Our Product Pick

A payment reader module with an extended temperature range, Model VP3300 OEM EXT from ID Tech (Cypress, CA), addresses unattended outdoor environments. Operating from -40 to +185 Degrees F/-40 to +85 Degrees C, VP3300 OEM EXT furnishes both contact EMV and contactless NFC. An independent configuration of small payment components gives designers great flexibility in mounting. It has AES and TDES Encryption, USB 2.0 and RS-232, with an IP-65 Rating. An SDK (Software Development Kit) supports OEMs. "With its extended temperature range, exceptional payment performance, and certifications from multiple payment processors, the VP3300 OEM EXT facilitates seamless integration, solidifying its status as a premier choice for innovative payment solutions," suggested Angie Chi, Product Manager at ID Tech.

ID Tech VP3300 OEM EXT

COMPANY BUSINESS

AI: In the "Zone"

A system for loss prevention of high-value items, as well as their inventory management, has been fielded by Standard AI (San Francisco, CA). Suggested as "Zone Monitoring," with "Vision AI," it addresses the convenience store sector, with current monitoring of tobacco, beer, and fresh food/grab-and-go sections. In the future, it may be extended to areas of lottery, cash drawer, and fuel, according to Standard AI.

In Zone Monitoring, ceiling-mounted cameras are installed over the high-value shelf area. Out-of-stock notifications are delivered for real-time inventory management. Suspected theft is captured via video clip for store management. Also, the system provides analytics, trends, and insights of shopping behavior and theft trends in that shelf area.

Also, in February, Standard AI purchased kiosk vendor, Skip (South Jordan, UT). "We've used self-checkout from Skip to help augment our in-store teams and better the shopper experience," reported Amy Wood, Director of IT for convenience/gas retailer Friendly Express. "[With Standard AI's Zone Monitoring] we are excited about the promise of tobacco and fresh food trackers to help us lower shrink and ensure the right products are on the shelf when customers want them."

Standard AI Proposes Vision-Based Store "Zone Monitoring"

A Priority for Datacap

A unified commerce platform from Priority Technology Holdings (Alpharetta, GA) will now be supported by integrated payments middleware and gateway provider, Datacap Systems (Chalfont, PA). Under this new partnership, customers of Priority's MX Merchant (MXM) Suite enjoy enhanced compatibility with leading processing, POS, and other forms of Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS). Also, it consolidates reporting, inventory management, and reconciliation.

"We always strive to provide our clients with the most robust payment technology available in the marketplace. This partnership with Datacap aligns with our mission to deliver our clients an exceptional customer experience with enhanced operations," enthused Anthony Bonventre, EVP and Chief Credit Officer for Priority. "We are strengthening our innovation and value propositions by increasing our competitive advantage in the marketplace."

"As the payments landscape continues to evolve at breakneck speed, Datacap aims to provide our base of technology partners with forward-looking functionality and processing solutions coupled with top-tier support," indicated George Hudock, Director of Business Development at Datacap. "Our partnership with Priority Payments and integration into Priority's MX Merchant (MXM) Suite empowers Datacap's partners to take advantage of Priority's comprehensive toolset without requiring additional development or certification resources."

A New Partner for Datacap Systems: Priority Technology Holdings

Worth Your While

2024

NRF Big Show
National Retail Federation
January 14-16
New York, New York

RSPA Inspire
Retail Solutions Providers Association
January 28-31
Rio Grande, Puerto Rico

Modex
MHI Materials
March 11-14
Atlanta, GA

ETA Transact
Electronic Transactions Association
April 17-19
Las Vegas, NV

ALL IN THE FAMILY

At TSC's Front Desk

A new family of desktop label printers has been born by TSC Auto ID (Brea, CA), dubbed the TH DH Series. Available in 2" and 4" print widths, each offers 203 dpi or 300 dpi print resolution for direct thermal ("DT") or thermal transfer/direct thermal ("TH"). Speed of printing, depending on which print method, ranges from 6"/152 mm per second to 8"/203 mm per second. A healthcare version is also offered, featuring an antibacterial exterior.

Models TH DH feature an auto-switch printer language emulation to identify major printer languages. Also, it immediately begins the print job without changing label templates. A real-time remote printer monitoring and management function is achieved via Internal Embedded Webpage, TSC Console, and SOTI Connect. Also, it comes with Thermal Printhead Care, TSC Standalone Creator, and TSCPRTGo.

In making its announcement, TSC emphasized the flexibility of the TH DH Series, especially when printing difficult labels in sizes such as thick, tiny, long, and specific labels used in vertical markets. A full range of standard I/O's and upgrades (wireless, cutter, peeler) are offered. In addition, eco-friendly practices identify 100 percent of packaging and 90 percent of printer components are recyclable, according to TSC.

TSC Stocks TH DH Series Desktop Label Printers

Applying for Your Green Card

An eco-friendly, sustainable card choice for access control has been produced by the Barcodes Group (Chicago, IL). Entitled EcoPass, the cards are fashioned from 85-percent pre-consumer recycled plastic with laminate overlay of PVC. They furnish the same durability and print quality as single-use cards entirely of PVC, according to the vendor.

In addition, EcoPass are priced competitively with existing cards (ranging from $50 for QTY 10 to $200 for QTY 100 on ID Wholesaler). Two options are presented for environments of physical access control and/or photo identification: 125 kHz (26 bit/37 bit) and 13.56 MHz Smart Card (1 Kbyte/4 Kbyte). After use, EcoPass can be recycled.

"Today's consumers demand sustainable options from the brands they trust to help them reduce their carbon footprint," noted Jeff Bill, EVP and GM for ID and Access Control at the Barcodes Group. In 2022, the Barcodes Group introduced eco-friendly card holders and lanyards. Composed of polymers derived from organic, plant-based materials, these badging accessories compost in one year in industrial and municipal facilities.

The Barcodes Group Launches EcoPass Compostable Access Cards

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Week of November 20

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ALLIANCES

An Extra Mile at Epicor

A last mile delivery capability has been added to supply chain Epicor Software Corporation (Austin, TX) by its acquisition of ISV Elite Extra (Eau Claire, WI). An end-to-end solution, Elite Extra spans deliveries and pick-ups to services and shuttling people. A network leverages third-party fleets such as DoorDash, Uber, Roadie, and Point Pick-Up. As added benefits, Elite Extra strengthens reverse logistics and automates returns.

"Getting the right parts and products to the right place at the right time is essential in today's marketplace. More and more, it's all about make, move, sell . . . and deliver," counseled Steve Murphy, CEO of Epicor. "We are delighted to welcome Elite Extra as part of the team at Epicor, adding advanced last mile delivery capabilities to help our customers simplify, streamline, and strengthen their logistics operations."

As Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), Elite Extra complements the end-user's e-Commerce, POS, and ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning). Initially, it has been integrated with Epicor Vision, an automotive parts distribution management platform. In the future, it will be integrated across other vertical industries as part of the Epicor Industry ERP Cloud Portfolio.

Epicor Buys Elite Extra for Last Mile Delivery

Chowly Speaks Loudly

A new partnership has brought speech-based ordering technology from Voicify (Chicago, IL) to the digital ordering platform Chowly (Boston, MA). With this, restaurant customers of Chowly will be able to field call-in customer questions and process voice orders placed at the drive-thru, in-store kiosk, or over the phone with "high speed and accuracy" using Voicify's AI. As features, Voicify espouses its handling of natural human speech and Universal API (Application Programming Interface).

"As we prepare to announce partnerships with a number of highly recognizable national restaurant brands, our in-market voice-enabled solutions are delivering demonstrable improvements to guest service and the bottom line," projected Robert Naughton, Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) at Voicify. "We're thrilled to expand our already considerable footprint through this partnership with Chowly. Our market-leading voice solutions and years of experience in AI will help even more restaurants boost revenue and reduce customer service friction."

"Voicify fulfills the need for an AI service pillar that augments our digital guest ecosystem, fully equipping the restaurants we serve with a future-ready platform and the competitive advantage they've been looking for," added Alex Cranfill, Director of Partnerships at Chowly. "[Together], Voicify and Chowly technologies scale for all sizes of restaurants, from single location independent establishments to rapidly growing and established multi-unit enterprises." A combined platform of Chowly and Voicify feeds into the restaurant's physical and online points of order, including POS.

Voicify Partners With Chowly

Code Corner

A new member has entered the partner ecosystem for PAR (New Hartford, NY), in the form of popular on-demand delivery platform, DoorDash. It integrates DoorDash with the cloud-based PAR Brink POS as well as order management solution PAR Menu Link. In addition to improving operational efficiency, and customer satisfaction, it provides centralized control over menu offerings, dynamic pricing for different channels, store-level information, and sales tracking. "We live in a world where digital-savvy consumers demand seamless digital experiences," emphasized Savneet Singh, CEO of PAR. "Our partnership with DoorDash unifies the ordering landscape and simplifies restaurant tech stacks." PAR markets its hardware under ParTech.

PAR Opens the DoorDash

______________________

A release of EloView 4 Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) by Elo (Knoxville, TN) improves content deployment and remote device management. It furnishes new fortified backend infrastructure and refreshed user interface. A new "tags" capability allows customizable labels to be assigned to various hardware products, such as touchscreens, digital signage, and computers, by Elo. Additional new features include content preview function, enhanced device filtering, default content, and advanced content scheduling. "Managing a large fleet of Elo Android-based devices has been made even easier with EloView 4," expressed Craig Witsoe, CEO of Elo. "Its intuitive design and streamlined workflows pair perfectly with Elo Android hardware to provide a seamless experience for network operators and their end-customers."

Elo Releases EloView 4 Software

ENVIRONMENTS/PLATFORMS

Payroc Rocks ISVs

An expansion of its platform at Payroc (Tinley Park, IL) allows partners to accept tokenized card and bank payments in both the U.S. and Canada via one interface. It enhances the company's PayByBank, which offers, for customization, an API (Application Programming Interface), as well as hosted payment pages and virtual terminals. With tokenization, it provides an extra layer of security for merchant customers in the U.S. through ACH (Automatic Clearing House) and in Canada through PAD (Preauthorized Debit), related Payroc.

"We are thrilled to introduce our latest expansion, enabling our partners to expand their reach and streamline transactions in the United States and Canada through a single integration," relayed Casey Conley, Chief Product Officer for Payroc. "This update, along with PayByBank, will provide our partners with unmatched convenience, flexibility, and security. We believe this release will unlock significant growth opportunities for partners operating in both countries."

Established in 2003, with interest in ISVs, Payroc processes over $80B in annual volume for more than 150,000 merchants. In late November, it partnered with beauty and wellness ISV, DINGG (Dublin, CA). "Our goal is to provide salon and spa owners with a seamless, user-friendly, and efficient way to manage their business operations, including payment processing, scheduling, customer management, and more," shared Annette Cristerna, Director of Inside Sales at Payroc.

A Single Tokenized Interface for Payments in U.S. and Canada From Payroc

Storming the FortressPay

A new biometric-based payment processing platform, described as "enterprise ready," has been launched by FortressPay (Miami, FL). Under the name of "Payment Identity," and leveraging the Amazon Web Services (AWS) ISV Modernization Program, it employs facial recognition to improve upon the online use of passwords or delivered codes. A global software and cloud solutions provider, SoftwareOne (New York, NY and Stans, Switzerland) participated in development.

"People use 'selfies' to unlock their phones multiple times per day--making payments should be no different," maintained Alessandro Chiarini, CEO of FortressPay. "By leveraging FortressPay, merchants can lower their payment processing fees by reducing chargebacks to nearly zero, while maintaining seamless checkout experiences. FortressPay leverages government- and border-control accuracy-level facial biometric technologies, versus on-device biometrics, to ensure the most stringent security while being mobile carrier agnostic."

"Major card brands like Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express are implementing biometrics to curtail fraud, as supported by the American Express announcement of the implementation of biometrics in its SafeKey," observed Felix Torres Ostolaza, COO of FortressPay. In October, American Express began pilot tests of facial and fingerprint recognition for online sales via its SafeKey. It expects to roll out the technology to all consumer card members in the U.S. in 2024.

A Facial Recognition Payments Platform, Dubbed Payment Identity, Launched by FortressPay

Key Advertiser Links

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

POS & Peripherals
Aldelo
Bixolon America
Electronic Payments
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
Sound Payments

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

Stands, Mounts, Cradles
Star Micronics

Touchscreens
MicroTouch

INSTALLATIONS

NewStore Digs Fossil

An omnichannel, cloud-based, mobile-first POS by NewStore (Boston, MA) has been rolled out at apparel accessory retailer, and watch manufacturer, Fossil Group. It replaces the legacy system at hundreds of locations across 19 countries for stores operated under brands of Fossil, Fossil Outlet, and Watch Station. Once the project is complete, store associates can access all order and inventory data across the business.

"The NewStore platform is a significant leap in Fossil Group's mission to deliver a seamless and unified customer experience," cited Robin Beighley, VP of North America Stores at Fossil Group, based in Richardson, TX. "Its mobility is a game-changer, allowing associates to transact everywhere the customer is shopping within the retail store. Ease and consistency of the checkout experience has resulted in quick adoption by teams and stronger conversion rates."

Additionally, because NewStore has pre-built integrations with the Salesforce suite of products, Fossil Group can extend its efforts in Commerce Cloud, Marketing Cloud, and Service Cloud. Not coincidentally, in 2020, Salesforce invested $20M in NewStore. Serving as CEO, Stephan Schambach founded NewStore in 2015. Earlier, in 2004, Schambach founded ISV Demandware, sold to Salesforce in 2016.

Apparel Accessory Retailer Fossil Group Deploys Mobile POS by NewStore

Oracle: OMG for OVG

As one of the major developers of sports and live entertainment venues, Oak View Group (Los Angeles, CA) has chosen Oracle's Micros Simphony Cloud and Payments Cloud Service (Columbia, MD). The solution will deliver flexible configurations for food and beverage offerings and give fans an omnichannel order-and-pay experience, which includes contactless. With validated integrations for 200-plus applications, Oracle's Micros Simphony will automate every aspect of OVG's process, including, in particular, kitchen display and inventory.

"Oak View Group's partnership with Oracle is 100-percent about the fan experience," declared Ken Gaber, President of OVG Hospitality. "From grab-and-go, self-checkout, and mobile ordering to just-walk-out, we are hyper-focused on ensuring our guests have shorter lines and quicker access to a wide variety of high-quality food and beverage choices. We are ensuring our technology mirrors the technology our guests experience in other aspects of their lives."

Oracle Micros Simphony is now online at OVG venues, including UBS Arena, home of the New York Islanders in Belmont Park, NY; Acrisure Arena in Palm Springs, CA; Moody Center at the University of Texas in Austin, TX; CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore, MD; Tahoe Blue Event Center in Stateline, NV; Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in Orlando, FL; the University of Central Florida Athletics in Orlando, FL; and Crown Complex in Fayetteville, NC. At point: OVG's Global Partnerships Div.

Oak View Group Chooses Oracle Micros Simphony

Channel Factoid

What ISVs Want From
Their Payment Processor

75%: Competitive Economic Split

67%: Quality of Support

67%: Ease of Merchant Onboarding

63%: Developer Friendly APIs

42%: Variety of Hardware

38%: Speak with Human

38%: Security & Fraud Protection

17%: White Labeling

8%: Embedded Finance Offerings

0%: App Store for Merchants

Source: "2023 Software Study Report" by The Strawhecker Group and Retail Solutions Providers Association

Two-thirds of POS ISVs Reported Relationships With Three or More Payment Processors

A Message From the Editor

As we conclude another year--our 18th!--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

HELLO GOODBYE

Zebra CRO Saddles Up

A new Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) has been appointed at Zebra Technologies Corporation (Lincolnshire, IL): Richard Hudson, its current SVP and GM for Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). With over 20 years of sales experience in the technology sector, Hudson joined Zebra in 2014 as part of the acquisition of Motorola Solutions' Enterprise Business. At Motorola, he served as VP of EMEA Channels. He succeeds Joachim "Joe" Heel, who has served as Zebra's CRO since 2014.

"We are pleased to have Richard join our executive leadership team as Chief Revenue Officer," commented Bill Burns, CEO of Zebra Technologies. "Richard brings a wealth of experience that will further elevate Zebra's relationships with our customers and partners in our vibrant core as well as our adjacent and expansion markets. We are grateful to Joe for his many contributions to Zebra and wish him well in his future endeavors."

"I'm honored to be appointed Zebra's Chief Revenue Officer and look forward to continue working with our customers to digitize and automate their workflows," stated Hudson. "Together with our partners, we will focus on growth and advance our vision of Enterprise Asset Intelligence to ensure every front-line worker and asset at the edge is visible, connected, and fully optimized." (Editor's Note: All of the company's products--barcode printers and scanners, mobile computers, and RFID--support its vision of Enterprise Asset Management.)

Richard Hudson, Chief Revenue Officer, Zebra Technologies Corporation

A Quickening at Qu

A move from one major restaurant software player to another for John Morrison, now named SVP of Operations at Qu (Bethesda, MD). He leaves Toast, where he recently served for six years as VP of Services-Onboarding, then VP of Customer Success Integration. His previous positions have included Senior Director of Consulting, North America, Food and Beverage, at Oracle and GM of Micros Systems (now, of course, part of Oracle). Also joining Qu as CFO: Peter "Reyn" Holden.

"John grew his previous services team from about a hundred installations a month to thousands per month, which is the perfect experience for Qu's new stage of growth. Reyn is a software finance expert that has advised and led the finance functions for several companies through rapid growth. Each of these new executive hires bring the leadership and experience that will play critical roles in leading Qu into our next phase," summarized Amir Hudda, CEO of Qu.

"Deployment and maintenance of enterprise-level POS has remained fairly static in the last 10 to 15 years. Qu is shaking that up with a new tech foundation that goes beyond POS," proposed Morrison. "Qu's innovative approach integrates commerce across all channels--from drive-thru, to kiosk, online, counter, and kitchen--optimizing operations at a time when that's what the whole restaurant industry is looking to do. It's a complex deployment problem that we aim to streamline."

New to Qu: John Morrison, SVP of Operations (At Left) and Peter "Reyn" Holden, CFO (At Right)