, CEO of Digimarc. "Our vision is to improve upon the auto-identification facilitated by barcodes, and to spread this capability to all media. Developers of applications for Windows will now be able to more easily and effectively take advantage of our Intuitive Computing Platform."

At the National Retail Federation (NRF) Show in January, Microsoft and Digimarc demonstrated this scanning capability on the Magellan 9800i Scanner/Scale from Datalogic (Eugene, OR). "We're always looking for new, creative ways to improve the usability and value of our products and services," observed Marty Ramos, Strategy and Innovation, Worldwide Retail, Consumer Products and Services at Microsoft. "The Digimarc Barcode has the potential to improve retail for everything from front-of-store checkout to at-home customer experiences and throughout the supply chain."

Digimarc's Invisible Barcode Supported in Windows 10

Code Corner

An advance in healthcare at Code (Salt Lake City, UT), with integration of its "soft scanning" technology, CortexDecoder, with Sunrise Mobile from Allscripts (Chicago, IL). Integration allows end-users to utilize the built-in camera of their existing mobile devices to read barcodes (supporting iOS or Android). After logging into the Sunrise Mobile App, assigned patients will appear. Verification and administration of medication, as two examples, are facilitated by CortexDecoder. "We are pleased to work with Allscripts on this innovative solution," shared John Deal, VP of Product Strategy for Code. "We believe that integrated data capture will be a huge step forward for the mobile industry, particularly in healthcare where it will contribute to better patient care."

Code Reader 1500

ENVIRONMENTS/PLATFORMS

Paya Races to "Relay"

Paya (Reston, VA), the re-energized payment processor spun from Sage, has selected Relay from Boomtown (Tiburon, CA) as its new "intelligent" customer support platform. In order to provide "simple, predictive, and personalized services at scale," it employs an amassed universal technology dictionary, with curated knowledge, as well as chatbots. A unified dashboard is shared by team members across offices of Paya, including Atlanta, GA, and Fort Walton Beach, FL.

With Relay, agents at Paya (pronounced "Pie-ya") can more easily chat and share tickets with sales partners and third-party vendors for better collaboration. As such, Relay increases context of the call and reduces problems from multiple hand-offs often found in older legacy systems. As benefits for managers, Relay identifies bottlenecks, flags areas for improvement, and helps drive continuous evolution in systems.

"We work with very established, recognizable brands who expect the best in service. We're excited to partner with Boomtown to deliver a truly differentiated experience to our partners and merchants while allowing our support teams to be more accessible and efficient," expounded Greg Cohen, President of Paya. "Relay aligns with our mission to deliver new technologies to the market and offer innovative, integrated solutions that will help our customers simplify business complexity and concentrate on growing their business."

Paya Adopts "Relay" Customer Support Platform From Boomtown

You Can't Fool Cognex

Cognex Corporation (Natick, MA) has unboxed its new barcode verifier for direct part mark (DPM) and Data Matrix, dubbed DataMan 8072V. It tests code performance against fixed parameters of quality--including formatting and optical factors that affect readability--and grades each code to help customers meet internal standards and adhere to industry regulations. A fast processing engine, high-resolution camera, and robust algorithms can capture and grade the most difficult codes, according to Cognex.

With 30%, 45%, and 90% lighting options, the DataMan 8072V accommodates textured, curved, and recessed surfaces, and meets the DPM Standard from AIM (ISO/IEC TR 29158). A handheld design, weighing 20.2 oz., makes it easy to maneuver, with Windows O/S and USB/Ethernet. Added features include 27x20-mm field-of-view, 1.2-megapixel image sensor, red LED light source (660 nm), rating to IP-65, and basic calibration card for Data Matrix.

"The DataMan 8072V sets a bold new industry standard for verification," stressed Carl Gerst, SVP for Barcode Reader Products at Cognex. "As barcode quality regulation and verification requirements continue to increase, Cognex is delighted to offer customers a wide range of powerful and reliable verification solutions for all label-based and direct part mark codes." Along with the DataMan 8072V, Cognex markets barcode verifiers by Webscan, which it bought in 2016.

DataMan 8072V Barcode Verifier by Cognex

Key Advertiser Links

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

POS & Peripherals
Aures
Bematech
Electronic Payments
Harbortouch
Hewlett-Packard
Pioneer POS
POSBANK USA
Posiflex

Barcode & Transaction Printers
Brother Mobile
CognitiveTPG
Godex Americas

Cash Drawers
APG Cash Drawer
MMF POS

Data Collection
CipherLab
Code Corporation
Janam Technologies

Integrated Payment Solutions
Datacap Systems
Cayan
iPayment
Monetary LLC
Sterling Payment

Keyboards & Mobile POS
TG3 Electronics

Mounts for POS
SpacePole

Receipt Printers
Bixolon America
CognitiveTPG
Epson America
Star Micronics

Thermal Printers
Seiko Instruments USA

NOTES FROM THE FIELD

They Feel "SpotOn"

An aspirant in payments, SpotOn Transact LLC (San Francisco, CA), founded in 2017, has announced an initial investment of $20 million led by twin brothers and Co-founders Matt and Zach Hyman. With 20 years of experience in payments, the Hymans most recently sold Central Payment to TSYS (Columbus, GA). An offering from their new company includes the package of payments, marketing, loyalty, and business analytics.

On its website, SpotOn welcomes "sales partners." It proposes "uncapped earnings comprised of account bonuses, monthly bonuses, and long-term 50% residual income." A checklist of educational resources, marketing support, and sales tools are cited. Also: so-called SpotOn Academy, held monthly at the San Francisco HQ, for sales partners with five or more accounts. As POS, the website shows Poynt.

"SpotOn is bringing new solutions to an industry that needs it. We are aggressively investing to bring best-in-class, integrated payment and software solutions to SMBs," asserted Matt Hyman. "In the past year, we have hired over 100 new employees across all departments to provide a strong bench of support to our merchants and sales partners." Carl English, Founder and CTO of Dinerware (now part of Heartland, A Global Payments Company), serves on the Board of Advisors at SpotOn.

An Aspirant in Payments, SpotOn, With $20 Million

Oh, Thank Heaven for . . . JDA

7-Eleven has renovated its enormous supply chain with JDA Software (Scottsdale, AZ). Included in this deployment, delivered by JDA Cloud, are JDA Demand, JDA Fulfillment, and JDA Order Optimization. With JDA, 7-Eleven will fill each store's perishable orders efficiently, while planning for each store's demand in multiple quantities and load types across multiple distribution centers, pronounced the two parties. At present, 7-Eleven operates, franchises, or licenses more than 63,000 stores in 18 countries, including 10,900 in North America.

"JDA has put 7-Eleven in a position to take control of our inventory, allowing us to maintain our expected 99% fill rates, while managing our product expiry/write-offs down to 1% of our inventory holding costs," reported Dean Burkett, Director of Demand Planning for 7-Eleven. Already, 7-Eleven has been able to cut order lead so stores can order items on their first order date, he added. As project manager for this install, JDA Software engaged Cognizant (Teaneck, NJ).

"By achieving operational excellence, convenience store retailers can gain market share, increase profitability, and ultimately enhance the customer experience," noted Terry Turner, President of North American Retail at JDA Software. "With JDA, 7-Eleven is increasing demand visibility within its stores and with its suppliers. Creating one consistent view of demand and inventory across its stores and distribution centers optimizes inventory levels and increases inventory turns, while leading to higher levels of customer satisfaction."

7-Eleven Deploys JDA Supply Chain Software

Channel Factoid

Alternatives in payments are gaining acceptance with consumers across age groups--especially those 25 to 34--according to the latest "U.S. Consumer Payment Study" by TSYS.

-26% of survey respondents said they own an artificial intelligence-powered (AI) personal assistant such as Amazon Echo or Google Home. Within this group, 60% said they would use it to make purchases or payments, if available. That figure increases to 76% for consumers between ages 25 and 34.

-51% of survey respondents are interested in using a mobile wallet instead of a payment card when checking out at the store, up 11% from 2016. Of those who have loaded a debit or credit card to a mobile wallet, 68% indicated they expect to make 50% or more of in-store purchases using a digital wallet within two years.

-29% of survey respondents have used a peer-to-peer (P2P) payment service such as PayPal, Venmo, or Zelle. Among those 25 to 34, that number rises to 45%.

-75% of survey respondents have a credit card with a rewards program, up from 58% in 2015. As the preferred rewards feature, survey respondents cited cash rebates (78%), travel (29%), and gift cards (27%).

Overall, consumer still prefer to pay for things the traditional way with debit (44%), credit (33%), or cash (12%), according to the study by TSYS.

HELLO GOODBYE

New Guard at SATO

A pair of executive moves at SATO America (Charlotte, NC), with Tim Cook to President and Stephen Sundstrom to VP of Sales. Before joining SATO America as SVP of Sales and Operations in 2016, Cook held positions at Avery Dennison/Monarch, Zebra Technologies, and Honeywell. New to SATO, Sundstrom most recently served as GM of Safety and Productivity Solutions at Honeywell (2011 to 2018).

"I am honored to become SATO America's new President," relayed Cook. "It is my mission to continue the company's tradition of providing dependable and trusted world-class products and services that provide accuracy and labor savings on our customers' frontline operations. Our commitment to the discovery of new market applications, dedication to customer value, and the outstanding people of SATO, will all propel us toward a future filled with shared success."

"Steve [Sundstrom] demonstrates a positive management style that promotes long-term relationships with both customers and industry luminaries," added Cook. "His experience, industry relationships, and advanced business acumen are significant assets added to our organization." In February, SATO debuted its new 2" mobile thermal label printer, the Model PW2NX.

At SATO America: Tim Cook, President, and Stephen Sundstrom, VP of Sales

Margosian: "Designed for Retail"

Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions (Research Triangle Park, NC) has elevated Gregg Margosian, to Chief Operating Officer. He previously served as VP and Chief Technology Officer (2012 to 2015) and SVP of Portfolio Management and R&D (2015 to 2018). Earlier, he was Global Director of Product Development at IBM (2009 to 2012). As readers will recall, Toshiba TEC bought IBM Retail Store Solutions in 2012.

"I am looking forward to helping TGCS continue to be the innovation leader in retail commerce and self-service technologies," commented Margosian. "This year, we will be introducing a number of new hardware and software products that build upon our reputation for rock solid performance. These 'Designed for Retail' solutions provide the reliability, security, and innovation that our customers demand."

"Gregg brings years of global retail experience to this position, including broad expertise in services, portfolio management, and R&D," testified Scott Maccabe, President and CEO at Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions. "Gregg will play a key role in helping TGCS grow revenue and streamline our business. I am confident that Gregg and his team will help the company continue to improve our operational efficiency and effectiveness."

Gregg Margosian, COO, Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions

Too Late to Send Your Resume

NCR (Atlanta, GA) has chosen Michael Hayford as its new CEO, following the announced retirement of CEO and Chairman Bill Nuti due to health reasons. Before founding investment firm Motive Partners, Hayford was EVP and CFO of Fidelity National Information Systems, or FIS (2009 to 2013). Earlier, he was President and CEO of Metavante Technologies, until its acquisition by FIS in 2009. A title of Chairman Emeritus has been bestowed on Nuti.

"We are very excited to have Mike Hayford join as CEO of NCR," enthused Chinh Chu, Lead Independent Director of the NCR Board. "He is a proven leader and change agent with deep experience across a range of transaction-driven software and technology solutions businesses. Mike's operational and financial acumen, along with his track record of driving growth and profitability in changing businesses, makes him the right choice to lead NCR as we evolve the company into a software-led solutions business."

Also, NCR has named an Executive Chairman, Frank Martire. Perhaps not coincidentally, he served as Executive Chairman (2015 to 2017) and President and CEO (2009 to 2015) of FIS. Also, he was CEO and President of Metavante (2003 to 2009). "I look forward to working with Mike again and fully expect that our successful history of building and growing Metavante and FIS will help us forge the right path to enhance shareholder value at NCR," stated Martire.

Michael Hayford, CEO, NCR