This Week’s Product Pick

TouchSystems (Austin, TX) has added another display to its projected capacitive line of touchscreens. Innova Touch32, with 32-inch screen and ten touch points, comes open-frame for custom installations such as kiosks or wall enclosures. It measures 32 in. (W) x 19 in. (H) x 3.5 in. (D), weighs slightly more than 35 lbs., and carries VESA holes and USB connection. A flush screen and bezel-free design contribute to its aesthetic appeal, upkeep, and ease of use. Performance includes 315 cd/m2 brightness, 3000:1 contrast ratio, 1920x1080 resolution, and 6.5 ms response time. “One of my customers needed a display in the 32-inch range that offered multi-touch capabilities,” mused Jonathan Wilson, Sales Lead for TouchSystems. “Our Innova Touch32 was the perfect solution with its ten touch points and Windows 8 compatibility.”

Innova Touch32 Display

COMPANY BUSINESS

NCR: Now Chasing Retail

NCR (Duluth, GA) continues its march through POS with the acquisition of Retalix, the Israel-based global provider of retail software and services. NCR has offered $30 per share for Retalix, totaling an overall value of approximately $650 million. (By comparison, NCR paid $1.2 billion for Radiant Systems, the hospitality star, in July 2011.) Retalix carries NCR deeper into market segments such as convenience and gas, grocery and supermarket, and, in particular, mass merchandise and department stores. Reportedly, Retalix will merge with one of NCR’s subsidiaries and the deal will be financed through the combination of cash and debt. It is expected to close in Q1 2013, following the normal approval process.

“Retalix is a strong, strategic fit for NCR and the combination of our two companies will drive significant value for both our shareholders and customers,” predicted Bill Nuti, Chairman and CEO of NCR. Added Shuky Sheffer, CEO of Retalix, “Together, we will create a talent pool and solutions portfolio that will be richer than anything available before, enabling our customers to deliver a superior omni-channel shopping experience.” In Q3 2012, Retalix increased its revenue 15% year-over-year, at $70.5 million versus $61.6 million, and during that period bought Cornell-Mayo Associates, one of the leading U.S-based POS ISVs.

Retalix’s software and services are deployed in over 70,000 retail locations, with more than 40,000 customer touch points in over 50 countries that transact billions of dollars in annual sales across its systems. In particular, Retalix’s strength with “blue chip” retailers should prove attractive to NCR, which expects to use Retalix’s software to speed the development of its own enterprise platform, in the process creating new modules that can be leveraged across retail, financial, hospitality, and travel segments. In addition, the purchase would appear to accelerate NCR’s acknowledged strategy of focusing on higher-margin software and services, with its rear flank covered by its traditional strength in hardware form factors.

Bill Nuti, Chairman and CEO, NCR

Motorola Takes WiNG

Motorola Solutions (Schaumburg, IL) has plunged into omni-channel marketing as well as accommodation of today’s bring your own device (BYOD) movement with the roll-out of its WiNG 5 Secure Access scheme. This system combines “zero touch” on-boarding of consumer smartphones with convenient authentication methods, including Facebook, Google, and LinkedIn, while locking down connections with Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA-2). Moreover, it adds analytics capability to provide real-time information about shopping behavior, according to the vendor, thereby helping retailers grow in-store sales in the face of online competition.

With Secure Access, in-store customer hot spot registration becomes simple and non-repetitive, with the captive portal authorizing the user’s device for future visits to any store within the chain. Encryption enables shoppers to keep their browsing private, whether viewing cloud-based product listings, making mobile payments from their smartphones, or performing functions such as downloading of coupons, leveraging self-help, and viewing marketing videos. Analytics tracks activity across stores, including summary of websites and search terms most commonly utilized, products investigated, and payment transactions completed. A WiNG 5 ICSA-approved firewall, along with Motorola’s AirDefense, addresses PCI payment compliance for retailers.

Simultaneously, Motorola Solutions has introduced its new AP 6522 multi-purpose access point, with 802.11n WLAN for heavy bandwidth environments. This subsystem features state-of-the-art radios with superior receive and transmit sensitivity, console port for configuration, and Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) for network connectivity. Radios may be configured for client access on 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz, or independently used with one radio for client access and the second radio for sensing and troubleshooting. In addition to high throughput, qualities include direct forwarding, gap-free security, Quality of Service (QoS) for special requirements, and site survivability. AP 6522 may serve as virtual controller and coordinate the operation of up to two dozen neighboring access points.

Retail Networking for Omni-Channel Marketing and the BYOD Movement

Worth Your While - 2013

NRF 102nd Annual Convention & Expo
National Retail Federation
January 13-16
New York City

INSPIRE
Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA)
January 20-23
Curacao, Lesser Antilles

ETA Annual Meeting & Expo
Electronic Transactions Association
April 30 - May 1
New Orleans

THE Tech EVENT
(Formerly NACStech, National Association of Convenience Stores)
May 6-10
Dallas

NRA Show
National Restaurant Association
May 18-21
Chicago

ALL IN THE FAMILY

Apple of Star’s Eye

Star Micronics America (Edison, NJ) has extended its portable receipt printer family with the SM-S220i, which furnishes compatibility with iOS devices such as Apple iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch. The company’s first model to be approved by Apple, under the MFi program, the SM-S220i links via Bluetooth with such ubiquitous consumer devices. In addition, it supports the Bluetooth Serial Port Profile (SPP) protocol, meaning it can pair with devices running most other common operating systems, such as Windows, Android, and BlackBerry.

Based on Star’s SM-S200, this new printer handles two-inch-wide thermal paper with print speed of 80 mm/3.15 inches per second at 203 dpi. With compact form factor and sleek design, at approximately 3.2 in. (W) x 4.5 in. (H) x 1.8 in. (D) and 8 oz., the SM-S220i addresses table-side order taking in hospitality and line busting in retail. Advanced features include drop-in paper loading, one and two-dimensional barcode capacity, an LCD display with blue light, cover open and paper out sensors, and automatic sleep mode for extended battery life.

“As one of the first printers available with both of these Bluetooth technologies in one device, the SM-S220i will make it easier for resellers to offer a simple hardware solution to merchants that is compatible with all of the popular mobile platforms,” suggested Christophe Naasz, Marketing Director for Star Micronics America. “Payment processing devices can easily be attached to the SM-S220i through its accessory serial ports, making this printer very adaptable for any usage scenario.” In addition to the SM-S220i, Star recently announced drivers for Windows 8 as well as certification for its printer family by Real Time POS (Charlotte, NC), an ISV targeting specialty retail.

SM-S220i Portable Printer by Star Micronics America

Getting Tough With Windows 8

MobileDemand (Hiawatha, IA), which promotes itself as the leading provider of rugged tablet PCs in the transportation industry, has unwrapped its Windows 8 xTablet T1200. This new model features Intel’s i5 Ivy Bridge processor, 16 GB DDR3 RAM, 64/128 GB Solid State Drive, and Intel HD Graphics 4000. Measuring 11.2 in. (W) x 8.5 in. (H) x 1.6 in. (D) and weighing 4.8 lbs., with 10.4-inch multi-touch resistive screen, it integrates barcode scanner and RFID reader, numeric keypad, five mega-pixel color camera, and two hot-swappable batteries.

A full range of communication and connectivity capabilities have been included: two USB 3.0 ports as well as RS-232, Gigabit Ethernet, plus 3G and 4G LTE and Bluetooth 4.0. In keeping with its mission, xTablet T1200 employs magnesium alloy casing, meets IP-65 and MIL-STD-810G ratings for dust, water, and vibrations, and handles temperatures from -4F to +140F. List price was put at $3,000 with three-year warranty, and Windows 7 may be ordered for businesses not ready to take the plunge to the new OS.

“Since the beginning, our company has been an innovator of technologies for the mobile business worker, consistently delivering rugged and reliable productivity tools that have helped our customers sell more and realize long-term savings,” proclaimed Matt Miller, President of MobileDemand. “As a result, our customers have been leading tablet adoption in virtually every industry, fueling the growth of their own companies, as well as ours. We continue that tradition now by being first to market with our fully rugged tablet PC with Windows 8.”

MobileDemand’s New Rugged, Full-Featured PC

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INTEGRATION

Archelon Swims the Tablet Seas

Archelon Enclosures (San Diego) has showcased its reengineered tablet holder for iPad, designated as Archelon EXO, with new features for added security. EXO now offers tamper-proof plugs for the open ports on the enclosure, for example, thereby limiting user access to the power button, volume control, and audio jack. Additionally, its wider cord canal, with placement hooks, allows users to securely lock the charging cable in place. Befitting target markets in retail, hospitality, and education, an extended charging cable of six feet in length fits all iPad and iPod models with 30-pin connector.

Several versions of Archelon EXO have been configured, including traditional table mount and wall mount. A patented tri-axial swivel joint allows movement in three planes, if desired, while so-called “secure flip” capability for space-constrained environments allows merchants to present the tablet to the customer for transaction processing. In the case of hard surfaces such as marble, glass, or granite, the table mount may be fastened with commercial grade adhesive tape, with no need of drilling. Finally, when used in kiosk form factor, the base of the supporting stand has been weighted to prevent tipping.

“Archelon is committed to our customers and our latest product evolution is an affirmation that we listen to their feedback and value their opinion,” declared Debi Besmer, Managing Partner. “The Archelon EXO is also a great product offering for channel partners who are looking to differentiate their organization from competitors in the sales process.” A division of Motivational Systems, Inc., Archelon lists several dozen prominent POS VARs as strategic partners. The firm takes its name, interestingly, from an oversized prehistoric sea turtle with strong skeletal frame and no hard shell, signifying an intent to protect the tablet without compromise of display and design elements.

Archelon EXO Secure Flip Enclosure

Best Foot Forward at Checkpoint

Checkpoint Systems (Thorofare, NJ) has debuted its 2815 Enhanced Performance (EP) Shoe Label for easier source tagging and better store security. Significantly smaller than existing shoe labels, at approximately 2 in. (W) x 1 in. (H), the 2815 EP significantly boosts detection and activation performance, according to its designer. It works in conjunction with any Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) system from Checkpoint, suitable for any retail outlet selling shoes, including apparel, sporting goods, and footwear specialty stores.

Based on RF technology at 8.2 MHz, with roll count of 2,000, the 2815 EP greatly reduces false alarms, enabling retailers to adjust their approach policies accordingly. Greater heat tolerance allows high-speed integration during the footwear manufacturing process. Finally, Checkpoint’s “double deactivation” system guarantees permanent shutdown of the label following customer checkout.

“We are extremely pleased to introduce our newest shoe label, which we designed with shoe manufacturers and retailers,” observed Farrokh Abadi, President/COO for Shrink Management Solutions at Checkpoint Systems. “This slender, high-performing solution not only helps retailers reduce theft, but also improves availability on store shelves, increasing customer satisfaction.” In making its announcement, Checkpoint cited the most recent Global Retail Theft Barometer findings that shrink rates for footwear have increased year-over-year to 0.99% globally and 1.2% in North America. Apparently shoes walk out of stores.

Fighting Shrink With Enhanced RF Shoe Label

Code Corner

MJ Freeway (Denver), perhaps the most visible developer of POS software created for medical marijuana dispensaries, has kicked off its customer care program. Under this new endeavor, which supplements existing technical support, customers will be assigned company service representatives who will assist with hardware, software, supplies, and any other related needs (except snacks). Participants should expect more direct and personalized service, along with “an actual phone call” by their advocate once per month. “MJ Freeway’s intention is to ensure those who are doing business with us are getting the best service possible and the customer care program will do just that,” proclaimed Amy Poinsett, CEO and Co-Founder of MJ Freeway, and speaker at the recent two-day National Marijuana Business Conference held in the Mile High City. MJ Freeway’s platform encompasses GramTracker and GrowTracker, patent-pending inventory control and “grow management” applications integrated into its hosted software. This interesting ISV delivers cloud-based POS, with patient and financial record-keeping, guaranteed state-specific regulatory compliance, and multiple ties to social networks, testing labs, medical practitioners, and merchant services.

ENVIRONMENTS/PLATFORMS

High Grades for Genius

Combase USA (Las Vegas), transplanted POS software supplier from Germany, has become the latest company to gain certification with the Genius ITX Customer Engagement Platform from Merchant Warehouse (Boston). With Genius, introduced this past summer, merchants employing Combase Korona.pos Cloud may pick and choose between payment methods to offer at the POS, whether cards, NFC, QR Codes, or mobile wallets. Users simply select an appropriate icon from the Genius Solution Center, displayed on the payment terminal, with little or no integration required on the back-end, while the merchant conveniently falls outside PA-DSS scope.

“Today’s customers have different mobile payment preferences and new mobile acceptance types continue to hit the market creating a difficult situation for merchants,” remarked Beth Williams, Marketing and Business Development Manager with Combase USA. “Our integration with Genius immediately solves this problem for our customers. Instead of worrying about which mobile option to select, merchants now have a future-proof solution capable of accepting every mobile payment type while offering next-generation couponing and location-based deals that take advantage of the best mobile commerce has to offer.”

Landing on our shores in 2011, Combase USA supplies POS software for retail, hospitality, and amusement industries. It premiered its Korona.pos Cloud at the recent International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) Show in Orlando. It also has forged ties with CRS Inc. (St. Paul, MN), the longtime importer and distributor of cash register systems, POS, and peripherals, and appears eager to add our channel to its go-to-market strategy.

Combase USA, Shown Here at IAAPA Show, Partners With Merchant Warehouse

ASI Draws on Droid

Action Systems, Inc. (Silver Spring, MD), makers of Restaurant Manager Point-of-Sale, has released its mobile management application, RM Monitor, as native app for Android. This service, which gives owners and managers remote access to key operational and management data, was initially introduced in May of 2010 for iOS. According to the ISV, it has been deployed to “hundreds of restaurants and bars.” It quoted one customer, Anthony Clark, Co-Owner of Galway Bay Irish Pub in Annapolis, Maryland, as saying “All of our managers use RM Monitor on a daily basis to stay informed about what’s happening in the restaurant.”

“After seeing the great value the initial release of RM Monitor has provided to Restaurant Manager customers, we knew it was critical to make this technology more universally available by developing it as a native app for the Android platform,” reported Alex Malison, CEO of Action Systems, which frequently goes by ASI. “RM Monitor provides Restaurant Manager customers a real advantage in the ultra-competitive hospitality industry by allowing them to access and utilize information more quickly.”

With this new platform, customers of ASI Restaurant Manager will now have the capacity to monitor information such as sales data, labor and cost ratios, and employee hours worked, all from their Droid smartphones. They may set up customizable alerts to notify them of voids, deletions, and other activities indicating potential fraud. In addition, users may request their reports to be delivered in user-friendly, scaled PDF format. As many RRN.Com readers know, Action Systems, Inc., which was founded way back in 1987, markets through resellers in the U.S., Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Australia, and Asia.

RM Monitor Tracks Key Restaurant Metrics

Key Advertiser Links

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

POS & Auto ID Distribution
BlueStar
Wasp Barcode Technologies

POS & Peripherals
J2 Retail Systems
Pioneer POS
Posiflex
POS-X
Touch Dynamic

POS Systems - Hospitality
PAR

POS & Processing
RedFin Network

Barcode & Transaction Printers
Datamax-O'Neil
Zebra Technologies

Cash Drawers
MMF POS

Data Collection Terminals
CipherLab
Datalogic ADC
Janam Technologies
Trimble

Data Collection Software
Wavelink

Integrated Payment Solutions
Datacap Systems
Merchant Warehouse

Keyboards
Cherry, ZF Electronics Corp.

Receipt Printers
Bixolon America
Citizen Systems America
Epson America
Star Micronics

Scanners
Bar Codes Unlimited
Code Corporation

Thermal Printers
Seiko Instruments USA

Touchscreens & Monitors
Elo TouchSystems

PARTNER PROGRAMS

A Can of "E" for the SMB

More news from NCR (Duluth, GA), which has unveiled NCR Retail Online, its e-commerce solution for independent retailers and small chains that integrates with Counterpoint POS. Part of the NCR Retail Apps suite, Retail Online features simple templates and tools to build dynamic, branded websites with product descriptions, photos, and dedicated content, according to NCR. It includes credit card processing, advanced shopping features, and three levels: Starter, at $75 per month and 2% transaction fee; Plus, at $200 per month and 1.5% transaction fee; and Pro, at $500 per month and 1% transaction fee. Suitable monthly merchant revenue levels, respectively, are given at $25K or lower, $25K to $60K, and $60K or higher

“Single stores and small chains have been at a disadvantage when taking their inventory to the web,” indicated Laura Boylan, Senior Product Manager at NCR. “Systems were too expensive, required IT and web-design experience, didn’t interface easily with other store software, or had cumbersome inventory management and order fulfillment issues. With NCR Retail Online, a retailer can have a tightly integrated, world-class e-commerce solution fully operational and ready to serve customers in just a few days.”

As expected, NCR Retail Online automatically monitors sales in-store and online to ensure all inventory stays up to date. When an item is sold in the store, it gets removed from the website. When an item sells online, the order flows into NCR Counterpoint, letting the store owner or employee know the sale has occurred to ensure the item can be quickly taken off the floor or removed from the back room and shipped. As new inventory is received into the store system, it will be automatically replenished on the website.

NCR Retail Online Ties to Counterpoint POS

Skycore At Your Service

Skycore LLC (Boston), developers of “codeREADr,” an established commercial barcode scanning and data collection app for iOS and Android, has launched its new service option, dubbed “Direct Scan to URL,” or DSU, intended primarily for clients with privacy and regulatory mandates. Featuring one and two-dimensional reading capability, DSU offer flexibility across functions such as check-in and check-out of patients and medicines, student and membership attendance, supervision of employees and contractors, and tracking deliveries and assets in real-time. Under DSU, clients will continue to use the code’s Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) for managing their users, setting app permissions, and customizing the flow and type of data collection.

“Our clients generally sync their databases to our cloud-based validation servers: they then use our servers for processing and generating reports based on the scan data uploaded from each app they provision,” explained Rich Eicher, CEO of Skycore LLC. “However, some larger healthcare and enterprise clients requested we sync their scans directly to their own servers, thus enabling them to control potentially sensitive data. These clients can now use our DSU service option.”

Founded in 2003, Skycore markets its platform through “third-party, value-added service providers” as well as enterprise IT partners, according to the company’s website, which adds, “we recommend integrated solutions, developers, and consultants to our clients on the regular basis.” Service plans range from $10 per month for one device to $599 per month for 100 devices, with unlimited scans or users. As always with Software-as-a-Service, no capital expenditure or training is required, suiting the small-to-midsized end-user customer.

New Service Bureau Offers “Direct Scan to URL”

Channel Factoid

Within the past six months, eight out of ten warehouse managers (79%) have been tasked with reducing costs and increasing margins, according to new research sponsored by Intermec. A survey base of 250 supply chain, warehouse, and distribution managers revealed that over an eight-hour shift, each worker loses an average of 15 minutes of productivity in an inefficient process. For small to medium-sized warehouses with 50 workers, this quickly adds up to nearly 3,000 hours per year. Yet close to one in three managers (30%) have not reviewed workflow processes in their distribution center within the past year. For those reluctant managers, only compliance (28%) or poor performance (27%) would prompt them to do so, in contrast to respondents conducting reviews, which cite compliance (26%), continuous improvement programs (22%), and poor performance (9%). Indeed, nearly one in five companies (16%) report they will not review their workflow processes until customer complaints have been received. Nearly all respondents appear to agree on the key to achieving productivity improvements: new technology, cited by 89% of managers. In the experience of many, inventory control (53%) and picking (47%) are the two areas where cost savings could most easily be achieved. “Warehouse managers are faced with significant cost-saving challenges, which means they can’t afford to let such levels of time wastage continue,” counseled Bruce Stubbs, Intermec’s Industry Marketing Director for Distribution Center Operations. “Businesses should be looking at every workflow in detail on a regular basis to claim back the minutes and seconds they need to achieve these savings. As this research shows, reviewing their technology infrastructure may be the perfect place to start.”

HELLO GOODBYE

Bay Floats IM’s Boat

Ingram Micro (Santa Ana, CA) has elevated Paul Bay, EVP, to Senior EVP and Acting President of Ingram Micro North America, effective immediately. Bay will replace Keith Bradley, current Senior EVP and President of the North America Division, who will step down at the end of this year. Bay joined Ingram Micro’s U.S. sales organization in 1995, progressing to SVP of Vendor Management before leaving to become CEO of Punch Software in 2006. He returned to Ingram Micro four years later as EVP, with responsibilities for the distributor’s North American partner-facing activities and Canadian operations.

“Paul is a respected and talented executive, with a track record of guiding operations to new levels of excellence,” commented Alain Monie, CEO/President of Ingram Micro, Inc. “Under his leadership, he organized the North American commercial, corporate, and advanced solutions groups into efficient, growing, and highly profitable divisions. Bay knows the region extremely well and brings to his new role an ideal mix of experience in managing both large, complex operations as well as entrepreneurial start-ups. This is a highly important region for Ingram Micro and we’re confident in his ability to build on Keith’s good work and drive additional profitable growth throughout the region.”

“I have the utmost respect for Ingram Micro’s leadership team and fully support the direction of the company,” Bradley volunteered. “The team in North America is outstanding, and together we have capitalized on many opportunities to improve the business. I have worked with Paul for several years and am confident in his ability to lead the North American team and further build on our successful execution.”

Paul Bay, President, Ingram Micro North America

PayPal Inside PaySimple

PaySimple, an up-and-coming provider of cloud-based automated payments and receivables solutions for small businesses, has recruited Andrew Lanthier as its CTO. Lanthier joins PaySimple from PayPal, where he held several key roles over the past seven years, oversaw day-to-day operations, and was named one of three select “technology fellows.” Before PayPal, he held senior engineering positions at Inovant, the subsidiary of Visa formed to oversee global technology for the organization. He will head PaySimple’s new office in San Mateo, California.

“Andrew is a tremendous addition to the PaySimple team at an exciting time in the company’s growth trajectory,” stated Eric Remer, PaySimple’s CEO, based in the company’s headquarters in Denver. “In Andrew, we gain a technology and operations leader with more than a decade of experience innovating in the payments tech sector, and we are thrilled to be opening our second office in the Silicon Valley under Andrew’s leadership.” Concurrently, PaySimple also announced that Scott Thompson, former President of PayPal, and current CEO of ShopRunner, has been named to the PaySimple Board of Directors.

“I am delighted to join PaySimple at a real inflection point at the company,” Lanthier noted. “I am extremely impressed with the leadership team and the company culture, and it’s clear that given the penetration the company has achieved in its first years, PaySimple is poised for the kind of growth I’ve witnessed at other points in my career. I look forward to being a part of that step change.” Lanthier worked under Thompson at Inovant, not surprisingly.

Andrew Lanthier, CTO, PaySimple