Our Product Pick

Ingenico (Alpharetta, GA) has unwrapped its new tablet POS, named the Moby/M70. Measuring 9.5 in. (L) x 4.7 in. (W) x 0.7 in. (D), and weighing 21.6 oz., the Moby/M70 accepts MSR, NFC, and EMV Level 1 and 2. It runs Android 7.0, with ARM Cortex A35 Quad-Core CPU at 1.3 GHz, 2-GB RAM, and 16-GB Flash. As features, it has 7" capacitive touchscreen (1024x600), 12-hour Li-Ion battery (4160-mAh), and color camera (5-megapixel). As communications, there's Bluetooth Version 4.2 and 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 and 5 GHz) Wi-Fi. "By leveraging the Moby/M70 coupled with Ingenico Group's Mobile POS EMV Software Development Kit (SDK) and EMV Payments Gateway, ISVs and VARs can achieve faster speed to market with an All-in-One tablet POS," proposed Ingenico.

Ingenico's Moby/M70 Tablet POS

COMPANY BUSINESS

Star: A Bite of the Apple

Star Micronics America (Somerset, NJ) will soon offer one of the very first thermal receipt printers on the market to be designated with Apple AirPrint Certification. Embodying the company's popular 3" Model TSP654II, it enables seamless, natural operation with iOS POS (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, and Mac). As such, with both Ethernet and WLAN capabilities, it requires no extra configurations, software, or additional drivers, emphasized Star Micronics America.

"For ISVs, this is the easiest and fastest way to integrate the printer with Apple software," continued Star Micronics America. "The TSP654II AirPrint works immediately after set-up and is the perfect fit for the occasional print job. With the TSP654II, Mac and iOS developers now have another option in addition to the StarPRNT SDK (Software Development Kit). It gives them more flexible printer control."

In dimensions of 5.6 in. (W) x 8 in. (D) x 5.2 in. (H), and weighing 3.5 lbs., the TSP654II has maximum print speed of 12 in./300 mm per second at 203 dpi. It features "drop-in & print" paper loading, guillotine auto-cutter, and paper-end, cover-open, and near-end indicators. It may be mounted vertically or horizontally. In addition to iOS, it supports Android and Windows with SDKs.

Apple AirPrint Certification for Star's TSP654II

iPayment in the Clover

One of the payment processors active in our channel, iPayment (Westlake Village, CA), has bolstered its profile with the purchase of ISO Leaders Merchant Services (Camarillo, CA). Founded in 2000, and registering with iPayment in 2004, Leaders Merchant Services handles Clover POS, and reports double-digit growth in processing value in each of the past three years. Also, it has its own proprietary customer relationship management (CRM).

"When we were first approached about this potential opportunity, we were immediately interested," reported O.B. Rawls IV, CEO and President of iPayment, Inc. "This type of reinvestment in growth by our owners demonstrates their commitment in the management team and our partners. We've considerably strengthened our balance sheet, which permits these types of investments, not only today, but in the future as well."

"We're looking forward to working with the great team at iPayment to bring more value in and around payments to our customers, agents, and prospects," contributed Brandon Wolfe, President of Leaders Merchant Services. It will operate as a standalone business within iPayment, similar to Petroleum Card Services and National Bank Services. Financial details of the acquisition will not be disclosed.

O.B. Rawls IV, CEO and President, iPayment

Worth Your While

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

Inspire
Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA)
January 28-31, 2018
Waikoloa Beach, Hawaii

Shoptalk
March 18-21, 2018
Las Vegas, NV

Transact
Electronic Transactions Association
April 17-19, 2018
Las Vegas, NV

NRA Show
National Restaurant Association
May 19-22, 2018
Chicago, IL

ALL IN THE FAMILY

Day of the Dolphin

Honeywell (Fort Mill, SC) has unveiled its new rugged mobile computer, earmarked Dolphin CT60. It represents the first device introduced as part of Honeywell's "Mobility Edge Platform," which seeks to maximize the performance and lifecycle of its products through unified, next-generation hardware design and enterprise software tools. As such, Dolphin CT60 supports four generations of Android: 7.1 through Q.

Measuring 6.3 in. (L) x 3.2 in. (W) x 0.75 in. (D), and weighing 12.4 oz., the Dolphin CT60 furnishes 4.7" capacitive touchscreen (1280x720), one- and two-dimensional scanning (Honeywell's N6600), color camera (13-megapixel), and 12-hour Li-Ion battery (4040-mAh). It speeds performance with Qualcomm's Snapdragon Octa-Core 660 CPU at 2.2 GHz, 3 or 4-GB RAM, 32-GB Flash, and 512-GB Micro-SD. As communications, there's Bluetooth Version 5 (with Bluetooth Low Energy), 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 and 5 GHz) Wi-Fi, and 3G/4G LTE. Also, NFC, GPS, VoIP, and Push-to-Talk.

In keeping with its intended use in delivery, transportation, and warehousing, the Dolphin CT60 carries an IP-67 rating for water and dust, withstands 5-ft./1.5-m drops to concrete, and exceeds 1,000 3.3-ft./1-m tumbles. Operating temperature spans -4 to +122 Degrees F. Accelerometer, ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, gyroscope, magnetometer, and pressure sensor are built in, with scan on each side buttons. It succeeds the Dolphin CT50, debuted in 2015.

Honeywell's Dolphin CT60 Rugged Mobile Computer

A Validation at Printronix

Printronix Auto ID (Brea, CA) has premiered its new thermal printer with accompanying validation of one- and two-dimensional barcodes. Built on the company's 4" Model T8000, ODV-2D grades each barcode to standards of ISO, overstrikes the entire label of rejected barcodes, reprints new labels, and reports on each transaction. It validates up to 50 barcodes per label and ensures accuracy of 100%. According to Printronix Auto ID, subsidiary of TSC, it will ship in Q1 2018.

"We are introducing the ODV-2D at the perfect time for the market," declared David Hawkes, Senior Product Manager for Printronix Auto ID, Inc. "There is a significant increase in regulatory requirements for label data and accuracy. 2D barcodes combined with ODV-2D validation provides peace of mind that the label is compliant, free from defect, and can still meet ever-increasing production requirements."

A stalwart for Printronix Auto ID, the T8000 has maximum print speed of 10 in./254 mm per second at 203 dpi and 8 in./203 mm per second at 300 dpi. It measures 11.7 in. (W) x 20.5 in. (D) x 13 in. (H), and weighs 37 lbs., with dual-motor ribbon drive, die-cast aluminum frame, and metal door. It furnishes 3.4" color display, ARM Cortex A9 CPU at 2 GHz, 512-MB RAM, 128-MB Flash, and 32-GB Micro-SD. A full suite of communications includes USB, Serial, Parallel, Ethernet, and 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 and 5 GHz) Wi-Fi.

ODV-2D, From Printronix Auto ID, Carries 1D/2D Barcode Verification of Labels

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ALLIANCES

Epson Has "Arryved"

Epson America (Long Beach, CA) will supply three of its printers for hospitality for ISV Arryved (Boulder, CO). Established in 2015, Arryved focuses on tap rooms and breweries. It has chosen Epson's 3" TM-m30 cube-shaped thermal receipt printer for front of the house, 3" impact TM-U220 for the kitchen, and 3" OmniLink TM-T88VI "intelligent" thermal receipt printer for higher traffic environments. Integrated solutions with these models are offered by Arryved.

"Of all the hardware solutions we rely on, Epson printers seen to be the most 'future forward,'" testified Nancy Trigg, President of Arryved. "Epson has evolved its POS printers ahead of demand while maintaining high quality and reliability. The fact that they continue to support old devices and not force new purchases for customers is also a huge benefit. We have been able to re-purpose printers obtained for use with other systems to connect with our POS, because they don't rely on proprietary cords and connection systems that require continuous re-purchase to stay current."

"Arryved offers a great and very efficient solution to its POS customers and we are very pleased to be part of that," commented Tom Kettell, Director of Commercial Channel Sales at Epson America. "The company's forward-thinking technology solutions are an ideal match with our line of compact, mobile POS receipt printers. Together, we provide breweries, tap rooms, and other 'beverage-forward' environments with a solution that gives them a competitive edge."

An ISV for Tap Rooms Draws Upon Epson's Printers

Poindus Turns PRO

Poindus America (Rowland Heights, CA) has certified PRO Software by Datasym (Brantford, ON, Canada) for use with the Poindus VariPOS 210 and VariPOS 310 POS terminals. A longtime presence in our channel, Datasym PRO runs on Linux, "[thereby] offering retailers efficient high-speed transaction processing and greater security against external threats," stated Poindus America. It addresses quick-service restaurants (QSR), and numerous vertical segments in retail (specialty, grocery, liquor, etc.).

Poindus VariPOS 210 and VariPOS 310 are fanless, All-in-One's combining the energy-efficient Intel Bay Trail-T3735F CPU at 1.3 GHz and 14" widescreen, true-flat, capacitive touch displays (1366x768). In addition to Linux (in the case of Datasym PRO), VariPOS 210 runs Android 4.4.4, and VariPOS 310 runs Android 4.4.4, Windows 8.1 Industry Pro, and Windows IoT 10. Both have compact footprint, lightweight aluminum casing, numerous I/O's for peripherals and networking, and sleek, modern design.

As additional benefits, the VariPOS 210 is "the first POS terminal that can be powered by an inexpensive mobile power bank [5-V, 2.4-A]," stated Poindus America. As particular markets, queue busting, pop-up stores, food trucks, and events are identified. For its part, the VariPOS 310 has an integrated 3" thermal receipt printer. This enables use as kiosks. "Poindus and Datasym have partnered together to provide retailers with a complete POS solution that they can feed confident in to grow their business," Poindus America told RRN.Com.

Datasym PRO Software Certified for Poindus America's VariPOS 210 and VariPOS 310

Code Corner

Lightspeed (Montreal, QC, Canada) has added ties to the Property Management System (PMS) for its cloud-based iOS POS. Such integration of WebRezPro from World Web Technologies, Inc. (Calgary, AB, Canada) automates the process of posting restaurant charges directly to the guest's folio in real-time, according to the two parties. Along with verification of the guest's occupancy status and room number, this integration eliminates the need to manually enter the charges into WebRezPro, saving staff time and reducing clerical errors. At present, WebRezPro serves more than 1,000 properties worldwide, while Lightspeed serves nearly 50,000 retailers and restaurateurs. "Our mission is to help our clients' operations run seamlessly and efficiently, and the integration with WebRezPro is an excellent addition to the portfolio of solutions we offer," expressed Dax Dasilva, Founder and CEO of Lightspeed.

WebRezPro Property Management System

ENVIRONMENTS/PLATFORMS

An Orca Enters Harbor

A strategic partnership with Orca Inventory (Agoura Hills, CA) brings inventory and order management to POS by Harbortouch (Allentown, PA). In addition to integration between the two systems, customers of Harbortouch will have access to exclusive pricing from Orca. As modules, Orca has Inventory Tracking and Control, Budgeting Tools, One Click Intelli-Vendor Ordering, Invoicing and Receiving, Financial Tracking and Statements, and Recipe Costing.

"Orca's technology complements Harbortouch's state-of-the-art restaurant POS system to provide the industry with a seamless front and back of the house application that will work together to maximize functionality, simplicity, and profitability," suggested Paul Sofsky, CEO at Orca Inventory. Started in 2013, Orca Inventory has forged ties with 30 providers of POS, including NCR Aloha and Oracle Micros.

"Orca's robust restaurant inventory management system can add considerable value for our customers," related Brian Jones, EVP of Sales and Marketing at Harbortouch. "By combining Orca with Harbortouch's POS system, restaurateurs will notice an immediate boost in accuracy, accountability, and ease of operations." In July, Harbortouch acquired three leading ISVs in hospitality POS--Restaurant Manager (Silver Spring, MD), Future POS (Butler, PA), and POSitouch (Warwick, RI)--and, along with its Harbortouch POS--formed the Lighthouse Network. A few years earlier, it led the movement of payment processors, as well as "POS-as-a-Service," into the realm of traditional POS.

Orca Restaurant Inventory Management System

Tales From the VirtuCrypt

A leading distributor of payment devices, POSDATA Group (Gig Harbor, WA), will now offer remote key injection (RKI) by computer security firm, Futurex (Bulverde, TX). This capacity by Futurex, designated VirtuCrypt Elements, will enable POSDATA Group to load various cryptographic acquirer, processor, and gateway keys into point-of-sale equipment in the field. With FIPS 140-2 Level 3, VirtuCrypt has successfully completed numerous independent, third-party compliance and security audits, including Payment Card Industry (PCI) Point-to-Point Encryption (P2PE), PCI Data Security Standard (DSS), PCI Hardware Security Modules (HSM), and PCI Personal Identification Number (PIN).

"VirtuCrypt Elements positions POSDATA at the forefront of RKI servicing in North America," proclaimed Brett Smith, Chairman and Principal at Futurex. "We are excited to partner with POSDATA and look forward to providing enterprise-class data security, while reducing friction in the merchant key injection experience." It will be delivered via the VirtuCrypt Hardened Enterprise Security Platform and VirtuCrypt Hardened Enterprise Security Cloud by Futurex.

"Our new RKI capability provides a faster, automated, and cost-effective alternative to traditional secure room key injection processes," enthused Jeffrey Creighton, CEO for POSDATA Group. "Our customers and partners will benefit greatly from such deployments." With offices across the U.S., including its key injection facility in Louisville, KY, POSDATA Group (the former Control Solutions) offers the full suite of device configuration, inventory warehousing, repair/upgrade, and management services. It represents one of the largest independent distributors of payment equipment, following the purchase of POS Portal by ScanSource in July and of The Phoenix Group by Ingram Micro Advanced Solutions in early November.

POSDATA Adds Remote Key Injection by Futurex

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
Poindus America
POSBANK USA
Posiflex
Tailwind Solutions

API & Marketplace
Omnivore

Barcode & Transaction Printers
Brother Mobile
CognitiveTPG
Godex Americas
Honeywell

Cash Drawers
APG Cash Drawer
MMF POS

Data Collection
CipherLab
Code Corporation
Denso ADC
Honeywell
Janam Technologies

Distribution
Ingram Micro

Integrated Payment Solutions
Datacap Systems
Cayan
iPayment
Monetary LLC
Payment Logistics
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

NRS at the Bodega

A relative newcomer in independent merchant POS, National Retail Solutions (Newark, NJ), has partnered with Pitco Foods, perhaps the leading wholesale distributor of groceries in Northern California. Through this agreement, Pitco Foods will offer NRS' POS terminals for sale in its four warehouse stores, addressing its base of 12,000 neighborhood merchant sites. A full slate of merchant services, payment processing, and POS are offered by National Retail Solutions.

A Division of IDT Corporation, which supplies telecommunications, National Retail Solutions sells PC-on-a-Cash Drawer. Its terminals, which include customer- and retailer-facing displays, peripherals, and beacon technologies, enable smaller retailers to issue and accept coupons and special offers from the leading providers of consumer packaged goods (CPG). At present, National Retail Solutions claims to have over 3 million members in its popular rewards program, dubbed BR Club (for "Boss Revolution"). In particular, it addresses the "highly fragmented ethnic and urban market," in the words of its VP, Eli Korn.

"We are delighted to work with Pitco Foods--a company that shares our commitment to helping independent retailers," observed Elie Katz, CEO at National Retail Solutions. "Retailers who purchase our POS terminals at their local Pitco warehouse will typically see a rapid return on their investment by using the powerful sales, marketing, and operational tools we provide through our terminals." On its website, National Retail Solutions, with 2,000 customers in its first year, addresses partners.

National Retail Solutions' POS Package

RAIL-ing Against Data Theft

TableSafe (Kirkland, WA) will deploy its pay-at-the table device, dubbed RAIL, for Bluewater Grill Restaurants, with eight sites in Southern California, and one in Phoenix, AZ. Encased in traditional leather folio, RAIL allows guests to self-pay with their credit card. It enables auto-calculation of tips, splitting of bills multiple ways (including pay-by-item), and e-mailed receipts. It also provides real-time feedback from guests for use by Bluewater Grill.

"The RAIL helps us enhance all aspects of the dining experience," indicated Jim Ulcickas, Co-Owner of Bluewater Grill. "It also improves staff efficiency in the front and back of the house and enhances the guest experience by streamlining the payment process. There's tremendous value in having a single guest payment solution that's multi-faceted. It does much more than just take payments."

"We are pleased to provide this level of security and convenience for Bluewater Grill," remarked Steve McKean, President of TableSafe, citing tokenization, Point-to-Point Encryption (P2PE), compliance with standards of the Payment Card Industry (PCI), and, most recently, EMV. On its website, TableSafe lists regional resellers: SDCR Business Systems (California), Enterprise Merchant Solutions (Washington and Oregon), Pontchartrain Systems (Gulf Coast), Qoss Consulting (Upstate New York), POS Solutions (Texas), and Pittsburgh POS Systems (Pennsylvania). As partners in POS, NCR Aloha and Oracle Micros.

TableSafe's Pay-at-the-Table Device: RAIL

Channel Factoid

Interesting finding from Zebra's 2017 Global Shopper Study: 44% of surveyed shoppers are still not satisfied with staff availability and customer service. When asked about access to consumer information, for example, 53% of Millennials believe they are better connected than store associates, compared to 32% of Gen X shoppers and 15% of Baby Boomers. Also 66% of shoppers want next-day or same-day delivery and 37% prefer same-day delivery or sooner, but 27% would not pay for shipping no matter the speed. Not surprisingly, 80% of those surveyed purchase items in-store and either take them home or ship from store to home. Shoppers are also taking advantage of other fulfillment options, such as buy online/ship to home (64%), buy online/pick-up in-store (34%), and buy online/ship to other locations (15%). On the positive side, more than half of surveyed shoppers believe technology is improving the shopping experience, with 57% specifically citing store associates using tablets. On the downside, out-of-stocks continue to plague retailers: when shopping in-store, 70% of shoppers have left without purchasing what they were seeking. However, when it comes to out-of-stock issues, retailers can recover six in ten incidents with discounts or alternative fulfillment options, such as ship to home. "Retailers have come a long way over the past decade to enhance the in-store shopping experience [since the 2008 Global Shopper Study]," reflected Jeff Schmitz, SVP and CMO at Zebra Technologies Corporation (Lincolnshire, IL), "but shopper expectations continue to rise at an exponential rate."

HELLO GOODBYE

APG's British Invasion

APG Cash Drawer (Minneapolis, MN) has enlisted Stephanie Hobley-Lloyd as its Senior Channel Account Manager for the U.K. and Ireland. A veteran of the channel for Auto ID/POS, Hobley-Lloyd previously served as Channel Manager for Datalogic (2014 to 2015 and 2016 to 2017) and Channel Manager for Motorola Solutions (2007 to 2013). In her new role, she will cover the company's three core product areas: General Applications, "Bespoke," and SMARTtill Cash Management Solution.

"I am enthralled with APG's culture and its dedication to providing customers the best products, services, and continuous support," relayed Hobley-Lloyd. "Having the opportunity to represent such a well-known and respected organization in POS is exciting as we embark on this journey. I look forward to working with our partners to enhance APG's presence and share in these key markets."

"The wide range of industry knowledge, experience, and relationships that Stephanie has cultivated is well-known within the U.K. and Ireland channel community," enthused Mike Doyle, Sales Director of EMEA at APG. "With a track record of developing and fostering successful channel relationships and partnerships, Stephanie will contribute significantly to the success and growth of our business." Hobley-Lloyd will be based in Newhaven, England, U.K.

Also, APG Cash Drawer has announced integration of its SMARTtill Solution --which reports cash value via weighable coin and note departments--with the VeriBalance Retail Enterprise Software Platform from Balance Innovations (Lenexa, KS). It furthers links between cash handling activities and back-office systems. "In addition to data analytics, this alliance will provide value across the retail organizational spectrum from operations, loss prevention, and treasury," noted Stephen Bergeron, VP of Global Marketing for APG Cash Drawer.

Stephanie Hobley-Lloyd, Senior Channel Account Manager for U.K. and Ireland, APG Cash Drawer

A Platinum Cherry

Cherry Americas (Pleasant Prairie, WI) has been awarded the 2017 Homeland Security Platinum Award by American Security Today. In this competition, Cherry's smart card readers were praised for their overall features, interoperability, design, quality of the products, and most specifically, their capability to increase public safety and national security. "We're honored to have our broad line of reliable smart card keyboards and readers chosen for this prestigious award," shared Phillip Kirsch, GM of Cherry Americas, LLC.

A comprehensive line at Cherry includes a trio of security products. As wired keyboards, the Cherry JK-A0100EU and JK-A0104EU furnish smart card reader and entry of Personal Identification Number (PIN). In this case, the reader is certified to CCID and EMV Level 1, FIPS 201, and ISO-7816. As stand-alone smart card readers, the Cherry ST-1144 has been designed for heavy use, with weighted base, one-hand operation, and USB. Also, the contact JT-0100WB, contactless JT-0200WB, and combination JT-0300WB offer secure local access in portable packages, according to Cherry Americas.

Phillip Kirsch, GM of Cherry Americas (at Right) Receives Homeland Security Platinum Award from Michael Madsen, President/Publisher at American Security Today (at Left)

The Omega Men

RMS Omega Technologies (Baltimore, MD), prominent barcode, wireless, and RFID VAR, has lengthened its executive bench with three new hires: Clayton Vigent as EVP of Sales, Scott Begbie as Director of Business Development, and Neil Amrhein as Director of Software Development. In addition, RMS Omega Technologies has announced its buy of RFID ISV Capturity (Owings Mills, MD).

Earlier, Vigent was Corporate VP at National Certified Testing Laboratories (2009 to 2013), VP of Solution Sales at Unified Barcode & RFID (2008 to 2009), and VP of Operations at Peak Technologies (1994 to 2006). On his part, Begbie served as Business Development Manager, then North American Director of Supplies Sales, at Zebra Technologies (2012 to 2016), preceded by Senior SAP Business Development Manager at Peak Technologies (2010 to 2012). Amrhein comes to RMS Omega from Capturity, where he was VP of Operations and Technology (1995 to 2017).

"It's an exciting time at RMS Omega," volunteered Peter Vatenos, VP of Marketing and Product Development. "Each team member brings with them unique skills along with a wealth of knowledge and expertise. We're thrilled to welcome everyone and to provide further support for our growing customer base."

Clayton Vigent, EVP of Sales, and Neil Amrhein, Director of Software Development, RMS Omega Technologies