This Week’s Product Pick

At the National Retail Federation Show in New York, just recently, NCR Corporation (Duluth, GA) showcased its highest performing POS terminal to date, the RealPOS 82XRT, delivering more processing power, scalability, and systems management. Fueled by Intel’s second-generation Core processors, and complemented by Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 on select models, this new workstation has been engineered to serve shoppers faster and to deliver rich multi-media content such as high-definition video and graphics. Another new addition, Keyboard-Video-Mouse (KVM) technology broadens remote management capabilities. Finally, tool-free access has been provided to increase serviceability levels and uptime. “Our RealPOS 82XRT supplies retailers with advanced technology and enhanced processing power to deploy applications at the point-of-sale as part of the converged retailing experience for shoppers,” commented Greg Egan, GM and VP of Retail Store Automation for NCR Corporation, which also showed its NCR SelfServ Checkout Convertible. This configuration switches between self- and assisted-service through swivel-mount design, secondary display, and pinpad for associates.

NCR RealPOS 82XRT

COMPANY BUSINESS

ScanSource Looks Within

ScanSource (Greenville, SC) has promoted from within the ranks in filling the top position in its POS & Barcoding segment following the recent resignation of Jeff Yelton. In this move, Paul Constantine has been named the new President of ScanSource POS & Barcoding North America, and Tony Sorrentino has moved up to President of ScanSource Security North America. Both executives joined the distributor in 1999.

Constantine most recently served as VP of Merchandising for ScanSource Security and has more than 17 years of technology distribution experience, including six years in the POS & Barcoding business unit. Prior to joining the Security business unit, Constantine served as VP of Solutions and Services at ScanSource, Inc., where he managed the evolution of the company’s value-added service offerings for resellers. He may also be familiar to many RRN.Com readers from his work with the Retail Solutions Providers Association.

Sorrentino most recently served as VP of Sales for ScanSource Security and has been with the Security business unit since its inception in 2004. Sorrentino has more than 12 years of technology distribution experience and previously functioned as VP of Merchandising for ScanSource Security as well as Director of Merchandising for ScanSource POS & Barcoding.

“Both Paul and Tony have significant executive experience in a variety of leadership positions at ScanSource and have performed at a very high level in effectively leading our Security business to outstanding results,” stated Scott Benbenek, President of Worldwide Operations for ScanSource, Inc. “We have great confidence in them and are excited about the prospects for our businesses under their leadership.” ScanSource, Inc. has announced that sales results for its quarter ended December 31, 2011, are expected to be in the range of $775 million to $785 million, compared to $684 million for the same period one year ago.

Paul Constantine, President, ScanSource POS & Barcoding

Citizen Divides to Conquer

Citizen Systems America Corporation (Torrance, CA) has put in place new organizational structure as we enter the new year. Under the plan, two distinct sales and marketing organizations have been created for the Americas--one for the U.S. and the other for Canada, Mexico, and Latin America. The first will be managed by Andrew Golden, who has been promoted to VP of U.S. Sales, and the latter by Oscar Ibarra in his role as SVP. In addition, an internal sales team has been assembled to serve and support both segments, to be led by Robin Pierce from her position as Sales Director, Internal Sales.

“Citizen offers a wide breadth of products at affordable prices that are applicable for many markets. From printers to healthcare digital devices we have a solution, yet we need greater focus from our own resources in order to be closer to our customers and maintain our sales momentum,” maintained Koji Matsuzaka, CEO of Citizen Systems America. “Additionally, the expertise, skill set, and background of our executives coupled with their new regional focus and vast knowledge of our markets will certainly help us to accomplish those objectives.”

All three executives have significant experience in management within the printer world. Golden has worked for Citizen for 10 years, most recently as Senior Director of Business Development. His resume includes previous time at Epson. Ibarra has served as EVP since joining Citizen in 2009 from Bixolon. Pierce is well-known to many RRN.Com readers, having been employed by Citizen for three decades, culminating in her last title of Senior Director of Sales and Marketing.

Andrew Golden, VP of U.S. Sales, Citizen Systems America

Worth Your While

INSPIRE 2012
Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA)
January 29-February 1
Herradura, Costa Rica

MODEX 2012
Material Handling Industry of America
February 6-9
Atlanta

2012 Annual ETA Meeting & Expo
Electronic Transactions Association
April 17-19
Las Vegas

NRA Show 2012
National Restaurant Association
May 5-8
Chicago

NACStech
National Association of Convenience Stores
May 21-23
Nashville, TN

GS1 Connect Conference
GS1 US
June 4-7
Las Vegas

RetailNOW 2012
Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA)
July 29-August 1
Las Vegas

ALL IN THE FAMILY

No Slip Showing at Epson

An emerging trend has retail resellers increasingly receptive to new product categories, such as multi-function payment printers. Case in point: the new TM-H2000 from Epson America (Long Beach, CA), which was premiered at last week’s National Retail Federation Show in New York. Based on Epson’s popular TM-H6000, and featuring compact footprint, the TM-H2000 furnishes receipt printing, check processing, and endorsement without the slip functionality no longer required by many retailers--and its associated cost.

Competitive advantages of the TM-H2000 include significantly faster receipt printing (up to 94 lines per second at 203-dpi resolution), paper-saving features (including 75% reduction mode), industry-leading MICR accuracy (over 99.9%), the lowest power usage in its class through Energy Star certification, and two-year limited warranty, reports the manufacturer. Obviously suited for retail, Epson’s new multi-function printers also open interesting opportunities for resellers in municipal government, RRN.Com was told by Barry Wise, Senior Marketing Consultant for Epson America. This includes payment of fees and parking tickets and authorization of permits and licenses.

“Epson is committed to bringing retailers a wide variety of reliable printing solutions,” summarized Mike Helm, Director of Sales for Epson’s Business Systems Division. “Many retailers would like to switch to thermal, but still need to process checks. The TM-H2000 has been designed to offer a cost-effective alternative to thermal, while delivering all the functionality that high-volume retailers need.” Further, with an eye towards the exploding market for mobile printing, and the smart-phone and tablet formats in particular, Epson America has issued Software Development Kits (SDKs) for Apple iOS and Google Android for use with both its POS and multi-function products.

TM-H2000 Compact Multi-Function Printer by Epson America

[Editor’s Note:  Another prominent supplier, Star Micronics America (Edison, NJ), also has offered Apple iOS and Googe Android SDKs for all of its printers. Christophe Naasz, Director of Marketing, noted that several of the company’s reseller partners “have already jumped on this bandwagon.” Naasz continued: “Bringing these SDKs to the marketplace is only the beginning for us. The role of mobile devices in the retail and restaurant space in only going to increase in significance as technology evolves.” Anybody walking the aisles of last week’s NRF Show would agree with him.]

CipherLab’s 2D Glasses

CipherLab (Plano, TX) has brought two-dimensional scanning to its 1600 Series of pocket-sized devices. Smaller and lighter than many mobile phones, with optional Bluetooth connectivity, the 1600 Series 2D has been designed to satisfy the needs of professionals in healthcare, field sales, and field service, according to the manufacturer. Working range for the Bluetooth Version 2.1+EDR was given as 66 ft./20 m and scan rate at 60 scans/second.

In addition to the new imager, CipherLab has increased on-board memory to 4 MB, allowing the device to store over 240,000 scans. A rechargeable Li-Ion battery provides long working life of 24 hours based on one scan per five seconds. In addition to CipherLab ScanMaster software that provides easy and fast custom configuration, the 1600 Series Bluetooth scanners are supported by CipherConnect and the 3610 transponder to integrate with smart devices and simplify the pairing process.

“Since 2D barcodes are getting more and more prevalent in the pharmaceutical, retail, and healthcare industries, along with the fact that the mobile workforce has been growing, we’ve built upon the success of our existing 1600 Series with the advanced feature of 2D barcode capture,” relayed Sherman Chuang, President of CipherLab. “Furthermore, the added functionality will extend the versatility of the 1600 Series to assist more enterprises with their operations.” CipherLab also offers the 1600 Series with linear barcode reading.

CipherLab's 1600 Series in Two-Dimensional Configuration

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Week of January 9

Week of December 26

Week of December 12

INTEGRATION

Battle of the Bezel for Elo

TE Connectivity (Menlo Park, CA) got busy at last week’s National Retail Federation Show in New York with the introduction of five new desktop touch monitors suitable for retail and hospitality. First, Elo TouchSystems 1515L and 1715L have been outfitted with Projected Capacitive (PCAP) touchscreen technology, furnishing seamless design resistant to water, impacts, scratches, and other contaminants on the screen. Elsewhere, Elo TouchSystems 1519L, 1919L, and 2201L wide-aspect LCD touch monitors now come with iTouch zero-bezel Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) technology. According to TE Connectivity, iTouch SAW delivers performance comparable to its original IntelliTouch SAW, but moves all the touch detection hardware to the backside of the terminal to deliver its flat, pure glass surface. (As many RRN.Com readers know, the first two digits in Elo’s model numbers denote screen size, with the 1515L and 1519L at 15 inches, and so on.)

“The PCAP and iTouch SAW touchscreens available on these touch monitors demonstrate our commitment to providing some of the best solutions on the market for commercial applications,” declared Jim Witkowski, Product Manager at TE Connectivity for Elo TouchSystems products. “The seamless, smooth, frameless designs come packaged with the speed and performance you would expect from Elo TouchSystems. By putting PCAP touch technology into our 1515L and 1715L models, we have increased touch response, added multi-touch capability, and expanded the diversity of our product portfolio.”

At NRF, TE Connectivity also debuted its nifty 0700L touch monitor with 7-inch LCD display. In addition to customer-facing configurations at the POS, 0700L may be installed as an end-cap in retail settings or as part of larger systems for tableside gaming and entertainment. It utilizes the company’s AccuTouch five-wire resistive touchscreen and also comes in non-touch version.

Elo 1715L PCAP Touch Monitor Powers Custom Gift Card Kiosk by OpenMotion

Janam Drops in New Engine

Janam Technologies (Woodbury, NY) took the floor at last week's National Retail Federation Show in New York with its new XG105 gun-shaped rugged mobile computer, which incorporates the high-performance SE96X scan engine from Motorola Solutions. The XG105 augments the XG Series with laser barcode reading at distances as far as 17 ft./5.2 m. Technical features include Windows Mobile 6.1, Marvell XScale PXA 320 CPU at 624 MHz, and 256-MB DDR SDRAM. Physical dimensions are 7.2 in. (H) x 3.5 in. (W) x 9.1 in. (L) and weight of 24.4 oz. with battery.

Janam’s XG Series was designed for scan-intensive, extended-shift use in demanding environments, according to the vendor. Notably, its battery resides in the handle, making the device lightweight and well-balanced in the hand. It carries 3.7-inch color TFT VGA display and user-friendly backlight keypad and comes pre-installed with Avalanche and Terminal Emulation from Wavelink Corporation. In addition to the XG105, Janam supplies the XG100 with Honeywell’s Adaptus imaging technology.

“We are pleased to offer Motorola’s SE96X, best-in-class, miniature, high-performance scan engine in the XG Series product line,” shared Harry B. Lerner, CEO of Janam. “For customers that need both close-range and distance barcode scanning as well as reliable capture of barcodes that are damaged or underneath shrink-wrap, the XG105 offers unrivaled performance, scanning range, and durability, all at a list price $1,000 less than competitive products.” Janam represents the first licensee to put the SE96X into its device, according to the two parties.

New XG105 Gun Runs Motorola’s High-Performance SE96X Barcode Reader

Code Corner

Honeywell Scanning & Mobility (Fort Mill, SC) extended its “holistic approach” to device management with Remote MasterMind 3.0. This new build integrates diverse platforms into one web-based console: Honeywell barcode scanners, Microsoft Windows-based handhelds, and consumer-grade smart-phones and tablets running Apple iOS and Google Android. ReM 3.0 redefines standards in end-user productivity, according to the vendor, by addressing the key value drivers of device supervision--including asset tracking, software distribution, configuration management, diagnostic monitoring and remote control, and automated collection of performance metrics. Configured for quick and accurate trouble-shooting, ReM 3.0 provides access to detailed device-specific data, such as system performance, on/off events, keyboard and touch panel presses, and battery status, with the ability to generate customized reports of statistics and trends. “ReM 3.0 delivers the unique ability to remotely manage most enterprise mobile devices, our scanners, and consumer products,” stated Darius Adamczyk, President of Honeywell Scanning & Mobility. “It’s an industry first that solidifies our commitment to ongoing AIDC innovations, and will transform device management for our customers across multiple industries.”

ENVIRONMENTS & PLATFORMS

OATs Feed Zebra

Zebra Technologies Corporation (Lincolnshire, IL) and Checkpoint Systems (Thorofare, NJ) have partnered to further the cause of RFID for enterprise-level asset-tracking. Under this new cooperative relationship, Zebra’s active location solutions will be augmented with the passive RFID, Auto ID, and sensor capabilities of Checkpoint’s OATSystems Division. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

With this non-exclusive contract, Zebra receives an OEM software license for OATxpress, which is part of the widely deployed RFID middleware platform, OAT Foundation Suite. OATxpress was designed specifically for capturing, filtering, and managing high volumes of inventory data from facilities such as manufacturing plants, distribution centers, or retail stores. In making the announcement, Prasad Putta, GM of OATSystems and EVP of Merchandise Visibility at Checkpoint Systems, pointed to the important role Zebra’s worldwide channel partners will play in delivering his company’s software.

“While Zebra’s active RFID location solutions today provide organizations with real-time visibility into their business operations, the addition of OAT’s passive RFID and other Auto ID capabilities will enable Zebra to play the larger and more meaningful role in helping organizations to make smarter decisions in managing their operations,” explained Phil Gerskovich, SVP, New Growth Platforms at Zebra Technologies. “We selected OAT as our partner based on its mature, well-architected platform, enterprise capabilities, and the experience of its team, which has deployed hundreds of RFID solutions over the past decade.” In the coming months, Zebra expects to share details around its first product with the enhanced capability.

Real-Time Visibility at Every Stage of the Value Chain

[Editor’s Note:  Zebra Technologies also presented its QLn220 mobile printer for two-inch labeling needs in shelf-edge, price, and return labeling. “Later in 2012, our QLn Series will offer new wireless radio technology, 802.11n, increasing efficiency and productivity for our customers,” said Scott Lane, Product Manager. Other enhancements will include the Zebra Global Printing Solution for right-to-left printing capacity and the Zebra Basic Interpreter programming language for stand-alone applications and connecting to peripheral devices.]

A Cloud Shaped Like POS

Retail Anywhere (Paso Robles, CA) has written its POS SuiteApp, bringing its retail functionality to the NetSuite cloud-computing platform. SuiteCloud by NetSuite, the underlying architecture, combines multi-tenant SaaS infrastructure and business modules for accounting, enterprise resource planning, customer relationship management, and e-commerce. In this configuration, Retail Anywhere runs locally on POS hardware and utilizes extended web services to more effectively support the needs of multi-channel and multi-location retailers, according to the two parties.

“Shoppers are gravitating towards retailers who deliver a true cross-channel shopping experience, which can only be achieved through system unification,” remarked Branden Jenkins, CEO of Retail Anywhere, which demonstrated POS SuiteApp at last week’s National Retail Federation Show in New York. “We’re excited to provide midsize retailers with an integrated solution that delivers a complete 360-degree view of customers, inventory, and shopping channels through one integrated platform, all with affordable pricing and resulting in unbeatable total cost of ownership.” Busy times for Retail Anywhere, which recently tied its POS software to the social networking platform from ShopIgniter (Portland, OR).

“Retail Anywhere delivers a robust point-of-sale application for NetSuite customers,” observed Guido Haarmans, VP of Developer Programs and Business Development for NetSuite (San Mateo, CA). “NetSuite’s strong e-commerce capabilities combined with Retail Anywhere POS offer a powerful and easy-to-deploy cloud solution for multi-channel sales.” With NetSuite, Retail Anywhere worked under the SuiteCloud Developer Partner Program.

Retail Anywhere Builds Upon NetSuite

Key Advertiser Links

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

POS & Auto ID Distribution
BlueStar
ScanSource
Wasp Barcode Technologies

POS & Peripherals
FEC/Acrelec
Posiflex
POS-X
Touch Dynamic

POS Systems - Hospitality
PAR

Barcode & Transaction Printers
Datamax-O'Neil
Zebra Technologies

Cash Drawers
MMF POS

Data Collection Terminals
CipherLab
Datalogic Mobile
Janam Technologies

Data Collection Software
Wavelink

Integrated Payment Solutions
Datacap Systems
Merchant Warehouse
WorldPay US

Keyboards
Cherry, ZF Electronics Corp.

Mobile Marketing & Loyalty
Sundrop Mobile

Receipt Printers
Bixolon America
Citizen Systems America
Epson America
Star Micronics

Thermal Printers
Seiko Instruments USA

INSTALLATIONS

Sweet Smell of Mobility at Sephora

Agilysys (Cleveland) has rolled out its NextPosition Mobile POS for prestige beauty retailer, Sephora Americas. With first deployment at its newly opened flagship store in New York City’s Meatpacking District, Sephora is running the Agilysys NextPosition interface on Apple’s iPod touch devices, along with 2Mobile middleware for SAP POS web services from RedIron (London, ON, Canada). Providing full POS and Returns functionality, this solution includes an ability to leverage remote cash drawers and wireless receipt printers.

“Mobile technologies are driving the convergence of POS, payments, and loyalty systems, enabling the retailer to offer true point-of-service literally anywhere in the store,” commented Aaron Hagler, VP of Solutions Delivery for the Retail Solutions Group at Agilysys. “Sephora’s unique retail concept, which is rooted in its distinctive open-sell store design, is the perfect fit for this mobile checkout experience. Sephora did an extraordinary job of integrating mobility directly into its store operations and client experience.”

“Agilysys and RedIron have proven to be great technology partners with comprehensive experience in implementing this complete, easy-to-use, and well-designed mobile POS system,” said Shah Nagree, VP of Retail Store Systems at Sephora. “Feedback from our clients and cast members has been overwhelmingly positive.” Agilysys served as the overall project manager, providing software development and testing, hardware sourcing and staging, system integration, and depot maintenance services.

Beauty Retailer Rolls Out Agilysys and RedIron for Point of Service

Infor Inventory Flows at LAVA

LAVA Supply Chain Solutions (North Sioux City, SD), one of the major logistics players, has implemented Infor10 Supply Chain Execution to streamline its warehouse management processes. This platform from Infor (Atlanta) allows LAVA employees and suppliers to view inventory information through its web-enabled database from any location, generating substantial time and cost savings, according to the two parties. In addition, LAVA plans to expand its use of Supply Chain Execution by eventually incorporating productivity tracking, transportation management, and billing, thereby generating additional business value.

“Infor10 Supply Chain Execution is an ideal supply chain solution because it enables us to add new customers and warehouse locations quickly and efficiently, reducing the time it takes for us to get the system up and running,” testified Dave Schroeder, VP, Operations and Information Systems, LAVA Supply Chain Solutions. “As our company expands, we are able to build upon our warehouse management solution with additional functionality, such as transportation, 3PL billing, and labor, without the need to install or integrate separate stand-alone solutions.” As part of this refresh, an enhanced barcode functionality allows LAVA to handle the 50 to 60 shipping containers of inventory received each day.

“It is critical for distributors like LAVA to have an enterprise system that they can depend on to help them make quick, informed decisions every day,” stressed Brent Forden, Senior Product Manager, Supply Chain Management at Infor, which exhibited at last week’s National Retail Federation Show in New York. “Supply Chain Execution incorporates the processes that are most valuable for distributors into a unified application with a single web-based data repository, which allows users to access data from any location at any time, creating faster flow of information to enable smarter, quicker decision making. Users get the data they need in a way that is easily digested.”

LAVA Supply Chain Solutions Deploys Infor’s WMS

Channel Factoid

The U.S. online retail sector delivered 7.5% growth in December 2011 compared to December 2010, according to IBM Smarter Commerce. For mobile traffic, 14.6% of all online sessions on the typical retailer’s site were launched from mobile devices, more than double the rate of 5.6% in the same period last year. Likewise, sales from mobile devices doubled, reaching 11% versus 5.5% over last season’s prime shopping month. In terms of technologies, Apple’s iPhone and iPad ranked first and second for use by consumers with 5.2% and 4.3%, respectively. Google Android placed third at 4.1%. Interestingly, iPad continued to drive more retail purchases than any other device, with conversion rates reaching 6.3% compared to 3.1% for all consumer mobility platforms. Vertical markets broke down as follows: department stores, online sales 18% higher than December 2010; home goods, 15.6% higher; apparel, 16.3% higher; and health and beauty, 16% higher year over year. “This past December, consumers remained committed to finding the best online deals whether through their PC or mobile device,” recounted John Squire, Chief Strategy Officer, IBM Smarter Commerce. “By employing a smarter approach to commerce, many retailers were successful in helping to connect their customers with the best deals from anywhere and at any time, even on Christmas Day, when online shopping grew by 16.4% over 2010.”

HELLO GOODBYE

Worldly Wise at BlueStar

BlueStar (Hebron, KY) has added two new members to its marketing team as it continues its international expansion. First, Ricard Ferrer has been named as Europe/Middle East/Africa (EMEA) Marketing Manager, overseeing marketing and business development efforts across the entire region. Ferrer brings his background in technology product management and more than 10 years of experience, according to the distributor. He also has extensive channel expertise for ID card printers as well as Auto ID, RFID, and security technologies.

“Ricard’s knowledge of the channel and his business development skill set will enable our partners to develop incremental new business in the EMEA,” stated Mark Fraker, VP of Marketing at BlueStar. “He will be based out of our office in Sabadell, Spain, and will work directly with all of our Marketing Managers in the EMEA region.”

BlueStar also has hired Michele Olivera as Marketing Manager for its Latin America (LATAM) operations, based in Miramar, Florida. Originally from Peru, Olivera has diverse, decade-long experience in both marketing and business development. “Michele is one of our key players in the development of BlueStar’s continued growth across Latin America,” said Albert Baranera, VP of Global Distribution across Latin America. “BlueStar’s vendors and VAR partners will benefit from her effective and cutting-edge communications skills geared toward driving new business.”

New BlueStar Marketing Managers: Ricard Ferrer, EMEA and Michele Olivera, LATAM

In Memoriam, Lamar Van Wagenen

Wavelink Corporation (Salt Lake City, UT) has posted the following notice on its website:

“Wavelink President and CEO, Lamar Van Wagenen, lost his battle with cancer on January 3, 2012.

Lamar fought a brave, unwavering battle for the past six months. He chose to fight his battle privately with the love and support of his family and close friends.

Lamar graduated from the University of Utah with a Mechanical Engineering degree. He turned his computer hobby into a lifelong passion and dedicated his professional career to Wavelink Corp. Lamar’s contribution to the AIDC industry is widely recognized and his ingenuity and leadership were pivotal in the success of Wavelink. His strategic vision and commitment led to a fitting promotion as the current President and CEO.

We will all miss him as a work colleague and friend and our thoughts are with his family.”

Lamar Van Wagenen, Wavelink CEO/President, 1961-2012