This Week’s Product Pick

Glacier Computer (New Milford, CT) has debuted its Fusion 7 Android O/S 4.2 Tablet. Described as compact and lightweight, Fusion 7 carries seven-inch screen with multi-touch capacitive technology. As standard specs, it runs ARM Quad Core Cortex A7 at 1.2 GHz with 1 GB RAM and 8 GB ROM. Additional features include 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 4, GPS, RFID, and front and rear cameras. Intended for industrial settings, it has IP-65 ratings for water and dust and heavy-duty rubber bumpers. "The industrial marketplace is finally ready to accept the changes needed to embrace the value of Android," stated Ron D'Ambrosio, President of Glacier Computer.

Glacier Computer's Fusion 7

COMPANY BUSINESS

Toshiba Thinks Small

Expect things to heat up in POS, as several of the biggest names introduce new products. First comes Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions (Research Triangle Park, NC), which has extended its TCxWave with the Model A30. Targeted at crowded counter spaces, Model A30 features screen size of 15 inches (projected capacitive touch, of course) while sustaining the overall "thin is in" look of the TCxWave family. This product will be generally available starting in August, according to Toshiba.

In addition to more compact footprint, Model A30 carries an Intel Celeron Quad Core J1900 CPU supporting the latest Windows. "This new model provides the same unmatched level of service and design that customers and associates depend on with Toshiba," declared Alan Outlaw, VP of Commerce Technologies, Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions. Along such lines, Model A30 incorporates the signature characteristics of TCxWave, which include Intel Integrated Graphics, multiple I/O ports, "human factor features," and retail hardening.

"We look forward to partnering with Toshiba to bring our specialty retail and hospitality customers the new TCxWave," contributed John Pruban, President of Level 10 (Hoffman Estates, IL). "Its smaller footprint and affordable price point coupled with the Total Cost of Ownership of staying on the Toshiba platform makes for an effective solution." Level 10, RRN.Com readers will recall, was the former TekservePOS.

At Right, Toshiba's TCxWave Model A30

POS ISV Dines on Digital Signage

Somebody puts in all that digital signage, POS VARs have come to realize. Now two prominent players (one from each sphere of technology) will collaborate to further such synergies. At the recent National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago, BrightSign, LLC (Los Gatos, CA) and Dinerware (Seattle) showed their combined digital menu board and POS, and revealed plans to work this market. Significantly, this solution merges content via iOS App or Web UI.

"For years restaurants have run POS and menu content in parallel, yet the technology hasn't been readily available to integrate these two closely related functional elements," contended Jeff Hastings, BrightSign's CEO. "BrightSign and Dinerware have a mutual interest in bridging this gap, and we worked tirelessly to create a solution that's both affordable and easy to integrate within the restaurant's existing infrastructure." As expected, BrightSign supplies hardware, software, and networking for digital signage.

"Once installed, the digital menu board can be completely controlled  through the Dinerware POS or Dinerware Home Office Web Service," Jeff Riley, CEO of Dinerware, told RRN.Com. "The digital menu board is just a starting point for the relationship between Dinerware and BrightSign. If you've seen their BrightAuthor platform, the range of applications and capabilities their products enable are very impressive. From drive-through systems to customer-facing kiosks and media servers, the possibilities are very exciting. At the NRA Show, BrightSign had its 60-inch 4-K display. The image quality was amazing; it looked like print."

As one of its major customers in foodservice, BrightSign lists The Cheescake Factory, which has embraced the technology in 175 sites in the U.S. In this configuration, each restaurant has three 42-inch LG LED displays with solid-state media players. Images of 60 menu items are looped, along with employee training videos after hours, all over DSL. As integrator, The Cheesecake Factory called upon Audio & Visual VAR, Tab Technical Services (Newbury Park, CA), not POS.

Signage Configuration At The Cheesecake Factory

Worth Your While

FMI Connect
Food Marketing Institute
June 10-13
Chicago

TRA Marketplace
Texas Restaurant Association
June 22-23
Houston

RetailNOW
Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA)
August 3-6
Orlando

VARTECH 2014
BlueStar
September 17-19
New Orleans

NACS Show
Association for Convenience & Fuel Retailing
October 7-10
Las Vegas

Pack Expo
PMMI
November 2-5
Chicago

ALL IN THE FAMILY

KoamTac Swings With KDC20

KoamTac, Inc. (Princeton, NJ) has unveiled its new miniature laser barcode scanner, the KDC20. Measuring 1.5 in. (W) x 2.4 in. (L) x 0.5 in. (D), this wireless scanner with Bluetooth offers 9,000 scans per charge. A convenient swing-out USB connector eliminates cables and enables the use of off-the-shelf multi-USB charging solutions. As expected, it's compatible with iOS, Android, and Windows.

This new device includes four buttons: scan, up and down (for controlling communications and remotely activating soft keyboards), and delete. As options, it offers vibrating feedback and back-up battery for real-time clock. Finally, it utilizes the company's existing KTSync application and Software Development Kit (SDK) for ease of integration. Starting MSRP was given as $249.

KDC20 Barcode Scanner by KoamTac

The Big "E" for Micros

Visitors to the recent National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago were introduced to two new products from Micros Systems (Columbia, MD). In hardware, Micros rolled out its mTablet E-Series, with two screen versions, eight-inch and eleven-inch. The larger size brings full compatibility with the Micros mStation base for use as workstation with full peripheral connectivity, as well as mobility. Operating on Windows 8.1, with Intel Atom CPU, these new tablets have extended battery life and optional credit card processing sleeves.

In the area of software, the vendor previewed Micros Engagement, running with Micros Simphony and the mTablet E-Series. Its so-called "Welcome Experience" replaces traditional log-in screens that are visible to the customer with more engaging content, via "live tiles," such as daily specials, upcoming events, and loyalty programming, in addition to order taking. Its "Manager's Hub" enables wait list and reservation management with back-office reporting functionality.

"Mobility continues to be a consistent theme for technology in hospitality and retail," observed Russell Butler, SVP of Global Research & Development at Micros Systems. "In food and beverage, it is not enough to be able to just take an order on a device at a table. The guests want to be able to interact with the technology as well. Providing an exceptional guest experience now goes beyond the quality of food and service."

New Micros mTablet E-Series

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PARTNER PROGRAMS

A Linux Line to Yuma

SDG Systems (Harmony, PA) has brought Linux to the Trimble Yuma 2 rugged tablet computer. Acting as exclusive distributor, SDG Systems has loaded Ubuntu 12.04 LTS Linux, specifically. When ordered from SDG Systems, the Yuma 2 defaults to dual-boot configuration, allowing the user to run apps on both Linux and Windows. A holy trinity of benefits have been cited for Linux by SDG Systems consisting of flexibility, security, and maintainability.

"Linux is flexible, offering a variety of free office and productivity tools, programming environments, and configuration of the O/S as needed," elaborated Todd Blumer, CEO of SDG Systems. "For security, Linux includes GNU Privacy Guard, Open Secure Shell (Open SSH), and supports a variety of VPNs and other encryption software. Linux is significantly less subject to malware attacks than other O/S. It's also maintainable, making better use of hardware resources (e.g., less RAM and disk space), and performance won't degrade over time. Standard tools, like SSH, allow secure remote access for administrators to troubleshoot problems."

Designed for harsh environments, and rated to IP-65 and MIL-STD-810G, the Yuma 2 from Trimble (Sunnyvale, CA) carries one of the best outdoor-readable tablet displays in the industry. As technical specifications, it lists Intel Dual Core Cedar Trail CPU at 1.6 GHz, 4 GB RAM, and 64 or 128 GB Solid-State Drive. Additional features include dual-band 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4, capacitive multi-touch seven-inch LCD panel, hot-swappable batteries, GPS, five-megapixel camera, and optional 3.75G cellular. It measures 9.6 in. (L) x 6.3 in. (W) x 1.5 in. (D) and weighs 2.6 lbs.

Yuma 2 Rugged Tablet From Trimble

WAV Hits Nautiz and Algiz

WAV, Inc. (Aurora, IL) will distribute rugged mobile computers from the Handheld Group. Based in Sweden, with offices in Corvallis, Oregon, Handheld supplies two main product families--Nautiz PDAs and Algiz Tablets. In large part, it targets harsh environments such as logistics, manufacturing, forestry, public transportation, utilities, and construction.

"WAV brings market knowledge, customer relationships, and strong in-the-field expertise," remarked Dale Kyle, President of Handheld U.S. "This combination aligns perfectly with our full line of rugged devices." For VARs, WAV promotes its value-added services of trade-in/trade-up, staging and configuration, and site surveys and installations, along with its knowledge of wireless broadband.

For its part, Handheld U.S. has hired Jeff Watkin as Vertical Sales Manager, with responsibility for recruiting VARs. Most recently, Watkin worked at PCS Mobile, which focused on public safety, utilities, and field-service organizations with large mobile fleets. He has also held sales and business development positions at General Dynamics-Itronix, Motion Computing, Sharp America, and NEC America. In his remarks, Watkin emphasized the strength of his new employer's product line, "which warrants further growth."

Handheld's Rugged Mobile Computers (At Bottom) Appeared in Marvel's "Thor: The Dark World" in 2013

Code Corner

ASAP Systems (San Jose, CA) has enhanced its inventory management and asset tracking system, known as BarCloud, with automatic messaging for when stocks are too low, too high, or out. With this new feature, users have the capacity to set minimum and maximum inventory quantity levels. Once inventory levels reach either of the set quantities, the system sends out an alert via SMS text and/or e-mail. Such alerts are configured by the users and can be sent to selected personnel. Previously, BarCloud users could only set up alerts to track asset activities, according to the ISV. "By allowing our BarCloud customers to create their own alerts, our users have the ability to send their decision-makers critical information in real-time by leveraging their smart devices," noted Elie Touma, CEO of ASAP Systems.

Channel Correction

Editor's Note: In some editions last week, an incorrect photo accompanied coverage of Casio's new V-R7000 Android POS (shown here). This new station features numerous upgrades, including Android 4.2, OMAP 5432 CPU at 1.5 GHz, 2 GB RAM, 16 GB Flash, 15.6-inch touchscreen, and IP-53 ratings. In addition, V-R7100 offers 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Version 2. Footprint for both: 15.7 in. (W) x 11.8 in. (D) x 13.1 in. (H) with weight of 15.4 lbs.

Casio V-R7000

ENVIRONMENTS/PLATFORMS

PAR: The Gaucho Way

ParTech, Inc. (New Hartford, NY) will supply its PAR EverServ 7000 POS for Brazilian steakhouse chain Fogo de Chão. In all, two dozen sites in the U.S., as well as new store openings, fall under this contract. Fogo de Chão initially deployed the EverServ 7000 for its new flagship restaurant in New York, which opened in December 2013. EverServ 7200 terminals are used at the server stations with EverServ 7700 Low Profile terminals at the hostess station for seating guests and taking reservations.

"Fogo de Chão evaluated several POS vendors and selected PAR based on the superior performance and design of the EverServ 7000 terminals," commented Keanan Wright, Director of IT for Fogo de Chão. "We have been very impressed with the speed of the terminals and the sleek, low-profile 7700 model complements our decor and eliminates the traditional bulky hardware between the hostess and customers to maximize social interaction and improve the customer experience."

"We are delighted to help Fogo improve its operations and the customer dining experience with PAR's latest POS technology," relayed Karen Sammon, President of ParTech. "The fine dining atmosphere at Fogo de Chão is an ideal environment for the contemporary design of the EverServ 7000. We look forward to a long-term partnership with Fogo de Chão."

PAR EverServ Low-Profile 7700

VisualTouch on BitPay Bus

Whatever the eventual fate of bitcoin, the international currency and peer-to-peer payment network (now facing the possible participation of the banks, and thus, accompanying government regulation), interest continues to grow from the world of POS. In the latest example, VisualTouch, one of the software packages supporting Toshiba, will integrate bitcoin acceptance through its partnership with payment processor BitPay (Atlanta). VisualTouch for Toshiba, which was developed by Visual Information Products (Holly, MI), has an installed base of 6,000 unique customers, some with more than 1,500 locations, reportedly.

"This partnership greatly expands the number of businesses that will now be able to accept bitcoin," enthused Tony Gallippi, Executive Chairman of BitPay. "The ability for customers to use bitcoin at businesses with VisualTouch POS systems provides merchants an extremely loyal customer base." As benefits, bitcoin boosters point to reduced, or even eliminated, transaction fees; no chargebacks, obviously; and suitability for e-commerce marketplaces.

In using BitPay, VisualTouch now joins other POS ISVs such as New West Technologies (Portland, OR), which has linked Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System (RMS), and SoftTouch POS (Coconut Creek, FL), which has addressed hospitality. BitPay recently raised $30 million in Series A funding, led by Index Ventures (London-Geneva-San Francisco). It now processes $1 million per day in bitcoin payments for over 30,000 merchants, half of whom are in the U.S.

Tony Gallippi, Executive Chairman, BitPay

It's Not Square to Communicate

Clever, that Square Feedback. Under this scheme, customers send commentary on their shopping experience directly to the small business owner through their digital receipt. Sellers can also respond directly to customers, resolve problems one on one, and protect their reputation, according to the payment provider, which offers its Square Register POS. It estimates it now delivers more than 10 million digital receipts per month.

"The receipt should be more than just a list of what a customer bought," professed Gokul Rajaram, Seller Product Lead for Square (San Francisco). "Digital receipts are a natural platform for communication. We're designing them to add value to the customer experience and extend the interaction between the buyer and the seller."

Customers who make purchases with Square can choose how to receive their receipt, via e-mail or text. "How was your experience?" he or she will be asked, with an opportunity to give details and start the conversation with the business. Sellers receive e-mail alerts when customers leave comments and can respond directly via the Square Dashboard to ask follow-up questions and correct mistakes or misunderstandings. Square also recently released inventory tracking, off-line mode, and pre-ordering for pickup. Nobody ever said they were stupid.

Digital Receipt Spurs Customer Comment

Key Advertiser Links

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

POS & Auto ID Distribution
Wasp Barcode Technologies

POS & Peripherals
Harbortouch
Pioneer POS
POS BANK USA
Posiflex
POStablets
POS-X
TEAMSable
Toshiba GCS

POS Systems - Hospitality
PAR

Barcode & Transaction Printers
Brother Mobile
Citizen Systems America
CognitiveTPG
Intermec by Honeywell
SATO America
Zebra Technologies

Cash Drawers
MMF POS

Data Collection
CipherLab
Code Corporation
Datalogic
Honeywell Scanning
Intermec by Honeywell
Trimble MCS

Integrated Payment Solutions
Datacap Systems
Discover
Merchant Warehouse
Mercury Payment Systems

Inventory Systems
New West Technologies

Keyboards & Mobile POS
Cherry, ZF Electronics Corp

Receipt Printers
Bixolon America
Citizen Systems America
CognitiveTPG
Epson America
Fujitsu Components
Star Micronics

Thermal Printers
Seiko Instruments USA

Touchscreens & Monitors
Elo TouchSystems

NOTES FROM THE FIELD

Socket's Plug Fits NFC

Socket Mobile (Newark, CA) has placed Near Field Communications (NFC) into its popular handheld computer, the SoMo 655. Offered next month, the RFID Reader/Writer with NFC plugs into the SoMo 655 for single-handed operation. As target applications, the company cites patient identification in healthcare, loyalty cards or event tickets in hospitality, and inventory tracking in retail.

So equipped, SoMo 655 will read NFC High Frequency 13.56-MHz contactless smart tags, including those compliant with ISO/IEC 14443A/B. It will also read tags that are compliant with ISO 15693, EPC GEN 2 UHF, and ISO 18000-3 Mode 3. Model 6E2 RFID Reader has MSRP of $225, while Model 6P2 RFID Reader with NFC has MSRP of $569. They will be offered in black and antimicrobial white to match the SoMo 655 and 655x, respectively.

Socket's SoMo 655 Adds NFC Capability

Another Key to Diversity

A little of this, a little of that for Auto ID VARs. Another case in point, Barcoding, Inc. (Baltimore), which now offers the CaptureTech Key Management Solution. This system, developed in conjunction with CaptureTech in The Netherlands, automates the practice of issuing, handling, and storing physical keys of any kind. Significantly, it improves the accuracy and efficiency of typical electronic key cabinets through the use of barcoding and RFID. 

It consists of three parts. First, KeyCop is an RFID-enabled seal to which keys are attached, revealing evidence of any tampering, and carrying identifying data. Second, Key Management Software tracks registration of incoming and outgoing keys, with reporting capabilities for easy audit trail creation. Third, the KeyConductor holds as many as 150 keys in its cabinet. It allows authorized users to log into the system via an integrated keypad and display, so the right key lights up and unlocks. Keys are scanned upon return.

Leading VAR Adds Physical Key Management Solution

Channel Factoid

Yes, our market is evolving like never before, as traditional paper-based payments--cash and check--have increasingly lost favor with consumers and merchants, only to be replaced by plastic cards and digital schemes. So says Javelin Strategy & Research of this "Square Effect." From 2012 to 2013, it estimates cash dropped by 10% of volume of transactions, fully $86 billion, and should drop further over the next six years. However, cash remains the most commonly used payment method for in-store purchases, with 65% of all consumers using cash to make some purchase in the last seven days. Despite this regular use of cash, debit and credit dominate total POS spending, according to Javelin's "2014 Retail Point of Sale Payment Forecast." "For years, many small merchants have been unable to accept electronic payments due to high processing costs or an inability to support a traditional terminal (e.g., small vendors at farmer's markets or mobile food trucks). But the necessity of cash and checks has been eroded by the popularity of mobile card readers--like those offered by Square, PayPal, and Intuit--which easily and inexpensively enable mobile devices to accept card payments," summarized Nick Holland, Senior Analyst, Payments, for Javelin Strategy & Research.

Channel Chatter

Groupon is coming! Yes, the company has announced its own tablet-based POS, dubbed Gnome. Before everyone panics, let's consider who really wants or needs this. Does Groupon have such hold on the hearts of merchants? I think not. Lots of press for Gnome, naturally, but there seems to be more than enough tablet POS.

HELLO GOODBYE

Impinj Gears Up for IoT

Impinj, Inc. (Seattle), provider of UHF RFID, has enlisted Eric Brodersen as its Chief Marketing Officer and SVP of Business Development. Previously, Brodersen served as SVP of Marketing and Business Development for Isilon Systems, now part of EMC, where he helped scale the division's revenue to more than $1 billion. Earlier, he was SVP of Worldwide Sales for Quantum, where he led global partner-driven operations totaling more than $650 million in Fiscal Year 2010.

"We're extremely excited to have Eric join our senior management team," remarked William Colleran, CEO/President of Impinj. "His energy, knowledge, and experience will jumpstart our next growth phase as RFID adoption goes mainstream and as we begin leveraging our existing products to deliver solutions around item intelligence." Added Larry Arnstein, Impinj's VP of Business Development and former VP of Marketing, "Eric's arrival signals that Impinj is poised to lead the next phase of market development, driven by diverse applications running on robust RFID infrastructure."

"Impinj is the clear market leader in a very fast-growing technology space," declared Brodersen. "Item Intelligence, as delivered by Impinj, promises to deliver more powerful business application value within the Internet of Things (IoT). The timing is ideal to prepare for significant scale, taking the company and its ecosystem of partners and resellers to a new level in all global markets."

Eric Brodersen, CMO and SVP of Business Development, Impinj

A Wider Fingerprint for Biometrics

Cross Match Holdings, sponsored by Francisco Partners, and Digital Persona have decided to merge their two companies for better penetration of the biometric identity market. Rich Agostinelli, CEO of Digital Persona, will assume the same role for the combined company, which will continue to be headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, with total of 300 employees. Cross Match targets government and law enforcement, while Digital Persona has strong presence in commercial markets, such as retail and banking.

"While the two companies will operate independently in the near-term, the complementary nature of their products, technologies, and global support organizations should make for a relatively quick and seamless integration," indicated Agostinelli. "Cross Match and Digital Persona are both leaders in biometric technologies with a strong brand presence in global markets, however there's little overlap. As a result, we'll be able to offer our customers a portfolio of solutions that's unparalleled in our industry."

"It's an exciting time to lead an organization like this," added Agostinelli. "Biometrics is now widely accepted as a critical component of effective security systems for logical and physical access control, and is rapidly expanding from its roots in law enforcement, military, and civil ID programs, to encompass broader applications ranging from micro-finance to mobile commerce to e-passports. This merger positions us perfectly to capitalize on these opportunities."

Rich Agostinelli, CEO, Cross Match - Digital Persona

Chairman of the Beacon

Shelfbucks, Inc. (Austin, TX) has named industry veteran Bill Martin, founder of ShopperTrak, as its Chairman of the Board. Shelfbucks, as RRN.Com readers may know, deploys beacon devices on the store shelf to deliver promotional offers and product ratings and reviews to the consumer's smartphone. Martin will continue to serve as EVP of ShopperTrak (Chicago).

"Twenty years ago Bill Martin transformed the retail landscape by delivering an emerging technology to pioneer new ways for retailers to measure performance, create the best shopping experience, and achieve new growth," suggested Erik McMillan, CEO of Shelfbucks. "He introduced retailers to the concept of 'conversion rate.' With beacon technology now moving to the forefront of retail innovation, there is no person more qualified to help steer Shelfbucks through the hurdles of disrupting a market as we transform the in-store promotion industry."

Bill Martin, Chairman of the Board, Shelfbucks

Bright Lights at Starmount

Starmount (Austin, TX) has beefed up its team with three new Regional VP of Sales: Mark Paul in the East, Summers McGurn in the Midwest, and Vikram Kamath in the West. Mark Paul brings ten years of experience from Motorola Solutions, via progressive posts of Sales Director-Mid-Atlantic and VP-Northeast Region. Summers McGurn served as Director of Infogain's Retail Practice, preceded by senior-level positions at IBM, Oracle, and 360 Commerce. For his part, Vikram Kamath honed his skills in ERP, CRM, and SaaS in sales and management for KPMG, Oracle, and Infogain.

"These new executives bring a tremendous depth of retail sales experience to Starmount, with proven track records of success at leading retail technology companies," shared Joe Pisano, EVP and Chief Revenue Officer for Starmount. "With the addition of Mark, Summers, and Vikram to our sales team, Starmount can continue the tremendous momentum that we're experiencing as the best-in-class provider of solutions for mobile selling and omnichannel customer engagement."

Mark Paul, Eastern Regional VP of Sales, Starmount