This Week’s Product Pick

Cherry/ZF Electronics Corp. (Pleasant Prairie, WI) has unwrapped its newest corded keyboard, the JK-0800. With full 17.5-inch form factor, and QWERTY, JK-0800 has whisper quiet keystroke and wear-resistant laser key legends. Four hot keys have been provided (calculator, e-mail, browser, sleep mode), as well as three blue status LEDs to keep the user informed of keyboard function. Weighing 1.2 lbs, in the color black, JK-0800 employs low profile key (LPK) technology for precise keystroke and service life of 10 million operations. A six-foot cable and plug-and-play USB simplify installation, with two-year warranty. "The JK-0800 can meet the requirements of the professional in the office or in industrial applications that need an economical, quiet, long lasting keyboard," stated Cherry/ZF.

Cherry JK-0800

COMPANY BUSINESS

Vantiv Loves You

So much, it buys Mercury for $1.65 billion. At the very heart of this week's deal lies the POS Channel, the 600 ISVs and 2,400 VARs cultivated over the past dozen years by Mercury. In their conference call, both Charles Drucker, CEO of Vantiv, and Matt Taylor, CEO of Mercury, third and eleventh biggest processors, respectively, sang the praises of integrated payment technology. By 2017, this space should represent over 30% of total payments volume, they believe, while opening up new revenue streams in value-added services.

Double-digit numbers are no stranger to Mercury, of course, with net revenue growth of 42% CAGR from 2005 to 2013, rising from $14 million to $237 million. Interestingly, in their presentation, Drucker and Taylor cited "addressable opportunity" of 3,000 for ISVs and 5,000 for VARs (which seem rather modest to RRN.Com). What's indisputable is an enormous shift in the world of payment processing, as well as the POS Channel, which will play out as the two firms integrate and consolidate in pursuit of their expressed "winning combination of technology, distribution, and scale."

In his remarks, Taylor noted that Vantiv's platform will bring new features to Mercury's partners, as well as entry into new vertical markets, and perhaps, higher tiers of end-users. Both Taylor and his management team will stay in place, according to the presentation, and Mercury will remain in Colorado in Denver and Durango (where it's ready to move into its new $10 million facility). Mercury, which is currently majority-owned by private equity firm, Silver Lake, has pulled the plug on its IPO.

Matt Taylor, CEO, Mercury, Which Has Been Purchased by Vantiv

Overnight at Team Sable

Team Sable (San Jose, CA) has enhanced its warranty process with overnight replacement for its POS. Starting this month, the company's "Overnight Replacement Warranty" covers the first sixty days following invoice date at no charge, with "Sensible Extended Coverage" offered for purchase for an expanded three-year period. In the event the product fails, Team Sable will ship the replacement for "Overnight Delivery," along with Prepaid Return Label for the DOA/RMA.

In making its announcement, Team Sable stressed its in-house service facilities in San Jose, which will troubleshoot any technical issues. In addition, the company's remote hardware diagnostic capabilities allows technicians to readily support its products in the field. Previously, Team Sable offered "industry standard warranty" for three years parts and labor.

Team Sable Sets New Warranty Policy

Worth Your While

NRA Show
National Restaurant Association
May 17-20
Chicago

FMI Connect
Food Marketing Institute
June 10-13
Chicago

TRA Marketplace
Texas Restaurant Association
June 22-23
Houston

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

VARTECH 2014
BlueStar
September 17-19
New Orleans

NACS Show
Association for Convenience & Fuel Retailing
October 7-10
Las Vegas

Pack Expo
PMMI
November 2-5
Chicago

ALL IN THE FAMILY

Memor X3 Steps Out

Datalogic (Eugene, OR) has showcased its next-generation rugged mobile computer, the Memor X3. This newest member of the product line has significant enhancements while maintaining its compact form factor, RRN.Com was told by Leonardo Borgini, Product Manager for Mobile Computing. Overall, it measures 6.1 in. (L) x 2.2 in. (W) x 1.6 in. (H) and weighs 8.2 oz., with one and two-dimensional scanning, 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth Version 2. As technical specifications, Windows CE Pro Models have XScale CPU at 806 MHz, 256 MB RAM, and 512 MB Flash, while Windows CE Core Models have XScale CPU at 624 MHz, 128 MB RAM, and 512 MB Flash.

Significantly, Memor X3 has upgraded in three areas: display size to 2.4-inch-diagonal QVGA, battery capacity by 30% (1430/2300 mAh), and new four-slot dock for larger installations. Additional refinements in the area of user-friendliness include tethered stylus, changing joystick to separate keys, programmable side keys, and Gorilla Glass scan window. A drop resistance of 1.2 m/4 ft. and an IP-54 sealing protection help ensure long life and ROI.

Memor X3 by Datalogic

Next in Line: ZT400

Zebra Technologies Corporation (Lincolnshire, IL) has unveiled its new flagship mid-range thermal tabletop label printer, the ZT400 Series. With this release, the existing ZM400, ZM600, RZ400, and RZ600 printers will be discontinued later this year. While sustaining flexibility, the ZT400 brings easier media loading, simpler set-up, heightened print quality, and increased connectivity, according to the vendor. Perhaps most importantly, it carries Zebra's Link-OS in support of the growing number of customers using distributed printing (and also enables encoding of RFID).

ZT400 has two models: ZT410 with four-inch print width and 14 inches/365 mm per second speed and ZT420 with six-inch print width and 12 inches/305 mm per second speed. Features include an intuitive icon-based LCD GUI, metal frame and bi-fold metal media cover with enlarged clear viewing media window, and side loading supplies path. A versatile printer, as expected, the ZT400 handles diverse label formats on the range of different media types, spanning retail, manufacturing, transportation and logistics, and healthcare industries.

Zebra's ZT410 Mid-Range Label Printer

March of the Casio Androids

More Android POS from Casio America (Dover, NJ), which has rolled out Models V-R7000 and V-R7100. Building upon the foundation of the V-R100, launched in 2012, the two new terminals feature numerous upgrades, such as Android 4.2, OMAP 5432 CPU at 1.5 GHz, 2 GB RAM, 16 GB Flash, 15.6-inch touchscreen, and IP-53 ratings for water and dust. In addition, V-R7100 offers 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Version 2. Footprint for both: 15.7 in. (W) x 11.8 in. (D) x 13.1 in. (H) with weight of 15.4 lbs.

V-R7000 and V-R7100 are designed without fan, hard disk drive, or any moveable components to ensure efficient store operations, emphasized Casio. Like the V-R100, these new terminals will run third-party Android-based POS packages by ISVs. Additional applications available for the V-R7000 and V-R7100 include grocery, convenience store, pizza, concession stand, hospitality, and specialty retail. Casio also provides its Software Development Kit (SDK) for ISVs.

Casio Rolls Out V-R7000 POS

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ALLIANCES

All "i's" on Epson and Lavu

Epson America (Long Beach, CA) and Lavu (Albuquerque, NM) have joined forces on Mobile POS. Here, Lavu will employ the Epson OmniLink i-Series "smart solution" for receipt printing and peripheral device management for its iPad POS. OmniLink, RRN.Com readers will recall, puts processing power and memory into the printer to drive applications and peripherals as well as to access cloud-based services. In addition, Lavu will also leverage Epson's TM-T88V and TM-U220B printers for receipt and kitchen printing.

"We are excited about the versatile design and integrated computing power OmniLink delivers," remarked Andy Lim, Co-Founder and CEO of Lavu. "We also value Epson's overall reputation for bringing the most reliable products to hospitality. It's really an ideal partnership for us, our dealers, and our operators."

"We like to partner with innovative companies that think outside the traditional POS box," noted Tom Kettell, Manager of North American Sales for Epson's Business Systems Division. "Lavu is the first to integrate our smart device into its iPad for hospitality, utilizing all the functionality it was built to deliver. Operators of all sizes considering a move to mobility should make sure this iPad POS is on their short list." According to IHL's Mobile POS Shipments Report, iPad POS represents 56% of total Mobile POS installations in retail and hospitality.

Lavu iPad POS Adds Epson's OmniLink i-Series

A Third Dimension for ScanSource

An interesting move for ScanSource (Greenville, SC), which has added 3D Systems (Rock Hill, SC), widely recognized as one of the leaders in such next-generation print methodology. A new technology team, as yet untitled, will head the effort for the distributor. Similar in structure to other business units, it falls under Buck Baker, President of Worldwide Barcode and Security at ScanSource, RRN.Com was told, with participation by Bruce Glenn, VP of New Technologies at ScanSource. 

"ScanSource has been evaluating the 3D market for quite some time. As the technology and solutions become attractive to a broader end-user customer base and a reseller channel begins to develop, we found the timing to be right and the market to be ready for value-added distribution," related Mike Baur, CEO of ScanSource, Inc. "As with all of our business offerings, the products and associated services must be a fit with our business model in that the solution needs the value-added services and support that resellers rely on from ScanSource. We look forward to delivering 3D printing solutions."

"We are extremely pleased to partner with a distributor of the caliber, size, and demonstrated performance of ScanSource," contributed Avi Reichental, CEO/President of 3D Systems. "ScanSource brings scalable field coverage together with a unique model of training expertise and experienced field resources that support its growing reseller network, substantially expanding our addressable markets and access to new use cases." 3D Systems also has signed with Ingram Micro's U.S. Document Imaging Business Unit.

CubeX Desktop Printer From 3D Systems With MSRP of $2,499

Code Corner

RedLine Solutions (Santa Clara, CA) has announced support for the Motorola 9200. A pair of flagship products, RedLine Cooler and RedLine Packing, now feature such compatibility. As its name displays, RedLine Cooler addresses inventory for refrigerated goods. This includes product location, movement, validated order picking, and real-time shipping. Equally descriptive, RedLine Packing supplies inventory, traceability, and case labeling. It offers maximum flexibility to work with multiple simultaneous pack line configurations and accommodates packing across multiple sheds and partners. With the Motorola 9200, RedLine's software runs exponentially faster, according to the ISV, while simplifying input processes. Additionally, the MC9200 furnishes 802.11 Wi-Fi for worker mobility. "We are pleased to support the growing portfolio of Motorola mobile computing products," stated Todd Baggett, CEO of RedLine Solutions. "With the release of the Motorola 9200, our customers can benefit from significantly increased speed and efficiency in their cooling and packing operations--ultimately saving time and money."

Motorola 9200 Runs RedLine

ENVIRONMENTS/PLATFORMS

Twin Stars for VARs

Star Micronics America (Edison, NJ) has placed its popular WebPRNT in two more models of its print family--the SP700 (impact) and the TSP700II (labeling). Introduced last fall for the TSP650II thermal receipt printer, Star's WebPRNT accommodates HTTP requests used in carrying out web-based applications. Developers simply utilize the appropriate XML tags or integrate the WebPRNT JavaScript library via Application Programming Interface (API). It allows printing from any computing device regardless of the O/S, whether Windows, iOS, or Android, and carries Ethernet.

Star's SP700 WebPRNT allows restaurants using web-based applications to provide seamless transition from front-of-house to back-of-house operation. Intended for use in the kitchen, the SP700 offers clear type for quick viewing, clamshell design for easy paper loading, and an embedded power supply for space efficiency. For its part, Star's TSP700II WebPRNT supports two-dimensional, PDF-417, and QR Codes. According to Star, suitable web-based applications range from date labels on prepared foods to price labels in specialty retail.

Star Micronics America also has stocked its new family of cash drawers, which have been designed, in part, to fill the need for smaller-sized configurations required by non-traditional POS stations. Three versions are offered: SMD2-1214 at 12 in. x 14 in., SMD2-1317 at 13 in. x 17 in., and SMD2-1617 at 16 in. x 17 in. In addition to the company's DK-AirCash (for Bluetooth, Ethernet, or Wi-Fi), features include all-steel construction, media slots, plastic cash tills for bills and coins, Kensington Locks, and RJ-11. Colors are black or white, the latter befitting the iPad.

New Cash Drawers From Star Micronics

MW's Cougar Town

Atop Cougar Mountain resides Merchant Warehouse, as far as payment services are concerned. Extending its relationship, Cougar Mountain will now specify Merchant Warehouse as its exclusive provider in this area. It also revealed that Merchant Warehouse's Genius Customer Engagement Platform has been fully integrated into Denali POS. Cougar Mountain has always been an interesting player in our channel, coming as it does from the accounting side of things.

"Our flagship product, Denali, provides organizations with protection of their financial systems through robust security and secure audit trails," commented Chuck Gossett, CEO of Cougar Mountain Software (Boise, ID). Added Dave Haworth, EVP for Cougar, "The integration of Genius, which is PA-DSS compliant, allows the POS system to be removed from the financial transaction. This reduces the risk of credit card theft or skimming thefts which we understand consumers are concerned about."

"Cougar Mountain Software's thirty-year track record and ability to deliver top-notch service to its retailers make it an exceptional partner," confirmed Henry Helgeson, CEO of Merchant Warehouse (Boston). "Genius will give Cougar Mountain merchants the ability to stay on top of innovations in the payment and loyalty landscape, helping them future-proof their businesses." Genius allows users to accept any kind of payment, discount, or loyalty program through one payment terminal, as many RRN.Com readers know.

It's Merchant Warehouse's Payment Processing for Cougar Mountain Software and Denali POS

Key Advertiser Links

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

POS & Auto ID Distribution
Wasp Barcode Technologies

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

POS Systems - Hospitality
PAR

Barcode & Transaction Printers
Brother Mobile
Citizen Systems America
CognitiveTPG
Intermec by Honeywell
SATO America
Zebra Technologies

Cash Drawers
MMF POS

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

Integrated Payment Solutions
Datacap Systems
Discover
Merchant Warehouse
Mercury Payment Systems

Inventory Systems
New West Technologies

Keyboards & Mobile POS
Cherry, ZF Electronics Corp

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

Thermal Printers
Seiko Instruments USA

Touchscreens & Monitors
Elo TouchSystems

INSTALLATIONS

A Can of Revention for Popeyes

It's Revention POS for Brodersen Enterprises, which manages the Popeyes' franchise in Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Illinois, and Puerto Rico. Under terms of the deal, Revention will supply its POS and R-Enterprise Remote Management Solution for all 39 of their Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen locations. In recent years, Brodersen has won several Gold and Silver Plate Awards from Popeyes for its operational excellence and positive projection of the brand's image, as Revention happily noted.

"We are extremely impressed with Revention," reported Cindy Paul, Director of IT for Brodersen Enterprises. "Labor cost has fallen in all of our stores, our support needs have dropped by 75% to 80%, and our employees really love the system. Another thing: the R-Enterprise phone app literally pays for the system almost immediately. The data it provides to us daily is absolutely vital."

"Working with the Brodersen Group and Popeyes has been an incredibly eye-opening experience," relayed Dontae Housley, Revention's National Sales Manager. "Revention has already experienced success within the QSR segment and now we're prepared to fully saturate the marketplace." In addition to Revention POS and R-Enterprise, the Houston-based ISV also offers its online ordering scheme, dubbed HungerRush.

Revention POS and R-Enterprise Adopted by Leading Popeyes Franchise Group

RFID: Spirit in the Sky

William Frick & Company (Libertyville, IL) has fashioned two new SmartMark RFID tags for difficult asset-tracking cases. Described as economical, and enclosed in molded plastic, these passive UHF RFID tags feature long read ranges and allow the use of standard readers--no special equipment or battery power required. Allied with system integrators such as Stratum Global, William Frick & Company supplies its extensive portfolio of barcode labels, signs, utility markers, and RFID, with significant web selling.

Its High Performance Metal Mount RFID tag reads directly on metal surfaces from up to 20 feet away. Applications include asset tracking for fleet trucks, forklifts, and tractors, as well as IT equipment. Its Ultra Long Range RFID tag reads from the distance of 65 feet, making it suitable for overhead assets such as pole-mounted transformers or cables. Both tags are outdoor durable and offer ultra-violet, water, and chemical resistance.

"You may easily customize with messaging, artwork, and serial information," explained William Frick & Company. "For applications requiring specific read ranges, we can also configure the form, antenna, and materials to account for variables such as temperature, impact and abrasion, chemical/ultra-violet exposure, and reader and tag position in order to achieve your exact requirements. Multiple mounting configurations including adhesives and magnetic backing are also offered."

Ultra Long Range RFID Tag by William Frick & Company

Channel Factoid

A new survey of global CIOs finds most companies are blocked by internal processes that limit the adoption of new technologies needed to move their businesses forward. While 47% of CIOs agree that the overall goal of IT is to provide a framework to support innovation and drive revenue, only 10% of those surveyed said their teams are kept "well updated" on initiatives and roll-out schedules. More than half (52%) believe their company has "no system in place" to leverage employee insights and experiences. Of those surveyed, 69% said that communication was only "good" or "fair" at their companies, and 21% said it was "poor." The biggest road blocks to successful technology adoption were cited as lack of management support (32%), difficulty engaging and training employees (35%), and an inability to customize systems to specific IT needs (28%). Only 18% of those surveyed said the IT department is "critical" and that nothing important happens without involving the CIO (for the IT department being "important," 45%). One-third of surveyed CIOs (34%) still believe the IT department is focused on "back-end processes," and is "not generally" part of larger strategic decisions. Only 15% said executives are constantly looking for new ways to push the envelope on technology and integrate the newest solutions into as many business initiatives as possible. Perhaps more positively, 44% said executives are "hungry" for technology, and 37% are "neutral." "Companies today have an unprecedented opportunity to embrace technology in ways that drive top-line growth and contribute to their competitive differentiation and market expansion," observed Josh Berezin, President of Trace3. "However, our survey shows that most companies have only scratched the surface in their ability to leverage the latest, most cutting-edge technologies."

HELLO GOODBYE

A Deep Harbor

Harbortouch (Allentown, PA) has hired two industry veterans to serve as National Sales Managers in the VAR Channel: Timothy Hills and David Cuppett. Both bring more than twenty-five years of relevant experience in the point-of-sale and payments industries. Harbortouch, as many RRN.Com readers know, has grown rapidly of late in supplying touchscreen terminals and accompanying payment processing services.

Most recently, Hills served as VP of VAR Channel Sales for TransFirst, LLC. Previous employers have included Meritus Payments Solutions, First Data Commercial Services, and Merchant Bancorp. Cuppett joins Harbortouch from Fifth Third Processing Solutions/Vantiv, where he served as Area VP of Business Development in the Partner Channel. Previous employers have included Atlantic Merchant Services, Sterling Payment Technologies, and Southern Datacomm.

VAR National Sales Managers - Timothy Hills and David Cuppett

Leaf Turns Color

Leaf (Cambridge, MA), which provides its purpose-built tablet for POS, dubbed "Leaf Presenter," has named Sarah McCrary as its CEO. McCrary joined Leaf as COO two months ago, simultaneous with the $20 million in first round funding from Heartland Payment Systems (Princeton, NJ), where she served as Strategic Planning Director. She succeeds former CEO Aron Schwarzkopf, who has left the company.

"The energy around the mobile payments industry is palpable and the opportunity for Leaf to sustain its foothold as a flexible and valuable solution for business owners is an exciting opportunity," observed McCrary. "With its unique platform, eager customer base, and strong team, Leaf will continue to innovate in this space to become the small business owner's best friend." While at Heartland, McCrary was credited with the development of the "E3" end-to-end encryption system.

"Leaf's vision of always doing best for the merchant is supported through its open and flexible technology," proclaimed Bob Carr, Chairman of the Board for Leaf, and Chairman/CEO of Heartland Payment Systems. "Until now, there hasn't been much innovation at the small business point of sale. By always putting the merchant first, Leaf is positioned to deliver the open solution business owners have been waiting for. We are confident that Sarah can drive the company forward and execute on that vision."

Sarah McCrary, CEO, Leaf

Something Brewing at JDA

JDA Software Group (Scottsdale, AZ) has announced the departure of its CEO, Hamish Brewer. Serving in the top executive role since 2003, Brewer spent twenty years at JDA. No reason was given for his--or their--decision.

In his place, Baljit "Bal" Dail, JDA's Chairman, has been named Interim CEO, and will lead the search for the permanent successor. No stranger to IT, Dail has worked as CEO of both Aon Hewitt and Aon Consulting, as well as CIO of Aon Corporation. Not coincidentally, he functions as Operating Partner at New Mountain Capital, the private equity firm that invested in RedPrairie prior to that company's merger with JDA Software in late 2012.

"As the leader in supply chain, JDA already has the broadest and most advanced suite of solutions and services covering supply chain planning and execution," proclaimed Dail. "Our intention now is to build on this leadership position by accelerating investments in our solution and delivery capabilities to empower our customers to stay ahead of the curve in an ever-challenging and increasingly complex global supply chain environment."

Hamish Brewer, CEO, Departs JDA Software