This Week’s Product Pick

Epson America (Long Beach, CA) presented its new Discproducer Blu-ray 50 Disc Publisher for professional-quality, high-definition recording of medical images and audio-video content. Targeted at markets such as healthcare, government, education, and churches, this new system achieves unattended production of up to 50 Blu-ray discs at superior print speeds. Equipped with AcuGrip robotic technology, it greatly minimizes double-disc feeding problems and moves discs from station to station to prevent damage from sliding media. It also features an integrated six-color MicroPiezo inkjet printer that provides precise control of ink droplets and size, delivering disc labels with superior color, text, and graphics. “Our new Discproducer Blu-ray 50 combines Epson’s world-renowned robotics and printing technologies into one compact, reliable solution to meet the growing demand to produce Blu-ray discs,” commented Mike Helm, Director of Sales for the Epson Business Systems Division.

Epson Blu-ray Disc Publisher

COMPANY BUSINESS

POS, From the Land Down Under

Task Retail Technology, based out of Australia, has recruited two new channel partners and two new customers here in the U.S. within the past several weeks. With offices in Dacula, GA, outside of Atlanta, Task Retail has enlisted Retail Technology Group (Fenton, MO) and Prism Data Systems (San Antonio, TX) into its Certified Partner program and Red Robin’s Burger Works and Chicken Express into its roster of customers. Focused on the restaurant market, obviously, Task Retail offers its “exchangexec” cloud-based POS platform.

“Task Retail Technology has been on our radar for two years now as exchangexec is truly one of the next-generation cloud-based enterprise packages and exactly what we had been looking for to transform our business model,” shared Jeff Wolfangel, President of the Retail Technology Group. “We are very pleased to achieve Task Retail Certified Partner status and now be able to offer our expanding list of clients this world-class solution to complement our capabilities in providing hardware and services for the industry.” As hardware platforms, RTG handles IBM, NCR, Panasonic, and Posiflex.

Prism Data Systems brought Chicken Express to Task Retail through franchisee CJR Lucky, Inc. in Texas. “After detailed evaluation, we chose TRT’s exchangexec, as we recognized this product as being at the cutting edge of technology,” volunteered Clayton Rhoades, Director of CJR Lucky, Inc. “This suite of software offerings was compelling to our team as it incorporates so much more than POS, with its web-powered business intelligence, loyalty, inventory, integrated digital media, loss prevention tools, unique drive-thru technology, and enterprise control.”

Kym Houden, CEO/President, Task Retail Technology

A New Turn for Self-Service: iPad

Apple-based POS marches on the self-service world through the “kiosk mode” generated by Revel Systems (San Francisco). Based upon the iPad, the newcomer’s platform of choice, this configuration allows customers to place their own order and pay for the product with their credit card. After launching the new system in his Twistee Treat locations across Florida, said, “I suspected there would be a learning curve with the iPad station, but users just walked right up and started ordering as if they had done it before. The system is very intuitive, and I see it going really far.”

For customers using cash, the kiosk will hold the sale for traditional checkout by Twistee Treat employees. Customers may be sent an e-mail receipt before they collect their order and digital menu boards may be tied into the overall system. Both kiosks and digital menu boards may be updated through the POS, with sales and inventory tracked on the back-end for managers. All of Twistee Treat’s outlets will now carry the customer-facing kiosk powered by Revel, which has attracted customers to its iPad-based POS philosophy.

“Revel invites all restaurants and retail shops to investigate how the customer-facing kiosk machine can help their bottom line,” stated Lisa Falzone, CEO of Revel Systems. “Kiosk mode represents our latest innovation that allows merchants to save time and money while improving customer service. Plans to roll out to additional customers are in the works.” Just this week, Revel Systems announced it has contracted with Best Buy’s Geek Squad as its national installation provider, signaling how it intends to go to market.

Kiosk Mode Comes to Tablet-Based POS

Worth Your While

2012 Annual ETA Meeting & Expo
Electronic Transactions Association
April 17-19
Las Vegas

NRA Show 2012
National Restaurant Association
May 5-8
Chicago

WERC 2012
Warehousing Education and Research Council
May 6-9
Atlanta

NACStech
National Association of Convenience Stores
May 21-23
Nashville, TN

VARTECH Canada
BlueStar
June 4-5
Toronto

HITEC 2012
Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP)
June 25-28
Baltimore

RetailNOW 2012
Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA)
July 29-August 1
Las Vegas

ALL IN THE FAMILY

Elo Widens Its Perspective

TE Touch Solutions (Menlo Park, CA) has debuted its Elo TouchSystems 1541L open-frame touch monitor with 16:9 aspect ratio. This new subsystem carries several key physical characteristics, according to the manufacturer, including compact form factor, precision mini-bezel for water resistance, and multiple mounting schemes. Significantly, wider viewing angle of 150 x 120 degrees allows graphics to retain their integrity in both portrait and landscape modes while LED backlight reduces power consumption and lowers heat production.

Elo TouchSystems 1541L may be ordered with two touchscreen technologies:  IntelliTouch surface acoustic wave (SAW) or AccuTouch five-wire resistive. Like all Elo open-frame monitors, the specifications and tooling are controlled to ensure long product life, which is important in maintaining continuity for all phases of project rollout and servicing, TE emphasized. Available immediately, the Elo TouchSystems 1541L comes with worldwide agency approvals and three-year warranty.

“With this introduction, we’re offering a 15-inch LCD open-frame monitor that is a very attractive product,” relayed Jim Witkowski, Product Manager at TE Touch Solutions. “Casino, retail, and point-of-information applications are beginning to transition to the 16:9 wide-aspect ratio, and we expect this product to be a good fit for those markets. In addition, its wide-viewing angle and compact, mechanical design give kiosk integrators an edge in developing the most aesthetically pleasing systems.”

Elo TouchSystems 1541L Open-Frame LCD

3M Stands Guard

3M Optical Systems Division (St. Paul, MN) has extended its family of protective films with the new ARMR220 NC Screen Protector for industrial mobile computers. Designating “Anti-Reflection Matte Non-Conductive,” ARMR220 NC overlays its hard-coat barrier on the front surface of the LCD display to help protect against scratches and damage, thereby reducing repair and warranty costs. 3M offers the new product in common sizes through its resellers or supplies custom sizes for large volume applications.

Residue-free “wet” adhesion makes ARMR220 NC easy to apply, with “stay-clean” design that prevents dust and dirt from getting trapped along the edges of the display screen. In addition to durability, ARMR220 NC improves overall screen view with neutral color anti-reflection/anti-glare technology, according to 3M, which cited light transmission of at least 93%. Non-conductive, with 6-mil thickness, the film maintains the responsiveness of touchscreen technologies while strengthening resistance to common cleaning chemicals.

“Employees in the military, medical, and industrial areas know that their electronics take enormous abuse from daily operation in the field,” related Katherine Hagmeier, Program Manager of Public Relations and Corporate Communications for 3M. “Dirt, heavy usage, and careless handling can quickly wear down and damage expensive display screens, leading to work delays and added costs to replace equipment. To protect these fragile devices and increase their longevity, 3M has added ARMR220 NC.”

ARMR220 NC Film Protects Industrial Screen Displays

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INTEGRATION

A Pair of Wasps Flying in Formation

Wasp Barcode Technologies (Plano, TX) has offered an all-in-one software package designed to help SMBs introduce barcodes into their business processes. WaspLabeler & Barcode Maker for Office combines two of the vendor’s popular products for design, printing, and integration. The first, WaspLabeler, allows end-users to quickly generate one or two-dimensional barcodes for labels, scan sheets, and shadow books. One hundred templates are provided, as well as support for 30 symbologies. Moreover, WaspLabeler automatically serializes inventory or asset tags to simplify tracking and furnishes compatibility with QuickBooks.

The second portion of the package, Wasp Barcode Maker, seamlessly flows with Microsoft Office, allowing end-users to create barcodes for Work documents and Excel spreadsheets. Wasp Barcode Maker can help SMBs reduce data entry errors by adding barcodes to invoices as well as improve efficiency of retail checkout with barcode product lists for small or bulky items, according to the vendor. It features one-click toolbar, help menu, mail merge, and printable PDFs.

“Wasp is constantly thinking of new ways to increase efficiency for SMBs,” indicated Brian Sutter, Director of Marketing at Wasp Barcode Technologies. “We believe that our new combined package of products--WaspLabeler & Barcode Maker for Office--will help businesses eliminate manual entry errors, provide easy access to information, and collect data quickly and accurately.” The complete bundle, WaspLabeler & Barcode Maker for Office, may be purchased for $199; individually, each module carries the price tag of $149.

WaspLabeler & Barcode Maker for Office

Speeding to Your E-Citation

A duo of hardware providers, Zebra Technologies (Lincolnshire, IL) and Panasonic Solutions Company (Secaucus, NJ), will team together to pursue the market for e-citations in law enforcement. This mobile ticketing system outfits Panasonic’s Toughbook computers with Zebra’s RW 220 and RW 420 portable thermal printers and related accessories. Under this relationship, Panasonic Solutions Company will offer the Zebra printers through its existing line-up of distribution channels and partners in North America.

By replacing the manual process of writing tickets by hand, an e-citation solution leads to greater departmental efficiencies, according to the two parties. All citation information gets entered into the mobile computer, eliminating the need to deliver paper copies to local court offices or for multiple data entry, for example. Further, e-citations considerably diminish the amount of time an officer is out of the vehicle and exposed to passing traffic, thereby increasing safety.

“In North America, more public safety departments are turning to electronic citation applications because they reduce the time officers spend writing tickets and infractions and increase the time spent on patrol,” reported Tom Sheahen, VP of Channel Distribution Sales for Zebra Technologies. “We are excited to collaborate with Panasonic to offer this technological innovation for the public safety sector.” Panasonic’s Toughbook has been deployed by thousands of state and local organizations, according to Scott French, VP of Public Sector Sales for Panasonic.

Zebra Mobile Printers Team With Panasonic Toughbooks

Code Corner

Novell (Provo, UT) has announced the general availability of SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Service 11 SP2. Specifically tailored for the needs of retail, this open platform includes centralized directory-based administration server and branch servers, as well as tools and templates to create, roll out, and maintain operating system images for the widest variety of point-of-service and point-of-sale devices, according to its developer. Security enhancements make it easier for administrators to accommodate Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS). Additionally, the Subscription Management Tool, which handles software updates within the firewall, helps maintain corporate policies and regulatory compliance, while SUSE Pre-Boot Execution Environment (PXE) images may be mirrored on each terminal to improve performance, reliability, and flexibility. “SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Service 11 SP2 gives retailers a competitive advantage by reducing total cost of ownership and improving quality of service,” claimed Meike Chabowski, Product Marketing Manager at SUSE. “Our retail customers are able to provide richer customer experiences, accelerate customer checkout, respond quickly to customer needs, and work more efficiently with partners to enhance overall store operations.” By way of proof, Chabowski cited the number of large retailers who currently employ SUSE Linux Enterprise.

PARTNER PROGRAMS

Next Comes “NFC Swipe”

ROAM Data (Boston) has unveiled its new payment widget with near-field communication (NFC) and magnetic-stripe reader (MSR) combined, which it calls “NFC Swipe.” This accessory will work on hundreds of different smartphones and tablets, and even PCs, turning them into secure state-of-the-art mobile POS devices capable of handling both baseline technologies, according to the payment platform provider. Now majority-owned by Ingenico, ROAM Data is targeting mid-2012 for full commercial release of the NFC Swipe.

NFC Swipe will be compatible with Visa PayWave and MasterCard PayPass specifications, two de facto standards that govern contactless payments globally. The new reader will work with ROAM’s card acceptance application, ROAMpay X, as well as those of its white label partners. ROAM Data also will offer an application programming interface (API) for third parties building their own solutions that leverage the NFC Swipe reader.

“The additional capital provided by Ingenico is accelerating our growth plans and helping us speed up our innovations and product roadmap,” noted Will Graylin, CEO at ROAM Data. “Beyond our planned launch of NFC Swipe, we intend to release an EMV Swipe for contact chip cards with magnetic-stripe reader in the same convenient package, as well as other turnkey virtual mobile commerce solutions for our distribution partners, including Mobile Checkout, Mobile Marketing, and Mobile Wallet.” ROAM Data's distribution partners include Chase Paymentech, First Data, Global Payments, North American Bankcard, Sage, Total Merchant Services, and Vantiv.

ROAM Data Combines NFC and MSR in New Card Reader, Shown at Left

[Editor’s Note:  Global Payments has released details concerning the recent breach of cardholder data in its system, estimating that something less than 1.5 million accounts were exposed. It said accounts were limited to North America, and cardholder names, addresses, and social security numbers were not obtained in the breach. However, other information, including card numbers that can be used to create counterfeit cards, was exported from its system.]

Turnkey for Turkey

Invatron Systems Corporation (Toronto) and Senor Tech (Taipei) have joined forces to deliver value-added applications for the grocery industry. Under terms of this new alliance, Invatron will resell Senor Tech’s touchscreen terminals as part of its complete solution, including “an affordable and ruggedized” tablet device scheduled for release in the first half of this year. In making the announcement, Invatron stressed the fact that Senor Tech’s POS passes IP-43 rating certification for dust and water resistance.

“Traditionally, computing systems have not been deployed into certain grocery departments, like meat and bakery, due to the harsh environments that they must operate under,” observed Axel Doerwald, CEO of Invatron Systems Corporation. “Moisture and particles can rapidly contaminate and degrade these devices. However, with dedicated systems like our ePLUM Scale Management and PeriScope Fresh Item Management, grocers are increasingly looking to empower these departments and go paperless.”

Last month, Invatron implemented its ePLUM Scale Management for Roundy’s Supermarkets (Milwaukee), which operates 150 grocery stores and 100 pharmacies. Accessible from any computer in the enterprise, this centralized platform provides staff with access to any Ethernet or Serial scale device. In addition to strengthening data integrity, and standardizing label formats, speed keys, and graphics, ePLUM helps grocers meet legislated requirements in areas of trans fats, allergens, and country of origin labeling, or COOL, Invatron noted.

Senor Tech’s Terminals Tied to Invatron’s Software for Grocery

Key Advertiser Links

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

POS & Auto ID Distribution
BlueStar
Wasp Barcode Technologies

POS & Peripherals
FEC/Acrelec
Pioneer POS
Posiflex
POS-X
Touch Dynamic

POS Systems - Hospitality
PAR

Barcode & Transaction Printers
Datamax-O'Neil
Zebra Technologies

Cash Drawers
MMF POS

Data Collection Terminals
CipherLab
Datalogic ADC
Janam Technologies

Data Collection Software
Wavelink

Integrated Payment Solutions
Datacap Systems
Merchant Warehouse
WorldPay US

Keyboards
Cherry, ZF Electronics Corp.

Mobile Marketing & Loyalty
Sundrop Mobile

Receipt Printers
Bixolon America
Citizen Systems America
Epson America
Star Micronics

Repair & Refurbishment
AMCOR Tech Solutions

Thermal Printers
Seiko Instruments USA

Touchscreens & Monitors
TE/Elo TouchSystems

ENVIRONMENTS/PLATFORMS

Shift4 Hits the Jackpot

Shift4 Corporation (Las Vegas) will deploy its payment gateway services for Revel, the glitzy new 6.4-million-square-foot casino and resort on the beachfront in Atlantic City, NJ. Shift4 will handle electronic payment transactions for this massive property from top to bottom--not just the hotel, but every revenue center--including the leased tenants. With considerable experience gained on the Las Vegas Strip since the early 1990s, Shift4 now provides its gateway, dubbed Dollars On The Net, to more than 20,000 merchants in the U.S. and the Caribbean.

“We’re thrilled that world-class property Revel has chosen Shift4,” stated Dave Oder, CEO of Shift4. “Revel is one of the biggest hospitality projects in the nation right now. With projects of this magnitude, you know that significant research goes into each and every decision, and it’s an enormous compliment that they considered us the best option.” An official premiere for Revel has been scheduled for the Memorial Day weekend.

Busy times for Shift4, which also joined the Microsoft Partner Network for ERP. “Our first foray into the Microsoft RMS world came at the request of one of our business partners who wrote the integration and really impressed us with the possibilities,” recounted Bob Lowe, VP of Business Development at Shift4, who coordinated the effort. “When we realized how much of the Microsoft Dynamics user base would benefit from our solution, we decided to take the steps to attain Microsoft Partner status and really build out our presence in that marketplace.” In another bit of news, Shift4 has integrated its Dollars On The Net and True Tokenization with Magento, the fastest-growing platform in the e-commerce space.

New Revel Casino and Resort in Atlantic City

Level 2 Heats Up Coalfire

Coalfire (Louisville, CO) has established its PCI Level 2 Merchant Support Program, with an eye towards June 30, 2012, when the process for validating Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliance via “Self-Assessment” becomes significantly more rigorous for MasterCard’s Level 2 supporters. At that time, Self-Assessments must be completed by employees who have attended PCI SSC Internal Security Assessor (ISA) training and have passed the associated accreditation program annually. As Level 2, RRN.Com readers should note, MasterCard designates any merchant with more than one million but less than six million total annual transactions.

Coalfire’s PCI Level 2 Merchant Support Program incorporates four elements. First, free use of Navis Rapid SAQ, the cloud-based solution for completing and maintaining Self-Assessment Questionnaires. Second, discounts on Navis Scan Complete, Coalfire’s subscription service for internal and external vulnerability scans and penetration tests. Third, Gap Analysis led by one of Coalfire’s Qualified Security Assessors, designed to jump-start any ISA-led compliance validation effort. Lastly, an On-Site Assessment by Coalfire QSA, leading to an auditor-signed Report on Compliance. Merchants may use this Coalfire ROC as an alternative to an ISA-led validation.

“MasterCard’s guidelines were first published in 2009, but many merchants have yet to send employees to ISA training. And even if they have, company officers may not want to sign their name to a Self-Assessment report developed solely by a rookie ISA,” pointed out Kurt Hagerman, PCI Practice Leader for Coalfire. “The ISA training program--and by extension, an internally led PCI attestation--is a great strategy for many merchants. But the program isn’t a shortcut to validation. All the PCI 2.0 requirements still apply, and merchants still need a fully documented, evidence-backed report to protect themselves.”

Coalfire Announces PCI Level 2 Merchant Support Program

Channel Factoid

Although U.S. SMB IT spending has more than made up the ground lost during the especially weak years of 2008 and 2009--and is expected to exceed $138 billion in 2012--future levels of investment and spending growth will not be uniform across technology categories, warns IDC. New research indicates the eight-million-member small business segment will spend nearly twice as much as the midsize segment--and more than the entire large enterprise segment--on PCs and peripherals in 2012. Client business is projected to be particularly strong, as small and midsize companies look to invest in diverse form factors, with particularly high interest in notebooks and media tablets, not surprisingly. Further, small and midsize businesses will spend nearly $50 billion on packaged software in 2012, accounting for more than one-third of their total IT buy. Packaged software also will demonstrate the highest compound annual growth rate (CAGR) throughout the forecast period, at 6%. Finally, more than one-quarter of total SMB IT spending in 2012 will be allocated to IT services, reaching more than $38 billion. (By way of comparison, IT services represent nearly half of all IT spending in the large enterprise segment.) “SMBs will account for an increasing share of overall corporate IT spending in the U.S,” observed Justin Jaffe, Research Manager for Small/Medium-Sized Business at IDC. “Vendors that are sensitive to the changing dynamics in SMB technology requirements, as well as the critical differences in the ways SMBs and large enterprises approach IT investment, will be best positioned for success in 2012 and beyond.”

HELLO GOODBYE

PayPal’s New Potentate

David Marcus has been chosen as President of PayPal, the burgeoning new wave payment provider born of eBay, Inc. (San Jose, CA). As VP of Mobile for PayPal, Marcus helped lead strong volume growth in his area as well as the development of PayPal Here, the new global POS service that includes free app and encrypted thumb-sized card reader for Apple iOS and, soon, Android. Reporting to John Donahue, CEO/President of eBay, Inc., Marcus succeeds Scott Thompson, who left the company in January. “We’re off to a great start in 2012 with breakthrough products that will truly change the way everyone shops and pays,” he stated. “I’m honored and excited to be asked to lead this unique business and to help make the digital wallet an amazing experience for merchants and consumers.”

“David is the right leader for PayPal,” Donahue remarked. “He is a successful technology entrepreneur with a passion for great products that engage and delight customers. He will bring start-up energy to PayPal’s unmatched global reach and digital payments capabilities. And he will sharpen PayPal’s focus on accelerating product innovation, driving consumer engagement, and making paying anytime, anywhere through your digital wallet more safe, easy, and convenient.”

Marcus joined PayPal in August 2011 after the company completed the acquisition of Zong, an early provider of mobile payments, where he was CEO and Founder. In 2011, PayPal processed $118 billion in payments from over 100 million users in 190 countries, including $4 billion in mobile payment volume. Home Depot recently rolled out PayPal to all of its nearly 2,000 stores nationwide, and PayPal will implement its POS platform with other national retailers this year.

David Marcus, President, PayPal

NOC, NOC at Continuum

Continuum (Woburn, MA), one of the leading providers of remote monitoring and management solutions for the channel, has placed Bob Barnes into the newly created position of VP of Global Service Delivery. Here, Barnes will hold primary responsibility for the company’s network operations center, or NOC, as well as its help-desk, both of which support managed service providers (MSPs). He brings more than two decades of technology management and operations experience, having served as Global Head, Technology Services and IT Security at Celgene Corporation; Global VP, Technology Support at JP Morgan Chase; and Program Director, Managed Services at Siemens Business Services. Continuum, RRN.Com readers will remember, spun out of Zenith RMM last December.

“Bob’s unique experience in creating the Center of Excellence for the Celgene Corporation in India, and his proven ability to increase service levels, productivity, and efficiency in global support organizations, will enable us to achieve world-class service quality and customer satisfaction,” commented Michael George, CEO of Continuum. “Bob’s expertise will be an invaluable addition as he oversees people, products, processes, and technology affecting service delivery that touches our partners and their end-users. Adding Bob to our team further reinforces our commitment to invest in whatever resources are needed to make our partners the most profitable and successful MSPs in the world.”

“We are thrilled to see Continuum’s ongoing commitment to service delivery excellence,” testified Jason Holbrook, Principal with Empower Information Systems (Newport News, VA). “Continuum’s NOC operation has been a workforce and productivity multiplier, enabling us to grow 30% year over year without adding technical staff. The NOC has also helped us resolve incidents 40% faster through rapid problem identification and an improved ability to determine best practices.”

Bob Barnes, VP, Global Service Delivery, Continuum