Our Product Pick

POSBANK USA (Carson, CA and Plainview, NY) has presented its new self-service kiosk, called BIGPOS. As display, it features 27" projected-capacitive touchscreen LCD (with resolution of 1080x1920, brightness of 300 cd/m2, response of 12 ms). It furnishes choice of Intel Core, Pentium, and Celeron CPUs, with support for iOS and Android O/S. With slim, curved, modern structure, BIGPOS offers floor, wall, or table mount configurations. Included as optional features: barcode scanner, card reader, thermal printer, camera, and NFC. "A compact and modular design enables easy shipping and installation," projected POSBANK USA. "Access to internal components speeds up easy maintenance."

BIGPOS by POSBANK USA

COMPANY BUSINESS

Star's in School

Star Cloud Services, a subsidiary of Star Micronics America (Somerset, NJ), has launched its PromoPRNT University. Offered for the company's family of thermal printers, the PromoPRNT service, debuted in 2018, enables retailers to add promotions to their customer receipts. As benefits of PromoPRNT University, Star Micronics America will provide training and marketing support of the technology for its VARs/ISVs.

As elements, PromoPRNT has Promo Maker, with templates for design and creation (i.e., logos, text, and icons), and Promo Manager, with campaign management (i.e., scheduling, delivery, and business analytics of results). As part of Star Cloud Services, PromoPRNT is provided at no cost. A Software Development Kit (SDK) supports iOS, Android, and Windows at Star Cloud Services.

"Star Micronics is helping VARs/ISVs to create recurring revenue for their customers with PromoPRNT University," Brianna Moriarty, Partner Development Manager for Star Micronics America, told RRN.Com. "Completing this training (which is conducted online) will help them to better explain PromoPRNT." In addition, she added, through PromoPRNT University, VARs/ISVs may gain training on other Star Cloud Services (such as Receipt Flip, Digital Receipt, Engage Now, Customer Survey, and Device Management).

Star Micronics America Opens PromoPRNT University

A Green Flag at ScanSource

ScanSource (Greenville, SC) has rolled out its new corporate-wide partner program, dubbed FastLane. As elements, it furnishes access to training, education, enablement tools, reseller loyalty program, and pathways to charitable and social responsibility efforts. As rewards for performance, according to ScanSource, monthly, quarterly, and year-long prizes will be awarded. Also on the schedule: quarterly business strategy summits, VIP Events, and Winners' Circle Trip.

"As a trusted advisor, it is our job to help our partners deliver solutions that can help their customers meet business outcomes. FastLane is our first-ever corporate-wide program committed to helping our partners do just that," declared Tony Sorrentino, ScanSource's President of North America Sales. "With such rapid change in the channel, it's more important than ever to provide a seamless customer experience for our partners, whether it's through the solutions they buy, the programs they participate in, or the events they attend."

As an element of FastLane, ScanSource has partnered with McLaren Racing (of Formula One, Grand Prix, and Indianapolis 500). "[We] will be working directly with McLaren's leadership team to develop business-focused thought leadership programs and resources for our partners," reported ScanSource. Established in 1992, now comprising two segments--Worldwide Barcode, Networking & Security and Worldwide Communications & Services--ScanSource ranks #653 on the Fortune 1000 with $3.85 billion in net sales in Fiscal Year 2018.

ScanSource Sets FastLane Partner Program (and Puts Logo on McLaren Formula One Car)

Worth Your While

WERC
Warehousing Education and Research Council
April 28-May 1
Columbus, OH

ETA Transact
Electronic Transactions Association
April 30-May 2
Las Vegas, NV

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

RetailNOW
Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA)
July 28-31
San Antonio, TX

VARTECH
BlueStar
September 16-17
Paradise Island, Bahamas

Pack Expo
Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute (PMMI)
September 23-25
Las Vegas, NV

NACS Show
National Association of Convenience Stores
October 2-4
Atlanta, GA

Money 20/20
October 27-30
Las Vegas, NV

ALL IN THE FAMILY

Seiko "Displays" RP-F10

Seiko Instruments USA, Thermal Printer Division (Torrance, CA), has unwrapped its new 3" thermal printer for POS, as Model RP-F10. In compact cube-shaped design of 5 in. x 5 in. x 5 in., weighing 1.9 lbs., the RP-F10 has maximum print speed of 9.8 in./250 mm per second at 203 dpi. In order to provide flexibility for installation, it may be configured with paper output from above or paper output from the front. A choice of casings includes white or black, suitable for multiple settings.

As one significant advancement, the RP-F10 offers an optional 4.3" color TFT LCD. Additional features include an automatic knife-restoring mechanism, an IPx1 Certification for protection from dripping water, and an optional buzzer. As connectivity, in addition to two cash drawer drivers (24-V), the RP-F10 furnishes combinations of USB+USB, Ethernet+USB, and Bluetooth (NFC)+USB. As O/S, there's support for iOS, Android, Windows, and Linux.

"With this newest addition to our POS printer line, we have taken technology, speed, and now, targeted customer messaging, to the next level when it comes to POS transactions," commented Yoshi Murakami, GM of Seiko Instruments USA, Thermal Printer Division. "This is an especially top priority for our company, as both we as an organization, and our end-user customers and partner and distributor networks, continue to move further within the digital transformation age." Introduction of the RP-F10 follows Seiko's RP-E and Lite Model RP-D.

Seiko's RP-F10 POS Printer

Zebra Sets Loose MC9300

Zebra Technologies (Lincolnshire, IL) has unveiled its upgraded rugged mobile computer, the MC9300, with Android 8.1 O/S. In dimensions of 9.4 in. (L) x 3.5 in. (W) x 7.4 in. (H), and weight of 1.7 lbs., the MC9300 has Qualcomm Snapdragon Octa-Core CPU at 2.2 GHz, 4-GB RAM, 32-GB Flash, and Micro-SD. A 4.3" capacitive touchscreen (800x480 WVGA) with Gorilla Glass combines with six keyboard options. A 3.6-V, 7000-mAh rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery has PowerPrecision+ technology.

As data collection, there's choice of four scan engines from Zebra: 1D, SE965; 1D/2D, SE4750 SR; Direct Part Mark, SE4750 DP; and Extended Range, 1D/2D SE4850. Also, cameras at 5-megapixel (front) and 13-megapixel (rear) and NFC. As communications, there's Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) 5.0, full 802.11 Wi-Fi, and Voice-over-IP (VoIP). As ruggedness, the MC9300 has an IP65/67 rating for water and dust, 6-ft./1.8-m drop specification, and standard operating range of -4 to +122 Degrees F. (A specific model adds heaters and freezer-rated battery.)

"With more than 3.2 million MC9000 mobile computers sold since 2003, Zebra took its best-selling and most trusted enterprise-class mobile computer and made it better by providing businesses with an easy migration path from Windows to Android," elaborated Joe White, VP and GM of Enterprise Mobile Computing at Zebra Technologies. "We improved the ergonomics and added more than twenty new features to enhance application and accessory performance, user comfort, ease of use, ruggedness, data capture flexibility, and device management." As software support, it offers Zebra's Mobility DNA, LifeGuard for Android, and Terminal Emulation. Also in April, Zebra has debuted its enhanced TC8300 touch computer and ATR7000 RTLS reader for RFID.

Zebra's MC9300 Mobile Computer

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Week of April 8

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ALLIANCES

E.P. Sees Spectrum

SpectrumSoft Inc. (Victorville, CA) has selected, as its preferred vendor for payment processing, Electronic Payments (Calverton, NY). Under this new relationship, the "TableTurn" restaurant management platform by Electronic Payments will support the Spectrum EVO by SpectrumSoft. As elements, TableTurn by Electronic Payments features item- and transaction-level data analytics, gift and loyalty card processing, tokenization, breach protection, and IP address scanning.

"We carefully vetted numerous payment processors and chose Electronic Payments because of their integrity and commitment to service. Our dealer channel is in the best hands when it comes to new account setups and ongoing support," reflected Sean Kearney, CEO of SpectrumSoft. A bundle of software and hardware, Spectrum EVO utilizes so-called "private cloud," with subscription-based deployment. In addition to restaurants, it addresses retail and salon and spas.

"It's always great when an industry-leading POS software solution chooses your platform as a preferred payment processing partner, but this partnership goes even further because of Spectrum EVO's core merchant offerings," relayed Michael Nardy, CEO of Electronic Payments. "Sean Kearney and his team are committed to innovative software development with state-of-the-art features. It's a sustainable business model that will lead to many long-term relationships with satisfied clients. They have a fantastic product and we look forward to supporting it on the processing side."

Electronic Payments Chosen as Preferred Processor for Spectrum EVO POS by SpectrumSoft

A Chain of Merchant Link

A pair of moves for payment processor Merchant Link (Silver Spring, MD). In the first, Merchant Link has completed integration with the Telium Tetra Series of terminals from the Ingenico Group (Alpharetta, GA). In all, it covers three models and five terminals: Lane 3000, 5000, and 7000, Move 5000, and Link 2500. In the second, Merchant Link has received certification for its Oracle Payment Interface (OPI) 6.2 for Opera PMS from Oracle Hospitality (Redwood City, CA).

"Ingenico's Tetra Platform leverages in-demand features and capabilities, making it a cutting-edge solution for a wide range of merchants across the retail, lodging, and hospitality industries," indicated Bill Lewis, VP of Product Management at Merchant Link. Accepting MSR, EMV, and NFC, Ingenico's Tetra Platform will work in conjunction with Merchant Link's Transaction Link, Transaction Vault Tokenization, and Transaction Shield Point-to-Point Encryption (P2PE). "Working with Merchant Link, we're able to provide their merchants with the tools to drive revenue and brand loyalty, all while keeping their customers' payment data secure," contributed Irfan Nasir, Head of Solutions for Ingenico Group North America.

In the second case, OPI 6.2 for Opera PMS, Merchant Link extends its long relationship with Micros Systems, now Oracle Hospitality. As Gold Partner, its payment gateway, Transaction Link, supports the Property Management System (PMS) and POS of Oracle. "We are excited to continue meeting and exceeding our mutual prospects' and clients' needs, and will continue to expand our current offering with Oracle, which includes each of their product lines in lodging, restaurant, and retail," stressed Dan Lane, CEO of Merchant Link.

Merchant Link Supports Telium Tetra Series by Ingenico and Opera PMS 6.2 by Oracle Hospitality

[Ed. Note: Also recently certifying the Telium Tetra Series by Ingenico Group: Datacap Systems (Chalfont, PA), EVO Payments (Atlanta, GA), and Nuvei (Montreal, QB, Canada).]

Code Corner

Seagull Scientific (Bellevue, WA) has shipped its updated enterprise labeling software, BarTender 2019. A number of enhancements are cited. (1) An improved BarTender Designer brings grids, tables, easy text wrapping, and the capacity to use multiple database records in one document. (2) An Intelligent Forms enables the creation of complex print-time processes. (3) A new Data Builder allows for the collection and management of data within BarTender. (4) A new Process Builder enables customers to automate many of their manual processes without extensive programming. (5) Augmented database connectors make it easier to employ data from XML, Microsoft Azure SQL, and Microsoft Excel and Access. "We're excited about the industry-leading capabilities we've added to BarTender 2019," proclaimed Harold Boe, President and CEO of Seagull Scientific, "but we're equally excited about the work we've done behind the scenes to simplify and streamline processes for our customers and partners. Our goal is to always be the easiest enterprise labeling software company to do business with." There's three editions of BarTender 2019: Enterprise, Automation, and Professional.

BarTender 2019 From Seagull Scientific

ENVIRONMENTS/PLATFORMS

A SNAP for Genius

Another payment path for the Genius Customer Engagement Platform by TSYS (Columbus, GA): the Electronic Benefits Transfer/Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly referred to as EBT/SNAP. It follows several months of software development, RRN.Com was told, and was built in accordance with the guidelines, requirements, and best practices of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). Introduced in 2012 by Cayan--which was purchased by TSYS in January 2018--Genius accommodates MSR, EMV, NFC, and Mobile Wallets. It has tokenization and Point-to-Point Encryption (P2PE).

As part of this recent revision, PCI SSC has produced new course materials on the cited areas of remote access, password practices, and outdated and unpatched software. Also, in order to increase the reach of the program, the cost has been reduced to $100 per person. Similarly, certification now applies to individuals, rather than entire companies. A final change has simplification of the implementation statement for the QIR Program.

"EBT/SNAP will not automatically be back-enabled for all existing customers of Genius," explained TSYS. "Each integrator will need to certify their POS to Genius for EBT/SNAP. In addition to the channel resources and community of ISVs/VARs that historically sold Genius as Cayan, now other TSYS ISV sales channels are also focused on selling Genius." (Previously, Henry Helgeson was CEO and Founder of Cayan.)

Genius Supports EBT/SNAP Payments

PCI Tweaks QIR

In response to industry feedback, and data breach report findings, the PCI Security Standards Council (Wakefield, MA) has made changes to its Qualified Integrators and Resellers (QIR) Program. In particular, three critical issues have been addressed in more depth--insecure remote access, weak password practices, and outdated and unpatched software--according to the PCI SSC. As one of its features, the QIR Program, started in 2012, extols its graduates--VARs and ISVs in POS--on the website of the PCI.

As part of this recent revision, PCI SSC has produced new course materials on the cited areas of remote access, password practices, and outdated and unpatched software. Also, in order to increase the reach of the program, the cost has been reduced to $100 per person. Similarly, certification now applies to individuals, rather than entire companies. A final change has simplification of the implementation statement for the QIR Program.

"We are very pleased with the changes that the PCI SSC is making to the QIR Program. It will lead to more integrators and resellers being able to help merchants significantly reduce their payment security risk," predicted John Kirk, President and CEO of the Retail Solutions Providers Association (Charlotte, NC). "So many breaches are caused by entirely preventable attacks. With greater access to training, the PCI SSC is empowering smaller integrators and resellers to join the program, which will greatly benefit the merchant community."

Changes to PCI's Qualified Integrators and Resellers (QIR) Program Address Needs of the SMB

Key Advertiser Links

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

POS & Peripherals
Aures
Bematech
CRS, Inc.
Electronic Payments
Harbortouch
HP
Ingenico
Pioneer POS
POSBANK USA
Posiflex
Toshiba
WooPOS

Barcode & Transaction Printers
Bixolon America
Brother Mobile
CognitiveTPG
Godex Americas

Cash Drawers
APG Cash Drawer
MMF POS

Data Collection
CipherLab
Code Corporation
Janam Technologies

Integrated Payment Solutions
Datacap Systems
Electronic Payments
EVO Payments/Sterling
Ingenico

Receipt Printers
Bixolon America
CognitiveTPG
Epson America
Star Micronics

Thermal Printers
Seiko Instruments USA

INSTALLATIONS

Oracle Wears Prada

Oracle (Redwood Shores, CA) will deploy its retail suite for the Prada Group. It includes: Oracle Merchandise Financial Planning, Assortment, and Item Planning; Oracle Customer Engagement; and Oracle Retail Xstore Point of Service. Each will be delivered via Oracle Retail Cloud Services. At present, Prada has its global network of 634 stores.

"By integrating Oracle's advanced digital technologies with our operations, we will be able to unlock increasing value within our business and offer further opportunities to our global customer base," enthused Lorenzo Bertelli, Head of Marketing and Communications for the Prada Group (Milan, Italy). "Our collaboration with Oracle is part of our wider strategy focusing on enhancing our Group with a strong investment in technology to boost operational efficiency and effectiveness." (As an initial step in refreshing its technology, Prada installed in-store Wi-Fi in 2017.)

"For luxury brands, delivering a unique and positive brand experience is paramount," emphasized Mike Webster, SVP and GM of Oracle Retail. "Whether they are shopping in Milan, San Francisco, or online, Prada Group's customers expect that inventory will be fresh, current, and available. With Oracle, the company will be able to better understand and anticipate customer demand and optimize inventory assortments accordingly to ensure every brand connection results in a satisfied customer." (Previously, Webster served as SVP and GM for Retail/Hospitality at NCR from 2001 to 2011.)

Luxury Retailer Adopts Oracle

What Stays in Vegas: DTiQ

Video surveillance leader DTiQ has opened its new "customer experience center" in Las Vegas, NV. This new facility has space for executive briefings, product demonstration and benchmarking, and simulated retail environments. It also holds the 24/7 customer support center of DTiQ. A growing customer base has been cited by DTiQ.

As examples of retail environments, DTiQ chose specialty shop, quick-service restaurant, and convenience store. Each simulation includes customer kiosk with real-time video analytics (including heatmaps and POS). At the product demonstration and benchmark facility, hundreds of various systems and technology can be tested, according to DTiQ.

"Approximately 70% of our customers pass through Las Vegas every year," observed Mark Simson, COO for DTiQ (which is headquartered in Framingham, MA). "This new customer experience center allows our clients to experience DTiQ's product suite and instantly understand how we can positively impact their bottom lines." A longstanding partner to many leading providers of POS, formerly known as DTT Surveillance, DTiQ has added loss prevention provider LP Innovations and business management platform 360iQ.

DTiQ Opens "Customer Experience Center" in Las Vegas

Channel Factoid

-Average profit margin: 11%

-Rent: 5% to 10% of monthly sales

-Experiencing inventory challenges: 58%

-Suffering labor shortages: 70%

-Employing their POS for scheduling: 50%

-Expressing dissatisfaction with their payment processor: 80%

-A lack of pricing transparency is primary concern for processing

-As online ordering: Grubhub (41%), Uber Eats (39%), DoorDash (32%)

-Jump in sales from online ordering: 11% to 20%

-Accepting Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay: 18%

Two-thirds of the restaurateurs interviewed have five years or more experience in senior management roles, 95% work at restaurants with greater than 20 seats, and 41% work at restaurants with 41 to 80 seats.

Source: "The State of Full Service Restaurants in 2019," by Maru Matchbox, for TouchBistro (Toronto, ON, Canada)

Inventory and Staffing Challenges

A Message From the Editor

As we enter another year, our mission stays constant: to fill the need for timely, focused, non-biased news in the channel for POS & Auto ID. If anything, that need grows more pressing in the face of changes in technology, go-to-market strategies, and business models. We look forward to continuing that mission and welcome your suggestions and thoughts on improvements.

Michael Kachmar, Editor

HELLO GOODBYE

A Culmination at Panasonic

Panasonic (Newark, NJ) has elevated M. Faisal Pandit as President of Panasonic System Solutions Company of North America. A long career with Panasonic has included roles as Director - Solutions and After Sales of Factory Solutions (2006 to 2011), President of Factory Solutions (2012 to 2018), SVP of Security Solutions (2016 to 2018), and SVP and Chief Digital Officer (2018 to 2019). Under his purview at Panasonic: communication systems, mobile computing, security and public safety, industrial automation, professional audio and visual systems, and POS.

"Faisal's leadership and his customer centricity have transformed many of our businesses by driving innovation in our products and services and by making our teams into trusted advisors helping customers solve complex business problems," remarked Tom Gebhardt, CEO of Panasonic Corporation of North America."With an increased focus on digitalization, platforms, and services, and his proven record of performance in highly competitive environments, Faisal is a great fit for this role."

M. Faisal Pandit, President, Panasonic System Solutions Company of North America

O.B. One Kenobi of Payments

A milestone for O.B. Rawls, President of Payment Processing for North America at Paysafe, courtesy of the Electronic Transactions Association (Washington, DC). As such, he will be named 2019 "Distinguished Payments Professional" at the upcoming Star Awards Dinner at the ETA's Transact Show in Las Vegas, NV. All nominations for Star Awards are judged by an Awards and Recognition Committee, comprised of executives of member companies of ETA. Rawls joined Paysafe (Houston, TX) in 2018.

"It's an honor to recognize O.B. Rawls of Paysafe as this year's Distinguished Payments Professional," commented Amy Zirkle, Interim CEO of the ETA. "O.B. has played an instrumental role in developing and adopting new technologies, expanding the value proposition for companies and merchant customers, and truly serving as an agent of change over the past thirty years in the payments technology industry. He's a wonderful partner to ETA, and we're thrilled to salute him."

"I love my work and the payments industry, and I'm grateful to those throughout my career who have challenged and supported me," stated Rawls. "I look forward to receiving this award during Transact with my colleagues from Paysafe, which represents the next phase of my payments career." A list of leadership roles filled by Rawls includes President and CEO of iPayment (2016 to 2018), SVP of TASQ at First Data (2008 to 2013), and SVP for Americas at Hypercom (2000 to 2007).

O.B. Rawls Recognized as Distinguished Payments Professional for 2019 by Electronic Transactions Association

Taking Care of Business

Custom Business Solutions (Irvine, CA), developer of NorthStar POS, has enlisted Scott Hickson as its CFO. Prior to joining CBS, Hickson served as CFO for Illuminate Education (2011 to 2019). In addition to its iPad- and cloud-based NorthStar POS, CBS has long resold POSitouch.

"We're delighted to welcome Scott to CBS," shared Art Julian, CEO of Custom Business Solutions. "He brings extensive financial, operational, and strategic experience. This, combined with his deep knowledge of SaaS-operated companies, will be an asset to CBS as we enter our next phase of growth and innovation."

Scott Hickson, CFO, Custom Business Solutions

[Ed. Note: Also, Custom Business Solutions has reminded its customers of the end of extended support for Windows Embedded POSReady 2009 on April 9, 2019.]