Our Product Pick

A new mobile reader for RFID (LF, HF, or UHF), as well as 1D/2D barcodes and NFC, has been unveiled at Balluff (Florence, KY). In smartphone format, with 5" capacitive touchscreen, Balluff BIS V RFID has three models with the following options: (1) barcode scanner, camera, and NFC; (2) barcode scanner, camera, without NFC; and (3) without barcode scanner, camera, nor NFC. It runs Android 9 O/S, with ARM Quad-Core Cortex A53 CPU, 2 GB RAM, and 16 GB Flash. A built-in app may be used out-of-the-box or configured to meet specific requirements. "Our new BIS V RFID handhelds provide a more flexible tool for manual processes, including inventory and warehouse management, quality control, and service and maintenance work," suggested Balluff. "And the swappable antennas allow them to be complementary to any of our other fixed RFID readers or scanners."

Balluff's Universal Handheld Scanner

COMPANY BUSINESS

Elo Takes It Outside

An open-frame touchscreen for outdoor use, designated Model 2799L, has been debuted by Elo (Knoxville, TN). In 27" size, it features optically bonded, edge-to-edge multi-touch TouchPro projected-capacitive display (PCAP). With sunlight-readable, 1500 Nit brightness, it can be mounted in landscape, portrait, and face-up orientation for placement in tables, kiosks, or cabinets. As connectivity, it has General Purpose Input/Output (GPIO), HDMI, VGA, Display Port, and USB.

Weighing 36.6 lbs./16.6 kg, Model 2799L has an IP-66 ingress rating, National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) 4x protection, and IK10 vandal-proof standard, as well as operating temperature range of -4 to 140 Degrees F/-20 to 60 Degrees C. An accompanying commercial-grade compute engine, Elo Backpack, furnishes Android 10 O/S. A scalable, single-architecture media platform, EloView, is offered.

"Our partners are eager for an open-frame display they can seamlessly integrate into kiosks and installations for outdoor use, and we're excited to introduce the first model in this line," projected Craig Witsoe, CEO of Elo. "The 2799L signifies a new era, extending the quality, durability, and ruggedness customers have come to expect from Elo's indoor displays to a product specifically designed for outdoor use. It also includes new features such as built-in ambient light control, IK10 protection, and integrated cooling."

Elo's Outdoor Open-Frame Touchscreen Display in Kiosk

ECRS Chows Down

An interesting acquisition for solution provider ECRS (Boone, NC), in the form of food costing and recipe management developer, reciProfity (Bronxville, NY). A longtime player in our channel, founded by Pete Catoe, ECRS supplies its Catapult Retail POS for markets such as supermarkets, natural grocery, specialty foods, convenience, micro markets, and food co-ops, among others. A branding of reciProfity will continue going forward, according to ECRS.

"We are really pleased that ECRS is involved," enthused Matthew Starobin, Founder of reciProfity. "ECRS will have the ability to carry on in the foodservice world because of their experience, market share, product development know-how, and capitalization. I think that is very good news for reciProfity users."

"It's an honor to carry the legacy of reciProfity into its next chapter," added Caroline Catoe, President of ECRS. "Food costing and recipe management are time-consuming operations. reciProfity is designed to automate these operational areas and free businesses up to focus on their most important aspect--the customer. We have big plans to bring new features to the system and a long-term vision of being the very best food-costing solution in the world."

ECRS Buys Foodservice ISV reciProfity

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

Zebra in the Un-Cloud

An implementation of on-device Generative AI has been demonstrated by Zebra Technologies Corporation (Lincolnshire, IL). In this approach, Zebra's TC53/TC58 and TC73/TC78 mobile computers and ET6x Series rugged tablet, powered by technology from Qualcomm, offer the functionality of Generative AI Large Language Models (LLMs)--without need of cloud connectivity. As potential benefits, the two parties cite new levels of privacy, security, capability, and cost savings for users across industries, including retail, warehouse, logistics, and hospitality.

"We're taking GenAI to the mobile edge on-device and applying it to areas such as Voice AI, Computer Vision, and Machine Vision software powered by deep learning as well as task and workflow software using orchestrated AI," reported Tom Bianculli, CTO at Zebra Technologies. In the area of retail, potential use cases for LLMs include improving associate effectiveness by enhancing their product and customer service knowledge, acting as an efficient internal communications tool by answering employee queries, and collecting and analyzing associate feedback. Also, further, supporting personalized shopping assistants.

"On-device Generative AI is unlocking new and enhanced experiences across industries," espoused Megha Daga, Senior Director, Product Management, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. (San Diego, CA). "Qualcomm Technologies' goal is to drive the transformation of industries, and we are doing that beginning with mobile devices. Zebra's demonstration is showcasing that type of transformation." [Editor's Note: A cloud-based app or web browser GenAI, naturally, may be accessed via Zebra's wireless Wi-Fi 6/6E and 5G enabled devices.]

Zebra Demonstrates On-Device Generative AI

Avvance Arrives at U.S. Bank

A consumer financing option at the checkout, entitled Avvance (as in "Advance"), has been launched by U.S. Bank (Minneapolis, MN). A quick application process and instant "decisioning" empowers consumers to choose among installment plans to pay over time for their purchase. As embedded in the checkout, and backed by U.S. Bank, it allows business owners to offer this service.

"With Avvance, business owners have the ability to attract new customers while increasing their buying power, resulting in increased sales," elaborated Mia Huntington, EVP of Buy Now, Pay Later and Point-of-Sale Lending at U.S. Bank and Elavon. "Our point-of-sale lending product allows business owners the ability to offer affordable financing while they receive full payment at the time of sale. U.S. Bank, the primary source of the consumer loans, manages all aspects from application to servicing."

According to details on the website for U.S. Bank, businesses are compensated for the total purchase price within 48 hours. A fee is charged for each customer loan, but with no subscription cost or monthly charge to the business. At present, the system works with partners of Elavon, the payment processing arm of U.S. Bank, with wider distribution planned. A Converge Invoicing and Virtual Terminal Gateway is marketed via the channel of VARs, ISVs, and ISOs by Elavon.

A Consumer Financing Offer at the Checkout

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Week of October 16

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ALLIANCES

In NetSuite's Net: Payments

An early partner has been enrolled for automated payment processing via Oracle NetSuite Pay: Versapay (Toronto, ON, Canada). Offered within NetSuite, NetSuite Pay, now powered by Versapay, works in junction with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), and SuiteCommerce by NetSuite (Austin, TX). It features simple onboarding for new merchant accounts, enhanced reconciliation, as well as pre-negotiated rates for customers of NetSuite.

"As many businesses know, cash flow can sometimes mean the difference between a business in distress and one that is thriving," maintained Carey O'Connor Kolaja, CEO of Versapay. "That's one of the many reasons we're proud to announce we are partnering with NetSuite to support NetSuite Pay and help businesses get paid faster and accelerate cash flow. This latest solution is one of the many innovations we've partnered on with NetSuite in order to improve ERP payments and Accounts Receivable automation."

"Selecting a payment processor is complicated, costly, and time consuming for our customers," disclosed Guido Haarmans, Group VP, SuiteCloud Developer Network and Partner Programs at NetSuite. "NetSuite Pay powered by Versapay provides turnkey, simple activation so that customers can easily take advantage of our click-to-pay invoice functionality and commerce functions and helps NetSuite customers optimize the order-to-cash cycle, improve cash flow, reduce risk, and increase overall efficiency." At its recent SuiteWorld 2023 in Las Vegas, NetSuite announced TGI Fridays and Manolo Blahnik as customers.

Versapay Powers Oracle NetSuite Pay

A Slice of Factor4, Arrow POS, and Pizza

Add gift card and loyalty by Factor4 (Broomall, PA) to the long-running software for pizza POS by Arrow POS (Crown Point, IN). An omnichannel solution, it allows restaurants to process gift card transactions in-store, online, and via mobile devices directly on the Arrow POS. A pooling service by Factor4 supports multi-location and franchise chains. Also, restaurants may sell plastic and e-gift cards directly from their websites.

"Arrow POS is dedicated to providing our clients with solutions that empower them to succeed in a rapidly evolving market," asserted Rich Bowman, CEO at Arrow POS. "By teaming up with Factor4 Gift Cards, we are amplifying the capabilities of our POS. This partnership will allow our clients to effortlessly implement sophisticated gift card and loyalty programs that drive customer visits and increase revenue."

As central to its strength, Factor4 cites its RewardOS API (Application Programming Interface). It claims to have the most integrations with suppliers of POS of all the gift and loyalty providers. At present, Factor4 serves over 18,000 customers. One of its "four" founders, as in the name of Factor4, Dan Battista, serves as CEO.

Arrow POS Calls on Factor4 for Gift and Loyalty

Code Corner

A pioneering in-store Voice Assistant has been included with PredictSpring POS (Mountain View, CA). It allows store associates and managers to communicate in full natural language with PredictSpring POS. This intuitive new feature understands complex voice interactions, offering responses to requests such as "Show me leather jackets," "Look up Amanda's profile," and"Add notes to Amanda's profile," or even operational commands such as "Start a cycle count" or "Close the till." Retail staff can operate the system seamlessly, according to the ISV, speeding up processes and allowing more time for customer interaction. Also, employee training time and costs may be reduced.

PredictSpring Adds Voice Assistant

______________________

A focus on food trucks, cafe/bakery, and quick-service restaurants, ISV Table Needs (Mobile, AL) has fortified reporting features in its POS. In pursuit of clarity and transparency in payment processing, in particular, Table Needs cites several new functions: Effective Processing Rate, Cash Discount Program Visibility, Contextual Help and Education, Accurate Sales Snapshot, and Simplified Reporting Structure. As one example, in the Effective Processing Rate, the percentage of processing fees deducted from the merchant's gross revenue gets shown. "Too often, I see restaurant owners who realize too late that they're not making nearly enough to cover their expenses or that they're paying astronomical fees," cautioned Ben Simmons, CEO of Table Needs. "Building in that real-time visibility into their POS system cost makes it much easier for restaurant owners to know what's going on and make adjustments in their business."

Table Needs Touts Transparency in POS

ENVIRONMENTS/PLATFORMS

A Five-Leaf Clover

An integration in restaurant platforms at payment processor Fiserv (Brookfield, WI) seeks to further bridge online and off-line services. It involves its point-of-sale and business management solution, Clover, and its marketing and commerce solution, BentoBox. In addition to existing Online Ordering by BentoBox, Clover now seamlessly ties to BentoBox in Reservations, Menu Management, Kiosk, and Catering.

"As restaurants continue to evolve in an increasingly digital marketplace, they require partners who provide purposeful technology designed to meet the needs of both the business and the customer," relayed Dan Bjerke, Global Head of Clover. "Integrating Clover and BentoBox helps to ensure smoother, simpler, day-to-day operations and the ability to further tap into omnichannel capabilities." At present, Clover, and its terminals, processes over $234B in payments each year.

"It's more important than ever for restaurants to create seamless technology experiences for their staff and customers, from the moment diners look at the restaurant online to when they pay their check at the table," related Krystle Mobayeni, Founder of BentoBox and Head of Restaurant Solutions at Fiserv. "We're thrilled to deepen our integration with Clover as we work to simplify restaurant operations for businesses everywhere--enhancing efficiency, boosting revenue potential, and cultivating customer loyalty in the process." In November 2021, Fiserv purchased BentoBox, with 7,500 customers in hospitality.

Integration of Clover and BentoBox at Fiserv

"Ex" Marks the Spot (for Tokens)

A prominent independent cloud tokenization developer, TokenEx (Tulsa, OK), has released multiple updates to its TokenEx Universal Tokenization Platform. Addressing its self-described "strategic payment processing," TokenEx has added three new features to its Universal Tokenization: Account Updater, BIN Look-Up, and Network Tokens. As benefits of such functionality, it cites advances in security, compliance, and revenue.

As the first, TokenEx Account Updater enables merchants to proactively update expired, lost, or stolen payment card information on file. Secondly, TokenEx BIN Look-Up provides critical payment card data to route payment transactions, leading to increased authorizations, less fraud, and lower processing costs. Thirdly, TokenEx Network Tokens reduce interchange fees and increase authorization rates.

"As payment experts, TokenEx understands that the success of our customers starts with a payment strategy focused on security, compliance, and revenue," vouched Hetal Giaimo, SVP, Product and Technology, with TokenEx. "Market trends require merchants to work with multiple payment providers, which can be time-consuming and expensive, but TokenEx alleviates this complexity to ensure our customers maximize their authorization rates and revenue while minimizing the burden of PCI (Payment Card Industry) Compliance." A complimentary tool, Account Update Calculator, has also been offered.

TokenEx Card Lifecycle Management

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

Revel Sweetens HTeaO

A choice of Revel Systems (Atlanta, GA) as the POS for iced tea franchise HTeaO. Based in Fort Worth, TX, and focused on Southern Central U.S., HTeaO has 80 units already live on Revel. It will add 270 new locations.

HTeaO said it will use Revel's Open API (Application Programming Interface) to integrate best-of-breed solutions for loyalty, online ordering, and gift cards. It will also use an associated in-house payment processing solution, Revel Advantage. "We are very eager to leverage the success we've had with Revel," declared Brad Williamson, EVP of HTeaO.

"We are delighted that HTeaO has seen so much value in Revel, and will be using our transaction platform as it expands to 350 locations over the next few years," expressed Greg Dukat, CEO of Revel Systems. In his view, "A modern, cloud platform with an Open API is the best technology platform to future proof your business, rapidly innovate, and facilitate growth." An early purveyor of cloud- and iPad-based POS, Revel Systems has focused on large, multi-site restaurant chains of late. At press time, Japan-born Pepper Lunch, a fast-casual concept with over 500 locations in 15 countries, has tapped Revel Systems for POS in its 125 U.S.-based restaurants.

Growing Iced Tea Franchise Chooses Revel for POS

ISV on Its Skis

A deployment of Mi9 Retail (Miami, FL) has begun for ski resort conglomerate Alterra Mountain Company. Assembled in 2018, and headquartered in Denver, CO, Alterra is privately held by KSL Capital Partners and Henry Crown and Company, owners of Aspen/Snowmass. A combined season pass is offered for its participating ski resorts.

Alterra sought to enhance its retail operations across multiple facets as well as to centralize systems across all their resorts. As functionality for Alterra, Mi9 Retail extends Merchandise Management, Store Operations, Sales Audit, Warehouse Management System (WMS), Point-of-Sale (POS), and Retail Analytics. An initial rollout has taken place at Stratton Mountain Resort in Vermont.

"We are excited to have partnered with Mi9 Retail to standardize our retail systems across our growing number of locations as well as to upgrade our retail technology while moving all operations to the cloud," contributed John Collins, VP, Mountain Technology Group, at Alterra Mountain Company. "The Mi9 Retail Platform will prove its value by supporting operations at scale across our stores and warehouses. We look forward to the continued enhancements it will bring to our customer experiences."

Alterra Mountain Company Deploys Mi9 Retail

Channel Factoid

'Tis the Season

Holiday Shopping
Destinations - 2023

13% - Thrift Store

14% - Outlet Store

16% - Crafts Store

20% - Electronics Store

24% - Small Business

32% - Clothing Store

44% - Grocery Store

48% - Discount store

49% - Department Store

58% - Online

Source: "2023 Consumer Holiday Survey," by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics

Holiday Spending Expected to Hold Steady

A Message From the Editor

As we progress through 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

Yazdian Goes Yard

A well-known industry figure, Afshin Yazdian, has been named as the new CEO and Executive Chairman of Electronic Merchant Systems (Cleveland, OH). He brings experience as President of Priority Payment Systems, President and CEO of Cynergy Data, President of TouchSuite, and EVP and General Counsel of iPayment. He currently serves as Board Member for Sonata Bank and the American Transaction Processors Coalition (ATPC).

"I am confident that Afshin is the right person to help navigate our company to new heights," affirmed Jim Weiland, Chairman of EMS. "Afshin understands what it will take to transform EMS the right way and to build off our great historical success. His dedication to fostering collaboration and innovation gives me confidence in the decision to appoint him as our new leader."

"I am thrilled to embark on this new journey and for the opportunity to work with an amazing team to build the next great FinTech organization," proclaimed Yazdian. "I am committed to investing in our people and in our technology to ensure a great experience for everyone that interacts with our company. We will drive growth while also ensuring that EMS is an amazing place to work and an incredible partner to our customers."

Afshin Yazdian, CEO and Executive Chairman, Electronic Merchant Systems

Bixolon: Our Man in Mexico

A rise to GM of Bixolon Mexico for Marcelo Shim. He brings more than 10 years of experience in sales and business development at Bixolon, with focus on the market in South America. With its office in Mexico City, Bixolon serves customers and partners in Central/Latin America.

"As a proven and enthusiastic manager with deep experience in our company, Shim is a perfect fit for this position," commented Paul Kim, President of Bixolon America (Torrance, CA). "His expertise in the printing industry and familiarity with the LATAM region are powerful assets for Bixolon."

"I am very excited to be here in Mexico taking on a new role," shared Shim. "Bixolon has established strong competitiveness and outstanding brand power in the receipt and label printing industry over the past 20 years and I'm excited to further strengthen our position during my time here."

Also, Bixolon Co. (Seongnam-Si, South Korea) has been named as the "World's Number One Mobile Receipt Printer Manufacturer" by the Japanese research firm, Chunichisha. It marks the 10th consecutive year Bixolon Co. has won this award for the largest market share worldwide.