Star Micronics Talks mPOS, Cloud At RetailNOW 2015
By Jim Roddy, VP of Marketing, RSPA
It wasn’t too long ago that visiting a vendor booth at RetailNOW guaranteed hardware talk from wall-to-wall. That wasn’t the case in 2015, especially during my half hour at the Star Micronics booth Aug. 3. In addition to hardware, Star discussed new concepts including an app and a division focusing on cloud services.
The hardware is still the foundation of the POS, so let’s start there. Star product manager Jon Levin showed me Star’s mPOP (pictured), a mobile point of purchase unit that includes an integrated receipt printer, cash drawer, and an optional barcode scanner. It can connect wirelessly with tablet-based software and payment systems. The base unit is only about 4 inches high and 12 inches wide, so it’s attractive to small merchants and boutique shops that have limited counter space and don’t handle much cash.
I also received a demonstration of AllReceipts, Star’s digital receipt solution that’s available on any model of Star’s TSP100 thermal receipt printer series. AllReceipts was teased at NRF where I first saw it and was in action at RetailNOW. AllReceipts enables merchants to store receipts digitally with the AllReceipts app, available on both iOS and Android mobile devices. The app is a cloud solution that enables a digital copy of the printed receipt to be claimed by scanning a QR code printed on the receipt. The customer can access via the app digital receipts organized by date and by retailer.
Levin said what is enticing about AllReceipts is it does not require customers to provide an email address or other personal information. Customers can remain anonymous and not subject themselves to spam or other unwanted emails. AllReceipts features that will intrigue retailers include a device management tool providing printer status and operational notifications and a quick customer satisfaction survey at the time of purchase.
I was also intrigued by Star Cloud Services and wanted to learn more about this recently created division. I caught up with Mike Hanson, VP for Star Micronics America, after RetailNOW. “Unlike some companies who have a cloud play and need to get hardware, we have a population of printers that could easy be enabled to connect to the cloud and provide digital receipt services,” Hanson said.
“The adoption has been properly paced as we’ve built up the proper driver and documentation. You’ll see us be more aggressive with this in the channel during the September/October timeframe, getting existing users to update their driver.”
Hanson outlined how software developers can integrate the current Star Cloud Services offerings. “It’s a natural fit to our ISV partners in the mobility space today,” he said. “There’s not much an ISV who has already integrated our product has to do to integrate digital receipts.”
Hanson also detailed that Star believes its cloud services will positively impact merchants — smaller end users in particular — and resellers. “Star Cloud Services allows the retailer, especially the SMR (small-to-medium retailer) who doesn’t have the budget or structure, to maximize their business. We’ll connect their data to other companies who provide those same services like couponing and loyalty, and sell those services through the channel. The reseller already has that customer and can make a piece of money off those recurring services. That’s a play of Star Cloud Services.”
We will keep an eye on Star and its Cloud Services division to see how it impacts the channel. It’s certainly interesting to see an industry that was nervous about the cloud not so long ago — check out the comments on this Business Solutions blog post from 2013 — integrating this technology today.
For more articles on RetailNOW 2015, held August 2-5 at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center in Orlando, and the Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA), go to www.BSMinfo.com/go/InsideRSPA.