This Week’s Product Pick

Graphic Products (Beaverton, OR) shipped its DuraLabel 4000 Label & Sign Printer for industrial environments. With print speed up to 3 inches per second and 203-dpi resolution, the new thermal-transfer component handles 1 to 4 inch media widths for applications such as pipe marking, 5S labeling, chemical hazards, safety information, machinery and equipment identification, and electrical panels. Manual cutter and auto-cutter are offered to fit the customer’s budget. The DuraLabel 4000 utilizes USB 2.0 and supports any Microsoft Windows 2000, XP, Vista, or Windows 7 O/S. It comes bundled with DuraSuite labeling software, which includes an extensive library of over 700 industrial symbols and pictograms updated to comply with current ANSI and OSHA standards. DuraSuite also comes with 500 label templates for simple and fast design. For consumables, premium vinyl tapes are available in over 30 colors, with ribbons in seven colors. Some black ribbons are expressly engineered to resist oils and chemicals. “The DuraLabel 4000 was produced to give our small and medium customers all of the benefits of sign and label printing with low start-up cost,” relayed Stacy Foos, Director of Research and Development at Graphic Products. In particular, Foos identified cost savings from the manual cutter, which may be upgraded to the more expensive auto-cutter at any time.

DuraLabel 4000
Label & Sign Printer

Worth Your While

VARTECH 2010
BlueStar
August 29-31
Cincinnati, OH

NACS Show
National Association of Convenience Stores
October 5-8
Atlanta

CTIA Enterprise & Applications
CTIA-The Wireless Association
October 6-8
San Francisco

Pack Expo International
Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute (PMMI)
October 31-November 3
Chicago

AIM Expo
Association for Automatic Identification and Mobility
November 1-3
Chicago

Customer Engagement Technology World
(Formerly KioskCom & The Digital Signage Show)
November 10-11
New York

PARTNER PROGRAMS

OKI Rolls Out Hybrid

OKI Data Americas (Mount Laurel, NJ) debuted its PH640 Series of hybrid POS printers, with direct-thermal for receipts and dot-matrix for checks. Offered with Top MICR, Bottom MICR, or without MICR, and with Ethernet, USB, Serial, or Parallel, the new devices feature print speeds for receipts of 250 mm/second, resolution of 203 dpi, and compact footprint of approximately 7 in. x 12 in. x 7 in. The units handle thermal paper or thermal labels up to 80-mm wide, as well as cut sheets and multi-part forms at widths up to 23 cm, or 9 inches, and thickness to 0.31 mm (original plus three copies).

In addition to impressive media handling, the printers carry double resolution mode to ensure the best print quality of logos and graphics, two-color capability, and two-dimensional barcodes such as PDF-417. Lastly, the PH640 Series was designed to maximize uptime and reduce user interventions through long-life print heads, cutters, ribbon, and media rolls that are easily replaced, according to the vendor. List price was given as $583, with two-year overnight exchange warranty (depending on paper thickness).

“The functionality of these devices delivers on speed and time, making this series of printers ideal for a variety of fast-paced environments,” commented Nick Ciarlante, Senior Marketing Manager, Mono/SIDM/Specialty Products for OKI Data Americas. “We built the PH640 Series to meet and exceed the needs of demanding business endorsement and validation applications. With this series, our customers can now purchase a device that meets their specific requirements rather than purchasing a more expensive alternative that provides unnecessary functions.”

PH640 Series From OKI Data Americas

ThinkServer, ThinkChannel

Lenovo (Research Triangle Park, NC) has targeted Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and SMB end-users with its first value line of dual-processor servers, dubbed ThinkServer, and composed of three models, RD230, RD240, and TD230. With prices starting under $900, these new boxes incorporate features such as remote management, energy-saving configurations, and advanced data protection. “New ThinkServers are changing the model in the value server market,” claimed Tom Ribble, Director, ThinkServer Product Marketing, for Lenovo. “Instead of offering customers expensive add-ons, we built in performance features, such as remote management, RAID, and hot swappable drives, that growing businesses need.”

The RD230 and RD240 rack servers offer the latest Intel Xenon 5500 and 5600 processors, helping them run 60% faster than legacy servers, according to Lenovo. With up to eight hard drives, eight terabytes of storage, and dual power supplies, the slightly larger RD240 caters to firms that need to run high-performance database, transaction, and other line of business applications. For its part, the TD230 tower server brings “under the desk” customers their choice of direct connect or hot-swap configurations and high-capacity hard drives. It represents the only server in its class to hold Energy Star for Servers 1.0 specification, Lenovo said.

Last month, Lenovo upped its bet on the channel by announcing its new Partner Services Program. One component, dubbed Performance Incentive, allows resellers to gain up to 10 additional discount points on the standard discount they typically receive when they sell Lenovo Priority Support. Another, the Influencer Program, lets resellers earn between 7% and 12% of the invoiced amount for services including Online Data Backup Enterprise Edition, Deployment, Imaging, and Asset Recovery. Payments continue when customers renew their contract. As part of the effort, the Lenovo Services Sales Support Center was also created to field questions from partners.

Value Line of Dual Processor Servers From Lenovo

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STARTS & STOPS

Star Parties in Vegas

Star Micronics America has opened its expanded West Coast business center in Las Vegas. The POS printer company previously maintained an office for Michael Hanson, VP, but now has added product managers, tech support, and, perhaps most significantly, training facilities. Based in Edison, New Jersey, Star Micronics maintains additional regional sales offices through the U.S., including Chicago, Miami, Dallas, and Marquette, Michigan, on Lake Superior.

In addition to its proximity to the West Coast, Star’s new location will nourish the hosting of industry meetings, RRN.Com was told by Christophe Naasz, Business Development Director at Star Micronics America. This includes committee sessions of the NRF’s Association for Retail Technology Standards (ARTS), educational seminars with the RSPA (Retail Solutions Providers Association), and reseller and distributor training events. At present, no warehouse space has been included in the facility.

Earlier this summer, Star Micronics announced that its new TSP100ECO receipt printer, bearing multiple energy-saving features, will be available with four-year EXTEND-A-STAR warranty in lieu of three-year limited warranty, and at the same price as the standard TSP100U. This promotion, which runs through December 31, also includes one free year of the company’s SWAP-A-STAR program. Environmentally friendly printers have become the new front in the receipt printer wars among vendors, Naasz confirmed.

West Coast Offices for Star Micronics America

3M, Courtesy of American Industrial Systems

American Industrial Systems (Irvine, CA) introduced its low-cost, open-frame touchscreen LCD displays featuring 3M’s surface-capacitive technology, for use in POS, Point of Information (POI), and digital signage applications. Available in screen sizes ranging from 15 inches to 22 inches, the displays are encased in rugged metal chassis with various mounting options to ease integration. Optional bezels seal the touchscreen against dirt, dust, and liquids and anti-glare properties minimize screen reflections in brightly lighted work areas.

Specifically, the display utilizes an all-glass surface-capacitive touch sensor with the proprietary 3M ClearTek hard coat to deliver durability, 91.5% light transmission, and superior contrast. Performance includes 99% touch accuracy and 5.4-millisecond response time. The sensor has no moving parts, AIS points out, whereas five-wire resistive solutions rely on compressing the top film layer against the conductive coating to recognize touch.

Of note, the new displays have been configured for long product cycles, with tooling, specifications, and design controlled by AIS. Rapid digital signal processing speed detects quick, repetitive touches, enables on-screen drawing, and allows for multi-user touch capabilities. As expected, one-time calibration gets performed by the hardware integrator with no user calibration requirements.

Off-the-Shelf Open-Frame Touchscreen Monitor

Code Corner

Vormittag Associates, Inc. (Ronkonkoma, NY), which goes by VAI, released S2K Sales Force for the Apple iPad. S2K Sales Force was written to provide VAI customers with an advanced, integrated, and mobile Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solution that is accessible anywhere, anytime, according to the developer. This new web-based utility comes as an add-on option for any module within the S2K Enterprise Software family. VAI, an IBM Premier Business Partner, offers Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) for the distribution, manufacturing, retail, and service industries. Now, with S2K Sales Force, customers may access real-time sales data via the S2K platform--thereby eliminating the need for any third-party CRM application. With its mobile iPad interface, S2K users will experience better reporting, enhanced account management, easy order creation with the shopping cart function, and increased overall sales, purports VAI. At the same time, businesses can empower their mobile sales force to focus on customer service. “VAI has the reputation for listening to our customer base and incorporating their suggestions into our product offerings,” suggested Pete Zimmerman, Manufacturing Segment Manager at VAI. “This was the case with S2K Sales Force and our decision to offer it on the iPad.”

INTEGRATION

Pump Up the Gift Card

epay (Leawood, KS), the division of Euronet Worldwide, has paired with Radiant Systems (Alpharetta, GA) to offer its prepaid and payments program through Radiant’s POS for Petroleum and Convenience. This linkage allows retailers to add pay-at-the-pump functionality for proprietary gift cards to their existing system with no additional hardware or expense, according to the two parties, as well as to accommodate software upgrades in the future. The Spinx Company, headquartered in Greenville, SC, with more than 70 c-stores, has become the first retailer to transact on the new platform.

“We’re excited to complete this integration project in partnership with Radiant and Spinx,” observed John Shaw, VP of Sales and Account Management at epay. “It brings more product functionality to consumers by offering proprietary gift card payments at the pump and will lead to additional enhancements such as loyalty programs to further strengthen the proprietary gift card product. It also eliminates the need for a separate Point of Sale device for prepaid transactions, which benefits the retailer in employee training, cash reconciliation, and accounting functions.”

“Eliminating the dial-up peripheral device previously required to activate prepaid cards enables Spinx to meet our customer’s expectations of fast service while also simplifying our associates’ lives,” said Stan Storti, Chief Marketing Officer at Spinx. Interest in proprietary gift cards in this segment continues to grow as an alternative to credit cards and the corresponding fees charged to retailers, RRN.Com readers should note. epay, which lowercases all of its letters, should not be confused with USA ePay, another processor based in Los Angeles.

John Shaw, VP of Sales and Account Management, epay

SMI Mustered Out at DAP

Smart Media Innovations (Suffolk, U.K.) will load its ID software onto DAP Technologies’ rugged mobile computers, including the 3240 Guard System and M2240X PDA, allowing users to check the identity of cardholders and monitor access to sites. This combined solution handles proximity cards, smart cards, and MSR, according to DAP (Tempe, AZ), allowing relevant data such as an individual’s health and safety or training qualifications to be retrieved from the central database and viewed on the handheld’s display. DAP joins hardware vendors such as Datastrip, DT Research, Honeywell Scanning & Mobility, Pradonet Americas, and Trimble in supporting SMI.

Beyond access control, the system will address “mustering” applications. In such scenarios, users can account for personnel in the case of an event that requires the emergency evacuation of facilities. Significantly, cardholders can be confirmed at mustering sites without the handheld computer being connected to the main security system, which could be compromised in situations such as crimes, fires, or severe weather events.

“When it comes to security, organizations shouldn’t take risks with their data and should have the ability to access it whenever they need it,” proposed Len Schalkwyk, DAP’s VP of Worldwide Sales. Added Dick Clark, Director for SMI, “The devices are both rugged and allow virtually any credential to be used in conjunction with our software applications.” In the U.S., SMI’s applications will be sold directly by DAP. In Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), SMI will act as reseller of the handheld devices.

SMI Host Enables Both On-Line and Off-Line Usage

Key Advertiser Links

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

POS & Auto ID Distribution
BlueStar
ScanSource

POS & Peripherals
Logic Controls
Pioneer POS
Posiflex Business Machines
POS-X

POS Systems - Hospitality
PAR

Barcode & Mobile Printers
Datamax-O'Neil
Godex International

Barcode & Transaction Printers CognitiveTPG

Cash Drawers
APG Cash Drawer
MMF POS

Data Collection Terminals
Datalogic Mobile
Datalogic Scanning
Janam Technologies

Data Collection Software
Wavelink

Integrated Payment Solutions
Datacap Systems

Keyboards
Cherry Electrical Systems

Receipt Printers
Bixolon America
Citizen Systems America
Epson America
Star Micronics

Screen Protection
3M Optical Filters

Thermal Printers
Seiko Instruments USA

Video Surveillance & Access Control
ScanSource Security

INSTALLATIONS

Hey, You, Get Offa My Cloud!

Microsoft Corporation (Redmond, WA) seems to have channeled 1960’s Rolling Stones aggression in its sudden determination to take the leadership role in cloud computing. As the software giant positions for the future, determined to avoid its mistake in overlooking the Internet, cloud computing seems to have moved center stage in its plans. Now the company can boost three marquee contract wins, announced last week, namely Hyatt Hotels, Dow Chemical, and the University of Georgia.

Of most interest, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts has purchased Microsoft’s cloud-based Business Productivity Online Suite for approximately 17,000 individuals working at its corporate office in Chicago and widespread properties in traditional information-worker roles. Moreover, Hyatt purchased licenses for 40,000 “deskless” associates who work in the hotel chain’s U.S., Canada, and Caribbean locations. Microsoft trumped IBM and Google in winning the Hyatt pact, respectively, Lotus Notes and Gmail.

“Many people working in our hotels aren’t available full time at their desks, but still need access to the same e-mail, instant messaging, and other collaboration tools as the rest of our employees,” explained Mike Blake, CIO at Hyatt Hotels & Resorts. “The flexibility of Microsoft’s cloud services allows us to maximize our productivity, helping us focus on those activities that are most critical, such as strengthening guest relationships, generating new revenue streams, and improving operations.”

As cloud-based products, Microsoft lists its Business Productivity Online Suite, Office Web, Dynamics Online, and Windows Azure. At last month’s Worldwide Partner Conference in Washington, D.C., Jon Roskill, Corporate VP for the Channel, detailed new resources such as partner opportunity guides, the Microsoft Cloud Essentials Pack and Microsoft Cloud Acceleration Program, as well as solution incentives. “We are committed to helping our partners adapt and find the right cloud opportunities so we can grow and succeed together,” Roskill pledged.

Hyatt Embraces Microsoft’s Business Productivity Online Suite, in Orlando and Elsewhere

BlueCherry the Flavor for Designer ERP

Computer Generated Solutions (New York) has placed its BlueCherry Infinity Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) into ViX Swimwear, the ultra-trendy women’s designer based, appropriately, in San Diego. ViX expects to go live on BlueCherry this month and to begin shipping from the system this fall to coincide with the premiere of its 2011 collection. BlueCherry will be used to manage the company’s financials, sales orders, inventory, allocation, import tracking, and other key business processes. It also provides the necessary foundation for the company’s future growth into categories beyond swimwear, according to the two parties.

“In this market, the ability to move and make informed decisions is imperative,” remarked Kelly Stacey, VP of Operations for ViX. “Changing our ERP system was an important step toward improving overall operations. CGS brings its core competency in apparel that is well-aligned with our company vision.”

“We are pleased to work with ViX as they achieve significant business improvements,” shared Paul Magel, President of the CGS Application Solutions Group. “Like many fashion companies, ViX faced significant limitations with their existing system. With the implementation near completion, we are happy to say that BlueCherry is eliminating those roadblocks and opening new opportunities for improvement and growth into the future.”

That’s Halle Berry Behind Those Sunglasses and ViX Swimwear

Channel Factoid

Research supports the growing popularity of digital couponing. Coupons.com, for instance, processed more than $1 billion in digital coupon savings for the 12 months ending in June, representing an increase of 100% over the previous year. Overall, an estimated 46.4 million consumers in the U.S., or one-fifth of the population, now use online coupons, up from 40.2 million in 2008. Of that group, 12.9 million do not read any part of the Sunday newspaper, an 18% rise over 10.9 million in 2008. Furthermore, searches on Google for “Printable Coupons” have increased 67% over the past year, and Razorfish reports that the number one reason consumers follow brands on Twitter or Facebook was access to exclusive deals or offers. Somewhat surprisingly, consumers with household income of over $100,000 are twice as likely to have redeemed coupons printed from an online source than adults with household incomes less than $35,000. Likewise, 33.4% of those who print digital coupons hold college degrees (up from 30.4% in 2008), compared to 28.9% of those who clip newspaper coupons, and 26.1% of the general populace. Even if economic conditions improve, eight out of 10 U.S. consumers plan to continue their couponing activities. Most popular items? Cereal, dairy and eggs, lunch meats, refrigerated dough, and vegetables.

HELLO GOODBYE

High Honors for Honeywell’s Kelleher

Laura Kelleher, Director of Americas Marketing at Honeywell Scanning & Mobility (Fort Mill, SC), has been chosen has one of the top Women of the Channel by Everything Channel’s CRN Magazine. This annual list recognizes female executives across vendor channel organizations, distributors, and solutions providers for their accomplishments and far-reaching influence. It is unusual for someone from the Auto ID/POS community to be included.

In making the announcement, Honeywell Scanning & Mobility credited Kelleher with its channel-related growth over the past year. In particular, she led restructuring and re-launching of the company’s reseller program (superseding efforts by the former Handheld Products and Metrologic Instruments). In addition to fostering better long-term relationships with VARs and ISVs, this new program has strengthened the manufacturer’s two-tier distribution.

“Through Laura’s leadership and dedication, she is making an impact on our organization, and the entire channel community,” stated John Waldron, VP of Worldwide Marketing, Honeywell Scanning & Mobility. “Her ability to creatively turn ideas into results that directly improve the reseller experience has helped reaffirm that the channel can rely on the Honeywell name.”

Laura Kelleher, Director of Americas Marketing, Honeywell Scanning & Mobility

BlueStar’s DACH Dash

BlueStar (Hebron, KY) has named Stefan Gerats as Managing Director of BlueStar Europe’s Central Region. In this new role, he will supervise the distributor’s partner relationships and execute all go-to-market strategies for German operations. BlueStar now enjoys fulfillment centers in Sweden, France, Spain, and Germany.

“Our DACH partners are important to BlueStar,” related Bill Nix, BlueStar’s VP of Global Distribution. “Stefan’s channel and regional experience will complement our strategy to offer more solutions along with ease of business so our reseller partners can grow their respective businesses in this market.” By DACH, Nix refers to the German-speaking countries such as Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. (“D” for Deutschland, “A” for Austria, and “CH” for Confoederatio Helvetica, in German “(die) Schweiz.”)

Gerats brings over two decades of experience in the channel with specific focus on barcode and labeling products. Formerly, he held executive sales positions at CipherLab GmbH and Zebra Technologies Europe. Prior to these posts, he was responsible for the sale organization at TALIS Haftetiketten GmbH & Co. “I’m eager to join the BlueStar team,” Gerats said. “The company’s positive growth in EMEA is principally due to their dedication to the channel, local markets, and value-add distribution model.”

Stefan Gerats, Managing Director, BlueStar Europe’s Central Region