Our Product Pick

A new wearable scanner with Bluetooth, called CODiScan, has been presented by Datalogic (Eugene, OR). Weighing 1.6 oz./44 g, it features 1D/2D reading and carrying on hand, neck, or belt. An adjustable, multifunction trigger furnishes flexibility. A "smart scanning system" includes 5 ft./1.5 m aiming mechanism and the company's "Green Spot" good-read feedback. A single two-hour charge provides 16 hours of operation and 12,000 scans. An "Aladdin App" supports Android O/S.

Datalogic's Bluetooth CODiScan

COMPANY BUSINESS

Cantaloupe Cashes CHEQ

A move into the market for sports, entertainment, and festivals for developer of self-service POS, Cantaloupe (Malvern, PA), with its acquisition of CHEQ (Kirkland, WA). Established in 2021, CHEQ has customers such as the Washington Commanders (NFL), Miami Marlins (MLB), Florida Panthers (NHL), and Philadelphia Union (MLS). A publicly traded company, Cantaloupe reported $63M in revenue for its most recent quarter. Terms of the deal with CHEQ were not reported.

"We are thrilled with the success we've seen since implementing CHEQ's solutions at Amerant Bank Arena," contributed Shawn Thornton, CRO at the Florida Panthers. "CHEQ's suite of payment options has enhanced the food and beverage experience for our fans and increased our back-end operational efficiency." As features, CHEQ cites its mobile app, self-service kiosks, and omnichannel functionality.

"We are looking forward to joining Cantaloupe and continuing our mission of delighting guests with a best-in-class on-premise payments experience," expressed Thomas Lapham, CEO of CHEQ. "Joining forces will allow us to bring their market-leading innovation to our current customer base, and to expand our technology offering through Cantaloupe's national and international distribution network." [Editor's Note: CHEQ has no relationship with the cybersecurity company, CHEQ (New York, NY).]

Cantaloupe Advances in Sports, Entertainment, and Festivals With Purchase of CHEQ

CBS Shares Tips

A new same-day digital tip payout for restaurant workers has been added to the POS from Custom Business Solutions (Irvine, CA). It leverages integration between corporate payouts platform, Onbe (Buffalo Grove, IL) and labor management system, TimeForge (Lubbock, TX). It will be offered to the approximately 11,000 customer locations for the supported platforms of POS by CBS, which include NorthStar, Oracle-Micros, NCR Aloha, and POSitouch. It calculates tips at the end of every shift and pays workers immediately via reloadable digital cards.

Also, CBS has enhanced take-out delivery for the prestigious restaurant group, Blue Ribbon. At the core of this partnership: integration of third-party delivery, dubbed N3PD, into Blue Ribbon's NorthStar Order Entry POS by CBS. A single interface allows staff to centralize and manage all third-party delivery services, without need of multiple platforms.

"As the restaurant industry evolves in response to changing consumer demands and digital innovation, Blue Ribbon Restaurants' strategic partnership with CBS NorthStar reflects a noteworthy shift in the way dining establishments engage with technology," declared Jeremy Julian, CRO of CBS. Founded in 1992, Blue Ribbon features over two dozen restaurants in New York City, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Miami, and Boston. [Editor's Note: CBS also recently touted its 35-second, human, not chatbot or phone tree, technical support.]

Custom Business Solutions Adds Same-Day Digital Tip Payout and Third-Party Delivery at Blue Ribbon Restaurants

Worth Your While

NGA Show
National Grocers Association
March 10-12
Las Vegas, NV

Modex
MHI Materials
March 11-14
Atlanta, GA

Pack Expo East
PMMI - Association for Packaging
and Processing Technologies
March 18-20
Philadelphia, PA

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

NRA Show
National Restaurant Association
May 18-21
Chicago, IL

ALL IN THE FAMILY

Elo Steps Outside (Again)

A new open-frame touchscreen display for outdoor environments, in 10" format, and designated Model 1099L, has been shipped by Elo (Knoxville, TN). It follows the launch of the Model 2799L, in 27" format, in September 2023. With mounting for landscape, portrait, or upward-facing orientations, Model 1099L meets environmental/ruggedness standards of IP-66, NEMA 4X, and IK09 when integrated in enclosure.

With the company's optically-bonded TouchPro Projected Capacitive (PCAP) technology, Model 1099L furnishes 1000 NITs brightness and ambient light sensors that automatically adjust the display as required, facilitating operation in both direct sunlight and night-time darkness. Also, this auto adjustment optimizes power consumption, thereby helping to extend the lifespan of the display. An operating temperature range of -4 to +140 Degrees F/-20 to +60 Degrees C is cited.

As connectivity, Model 1099L features HDML, VGA, Display Port, and USB. As added durability, the connections feature secure locking mechanisms. "Outdoor kiosks are becoming an increasingly common part of the modern world, and our partners have been looking for 10-inch solutions from Elo," reported Craig Witsoe, CEO at Elo. "Our new 1099L offers fantastic performance, ruggedness, and usability."

Elo's New 10" Outdoor Open-Frame Touchscreen

Invoicing Takes "Flight"

An invoicing capability for mobile devices has been incorporated into Version 7.0 of SwipeSimple by CardFlight (New York, NY). Such functionality was earlier introduced on the company's web version of SwipeSimple. With SwipeSimple V7.0, an "Invoices" option will now appear in the left-hand side of the Mobile App Menu. Approximately 125,00 small businesses across vertical markets now run SwipeSimple.

"We continually review requests for features and functionality from our customers, always looking for new ways we can have the greatest impact while honoring our commitment to simplicity and ease-of-use for businesses," relayed Eli Entin, Head of Product for CardFlight. "Expanding the ability to send an invoice from the SwipeSimple Mobile App has been a top request this past year. We are pleased to kick off 2024 by creating the ability for plumbers, HVAC repair persons, cleaning services, or any field technician to create and send an invoice before climbing back into their truck."

SwipeSimple, the firm's flagship product, enables merchants to accept payments via phone, tablet, or computer. A product line includes the credit-card reader, SwipeSimple Terminal, as well as the all-in-one, SwipeSimple Register. As partners, CardFlight cites FinTech, Merchant Service Providers (MSPs), and Independent Sales Organizations (ISOs).

CardFlight Adds Mobile Invoicing to SwipeSimple

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ALLIANCES

Factor4 Plays the Lottery

Another partner for gift card provider, Factor4 (Broomhall, PA), in the form of POS ISV, LMS-POS (Arlington, MA). Offering lottery management--it was originally founded as "Lottery Management System"--LMS-POS focuses on liquor, smoke and vape, grocery, and convenience stores. In addition to inventory and POS, it ensures age verification.

"Adding the integration with Factor4 allows LMS-POS to offer liquor and retail stores a complete omnichannel gift card solution right at their fingertips," projected Ranjan Regmi, Co-Founder of LMS-POS. "It's another tool built into our platform that allows them to increase sales and revenue. We are excited to partner with the top gift card provider."

"We are thrilled to announce our gift card integration with LMS-POS," commented Dan Battista, CEO of Factor4. "Our integration enables us to expand our market share in the liquor and retail verticals and to build a partnership with a top POS system in these verticals." In the past year, in addition to additional payment gateways and payment terminal manufacturers, Factor4 has announced integration with POS ISVs such as Arrow POS, GoldPay 360, On The Fly POS, and Ovvi.

Factor4 Integrates with LMS-POS

A Post Position for POSBANK

A milestone for POSBANK, with its official listing on the Korean Stock Exchange (KOSDAQ) in January. Headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, POSBANK has offices in Carson, CA, and Plainview, NY. In its product line of terminals for POS, it features ACT, APEXA, MAZIC, and MINT. Achieving first in market share for POS in South Korea, POSBANK saw significant growth by exporting 75% of its sales to over 80 countries.

"A listing on KOSDAQ marks a turning point for POSBANK as it transitions into a world-class company in the POS and Kiosk business and will be the cornerstone of laying the foundation for a leap forward as a global IT company," stated POSBANK. "In the future, POSBANK plans to strengthen brand awareness by pioneering and expanding market share in key markets, sustainable growth through business diversification, and expansion of various product lines."

A Listing on the Korean Stock Exchange (KOSDAQ) for POSBANK

Code Corner

A partnership between payments provider Fiserv (Brookfield, WI) and Genesis Bank (Newport Beach, CA) has been formed to serve the low-to-moderate income community in Southern California. Addressing challenges faced by such businesses, customized retail technology bundles will give Clover POS "with no or low entry costs and significantly discounted subscription fees."

"As the underlying nature and complexity of technology continues to evolve, gaining access to advanced POS systems has become essential for businesses to effectively operate, compete, and grow," confirmed Stephen Gordon, Chairman and CEO of Genesis Bank. "We recognize cost burden as being a significant barrier to gaining access to such essential technology, especially for the diverse small business owners and entrepreneurs that have historically been underserved."

Overall, Southern California comprises the second largest and most diverse demographic in the U.S, according to Neil Wilcox, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at Fiserv.

A Deal on Clover From Fiserv

A Message From the Editor

As we eagerly enter another year--approaching 20!--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

ENVIRONMENTS/PLATFORMS

A Spirit in the "Sky"

A tool for building restaurant websites, powered by AI, and tagged SkyTab Website Builder, has been fielded by payments player, Shift4 (Center Valley, PA). It's provided free to all businesses using Shift4's SkyTab POS. A subscription-based platform, SkyTab POS supports workstation, mobile terminal, or tablet formats.

Accomplished in minutes, rather than hours or days, according to Shift4, its websites are customizable to match the restaurant's branding, and are fully integrated with SkyTab's online ordering and reservations systems. Also, restaurants may sell gift cards directly through their website and connect their social media accounts. An existing domain may be used or new domain may be registered for the restaurants' websites.

"It's critical for restaurants to have an online presence, but we know that operators often don't have the time or expertise to do this on their own. With the power of AI, SkyTab Website Builder delivers an easy solution for anyone to launch a website in no time," noted Dave Hoffman, Chief Product Officer for Shift4. "SkyTab is an all-in-one platform for restaurants--from online ordering and mobile solutions to marketing and loyalty. SkyTab Website Builder expands this ecosystem."

SkyTab Offers AI-Powered Website Design for Restaurants

NMI Says "Try It"

A new embedded payments solution has been unveiled by NMI (Schaumburg, IL). Entitled, simply, as NMI Payments, it addresses the channel of VARs, ISVs, and ISOs in POS, emphasized NMI. As such, it furnishes the necessary suite of APIs (Application Programming Interfaces), SDKs (Software Development Kits), and Developer Portal (with code samples, reference materials, and sufficient functionality to "Try It").

Aspiring to "frictionless," NMI Payments accommodates omnichannel consumers--online, in-store, in-app, mobile, and unattended. Partners of NMI may choose from a variety of processors and shopping cart options that are embedded directly into their applications and can adjust these capabilities based on their merchants' needs. A modular design supports scalability, and there's white label opportunity.

"Our company mission is to provide our partners with payment capabilities from sign-up to pay-out in minutes," indicated Vijay Sondhi, CEO at NMI. "By managing risk, optimizing monetization, and offering revenue-sharing models, we can support our partners wherever they are on the payments journey, no matter the size or expertise of the business. The launch of NMI Payments reaffirms our promise to deliver unparalleled value through flexibility, modularity, and choice, ensuring our partners are equipped with the tools to thrive and expand in the ever-evolving world of payments."

A New Embedded Payments Solution From NMI

Key Advertiser Links

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

POS & Peripherals
Bixolon America
Electronic Payments
Epson America
FEC POS
HiStone
HP
Ingenico
Optima Systems
POSBANK USA
Posiflex
Sam4s/Shin Heung Precision
Star Micronics
Toshiba

Barcode Printers
Bixolon America
Brother Mobile
Epson America
GoDEX Americas
Woosim Systems

Cash Drawers/Cash Handling
apg/APG Cash Drawer

Data Collection
MobileDemand
Star Micronics
Unitech America

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

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

Stands, Mounts, Cradles
Star Micronics

INSTALLATIONS

Toshiba: Oh, Mexico!

A serving of "Toast for Hotel Restaurants," from Toast (Boston, MA), has been ordered by Choice Hotels Int. (Rockville, MD) for its upscale brands, Cambria and Radisson. It will be implemented as the brand standard by summer 2025 for Cambria and by the beginning of 2026 for Radisson. Also, Toast had been certified as Qualified Vendor for other properties of Choice Hotels Int. (such as Comfort Inn, Rodeway Inn, Sleep Inn).

"We evaluated multiple self-checkout options from other companies," shared Pilar Rojas, CIO at Chedraui. "Toshiba is one of our trusted strategic partners, and we decided on the Self Checkout System 7 because the pilot proved that it is more intuitive and easier for consumers to use. We look forward to implementing self-checkout in more of our stores across Mexico and providing consumers an innovative shopping experience while enhancing our technology."

As of September 2023, Chedraui had 438 branches in Mexico. In the U.S., specifically in California, Texas, Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico, the company operates 377 supermarkets under the names of Smart & Final, El Super, and Fiesta. A modular unit, Toshiba Self Checkout System 7 has three form factors: Kiosk/Pay Station, Cashless (with Bi-Optic Scanner Bed), and Cash (with Bi-Optic Scanner Bed). It runs the Checkout Environment for Consumer Service (Chec) UI by Toshiba.

A Large Mexican Grocery Chain, Chedraui, Installs Toshiba's Self Checkout System 7

A Room for Toast

A serving of "Toast for Hotel Restaurants," from Toast (Boston, MA), has been ordered by Choice Hotels Int. (Rockville, MD) for its upscale brands, Cambria and Radisson. It will be implemented as the brand standard by summer 2025 for Cambria and by the beginning of 2026 for Radisson. Also, Toast had been certified as Qualified Vendor for other properties of Choice Hotels Int. (such as Comfort Inn, Rodeway Inn, Sleep Inn).

In addition to standard foodservice POS and integration with the Property Management Systems (PMS), Cambria and Radisson will implement Toast Go 2 handhelds for server and bartender use, Mobile Order & Pay at restaurant tables, Toast Online Ordering for in-room dining, Kiosks for lobby marketplaces, Kitchen Display Systems (KDS) for back-of-house efficiency--including texting guests when orders are ready for pick-up--and Toast's Third-Party Delivery Links. Cambria and Radisson will also use Toast Payments. An existing loyalty program, "Choice Privileges," will be supported.

"Cambria and Radisson hotels are increasingly seen as dining destinations in and of themselves, and this innovative collaboration with Toast will allow our guests and hotel staff to benefit from the digitization of operations," suggested Indy Adenaw, SVP and GM, Upscale, at Choice Hotels. "We've already started rolling out Toast at several Cambia locations nationwide and are pleased to see the early impact it is making, including early adoption from guests, helping owners manage their labor model, and increasing lobby marketplace sales." [Editor's Note: On February 15, Toast announced it has laid off 550 workers, about 10% of its staff, in order to lower operating costs.]

Choice Hotels Chooses Toast for Hotel Restaurants

Channel Factoid

What's Cooking in 2024

-A Forecast for Record $1.1 Trillion in U.S. Restaurant Sales in 2024.

-Mostly Cautious Optimism: 8 in 10 restaurant operators predict their sales will increase (33%) or hold steady (45%) compared to 2023.

-Delivery, Carry-Out, and Drive-Thru Growth Continues: 52% of consumers, including 67% of Millennials and 63% of Gen Z, say ordering take-out in an essential part of their lifestyle.

-Industry Employment Increased, but Help Still Wanted: 45% of restaurant operators report needing more employees to meet customer demand and 70% have job openings that are hard to fill.

-Profitability Remains Challenged: Operators are slightly less optimistic about profitability, with only 27% expecting to be more profitable in 2024. Average food costs have increased more than 20% and average wages more than 30% from 2019--both impacting profitability.

-Jobs Drive Consumer Spending: All restaurant sales are local, and consumers are generally upbeat about their community. More than half (55%) of adults describe their local economy, including the availability of jobs, as excellent or good.

Source: "2024 State of the Restaurant Industry Report" by the National Restaurant Association

Self-Service Kiosk by Posiflex

HELLO GOODBYE

ISV Likes Mike

A new hand on the tiller at ISV HungerRush (Houston, TX), with the naming of Mike Jerich as CEO. He succeeds Interim CEO Bill Mitchell, who has been elevated to Executive Chair of the Board of Directors. With two decades of experience in software and cloud-based business solutions, Jerich most recently served as Chief Revenue Officer at ServiceMax, culminating in its sale to PTC for $1.5B.

"After a diligent and thorough search by the Board, we are confident that Mike's leadership, software experience, and go-to-market capabilities make him the right person to advance our mission to empower restaurants with innovative technology that improves guest and operator experiences," commented Mitchell. "Mike is a customer-focused and passionate leader. I am eager to work closely with him to ensure continuity and stability for the business, employees, and customers during this transition."

"I am honored and excited to have the opportunity to lead HungerRush," proclaimed Jerich. "The restaurant industry is experiencing change at a rapid pace. In this next phase of cloud-based technology and digitization, there is a new set of opportunities to innovate and improve restaurant operations."

Mike Jerich, CEO, HungerRush

About Benny and Brendan

A pair of new executives will take the reins at NCR Voyix (Atlanta, GA): Benny Tadele as EVP and President of Restaurants and Brendan Tansill, as EVP and President of Digital Banking. They report to NCR Voyix CEO David Wilkinson. Tadele previously served as EVP and Head of North America for ACI Worldwide. Tansill previously served as President of the Americas for EVO Payments.

"Benny and Brendan are dynamic business leaders with established histories of delivering revenue growth and organizational effectiveness," observed Wilkinson. "I am delighted to welcome them to NCR Voyix. Additionally, we would like to thank Frank Hauck [former President and GM of Banking] for his contributions to the company during his six-year tenure. Under his leadership, we pioneered digital-first strategies, ensuring financial institutions remain at the forefront of banking."

At NCR Voyix: Benny Tadele, EVP and President, Restaurants (At Left) and Brendan Tansill, EVP and President, Digital Banking (At Right)