Our Product Pick

Denso ADC (Long Beach, CA) has unboxed its new QK30 scanner for reading mobile phone screens, or paper codes, at the point of sale, multi-media terminals, or entrance gates. Both one and two-dimensional barcodes can be approved using the company's Interleaving Media Scanning Technology (IMST). QK30 is the only scanner in its class to offer programmable multicolored LEDs, play audio files, and enable IMST remote device management, according to the vendor. In addition, QK30 is 50% thinner than previous models, yet has 30% larger scanning area, at 70 mm (H) x 50 mm (W), and comes in either RS-232 or USB. "The demand for fast, reliable scanning of mobile LCD screens continues to increase," emphasized Fran Labun, VP, Sales Group, Denso Products and Services Americas. "Our new QK30 scanner takes this technology to its furthest edge yet."

Denso QK30 Reader

COMPANY BUSINESS

Looking Fit at POS-X

POS-X, Inc. (Bellingham, WA) has unveiled its ION Fit POS Terminal and ION Fit Touchscreen Monitor. Measuring 14.3 in. (W) x 8.3 in. (D) x 14.6 in. (H), and weighing 12.3 lbs., the ION Fit POS Terminal features 15-inch touchscreen, built-in cable management, fanless cooling, and POS Ready 7, Win 7 Pro, or no O/S. With five-wire resistive, ION Fit Touchscreen Monitor has VGA/USB.

Three versions of the POS will be offered: ION-TP3A-D with Intel Atom Dual-Core D2550 CPU at 1.9 GHz, standard bezel, and DDR3 at 2 to 4 GB. By comparison, ION-TP3A-F (standard bezel) and ION-TP3C-F (flat bezel) carry Intel Celeron Quad-Core J1900 CPU at 2.4 GHz and DDR3 at 4 to 8 GB. All feature an array of USB, Serial, Parallel, and Ethernet, with black housing and 40-to-90-degree tilt. A full suite of peripherals are offered, of course, and POS-X distributes via ScanSource (Greenville, SC) and M-S Cash Drawer (Pasadena, CA).

POS-X ION Fit POS Terminal

A Few Questions for Jeff Yelton

We catch up with Jeff Yelton, the new Executive Director and GM of Data Collection/POS for Ingram Micro (Santa Ana, CA). Jeff brings an impressive resume as the former President of ScanSource POS and Barcode, as well as the former CEO of Retalix. His hiring follows somewhat of a reorganization at Ingram Micro DC/POS, with personnel changes and new reporting structure to the Advanced Technology Division.

On talk that Ingram Micro has withdrawn from DC/POS: "The truth is they're investing in this space--for people, systems, and processes," says Yelton. "It's a huge strategic area for Ingram Micro and that's one of the reasons I came over here. A great place to be, and a great time, given enormous changes which will remake our industry. We're going to compete aggressively and we'll be everywhere."

As to differentiation, Yelton identifies four planned areas of focus in technology: payments, mobility, networking, and the transition to SaaS/HaaS. "There are very few, if any, distributors that have the capability to cover all of these areas," he says. "There's distributors that do a great job on the edge devices. There's distributors that do a great job on the network and data center. But I don't know of anyone but Ingram Micro that has the capability to bring all of these points together, or the deep historical knowledge in all of these points."

Any immediate moves? "An ISV Program that's a little bit different," discloses Yelton. "The delivery of applications has changed in the marketplace and we need to help the VARs who have not played in cloud delivery. Along these lines, we're trying to help the current ISVs who might have had packaged products transition over to server-based products." Also, before the end of the year, expect to see Ingram Micro DC/POS expand its line card, particularly in the mid-tier segment for POS, Yelton told RRN.Com. A better website, too, which promotes advantages of being part of Ingram Micro.

Jeff Yelton, Executive Director and GM for Data Collection/POS at Ingram Micro

Worth Your While

VARTECH 2014
BlueStar
September 17-20
New Orleans

NACS Show
Association for Convenience & Fuel Retailing
October 7-10
Las Vegas

Pack Expo
PMMI
November 2-5
Chicago

Customer Engagement Technology World
JD Events
November 5-6
New York

IAAPA
International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions
November 17-21
Orlando

ALL IN THE FAMILY

Flight of the Falcon X3+

Datalogic (Eugene, OR) has uncaged its updated Falcon X3+ Mobile Computer. Following the form factor of its predecessor, the Falcon X3+ delivers several new capabilities, in particular extra-long-range two-dimensional barcode reading (up to 32 ft.) as well as higher wireless communications throughput with dual-band 802.11n Wi-Fi. Further enhancements are full VGA display (as well as QVGA), faster processor (XScale PXA-310 at 806-MHz/Cortex-M3 with 32-bit), more memory (256-MB RAM/1-GB Flash), and extreme ruggedness (IP-65/6 ft. Drop Spec).

With contoured shape, measuring 8.9 in. (L) x 3.5 in. (W) x 2.2 in. (D) and weighing 21.4 oz. (without pistol grip), the Falcon X3+ employs rubberized polycarbonate enclosure, 3.5-inch touchscreen, Corning Gorilla Glass, and full-shift battery. As choices, Datalogic offers the normal variations of keyboards, Windows OS (Embedded Handheld 6.5 or CE 6.0), and one and two-dimensional standard and long-range scanners. An optional three-megapixel camera supports product placement or registering damaged goods, with USB 2.0, RS-232, Modem, and Ethernet. Finally, Wavelink Avalanche and Terminal Emulation are both pre-installed and pre-licensed on the Falcon X3+.

Datalogic's Falcon X3+ Mobile Computer

Posiflex Uncorks HS2310

Posiflex Business Machines (Hayward, CA) has shipped its HS2310, an innovative All-In-One POS Station combining 10-inch, multi-touch, projected-capacitive touchscreen, three-inch thermal printer with 200 mm/second print speed, encryption-capable magnetic-stripe reader (MSR), and Wi-Fi. Secondary customer-facing displays may be added, as well as integrated biometric capability. System support includes Windows 8, POS Ready 7, and Windows 7.

Significantly, the HS2310 is much smaller than traditional terminal and printer combinations--at 8.8. in. (W) x 7.3 in. (D) x 15.2 in. (H)--freeing up valuable counter space while bringing neater cable management. It utilizes an Intel Dual-Core D525 CPU at 1.8 GHz, with 1-MB Cache, and DDR3 at 2 to 4 GB. In addition, it runs the same software image as the popular Posiflex XT3215 and KS7215 POS Terminals for easy network deployment. A choice of hard or solid-state drives and full suite of ports (5 x USB, 3 x Serial, LAN, PS/2, Parallel, and Cash Drawer) complete things.

"The HS2310 is a perfect platform for our kiosk software used in loyalty programs, food trucks, or small quick-service restaurant locations," enthused Andre Nataf, Senior Business Development Manager for Digital Dining (Springfield, VA). "Since we already certified the XT3215 and KS7215, we were assured software compatibility. With backing by many years of field-tested and proven reliability from Posiflex, we expect the small HS2310 to pack a big punch."

A Small Footprint for the Posiflex HS2310 Touchscreen POS Terminal, With Printer, MSR, and Wi-Fi

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ALLIANCES

Simple Things From Datacap, APG

Two well-known channel vendors, Datacap Systems (Chalfont, PA) and APG Cash Drawer (Minneapolis, MN), have joined forces to simplify Mobile POS. Debuted at last month's Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA) Show in Orlando, the new "PaymentsDrawer" serves as the bridge to both payment processing and necessary peripherals (i.e, receipt printers, pole displays, scanners, card readers, and weigh scales). Since it drives the peripherals directly, the POS application does not come into contact with cardholder data (so-called "payment unaware") and is therefore removed from the scope of PA-DSS.

Ideally suited for "Solution-as-a-Service" sales models, the PaymentsDrawer allows ISVs to offer POS as part of their "Pay-Go" agreement, the two parties pointed out. Since this subsystem gets configured and controlled via Datacap's cloud-based product management portal, dubbed PSCS, integration partners can remotely activate and de-activate in the event of account termination or non-payment. This allows bundling of hardware, including peripherals, with access to virtually every payment processor, and at little or no risk.

New "PaymentsDrawer" Offers Both Payment Processing and Necessary Peripheral Support

VAR Hears the TomToms

Barcoding, Inc. (Baltimore, MD) will resell fleet management and vehicle tracking technology from TomTom Telematics. A full suite of products will be offered, including: online 24/7 WebFleet, Link 530 for historical reporting, Pro Navigation Devices with traffic updates and turn-by-turn instructions, Pro 7150 Truck for destination routing around access restrictions of weight and dimensions, and EcoPlus for tracking carbon footprint. According to TomTom's website, Barcoding, Inc. represents its first reseller in the U.S. not totally focused on fleet management or the logistics sector.

"TomTom Telematics is focused on delivering actionable intelligence to fleet managers--so they know where their vehicles are and what they are doing," proclaimed Matt Gunzenhaeuser, Sales Director at U.S. TomTom Telematics (Columbus, OH). "We are already helping companies save time and money, increase customer satisfaction, and promote safe driving habits. Barcoding's customers will enjoy increased visibility into their fleet operations with WebFleet."

"Barcoding welcomes TomTom Telematics to our industry-leading partner ecosystem," remarked Ken Currie, VP of Business Development at Barcoding, Inc. "Our systems integration expertise in mobility brings extra value to the end-user, as we can integrate WebFleet into the clients' back-end business applications, making them more efficient, accurate, and connected." All solutions are deployed via Barcoding GoLive Services and supported by Barcoding StayLive Services.

Barcoding, Inc. Adds Vehicle Tracking and Fleet Management

Code Corner

Auto-Star Compusystems (Medicine Hat, AB, Canada) has added end-to-end encryption (E2E) and tokenization for payments from Mercury (Durango, CO) to its Star-Plus POS Software. With Mercury E2E, cardholder data gets encrypted the moment the card is swiped and throughout the transaction. In turn, Mercury MToken replaces card data with non-sensitive reference data or token for long-term storage at the POS. This significantly reduces the risk of card data theft and security breaches for retailers, since cardholder data is not being processed, transmitted, or stored in Star-Plus. "Retailers across America need to be focused on reducing their PCI compliance scope," maintained Ivan Long, VP of Operations at Auto-Star Compusystems. "There is simply too much risk and cost right now to consider anything else."

Encryption for POS ISV

ENVIRONMENTS/PLATFORMS

Apriva's Apostles

Apriva (Scottsdale, AZ) has certified its POS Universal Application on major payment terminal platforms from Ingenico (Atlanta, GA), VeriFone (San Jose, CA), and Equinox (Scottsdale, AZ). Specifically, this includes the Ingenico Telium 2, VeriFone Evolution and Verix V, and Equinox Optimum. As its name suggests, the Apriva POS Universal Application seeks to serve as the single, unified application for credit, debit, and electronic benefit transfer (EBT)--up to and including EMV.

"The immense amount of time required to complete common updates and the complexity of maintaining various vendor terminals causes many merchants to fall behind. Unfortunately, this leaves them susceptible to new security threats and falling out of compliance with payment processors," warned Chris Spinella, CEO of Apriva. "The Apriva POS Universal Application is designed to overcome these challenges by making the update process largely transparent to the merchant."

Chris Spinella, CEO, Apriva

Enter Softcard (Exit Isis)

Renaming for Isis, the mobile commerce joint venture from AT&T Mobility, T-Mobile USA, and Verizon Wireless, has been completed. Going forward, this firm will be called Softcard, announced CEO Michael Abbott, based in New York. Change was driven by the rise of the extreme terrorism group, Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). An excerpt of Abbott's remarks appears below.

"Our search for a new name has been rooted in our founding vision: to use the power of the mobile phone to help consumers find a safer and better way to shop, pay, and save. But we also wanted a name and visual identity that had the power, flexibility, and simplicity to define our category. Today, I'm pleased to announce we will rebrand the Isis Wallet to Softcard."

"What does this mean for our customers? First and most importantly, your current Isis Wallet will continue to work as it always has. In the next few weeks, we will launch the updated Softcard app. At that point, you can update your app as you normally would and see that your Isis Wallet has become Softcard. We appreciate your patience as we work through this effort. Because we've chosen to move swiftly, small traces of Isis will be visible for a short time. Thank you for your ongoing support."

Rebranding for Mobile Commerce Player

[In "U.S. Mobile Wallet Roundup," released early this year by the Yankee Group, PayPal held an early lead in the mobile wallet race, with 15% of consumers, far ahead of Google, Isis, LevelUp, Loop, MCX, and Square.]

Key Advertiser Links

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

POS & Auto ID Distribution
Wasp Barcode Technologies

POS & Peripherals
Harbortouch
Hewlett-Packard
Pioneer POS
POS BANK USA
Posiflex
POS-X
PowaPOS
TEAMSable

POS Systems - Hospitality
PAR

Barcode & Transaction Printers
Brother Mobile
Citizen Systems America
CognitiveTPG
Intermec by Honeywell
Printronix
SATO America
Zebra Technologies

Cash Drawers
MMF POS

Data Collection
CipherLab
Code Corporation
Datalogic
Honeywell Scanning
Intermec by Honeywell
Trimble MCS

Integrated Payment Solutions
Datacap Systems
Discover
Merchant Warehouse
Mercury Payment Systems

Inventory Systems
New West Technologies

Keyboards & Mobile POS
Cherry, ZF Electronics Corp

Receipt Printers
Bixolon America
Citizen Systems America
CognitiveTPG
Epson America
Star Micronics

Thermal Printers
Seiko Instruments USA

Touchscreens & Monitors
Elo TouchSystems

INSTALLATIONS

La Cage Aux ET1

Motorola Solutions (Schaumburg, IL) has deployed its ET1 Android Tablet and WLAN for La Cage Aux Sports Bar in Quebec, Canada. Working with POS Terminal 2000, reseller of Maitre'D in Montreal, Motorola has armed each server with an ET1 for mobile order-taking and table-side service. With the addition of Motorola's access points, the use of ET1 provides wait-staff with seamless roaming and connectivity.

In particular, communication between servers and "back-of-the-house" has been improved, enabling faster delivery of food and drinks. This mobile ordering system also increases efficiency by providing an up-to-date menu while simultaneously boosting the opportunity for customer engagement, according to the two parties. ET1, of course, has been promoted as the desired hybrid of consumer tablet and more rugged form factor.

"Motorola Solutions has made our restaurants more efficient and we plan to deploy the technology at additional locations in the future," reported Mathieu Laliberte, Director of Information & Technologies for La Cage Aux Sports Bar. "We can serve more customers resulting in faster table turns and 10% average increase in customer checks." La Cage Aux Sports, part of the Sport Scene Group, includes more than 50 corporate-owned stores, franchises, and co-franchises throughout Quebec.

Motorola Supplies ET1 and Wireless LAN for Leading Canadian Restaurant Group

At Sea With Microsoft

In an example of enlightened self-interest, Royal Caribbean Cruises will provide its 40,000 crew members with Windows 8 Tablets. This roll-out starts with the "technology reimagination" of the vessel, Quantum of the Seas, which will also include Xbox One gaming consoles for guests and Mobile POS powered by Dell Venue 8 Pro Tablets with VeriFone payment sleeve for card swipe and barcode scanning (as well as RFID). It starts in October and should be completed by the end of December, according to Royal Caribbean, with Hexa (Toronto) furnishing the devices.

As one benefit, Windows 8 Tablets will enable crew members to keep in closer contact with family members and friends. Services such as Bing, Skype, Office 365, and OneDrive will be provided. "With a tablet in hand, a father can attend a parent-teacher conference, a mother can review her son's book report, and friends can check each other's posts on social media," suggested Jane Boulware, VP of U.S. Windows Devices at Microsoft.

"Royal Caribbean men and women who provide such great vacations are the real heroes of our fleet, and these gifts demonstrate our appreciation in a tangible way," indicated Richard Fain, Chairman/CEO of Royal Caribbean Cruises. "This technology isn't only about giving our guests a better vacation--it's about giving our crew and their families a closer connection than ever before." In addition to tablets and game boxes, Quantum of the Seas features unprecedented networking, according to Royal Caribbean.

Windows 8 Tablets for the Crews of Royal Caribbean

Channel Factoid

Here's something to brighten your day. According to Greg Buzek, President of IHL Group, the retail and hospitality market for IT will experience unprecedented growth in 2015, with overall spending expected to increase 5% over 2014, surpassing $190 billion worldwide. IHL's "Worldwide IT Spend Forecast" projects that for the first time in several years, IT growth will be greater in North America than even in the so-called BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China), increasing over $5 billion for 2015. IHL projects overall IT spending growth of 5.7% in North America, driven by huge investments by retailers in payment systems, data security, omni-channel integration, and mobile proliferation and engagement. Alone, spending around payment systems in North America should surpass $4.5 billion for the year as retailers rush to meet the deadlines for EMV in the U.S.

Greg Buzek, President, IHL Group, Predicts High Growth for Retail and Hospitality IT

You can blame poor code quality for the recent spate of data breaches, according to analysis from application developer, Cast. It finds finance and retail industry applications are the most vulnerable to data breaches, with 69% of the former and 70% of the latter shown to have accompanying data input validation violations. Cast also found that--contrary to public perception--government IT had the highest percentage of applications without any input validation violations (at 61%), while Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) came in dead last (only 12% free of problems). "Some security experts argue software security is different from software quality and should be treated separately," noted Bill Curtis, Chief Scientist at Cast. "Our research proves this is false. Badly-constructed software won't just cause systems to crash, corrupt data, and make recovery difficult, but also leaves numerous security holes."

HELLO GOODBYE

More Cogs of CognitiveTPG

CognitiveTPG (Ithaca, NY) has enlisted Greg Wenchell as Business Development Manager for its On-Demand Security Printing Division. Wenchell has served in sales and business development posts with companies such as BrandWatch Technologies, Banknote Corporation, ArjoWiggins, and Xerox. He's also active in professional groups such as the Document Security Alliance (DSA) and the North American Security Products Organization (NASPO).

"Joining the CognitiveTPG Security Team is an exciting challenge as we chart a path to penetrate new markets while moving the needle of the company's existing technology base," declared Wenchell. "Due to the nature of the security business our solution involves much more of a consultancy approach which allows CognitiveTPG to create from scratch, incorporate, add, or combine its solution with an existing security protocol. We have the scale and flexibility to work with new security programs or existing ones that need refinement."

Also, CognitiveTPG has bolstered is sales support staff with the hiring of Jerry Ely. As experience, Ely lists much time in mobile computer and barcode equipment service with Hand Held Products (formerly Welch Allyn) and AMS Retail Solutions. "We are fortunate to be able to find such a seasoned sales support person with strong technical skills and industry experience. Both Greg and Jerry are welcomed additions to our company," commented Kevin O'Donnell, CognitiveTPG's Director of Sales.

Greg Wenchell, Business Development Manager, On-Demand Security Printing Division, CognitiveTPG

Healthy Choice for GS1

GS1 US (Lawrenceville, NJ) has recruited Michael Innes for the role of VP of Healthcare, where he will be responsible for the development of technology standards for both supply chain and patient care delivery. As head of GS1 Healthcare US, he will work with stakeholders such as pharmaceutical firms, medical device manufacturers, provider organizations, and participating professional classes--as well as IT. Prior to joining GS1 US, Innes served as Program Director for Kaiser Permanente.

"Michael joins the GS1 US team at a crucial time in the healthcare sector," relayed Siobhan O'Bara, SVP of Industry Engagement for GS1 US. "With federal laws and regulations, like the Unique Device Identification rule and the Drug Supply Chain Security Act, mandating the use of data standards in the medical device and pharmaceutical arenas, the GS1 Healthcare US initiative and work groups provide a common foundation to help industry transition to a safer supply chain. Michael's expertise, leadership, and ability to engage healthcare stakeholders will be instrumental in helping industry adapt to this imminent change."

At Kaiser Permanente, Innes focused on supply chain and healthcare, including Unique Device Identifiers, Electronic Health Records, and Sarbanes-Oxley. His previous positions have included Manager of Advisory Services at KPMG and Senior Consultant of E-Commerce at Commerce One, Inc. He is a founding member and former chair of the Healthcare Transformation Group, a provider-based collaboration designed to accelerate adoption of GS1 Standards.

Michael Innes, VP of Healthcare, GS1 US

Doubling Down on M-POS

DoubleBeam (Pasadena, CA) has amplified its management team with the addition of Jeffrey Toewe as Chief Commercial Officer. A tech veteran with two decades of experience in mobile and digital start-ups, Toewe helped establish M-Dot Network, Inmar, and CInergy. DoubleBeam supplies white-labeled mobile payment technology to retailers and providers of POS and now owns GoPago.

"We're very excited to welcome Jeff to the team," shared Ted Tekippe, DoubleBeam's CEO. "His history in mobile and transaction networks will be very helpful to DoubleBeam. We're happy to have a known industry leader join our ranks."

Jeffrey Toewe, Chief Commercial Officer, DoubleBeam

A Gift of Grace at EnVista

EnVista (Indianapolis, IN), one of the prominent supply chain consulting and IT services firms, has engaged Robert Grace as its VP of Operations Development. Grace will head the new Food & Beverage Solutions Group within EnVista's Facility Design Build Services. He carries more than twenty-five years of supply chain expertise in this area, with "specialization in developing innovative processes for manual and automated material-handling systems for distribution and delivery," according to EnVista.

Most recently, Grace led Beverage Operations, LLC in 2010, an independent developer and integrator of productivity solutions for beverage wholesalers focused on warehouse and delivery operations. Prior to that, he served as Senior Consultant at Keogh Consulting, Corporate Manager of Operations Development for Coca-Cola Enterprises, and Director of System Sales for Automation Systems. He holds several patents, worldwide and U.S., in the areas of automated order picking and direct store delivery (DSD) systems.

"We're thrilled to enhance our ability to support the complex facility design build requirements of our food and beverage clients by acquiring the unparalleled experience of Bob Grace," exclaimed Mike Kasperski, Managing Partner of EnVista Facility Design Build Services. "He's a phenomenal addition to our team, and he will help drive even greater growth and success for our practice." As partners, EnVista includes HighJump, JDA Software, Manhattan Associates, and Microsoft Dynamics.

Robert Grace, VP of Operations Development, Food & Beverage Solutions, EnVista