Our Product Pick

ArmorActive has introduced its new family of tablet mounts, dubbed RapidDoc. In dimensions of 6.5 in. (W) x 6.7 in. (D) x 6 in. (H), in table stand configuration, RapidDoc enables docking and undocking via multiple user authentication methods (PIN, User Name/Password, Biometrics, NFC, and Standard RFID Reader). As features, it provides hidden cable management, USB x 6, and modular design for PoE+Wall or PoE+Vesa Mount. As extra security options, there's an "Elite Enclosure" as well as "Smart Back." "RapidDoc was designed and engineered for today's modern point-of-sale aesthetics that is smaller, sleeker, and easy to maintain while minimizing cables and clutter," emphasized David Everson, Director of Global Marketing for ArmorActive, part of Mobile Technologies Inc. (Hillsboro, OR). "A variety of mounting options means it truly adapts to your retail environment and allows you to charge and dock the tablet anywhere in the store."

RapidDoc by ArmorActive

COMPANY BUSINESS

POS-X Clears Custom's

A leader in ticketing, printing, and scanning technology, Custom America (Boothwyn, PA) has sped into point-of-sale with the acquisition of POS-X LLC (Bellingham, WA). Its parent company, Custom Group SpA, based in Italy, has established its strong presence in POS in Europe, and in combination with POS-X, now Custom America has the U.S. and Canada. A major player in our channel, POS-X will continue to be led by Dan Moseley, Executive Chairman, and Karl Schoessler, CEO.

"We are excited to be a part of a larger global company with over 600 professionals, as it provides us with resources needed for continued growth," Schoessler told RRN.Com. "We now have the support of Custom Group's more than 120 hardware and software engineers, access to global support centers, and world-class manufacturing facilities. This is an excellent partnership as it should result in new opportunities for both companies."

As CEO of Custom America, Nicola Ciarlante emphasized several benefits of the acquisition, including an increased presence in the hospitality and retail industries, complementary product and service offerings, enhanced market intelligence, and an ability to deliver fully integrated solutions. Having joined Custom America in 2012 as CEO, Ciarlante may be familiar to readers of RRN.Com from his time as Director of the Specialty Products Division at OKI Printing Solutions (2007 to 2012) and Senior Marketing Manager at Metrologic Instruments (2002 to 2007). In the short term, not much will change in dealing with POS-X, RRN.Com was told.

Nicola Ciarlante, CEO of Custom America, Which Has Purchased POS-X

POSBANK Drafts Android

POSBANK USA (Plainview, NY) has unwrapped three new terminals for POS based on Android 6.0: APEXA A-1500, APEXA AW-1950, and DCR A1. As the first, APEXA A-1500 has dimensions of 14.3 in. (W) x 8.2 in. (D) x 13.1 in. (H), weighs 11.6 lbs., and features multiple I/O's, including USB x 6 and Serial x 6. With 15" bezel-free, projected-capacitive touchscreen (1024x768, 300 cd/m2), the APEXA A-1500 offers counter or wall mount, as well as optional secondary display (2x20 VFD or 9", 12", or 15" LCD). It has an ARM Cortex-A17 CPU at 1.8 GHz.

In 19.5" widescreen size (bezel-free, projected-capacitive touch, 1600x900, 250 cd/m2), the APEXA AW-1950 addresses counter and self-service environments equally. It measures 19.3 in. (W) x 8.2 in. (D) x 13.3 in. (H), weighs 19.8 lbs., and also features an ARM Cortex-A17 CPU at 1.8 GHz and multiple I/O's, including USB x 6 and Serial x 6. A third terminal in the new series, the DCR A1, integrates its 10" projected-capacitive touchscreen (1024x768, 300 cd/m2), 3" thermal receipt printer (7.9 in./200 mm per second), credit card reader (MSR, EMV, SD), and secondary display (2x20 VFD or 2x16 LCD) in its compact footprint of 9.4 in. (W) x 10.1 in. (D) x 11.6 in. (H) and weight of 8.2 lbs. A winner of the Red Dot Design Award in 2017, it has an ARM Cortex-A7 CPU at 1.2 GHz and USB x 6 and Serial x 5.

"Our new Android-based POS terminals have been designed to meet the changing needs of our customers," reported Harry Choi, CEO at POSBANK USA. "The new Android-based POS terminals deliver versatility, style, and functionality with a competitive price. We expect the new Android-based POS terminals to help our customers run more profitable businesses." (FYI: APEXA is also offered in Windows by POSBANK USA.)

POSBANK USA Debuts Android POS Terminals

Worth Your While

NRF's Big Show
National Retail Federation
January 13-15
New York, NY

Inspire
Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA)
February 3-6
Fort Myers, FL

ProMat
Material Handling Institute (MHI)
April 8-11
Chicago, IL

Transact
Electronic Transactions Association
April 30-May 2
Las Vegas, NV

NRA Show
National Restaurant Association
May 18-21
Chicago, IL

ALL IN THE FAMILY

APG: Take Me to the Pilot

With an eye on proof-of-concept and pilot programs, APG Cash Drawer (Minneapolis, MN) has unveiled its SMARTtill "Hybrid" Cash Management Solution. It provides functionality of the principal SMARTtill Cash Management Solution without need of complete integration with the retailer's front-end POS. Acquired in 2015, APG's SMARTtill Cash Management Solution holds weighable coin and note departments. Each time the SMARTtill Drawer is closed, the cash value and transaction details are electronically reported to the SMARTtill Manager. A "Hybrid" Version brings it closer to the channel of VARs and ISVs in POS.

Typically, function keys for cash lifts and deposits are incorporated into the interface between SMARTtill and the POS, explains APG. In comparison, in the Hybrid SMARTtill Cash Management Solution, there's keypad and display for processing such transactions--eliminating the need for modifying the POS. All capabilities of the SMARTtill Cash Management Solution are maintained, stressed APG. In addition, any need to access functions via mobile device is eliminated.

"In addition to robust POS, retailers require an innovative solution to assist in processing cash at the front-end and back-office," counseled Stephen Bergeron, VP of Global Marketing and Business Development of the SMARTtill Solution/APG Cash Drawer. "The SMARTtill Hybrid Solution is a revolution in cash management, providing electronic cashier accountability and allowing retailers to eradicate cash losses, reduce the man hours required for cash management, and improve the customer experience. With the SMARTtill Hybrid Solution, the communication from the POS to back-office synchronizes with accuracy--creating better accountability and productivity throughout retail landscapes."

A Hybrid Version of APG's SMARTtill Cash Management Solution Addresses Proof-of-Concept and Pilot Programs

SATO: I'm IoT

SATO America (Charlotte, NC) has stocked its next-generation "intelligent" thermal label printer for the IoT, entitled the FX3-LX. With 3" print width, and maximum speed of 6 in./152 mm per second at 305 dpi, the FX3-LX features 7" full-color touchscreen LCD (480x800). Overall, it measures 5.2 in. (W) x 8.9 in. (D) x 6.3 in. (H) and weighs 5.5 lbs. (A battery mount kit adds more size--and more mobility.)

It prints linear barcodes and two-dimensional symbologies, with support for multiple languages and standard bitmap and scalable fonts. An all-in-one design has antimicrobial plastic housing, wall-mounting capabilities, and center-positioned handle. As processor, there's ARM Cortex-A9 at 1 GHz; as memory, there's 1-GB RAM and 4-GB Flash. As communications, choices include Standard USB, USB + LAN, and Wireless LAN/Bluetooth Version 4.

With the FX3-LX, SATO has emphasized the cloud. As such, it supports the company's enterprise label printing platform, SATO Application Enabled Printing (AEP). It also supports the company's cloud-based maintenance service, SATO Online Services (SOS). Significantly, as pointed out by SATO, it may be operated without need of the PC.

"With the FX3-LX, we've worked hard to understand how we can empower workforces and streamline the operations of end-users," expressed Noriyasu Yamada, Chief Product Planning Officer of SATO Holdings (Tokyo). "The result is a universal device with simple cross-sector integration to improve total cost of ownership for customers of SATO. We aim to further increase customer value with new solutions for IoT." In 2017, the FX3-LX won the Red Dot Design Award.

New FX3-LX Thermal Label Printer by SATO

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ALLIANCES

Star Hikes Acadia

Star Micronics America (Somerset, NJ) will market its popular thermal receipt printer, the 3" TSP100IIIU, in conjunction with ISV Acadia POS (Winthrop, ME). Accentuating its affordability, via modular functionality, and the cloud, Acadia POS addresses customers in bars, cafes, campgrounds, catering, quick-service restaurants, garden supply, and retail SMB. It marks the second new partner for the Star Micronics' TSP100IIIU; in September, it was embraced by retail ISV Celerant Technology (Staten Island, NY).

"Acadia POS is pleased to be collaborating with Star Micronics," reflected Benjamin Leviton, Director of Sales for Acadia POS. "The Star Micronics brand is the most popular amongst our merchants because their printers are fast and require the least amount of support. Acadia's cloud architecture supports both legacy hardware through our Acadia connector, but we are ready to support IoT devices such as the Star CloudPRNT line of products."

With print speed of 9.8 in./250 mm per second at 203 dpi, Star's TSP100IIIU has "drop-in & print" paper loading, receipt de-curl mechanism, and guillotine auto-cutter. As designated by "U" it offers USB for device communication, while simultaneously charging an iPad or iPhone. It's compatible with Star's suite of no-charge, cloud-based customer engagement solutions, such as AllReceipts and PromoPRNT.

ISV Acadia POS Embraces Star Micronics' TSP100IIIU Thermal Printer

What's Pizza Without Beer?

ISV SpeedLine Solutions (Abbotsford, BC, Canada) has called upon beverage management technology from BeerBoard (Syracuse, NY). Its services include SmartBar, which generates real-time insights and trend-driven analytics; BeerBoardTV, a digital consumer-facing menu display; BeerBoard Menu, automated print and website menus; BeerBoard Mobile, an accompanying app; and BeerBoard BOSS (Back Office Support System). A leading provider to the pizza industry, SpeedLine Solutions has long played in the channel of VARs in POS.

"With create-your-own pizzas and half-and-half portions, there's no such thing as a standard recipe for every menu item, so the point-of-sale system has to calculate inventory on the fly," noted Jennifer Wiebe, Marketing Manager for SpeedLine Solutions. "Add a bar, and a selection of draft beers, frequently, and you have another layer of complexity for inventory management in the pizzeria. Integration with BeerBoard opens the door for our clients to have better insights into their bars' performance."

In order to tie to the POS, BeerBoard employs in-line flow meters, its web-based "bevBOX," and the modem, BeerBoard. It requires product names, PLU's, and glass sizes for its database. Using the technology, clients yield an average of 95% from the keg of beer, versus the typical 78%, which translates to five more pints. Among customers of BeerBoard: Buffalo Wild Wings, Hooters, Twin Peaks, and Applebee's.

SpeedLine Partners With BeerBoard

Code Corner

Agilysys (Alpharetta, GA) has launched its newest software, designated rGuest OnDemand. As its name suggests, it enables customers to place orders using their own mobile device, phone, or tablet. In easy-to-use format, it supports various types of ordering concepts and outlets, including food, beverage, and non-food items. Overall, it makes the ordering process easier, frees up staff to spend more time with guests, and increases revenue opportunities, according to Agilysys. It adds to other customer service modules such as rGuest PMS (Property Management System), rGuest Seat (Reservations and Table Management), rGuest Pay (Payments), rGuest Buy (Kiosk), and rGuest Analyze (Analytics and Marketing). "This product is ideal for high-activity venues looking for more flexibility and a way to ensure service is never lacking or slow, even during peak demand hours," recommended Prabuddha Biswas, CTO at Agilysys.

Agilysys rGuest OnDemand

INTEGRATION

App-y Days at TachyonIQ

TachyonIQ has released its branded scanning app, CortexWedge for iOS. Offered in the App Store, it eliminates the need for additional coding or dedicated hardware by providing users with its custom keyboard that can scan barcodes and input data into any app, online form, or browser--this time for iOS. As many readers of RRN.Com will recognize, TachyonIQ is the proprietary decoding algorithm powering the scanner products of Code (Salt Lake City, UT).

"CortexWedge is TachyonIQ's step towards helping users go mobile without having to develop or integrate software into their already existing applications," shared John Deal, VP of Product Strategy at Code/TachyonIQ. "We want any company to be able to utilize our powerful barcode scanning technology, and we want to make it as pain free as possible." As attributes, its software scans difficult-to-read barcodes and functions in low light or poor contrast environments, according to TachyonIQ.

A particular solution is recommended: CortexWedge for iOS and the CR4300 Scanning Sled for iPods/iPhones by Code. "The CR4300 is already unique in the marketplace as the only battery-backup scanning sled without the bulk of an embedded scan engine," referenced Garrett Russell, VP of Marketing and North American Sales for Code/TachyonIQ. "CortexWedge makes it even easier for companies to take advantage of this unparalleled solution."

CortexWedge for iOS on the App Store

MagTek's EMV Express

MagTek (Seal Beach, CA) has added capacity for EMV Chip Card to its mobile payments application, QwickPAY. With this update, merchants will leverage MagTek's L3 Certification with leading processors for EMV such as First Data, TSYS, and Worldpay--and, expected in Q4, Chase and Elavon. (In addition, QwickPAY still supports MSR.)

"We are delighted to offer EMV Chip Card capability with QwickPAY," commented John Arato, GM and VP of Retail Solutions with MagTek. "It gives our resellers and distributors a great value-add in a really easy format to onboard. Their customers can be up and running in a matter of days instead of weeks."

In order to perform card-present transactions with QwickPAY, merchants may utilize the popular eDynamo or DynaPro payment readers from MagTek. Other card readers for EMV from MagTek will be added in Q4. Also, this month, MagTek has released its new oDynamo insertion card reader for PCI and OEMs and its new DynaWave contactless card reader for NFC and OEMs. At MagTek, Tom Coduto serves as VP and GM of OEM Sales.

EMV Chip Card Added to MagTek's QwickPAY

A Pivot to "Nuvei"

A familiar processor, Pivotal Payments (Montreal and Plano, TX), has rebranded itself as "Nuvei." As part of this effort, the company has announced renewed focus on its partner program, "creating the first-ever community of payment experts." As such, it features access to omnichannel payments, integrated solutions, and robust payment facilitation platform. Details appear on the new, eponymous website.

"Our ability to connect and collaborate with our partners makes us who we are. It's our commitment to their success that makes us valuable," proclaimed Philip Fayer, Chairman and CEO of Nuvei. "The relationships we build and the way in which we continuously surpass ourselves to support and serve our partners are paramount. They fuel our brand."

Overall, Nuvei, which now includes GlobalOnePay, has over 400 employees, with 1,500 partners, and serves over 50,000 merchants. In 2017, it received investment from private equity firm Novacap and Canadian pension fund manager Caisse de Depot et Placement du Quebec (CDPQ), resulting in valuation of $430 million. Mark Pyke, hired as President of Pivotal Payments in March, will continue his service to the company as President of Nuvei. (Perhaps not coincidentally, "neuve" may mean "new" in French.)

Pivotal Payments Rebrands Itself as Nuvei

Key Advertiser Links

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

POS & Peripherals
Aures
Bematech
Electronic Payments
Harbortouch
Hewlett-Packard
Pioneer POS
POSBANK USA
Posiflex
Toshiba GCS

Barcode & Transaction Printers
Brother Mobile
CognitiveTPG
Godex Americas

Cash Drawers
APG Cash Drawer
MMF POS

Data Collection
CipherLab
Code Corporation
Janam Technologies

Integrated Payment Solutions
Cayan
Datacap Systems
Electronic Payments
Paysafe
Sterling Payment

Keyboards & Mobile POS
TG3 Electronics

Mounts for POS
SpacePole

Receipt Printers
Bixolon America
CognitiveTPG
Epson America
Fujitsu
Star Micronics

Thermal Printers
Seiko Instruments USA

INSTALLATIONS

Hearing Pet Sounds at Janam

Janam Technologies (Woodbury, NY) has deployed its XG3-ER gun-shaped rugged mobile computers for one of the leading manufacturers of pet food and treats for branded companies, American Nutrition (Ogden, UT). It supports the existing lot tracking, process control, and shipping software--combined into its Warehouse Management System (WMS)--at the firm's three state-of-the-art facilities. As participating VAR: Barcodes Inc. (Chicago, IL).

As factors in its decision, American Nutrition cited the need for long-range scanning, touchscreen and keypad functionality, and open O/S. Equipped with the Honeywell/Intermec EX25 Near/Far Imager, Janam's XG3-ER reads barcodes from 6 inches to more than 50 feet. It has 3.5" resistive touchscreen (Color TFT VGA) and 34-key numeric or 57-key alphanumeric keypad, and runs ARM Cortex-A8 CPU at 1 GHz and Android 4.2 or Windows Embedded Handheld 6.5. (At American Nutrition, it's the Android O/S.) With Janam's emphasis on ergonomics, it weighs less than 22 oz.

"With a mission to consistently produce high-quality pet food, it is imperative that we meet performance metrics," stressed Jim Dalpias, Manufacturing Information Systems Manager at American Nutrition. "The search for a rugged handheld with a non-Windows O/S led us to Janam. The XG3-ER has allowed us to use modern apps and data techniques, enabling us to exceed goals by increasing employee productivity and efficiency by 20% in a very short amount of time."

American Nutrition, Maker of Pet Foods, Adopts XG3-ER Rugged Mobile Computer by Janam Technologies

Playing Above PAR

ParTech, Inc. now supports online ordering via Open Dining (Cleveland, OH). Introduced in 2009, and now serving over 30,000 restaurants, Open Dining employs an Application Programming Interface (API) with the Brink POS Software by PAR. A longtime channel player in POS, with its EverServ 550, 600, and 8000 Workstations, ParTech is the wholly owned subsidiary of PAR Technology Corporation (New Hartford, NY).

As expected, Open Dining has web, mobile, and social ordering. Around its core ordering solution, it wraps tools to drive customer acquisition, retention, and engagement, and of course, by pushing orders directly into the Brink POS, it eliminates the need to enter orders manually. "Integration between Open Dining and Brink POS will help restaurants remain competitive in today's landscape," declared Tim Ridgely, CEO of Open Dining. (In addition to vendor partners such as ParTech, Open Table has its own Partner Program and White Labeling.)

"We are happy to welcome Open Dining to Brink's large and growing partner ecosystem," contributed Paul Rubin, Chief Strategy Officer at ParTech. "We believe that our customers benefit from having a choice in partners. With online ordering growing rapidly in the restaurant industry, this partnership will benefit Brink users and restaurant operators by streamlining operations, reducing labor cost, improving efficiency, and reducing error rates."

Open Dining Joins Partner Ecosystem at ParTech

Channel Factoid

$4.8b for POS Software

-"IHL projects the worldwide POS/mPOS software market will grow to $4.8b by 2022 (up 53.9%) as emerging markets deploy the technology for the first time and established retailers in North America, EMEA, and Asia continue to integrate POS with their customer and eCommerce solutions," observes Greg Buzek, President of IHL Group. "As well, improved POS security and needs to improve the customer experience are having a big impact on the market growth in key regions."

-As one key driver, IHL cites replacement of traditional POS in favor of tablets among smaller retail chains with payments driven solutions.

-Also, the sunset of Windows 7 support by Microsoft in January of 2020 is driving an increase in evaluations in 2018/2019, that is, comparing Windows 10 vs. Android vs. iOS solutions for retailers who have existing applications that may not directly port to Windows 10. More than 11 million POS terminals worldwide are running Windows 7 or legacy Windows today, so this represents a very significant part of the market.

-A final key driver: in North America, the EMV deadline is fast approaching for fuel retailers, requiring upgrades in payments/POS over the next 18 months. (It was extended to October 1, 2020.)

-As major players, IHL Group identifies: Aptos, Cegid Group, Diebold Nixdorf, Extenda, First Data, Fujitsu, Gilbarco, GK Software, HTEC, Ingenico, Intuit, Lightspeed Retail, Microsoft, NCR, Oracle, ParTech, Pay Anywhere, PayPal, PCMS Datafit, Revel Systems, Revention, SAP, Shopify, ShopKeep, Square, Toshiba GCS, Uakari Software, Verifone, Vend HQ, and Veras Retail.

Source: "2018 Worldwide Retail POS/mPOS Software Study," IHL Group (Franklin, TN).

Greg Buzek, President, IHL Group

HELLO GOODBYE

Mr. Mobility at TSC America

TSC Auto ID Technology America (Brea, CA) has enlisted Larry Gerstner as its Mobile Product Manager for the Americas. He will serve in the same capacity for sister company, Printronix Auto ID Americas (Irvine, CA). He joins TSC/Printronix from Honeywell Safety and Productivity Solutions, where he was Global Product Marketing Manager (2015 to 2018). Earlier in his career, he was Product Manager in the Mobile Printer Group at Zebra Technologies (2002 to 2014).

"I like working with mobile printers because of the diversity of applications that use them," remarked Gerstner. "I enjoy working on larger projects, especially with other hardware and software partners, and the fact that there are always special needs to be met for specific customers. It keeps it interesting."

"Larry brings extensive experience in barcode printing and mobile solutions," stated David Lundeen, VP of Sales and Marketing for TSC Auto ID Technology America. "He will support our team and partners to grow our mobility business through sales and marketing initiatives, as well as developing and redefining our product strategy." A series of new products in the second half of the year has been announced by TSC/Printronix: light industrial label printer, the MB240 Series; improved print engine, the PEX-1000 Series; and color label printer, the CPX4 Series.

Larry Gerstner, Mobile Product Manager for the Americas, TSC Auto ID Technology America and Printronix Auto ID

McCole's Navy at Posera

Posera Ltd. (Toronto) has named industry veteran Tom McCole as Chairman of its Board of Directors. An Independent Director on Posera's Board since January 2017, McCole has participated in the effort to build and launch SecureTablePay in the U.S., as well as the divestiture of the FingerPrints Business. Posera, of course, is best known in our world for its hospitality software for POS, Maitre'D.

Previously, as Director of Strategy and Partnerships at Heartland Payments (2012 to 2015), McCole helped lead the restaurant management software acquisition strategy which collected Xpient, Digital Dining, PC America, and Dinerware, and subsequent sale of Heartland to Global Payment Systems for $4.3 billion in 2016. Other highlights of his career include Director of Mobile Commerce Strategy at Infinite Peripherals (2015 to 2018), Founder and CEO of Atomic Software (2010 to 2012), and VP of Gateway Services for Hypercom (2008 to 2010). In his new role, McCole replaces Interim Chairman Edwin Nordholm.

Tom McCole, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Posera

A First Among Partners

First Data (New York, NY) has appointed Bala Janakiraman as its EVP and Head of Partner Solutions. He previously served as CEO of BluePay Processing (2014 to 2018), VP of eCommerce Product Management at Vantiv (2012 to 2014), and VP of Customer Value at Litle & Co. (2007 to 2011). "Bala is an experienced executive with a track record of driving growth, and deep focus on product innovation," expounded Frank Bisignano, Chairman and CEO of First Data.

"It's a privilege to lead the Partner Solutions Business for First Data," relayed Janakiraman. "The incredibly talented Partner Solutions team, leveraging the full complement of First Data's assets, is focused on delivering innovation that drives significant growth for all of our ISV, Agent, and ISO Partners." First Data purchased BluePay and CardConnect in 2017. Now both are part of the Partner Solutions Business.

Bala Janakiraman, EVP and Head of Partner Solutions, First Data