Our Product Pick

CRS, Inc. (St. Paul, MN) has featured an enhanced 3" SAM4s Ellix 40 direct-thermal receipt printer, with speed of 10.6 inch/270 mm per second (at 180 dpi)--up 20%. Weighing 7 lbs., measuring 5.6 in. (W) x 5.4 in. (H) x 7.6 in. (D), the SAM4s Ellix 40 also has added new anti-jam technology and jam-free cutters. In addition, it carries an advanced, two-color LCD that displays errors and messages and enables users to select printer options without the use of dip-switches. Other attributes: aluminum mainframe, drop-in paper loading, dual interface with standard USB, near-end paper sensor, and Energy Star. Finally, it ships with everything needed for installation--including the appropriate communication cable and cable management cover.

SAM4s Ellix 40

COMPANY BUSINESS

Flipping the Switch With Zebra

It's almost ready, the newly combined channel program of Zebra Technologies and the former Motorola Solutions' Enterprise Business, formally christened "PartnerConnect." First announced in May, and fine-tuned since on the "Global Listening Tour," this now will roll out in Q2 2016. Superseding Zebra's PartnersFirst and Motorola's PartnerEmpower, "PartnerConnect" encapsulates the vendor's relationship with its partners, ties among partners themselves, as well as the emergence of Enterprise Asset Intelligence (EAI), RRN.Com was told by Denise Hampton, Director of North America Channel Strategy for Zebra Technologies (Lincolnshire, IL).

"It won't be linear, from the bottom to the top, it's more inclusive and less rigid than that--to match the state of the marketplace," Hampton told RRN.Com in May. Now, in its final form, this philosophy is reflected in four segments: entry-level "Registered Resellers," experienced Auto ID "Business Partners," end-to-end "Solution Partners," and direct-market "Broadline Technology Resellers." Specialized programs are offered in five areas--card, supplies, wireless networks, print engines, and RFID.

Some things to note: for the first time, Zebra's legacy printer products will carry deal registration. According to Hampton, resellers have been asking for this for some time. In addition, growth rebates will be extended for the Premier Level in "Business Partners" and "Solution Partners"--including extra rebates in the five product specializations. "Our partners are now being slotted based on the intelligence we have," Hampton told RRN.Com. "They need to watch for notification in Q4 alerting them they will need to sign t's and c's (terms and conditions), so in Q2 we can flip the switch on PartnerConnect."

Denise Hampton, Director of North America Channel Strategy, Zebra Technologies

An Engagement Party at Verifone

Verifone (San Jose, CA) has unwrapped its next generation of payment devices. Its intention, in the case of both shoppers and sellers, may be deduced from the name, "Engage." Multiple models are offered, with consumer-driven form factor, multi-media displays, and Linux O/S. In support, the Verifone App Marketplace will stock third-party solutions.

"The Verifone Engage family of products is a major paradigm shift in our approach to the Point-of-Sale," declared Glen Robson, EVP and Global Head of Terminals Solutions for Verifone. "We're leveraging the power and performance of our open and flexible architecture to bring an entirely different level of interaction between consumers and merchants. With a two-way conversation that can happen at the counter and anywhere in the store, we are making the shopping experience more profitable for merchants and more rewarding for consumers."

In making its announcement, prior to the Money 20/20 Show next week in Las Vegas, Verifone was stingy with details of Engage. It stresses an "enhanced buying experience with two-way customer interactivity," including delivery of rich media and loyalty materials. In terms of security, there's encryption and tokenization, with PCI 4.X. It carries full compatibility with all payment methods and wallets, naturally, as well as connectivity via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). Piloting in Q4, Engage will roll out globally throughout 2016 and 2017.

Verifone Reveals Its Next Generation of Payment Devices, Designated "Engage"

Worth Your While

Money 20/20
i2i Events
October 25-28
Las Vegas

IAAPA Expo 2015
International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions
November 16-20
Orlando

NRF's Big Show - Annual Conference
National Retail Federation
January 17-20, 2016
New York City

Inspire 2016
Retail Solutions Providers Association
Jan. 31 - Feb. 3, 2016
San Diego

Transact 16
Electronic Transactions Association
April 19-21, 2016
Las Vegas

ALL IN THE FAMILY

Denso: My Little GT20

Denso ADC (Long Beach, CA) has debuted its new line of general-purpose handheld scanners, the GT20. Available in two models, one-dimensional (compatible with wide linear barcodes) and two-dimensional (with read from any angle), the GT20 meets IP-65 ratings for water and dust, withstands repeated drops to concrete of 6.6 ft./2 m, and spans temperature range of -4 to 122 degrees F. All models provide data transmission to smart devices, via so-called "Magic Key," with modes for data re-transfer, designated character transfer, and read code switching.

Weighing 6 oz., with ergonomic design, the GT20 helps to reduce operator fatigue and increase productivity. It easily reads codes displayed on liquid crystal screens, offers confirmation by light, sound, or vibration, and furnishes photo capability for product verification. All models include locking cord connector to remain securely attached to the power source during operation, as well as built-in hook for plant rigs.

"Denso took all the best features of our handheld scanners, made them better, and combined them in the new GT20," commented David Keller, Business Manager of Denso ADC. "This device gives customers what they want in a scanner: more power, versatility, and resilience for greater safety and efficiency." As part of its go-to-market strategy, Denso ADC has its tiered VAR Program (Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze) with lead distribution, joint marketing funds, discounted demo pricing, and training--based on dollar volume of purchases.

New GT20 Barcode Scanner by Denso ADC

Happy Hour for GenPOS PF1500Z

A wholly integrated package of software and hardware for bar sales by GenPOS (Montreal). At its center, the next-generation Eclipse PF1500Z POS Terminal, with zero-bezel 15" projected-capacitive touchscreen. Offered with a choice of standard-level Pentium G or high-performance iCore CPU, the PF1500Z can support up to 16-GB RAM and Intel HD Graphics. It comes standard with Windows 7 Professional.

In addition, the Eclipse PF1500Z may be ordered with built-in liquor control by Control Plus. Here, two spout schemes are supported: ring-coded or RFID. Both allow metered pouring of liquor portions, which may be customized, and sending of information directly into the POS. With language displays in English, Spanish, or French, the Eclipse PF1500Z with liquor control also furnishes beer line monitoring. A full range of peripherals--credit card reader, receipt printer, cash drawer, customer-facing display--are available from GenPOS.

"A whole new concept in bar and restaurant POS management, the Eclipse PF1500Z All-in-One Terminal offers all the features of standard POS, coupled with its fully embedded liquor dispensing and control system," elaborated GenPOS. "No need for the POS and LC hardware to take up expensive space--now you can have both inside the same hardware unit." A member of the Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA), GenPOS.

GenPOS Offers POS and Embedded Liquor Control in Eclipse PF1500Z

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ALLIANCES

Busy Days at BlueStar

Distributor BlueStar (Hebron, KY) has extended its line card in the U.S. with printing products by Printronix (Irvine, CA). A longtime supplier in its category, familiar to many readers of RRN.Com, Printronix has recently reinvigorated its efforts in thermal barcode technology. "Timing of this relationship is fantastic because of the T8000 and M4L2, two recently launched printers that have already garnered accolades," noted Ron Gilles, VP of Americas Sales and Marketing at Printronix, which also has Ingram Micro, ScanSource, and Synnex.

"Printronix has a great portfolio of line matrix, thermal, and RFID printers, as well as serviced, managed solutions," according to Rob Dorsey, VP of Sales for BlueStar. "With the ever-changing landscape and rapidly evolving Internet of Things, our customers and their end-users are demanding more options. Printronix gives BlueStar the ability to serve our customers with additional product and service offerings."

Further, in the area of digital signage, BlueStar has signed LG Electronics USA (Englewood Cliffs, NJ). As central to this agreement: LG's line of 4K Ultra HD Displays for enterprise-applications across verticals such as retail, quick-service restaurants, and transportation. These include LED BackLit Displays, Digital Signage Media Players, Outdoor and Touch Displays, as well as the new, fully integrated package of hardware and content management dubbed "LG SuperSign TV."

New Printronix T8000 Industrial Barcode Printer, Now Distributed by BlueStar

Maitre'D Seats Bixolon

Bixolon America (Torrance, CA) has received certification from another historic ISV for restaurants--Maitre'D (Seattle, WA). It has completed testing of its software package with popular printers such as Model SRP-350plusIII, SRP-275II, SRP-F310, and SPP-R300 from Bixolon America. As additional certifications, Bixolon America now holds restaurant ISVs Aldelo (Pleasanton, CA), Focus POS (San Antonio, TX), and Future POS (Butler, PA); specialty retail ISV CAP Software (Ft. Worth, TX); and social media loyalty-program ISV FanDine (Burnaby, BC, Canada).

"These printers are really the building blocks of the Bixolon M-POS line of thermal printers," explained John Choi, Product Manager at Bixolon America. "With drop-in paper loading, they are faster and quieter than the competition, and with bi-directional print technology our printers have higher operational reliability." Choi added that, "We are extremely pleased to have another certification, especially with a company like Maitre'D."

"Our POS software solutions are built on the premise of helping our customers make more money," relayed Shannon Arnold, Marketing Director at Maitre'D. "Since IT investments are all about the ROI, we focus on adding features that ultimately benefit our customers' bottom line." Arnold went on to state, "With over 20,000 customers worldwide, we look to Bixolon to help us continue the dependability that Maitre'D offers to our client base."

Waterproof 3" SRP-F310 Thermal Receipt Printer From Bixolon

Code Corner

Microscan (Renton, WA) has unveiled browser-based barcode reading as part of its new industrial identification platform, dubbed MicroHawk. Along with the introduction of three new readers, the MicroHawk WebLink UI has been designed to radically simplify installation, set-up, and operation. No software is required; rather, the software and memory are hosted inside the MicroHawk reader itself. Users access and manage decoded data and barcode images in real-time via an IP address. Utilizing basic information about the job (i.e., barcode type, application type, number of codes), the WebLink UI automatically adjusts the settings of the connected MicroHawk reader. Also, job files may be saved from the reader to external devices, allowing easy transfer of barcode settings by factory technicians, with no pre-configuration of equipment. "MicroHawk was designed as a convergence of technology innovation and feedback from our customers," recounted Andrew Zosel, VP of Engineering and Marketing at Microscan.

MicroHawk WebLink

NOTES FROM THE FIELD - EMV EDITION

A Simple Case of Cayan . . .

One of the major payment processors in our channel, Cayan (Boston, MA), has embraced CardFlight (New York City), and its SwipeSimple, for its preferred solution for Mobile POS. Launched in 2014, SwipeSimple carries encrypted EMV-ready mobile card readers, payment acceptance applications for iOS and Android, real-time reporting and admin dashboards for merchants, and reseller portal for easy on-boarding and portfolio management. Cayan will process SwipeSimple transactions leveraging CardFlight's PCI-DSS Level 1 Compliant payment gateway.

"In the weeks since the EMV liability shift, Cayan has continued to establish partnerships with companies like CardFlight to provide our partners and merchants with the best technology options for EMV acceptance at the Point-of-Sale," reported Marc Castrechini, VP of Product Management at Cayan. "Cayan's stand-alone and integrated POS solutions are EMV-ready, and this partnership extends that capability to the Mobile POS, offering the same level of compliance to merchants who accept payments using tablets or smartphones." As its flagship product, Cayan offers its Genius Customer Engagement Platform.

"Cayan is a leader in offering differentiated payments technology to their customers and integrated partners," testified Derek Webster, CEO and Founder of CardFlight. "We're excited to be working with them to offer a great solution to enable Cayan merchants to accept payments on their mobile devices." Winner of the Technology Innovation Award by the Electronic Transaction Association (ETA) in 2014, CardFlight supports over 20 different payment processors.

Cayan Embraces CardFlight's SwipeSimple for Mobile POS

. . . And Tale of Talech and Ingenico

POS ISV Talech Inc. (Palo Alto, CA) has chosen EMV-ready payment terminals from Ingenico Group. All payment forms are covered--Swipe, Chip-and-PIN, Chip-and-Signature, and NFC. A cloud-based, iPad solution, Talech was debuted by payment processor Elavon in 2013. Activation takes place via easy, processor-neutral software download, according to the two parties.

"At Talech, we strive to build intuitive and intelligent solutions for small to medium-sized business owners," contributed Irv Henderson, CEO and Founder of Talech. "With our partnership with Ingenico, millions of business owners no longer have to choose between their existing terminal and cloud-based POS." Via middleware provider OneSaaS, Talech links with accounting platform QuickBooks and e-commerce platform Shopify.

"We are delighted that Talech has chosen Ingenico Group's semi-integrated offering with our terminals to enable a suite of services for small businesses worldwide," volunteered Rod Hometh, SVP for Strategic Development, North America Ingenico Group (Alpharetta, GA). "This solution provides merchants a versatile and easy-to-implement migration path to EMV." Incidentally, Ingenico, based in France, has ended its take-over attempt of British rival WorldPay. Instead, an IPO for WorldPay.

Talech Adopts Ingenico's Payment Terminals for Its Cloud and iPad-Based POS

Key Advertiser Links

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

POS & Peripherals
AnywhereCommerce
Bematech
Elo Touch Solutions
Harbortouch
Hewlett-Packard
Partner Tech
Pioneer POS
POSBANK USA
Posiflex
PowaPOS
TEAMSable

Barcode & Transaction Printers
Brother Mobile
CognitiveTPG
Honeywell Scanning

Cash Drawers
MMF POS

Data Collection
CipherLab
Code Corporation
Datalogic
Honeywell Scanning

Integrated Payment Solutions
Cayan
Datacap Systems
Discover
iPayment Inc.
Mercury/Vantiv
Moneris
Shift4

Keyboards & Mobile POS
Cherry, ZF Electronics Corp
PrehKeyTec

Receipt Printers
Bixolon America
CognitiveTPG
Epson America
Star Micronics

Thermal Printers
Seiko Instruments USA

Touchscreens & Monitors
Elo Touch Solutions

INSTALLATIONS

NCR Gets the DTT's

An ancillary area which has proven fruitful for VARs has been video surveillance of the POS. A leading provider, DTT (Las Vegas, NV) has now announced its first direct integration with POS, which happens to be NCR Silver. DTT piloted this integration with several The Cookie Place stores, the largest Great American Cookies franchise, which reportedly signed with DTT based on NCR Silver. As customers, DTT has McDonald's, Subway, Dairy Queen, Burger King, Dunkin Donuts, Taco Bell, and KFC.

"Before integration with NCR Silver, we didn't have a system in place to catch items like low sales values, discounts, and voids," indicated Jeff Pizitz, President for The Cookie Place. "We were exhilarated when DTT told us they would be partnering with NCR Silver and offering us the printer tap integration. Our 'SmartAudits' from DTT now reflect numerous transactional integrity issues that we were not able to see previously. There has been a lot of sweethearting and unauthorized discounts, which we can now take action to correct."

"We pride ourselves on doing whatever we can to ensure customers have the best possible experience with our loss prevention solution," reflected Jim Mack, VP of Technology and Product Development for DTT. "This partnership with NCR Silver is the latest example of the ways in which we adapt our services to fit the specific needs of each customer. We are very enthusiastic about this partnership and look forward to the additional functionality that NCR Silver will be adding in the coming months."

An Integration Between DTT Video Surveillance and NCR Silver POS

Raymark's Gold Mine

Raymark (Montreal) has provided its retail management suite for Day's Jewelers, the family owned chain with six locations in Maine and New Hampshire. Aimed at modernization of omni-channel operations across the company, this install includes Point-of-Sale, Clienteling, Order Management, Customer Relationship Management, Inventory, and Analytics. Raymark, which partners with HP and Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions in POS, has titled its platform, "Mosaic."

A data breach in 2011 exposed personal information of tens of thousands of customers at Day's Jewelers. With its new system, in addition to strengthened security, the retailer will benefit from: real-time, centralized, jewelry-specific feature set; inventory control with support for customer orders, serialized, and consignment products; and automation for smarter purchasing, replenishment, and allocations. It also integrates with the retailer's e-commerce and financial management systems, eliminating manual processes and simplifying IT.

"All of us at Raymark extend our warm welcome to Day's Jewelers as the newest addition to our global community of retailers," relayed Marc Chriqui, President of Raymark. "Day's Jewelers joins Raymark's rapidly growing group of customers in the jewelry space, which includes Helzberg Diamonds, the Luxury Jewelers Resource Group, and Thomas Jewellers." In addition to jewelry, of course, Raymark addresses other sections of specialty retail.

Raymark Deploys Its Retail Management Suite for Day's Jewelers

Channel Factoid

A somewhat small percentage of retailers in the U.S. and Canada, 20%, will significantly increase their total capital spending in 2015/2016 (some by up to 50%), according to the HRC Advisory. The remaining 80% of such major retailers will spend approximately the same as previously, using internally generated cash flow. In cases where the vast majority of their total sales and profits are generated from brick-and-mortar stores, 40% (of the 80%) are prioritizing e-commerce and omni-channel investments as their top capital spend, 40% as their second highest capital spend, and 20% as their third highest capital spend. Of this 80%, another 40% are prioritizing new stores as their top capital spend, with an additional 20% "somewhat likely" to add new stores. However, only 10% are prioritizing remodeling and refreshing existing stores as their key growth strategy, with the remaining 90% treating remodels as "maintenance" only or spending remodel capital only when required by lease obligations. Finally, of all the retailers surveyed, 85% do not plan to close stores other than those in the ordinary course upon lease expiration or relocation.

HELLO GOODBYE

Great Scott at Getac

Getac, one of the leading makers of rugged mobile computers, has elevated Scott Shainman to President of Getac North America (Irvine, CA). He has spent the last four years at Getac, first as Director of Channels for North America, and most recently as Senior Director of Sales for North America. Prior to Getac, he served as Director of Worldwide Channels for General Dynamics Itronix.

"We are pleased to have Scott take the lead role in our U.S. headquarters," commented Rowina Lee, CEO of Getac Regional Offices. "Scott has been an essential part of Getac's unprecedented growth during time he has been with the company. As President, his industry knowledge, creativity, and experience, along with his proven track record for success, will help guide the company forward."

"Getac continues to innovate and expand its product line to support new markets, and I am honored to be given the responsibility to continue the company's upward trajectory," shared Shainman. "Our new, in-car Veretos Mobile Video System for law enforcement is a perfect example of how Getac is expanding on its core technologies to provide new solutions to our customers. My job, at least in part, will be to continue this expansion and innovation." In particular, Getac focuses on government agencies, municipalities, and utilities companies.

Scott Shainman, President of North America, Getac

A "Reliance" on Barcode

In order to focus more closely on electronics, warehouse, and library, Reliance Label Solutions has spun off the entity, Reliance Barcode Solutions (Paola, KS). In concert, industry veteran Glenn Allen has been enlisted as the new company's President. With three decades of label manufacturing experience, Allen served for the past ten years as VP and GM of Barcodes West.

"We are thrilled that Glenn has joined our management team," stated Jay Frankenberg, President of Reliance Label Solutions. "We are expanding our existing markets to meet the ever-evolving needs of our clients. Therefore, we are investing significantly in our leadership team and internal resources to grow our digital label offerings." As its focus, Reliance Label Solutions will continue its product line for hazardous materials.

Glenn Allen, President, Reliance Barcode Solutions