This Week’s Product Pick

Bixolon America (Torrance, CA) has brought Apple iOS to its mobile thermal printer product line. Designated as “MFi,” this new series encompasses three models, representing their maximum print widths--the SPP-R200IIMFi, the SPP-R300MFi, and the SPP-R400MFi. Drawing upon the rugged, compact design of the vendor’s “SPP-R” series, these new printers feature print speed of four inch/second at 203 dpi, one-touch cover open, simple drop-in paper loading, WLAN/Bluetooth/Serial/USB, and MSR. Rechargeable Lithium-Ion batteries provide eight hours of continuous use and an IP-54 rating protects against water and dust. “We are the first manufacturer in the industry to deliver a complete line-up of Apple MFi Bluetooth handheld printers,” declared Alberto Hwang, President of Bixolon America. “Bixolon now offers effortless configuration and integration to all mobile platforms, from iOS and Windows Mobile, to Android and BlackBerry OS.”

SPP-R300MFi From Bixolon

COMPANY BUSINESS

“In-A-Box” for iOS

ShopKeep POS, one of the prominent purveyors of iPad-based POS, will be distributed throughout North America by BlueStar. This strategic partnership enables ShopKeep to provide its complete POS system, which encompasses software and hardware, through BlueStar’s bundled “In-A-Box” offerings, across new vertical markets, according to the two parties. For $49 per month, via subscription, ShopKeep POS rings sales, processes credit cards and mobile payments, tracks inventory, and supports customer relationship management for 3,000 locations at present.

“ShopKeep POS is a valuable addition to our all-in-one POS product portfolio,” stated Dean Reverman, Global Marketing Manager for BlueStar, based in Hebron, KY. “This partnership extends BlueStar’s commitment of offering best-in-class solutions that are easy to present, understand, and implement--and even more convenient for resellers and their merchants to gain a competitive edge.” It also marks an important milestone in the evolution of iPad-based POS, since BlueStar represents one of the truly dominant players in the channel for retail IT.

Busy days for ShopKeep. Last month, the developer released its POS Dashboard App for iOS and Android, allowing merchants access to store data over their smartphones. “ShopKeep POS keeps raising the bar for point-of-sale reporting,” testified one customer, Ike Escava, Co-Owner of The Bean coffee shop chain in the East Village of New York City, near ShopKeep’s offices. “I can now see real-time metrics on all three of my stores in one app with one click.” Elsewhere, ShopKeep has signed payment processing pacts with three new players--PayPal, Dwolla, and LevelUp--as disruptive elements in POS keep finding each other.

BlueStar Will Distribute ShopKeep POS Configuration

Oregon Trail Blazed by Touch Dynamic

Touch Dynamic has moved its facilities in Oregon to larger quarters in response to increased demand for its POS terminals. According to Toby Jensen, who oversees the West Coast for Touch Dynamic, this new facility more than doubles space, from 1,400 to 3,200 square feet, while bringing competitive advantages both regionally and nationally. These include more room for inventory, assembly, and repair, meeting areas for resellers and their customers, and greater breadth of time zone coverage.

“Our growth is tremendous and I want the ability to build bigger orders, which I’m getting, out here in the West,” Jensen told RRN.Com. “Right now, our bigger orders are all going out of our headquarters in Irvington, New Jersey, because we have staff and product there. My limitations are pretty much over when we move into the new facility. We’ll have more stock, and push more orders out of here.”

Jensen also noted that Kevin Hanson, one of his newer employees, has been trained to do support. “He’s taking over from the New Jersey guys when they go home for the day, so we’re going to have West Coast support up to 5 PM PST, which translates to East Coast support up to 8 PM EST,” said Jensen. “If an order comes out of New Jersey later in the day, and it needs to get out, we can ship it out of Oregon in most cases. Another thing to set us apart from the competition.”

Jensen shows no shortage of passion for the POS industry, as many RRN.Com readers know, and proudly points to Touch Dynamic’s Bronze Vendor Award of Excellence in Hardware from the Retail Solutions Providers Association. This follows multiple awards with previous employers such as ECR Sales Management and POS Sales Management. The new Touch Dynamic facility is located at 14937 SW Tualatin-Sherwood Road, Suite 305, Tualatin, Oregon 97140. In addition to Oregon and New Jersey, Touch Dynamic, led by Craig Paritz, President, also has an office in Houston, Texas.

POS Manufacturer Moves to Bigger Facility on the West Coast

Worth Your While

Pack Expo 2012
Packaging Manufacturers Machinery Institute
October 28-31
Chicago

Customer Engagement Technology World
JDEvents
November 7-8
New York

IAAPA Expo 2012
International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions
November 12-16
Orlando

INSPIRE 2013
Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA)
January 20-23, 2013
Curacao, Lesser Antilles

[Editor’s Note: Datalogic ADC has scheduled its free “Retail Supply Chain in the New Economy” seminars for resellers and system integrators. Sessions will take place on October 16 at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta and October 18 at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. Seating is limited and complimentary lunch will be served. For registration, click here.]

ALL IN THE FAMILY

Elo Doubles Down on POS

Elo Touch Solutions (Menlo Park, CA) has unveiled bezel-free touch monitors in popular sizes for POS, the 15-inch 1517L and 17-inch 1717L. These new subsystems are described as ruggedized, lightweight (9 lbs. and 12 lbs., respectively), modern looking, and environmentally friendly (with LED backlights). Two touchscreen technologies are offered: anti-glare AccuTouch five-wire resistive, with broad input flexibility, and clear-glass iTouch surface acoustic wave, for maximum optical quality. Both offer stable, drift-free operation, native optimal resolution of 1024x768, and typical response time of 25 milliseconds.

“The 1517L/1717L are flexible, space-saving desktop monitors designed to meet the durability and aesthetics requirements for front-of-the-store, back-office, kiosk, and even out-of-store applications,” relayed Ehsan Ayar, Elo’s Product Manager. “Zero-bezel touch monitors are as practical as they are beautiful. The easy-to-clean screen surface is resistant to water, dust, and grease, making it an excellent choice for use in such public environments.”

An optional three-track magnetic-stripe reader (MSR), programmable to HID or Keyboard Emulation, may be installed without external brackets or attachments. Controls have been placed on the side rather than the front, with lock-out function for public use, and mounting holes on the stand bottom for tabletop security. Digital Onscreen Display (OSD) appears in the extensive roster of settings, along with support for the seven major languages, including simplified and traditional Chinese.

Elo Touch 1717L Bezel-Free Rugged Touch Monitor

TabletKiosk at Your Table

TabletKiosk (Torrance, CA) has debuted its newest specialized, ultra-mobile device, the eo a7400, with seven-inch screen, multi-touch input, and electronic signature capture. Featuring small form factor, modular expansion system, and full graphics and audio capability, this new tablet supports desktop operating systems, Windows Professional and Linux, as well as cloud-based computing apps. “Since 2004, TabletKiosk has been supplying mobile computing solutions to the casino market,” said Martin Smekal, CEO/President, at the recent Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas. “Based on customer feedback, we believe eo a7400 will find its unique niche for table management, mobile POS, remote check-in, and customer tracking” [in this and other markets].

Powered by an Intel Atom N2600 CPU, 64 GB Solid-State Drive, and 2 GB RAM, this new device delivers expected capabilities such as dual digitizer, auto-rotation of the screen, and front and rear facing cameras. Communication includes USB 2.0, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, optional 3.5G cellular, as well as enhanced hardware encryption via Trusted Platform Module (TCG Version 1.2). Additionally, eo a7400 offers an integrated 10/100 Ethernet port for direct access to corporate networks, as well as two Lithium-Ion battery packs, one internal, the other hot-swappable, supplying six hours of continuous computing.

Finally, eo a7400 was designed to utilize many of the same accessories and components from the company’s signature Sahara Slate PC i500 for mixed system installations. Such items include batteries and charger, modules for magnetic-stripe reading and barcode scanning, and power cords. TabletKiosk sells through resellers, partners with independent software vendors in its target vertical markets (hospitality and gaming, field force automation, government and education, and healthcare), and currently uses Seneca Data (Syracuse, NY), New Wave Technologies (Frederick, MD), and Filbitron Systems Group (Markham, ON, Canada) as its distributors.

TabletKiosk Debuts Fourth Generation Ultra-Mobile Device

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PARTNER PROGRAMS

Casio Rides the Cloud

Casio America (Dover, NJ) has armed its Android-based VX-100 POS terminal with the Registroid Cloud general retail system from Registroid (Mobile, AL). This combination of platforms results in significant benefits for users, according to the new partners, including transparent control of multiple terminals, instantaneous data updates for business transactions, whether online or off-line, enhanced network security, and complete back-office functionality such as reporting, maintenance, and software updates. As initial target segments for Registroid Cloud on the VX-100 POS terminal, Casio has identified food trucks, bakeries, coffee shops, and counter service restaurants.

“Teaming up with Registroid allows us to expand our reach within the retail industry and offers users a feature-rich point-of-sale solution that will stimulate business growth,” volunteered Larry Sampey, GM of Casio’s System Products Division. “The addition of the Registroid Cloud system to Casio’s VX-100 provides another level of speed, flexibility, and ease of use for thousands of different users.” Next, in Q4, Registroid will launch its software for small to medium-sized restaurants, which will also be available on Casio’s VX-100, “at an incredibly low price” with features such as item modifiers, open tickets, and kitchen/prep displays.

Introduced last summer, Casio’s VX-100 carries fanless design, an adjustable 10.4-inch full-color touchscreen, an attached high-speed thermal receipt printer, and built-in 2x20 customer-facing display. With external dimensions of 9 in. (H) x 15.5 in. (W) x 9.3 in. (D), and weight of 11 lbs., this new system employs the ARM Cortex Dual Core CPU at 533 MHz, 512 MB RAM, and 2 GB Flash ROM. A full complement of ports are provided, including Ethernet, Serial, and USB, with peripherals such as cash drawer, magnetic-stripe reader (MSR), and PIN Pad. Casio also has partnered with Moleq (New York), with its MG-POS Version 2.0 for grocery and convenience stores.

More ISV Support for Casio’s VX-100 Android POS Terminal

Star Enlists e-Nabler

Whatever its ultimate impact on the POS channel, Apple certainly fuels sales for peripheral vendors. Just recently, Star Micronics America (Edison, NJ) added mobile retail software developer e-Nabler Corporation (San Juan, Puerto Rico) to the list of certifications for its receipt printers. Specifically, e-Nabler’s eMobilePOS 4.0 now will support the Star TSP654L and TSP143L for use with iPad, iPhone, and iPod. With real-time, web-based sales analytics for monitoring field sales forces or multiple retail locations, through SaaS, eMobilePOS 4.0 provides necessary functions for sales, payment, and inventory.

“As part of our commitment to providing best-of-breed mobility tools to our merchants, we are happy to announce the integration of Star Micronics printers with our eMobilePOS app,” commented Joel Vazquez, CEO/President of e-Nabler Corporation. “This partnership enhances the functionality and versatility of eMobilePOS to service various printing requirements of our customers under different business conditions. Star printers will be an integral part of our full-feature mobile point-of-sale suite, yielding operational efficiencies with cutting-edge, industrial-grade hardware.”

“The addition of Star Micronics printers to eMobilePOS 4.0 makes the solution even more complete,” declared Christophe Naasz, Star’s Director of Marketing. “Checkout will be quick and convenient with the fast print speeds of the Star printers and the various features of eMobilePOS 4.0.” Naasz also announced Henry Shen, formerly of ABC Television, as Star’s new Marketing Coordinator.

Henry Shen, New Marketing Coordinator, Star Micronics America

Code Corner

SpeedLine POS (Lynden, WA) has published SpeedLine Version 6.4, with modern interface design and range of new tools to increase restaurant sales and efficiency. Inspired by the popularity of mobile apps, this latest release of the pizza and delivery point-of-sale software has received positive reviews by early users, according to the company. Beyond its sleek look, new screens improve order accuracy with faster button selection and better readability and the new wizard makes it easier to add logos or images to menu buttons. Leveraging the SpeedLine Technology Network, Version 6.4 also engages eThor (San Francisco), an award-winning web marketing developer. This integration provides an online dashboard that restaurant operators can use to manage all their media needs, e-mail, text, and blog marketing in one place. It can be used alongside an existing web ordering site, or as part of the full-circle eThor solution with web, mobile, and social network ordering. “To increase online sales, you need to engage with people wherever they’re finding you,” said Gary Ziegler, CEO of eThor. “One platform to push deals and menu promos, with one click of the button, out to all the channels.” Other Version 6.4 enhancements include efficiency drivers such as automated day end processing, alternative store suggestions when the customer’s address falls outside the store’s delivery area, and links to human resource systems to simplify onboarding at restaurant locations.

ALLIANCES

LevelUp Seeks Rock Star Status

LevelUp (Boston), one of the mobile commerce providers promoting “zero interchange,” or no processing fees for merchants, has attracted the support of three major POS platforms: Micros, POSitouch, and Dinerware. LevelUp assigns QR Codes for settling transactions, which are scanned at the POS register. Under its scheme, transactions get logged alongside companion credit card and cash payments, making balancing the register much easier upon closing. In addition, loyalty programs through LevelUp may be linked directly into the merchant’s POS system, making it easier to track customer activity and configure campaigns.

“Integrating with Micros, POSitouch, and Dinerware, three of the largest point-of-sale companies in the country, is a huge opportunity for LevelUp,” suggested Christina Dorobek, VP of Partner Development and “Rock Star.” “Our strategy is to seamlessly work with the existing systems our merchants use every day, so LevelUp not only becomes easy for the consumer to use, but also ultra-simple for the merchant to introduce. LevelUp brings real value in the form of campaigns, and now merchants will easily be able to track this data.”

LevelUp now claims integration with 30% of the total POS market. It has been very aggressive of late with the introduction of its LevelUp White Label Program for custom branding as well as its software development kit (SDK). “Lots of our customers have great brands, epic brands with serious cult followings,” remarked Seth Priebatsch, LevelUp’s “Chief Ninja.” “They’ve told us they want LevelUp’s unique combination of mobile payments and loyalty-driving campaigns, but they’ve got to make it their own.”

Mobile Commerce Scheme Utilizes QR Codes

Behind Fujitsu’s Curtain, Miradore

Fujitsu America (Dallas) will bring remote management technology from Miradore (Helsinki) into its POS in North America. Branded as “Fujitsu Retail Systems Management, Powered by Miradore,” this new offering builds upon the mutually successful relationship between the two companies in Europe. For end-users, the new platform provides remote access to devices across the enterprise such as POS terminals, PCs, notebooks, servers, printers, network equipment, smartphones, and tablets. It spans operating systems from Windows, Linux and Mac OS X, and for mobile, from Android, iOS and Symbian.

“We are excited about the benefits we can bring our retail customers with this solution,” stated Marc Janssens, VP of Retail Operations for Fujitsu America. “This scalable suite optimizes the availability of computers in retail stores while at the same time lowers the total cost of ownership by streamlining administration and reducing site visits to an absolute minimum. The remote management suite can be installed within our customer environment and is self-managed by the retailer, providing them with immediate access to available information and tools.”

Changes and updates to devices are implemented directly from the management console, with dashboard, and automatically recorded to the configuration management database. This includes any operating system and application deployments. In addition to facilitating IT management, the solution cuts electricity costs by providing tools to remotely shut down POS devices during non-trading periods such as overnight. As an estimate, such automatic shutdown and start-up of 5,000 legacy POS terminals with average power consumption of 100 W for 10 hours every night brings $182,500 annual savings, according to Fujitsu.

Marc Janssens, VP, Retail Operations, Fujitsu America

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
Yellowfin Distribution

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

ENVIRONMENTS/PLATFORMS

An Engine of Progress at Honeywell

Honeywell Scanning & Mobility (Fort Mill, SC) has packaged its new N8600 area-imaging engine, which features five-megapixel, high-resolution performance, for the OEM market. Unlike traditional page scanners, the N8600 captures an entire document in sub-seconds, with accompanying reduction of maintenance costs due to its lack of moving parts, the manufacturer reported. Similarly, it minimizes the need to sort and align documents by using auto-crop technology. As two-dimensional barcode reader with wide angle optics, this new engine may be mounted 20% closer to the code versus competing devices, the manufacturer further maintained. With physical dimensions of 1.9 in. (H) x 1.7 in. (W) x 0.58 in. (D) and weight of 0.6 oz., the N8600 features 1 GHz decoder board for fast reading and processing.

“After reforming the mainstream area-imaging market in 2011 with the introduction of the color-imaging N5600 series, we turned our focus to specialty imaging,” commented Rob Hussey, Director of Worldwide OEM Marketing for Honeywell Scanning & Mobility. “The N8600 addresses an unmet need to easily read both wide and high density codes, and capture detail-rich images, all in a single device. Honeywell will continue to develop advanced, easy-to-integrate engines with long, stable lifecycles, driving lower total cost of ownership for OEMs.”

For users seeking solutions with additional visibility and customization, the N8600 is fully compatible with Honeywell Scanning & Mobility’s development and device management platforms, the Remote MasterMind software suite and the TotalFreedom architecture. Further, OEMs may draw upon the manufacturer’s engineering support, ensuring integration and service throughout the lifetime of the engine. Likely markets such as clinical healthcare automation, kiosk and ATM reading, and gaming and lottery were cited for the N8600 area-imaging engine.

High-Resolution Area-Imaging Package for OEMs

ATS Ticks, PeopleSoft Clicks

The new PeopleSoft Time and Attendance Test Laboratory has selected Cesium from Accu-Time Systems (Ellington, CT) as its exclusive time-clock and integration middleware package. Founded by HRoi Consulting and International Intellectual Capital Provider, both leading consultants focusing on PeopleSoft, which is owned by Oracle, this virtual test laboratory seeks to serve as an incubator for best practices and future development. Spanning hardware and software, Cesium from ATS ties to the Time and Labor module in PeopleSoft Enterprise and manages terminals, communications, and biometric templates with automated status monitoring.

In addition to PeopleSoft, this facility will pursue payroll interfaces and integration to time-clocks, third-party payroll providers, and workforce scheduling systems, according to its stakeholders. It will address payroll and localized processes and configurations in PeopleSoft in participating countries like the U.S., Canada, Belgium, France, and Singapore. Not coincidentally, Accu-Time Systems serves as an Oracle Gold Partner. Oracle, by the way, does not directly sanction the PeopleSoft Time and Attendance Test Laboratory, which was constructed by users.

“We chose Accu-Time Systems for our laboratory because their time-clocks are manufactured to strict quality standards and their integration software is comprehensive and powerful,” reported Jiju Vengal, President of HRoi Consulting and Founder of the PeopleSoft Time and Attendance Laboratory. “Furthermore, both their clock and their software handle biometric data exceptionally well. Our mission is to give PeopleSoft T&A users the best possible experience with their enterprise resource planning (ERP) system.”

Cesium Time & Attendance Family by Accu-Time Systems

Channel Factoid

About 15 years ago, RFID technology pioneer Kevin Ashton coined the term “Internet of Things” to describe the world in which smart interconnected devices provide greater visibility into an organization’s operational events. Now barcoding, RFID, and real-time location systems (RTLS) have moved us much closer to that vision, according to “Building Value from Visibility: 2012 Enterprise Internet of Things Adoption Outlook,” by Forrester Consulting. First, surveyed IT executives have positive perceptions of the term, Internet of Things, and 85% agree with its definition. Momentum appears strong, as 15% of surveyed organizations across the world already have an Internet of Things solution in place, 53% plan to implement one within the next two years, and another 14% in the next two to five years. In looking at adoption by industry, 21% of transportation and logistics respondents noted they already have Internet of Things in place. Only 3% of healthcare organizations have them in place. Around the world, the majority of IT decision-makers are turning to the Internet of Things to provide more visibility in the supply chain and improve customer interactions, according to this research. “Organizations are struggling to do more with less, to be more productive,” summarized Anders Gustafsson, CEO of Zebra Technologies, which commissioned the survey. “They actively seek not only smarter ways to track and manage assets, but also insights that can drive new, breakthrough ideas.”

INSTALLATIONS

Jumping Jacks at Merchant Warehouse

Merchant Warehouse (Boston) has been designated as preferred payment processing partner by Achieve Fitness USA, one of the most aggressive entities in exercise, with the goal of 1,000 licensees in the U.S. by 2015. Under the agreement, Merchant Warehouse will supply its payment technologies and merchant services to this franchise operation. This includes its next-generation system, Genius EX, which allows merchants to accept payments through multiple platforms and methodologies, including smartphone and tablets, integrates with Achieve Fitness’ recommended accounting software packages, and provides 24/7/365 customer service and technical support.

Merchant Warehouse has launched four products in its Genius Solution Suite: Genius EX, Genius TX, Genius STX, and Genius ITX. In the simplest terms, each step adds another layer of sophistication, addressing, in ascending order, basic payment processing, mobile marketing, an ability to accept any payment type including NFC, EMV Chip-and-PIN, and QR Codes, as well as any gift, loyalty, or reward programming, and finally, one-and done integration with maximum flexibility and overall control. “These first four Genius solutions offer any customer or entry point into the world of mobile payments and mobile commerce,” explained Henry Helgeson, CEO of Merchant Warehouse. All forms of Genius will roll out in the next three months, according to the company.

“Our company had used several different credit card processing companies over the years,” recounted Tony Conz, National Director of Regional Development at Achieve Fitness. “We spent a lot of time researching various credit card processing companies after being burned in the past, and finally arriving at Merchant Warehouse because of their low rates, we have stayed with them over the years because of their excellent service. Our experience with Merchant Warehouse has been nothing short of perfect. They consistently exceed our expectations, which, unfortunately, is rare in the merchant service industry.”

Genius Payment Platform by Merchant Warehouse

Intermec Digs “E-Citation”

In an example of “e-citation,” or electronic traffic ticketing, Intermec (Everett, WA) has supplied its CN50 mobile computer to the Sand Springs Police Department, located in Tulsa, OK, to be used in conjunction with DigiTicket software from Saltus Technologies, also based in Tulsa. This solution replaces the previous carbon-paper-based process for improved efficiency and officer safety, according to the two parties. Rather sizeable, Sand Springs Police Department encompasses 32 sworn officers and 42 police vehicles.

Under the new system, officers scan the two-dimensional barcode on the back of the driver’s license using the CN50’s capability and can quickly complete tickets with mobile thermal printers. The CN50 allows DigiTicket to capture an electronic signature, photograph, GPS coordinates of the stop, and even voice-directed notes by the officer. At the end of the shift, officers upload citation information directly into the DigiTicket web application.

Because of increased productivity, reduction in errors, and overall automated processes, the Police Department has virtually eliminated all manual data entry and paperwork, according to Mike Carter, SSPD Assistant Police Chief. “Since deploying, we’ve already seen increased citation revenue by nearly 65% and have reduced administrative expenses by $8,500 annually,” Carter observed. “But perhaps most importantly, we’ve seen 67% reduction in traffic accidents and 50% reduction in time to issue citations, which means both our officers and residents are safer as the result.” Last month, incidentally, Intermec lauded its CTO, Arvin Danielson, for winning the Richard R. Dilling Award, the highest honor from AIM, the trade society for Automatic Identification and Mobility. Danielson joined Intermec in 1975 and has since held several engineering and technical management positions in research and development, as well as more than 85 current patents.

N50 Mobile Computer by Intermec