Our Product Pick

A newest family of mobile computers, Memor 11, has been unveiled by Datalogic (Eugene, OR). Weighing 10 oz./285 g, it features 5" projected-capacitive (PCAP) touchscreen (720x1280), Octa-Core CPU at 2 GHz, 4 GB RAM, 32 GB Flash, and Android 11+Google Mobile Services. In wireless, there's choice between Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi/Cellular models (added to Bluetooth). Additional benefits include advanced battery management with wireless charging, industrial barcode scanner with visual good-read confirmation via the company's "Green Spot," and chemical resistant enclosure (with an IP-65 rating and 5 ft./1.5 m drop standard with rubber boot). "A perfect balance of affordability, performance, and ruggedness for retail, transportation and logistics, warehouse, and manufacturing customers" [for the Memor 11], was cited by Mangaraju Vuppala, Mobile Computer Product Marketing Leader at Datalogic.

Datalogic's Memor 11

COMPANY BUSINESS

NAB the Explorer

A new partnership between Virtualitics (Pasadena, CA) and North American Bancard (Troy, MI) seeks to leverage the complex information captured in the electronic payment process. With AI-driven data exploration and 3-D visualizations, Virtualitics' technology, called Intelligent Exploration, pinpoints patterns and trends. It offers deeper analysis than traditional business intelligence, and with greater simplicity than open-source solutions, according to Virtualitics.

"Above all else, we want to make sure our merchants are both protected and given as many tools as possible to run successful businesses," declared Jim Parkinson, Chief Experience Officer at North American Bancard. "Partnering with Virtualitics allows us to share the latest data insights to ensure merchants are in the know about hidden patterns and can take action within their industries." As the 6th largest independent acquirer in the U.S., North American Bancard completes over $100 billion per year in electronic transaction volume.

"Virtualitics' mission is to empower organizations to solve complex, business-critical problems using Intelligent Exploration," expounded Michael Amori, CEO and Co-Founder at Virtualitics. "Serving the financial services industry is one of our key verticals, and we're delighted to support North American Bancard in safeguarding their merchants from payment processing fraud." Virtualitics' patented technology is based on 10+ years of research at the California Institute of Technology (which Amori attended).

North American Bancard Calls Upon Virtualitics to Unlock Insights From Complex Payment Data

Raves for Ravi

An evolution at the top for Brother Mobile Solutions (Westminster, CO) sees the retirement of David Crist and the promotion to President for Ravi Panjwani. In his previous role as VP, having joined the company in 2006 following time at Zebra Technologies and Symbol Technologies, Panjwani has driven the success of the channel at Brother Mobile Solutions, among his other achievements. A popular industry figure, Crist had served as President of Brother Mobile Solutions since 2015.

"I am excited and humbled to lead Brother Mobile Solutions in the next chapter of the company's journey," shared Panjwani. "We are at an innovative time in the industry, as customers are looking for smarter printing and labeling solutions that can enhance productivity and help them overcome today's challenges. Brother Mobile Solutions is uniquely positioned to serve as a valued partner to customers across the retail, transportation and logistics, manufacturing, industrial, and public safety markets."

"It has been an honor and a privilege to lead Brother Mobile Solutions, and I am delighted at the growth we have achieved over the past eight years," recounted Crist. "Ravi is an expert leader who shares the company's values and ideals, and he has a laser focus on supporting customers and driving business growth though innovation and differentiated product development. Brother Mobile Solutions is in excellent hands under his leadership, and I'm confident that Brother Mobile Solutions' future is very bright."

A Promotion to President of Brother Mobile Solutions for Ravi Panjwani (At Left), Following the Retirement of David Crist (At Right)

Worth Your While

Transact
Electronic Transactions Association
April 24-26
Atlanta, GA

NRA Show
National Restaurant Association
May 20-23
Chicago, IL

RetailNOW
Retail Solutions Providers Association
July 30-August 1
Orlando, FL

VARTECH
BlueStar
September 11-12
San Antonio, TX

FSTEC
Foodservice Tech/Winsight
September 13-15
Dallas, TX

MJBizCom
MJBizDaily
November 28-December 1
Las Vegas, NV

ALL IN THE FAMILY

Star Steels Itself

A pair of new hardware by Star Micronics America (Somerset, NJ) includes tablet enclosure and printer shelf. A Universal Mini mEnclosure, offered in addition to the Universal mEnclosure, has been designed for smaller tablets in screen sizes of 9" to 12.5." It works with common industry stands and mounts using 75 mm/100 mm VESA mounting, as well as the mUnite Tablet Stands by Star Micronics.

With similar functionality of the Universal mEnclosure, the Mini features expanding, locking steel arms and single-key design to secure the tablet and prevent theft. A tablet can be mounted horizontally or vertically, and when paired with the mUnite Stand, it may be flipped by the cashier to face the customer. A smooth felt layer helps prevent damage to the tablet, and glossy black or clean white finish is offered.

A second new product by Star Micronics America, mUnite Printer Shelf, when added to the tablet display stand or pole mount via inner collar, furnishes space for thermal receipt/label printer, offering an affordable and flexible kiosk/self-service station. In all-steel construction, and glossy black or clean white finish, it provides shelf space of 11.8"/300 mm (L) x 7.9"/200 mm (W). It has compatibility with the company's mUnite Floor Kiosk Stand, Tri-Mount, and Mount 18 Tablet Displays. In addition to its family of thermal printers, and its enclosures/display stands, Star Micronics America supplies barcode scanners, cash drawers, scales, consumables, and health/safety labels and guards.

Star's New Universal Mini Tablet mEnclosure (At Top) and mUnite Printer Shelf (At Bottom) Shown on Its Mount 18 Display

MicroTouch Frames the Picture

A new 27" Open-Frame Touch Monitor has been debuted by MicroTouch (Holland, MI). As Model OF-270P-A1, addressing retail and hospitality, it employs 10-point projected-capacitive (PCAP), high-definition (HD) technology, with resolution of 1920x1080, contrast ratio of 3000:1, aspect ratio of 16:9, and brightness of 300 nits. It has anti-glare surface coating for performance in high-brightness environments.

Weighing approximately 17.6 lbs./8 kg, the 27" Touch Monitor features thin cable management, black housing, bracket (VESA 100x100 mm), and an IP-54 rating. It offers the full suite of I/O ports, including USB 2.0, Ethernet, VGA, HDMI, DP, and DC Power. An on-screen menu allows adjustment of touch sensitivity in cases of added security glass or wearing of gloves by end-users. A three-year warranty is extended by MicroTouch.

"Self-service checkout and wayfinding kiosks continue to be a high-growth category for the digital signage market post-Covid," indicated John Dixon, VP of Business Solutions for MicroTouch. "We are committed to meeting market demand by adding the innovative 27" Touch Monitor to our extensive range of touch display solutions. It was developed to seamlessly integrate with our kiosk partners' solutions, allowing end-users to deploy kiosks that match the aesthetics of their environment."

MicroTouch 27" Open-Frame Touch Monitor

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ALLIANCES

Miura: All Together With NMI

A certification to payment gateway NMI (Schaumburg, IL) has been completed for the Model M021 Payment Terminal by Miura Systems (Timonium, MD). In concert with the processing platform by Worldpay/Vantiv (Jacksonville, FL), the Miura M021 supports all major card schemes: Swipe, Dip, Tap, and PIN. With cloud POS by NMI, merchants may install, add, or update terminals through their web browser via connection with USB, Bluetooth, or Wi-Fi.

"Miura is excited to meet the expanding demands for NMI customers and partners by introducing the most versatile, secure, and affordable payment terminal on the market today," expressed Fred Nelson, VP of Channel Development for Miura. "NMI certification enables Miura to reach an even wider range of ISVs, VARs, and their merchant customers in the United States and Canada." Since 2008, Miura, based in UK, has deployed more than 3 million payment devices to over 30 countries.

In size of 5"/126 mm (L) x 2.5"/63 mm (W) x 0.5"/13 mm (H), weighing 4.5 oz./128 g, built on Linux, the M021 has 32-bit Arm 9 CPU, 2.3" color capacitive touchscreen (TFT, QVGA, 240x320), and 1150-mAh Li-Ion battery. It meets security standards of Payment Card Industry (PCI) PTS 5, P2PE Version 2, and EMV L1/L2. It offers an Application Programming Interface (API), Software Development Kit (SDK), and Miura "Revive."

Miura's Model M021 Payment Terminal Now Certified with NMI's Gateway

A Sound for the Big Screen

An enhanced hardware choice for the Sound Easy Pump from Sound Payments brings the Aries 8 Payment Terminal by PAX Technology. As its name denotes, Sound Easy Pump enables the necessary EMV-at-the-Pump. Significantly, it does not require fuel stations to change their processor or in-store POS. With an Aries 8, it supports all common payment types, Swipe, Dip, Tap, and PIN, with security certifications to Payment Card Industry (PCI) PTS 5 SRED and EMV L1/L2.

Aries 8 from PAX features an 8" touchscreen; an earlier integration has Sound Easy Pump with the 4.3" touchscreen PAX IM20. Installation of the Aries 8 has been simplified compared to the IM20, according to Sound Payments, and stations may simultaneously run their new and old fuel payment systems until completion of Easy Pump. Sound Payments is accepting pre-orders, and upgrade from the IM20, for Q3.

"Aries 8 is a powerful, high-resolution, and customer-engaging solution," remarked Ray Prothero, VP of Product and Program Management at Sound Payments. "With its attractive, natural pump integration, interactive, and compelling screen design, it's sure to entice c-store customers to fuel and stay." (Both companies, active in our channel of VARs and ISVs, are headquartered in Jacksonville, FL.)

Sound Easy Pump Features Aries 8 by PAX

Code Corner

A general release of Tillerman Insight seeks to help wholesale brands to better understand the data from their POS. An interactive dashboard may be customized for drill down on inventory and sales. It was built to help brands understand the massive amounts of data coming from traditional retailers as well as e-commerce sources like Amazon and Shopify. It has been beta tested by 100 brands. "Insight has been a game changer for our clients in terms of being able to get answers to business questions immediately and then using that information to make actionable business decisions," asserted Chris Borduas, Managing Partner of Tillerman. "Our dashboards are customized to exactly what each brand needs in their own language, so our clients can use the tool to find opportunities and collaborate in ways that are not possible with traditional reporting."

Tillerman Insight Business Analytics

Channel Chatter

-After 20 years, Intuit (Palo Alto, CA) has ended support for its QuickBooks Desktop Point of Sale 19.0. It recommends Shopify.

-PayPal (San Jose, CA) has discontinued its Here POS. It recommends the range of products under its Zettle POS.

-Logic Controls (Orlando, FL), and its Board of Directors, has removed Fabio Romano as its CEO. As Interim Co-CEOs, it has tapped Board Members Jeff Gugick and Marc Schuster.

ENVIRONMENTS/PLATFORMS

Epson Speaks Volumes

An announcement of availability for the OmniLink TM-m50II thermal receipt printer by Epson America (Los Alamitos, CA). With 3"/76 mm print width, the TM-m50II has maximum print speed of 20"/500 mm per second at 180 dpi. In cube-shaped format (5"/128 mm), it has front or top paper exits for installation flexibility. It weighs 2.9 lbs./1.3 kg.

In support of PC-POS and mPOS, the OmniLink TM-m50II has Serial, Ethernet, and USB, along with optional Wi-Fi. In black or white, an IP-X2 rated enclosure is water-resistant, antimicrobial, and easy to clean. In addition, paper-saving functionality reduces usage by up to 49%.

"Epson offers a variety of mSeries printers with a broad range of connectivity options to meet the demands of modern POS environments, no matter the size," noted John Choi, Product Manager at Epson America. "The new OmniLink TM-m50II was designed with high print volume customers in mind, bringing fast speeds and quality in a clean, attractive design." In support of its printers, there's two web-based technologies: Epson's ePOS Print and Epson Server Direct Print.

Epson's Cube-Shaped OmniLink TM-m50II Printer

A Removable Feast

A consolidation in consumables has MAX International Converters (Lancaster, PA) sold to Iconex (Duluth, GA). An early developer of direct-thermal, liner-free, removable adhesive labels, designated as MAXStick, MAX International was part of McAuliffe Paper Inc. (Liverpool, NY). Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

"Adding the MAXStick product portfolio allows Iconex to provide additional high-performance liner-free options to our customers and expands our portfolio of proven technology," enthused Craig Gunckel, CEO of Iconex. "These transactions fully align with our long-term growth objectives and position us to continue to win across the retail, food-service, warehousing, and pharmaceutical industries." Iconex serves 40,000 companies globally with paper and label solutions.

With three decades as President of MAX International, Mike Vigunas will join Iconex as VP of Global Business Development. "Current MAX International customers will benefit by gaining access to Iconex's high-performance differentiated label portfolio including Iconex Sticky Media," proposed Vigunas. "Joining Iconex provides our business with significant growth potential, offering a global supply chain and duplicate manufacturing locations that will serve our loyal customers well now, and in the years to come."

In the Papers: MAX International Sold to Iconex

Key Advertiser Links

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

POS & Peripherals
Aldelo
Electronic Payments
Elo
Epson America
FEC POS
HiStone
HP
Ingenico
Pioneer Solution
POSBANK USA
Posiflex
POS Nation
Sam4s/Shin Heung Precision
Star Micronics
Sunmi
Toshiba

Barcode Printers
Bixolon America
Brother Mobile
GoDEX Americas
Woosim Systems

Cash Drawers/Cash Handling
apg/APG Cash Drawer

Data Collection
Janam Technologies
MobileDemand
Star Micronics
Unitech America

Integrated Payment Solutions
Datacap Systems
Electronic Payments
Ingenico
Miura Systems
North American Bancard
Payment Logistics

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

Stands, Mounts, Cradles
Star Micronics

INSTALLATIONS

Sparks Fly at Denny's

A "next-generation customer engagement ecosystem" has been deployed by family dining restaurant chain, Denny's (Spartanburg, SC). It combines the rewards/loyalty/mobile technology by Sparkfly (Atlanta, GA) with the digital order/delivery/SaaS technology by Olo (New York, NY). As "full featured," it has: Loyalty, Offer Management, POS Middleware, CRM+Automations, and Guest Data Platform.

"In times of economic uncertainty, it is paramount that businesses prioritize customer loyalty and recognize it as a key growth driver," emphasized Catherine Tabor, CEO and Founder of Sparkfly. "By leveraging advanced technology to deliver personalized rewards and engagement platforms, companies like Denny's can deepen customer relationships and create more meaningful and lasting connections. A customer-first approach is essential for success in any market condition."

A roll-out across all of the 1,600+ Denny's locations was led by Luis Martinez, Denny's Senior Director of Brand Intelligence and Customer Relationship Management. To date, Sparkfly has served 70+ brands with 12,000+ locations, and 150+ million transactions. On its part, Olo has 600+ brands with 82,000 locations and 2+ million orders daily.

An Intelligent Customer Engagement Ecosystem Combines the Technologies of Sparkfly and Olo at Denny's

Tecsys Heats Up

An out-of-the-box, no code, 3-D representation of the warehouse has been developed by Tecsys (Montreal, QC, Canada). Under the moniker of Tecsys Digital Twin 3-D Heat Map, it automatically portrays levels of warehouse activity. Armed with mobile or PC access, supply chain end-users may identify opportunities to improve workflows and throughput.

An embedded composable dashboard, this functionality connects directly with the Elite Warehouse Management System (WMS) by Tecsys. It furnishes drill-down capabilities, tracking and monitoring of key performance metrics, and drag-and-drop layout adjustments. Addressing new and legacy customers, it features backwards compatibility with multiple versions of the Tecsys Elite WMS.

"This is the way we make digital twins in the warehouse accessible and mainstream," explained Vito Calabretta, SVP of Global Operations at Tecsys. "Traditional solutions that provide this degree of 'twinning' require massive amounts of custom work by professional service providers. We turned that model upside down so that every organization can tap into the performance benefits of digital twin analytics in the warehouse."

Tecsys Digital Twin 3-D Heat Map for Warehouse

Channel Factoid

In These Retailers,
We Trust Most

#1-Amazon
#2-Chewy
#3-Barnes & Noble
#4-United Natural Foods (UNFI)
#5-Costco
#6-ACE Hardware
#7-PetSmart
#8-Petco
#9-Harbor Freight
#10-Tractor Supply
#11-Office Depot
#12-99 Cents Only Stores
#13-Ulta Beauty
#14-Target
#15-TJX Companies
#16-Bass Pro Shops
#17-Kirkland's
#18-JOANN
#19-Murphy USA
#20-True Value
#21-Hobby Lobby
#22-Love's Travel Stops
#23-1-800-Flowers
#24-Sonic Automotive
#25-Walmart

Source: "Most Trustworthy Companies in America - 2023" Survey Conducted by Newsweek Magazine

Jeff Bezos at Amazon

A Message From the Editor

We look forward to continuing our mission, and welcome your suggestions and thoughts on improvements. Wishing you and your family health, happiness, and prosperity in 2023!

Michael Kachmar, Editor

HELLO GOODBYE

At the Hive

A succession at Honeywell (Charlotte, NC) has Vimal Kapur, President and COO, ascending to CEO and Board Member on June 1, 2023. At that time, current CEO Darius Adamczyk will serve as Executive Chairman. Prior to his role as COO, Kapur was President and CEO of Honeywell Performance Materials and Technologies. He also served as President and CEO of Honeywell Building Technologies, President of Honeywell Process Solutions, and VP and GM of Honeywell Advanced Solutions.

"Vimal is absolutely the right person to lead our company to the next level of growth and stellar performance," commented Adamczyk. "Vimal brings 34 years of deep knowledge about our businesses, end markets, and customer needs. His ability to drive our key sustainability and digitization strategic initiatives, along with his advancement of our world-class operating system--Honeywell Accelerator--throughout the organization, gives him an outstanding platform to drive continued out-performance for our shareowners."

"It is truly an honor to have the opportunity to serve as CEO of Honeywell," stated Kapur. "Our high-performance culture and exceptional talent set Honeywell apart from other companies, and our innovation inspires me every day by bringing technologies to market that impact the world in a positive way."

Adamczyk, 57, was named COO in 2016, CEO in 2017, and Chairman and CEO in 2018. Under his leadership, from 2016 through 2022, Honeywell's market capitalization grew from $88 billion to $145 billion, or 9% CAGR. Over that period, Honeywell's cumulative total shareholder return was 128% versus $109% for the S&P 500 and 100% for the Industrial Sector XLI. Its annualized dividend rate grew from $2.27 to $4.12, an increase of 82%, while its share price rose 99%.

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In June, at Honeywell, CEO Darius Adamczyk (At Left) Moves to Executive Chairman, and COO Vimal Kapur Moves to CEO

Across TransAct

A new stage for printer specialist TransAct Technologies (Hamden, CT) follows the retirement of CEO Bart Shuldman. As Interim CEO, the Board of Directors has named John Dillon. A Board Member since 2011, Dillion has in the past served as CEO of companies such as Aerospike, Engine Yard, Navis, Salesforce, and Hyperion Solutions.

"On behalf of the Board, we want to thank Bart for his nearly three decades of dedication and service to TransAct," relayed Haydee Olinger, Chairman of the Board. "We are fortunate to have in John this highly experienced former CEO who has been intimately involved in the development of our strategic plan to step in as Interim CEO."

"After 27 years of serving as TransAct's CEO, it feels like the right time to step away and spend more time with my family," reflected Shuldman. "The company is in a position of strength, and I have no doubt that John will help lead TransAct into its next stage of growth."

Also at TransAct, Tracey Winslow has been promoted to Global Chief Revenue Officer. Since 2007, Winslow has served as SVP of Sales, Casino and Gaming. As brand names at TransAct, the company's products are sold under BOHA!, AccuDate, EpiCentral, Epic, and Ithaca.

At TransAct Technologies: Bart Shuldman (At Left) Retires; John Dillon (At Center) Named Interim CEO, and Tracey Winslow (At Right) Promoted to Global Chief Revenue Officer