RSPA Takes A Seat On The PCI Council Board: What It Means & Why You Should Care

Last week it was formally announced that the RSPA (Retail Solutions Providers Association) was appointed to the 2013-2015 PCI Security Standards Council Board of Advisors. According to a press release issued by the RSPA.  Continue Reading...

Which Tablet POS System Is The Best?

We're planning a late addition to this year's testing -- tablet-based POS systems. The problem I face today is not knowing all the players in the market. As you probably know, there've been a host of new apps flooding the industry and it's difficult to keep up. I need your help in determining which to review and what you'd find valuable in a review.  Continue Reading...

A Wake Up Call For POS VARs & Vendors

According to Lynn Skurla of Skurla's POS Solutions, there's an elephant in the room and many POS dealers (and POS vendors) are ignoring it. The elephant is the trend of low-priced tablet-based POS solutions that have flooded the market. "I think the POS dealer, especially the dealer who sells into the tier 3-4 market, is in serious trouble unless we figure something out," she warns. "Many customers don't want...  Continue Reading...

The Most Common Mistakes MSPs Make With Off-Site Backups

I recently spoke with three industry experts about the topic of cloud/off-site backups. I asked them about the most common mistakes MSPs make with regard to selling and implementing this kind of solution/service. Here is what they’re seeing as well as some tips they shared.  Continue Reading...

Square Stand: A Lion Of A Product, Or A Lamb?

If Square wasn't making waves for you in the past, you might need to buckle up for the future. Today the POS and payments disrupter announced its new Square Stand, which is essentially a fancy mount for an iPad that includes a handsome mag-stripe reader and Square's free Register app. According to the company's Web site, Square is currently taking pre-orders at $299 a pop. Units are expected to ship on July 8.  Continue Reading...

World-Class Advice For VARs: Inside Ingram Micro's Partner Invitational

Last week I attended the Ingram Micro International Solutions Partner Invitational in Hollywood, FL. During my time at the event, I had the opportunity to listen to a variety of speakers and interview most of the distributor's top brass. Following are some of the best quotes/learnings I jotted down in my notebook...  Continue Reading...

Can’t Keep Up? 3 Ways To Future-Proof Your Business

A few weeks ago I attended the Epson partner conference in Palm Springs, CA. The keynote speaker was futurist/forecaster Daniel Burrus (www.burrus.com) who spoke a lot about technology trends shaping the future. He had three great thoughts in his presentation that are applicable to the reseller community.  Continue Reading...

Why Sell Loyalty Solutions?

Retailers are hot for customer intelligence, and there’s no better source for that data than from their most loyal customers. But, market demand isn’t the only reason VARs and ISVs should add loyalty programs to their solutions portfolios.  Continue Reading...

PSA: The Must-Have Tool For Retail VARs Adopting The "As A Service" Model

Retail- and hospitality-focused VARs looking to get into the "as a Service" model, take note. As you transition your business to this model, one of the first things you're going to want to do is implement a PSA (professional services automation) tool for yourself.  Continue Reading...

The Video Surveillance Market Is Going Strong... With Or Without You?

Interesting news for IT integrators this morning out of IMS Research, now part of IHS Inc., the video surveillance industry's leading analyst firm. According to Niall Jenkins, Manager, Video Surveillance & Security Services Research, 45% of surveyed North American companies reported that their budgets for security-related spend had increased in 2012.  Continue Reading...