Our Product Pick

An ultra-compact touchscreen POS Terminal, Cleo C10/C14, has been debuted by Partner Tech USA (Anaheim, CA). Measuring 10.3"/262 mm (W) x 11.5"/292 mm (H) x 9.7"/247 mm (D), weighing 7.3 lbs./3.3 kg, it furnishes 10.1" or 14.1" projected-capacitive touchscreen (800x1280, 250 nits) with adjustable viewing angle. An all-in-one design includes embedded 3"/80 mm receipt printer and clean cable management within its base. A choice of Intel Elkhart Lake or Rockchip CPU supports Windows 10/11, Android 12, and Linux Ubuntu. A range of I/O ports are furnished, along with optional card readers, barcode scanners, and customer-facing displays. "Cleo is geared towards merchants that have limited counter space and want POS that is easy to manage and support," contributed Sandra Hsia, President of Partner Tech USA.

Partner Tech's Cleo Touchscreen POS

COMPANY BUSINESS

Inducted at Ingenico

As its new President and CEO, as well as Board Member, Ingenico (Paris, France and Alpharetta, GA) has chosen Laurent Blanchard. He joins the payments player following his role as COO of Cegid. Previously, he held executive management positions with Dassault, IBM, HP, and Cisco.

"We strongly believe Laurent is the right leader for the next stage of transformation and growth of Ingenico," declared Catherine Guillouard, Ingenico Chairwoman and Independent Supervisory Board Member. "His extensive experience in enterprise management solutions, cloud-based services, and ecosystem enablement makes him the ideal candidate to lead our organization through its transformation to an integrated-solutions-focused leader in payments." As offerings, Ingenico has emphasized its Android-based AXIUM Products, its Terminal-as-a-Service (TaaS), and its Payments-Platform-as-a-Service (PPaaS).

"I am deeply honored to be appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Ingenico," shared Blanchard. "The company has an exceptional team of talented individuals and leading technologies that we can leverage to assist our clients and partners in navigating the rapidly evolving payments industry." Adding to its technologies, Ingenico recently purchased Phos (Sofia, Bulgaria), which enables off-the-shelf smartphones or tablets to accept payments, so-called "SoftPOS."

Laurent Blanchard, President and CEO, Ingenico

Another Slice of Toast

A new functionality for reservation and wait-list management, designated Toast Tables, has been showcased by Toast (Boston, MA). With features such as real-time table updates, automatically synched server rosters, and personalized guest profiles--and with direct links to Google Maps--Toast Tables fills out Toast POS, Kitchen Display System, Marketing, and Loyalty. It furnishes flat monthly price, no fees per cover, and package choices for different seating policies.

"Reservation and wait-list management capabilities have moved from 'nice to have' to 'must have' for many restaurants in recent years," expounded Aman Narang, COO and Co-Founder of Toast. "Toast Tables empowers restaurants to provide more personalized and efficient hospitality before, during, and between guest visits. We're pleased to see our collaboration with Google come to life again in this launch and benefit the restaurant community."

"Toast Tables has become one of my favorite parts about Toast," cited Franco DiCarlo, Owner of independent restaurant, the PA House (Hellertown, PA). "Turn times, check sizes, popular items, server efficiency--I can see it all right from my iPad. With online reservations through our website as well as through Reserve with Google, our guest list stays full, and with auto-confirmation texts, we keep it that way."

A New Reservation and Wait-List Management Solution for Toast

Worth Your While

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

Staffing the xTablet T1110

A new rugged tablet, the xTablet T1110, has been unwrapped by MobileDemand (Cedar Rapids, IA). In light weight of 2.2 lbs./1 kg, it furnishes sunlight viewable 10.1" multi-touch capacitive touchscreen (800x1280, 500 nits, WUXGA). In computing, there's Intel Pentium N6415 (Quad-Core) CPU at 1.2/3.0 GHz, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB Storage, and Windows 10/11. In wireless, there's Bluetooth 5.2 and Wi-Fi 6.

As data capture, xTablet T1110 carries front- and rear-facing cameras at 2 MP and 8 MP, respectively, with an optional Honeywell N4680 2D barcode scanner. A suite of I/O ports includes 4x USB: 2.0, 3.1 Type-A, Type-C 3.0, and Type-C 3.1. As ruggedness, the xTablet T1110 has an IP-65 rating, MIL-STD-810G, and 5"/1.5 m multiple drop resistance. A 7.7 V 5585 mAh Li-Polymer battery provides up to 12 hours of lifetime.

"With the addition of the xTablet T1110, we continue to evolve the xTablet line to meet the ever-changing needs of modern retailers and restaurants," projected Matt Miller, President and CTO of MobileDemand. "Companies are seeking lighter weight, large screen devices for their retail and restaurant staff without sacrificing rugged protection, and that's where the xTablet T1110 comes in." As accessories, in addition to payment devices, xTablet has briefcase handle, back hand strap, and the company's patented Snap Mount.

MobileDemand Rolls Out Rugged xTablet T1110

A Move By Miura

A fully featured handheld payment terminal, the Miura Android Smart POS, or MASP, has been unveiled by Miura Systems (Timonium, MD and London, UK). In dimensions of 8.2"/209 mm (H) x 3.1"/78 mm (W) x 1.8"/45 mm (D), weighing 15 oz./430 g, MASP provides 5.5" multi-touch capacitive touchscreen (1280x720), integrated 2"/50 mm receipt printer, and rear-facing 5 MP camera. With Android 11, it has Quad Core CPU at 2 GHz, 2 GB RAM, and 16 GB Storage. It accepts MSR, Smart Card, and NFC/Contactless. As wireless, it has Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi 5.

As certified to the latest industry security standards, with the Miura Payments Interface, MASP meets PCI (Payment Card industry) PTS 6.x with Point-to-Point Encryption (P2PE) and EMV Level 1 and Level 2. It offers SDK (Software Development Kit), API (Application Programming Interface), and Cryptographic Controls. Additional features include 7.4 V 2620 mAh battery and optional front camera and 2D barcode scanner.

"MASP devices are fully featured and highly customizable for smart POS integrations," described Fred Nelson, VP of North American Channel Development for Miura. "We are excited to help businesses open new horizons by implementing an enriched POS and payments solution focused on delivering critical services alongside day-to-day payments." In 2023, Miura Systems has increased its recruitment in our channel.

Miura Presents New Android Smart POS Device

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ALLIANCES

Toshiba Hitches Its Wagon

A new distribution partner for Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions (Research Triangle Park, NC), in the form of BlueStar (Hebron, KY). It covers offerings by Toshiba in the U.S. and Canada, including POS (TCx 300, TCx 810, and TCx 810E) and Self-Service (Pro-X Hybrid Kiosk). As one of the two leading value-added distributors in our channel, BlueStar now joins ScanSource (Greenville, SC) in handling Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions.

"A strategic partnership with BlueStar provides unique benefits to both organizations," shared Bill Campbell, SVP - Head of Global Sales at Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions. "Leveraging Toshiba's industry-leading retail technology, BlueStar's network of resellers is empowered to connect retailers with the innovative solutions they need to stay ahead of the competition and connect with consumers. We are also excited to collaborate with the seasoned management team of BlueStar and to expand our network by engaging with their ecosystem of ISVs."

Also, Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions has opened its Global Services Command Center. A so-called "mission control" site for the company's ProActive Ability Services, it supports the remote prediction, diagnosis, and resolution of system needs. "Our approach to real-time monitoring of in-store systems enables retailers to focus on what is most important --running their business and connecting with customers," indicated Steve Fox, EVP of Services at Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions.

A New Distribution Agreement Between Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions and BlueStar Covers POS (Including the TCx 810E Terminal)

VersiTech Ups Its Velocity

A merger of payments and POS has Bold Integrated Payments (Atlanta, GA) joining forces with VersiTech (Portland, OR). Since 2007, Bold has emphasized its network of ISVs and VARs. It will continue to address integrated payments, while VersiTech handles all POS. In 2022, readers will recall, VersiTech bought ISV Ordyx POS (Deerfield Beach, FL).

"What restaurants are facing today is an adoption of technology that they have never faced before," observed Tyler Young, CEO of VersiTech. "We are meeting that demand head-on, growing and adapting through these amazing new partnerships. Our customers, merchants, vendors, everyone wants--they need--full-service solutions."

"This partnership changes everything," affirmed Gary Liu, President of the VAR/ISV Channel at Bold Integrated Payments. "There are now more cloud-based point-of-sale systems in restaurants than legacy systems, which shows real trust in the technology." In March, VersiTech snapped up VAR Hybrid Hospitality Solutions, partner of Ordyx POS.

VersiTech's CEO Tyler Young on "Worldwide Business With Kathy Ireland"

Code Corner

A new capability by GS1 US (Ewing, NJ) ties its Data Hub to the Snowflake Marketplace (Bozeman, MT). It allows retailers to use and verify data--including 45 million product records created by brand owners residing in GS1 US Data Hub--through the single, integrated platform of Snowflake Marketplace. "Retailers often struggle to streamline their item set-up process and need an effective way to verify product information in their item catalog," explained Rosemary DeAragon, Global Head of Industry, Retail, and Consumer Packaged Goods at Snowflake. "Our collaboration with an organization like GS1 US gives retailers this modern approach in Snowflake's Data Cloud to verify UPC codes and enable authentic brands to quickly move from the warehouse to store shelves." Snowflake Marketplace is powered by Snowflake's cross-cloud technology, dubbed "Snowgrid."

GS1 US Draws Upon Snowflake

Channel Chatter

ATLANTA - April 17, 2023 -"On April 13, NCR determined that a single data center outage that is impacting some functionality for a subset of its commerce customers was caused by a cyber ransomware incident. Upon such determination, NCR immediately started contacting customers, enacted its cybersecurity protocol, and engaged outside experts to contain the incident and begin the recovery process."

"We believe this incident is limited to specific functionality [restaurant administration] in Aloha cloud-based services and Counterpoint. At this time, our ongoing investigation also indicates that no customer systems or networks are involved. None of our ATM, digital banking, payments, or other retail products are processed at this data center."

A Data Breach Notice From NCR's Website

ENVIRONMENTS/PLATFORMS

Givex Hears the Chatter

A solution for customer feedback in retail and hospitality sees Givex POS (Toronto, ON, Canada) onboarding Chatter by Stingray (Montreal, QC, Canada). A real-time conversational platform, Chatter can be launched by the customer scanning the QR Code printed on their receipt. It also enables merchants to gather employee feedback.

"We are delighted to partner with Chatter, whose innovative technology aligns with our mission to help businesses engage with their customers," enthused Mo Chaar, Chief Commercial Officer of Givex. "Through this integration, our merchants will have access to valuable, actionable insights to quickly and effectively improve their operations and customer service." As lead for Chatter by Stingray, there's William Folsom, Director of Customer Success Operations.

Also, Givex and Associated Wholesale Grocers (Kansas City, KS) have renewed their 15-year relationship supporting more than 600 independently owned supermarkets. In 2015, AWG introduced its Shopper Engagement Platform (SEP), originally powered by Loyalty Lane, which became part of Givex in 2022. In addition to the AWG member retailer locations on SEP, another 500+ AWG retail locations are receiving exclusive digital coupons created by AWG and authorized vendors (e.g., Kraft, Fiora) via Givex's Enterprise Coupon Portal.

A Customer Feedback Scheme by Chatter by Stingray Adopted for Givex POS

Your OPEN Lunchbox

An ecosystem for electronic transactions, dubbed OPEN Payments, has been established by online ordering player, Lunchbox (New York, NY). Utilizing the company's OPEN API (Application Programming Interface), introduced earlier, OPEN Payments, as its name describes, allows restaurant operators to choose their preferred payment processor. It offers integration to major systems in POS such as CBS NorthStar, NCR Aloha, Oracle Simphony, PAR Brink, and Revel Systems.

In addition to the POS, Lunchbox has relationships with major processors and gateways such as Authorize[dot]Net, First Data, Heartland, TSYS, and Worldpay. "Our OPEN Payments is a game-changer for restaurant operators, and it presents a unique opportunity for POS system providers to deepen their relationships with their customers," suggested Chrissy Ouellette, new VP of Partnerships at Lunchbox. (Ouellette previously served as VP of Business Development at SpotOn.)

Also this month, Lunchbox entered into partnership with mobile ordering player, Glyde (Newark, NJ). With Glyde, customers can order/pay for their food from the table, front of line, or drive-thru--all via the POS without need of downloading an App. "We're wanting to scale on-premise ordering operations for enterprise restaurants and we're elated to partner with Glyde to do just that," remarked Nabeel Alamgir, CEO and Co-Founder of Lunchbox. A combined solution will also further capabilities in customer engagement and loyalty, he added.

Lunchbox debuts OPEN Payments for Restaurants

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

Elavon: California Dreaming

A powerful new friend for financial services provider Elavon (Atlanta, GA): the California Restaurant Association. Sited in Sacramento, CA, the CRA has 22,000 member locations. Elavon, which is wholly-owned by U.S. Bank, will provide customizable payment solutions including capabilities such as menu, order, and employee management; invoicing and banking services; and viewing of sales data in real-time--all accessible via its dashboard.

"The CRA needed an established payments partner that could help add affinity partners, offer additional value and service options, and maintain and grow memberships," relayed Jamie Walker, CEO of Elavon. "We plan to deliver on those needs through marketing support, state-wide support, and our full suite of banking and payment services." He cited the growing adoption of alternative payment technologies such as peer-to-peer, contactless devices, and mobile wallets.

"Our members are always looking for partners who can provide value and excellent service," related Mike Doerr, COO of the California Restaurant Association. "We believe our Association partnership with Elavon will provide that, and Elavon's service is offered at an attractive price point to the members of the CRA." This agreement comes on the heels of U.S. Bank's recent purchase of Union Bank of California, N.A.

California Restaurant Association Embraces Elavon for Payments

Teklynx Grows Green Thumb

A national cannabis consumer packaged goods company and retailer, Green Thumb Industries (Chicago, IL), has paved the path to labeling efficiency in its segment. Utilizing the capability of barcode label design software, CodeSoft by Teklynx International (Glendale, WI), its new system has eliminated the need to manually label products or manage numerous individual label files. Overall, it speeds up the labeling process by as much as factor of 5x, according to the two parties.

Previously, Green Thumb employed pre-printed labels identifying required information on cannabis brand, safety seal, strain, drug analysis, and dispensary. A total of four or five different-looking labels would be applied to one product. It resulted in 57 label files to manage six cannabis brands, 15 manufacturing facilities, and 75 retail locations for Green Thumb. A consolidated system reduces this to four label templates, with stock savings and more flexibility for updates.

As hardware, the system utilizes thermal printers by Zebra Technologies (Lincolnshire, IL) and label applicators by LabelMill (Savanna, IL) and Tronics (Merrillville, IN). A Teklynx VAR, Chicago Coding Systems (St. Charles, IL), led the project. "There's ROI all over the place, since CodeSoft allows Green Thumb to print from a single label file for every different cannabis product they have," exclaimed Rob Wienhoff, President of Chicago Coding Systems. It also integrates with seed-to-sale cannabis software such as BioTrack and Metrc.

Automatic Labeling for Cannabis Industry

Channel Factoid

Pathway to Payments -
Company Plans by Segment

-Investing in Skilled People
Retail: 28%
Lodging: 47%
Restaurant: 35%
Government: 37%

-Re-Evaluating Relationships
Retail: 37%
Lodging: 37%
Restaurant: 45%
Government: 37%

-Use of Contactless Devices
Retail: 52%
Lodging: 38%
Restaurant: 53%
Government: 45%

-Expanding Digital Payments
Retail: 53%
Lodging: 55%
Restaurant: 48%
Government: 47%

Source: "Payments Transformation: What You Need to Know," Conducted by U.S. Bank and Elavon (Atlanta, GA).

A Surge in Contactless and Digital Payments

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

A CXO "Rocs"

A newly named Chief Experience Officer, John Clarke, will focus on the channel at Payroc (Tinley Park, IL). His three decades of experience includes role as Co-Founder and CTO of Flexicom, early in integrated payments, which was acquired by Elavon in 2004. Next, he co-founded Worldnet in 2008 as Chief Innovation Officer. After being named CEO in 2018, he negotiated the sale of Worldnet to Payroc in 2022.

"John has an unwavering passion for not only the payments industry but also for people," reflected Adam Oberman, President of Payroc. "During the acquisition process, we saw his dedication to clients and problem-solving first-hand. We look forward to seeing how his payments expertise, commitment to innovation, and his mind for others transform the user experience within the organization."

"My role focuses on enhancing the experience of Payroc's community of partners--our Distribution Channels, Referral Channels, ISVs, and Payment Facilitators," reported Clarke. "It's to advance our mission of building a world-class partner community through robust payment technology and service." Most recently, Payroc partnered with unattended hardware manufacturer, UIC Payworld (Fremont, CA).

John Clarke, Chief Experience Officer, Payroc

Stars Align at CrunchTime

An appointment to CEO for John Raguin, Board Member at CrunchTime (Boston, MA). He brings an extended resume in marketing, sales, and product management for technology to the supplier of restaurant management and operations software. Among his roles: CEO and Co-Founder of Guidewire, CMO at Seismic, and VP of Ariba. He's served as Board Member at CrunchTime, and elsewhere, since December 2019.

"John has already been providing the leadership team very active guidance from his board seat, so I was thrilled to have the stars align for him to step into the role of CEO," commented Morad Elhafed, General Partner at Battery Ventures and CrunchTime Director. "As the restaurant industry navigates an increasingly complex environment, the company is redefining what's possible in terms of achieving operational excellence, and John has the vision and experience to lead the way."

"For more than two decades, CrunchTime has helped top brands control food and labor costs, and deliver great guest experiences, every visit," asserted Raguin. "I'm overjoyed to join the company during this period of rapid growth and innovation which puts us in position to partner with our customers across most of their strategic operations initiatives." As associates, CrunchTime has vendors and service providers in POS, Accounting, HR, and Payroll. As customers, it has Chipotle, Culver's, Domino's, Dunkin', Five Guys, and P.F. Chang's.

John Raguin, CEO, CrunchTime