Our Product Pick

Handheld US (Corvallis, OR) has upgraded its rugged handheld computer, Nautiz X9. It now features Octa-Core MediaTek MT8768 CPU, 3 GB RAM/32 GB Storage, Android 11, and Android Enterprise Recommended (AER). Weighing 13.5 oz./385 g, with 5" capacitive touchscreen (1280x720), Nautiz X9 has 2D scanner (Honeywell N6703), 5 MP front-facing and 13 MP rear-facing cameras, and 3.8 V/4800 mAh battery. As communications, there's Bluetooth/BLE 5, 802.11 WLAN, 4G/LTE WWAN, NFC, and GPS. With sturdy magnesium casing, it carries an IP-67 rating for water and dust, environmental standard of MIL-STD-810G, and drop resistance of 4.9 ft./1.5 m. "The Nautiz X9 ultra-rugged PDA is as tough as they come," suggested Johan Hed, Director of Product Management for the Handheld Group (Lidkoping, Sweden).

Nautiz X9 by Handheld US

COMPANY BUSINESS

It Comes to PPaaS at Worldline/Ingenico

Worldline/Ingenico has commercially launched its new architecture: Payments Platform-as-a-Service (PPaaS). A cloud-based technology stack for PPaaS, developed by Worldline/Ingenico, it allows the choice, combination, and management of today's range of payment and commerce services. As device agnostic, Worldline/Ingenico's PPaaS enables partners--including banks, acquirers/gateways, and ISVs--to activate features via Open APIs (Application Programming Interfaces).

It emphasizes acceptance of alternative payment methods, loyalty and omnichannel commerce, and "smart," cost-effective routing. As examples cited by Worldline/Ingenico, with PPaaS, the customer may pay using the combination of gift card and local wallet; earn loyalty points on the transaction without showing their loyalty card; and be prompted at the terminal to purchase product insurance. As an "as-a-Service," offering, the PPaaS will continuously evolve with new features and partners, according to Worldline/Ingenico.

"Much of the recent innovation in payments has been focused on online payments, and the in-store experience hasn't changed much over the years," expounded Giulio Montemagno, SVP and Managing Director of PPaaS at Worldline. "With PPaaS, our clients can finally enable their merchants to make payments a real point of interaction with their customers, and the ecosystem of third-party service partners can easily bring their services to a wider audience." In North America, this PPaaS will be delivered through Ingenico, A Worldline Brand (Alpharetta, GA).

Worldline/Ingenico Develops "Payments Platform-as-a-Service" (PPaaS) for the Payments Ecosystem

A "Brand" New Name: apg

After years of prominence in the channel for POS, APG Cash Drawer (Minneapolis, MN) will rebrand itself with a new name and tagline of "apg - trust at every point," effective January 2022. This move reflects its growth beyond its market-leading line of cash drawers, according to company executives, as represented by its cash management solution, SMARTtill and CurrentSee Software. It also reflects its "compass points" of "continual improvement, unwavering dedication, and commitment to employees and customers."

"We're dropping 'cash drawer' from our name to reflect the fact that we've grown past cash drawers," affirmed Bob Stone, Global VP of Product. "We still have all the right cash drawers for all the right purposes and markets; however, we really are going and growing into a lot of different areas. We want customers to know we're not just APG Cash Drawer: we're apg."

"At apg, when we say 'trust' we mean at every point," expressed Paul Griffiths, President and CEO. "Through growth and innovation, it is our goal to strengthen the vitality of every retail and hospitality provider worldwide. Simply put, we're easy to do business with. It's the foundation for all we do. We've earned our reputation as a market leader in product excellence by developing new and exciting solutions to meet the needs of an ever-changing world of retail."

Paul Griffiths, President and CEO, Debuts New Name, New Branding, and Guiding Principles for Former APG Cash Drawer

Worth Your While

2022

NRF Big Show
National Retail Federation
January 16-18
New York City

Inspire
Retail Solutions Providers Association
January 23-26
Clearwater Beach, FL

Bar & Restaurant Expo
Questex LLC
March 21-23
Las Vegas, NV

Shoptalk
Shoptalk Commerce LLC
March 27-30
Las Vegas, NV

Modex
Modern Materials Handling
March 28-31
Atlanta, GA

Transact
Electronic Transactions Association
April 12-14
Las Vegas, NV

NRA Show
National Restaurant Association
May 21-24
Chicago, IL

NRF Supply Chain 360
National Retail Federation
June 20-21
Cleveland, OH

RetailNOW
Retail Solutions Providers Association
July 24-26
Orlando, FL

ALL IN THE FAMILY

FEC Expresses Xelf

A new entry for self-service from FEC USA (Fremont, CA), in the form of the Xelf Kiosk (Model KS-3682W). With true-flat projected-capacitive touch technology, Xelf comes in four screen sizes--15" (4:3, 1024x768), 15.6" (16:9, 1920x1080), 17" (4:3, 1024x768), and 22" (16:9, 1920x1080)--which may be used in either portrait or landscape modes. All three deployment environments are addressed, via its modular design, whether desktop, stand-alone with pedestal, or wall mount.

In keeping with its mission of flexibility, the Xelf Kiosk offers choice of four processors: Intel Celeron 3965U, Intel Core i3 7100U, Intel Core i5 7300U, and RK-3288 Quad-Core Cortex A17. As O/S, it supports Windows 10 and Linux 16, and soon, Android 8. It furnishes the full family of I/O's, and construction with industrial-grade components and rugged metal housing extend reliability and life, according to FEC USA.

As expected, the Xelf Kiosk has an expansion kit for customized peripherals, including camera (2 MP), light indicator (green/red LED), and payment card reader (EMV). With pedestal, it offers extra speakers, receipt printer space, and 2D scanner (Honeywell CF3680). A standard color plan combines gray, silver, and black. In discussions with RRN, FEC USA emphasized the range of its product family, which includes All-in-One POS, Mobile POS, and Kiosks, as well as the design, R&D, and manufacturing capabilities of FEC (Firich Enterprises Co.) in Taiwan.

Xelf Kiosks Showcased by FEC USA

A Budding Label Solution

A bundle for cannabis labeling has been rolled out by Teklynx International (Milwaukee, WI) and Zebra Technologies Corporation (Lincolnshire, IL). It supports the family of barcode and RFID printers from Zebra with Codesoft and Sentinel software from Teklynx. As "seed-to-sale," it furnishes on-demand label generation for each step: cultivation, lab testing, processing, distribution, and dispensary.

Throughout the supply chain, labels may be stored centrally and data may be pulled into the label templates from local or cloud services such as Microsoft OneDrive or Google Drive. Also, the Codesoft/Sentinel combination from Teklynx integrates with additional solutions such as Metrc, BioTrack, and Leaf Data. A Zebra PartnerConnect Registered Independent Software Vendor (ISV), Teklynx has embedded printer drivers to optimize print quality and speed with the devices by Zebra.

"We help cannabis companies utilize barcode labeling solutions through the entire seed-to-sale process," elaborated Travis Wayne, Product Manager at Teklynx, "from identifying and tracking plants, through trimming, drying, or curing, to displaying lab analysis results in 2D barcodes, to automatically printing weight captured from a scale directly onto labels. We're excited to collaborate with Zebra Technologies and their extensive portfolio of products to offer turnkey label design and print solutions for new and mature companies in the cannabis space." According to research by Quince Market Insights, the worldwide legal cannabis market reached over $50 billion in 2021.

"Seed-to-Sale" Cannabis Tracking from Teklynx and Zebra

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Week of November 29

Week of November 1

Week of October 18

MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS

G-J "Stands" Tall

Gamber-Johnson has expanded its product portfolio of rugged mounting systems with the purchase of Premier Mounts. A specialist in Audio Visual (AV), Premier Mounts will become a Gamber-Johnson brand, with its main office functions remaining in Corona in Southern California. All manufacturing, warehousing, and corporate oversight will occur at Gamber-Johnson's newly renovated facility in Stevens Point in Central Wisconsin. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

"We are looking forward to joining forces with Premier Mounts," remarked Brian Wagner, President and CEO of Gamber-Johnson. "Gamber is a market leader in mounting technology in mobile environments, where Premier is a leader in mounting displays in static environments. The combination of these two market leaders will genuinely create results greater than the sum of its parts."

"It's been a challenging year in the Audio Visual (AV) industry on many levels, and we are ready to jump into new opportunities with Gamber-Johnson," relayed Brent Henderson, GM of Premier Mounts. "Our Southern California office will operate as one of Gamber-Johnson's Quick Response Office Cells." In addition to rugged mounting systems for mobile computers, Gamber-Johnson addresses payments and POS.

Gamber-Johnson Buys Premier Mounts. Shown Here, G-J's Payment Stand for iPad Mini and MagTek iDynamo 6

Acrelec Drives Up

Acrelec has scooped up long-time supplier of drive-thru order-taking technology for quick-service restaurants, OrderMatic (Oklahoma City, OK). Established in 1955, OrderMatic supports national brands such as Dunkin', Subway, Sonic, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, A&W, and Whataburger. Under terms of this private acquisition, OrderMatic CEO Paul Crawford, and other key team members, will continue to work alongside Acrelec.

"Bill Cunningham, the Founder of OrderMatic, was such a legend and talented engineer. I met highly skilled people when I first visited the company eight years ago," recounted Jacques Mangeot, CEO of Acrelec (based in Saint-Thibault des Vignes, France, with offices in Chicago, IL). "Like OrderMatic, we started in a garage. [Now] together, we can continue Bill's legacy in drive-thru technologies."

"The OrderMatic team, products, and legacy will accelerate Acrelec's growth in the U.S.," declared Thibaud Denolle, Innovation and Marketing Director of Acrelec. "This acquisition is one more step in our effort to enhance our smart-store ecosystem of solutions that increase customer engagement, improve operations, and optimize efficiencies." In 2016, Acrelec acquired HyperActive Technologies (Pittsburgh, PA), maker of order confirmation boards and drive-thru service timers.

Acrelec Acquires OrderMatic for QSRs

Code Corner

SOTI (Mississauga, ON, Canada) has released its next-generation platform for enterprise mobility management, dubbed SOTI XSight. Available as cloud-based or on-premise solution, SOTI XSight extends the visibility of SOTI MobiControl. It has three core functionalities to minimize device downtime and keep the business running smoothly. First, "operational intelligence" monitors critical factors such as battery health, app and data usage, cellular connectivity, and device utilization. Second, "advanced diagnostics" include trouble-shooting tools with automatic notification of events such as low memory, high data consumption, frequent drops, or excessive power consumption. Lastly, "incident management" empowers support agents in IT to solve issues quickly and remotely, supported by documentation, screenshots, and audio and video recordings. "We have brought our two decades of expertise delivering world-class mobility solutions to enterprises in design of SOTI XSight," projected Carl Rodrigues, President and CEO at SOTI. "This product allows our customers to maximize their investment. We can now serve up analytics for hundreds of thousands of devices in a matter of seconds, and we are excited to offer this to our customers."

SOTI XSight for Enterprise Mobility Management

Channel Correction

In our previous edition, we incorrectly identified authorized distributors for products from Star Micronics America (Somerset, NJ). Authorized distributors of Star Micronics America are BlueStar (Hebron, KY), Ingram Micro (Irvine, CA), and ScanSource (Greenville, SC).

Ingram Micro Honors Star Micronics as "Vendor of the Year - Data Capture/Point of Sale"

ALLIANCES

Waitr Serves Harbortouch

Waitr Holdings Inc., one of the players in on-demand ordering and delivery, will recommend Harbortouch POS by Shift4 Payments (Allentown, PA) to its 26,000 restaurant partners across the U.S. Delivered as POS-as-a-Service, with no upfront costs, Harbortouch POS offers touchscreen-based hardware, software, custom programming, professional installation, onsite training, and 24/7 customer support. (FYI: In addition to its payment processing prowess, Shift4 has Future POS, Harbortouch, POSitouch, and Restaurant Manager in POS.)

"We believe that Harbortouch is a leading restaurant POS system and we expect to integrate our delivery services directly into Shift4's software in 2022," shared Carl Grimstad, Chairman and CEO of Waitr. "We view this strategic partnership as an opportunity to allow Waitr's partner restaurants to streamline workflows, improve web visibility, and reduce technology costs. This new agreement with Shift4 reinforces Waitr's commitment to our payments strategy and to our restaurant partners, as we continue to offer services with the goal to reduce costs and maximize efficiency of operations."

Founded in 2013, Waitr (Lafayette, LA) provides delivery, carry-out, and dine-in options. Along with Bite Squad and Delivery Dudes, both of which it now owns, Waitr connects local restaurants and grocery stores to diners in underserved markets in the U.S. As present, it reaches SMBs in over 1,000 cities in the U.S. In February 2021, Waitr also expanded its reach with integration with Ordermark (Los Angeles, CA).

Waitr Endorses Harbortouch POS by Shift4 Payments

Janam and Fobi: Good Sports

A partnership for contactless access, ticketing, and identification has been entered into by Fobi (Vancouver, BC, Canada) and Janam Technologies (Woodbury, NY). It combines the Wallet Pass platform by Fobi and data-collection hardware--such as the XT3 rugged touch computer and GT1 entry solution--by Janam Technologies. As suitable markets, the two companies identify sports and live entertainment, hospitality, retail, and healthcare. As an example, it was recently deployed at the NCAA Division 1 basketball tournament that Fobi supported for bdG Sports in Naples, FL and Nassau, Bahamas.

Additional applications are in the works, including loyalty, whereby the customer gains access to points, stored value, e-gift cards, or stamp card functionality from select retailers. Also, the two companies plan to introduce an employee ID management solution to help businesses safely bring their staff back into the office amid COVID-19. In this case, it utilizes Fobi's CheckVax. As touchpoints, Fobi, formerly Loop Insights, offers its Smart Tap (with NFC) and Smart Scan (with QR Codes).

"Mobile wallet adoption has rapidly accelerated over the past two years, and businesses are demanding affordable solutions that integrate with existing systems while improving the overall customer experience," related Harry Lerner, CEO of Janam Technologies. "Our partnership with Fobi underscores Janam's mission to help customers future-proof their technology investments." Added Rob Anson, CEO of Fobi, "The synergies between the two organizations and the target verticals align very well, and we are looking forward to going to market together." (FYI: As resellers of Fobi, there's Telus and Amazon Business. Janam, of course, sells through the channel for Auto ID.)

An End-to-End Solution for Access, Ticketing, and Identification by Janam Technologies and Fobi

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 USA
Harbortouch
HP
Ingenico
Pioneer Solution
POSBANK USA
Posiflex
POS Nation
Revel Systems
Star Micronics

Barcode Printers
Bixolon America
Brother Mobile
Godex Americas
Woosim Systems

Cash Drawers
apg/APG Cash Drawer
Star Micronics

Cash Handling Systems
apg/APG Cash Drawer
CIMA America

Data Collection
CipherLab
Code Corporation
Janam Technologies
Unitech America

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

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

Stands, Mounts, Cradles
Gamber-Johnson

Touchscreens & Monitors
Elo

INSTALLATIONS

EPI Unearths Juuls

Electronic Payments (Calverton, NY) has received certification for its Exatouch POS with the Retail Access Control Standards (RACS) from electronic cigarette maker, Juul Labs (Washington, DC). With such compliance with RACS, merchants may confidently sell age-restricted products from Juul Labs. It links the successful scanning of government-issued IDs with the completion of the purchase through the POS.

In use with RACS, Exatouch immediately locks when the Juul product is scanned for purchase and remains locked until the merchant scans the valid ID to prove the buyer is of legal age. It also imposes automatic limits on the amount of product the legal-age customer can purchase to decrease instances of social sourcing (and allowing no manual overrides). Significantly, these capabilities are integrated into Exatouch with no additional work needed from the merchant, notes Electronic Payments.

"As a RACS-compliant POS, merchants using Exatouch who own convenience stores, tobacco shops, and groceries can rest assured they're selling Juul products in full compliance, abiding by all Juul Labs' requirements," observed Michael Nardy, Founder and CEO of Electronic Payments. "In addition to automatically fulfilling the EAC (Enhanced Access Controls), Exatouch provides businesses with significant savings on their payment processing fees, the means to accept all types of payments--including contactless--as well as simple inventory management and robust reporting." Also, Electronic Payments has added touchscreen-based, Customer-Facing Display (CFD) to Exatouch.

Electronic Payments' Exatouch POS Meets Retail Access Control Standards for Age-Restricted Products by Juul Labs

Revel's Deep Dish

Revel Systems (Atlanta, GA) has deployed its cloud-native Revel Enterprise POS for Lou Malnati's Pizzeria. With a total of 70 full-service restaurants and smaller footprint carry-out and delivery stores for its deep-dish pizza (befitting its roots in Chicago), Lou Malnati's serves Illinois, Arizona, Wisconsin, and Indiana. It also sells its products online. It joins recent deployments of Revel Enterprise POS for chains such as Dave's Hot Chicken (for 400 sites) and The Salad Station (for 100 sites).

"We rely on technology to fuel the efficiencies of our high-volume restaurants," indicated Ben Beckstrom, CIO at Lou Malnati's. "Given the unprecedented changes facing the restaurant industry today, the Revel Enterprise cloud-native platform provides the flexibility required to meet our evolving needs." As specific benefits, Lou Malnati's cited an open API (Application Programming Interface), easy onboarding of new employees, and back-office reporting for Revel Enterprise POS.

Also, Revel Systems has announced it will contribute some of its annual revenues to support non-profit organizations in cities where it has prominent offices. "A major component of this program is also to galvanize our employees to give back, which is why we are giving them a day of paid time-off to volunteer in their respective communities," stated Greg Dukat, CEO of Revel Systems. As charities, it has selected City of Refuge and Giving Kitchen (Atlanta, GA), Family Giving Tree (San Francisco, CA), and Lietaus Vaikai (Vilnius, Lithuania).

A Chicago-Based Pizza Chain, Lou Malnati's, Deploys Revel Enterprise POS

Channel Factoid

Greg Buzek Says "Enough"!

Year-to-Year Retail Sales
in U.S. Are Up Across the Board

(Here's totals as of November
2021 Y2Y in Millions of Dollars)

-Food: $817.5/+3.8%

-Drug: $344.7/+9.4%

-Mass/Warehouse Clubs: $770.8/+12.9%

-Dept. Stores: $120.3/+21.7%

-Specialty Soft Goods: $260.6/+51.5%

-Specialty Hard Goods: $861.9/+18.6%

-C-Store/Gas: $535.7/+36.2%

-Restaurants: $747.6/+31.2%

-Non-Store/Pure Play: $937.1/+14.4%

-TOTAL: $5,396,026/18.2%

-"Let's get a grip--retail is booming, not slowing," says Greg Buzek, Founder and President of retail market research firm, the IHL Group (Franklin, TN). Source: U.S. Census Monthly Retail Trade.

Year-to-Year Growth Across Retail

Channel Chatter

A bit more consolidation in our channel, with North Country Business Products buying fellow VAR in POS, National Information Systems. Established in 1948, and based in Bemidji, Minnesota, NCBP has set strategic national expansion goals. NIS is headquartered in Billings, Montana, serving Montana, Wyoming, Washington, Alaska, and Hawaii. "NIS is a respected POS reseller. They have built a loyal customer base and value the relationships they've built throughout the years," remarked Jim Freed, President and CEO of NCBP. "I am confident NCBP will continue to foster these relationships and provide superior service to NIS' existing customers." Bryon Stiller founded NIS in 1989.

Jim Freed, President and CEO, North Country Business Products

HELLO GOODBYE

A Four-of-a-Kind at Fortis

A flurry of activity for payment player Fortis (Novi, MI). In order to expand its presence in the segments of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Business-to-Business (B2B), and Value-Added Resellers (VARs), it has snapped up VIP Integrated Payments (Lakewood, WA). Miah Green, CEO of VIP Integrated Payments and his team will join Fortis, which is led by CEO Greg Cohen (former President of Paya and iPayment). In addition, Fortis has added three payment industry veterans: Guy DiMaggio as COO, Raj Pannu as VP of Business Development for Lodging, and John Badovinac as Head of ISV Partnerships.

Previously, Guy DiMaggio served as SVP/GM at CPI Card Group, SVP of Operations at iPayment, and SVP of Integration and Indirect Business Channel at Vantiv/Worldpay. Raj Pannu served as Product Owner at Elavon, VP at First Data, Division Manager at Heartland Payment Systems, and VP at JPMorgan Chase & Co. Finally, John Badovinac served as VP of Integrated Payments at International Bancard, VP of Partner Relationships at Cayan, VP of Developer and Partner Services at TYSYS, and Head of Integrated Payments at Discover Financial Services.

A Quartet of New Executives for Fortis (From Left to Right): Miah Green, Guy DiMaggio, Raj Pannu, and John Badovinac

Agilysys Amplifies Sales

Agilysys (Alpharetta, GA) has engaged Ellis Connolly as its new VP of Sales. He brings two decades of experience in the travel industry, most recently as GM of Sabre Corporation. Earlier roles include SVP of Business Development at Zingle, SVP/Global Head of Sales at The Rainmaker Group, CRO/EVP at TrustYou, Senior Sales Director at Cvent, and Director of Sales and Marketing at Aramark.

"We are thrilled to have such an experienced hospitality leader join our team," commented Don DeMarinis, SVP of Sales and Marketing, Americas and EMEA, at Agilysys. "Ellis has the ability to make an immediate impact and help build a highly successful team to continue our growth in these markets." At Agilysys, Connolly will focus on the hotel, resort, and cruise ship market in the Americas.

At the end of February 2022, Agilysys will hold its Inspire 2022 User Conference in Las Vegas, NV. As keynote speaker, Agilysys has enlisted Jared Isaacman, Founder and CEO of Shift4 Payments. An accomplished jet pilot, Isaacman served as Mission Commander of the SpaceX flight, Inspiration4, which launched from the Kennedy Space Center on September 15, 2021, and returned after three days. Inspiration4 was the world's first all-civilian space flight mission to orbit and has raised more than $240 million for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Ellis Connolly, VP of Sales, Agilysys

Optima's New "Deal"

A familiar face has surfaced at Optima Systems Inc. (Winnipeg, MB, Canada): Glenn Deal, formerly with Casio USA. At Optima (formally Uniwell North America), Deal will serve as Head of U.S. Dealer Sales. He spent 25 years, mostly as Sales Development Manager, with Casio USA.

"Glenn was attracted to the new Optima Android-based Apos Series of All-in-One POS as ideal replacements for the market vacated by Casio and Sharp (i.e., small to midsized retail and hospitality)," writes Optima Systems Inc. "Our product design, features, pricing, ease of programming, and local software development made it an easy decision to join the team at Optima, along with Glenn's knowing David and Jason Lee (Co-Owners of Optima) for many years." Deal will be based in New Jersey. (FYI: Larry Sampey, GM of Casio USA, has retired.)

Glenn Deal, Head of U.S. Dealer Sales, Optima Systems