Our Product Pick

Sunmi (Alpharetta, GA) has presented its new "smart" mobile data collection terminal, the L2s PRO. Measuring 6"/154 mm (L) x 3"/75 mm (W) x 0.7"/17 mm (D), weighing weighing 8.9 oz./250 g (without pistol grip), the L2s PRO features 5.5" capacitive touch display (1440x720) and 1D/2D barcode scanner with range of 3.3 ft./1 m. It's powered by Cortex A53 Octa-Core CPU at 2.0 GHz, 3/6 GB RAM, 32/64 GB ROM, MicroSD Slot, and Sunmi O/S (based on Android 12+GMS). As communications, there's Bluetooth 5.0/BLE, 802.11 Wi-Fi, and 3G/4G WAN. Additional features include camera, reader for RFID, and long-running 5000 mAh battery. As ruggedness, it carries an IP-68 rating for water and dust and 4 ft./1.5 m drop resistance.

Sunmi's L2s PRO Data Collection Terminal

COMPANY BUSINESS

Janam: HID and Seek

An acquisition of significance in Auto ID, with HID (Austin, TX) buying Janam Technologies (Woodbury, NY). A longtime player in our channel, founded in 2008, Janam will belong to HID Identification Technologies (IDT), and, more specifically, operate within the Events and Mobility Solutions (EMS) Business Unit. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

"Joining forces with Janam is an important step in advancing HID's Identification Technologies presence in the venue access vertical to be more comprehensive and convenient," declared Marc Bielmann, SVP and Head of Identification Technologies for HID. In particular, he welcomes the rugged mobile readers--including handheld devices, pedestals, and kiosks--from Janam Technologies. A subsidiary of Assa Abloy, HID also offers identification card (ID) systems such as RFID/NFC.

"Janam's mobile solutions are a logical extension of HID's broad footprint in the rapidly evolving world of identifying and certifying people and assets," shared Harry Lerner, CEO and Co-Founder of Janam Technologies, "and we are thrilled to build on our tradition of innovation, speed, and customer advocacy as part of one of the most highly respected companies in our industry." Janam's contactless access hardware solutions support some of the largest and most prestigious events in the world, including the recent FIFA World Cup in 2022 in Qatar, of which HID was the "smart ticketing producer".

HID Buys Janam Technologies. At Left, Harry Lerner, CEO and Co-Founder of Janam; At Right, Marc Bielmann, SVP and Head of Identification Technologies for HID

Epson's New Generation

A next-generation of thermal receipt printers has been unveiled by Epson America (Los Alamitos, CA). Under the company's OmniLink m-Series, replacing earlier versions, the new models, at print width of 3"/80 mm, address the demand for tablet-based POS, in particular. A quartet includes OmniLink TM-m30III, TM-m30III-H, TM-m50II, and TM-m50II-H. In such designations, "30" and "50"denote print speeds of 11.8"/300 mm per second and 19.7"/500 mm per second, respectively, while "H" indicates "Hub" capability with four USB I/O's.

In the case of tablet and network connection, via single USB, the OmniLink TM-m30III, TM-m30III-H, and TM-m50II-H feature charging power of 18 Watts and throughput of 20 Mbps. Equipped with built-in USB-A, USB-B, USB-C, and Ethernet I/O's, along with optional Bluetooth 5.0/BLE and 802.11 Wi-Fi, the trio connect to any form of POS, notes Epson America. On its part, OmniLink TM-m50II supports both traditional PC-POS and mPOS with built-in Serial, Ethernet, and USB.

In dimensions of 5"x 5"x 5" (127 mm x 128 mm x 129 mm), these new printers carry an IPX2 rating for water and dust resistance and an antimicrobial coating for health safety and easy cleaning. A flexible configuration supports both front and top paper exit, with paper-saving functionality of up to 49%. The m-Series printers allow merchants to draw upon web-based applications using Epson's ePOS-Print SDK (Software Development Kit) or Epson's Server Print Direct.

New OmniLink m-Series Thermal Receipt Printers by Epson America

Worth Your While

2023

NRF Big Show
National Retail Federation
January 15-17
New York, NY

RSPA Inspire
Retail Solutions Providers Association
January 22-25
Maui, HI

ProMat
MHI (Materials)
March 20-23
Chicago, IL

Shoptalk
Shoptalk Commerce LLC
March 26-29
Las Vegas, NV

Transact
Electronic Transactions Association
April 24-26
Atlanta, GA

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

ALL IN THE FAMILY

Posiflex Pumps Up

A pair of new products from Posiflex (Hayward, CA) includes the RT2015-G2/RT2016-G2 POS terminal and the Cachet Series self-service kiosk. RT2015-G2 is the newer version of the company's mid-range RT2015 POS terminal, and now features Intel Celeron J6412 CPU with 1.5 MB cache, and running at 2.0 GHz. In foldable, fanless design, it carries 15" true-flat projected-capacitive touch display (1024x768) at 4:3 standard screen aspect ratio. An accompanying RT2016-G2 offers 15.6" true-flat widescreen projected-capacitive touch display (1920x1080) at 16:9 screen aspect ratio. A full suite of I/O's for each, along with Windows 10 IoT Enterprise O/S.

Assigned as Model JK-3200, boosting thin, streamlined design, the Cachet kiosk offers 32" true-flat projected-capacitive touch display (1920x1080) as well as an array of integrated modular components (i.e., card reader, thermal printer, camera, proximity sensor, base). A version with Windows 10 IoT Enterprise O/S has choice of Intel Celeron J6412, Intel Core i3, or Intel Core i5 CPU. A version with Android 9/10+GMS O/S has Rockchip RK3399 CPU. Cachet also offers dual-sided configuration or wall-mounting.

"With these next-generation models of Posiflex's industry-leading RT Series terminals and the added versatility of the sleek, inspiring Cachet kiosk, Posiflex is poised to propel the retail industry to new heights with an ideal blend of improved performance, modern aesthetics, and unmatched reliability that retailers and customers desire in this new age of point-of-sale hardware," projected Doyle Ledford, SVP of Posiflex. A longstanding supplier to our channel, with its kiosks, tablets, embedded PC's, and POS, Posiflex was founded in 1984 by Owen Chen, Chairman. It holds more than 30 patents in technology.

New Cachet Self-Service Kiosk by Posiflex

Sato: Lettuce Help You

An estimated one-third of perishable products are wasted by retailers in the U.S.; in response, Sato America (Charlotte, NC) has proposed its Dynamic Pricing Solution. A combination of barcoding (GS1 DataMatrix), encoded expiry date, supplier-applied group tags, and Electronic Shelf Labels (ESL's), the Dynamic Pricing Solution functions in concert with the store management software/POS. As products age, the group pricing automatically gets reduced for consumers via the ESL.

Such markdowns are proven to move older--and still within the sell-by-period--products. A volume of expirations gets reduced by moving older products first. Also, identifying tags applied by the manufacturer eliminate the need for in-store staff to manually reprice items, allowing them to focus on customer service. A pilot project supported by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry was conducted with Ito-Yokado, one of the largest supermarket chains in Japan.

"Legislation such as the Food Waste Policy Action Plan and the Zero Food Waste Act have been introduced in the U.S. that will be holding organizations accountable for reducing the volume of food lost during its lifecycle. At the same time, consumers are eager to stretch their grocery budgets," observed Kerry Langley, VP of Sato America. "By giving consumers more options that fit their lifestyles, we effectively reduce waste and lower costs with less human intervention, while allowing retailers to optimize margins for every sellable product."

A Dynamic Pricing Solution by Sato America Reduces Waste in Grocery

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2022 Review of Highlights

Week of December 12

Week of November 28

INTEGRATION

A Serial Star

A serial cable adaptor kit for its barcode scanners has been stocked by Star Micronics America (Somerset, NJ). It addresses integration of its scanners by retailers and business owners using PC's as part of their POS. In making its announcement, Star Micronics America noted the simplicity and continued popularity of the computer RS-232 standard.

As part of its product portfolio, Star Micronics America offers desktop, handheld, and wireless handheld scanners. As benefits, they feature high-power CPU, durability (e.g., drop resistance of 4 ft./1.2 m), and "performance of 2D barcode scanners for the price of 1D," according to Star Micronics America. This new serial cable kit is currently available for Star's BSH-HR2081 handheld USB wired scanner and BSD-FR4080 high-resolution desktop presentation scanner.

In addition to its popular family of thermal printers, and its barcode scanners, Star Micronics America supplies cash drawers, scales, display stands, consumables, and health/safety labels and guards. It recently released an extended family of tablet display stands for self-service and POS, under the existing company branding of "mUnite." It includes three new countertop models (EZPOS, EZ3, and EZ100), four new mounted models (Mount 7, Mount 18, Wall Mount, and Tri-Mount), and two new kiosk models (EZDesk Kiosk and Floor Kiosk Stand).

A Serial Cable Adaptor Kit for Star Micronics America's Barcode Scanners

Toast: Pet Sounds

A voice-enabled customer assistant powered by SoundHound AI (Santa Clara, CA) has been added to the partner ecosystem at Toast (Boston, MA). It allows restaurants to accept voice orders via phone, self-service kiosk, or drive-thru and transmit them directly into the Toast POS. SoundHound's advanced system uses patented voice-purpose Artificial Intelligence (AI) that can understand natural human speech, allowing customers to speak as they would to another person, reportedly.

With its AI, in addition, SoundHound's system learns the menu of each business and can answer questions, accept modifications, and even upsell, according to the two parties. SoundHound offers its voice AI technology to a range of world-class brands, including Hyundia, Pandora, Snap, Visio, LR, and Mercedes-Benz. Earlier, in 2022, SoundHound announced similar integration with Square POS.

"Restaurant owners want to place food orders quickly and with minimum hassle. Our fast, accurate voice technology allows them to do that by speaking as naturally as they would to a person," emphasized James Horn, Chief Product Officer at SoundHound AI. "More restaurants are now seeing a fantastic return on investment from voice AI and a better customer experience. By integrating with Toast, we can't wait to bring our simple-to-deploy solution to more restaurants."

A Voice-Enabled Customer Assistant by SoundHound AI Supports Toast POS

Code Corner

A launch for Table Needs Filer by Table Needs (Mobile, AL), which includes the regulatory and financial capabilities of Legalzoom. It helps restaurateurs establish an LLC, file with their state, and create operating agreements and other key business documentation required to launch their business. It eases the difficult of fulfilling dozens of permits, licenses, and registrations, according to Table Needs. With this new, extended functionality of Table Needs, restaurant owners can now fulfill all of the following: essential paperwork required to open the restaurant; setting up the POS complete with online ordering, menu management, and KDS (Kitchen Display System); managing their books and finances; and deploying target marketing and promotions. "Table Needs Filer is an exciting addition to our growing suite of services designed to streamline the business of operating the restaurant from Day 1 to Day 1,001 and beyond," proclaimed David Frahm, COO of Table Needs. "Starting off on the right foot is critically important from both legal and financial standpoints."

Table Needs Partners With Legalzoom

ENVIRONMENTS/PLATFORMS

An Engagement Party

A solution for end-to-end retailing--from online to in-store--has been fashioned by JRNI (Boston, MA) and Mad Mobile (Tampa, FL). It combines customer engagement functionality--including scheduling--from JRNI with omnichannel, mobile retailing technology by Mad Mobile. As such, it carries the customer throughout the entire engagement lifecycle, from initial discovery, to virtual engagement, through the final transaction. As elements, Mad Mobile includes clienteling, endless aisle, self-checkout, fulfillment, and mobile POS.

"As an example," elaborated Philip Meer, CEO of JRNI, "the customer can schedule an appointment using JRNI while sharing information about what they are interested in purchasing. The store associate uses the data received within Mad Mobile's clienteling solution to prepare style preferences, sizing, and options for an in-store or virtual shopping appointment. With additional data collected in advance, such as purchase history from previous visits, JRNI and Mad Mobile have created a highly personalized experience for the customer."

"Major retail brands require a new way to attract and retain their customers," proposed Thomas Lichtwerch, EVP, Global Retail Sales at Mad Mobile. "Personalized shopping experiences increase customer loyalty and lifetime value. JRNI is the ideal partner to help us bring new customers to the store and ensure that existing customers remain loyal to the brands that we serve." (Also this month, Mad Mobile has raised $20 million in financing from Eastward Capital Partners, Newton, MA.)

JRNI and Mad Mobile Combine Systems to Enable End-to-End Customer Engagement and Shopping

A Theory of RELATIVITY

An enterprise-ready, turnkey solution for tracking shipments--by container or down to SKU--has been debuted by Tag-N-Trac (San Diego, CA). With the moniker "RELATIVITY" (for Real-Time Visibility and Traceability), this platform of IoT spans both software and hardware. It includes three specific layers: edge device (tags/labels/printers), connectivity (gateways/carrier networks/satellite networks), and data acquisition and analytics (the so-called "control tower").

"Supply chain needs are sector-dependent, which makes it difficult to purpose-build a single solution that's going to work for everyone. We took a different, more modular approach," reported Joseph Reddy, Chief Technology Officer of Tag-N-Trac. "With RELATIVITY, we're offering scalable solutions across multiple industries for shipping pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, and high-value goods, and through multimodal logistics." Implementation takes six months.

"Our platform provides the fabric for visibility, condition monitoring, and workflow automation, but most importantly, it eases the difficulties in IoT deployment to be repeatable and scalable at low cost," continued Reddy. "Tag-N-Trac's value proposition is represented with our standardization among suppliers, buyers, shippers, and carriers [e.g., 3PL/4PL]. Customers can rely on us to make supply chains work and ensure goods are delivered at the right time and place."

An End-to-End Supply Chain Intelligence Platform by Tag-N-Trac Employs IoT

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
Firich USA
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
North American Bancard
Payment Logistics

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

Stands, Mounts, Cradles
Star Micronics

INSTALLATIONS

Toshiba, Weis Guy

A roll-out of the ELERA commerce platform by Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions (Research Triangle Park, NC) for Weis Markets (Sunbury, PA). It will serve the grocer's e-commerce efforts and its 200 brick-and-mortar stores in the Mid-Atlantic U.S., with more than 2,500 checkout touch-points, including POS, Self-Checkout/Dual Use Lanes, and Mobile. A 30-year history of collaboration for Weis Markets, Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions, and VAR Pomeroy IT Solutions (Hebron, KY).

Introduced in 2021, ELERA carries prepackaged microservices for elements such as loyalty, promotions, and frictionless produce recognition, as well as 400 API's (Application Programming Interfaces) for custom development/integration. All functionality ties seamlessly to the company's existing----and future--hardware from Toshiba. (It also engages next-generation solutions for Big Data, Security, and IoT.)

"This adoption is an important step for Weis Markets and the grocery industry's reinvention toward unified [omnichannel] shopping," reflected Bill Campbell, SVP/Head of Global Sales at Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions. "Retailers like Weis Markets are working to reimagine their retail environment to deliver engaging shopping experiences." Cited Greg Zeh, CIO/SVP at Weis Markets, "We selected ELERA because it supports scalability in customer-focused solutions."

Weis Markets Rolls Out Toshiba's ELERA Platform

Zaxby's Throws a Punchh

An enhanced customer loyalty program for restaurant chain Zaxby's has been developed via deployment of Brink POS and Punchh from ParTech (New Hartford, NY). Headquartered in Athens, GA, Zaxby's has more than 900 locations, primarily in the Southern U.S. Its customer loyalty program, dubbed "Zax Rewardz," has been redesigned to offer customers premium, tiered rewards. Every $1 earns 10 points.

"Zaxby's has a loyal and dedicated following, and we're honored to be their provider of choice when it comes to restaurant technology, from their newly launched Zax Rewardz to their cloud-based POS," expressed Savneet Singh, CEO of PAR, father company of ParTech. "At PAR, we recognize the mission critically associated with our products. Our technology can easily scale to meet changing business conditions, seamlessly link multiple locations without any special configuration, and help ensure compelling and long-term guest satisfaction."

"We're excited to partner with PAR's Brink POS and Punchh solutions to better unify our tech-stack and provide a seamless experience for operators and guests alike," indicated Mike Nettles, Chief Digital and Technology Officer at Zaxby's. "Punchh's technology and feature-set has proven that they're the best in the business at making this happen, while Brink POS will help us improve our operations and make our guests' experience at Zaxby's more memorable." In the past 21 months, ParTech claims more than 70 new brand-level restaurant customers.

Zaxby's Deploys Brink POS and Punchh by ParTech

Channel Factoid

What Say Supply Chain Executives

Tech in Driver's Seat
(A Priority for 65%)

Here's Future Plans:
44%: Sensors/IoT
42%: Robotics/Automation
34%: 3D Printing
26%: Blockchain
21%: Driverless/Self-Driving Vehicles

Solving Labor Shortages
(A Priority for 85%)

Here's Future Plans:
56%: Raising Wages
51%: Offering Flexible Schedules
38%: Offering Sign-On Bonuses
32%: Increasing Benefits

Going Green
(A priority for 66%)

Here's Future Plans:
45%: Energy Efficient Warehouses
41%: Sustainable Packaging Materials
33%: Advanced Analytics
32%: Reverse Logistics Strategy
27%: Electric Vehicles

Source: "Supply Chain Survey," by Kenco Group (Chattanooga, TN)

A Trio of Priorities for Supply Chain Professionals: Tech, Labor Shortages, and Sustainability

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

Storming the Castle

A crowning for Ben Love--now to CEO for North America--at Castles Technology (Kennesaw, GA). He rejoined the payments provider in July 2020 as President and Chief Technology Officer, North America, with 25 years of experience at firms such as Bank of America, Visa, Kinetic Smart Solutions, First Data Corporation, and Ingenico. Current North American CEO Winston Fong will serve as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors and resume his position as Global Chief Strategy Officer.

"After thorough planning and a successful transition process, I am pleased to have Ben Love assume leadership of this key region in our global organization," commented Kevin Hsin, Chairman of Castles Technology (New Taipei City, Taiwan). "We are most grateful to Winston Fong for his entrepreneurship and dedication over the past seven years, which have laid a solid foundation for continued growth and success in North America. Ben's mission is to build upon this to serve the needs of our local and global clients and extend our world-class value to new market segments in the region."

"I am honored and grateful to Kevin, Winston, and Castles Technology for the opportunity to lead this exceptional team of creative, dedicated, and talented professionals in North America," contributed Love. "Winston is a remarkable leader who has successfully grown the company's presence in the USA, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Castles Technology will continue to bring our clients new, secure payment technologies and innovative and value-generating solutions."

Ben Love, CEO, Castles Technology, North America

Warp Speed for CMO

An appointment of Kady Srinivasan, veteran marketer of retail, consumer products, and technology, as Chief Marketing Officer at Lightspeed (Montreal, QC, Canada). She joins the provider of omnichannel POS after serving as SVP/Global Head of Marketing at marketing automation software developer, Klaviyo. She also served as Global Head of Marketing and Integrated Go-to-Market for Dropbox.

"We're thrilled to bring Kady onto the Lightspeed team as our new CMO with her vast experience in scaling up SaaS companies, expanding businesses, and launching innovative cloud-based software solutions," relayed JP Chauvet, CEO of Lightspeed. "Her unique skill-set will be pivotal for Lightspeed as we zero in on our target market of complex small-to-midsized business (SMB), raise brand awareness, and continue to roll out our flagship retail and hospitality products globally." (In October of 2022, Lightspeed added Ryan Tabone, former VP & GM of Google Pay, as its Chief Product and Technology Officer.)

"It is an exciting time to be joining Lightspeed," enthused Srinivasan. "Now, more than ever, the company's technology plays such an important role in helping complex businesses thrive. I look forward to bringing my tech industry marketing experience to advancing Lightspeed's position as one of the world's most innovative and fast-growing commerce companies. I can't wait to get started."

Kady Srinivasan, CMO, Lightspeed