Point Of Sale, Payment Processing And Data Collection News From April 2015

By The Business Solutions Network

Each month, Business Solutions reports news on business in the channel. This month in point of sale, payment processing and data collection news, Mercury Payment Systems and Datacap partner to offer an as-a-Service bundle, Powa Technologies announces Worldpay Integration, Janam Technologies introduces an RFID reader for freight and rail, and SATO launches a 6-inch thermal printer. In addition, Posiflex announces a hybrid tablet terminal, Zebra Technologies has created its first multi-operating system RFID sled, Verifone announces TransFirst certification and an Android-based cloud solution, and Datalogic has introduced a new mobile computer and queue-busting app.

Mercury Payment Systems, Datacap Partner For As-A-Service Bundle

Datacap announced that it has partnered with Mercury Payment Systems, a Vantiv company, to offer Datacap’s new PaymentsDrawer and IPTran LT Mobile, an integrated payments and peripheral management solution available to mobile POS providers via a Solution-as-a-Service model. The PaymentsDrawer provides mobile POS providers with instant access to the MercuryPay processing platform and other North American processors, as well as a variety of POS peripherals (cash drawers, receipt printers, pole displays, mag-stripe readers, PIN Pads, scales, etc.) via a single out-of-scope integration.

For POS developers who are currently using other Datacap solutions, almost no changes need to be made to the code. The IPTran LT Mobile and PaymentsDrawer communicate over the merchant’s LAN, and activating new and existing merchants does not have to impact a merchant’s hours of operation with Mercury’s 24/7 customer support. For merchants interested in upgrading to EMV, an EMV-enabled PIN pad is connected to the dedicated PIN pad port on the PaymentsDrawer or IPTran LT Mobile.

Mercury offers the PaymentsDrawer and IPTran LT Mobile as part of its developer toolkit, for support of any combination of a cash drawer, pole display, receipt printer and payments, all of which can be remotely activated/de-activated, ideal for POS providers that utilize a SaaS sales model.

Powa Technologies Announced Worldpay Integration

Powa Technologies recently announced that ISVs using the PowaPOS Software Developer Kit (SDK) will gain instant, integrated access to global payments and technology services provider Worldpay. With this relationship, POS software developers can now directly connect to Worldpay‘s payments technology services, along with the PowaPOS T25 tablet-based hardware, via the PowaPOS SDK. “By integrating Worldpay into our SDK, we’ve removed the burden from the ISV of becoming a payments expert, especially in an age of EMV, and provided them with a value-added service they can use to get their merchants to market faster,” says Jeff Dumbrell, CEO of PowaPOS.

The PowaPOS platform features a built-in thermal printer, 2D scanner, orientation sensor, and an optional PowaPOS cash drawer. With its single API SDK, PowaPOS integrates with all POS software applications, as well as third-party payment devices and PowaTag, Powa’s mobile commerce enablement app.

Janam Technologies Unveils RFID Reader For Freight, Rail

Janam Technologies recently announced the launch of its XM2-RFID for Rail mobile computer. The handheld RFID reader, for mobile workers in freight and rail operations, is designed to read the AEI RFID tags required on all railcars in North America and widely used globally, allowing rail and intermodal companies to track and monitor equipment. The 13-ounce device reads AEI tags from at least one meter away and has 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.

Additional features include a user-addressable compass for use with transportation applications, 3.2-inch color display, Motorola SE4500 2D imager for decoding of the difficult-to-read bar codes, and support for Microsoft Windows Embedded Handheld 6.5 operating system. The XM2-RFID for Rail is also sealed to IP64 standards, can withstand multiple 4-foot drops to concrete, and has a 2880mAh hot-swappable Li-ion battery. During real-world testing, the mobile computer still had 20% capacity remaining in its battery after 5 hours of continuous use and more than 40,000 tag reads.

SATO Launches New 6-Inch Thermal Printer

SATO recently launched its new CL6NX, a 6-inch industrial thermal printer designed for applications in manufacturing, warehousing, supply chain logistics, healthcare, and retail. Key features of the CL6NX include a 3.5-inch full-color display, built-in/customizable video tutorials, aluminum die cast construction, maintenance via tool-free print head and platens replacement, print resolution of 203 dpi (up to 10 ips) or 305 dpi (up to 8 ips), and 6 GB ROM/320 MB RAM. Additionally, the unit is ready for global deployment with 30+ display languages and 40+ print character sets.

Posiflex Announces Hybrid Tablet Terminal

Posiflex believes it has bridged the fixed terminal and mobile gap with its new MT4008 system. This fanless 8-inch hybrid Windows 8.1 Industry Pro-driven system takes an aluminum die-cast, multifunction tablet and transforms it into an all-in-one POS system. The unit has a projected capacitive touch screen with a 1024 x 768 resolution and is Wi-Fi- enabled to allow the unit to wirelessly print to a docking station. Alternatively, the tablet can make use of serial, USB, LAN, and cash drawer port connections when docked. A mag-stripe reader and hand strap are included.

An optional pistol grip with bar code scanner can be added for additional battery life and functionality. The pistol grip and tablet (or the tablet only) can be set in the optional docking station to create a fixed terminal or kiosk.

Zebra Brings Enterprise-Class RFID, Bar Code Scanning To Mobile Devices

Zebra Technologies has created its first multi-operating system RFID sled designed to add RFID and 1D/2D bar code scanning to Android and iOS mobile devices. The RFD8500 can also transform Zebra mobile devices such as the TC55 and MC40 into handheld RFID readers.

The RFD8500 sled offers full-shift battery life for inventory and asset management, as well as product search and replenishment applications in retail stores, warehouses, and healthcare environments. The RFD8500 also supports select features of the EPC Gen 2v2 standard, providing retailers with additional protection of consumer privacy and against counterfeit products. The unit has an accessory ecosystem that includes multiple adaptors that enable the device to mount onto the sled for single-handed operation.

Verifone Announces TransFirst Certification, Android-Based Cloud POS Solution

Verifone recently announced that TransFirst has certified Verifone’s Secure Commerce Architecture (SCA). Certification of SCA enables TransFirst and its merchants, financial institutions, and independent sales organizations (ISOs) to connect Verifone’s EMV and NFC-enabled VX 520 payment terminal and VX 805 PIN pad directly to TransFirst’s Web-based payment processing platform, Transaction Express.

Verifone’s SCA solution decouples payment data from the integrated point of sale and enables secure delivery of this data from the payment terminal directly to Transaction Express, without the data ever entering the register or any other PC-based POS system. Decoupling payment data from the POS in such a way streamlines EMV certification and PCI compliance by eliminating POS systems from the card data environment. It also eliminates the POS as the channel most commonly targeted by cybercriminals for large-scale theft of consumer payment data.

Verifone also launched a new cloud POS solution for SMBs, Verifone Cloud POS. The Android-based software is designed for applications in restaurants, cafeterias, food service, and sports and entertainment venues, as well as retail. The cloud POS solution includes offline support to ensure merchants’ businesses are never disrupted and access to Verifone’s Commerce Enablement platform that allows merchants to reward loyal customers. The software runs on a 10.1-inch Android tablet with Wi-Fi and optional 4G cellular connectivity for mobile and/or stand-alone applications. Optional peripherals include cash drawers, receipt printers, and scanners. The Android-based system enables remote management not available in iOS platforms as well as cloud-based storage for secure access to data. Finally, the solution will also include a consumer mobile app, which is being developed by Verifone, to allow consumers to order ahead from their smartphones.

Datalogic Releases New Mobile Computer, Queue-Busting App

Datalogic recently unveiled its new Joya X2 GP (general purpose) mobile computer designed for retail-floor and inventory management applications. The Joya GP device uses imaging technology to read both 1D and 2D codes from standard labels, smartphone displays, and electronic shelf labels (ESL). The unit includes Datalogic’s patented Green Spot technology for visual “good-read” feedback, useful in noisy environments and applications where users are not familiar or comfortable with technology.

The user interface includes a color 2.8-inch QVGA touch screen display and offers 1 GB flash storage on board, with an additional 4 GB on a preinstalled SD card. Software features include Wavelink Avalanche preloaded and prelicensed, Windows CE Pro 6.0, Datalogic CE6 SDK support for porting, and Datalogic’s Pal Software. Finally the unit offers customizable covers, six fully programmable keys, colored rubber bumpers, polyphonic speakers, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth wireless technology, and USB connectivity.

Tied to this release is the announcement of the Datalogic Queue Busting App designed to improve throughput and customer satisfaction during peak hours at retail front ends. The app allows retailers to upgrade their customer service without costly changes to their POS system.

A store associate equipped with a Joya device and a portable printer can provide immediate personal assistance to customers in line. The store attendant is able to scan and bag cart items while the customer is in line. The portable printer, connected via Bluetooth wireless technology or Wi-Fi to the Joya device, will print out a ticket with a 2D bar code containing the information of all the successfully scanned items, and 1D bar codes for any unknown items. The customer can then check out at the POS station once the cashier scans the bar codes printed on the ticket.