Our Product Pick

Pioneer Solution (City of Industry, CA) has added integrated Level 3-certified EMV to its terminals for POS. An option that complements magnetic-stripe (MSR), this integrated reader saves cost and counterspace, and looks sleeker (compared to an external payment terminal), noted the prominent hardware vendor for the channel of ISVs and VARs. In contrast to hardware and software certification, covered in Level 1 and Level 2, certification to Level 3 EMV provides end-to-end security throughout the payment process. An integrated Level 3-certified EMV reader is available on the full family of terminals from Pioneer Solution: Cyprus, StealthTouch, S-Line, and the T3 Mobile POS Tablet.

Pioneer Adds Integrated Level 3 EMV Reader

COMPANY BUSINESS

A Portal to the Realm

A close relationship in payments has been forged between two leading distributors--POS Portal (Sacramento, CA) and Retail Realm (Napa, CA). Under this effort, POS Portal will support pre-configured and pre-staged solutions--meeting EMV--for Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Retail Management Hero (RMH). As credentials, Retail Realm controls Microsoft Dynamics, RR mAX, and RMH, while POS Portal holds one of the largest "key" libraries and stock of payment devices in the U.S.

"We always look to partner with industry visionaries who are leading the way," remarked Shobhit Kumar, Product Marketer at POS Portal. "Retail Realm's payment solution fully integrates with Microsoft Dynamics 365 and RMH, connecting retailers to the EMV-certified payment processor of their choice. It's why it makes sense for us to work with Retail Realm to deliver a complete solution that is easy for customers to adopt and provides a clear path to EMV card acceptance."

A trio of payment processors were identified for their participation: Vantiv Integrated Payments (Durango, CO), Cayan (Boston, MA), and Shift4 (Las Vegas, NV). In making their announcement, POS Portal and Retail Realm emphasized ready availability, reduced installation time, and accommodation for merchant preferences as benefits for VARs and ISVs. As part of its program, it may be noted, POS Portal offers Hardware-as-a-Service (HaaS), under its "Portal Advantage," and next-day equipment replacement, under its "SafeGuard Protection."

Shobhit Kumar, Product Marketer, POS Portal

Biometrics Gets Typing Lesson

An interesting "behavioral" biometrics has come to the shores of the U.S. Offered by the appropriately named BehavioSec (Stockholm, Sweden), this technology has recently been adopted for the e-commerce fraud management platform by Kount (Boise, ID). Applicable for mobile phones as well as computer platforms, it employs "continuous machine learning," which characterizes users "based not on what they do, but on how they do it" (e.g., through mouse movements, keystroke speed and patterns, pressure on touch screen, finger size, etc.). As part of its service, BehavioSec notifies banks or payment providers when the consumer's behavior does not match their previous patterns (in the manner of credit card companies).

"As fraud rapidly evolves, so must our solutions to manage and prevent it," suggested Rich Stuppy, COO at Kount. "As strong advocates of collaborative fraud mitigation, we're thrilled to partner with BehavioSec and incorporate their unique behavioral technology to further enhance our award-winning platform and machine learning capabilities. Together, we can equip customers ranging from acquiring banks, to payment service providers, to online merchants to authenticate transactions and identify fraud before it happens."

"It is clear that to achieve true digitalization of our everyday transactions, we need to automate and combat online fraud through an integrated layered and collaborative approach," observed Neil Costigan, CEO at BehavioSec. "By teaming up with Kount, we can now provide the e-commerce community with this unique behavioral technology and work together to create better and more secure experiences for consumers." Now seeking additional partners in North America, BehavioSec claims 35 million end-users.

BehavioSec Tracks Keystroke Speed and Patterns

Worth Your While

NRFtech
National Retail Federation
July 23-25
San Diego, CA

RetailNOW
Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA)
August 6-9
Las Vegas, NV

VARTECH
BlueStar
September 18-19
Orlando, FL

Pack Expo
PMMI
September 25-27
Las Vegas, NV

NRF's Big Show
National Retail Federation
January 14-16, 2018
New York, NY

ALL IN THE FAMILY

Honeywell Boosts RPMs (Its Rugged Printer Models)

Honeywell Safety and Productivity Solutions (Fort Mill, SC) has premiered its redesigned mobile thermal printer, the RP Series (for "Rugged Printer"). Offered in two models, 2" RP2 and 4" RP4, they handle both receipts and labels at print speeds as high as 5 in./127 mm per second with maximum roll capacity of 2.25 in./58 mm. User-friendly features include "drop-in" paper loading, black mark or gap sensing, and software development kits (SDKs) for iOS, Android, and Windows.

In physical dimensions, the two models, 2" RP2 and 4" RP4, measures 6.3 in. (L) x 4.6 in. (W) x 3 in. (H) and weighs 1.2 lbs., while the RP4 measures 7.4 in. (L) x 6.5 in. (W) x 3 in. (H) and weighs 2 lbs. (in either case with battery but no media). As communications, they furnish USB 2.0, Bluetooth 4.0, and 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi. A 2600-mAh battery provides four hours charge time for the RP2, while 5300-mAh battery provides seven hours charge time for the RP4 (both hot-swappable Li-Ion). Analytics relating to the battery age, printhead condition, and extreme environmental conditions faced by printers facilitate proactive maintenance.

"In the field, mobile printers have to endure frequent drops, vibration, and exposure to dust and water," elaborated Stan Zywicki, GM of Scanning and Printing at Honeywell Safety and Productivity Solutions. "Our RP Series printers are designed to withstand these harsh conditions and give users years of reliable thermal receipt and label printing." As durability, the RP Series has an IP-54 rating, drop specification of 6.6 ft./2 m, tumbles of 1,000 cycles at 1.5 ft./0.5 m, and operating temperature of -4 to +131 Degrees F.

Honeywell's RP Series Thermal Mobile Printer

Some Skinny on RFID

Fujitsu Frontech North America (Foothill Ranch, CA) has fashioned its new UHF RFID tag for embedding in apparel, garments, and accessories. Assigned as the WT-A533L, and accurately described as "ultra-thin," it has minimal dimensions of 0.28 in. (W) x 2.2 in. (L) x 0.1 in. (D). In addition, so-called "transparent materials" are used in manufacture.

Such size and composition make the WT-A533L "virtually invisible" when sewn into clothing or accessories, according to Fujitsu Frontech. This includes "sheer garments, lace, silks, formal wear, even tee shirts." Also, it has been designed for "permanent installation," with home wash, dry clean, and iron-safe capacities. Significantly for fabricators, it requires no pouch or heat-seal tape for insertion.

"Fashion garment designers and manufacturers will benefit from its small, almost imperceptible, design allowing them to provide positive identification of their high-value items while reducing incidents of loss and return fraud," asserted Randy Fox, VP of Sales and Marketing for Fujitsu Frontech North America. He named garment rental firms as another target market for the WT-A533L. In addition to RFID, Fujitsu Frontech offers currency management systems, biometric authentication, and mobile and self-service technologies.

Ultra-Thin RFID Fashion Tag by Fujitsu Frontech

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ALLIANCES

Epson Believes in (R)Magic

Epson America (Long Beach, CA) has recruited ISV Restaurant Magic (Tampa, FL) for its OmniLink Merchant Services. This ISVs' solution, dubbed "Data Central," tracks critical areas such as sales, product mix, purchasing, inventory, workforce, and enterprise reporting. Its primary source of supporting data comes from POS. A logical follow-up for OmniLink technology--which put PC functionality into Epson America's line of popular receipt printers--Epson OmniLink Merchant Services was formally debuted in 2016. It directly addresses ISVs and VARs in POS.

"We are very happy to partner with Restaurant Magic," contributed Gregg Brunnick, Director of Product Management for POS Printers at Epson America. "They deliver an innovative and robust business intelligence solution that allows customers the insight and analysis to positively affect food and labor costs, which represent the two largest controllable expenses in hospitality. By bringing together best-in-class solutions from both companies, we make restaurants or multi-unit chains more profitable, which is the ultimate goal."

"Epson was an easy choice for us," declared Drew Peloubet, CEO at Restaurant Magic Software. "They own the largest share of the market in receipt printers and offer a unique solution allowing our customers real-time access to their data for analysis and decision making. With our Epson Cloud [OMS] integration, we can provide that access across the spectrum, regardless of their POS solution." It will be provided to joint customers of Restaurant Magic and Epson America.

Restaurant Magic Draws Upon Epson America's OmniLink Merchant Services for Business Intelligence

Round Two for Payment Trio

Datacap Systems (Chalfont, PA), provider of the popular middleware for payments--NETePay--has completed its second round of U.S. EMV Level 3 certification with First Data in order to support the full line of Telium 2 "smart" terminals from Ingenico (Alpharetta, GA). This second release encompasses features such as direct point-to-point encryption (P2PE), recurring tokens, and support for pay-at-the-table EMV via Wi-Fi. Integration to Datacap's NETePay offers plug-and-play access to the following devices from Ingenico: PIN Pads iPP320 and iPP350: Multilane iSC250 and iSC480; Mobile iCMP; Enterprise iSMP4; and Wireless iWL250. Coming soon: Unattended iSelf Service and iUC285.

"Addition of the Ingenico Group Telium 2 certification to our existing EMV offering for First Data's Rapid Connect platform generates considerable new sales opportunities for Datacap POS partners," relayed Justin Zeigler, Director of Product Strategy at Datacap Systems. "With devices that run the gamut from fixed countertop to mobile to unattended, our partners can now cover virtually any use-case for the nation's largest payment processor in First Data." As one of the initial players in integrated payments, established in 1984, Datacap Systems supports hundreds of POS ISVs in an array of vertical markets.

Datacap identifies three key changes in payments for our readers in 2017. First, Mastercard has expanded to additional 2-Series BINs (Bank Identification Numbers). Secondly, acquirers must ensure Level 4 merchants use Payment Card Industry (PCI) Qualified Integrators and Resellers (QIR). Lastly, companies must disable all SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) protocols and switch to SHA (Secure Hash Algorithm) 2 and TLS (Transport Layer Security) 1.2. All three of these changes to standards and regulations call for preparation and follow-up on the part of POS ISVs and VARs, advised Datacap Systems. For more details, see its blog.

Datacap and First Data Add U.S. EMV Support for Ingenico's Family of Smart Terminals

Code Corner

NCR Corporation (Duluth, GA) has delivered an updated version of its historic Counterpoint Software. A new user interface suits the needs of today's small-to-midsized specialty retailer, stressed the vendor. It increases flexibility with easy navigation and configuration, for example. As functionality, Counterpoint has point-of-sale, inventory management, built-in customer loyalty, automated purchasing, and extensive reporting capabilities. An open architecture allows for customizations, mobile and marketing solutions, and real-time access to data for making business decisions. "NCR Counterpoint has deep roots in specialty retail and is built for the industry," commented Ron Allnock, Channel Global Sales Leader for NCR Retail Solutions. "With our open architecture and innovative partner channel, NCR Counterpoint helps drive efficiency for many operational aspects of running the business so retailers can focus on what really matters: providing memorable and enjoyable experiences for shoppers."

New NCR Counterpoint

ENVIRONMENTS/PLATFORMS

ProphetLine Says "Make Retail Easy"

One of the longstanding POS ISVs, ProphetLine (Fort Smith, AR), has released its new "Retail Easy" functionality. Using data from the store's purchases and sales transactions, and proprietary algorithms and formulas, it compiles an innovative, user-friendly, one-page report. This provides store owners and managers with the capacity to compare the performance of individual vendors, items, classes, and departments.

"The typical retailer is overstocked by 10% to 25% at any given point in time, meaning that for every $100,000 in sales, there can be $5,000 to $25,000 at retail in excess inventory on the shelves. When you start looking at $500,000 in sales, the wasted investment runs into six figures. Imagine converting $100,000 of excess inventory into cash," explained Bob Brown, President of ProphetLine. "Retail Easy was developed to be your strategic partner, allowing retailers to optimize inventory, purchasing, and ultimately business and revenues."

In 1998, this ISV introduced one of the earliest software packages for Windows POS, Visual ProphetLine. It has four times been named as Microsoft's Retail Developer of the Year. A "Hybrid" Partner Program addresses VARs. "The concept is quite simple," according to the company's website, "we work with you on the sale, training, and support, and we share in the profits. No need for one more certification headache. The ProphetLine Partner can do as little or as much of the pre-sales as they would like."

ISV for Specialty Retail Improves Reporting

Mini-Me Appears at Cayan

Cayan (Boston, MA) has expanded its Genius Customer Engagement Platform with its new dongle-based "Genius Mini." A logical companion to existing countertop and handheld versions of Genius, so-called Mini supports iOS, with upcoming Android and Windows. Originally unveiled in 2012, with some foresight, Cayan's Genius employs tokenization and point-to-point encryption (P2PE), and supports the full range of today's electronic payments--MSR, EMV, NFC, and Mobile Wallets.

In terms of hardware, Genius Mini connects to the smartphone or tablet via audio jack or Bluetooth. Given the device's size, of course, there's no PIN Pad. As use cases, the payments provider cites pay-at-the-table; food trucks, festivals, and events; personal shoppers; pop-up stores; and onsite services. In making its announcement, Cayan didn't set pricing, but such devices are usually inexpensive. Most likely, Genius Mini will be supplied to merchants at no cost as part of the processing.

"Businesses, particularly retailers and restaurants, are innovating at breakneck speed to meet the demands of today's consumer," corroborated Ken Paull, CRO at Cayan. "We believe payments can be an enabler of the new experiences businesses want to deliver. Genius Mini gives businesses the freedom to move beyond traditional checkout while maintaining performance and security." Elsewhere, Cayan has expanded its extensive ecosystem in POS with leading hospitality ISV, Squirrel Systems (Burnaby, BC, Canada).

Cayan's Genius Mini Payment Device

Key Advertiser Links

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

POS & Peripherals
Aures
Bematech
Harbortouch
Hewlett-Packard
Pioneer POS
POSBANK USA
Posiflex
Tailwind Solutions

Barcode & Transaction Printers
Brother Mobile
CognitiveTPG
Godex Americas
Honeywell

Cash Drawers
MMF POS

Data Collection
AML
CipherLab
Code Corporation
Denso ADC
Honeywell
Janam Technologies

Distribution
Ingram Micro

Integrated Payment Solutions
Datacap Systems
iPayment
Sterling Payment

Keyboards & Mobile POS
Cherry Americas, LLC
TG3 Electronics

Mounts for POS
Innovative
SpacePole

Receipt Printers
Bixolon America
CognitiveTPG
Epson America
Star Micronics

Thermal Printers
Seiko Instruments USA

INSTALLATIONS

Janam's Road Trip

Janam Technologies (Woodbury, NY) has received preferred supplier status for its newest rugged mobile computer, the XT2, by logistics and mobility ISV, TouchStar (Tulsa, OK). In combination with TouchStar's TransPac, Janam's XT2 will enable users to view customer details, fulfill orders, and print on-site invoices. It also integrates directly with TouchStar's FleetAtlas Framework to help improve driver efficiency and create an effective scheduling and delivery process, according to the two parties. They exhibited at the recent National Association of Fleet Administrators (NAFA) Expo in Tampa, FL.

Unwrapped in 2016, Janam's XT2 runs Android 5 or Windows IoT Mobile Enterprise and has been certified for Google Play. In smartphone form factor, it weighs 10 oz. with battery and MSR, carries 5" capacitive touchscreen with Gorilla Glass, and meets an IP-67 rating for water and dust, MIL-STD810G for vibration and shock, and 5-ft./1.5-m drops to concrete. Armed with Zebra's SE4710 scan engine, the XT2 captures one- and two-dimensional barcodes as well as RFID/NFC.

As communications, there's Bluetooth 4.0, 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, and 4G LTE WAN. As eight-megapixel front-facing (along with two-megapixel rear-facing) camera enables customers to capture high-resolution photos and signatures. A Qualcomm Quad-Core MSM8916 CPU at 1.2 GHz, 2-GB/16-GB RAM, and rechargeable 3000-mAh Li-Ion battery power the XT2. "Enterprises are looking for smaller, lighter, and faster mobile computers in order to deliver superior customer service," confirmed Harry Lerner, CEO of Janam Technologies.

XT2 by Janam Adopted by ISV TouchStar

Ziosk Rolls Strike

Ziosk will provide its self-service technology for the 38 bowling-eatery centers for Main Event Entertainment. Its tablets sit on each table, enabling guests to see menu items, play games, view news and entertainment, order food and beverages, and "pay on demand." A leader in this space, founded in 1998, Ziosk offers its Ziosk Aurizon Tablets and Ziosk Media Network. Both Ziosk and Main Event Entertainment (which has sites in 13 states) are based in Dallas, TX.

"We're so proud to partner with fast-growing Main Event Entertainment, and to bring the same industry-leading innovations that have benefited our clients in the casual dining space to the entertainment and gaming category," indicated Austen Mulinder, CEO of Ziosk. "Since our founding, we have focused on empowering restaurant guests with the ability to conveniently order food and drinks, and to securely pay their bill at the moment they are ready to do so. These benefits translate seamlessly into the entertainment space." As underlying technologies, Ziosk has point-to-point encryption (P2PE), EMV, and Wi-Fi.

"With its premium content, digital ordering, secure payment capabilities, sleek new design, and user-friendly functionality, Ziosk tablets are a perfect complement to the Main Event," testified Steve Klohn, CIO of Main Event Entertainment. "The comprehensive platform, including ability to gain real guest feedback and access performance reports, will further help us to streamline our operations and improve guest experiences, and drive greater success for our expanding business." Claiming 95% market share in the "tabletop tablet space," Ziosk has deployed 170,000 in 3,000 restaurants in the U.S.

Ziosk Sets Tabletop Tablets for Main Event Bowling-Eatery Centers

Channel Factoid

Shoppers want to access all aspects of loyalty, including their cards, rewards, point balances, offers, and how to earn, from their phones, according to new research by CodeBroker. It found that the biggest consumer complaint with today's loyalty programs is simply carrying the card itself, cited by 43%. Another 17% feel looking up their missing card is most troublesome, and 15% most dislike linking their card to its website. In terms of popularity, 70% of shoppers surveyed said they belong to between one and five non-grocery loyalty programs. A relatively low number, 16%, do not belong to any loyalty program. The report also found: 24% said they use the rewards they earn; 43% said rewards expire before they can be redeemed; 38% said they never know if they have rewards available; 28% said they forget to bring paper reward certificates to redeem; and 65% attempt to redeem rewards at POS only to find they've expired. Significantly, approximately half of shoppers surveyed, 56%, said they change or abandon their purchase when they find they've lost their reward. In conclusion, 71% of shoppers would be more likely to use their loyalty cards if they could access such cards and rewards from their mobile phone. "Consumers want to make their phones the hub of all transactions," according to the 2012 Shopper Loyalty Survey.

HELLO GOODBYE

Aures, Boyd, CEO

Aures Technologies (Tustin, CA) has announced the appointment of Moray Boyd as CEO of its parent company, the Aures Group. A 30-year veteran in POS, Boyd joined the Aures Group (Runcorn, Cheshire, U.K.) in 2013 as Managing Director. In 1998, he launched Javelin Systems Europe, notable for bringing touchscreen technology to POS, and then founded POS hardware manufacturer J2 Retail Systems in 2002. J2 Retail Systems was purchased by the Aures Group in 2013.

"I am delighted to take on this new responsibility within the Aures Group," shared Boyd. "We have enjoyed four years of fantastic growth and will continue to drive innovation to increase our market share. I look forward with relish to the challenges ahead--it's an interesting time in our industry and I along with the Aures teams will take our business to the next level."

"Moray has been instrumental in establishing the Aures brand in North America," reported Jeff Burroughs, VP of Sales and Marketing at Aures Technologies. "He really listens to customers and that translates into unique regional products that will continue to shape our global growth." In May, Aures Technologies presented its new all-in-one terminal for POS, entitled "Sango." In choice of seven colors, with an aluminum arm to hold its 15" touchscreen, Sango (in its standard configuration) has Intel Bay Trail J1900 CPU at 2 GHz with 2-GB/4-GB RAM, 2.5" SSD, and runs Windows, including 10 IoT.

Moray Boyd Named CEO of the Aures Group

A Shift for Shift4

An evolution in leadership for payment processor, Shift4 Corporation (Las Vegas, NV). Effective immediately, longtime figures J. David Oder, President and CEO, and Katherine A. Oder, EVP and COO, will be stepping away from day-to-day operations. Mr. Oder will stay involved with the company as its CEO and Chairman of the Board, while Mrs. Oder will take the position of Vice Chairman of the Board and remain as Corporate Secretary. In the company's words, "[They] look forward to greatly expanding their semi-retirement."

Going forward, J.D. Oder II, current SVP and CTO, will become President and CTO. "J.D. has been a payment security expert and visionary for well over a decade," expressed J. David Oder. "He is the co-inventor of tokenization, a current standard in the payment industry, and chief inventor and co-author of several payment industry patents, including those covering most, if not all, of the point-to-point encryption (P2PE) process. I am confident that he will expand Shift4's commitment to innovation in the coming years."

In addition, Stephanie Stowers, SVP of Customer Service, has been promoted to EVP and COO. "Stephanie has successfully led Shift4's customer advocacy group, providing our merchants with installation and support services unparalleled in the payment card industry," enthused Katherine A. Oder. "Her determined nature while solving problems along with her organizational skills has led to her success. She has provided an environment where our partners and customers can thrive and Shift4 can grow. I look forward to watching her strategies unfold." Shift4 calls its gateway, "Dollars on the Net."

New Roles: J.D. Oder II, President/CTO, and Stephanie Stowers, EVP/COO, at Shift4 Corporation