Our Product Pick

TSC America (Brea, CA) has introduced its new series of industrial thermal label printers: MX240P (203 dpi), MX340P (300 dpi), and MX640P (600 dpi). As features, it cites faster speed, new icon-based menu structure, and highly durable metal construction. (As maximum print speed, the MX240P has 18 inch/ 457 mm per second.) Additional benefits include 4.3" color touch display, enhanced GUI with six menu buttons, 600-m ribbons and 8-inch outside diameter media rolls for high-volume jobs, built-in Ethernet, two USB hosts for keyboards and scanners, and USB 2.0 and RS-232 Serial. It has 536-MHz CPU, 512-MB RAM/512-MB FLASH, and TSPL-EZ Firmware, in footprint of 11.8 in. (W) x 15.5 in. (H) x 20 in. (D), with weight of 40 lbs.

TSC's MX240P Series

COMPANY BUSINESS

A Ruler of the Galaxy

A new emphasis on membership and loyalty has been placed by ever-growing Samsung Pay. After uploading their choices, consumers simply launch the Samsung Pay App, select the appropriate "card," and hold their Samsung Galaxy screen up to the merchant's two-dimensional scanner. Samsung Pay's new feature also can be used to store insurance and other personal information cards for safe keeping and carry, states the vendor.

"With this new feature, Samsung Pay is giving users quick access to their favorite membership and loyalty programs and making shopping even easier," proclaimed Nana Murugesan, VP of Strategy and Operations for Samsung Electronics America (Ridgefield Park, NJ). "Right now, shoppers have several things--credit and debit cards, membership cards, coupons, gift cards--they need to take out of their wallets and scan at the register. Samsung is simplifying the checkout experience by bringing those items to your phone, representing our next step towards a world without physical wallets."

In case of one-dimensional scanners at the front counter, Samsung Pay has once again called upon Mobeam (Palo Alto, CA). Its technology emulates the reading of the barcode by beaming an invisible, infrared light from the smartphone into the scanner. "For the shopper, the motion is the familiar act of presenting the phone's screen to the scanner," indicated George Garrick, CEO of Mobeam. He estimates that the majority of scanners in verticals such as grocery, convenience and drug, and mass merchandise are still laser-based.

Samsung Pay Addresses Membership and Loyalty

Datacap Gets Smart (With Telium 2)

Datacap Systems (Chalfont, PA) has added the line of Telium 2 payment terminals from the Ingenico Group (Atlanta, GA) to its certified solutions for EMV in the U.S. In all, eight models are covered in the "Smart Terminal" Telium 2 Series: iPP 320 and iPP 350 PIN Pad terminals, iSC Touch 250 and iSC Touch 480 multi-lane terminals, iCMP and iSMP mobile terminals, iWL 250 wireless terminals, and iSelf Series unattended terminals. A leader in the channel, well known to readers of RRN.Com, Datacap Systems supplies its integrated payments middleware.

"So far, we've certified the Ingenico Telium 2 to processors Vantiv Integrated Payments [formerly Mercury Payment Systems] and Heartland Payment Systems [now part of Global Payments]," Justin Zeigler, Head of Product at Datacap Systems, told RRN.Com. "EMV certifications are specific to each processor, so additional releases are in the pipeline." Previously, Datacap certified the Vx805 terminal from Verifone (Alpharetta, GA) for EMV with eight of the major processors. Overall, it now reports about 20,000 EMV installs in the U.S.

"Ingenico's line is an exciting release for us as it provides our POS integration partners with a wide variety of options, allowing them to tailor an installation to the individual requirements of each merchant," shared Zeigler. "Fixed signature-capture devices, entry-level/cost-effective pads, and mobile Bluetooth versions for pay-at-the-table and line-busting provide much-needed flexibility for VARs and ISVs." Earlier, in June, Datacap released its "TranCloud," designed to fulfill the needs of mobile and browser-based EMV POS.

Justin Zeigler, Head of Product, Datacap Systems

Worth Your While

RetailNOW
Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA)
July 31-August 3
Grapevine, TX

VARTECH
BlueStar
September 12-14
Paradise Island, Bahamas

Pack Expo
PMMI
November 6-9
Chicago, IL

NRF's Big Show
National Retail Federation
January 15-17, 2017
New York, NY

ALL IN THE FAMILY

Datalogic Wants to Axist You

Datalogic (Eugene, OR) has unwrapped its new DL-Axist PDA with Android. With dimensions of 6.2 in. (L) x 3.1 in. (W) x 0.7 in. (D), weighing 12.3 oz. with battery, DL-Axist carries 5" high-definition multi-touch capacitive touchscreen and advanced one- and two-dimensional imager. "[It] has all the features and technology necessary for assisted sales in the store, and product delivery in the field," declared Francesco Montanari, VP and GM of the Mobile Computer Business Unit at Datalogic.

This includes Datalogic's proprietary "SoftSpot," or user-definable "floating soft trigger," which can be positioned anywhere on the display, and activates functions (with associated Software Development Kit, or SDK). In addition, DL-Axist includes multiple-input/multiple-output (MIMO) for increased performance from its Cisco CCXv4 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi. Other wireless includes Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, GPS, and 3G/4G WAN. As always, Datalogic's patented "Green Spot" technology supplies good-read scanning feedback, and there's five-megapixel camera for evidence of tasks or documentation.

In terms of ruggedness, the DL-Axist has Corning Gorilla Glass 3, an IP-67 rating for water and dust, and drop resistance of 6 ft./1.8 m to concrete with optional rubber boot. According to Montanari, the DL-Axist "ushers in a new family of devices from Datalogic available with the Android O/S." So far, DL-Axist has Android Version 4.1, with an upgrade for V4.4 coming soon.

Datalogic's DL-Axist PDA With Android

ID TECH Plays Augusta

ID TECH (Cypress, CA) has shipped its new hybrid card reader for MSR/EMV, dubbed "Augusta." Available in modes of USB-HID and USB-KB, Augusta measures 1.8 in. (H) x 5 in. (L) x 1.4 in. (W). It furnishes three-track, bidirectional reading of MSR and puts the EMV slot at the top for greater visibility. Audible and visual feedback indicators signal good/bad card reads.

Augusta is EMV L1 and L2 certified (with ID TECH's EMV L2 kernel residing in the hardware). It furnishes TDES and AES encryption and DUKPT key management (and optional remote key injection via the company's specification, "TR34"). Encoded data meets standards of ANSI, ISO, and AAMVA, as well as Payment Card Industry (PCI) 4.1 SRED (in Augusta S). It also supports ID TECH's Universal Software Development Kit (SDK).

"A fast, seamless, and extremely cost-effective pathway to EMV," in the words of Bill Rorick, VP of Business Development at ID TECH. "With the same basic envelope and identical mounting as our very popular 'Mini-Mag' swipe readers, the switch from MSR to Chip Card is as simple as swapping out." A longstanding supplier of card readers and peripherals for the channel, ID TECH leverages distributors such as BlueStar, Ingram Micro, M-S Cash Drawer, POS Portal, and ScanSource.

Augusta MSR/EMV Reader by ID TECH

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ALLIANCES

A Searchlight for the Harbor

Harbortouch (Allentown, PA) has received what it calls "significant investment" from Searchlight Capital Partners (New York, NY), "to support the next phase of growth." Jared Isaacman, who founded Harbortouch in 1999, will remain as CEO. One of the first in our channel with combined payment processing and point-of-sale, Harbortouch has served over 250,000 SMBs in the U.S. and currently handles more than $10 billion in annual bankcard volume, according to its own figures. Terms of the financial partnership were not disclosed.

"We are excited about what this investment means for the future of Harbortouch," commented Isaacman. "Before selecting a partner we had extensive interactions with the Searchlight team and were impressed by how well they understood the industry and appreciated the differentiation of our disruptive POS-as-a-Service business model. Not only do they have relevant experience and financial resources to draw upon, but they are also committed to our strategic growth plans to make Harbortouch a leading SMB POS platform."

"Harbortouch is an innovative leader in providing integrated payments and POS solutions to SMBs in the U.S.," added Eric Zinterhofer, Co-Founder of Searchlight Capital. "Their POS-as-a-Service offering, which includes hardware, software, and customer service for a low monthly fee, has resonated well in the SMB market where comparable products are materially more expensive than Harbortouch's solutions. We look forward to working with Jared and the Harbortouch team as they continue to innovate, enter new markets, and enhance the customer experience for both merchants and distribution partners."

Jared Isaacman, Founder and CEO, Harbortouch

Someone's in the Kitchen

Two familiar names--TransAct Technologies (Hamden, CT) and CrunchTime Information Systems (Boston, MA)--have joined forces to advance kitchen operations in hospitality. An integrated bundle combines TransAct's new AccuDate XL food safety terminal with CrunchTime's new KitchenSync App. "[It] revolutionizes food preparation, food management, and critical back-of-house processes," according to the two parties. A dedicated prep planning and recipe display station, in other words, supported by real-time sales and inventory reporting.

"We remain fully committed to providing integrated solutions that reduce the number of moving parts in the kitchen, streamline operations, and empower the restaurant team to access the critical information they need to run their business without being tethered to the back-office computer," expounded Bill Bellissimo, CEO of CrunchTime Information Systems. "Through the introduction of KitchenSync, we're providing an entirely new approach to optimizing their production processes and ensuring the highest degree of food safety best practices and compliance. Furthermore, the flexibility of Android will allow our teams to respond to evolving customer needs through the development of additional Apps."

Designed for harsh kitchen environments, AccuDate XL features 10" resistive touchscreen, two internal 2" thermal printers, speakers/headphone, two ports for USB, 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 4.0. In dimensions of 11.8 in. (W) x 10 in. (H) x 9 in. (D) and weight of 10 lbs., it runs Android 5.0. An historic manufacturer of receipt printers, with its brand Ithaca, in recent years TransAct Technologies has turned most of its attention to less crowded markets in banking, gaming, food safety, and oil and gas (with Printex).

A Bundle of CrunchTime's KitchenSync App and TransAct Technologies' AccuDate XL Food Safety Terminal

Code Corner

CAM Commerce (Fountain Valley, CA), part of Celerant Technology, has released the latest version of its flagship product for POS, RetailSTAR 10.1. It contains several new features. A rental module allows users to create such plans along with fee tracking on an hourly, daily, and weekly basis. A tax templates module allows users to modify rules of the taxes applied to sales in the POS. A number of enhancements have been added in the area of pharmacy, one of the developer's strongest markets, in order to improve identification and tracking of customers, entry of orders, chemical elements, and controlled substances. Finally, the menu has been redesigned. "We're particularly proud of the menu screen, which allows customers to save their favorite menu options, and now features a file breakdown structure with additional sales information on the main menu by default," mentioned Ian Goldman, CEO of Celerant Technology (Staten Island, NY). "We are confident that 10.1 will provide a positive and seamless upgrade for our clients."

CAM Releases RetailSTAR 10.1

ENVIRONMENTS/PLATFORMS

What LAN Worries? Asks Azara

Zebra Technologies Corporation (Lincolnshire, IL) has launched its new cloud-based solution for management of Wireless LANs, entitled "Azara." It offers automated deployment with optimal coverage and advanced features for the enterprise, according to the vendor. Examples of features include policy enforcement, application visibility, site survivability, wireless intrusion prevention services (WIPS), and adaptive, "smart" RF.

In order to simplify deployment, Azara supports Zebra's WiNG 5 architecture, eliminating the need for hardware controllers. It employs existing enterprise-grade 802.11a/c switches and access points (APs). Significantly, for partners, it allows provision and control of all customers' WLANs from one unified dashboard, with Zebra's NSight Platform. "Azara is the best cloud networking solution available," testified Adam Casgar, President of MSP Coastal Computer Consulting (Saint Simons Island, GA). "It's easy to install, easy to use, and totally reliable. Our ticket management has significantly decreased and our clients are very happy with the performance of Azara."

Also, Zebra has expanded its Zebra OneCare for MSP with its new Asset Visibility Service (AVS). A less expensive scheme for mobile device management of computers and printers, AVS employs factory-installed agents and Zebra's Asset Visibility Platform. "[It] provides insights that proactively address and prevent service issues, enabling customers and partners to deliver operational predictability and increased efficiency while reducing costs from asset shrinkage and spare devices," relayed Jenna Stanley, VP of Managed and Support Services for Zebra Technologies Corporation.

Unified Dashboard of Zebra's Azara Platform for Wireless LANs

It's an App, App, App World

Apps keep coming from all quarters. Take just one example of many: purveyor of iOS-based POS, Vend (San Francisco, CA). Its new solution, called "Counter," available on iTunes, of course, represents the latest path to free mobile inventory scanning. At present, Vend claims an installed base of approximately 18,000 stores worldwide; it was founded in 2010.

Using the camera on the iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch, an associate scans item barcodes (with hover, continuous, and auto-next functionality). A file with names, quantities, and SKU in CSV format may be imported into the chosen point-of-sale, retail management, or inventory system. Timestamps are automatically added to each count and items may be manually added if barcodes are damaged or missing. No limit on counts.

"I don't think I've ever met a retailer who enjoys doing inventory counts," mused Vaughan Rowsell, Founder and Chief Product Officer at Vend. "They usually involve late nights, long hours, and lots of errors and backtracking. Many stores are still using pen and paper to do their stock taking, which is just crazy. And that's why Counter is the first of many other free, helpful tools we're building additional to our platform, Vend."

Vend Offers Its "Counter" Inventory Scanning Solution

Key Advertiser Links

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

POS & Peripherals
AnywhereCommerce
Bematech
CRS, Inc.
ECR Software
Elo Touch Solutions
Harbortouch
Hewlett-Packard
Partner Tech
Pioneer POS
Poindus America
POSBANK USA
Posiflex

Barcode & Transaction Printers
Brother Mobile
Citizen
CognitiveTPG
Godex Americas

Cash Drawers
MMF POS

Cyber Security for POS
Signature Systems/PDQ

Data Collection
CipherLab
Code Corporation

Integrated Payment Solutions
Cayan
Datacap Systems
Moneris
Vantiv IP

Keyboards & Mobile POS
Cherry Americas, LLC
TG3 Electronics

Receipt Printers
Bixolon America
CognitiveTPG
Epson America
Star Micronics

Thermal Printers
Seiko Instruments USA

Touchscreens & Monitors
Elo Touch Solutions

INSTALLATIONS

Ingenico Camps Out With Cabela's

Ingenico Group (Atlanta, GA) has deployed its point-to-point encryption (P2PE) for payment processing for hunting, fishing, and camping retailer, Cabela's. A longtime customer of Ingenico, with its iSC Touch 250 "smart terminal" employed in its 80 stores in the U.S. and Canada, Cabela's sought to better protect its customers' data. Via Ingenico's Offline Remote Key Injection, or "Offline RKI," Cabela's has updated its terminals remotely, "saving hundreds of thousands of dollars," according to the two parties.

While an improvement over having to ship terminals back to the warehouse for upgrades, traditional remote key injection presents challenges for merchants that use integrated POS, observed Ingenico. In such cases, the payment terminal must be unplugged from the POS and directly connected to the Internet. This process may take weeks and require on-site IT support. By contrast, Ingenico's Offline RKI sends the update package to the iSC Touch 250 through the POS.

"Cabela's is focused on providing customers with legendary service and a great in-store experience, whether that's on the retail floor or at the point-of-sale," related Paul Stone, Cabela's Chief Retail Officer. "We decided that implementing point-to-point encryption would be a tremendous benefit to our business and to our customers. Ingenico Group's ability to remotely upgrade its terminal keys via Offline RKI made this process considerably easier for Cabela's and our store managers with minimal disruption to our business."

Ingenico's iSC Touch 250 Gets Point-to-Point Encryption at Cabela's Via Offline Remote Key Injection

In Mi9's Dossier: Alice + Olivia

Mi9 Retail (Miami, FL) will supply its end-to-end store management suite for trendy clothing brand Alice + Olivia. From its base in Hollywood, Alice + Olivia has grown to web sales, three dozen free-standing boutiques, and products in over 800 department and specialty retailers worldwide. It will implement Mi9 Retail Mosaic Store, which includes Point-of-Sale and Clienteling, in addition to Mi9 Affinity Merchandising and Mi9 Dashboard Reporting. It will also assist with cloud hosting, managed services, and direct store delivery (DSD).

In delivering Mosaic POS and Clienteling, Mi9 Retail will supply Alice + Olivia with the capability "to engage customers before, during, and after the sale," according to the two parties. Installation of Dashboard Reporting and Affinity Merchandising from Mi9 Retail will allow real-time inventory visibility and analytics. Interestingly, in the case of retailers such as Alice + Olivia, the new system from Mi9 Retail will be used to track consignment merchandise and "inventory loans" to celebrities, fashion magazines, and public relations firms. (Think Gwyneth Paltrow.)

"From our recent 'See Now/Buy Now' show to our technology investments, we are committed to bringing fashion to the Alice + Olivia woman when and where she wants it," remarked Jason Epstein, COO of Alice + Olivia. "Mi9 Retail's end-to-end cloud software suite will allows us to know our shopper and her preferences intimately so that we can tailor our merchandise allocation, marketing campaigns, and in-store experiences accordingly." A recent splurge of buying for Mi9 Retail, with the November 2015 purchase of retail ISV Raymark Xpert Business Systems (Montreal, QC, Canada) and January 2016 purchase of jewelry ISV Applications Systems Corporation (Boston, MA).

Trendy Clothing Brand, Alice + Olivia, Choses Mi9 End-to-End Cloud Suite

Channel Factoid

Worldwide customer relationship management (CRM) software sales totaled $26.3 billion in 2015, up 12.3% from $23.4 billion in 2014, according to Gartner, Inc. Overall, the top five CRM software vendors accounted for more than 45% of the total market in 2015. There was little change in ranking, except for Adobe, which jumped into the fifth position, displacing IBM. Here's the list, with revenue and market share in 2015:

#1: Salesforce, $5.2B, 19.7%

#2: SAP, $2.7B, 10.2%

#3: Oracle, $2B, 7.8%

#4: Microsoft, $1.1B, 4.3%

#5: Adobe, $0.9B, 3.6%

Others: $14.3B, 54.4%

"CRM growth is driven by cloud service revenue, which, in the application space, uses SaaS as the major delivery model," reported Julian Poulter, Research Director for Gartner. "SaaS revenue grew 27% year over year, which is more than double overall CRM market growth in 2015. On-premises new license revenue declined 1% for the same period."

HELLO GOODBYE

Driving to the Basket at Mobivity

Mobivity, supplier of mobile marketing such as SmartReceipts and SmartSMS, has recruited Rick Muldowney for its new position of Head of Analytics. Muldowney brings more than two decades of heavy experience as Director of Marketing Analytics for Subway, VP of Marketing Analytics for Toys "R" Us, and VP of Analytics - Multi-Client and Business Verticals for GE Capital. At Subway, he participated in the team that employed key business analytics to create the super-successful "$5 Footlong."

"We are very pleased to have Rick join our team," commented Dennis Becker, CEO at Mobivity. "His quick-service restaurant and retail knowledge, combined with proven results, will be invaluable to our continued growth and innovation. Rick's unique skills and experience have already had an immediate positive impact on our clients' and our company's business."

"I am impressed with Mobivity's SmartSuite of products and its rapid adoption by major QSR brands," contributed Muldowney. "To have access to customer basket-level data to analyze at such scale, with world-class brands such as Subway, Sonic, Baskin Robbins, and others, will allow us to use what I believe to be truly disruptive technologies to accelerate our clients' revenue potential and drive their businesses in ground-breaking ways. I'm extremely proud to be part of this tectonic shift in the marketplace."

Rick Muldowney, Head of Analytics, Mobivity

Retail Mojo at Mojix

Mojix, Inc. (Los Angeles, CA), provider of wide-area RFID and platforms for IoT, has enlisted Tom Racette as its Global VP of Retail Business Development. Racette has more than two decades of relevant experience, most recently as VP of North America RFID Sales for Checkpoint Systems. Earlier, he served as Director of RFID Business Development for Motorola and Director of North America Source Tagging for Sensormatic.

"After partnering with Mojix in my previous role and seeing first-hand the success of their best-in-class hands-free solutions for retail, I'm thrilled to become part of such a cutting-edge team," volunteered Racette. "Retailers who have embraced RFID utilizing handheld devices to improve inventory accuracy still face compliance issues. Thus, automating the inventory taking process is paramount to their success. I'm delighted to make this a reality for them with Mojix."

Tom Racette, New Global VP of Retail Business Development at Mojix, Presenting at the NRF Show