Our Product Pick

A new industrial mobile computer, Model RK96, has been stocked at CipherLab (Plano, TX). It includes Qualcomm Q-6690 Octa-Core CPU at 2.9 GHz, 8 GB RAM, 128 GB Flash, and Android 15 O/S. In dimensions of 9"/228 mm (L) x 3.1"/80 mm (W) x 1.7"/43 mm (D), weighing 19 oz./538 g, it features 4.3" WVGA color display with capacitive touch, 1D/2D barcode scanner, enlarged keypad, and 7000 mAh high-capacity battery. In addition to front and rear cameras, and NFC, it has wireless Bluetooth 6 and Wi-Fi 7. Applications include the company's Pic 'n Fill Inventory (with Optical Character Recognition) and ReMoCloud Express (for Mobile Device Management). A Taiwan Excellence Award for 2026.

CipherLab RK96 Computer

COMPANY BUSINESS

POSBANK Taps MagTek

Adoption of the DynaFlex II Go from MagTek (Seal Beach, CA) has streamlined electronic payments with POS terminals by POSBANK USA (Plainview, NY). A pair of models by POSBANK, with Android O/S, now feature DynaFlex II Go: ACT and MINT. With 15.6" widescreen format, and backlight LED, ACT runs Android 12. In compact format, with tilting 10.1" touchscreen and built-in thermal printer, MINT runs Android 9.

In small form factor of 2.8"/70 mm (W) x 2.6"/65 mm (L) x 0.8"/20 mm (D), DynaFlex II Go supports all payments: EMV Contact/Contactless, NFC Contactless, MSR, and QR Barcode. It encrypts with AES 128/256 DUKPT with CMAC or TDEA DUKPT and meets Payment Card Industry (PCI) PTS V6 SCR (with MagTek MagneSafe Security Architecture). As connectivity, it has USB-C and Bluetooth Low Energy (LE).

"Our collaboration with POSBANK represents a powerful synergy between sleek, modern industrial design and MagTek's industry-leading security," indicated John Arato, Chief Sales Officer at MagTek. "By integrating our DynaFlex II Go into their high-performance terminal line-up, we are delivering a sophisticated, all-in-one solution for every point of interaction." Added Young Choi, COO at POSBANK (Seoul, South Korea):"MagTek's DynaFlex II Go fit our need for a sleek and high-tech looking design with great SDKs (Software Development Kits) and APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) for faster integration."

POSBANK Chooses MagTek's DynaFlex II Go Reader

Tote Barges Into C-Stores

A deployment of the retail platform of Tote (Redwood City, CA) by Huck's Market endorses the legitimacy of AI-Native POS in the convenience-store industry. Headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, Huck's Market has 135 locations across the Midwest U.S. Initial roll-out, which took place in Carmi, IL, includes Self-Checkout, with additional capability in POS and Fuel Stations to follow in 2026.

Early feedback from the team at Huck's Market cites faster transactions, easier product look-up, and cleaner GUI. Managers also pointed to clearer transaction guidance and improved visibility into items under Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT). Customer response has been similarly positive, according to Huck's Market, particularly in the case of loyalty.

"Huck's Market embodies the kind of forward-thinking approach we built this platform to support," submitted Shyam Rao, Founder and CEO of Tote. "Their willingness to be our first convenience-store design partner, valuable operational insights, and commitment to delivering exceptional customer experiences made them the ideal partner to prove what modern technology can do for fuel and convenience retail." Before starting Tote in 2022, Rao was Founder/CEO of Punchh (now part of PAR Technology). Tote raised $23 million in funding in August 2025.

Huck's Market Deploys AI-Native POS by Tote

Worth Your While

ETA Transact
Electronic Transactions Association
March 18-20
Atlanta, GA

MODEX
Material Handling Institute - MHI
April 13-16
Atlanta, GA

NRA Show
National Restaurant Association
May 16-19
Chicago, IL

SEAA
Southeast Acquirers Association
June 8-10
Miami, FL

RSPA RetailNOW
Retail Solutions Providers Association
July 26-28
Las Vegas, NV

Partner First Conference
ScanSource
Aug. 31- Sept. 1
Arlington, TX

WSAA
Western States Acquirers Association
September 15-17
Palm Springs, CA

VARTECH
Bluestar
September 21-22
Mohegan Sun (CT)

FS/TEC
Informa
September 23-25
Grapevine, TX

MJBizCon
MJBizDaily
December 1-4
Las Vegas, NV

ALL IN THE FAMILY

Star Crunches KDS

An integration for KDS (Kitchen Display System) has been completed between Star Micronics (Somerset, NJ) and Crunchtime Information Systems (Boston, MA). It joins Crunchtime Kitchen, and its QSR Automations' KDS, with Star Micronics' thermal mC-Label multifunction printers, mC-Print2 and mC-Print3 receipt printers, as well as the TSP143IV SK sticky label printer. (In 2025, readers may recall, QSR Automations merged with Crunchtime Information Systems.)

In this combined solution, orders displayed within Crunchtime Kitchen trigger printed labels and receipts at key points in the kitchen process. Inherent features such as delayed routing, customizable prep stations, and dynamic capacity management serve to balance workloads, reduce bottlenecks, and keep multi-item orders finishing together. Item-level and order-level labels produced by Star's printers (including linerless restickable labels for delivery/take-out) ensure accuracy of contents.

"Integration between Star Micronics and Crunchtime Kitchen enables restaurant operators to unify digital order management with consistent, real-world execution across every service channel," says Star Micronics. "Designed for multi-channel, enterprise restaurant environments, Crunchtime Kitchen helps operators maintain service consistency and throughput by intelligently managing order flow across stations, channels, and peak demand periods." In February, Star Micronics announced partnership in KDS with Logic Controls (Orlando, FL).

Star Micronics and Crunchtime in the Kitchen

Touch Dynamic Drops Prism

An upgraded touchscreen computer, entitled Prism, has been shipped at Touch Dynamic (South Plainfield, NJ). With more computing power than its predecessor, it now offers Intel Alder Lake-N, i3-N305, and Intel Meteor Lake Core Ultra 5 125U CPUs; up to 48 GB RAM; and 256 GB SSD. As O/S, it runs Windows 10/11 Iot, Linux, and Android 13.

In slim profile, weighing 13.3 lbs./6 kg--4.4 lbs./2 kg less than the previous model QK22--Prism measures 20.5"/521 mm (W) x 12.8"/325 mm (H) x 1.9"/48 mm (D). It carries 21.5" true-flat, projected-capacitive touchscreen (1920x1080). A full suite of connectivity is provided, along with peripherals such as camera, card reader, keypad, and top-light. It offers Bluetooth and Wi-Fi 6 with arm, wall, kiosk, or stand mounting.

"Our redesigned Prism touchscreen computer represents our commitment to innovation while evolving our product line based on customer feedback," expounded Craig Paritz, President at Touch Dynamic. "By making the system more powerful, compact, lightweight, and versatile, we are providing businesses with a solution that enhances operational efficiency, while meeting the needs of modern workspaces." As markets, it designates quick-service restaurants, retail, and manufacturing.

Touch Dynamic's Prism Touchscreen Computer

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A Message From the Editor

As we enter another year--our 20th!--our mission remains constant: to fill the need for timely, focused, non-biased news in the channel for POS & Auto ID (and now Mobility). If anything, that need grows more pressing in the face of new technologies, go-to-market strategies, business models, and consumer expectations. We look forward to continuing our mission, and welcome your suggestions and thoughts on improvements.

Michael Kachmar, Editor

Short Takes

-Volcora (Hicksville, NY) will supply its hardware--cash management and POS--for ISV Epos Now (Orlando, FL and Norwich, UK).

-Pepper (New York, NY) has secured $50 million in Series C funding to expand its technology platform for independent food distributors.

-Kinetic Solutions Group (Dallas, TX) plans to further the use of AI in the hotel and resorts market through its new entity, VIVI.

-NCR Voyix (Atlanta, GA) will supply its POS for major travel center chain, Pilot, with more than 900 locations across the U.S., under new five-year exclusive contract.

ALLIANCES

PAX: Simpatico With Utimaco

A strategic partnership with cybersecurity firm Utimaco (Campbell, CA and Aachen, Germany) has enhanced payment key management for PAX Technology (Jacksonville, FL). In utilizing Utimaco's KeyBRIDGE POI (Point of Interaction), in conjunction with PAX's Key Injection Facility (KIF), it ensures cryptographic keys are encrypted during transmission to the payment device. It improves, and simplifies, legacy approaches to payment key management, in which keys are transferred unencrypted.

With such encrypted transmission, it also improves security of the process, according to the two parties. It supports the popular family of payment devices by PAX Technology, including Models A77, A35, IM30, A80, A800, A920 Pro, and A300, while meeting compliance with PCI PIN (Payment Card Industry) and P2PE (Point-to-Point Encryption). As delivery paths, Utimaco's KeyBRIDGE POI offers direct local injection, remote key loading, and hosted key distribution for the POS.

"We're excited to work with Utimaco to deliver a solution that strengthens key loading security while respecting the operational realities of our customers," relayed LeAnn Hostetler, Chief Security Compliance Officer at PAX Technology. "This partnership enables organizations to remain compliant with evolving PCI requirements while continuing to use the physical key injection models already in place today." Prior to joining PAX in 2019, Hostetler was Director of Payment Security Compliance at Verifone and VP of PCI Risk at Worldpay.

PAX Embraces Encryption During Key Transmission

[Editor's Note: Also, Clint Jones, CRO at PAX Technology, has been named to the 2026 Steering Committee for the U.S. Payments Forum.]

Verifone Holds the Cards

"A seamless global connectivity for payment terminals" has been fashioned by Verifone (Alpharetta, GA), thanks to eSIM technology by high-tech conglomerate, Thales (Reston, VA and Meudon, France). It eliminates the need for removable SIM cards and country-specific versions of hardware for POS/Payments. It enables remote connectivity provisioning and management, in tune with the latest specifications of GSMA (Global System for Mobility Association) Standard SGP.32 IoT.

As such, it supports the new commerce platform and family of payment terminals, under Verifone Victa. As models, with applications self-described by designation, there's Victa Register and Victa Lane; Victa Mini, Victa Mobile Plus, and Victa Portable Plus; and Victa SoftPOS Mobile and Victa SoftPOS Tablet. In addition, self-service has been addressed by the new kiosk, in 22" and 27" displays: Verifone Touch.

"At Verifone, we're focused on simplifying how payment devices are deployed and managed at global scale," declared Ryan Ahern, VP of Global Hardware Product Strategy at Verifone. "By integrating Thales' eSIM technology directly into our terminals, we eliminate the need for removable SIM cards and country-specific variants. That means faster rollouts, streamlined manufacturing, and secure, remotely managed connectivity from day one." (FYI: As VP of Mobile Connectivity Solutions at Thales: Eva Rudin.)

Verifone Employs eSIM Technology From Thales

Code Corner

A Gift at MeevoPay

A path to charitable contributions by shoppers has been paved at Millennium Systems International (MSI, Parsippany, NJ). As MeevoPay Giving, it enables seamless checkout donations for vertical markets addressed by MSI: beauty and wellness. A quick prompt on the payment terminal, direct routing to the selected charity, and separate line-item on the shopper's statement are cited. All donated funds go to the chosen charity, with no cost for the participating merchants. At launch, MeevoPay Giving supports over one hundred charities, including Beauty Changes Lives and Wigs and Wishes. "We service industries that are innately communal and philanthropic, and this offering further accentuates MSI's continued commitment and dedication to those industries, our clients, and overall community," commented Matthew Scudder, Chief Payments Officer at MSI.

MSI Offers MeevoPay Giving

In Flatbed With AI

An enhanced checkout for grocery, with embedded AI, and entitled Smart Vision Suite for Retail, has been showcased by Datalogic (Eugene, OR). It equips the company's popular flatbed scanners: Datalogic's Magellan 9600i and 9900i. As advanced capacities, there's produce recognition, label switching and multiple item detection, and mis-scan warning. As hardware features: high-resolution color cameras, switch for Power-over-Ethernet (PoE), and Tensor Processing Unit (TPU). A proprietary QuadVision Technology boosts scanning. "By embedding AI directly into the scanner, we reduce shrink in real-time, boost operational efficiency, and deliver best-in-class scanning in a single, integrated platform--no external servers, no added infrastructure, just intelligent technology where it matters most," asserted Emanuela Mattiolo, GM of the Fixed Retail Scanners Business Unit at Datalogic.

Smart Vision for Magellan

ENVIRONMENTS/PLATFORMS

A Polar Express

A fresh effort in cold storage has been launched by warehouse management software provider, Royal 4 Systems (Long Beach, CA). As so-called "Wise Polar," it addresses need for enhanced precision, compliance, and efficiency in the food distribution, pharmaceuticals, and perishable goods industries. It has been successfully rolled out for some of the largest cold storage warehouses in North America.

A leader in supply chain technology, in practice for four decades, Royal 4 Systems supplies WMS (Warehouse Management Systems), ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), and YMS (Yard Management Systems). It cites advanced benefits such as lot tracking, catch weights, and temperature monitoring for Wise Polar. Also, Wise Polar supports cold storage hardware for Barcode, RFID, and Voice from leading vendors.

"Wise Polar will transform how we manage cold storage operations," reflected Richard Kraetz, VP of Sales for Food and Beverage, 3PL (Third-Party Logistics), and Cold Storage Solutions with Royal 4 Systems. "Its real-time visibility, FSMA Compliance, and automation capabilities will offer complete control over inventory and supply chain." Administered by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Food Safety and Modernization Act (FSMA), was signed by President Obama in 2011.

A Cold Storage WMS From Royal 4 Systems

Helcim Builds Bridges

A new browser extension by Helcim (Calgary, AB, Canada)--"Helcim Payment Extension"--seeks to facilitate integration of payments and the merchant's web-based business software. At launch, it supports more than two dozen popular software platforms, with plans to support 100 by the end of the year (targeting retail, professional services, and healthcare). For end-users of its payment processing services, and their reseller partners, Helcim offers free sign-up with no monthly fees, no set-up fees, and no long-term contracts, reportedly.

It may be downloaded from the website of Helcim. "Finally, we don't have to choose between our favorite clinic software and fair payment rates," noted Jedd Ylagan, Owner of Kinetically Whole Therapies (Winnipeg, MB, Canada). "The workflow is seamless--our staff operates exactly as they always have--but now we are saving significantly on every transaction without compromising the client's experience."

"We believe merchants deserve to be in control of their financial partnerships," maintained Nic Beique, CEO and Founder of Helcim. "Business owners shouldn't be forced to overpay for payments just to use the operational software they love. This extension restores the power of choice, allowing merchants to pair the best tools for their business with the transparent, affordable payments they deserve."

A Handy Browser-Based Payment Extension

Key Advertiser Links

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

POS & Peripherals
Bixolon America
Epson America
FEC POS
HiStone
HP
MagTek
POSBANK USA
Posiflex
Sam4s/Shin Heung Precision
Star Micronics
Washburn Computer Group

Barcode Printers
Bixolon America
Brother Mobile
Epson America
Woosim Systems

Cash Drawers/Cash Handling
apg/APG Cash Drawer

Data Collection
Star Micronics

Integrated Payment Solutions
Aurora Payments
Datacap Systems
MagTek

Receipt Printers
Bixolon America
Brother Mobile
Epson America
Star Micronics
Woosim Systems

Stands, Mounts, Cradles
apg/APG Cash Drawer
Star Micronics

INSTALLATIONS

A High-Five in Storage

A migration to new enterprise property management software from ISV/VAR Self Storage Manager (Blue Bell, PA) has been realized for Five Star Storage (Fargo, ND). It brings the SSM Cloud to 45 properties operated by Five Star Storage in the Midwest and Eastern Rocky Mountain Region in the U.S. It includes business dashboard, modern payment solutions, expanded marketing and customer engagement, remote site management, and open APIs (Application Programming Interfaces).

"Changing your facility management software is almost like a heart transplant for your entire operation," suggested Ben Hendricks, CEO of Five Star Storage. "[With the new platform] we needed full trust and confidence that we're aligned on values and long-term goals as we scale--and that box was checked by the team at SSM. They've also been very open to accommodating certain change requests, which speaks to their commitment to partnership."

"The Five Star Storage brand is one we've been following for quite some time," shared Rohan Shenoy, President of Self Storage Manager (Gold Certified Microsoft Partner Network). "We've long admired how their team balances a disciplined hub-and-spoke operating model with the flexibility to adapt at the facility level--a balance that becomes even more important as portfolios scale." Going forward, not unexpectedly, the two partners will collaborate on advanced capabilities with AI.

Five Star Storage Adopts ISV Self Storage Manager

In the Fast Lane - RFID

A next-level solution for loss prevention has been unveiled at Checkpoint Systems (Thorofare, NJ). It embeds the company's "SFERO" RFID Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS), and its antenna, directly into the checkout lane construction.A self-contained system, it has internal cabling, connections, and electronics.

"Historically restricted to exit-based EAS pedestals, RFID technology has reached this new milestone--transitioning from the storefront to the heart of the checkout experience," says Checkpoint Systems. "Directly integrated into the checkout lane, SFERO RFID Checkout stands out for its discreet yet highly deterrent design. Detection occurs earlier in the shopper journey, facilitating quicker intervention and reducing losses."

A division of worldwide specialty label and packaging player CCL Industries, Checkpoint Systems introduced its SFERO RFID in 2022. A customizable series, it includes various configurations of pedestals and overhead antenna subsystems for in-store RFID EAS (in support of inlays, labels, and hard tags). "An extremely powerful detection capability reaches, in many cases, greater than 95%"--Checkpoint.

Checkpoint SFERO RFID Checkout Lane

Channel Factoid

"Labor Day"

(Staffing Issues)

Top Tech Plans for
Coping In Restaurants

36% - Order Ahead Solutions
36% - QR Code Menus
34% - QR Code Payments
29% - AI Voice Ordering
28% - Self-Service Kiosks
28% - Labor Mgmt. Software

Source: "American State of Restaurants Report - 2026" by TouchBistro.

Growing Labor Costs

In Greenville

A new President of Specialty Technologies at ScanSource (Greenville, SC): Mark Morgan. A long tenure at the distributor has included VP of Sales-Communications, President of Intelisys, and President of Global Strategy. As Special Technologies, it includes POS, Barcoding, Mobility.

Mark Morgan, President, Specialty Technologies, ScanSource

HELLO GOODBYE

A CMO for the World

A promotion to CMO for Liesl Smith at FreedomPay (Philadelphia, PA). She joined the company in 2018 as SVP of Global Marketing and Communications. Previous roles have included VP of European Marketing and Communications for Verifone and Head of Global Payments Communications for Western Union. (Both in London, UK.)

"I am tremendously excited to lead the marketing function at a time of significant technological change," contributed Smith. "We have endless opportunities in the world of marketing--from tools in AI to emerging technology partners. Our shared goal as the world's most trusted agnostic payments company is to help our customers stay in control, protected and independent."

"We are thrilled to elevate Liesl Smith to CMO, where she will lead the next stage of our double-digit growth, advancing our product portfolio and our brand: 'Rule Your World,'" commented Chris Kronenthal, President of FreedomPay. "She has built one of the best marketing teams in the world, and she continues to elevate the company's profile and scale our newly formed international growth team." With its Next Level Commerce, FreedomPay includes customers such as Subway, Marriott, IHG, L'Oreal, Pret a Manger, Four Seasons, and Dine Brands.

Liesl Smith, CMO, FreedomPay

A Key Link for ChainIT

A new President, Jodi Durst, at ChainIT Pay (Evanston, WY). Previously, she served as Co-Founder and CEO at ePayments. Earlier experience has included VP of Partner Alliances at Merchant e-Solutions, National Account Director at Heartland Payment Systems, National Sales at Vantiv, and VP of Global Sales at Worldpay.

"Payments are entering a new era--one where identity, authorization, and transaction integrity must be verified at the point of authority, not assumed downstream," observed Durst. "ChainIT Pay is built for that future, and I'm delighted to help lead what comes next." Also, ChainIt, which offers Know Your Business (KYB) Verification, has opened an office in Scottsdale, AZ.

"Jodi brings decades of leadership experience in the payments industry and a clear understanding of where the market is headed," related Jeremy Blackburn, Chairman of ChainIT Holding Corp. "As embedded payments, digital identity, and AI reshape commerce, we're focused on building a verification-first platform that can scale responsibly. Jodi's operational discipline, industry expertise, and customer-first approach make her the right leader to accelerate ChainIT Pay's growth and expansion."

Jodi Durst, President, ChainIT Pay