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This article focuses on Millennium Technologies, an automatic identification and data collection (AIDC) value-added reseller (VAR). According to John Templeton, company president, stability is what will help the company survive the current economic crisis and actually grow 10% during the period. The company has invested almost $80,000 in radio frequency identification (RFID) technology. Its typical AS/400 clients are $300 million to $3 billion enterprises that require bar code printers, scanners, wireless printing, handheld devices, wireless local area networks (WLANs), and network switches and routers. The ability to install and configure everything from a WLAN to a handheld is one way in which Millennium obtains new clients and maintains existing ones.

The article provides information on the changes and developments at Cipherlab. According to Robert Hossary, the company's vice president of the Americas, Cipherlab is planning to start certifying partners in 2007 in an effort to ensure better margins for those value-added resellers that are truly adding value to the company's products. Cipherlab also relocated its headquaters from Gig Harbor, Washington to the Dallas area. The company's new headquarters includes a warehouse and engineering, technical support, sales and service employees.

The article presents updates on value-added resellers (VAR) in the U.S. Mobile computer manufacturer Fujitsu Computer Systems Corp. used a direct and single-tier reseller model up until its recent announcement that its products were going to be resold by value-added distributor SYNNEX. Cisco Systems announced enhancements to its Cisco certified network professional program in a response to address the trend of network evolution from closed infrastructures to integrated systems. One way that VAR and systems integrators can differentiate themselves is by using computer manufacturer Seneca Data's new customizable notebook panels.

The article focuses on revenue growth experienced by Information Systems & Supplies Inc. (ISS), a value-added-reseller of point-of-sale systems, after tailoring its business to meet the needs of the hospitality industry. Such market comprise of table service restaurants, quick service restaurants, bars and nightclubs and hotels. According to Tom Potter, president of ISS, a value-added reseller should be known for its service and support to stay competitive in the sector. In order to fulfill this, the company has made changes to its customer service and support department.

The article focuses on the increase in the sales of value-added reseller CC Productions Inc. after it added fingerprint scanning technology to its school cafeteria point-of-sale solutions. The company initially do not have plans to add biometrics because of the technology's negative perception. School cafeterias complained that the technology only slowed down the line and frustrated those who are next in line. Schools have been finding ways to improve the administration of cafeteria debit programs. One idea which they adopted is assigning identification cards to students but children who lose their cards also forget their personal identification numbers. Biometrics, such as fingerprint scanning, accomplish all the goals of a school's debit program.

This article focuses on the projected increase in the 2006 point-of-sales (POS) revenue of Dalcom Consulting, Inc. Its total sales revenue for 2005 amounted to $2 million. In 1997, the company had been subcontracting POS training and installation services to other value-added resellers in the U.S. Dalcom Consulting not only provides its clients with a solution that includes POS systems and related support services, but also other products like servers, POS terminals and its associated services. Its main distributor is ScanSource.

The article discusses how Dane Rohm, founder/president of DK Data Sales Inc., has turned his company into a full-pledged value-added reseller from a broker of used automatic identification and data collection equipment. In 2005, the company managed a respectable 15 percent sales improvement. The addition of point-of-sale equipment to DK Data's line card contributes to the company's expected 50 percent sales growth in 2006. Rohm acknowledges radio frequency identification as the technology that spurred them to think about expanding their line card.

The article discusses how value-added reseller Retail Systems Inc. (RSI) has increased its hospitality and grocery point-of-sale sales by adding surveillance technologies to its line card. RSI has added wireless networks, wireless handheld terminals and surveillance systems to its line card. Most of the company's customers want more information and more integration out of their existing point-of-sale systems. Grocery clients are adopting the company's new surveillance systems faster than its hospitality clients.

The article examines the integration of the experiences of a kiosk manufacturer/integrator on a point of sale (POS) value-added reseller. Through the Converging Systems' experience with The Home Depot, it shows how retailers may want to shift the costs of POS technology like kiosks to their suppliers. According to Craig Douglass, president and CEO of Converging Systems, the key to kiosk sales is to customize the solution instead of forcing a canned system on a customer. The customization requires a deep understanding of a customer's business, to be able to offer advice on the type of content displayed on the unit.

The article provides information on the business of point of sale (POS) value-added reseller (VAR) Martin Business Systems in the grocery market. The grocery market is a growth area for POS VARs. In the mid 1990s, the economy was strong and many grocery stores had the budgets to upgrade their POS systems in preparation for the impending doom of year 2000 date-change problem. Grocery customers seek Martin Business Systems' help to keep up to date with their competitor's modern POS systems and to have more integration between their PC-based back end systems and their POS systems. According to Sean Martin, president of the company, to be successful selling to the grocery vertical, one must be able to sell more than just POS terminals and bar code scanners.

This article focuses on Future POS Ohio Inc., a point-of-sale (POS) value-added reseller that provides business solutions to the hospitality market. The company offers a promotion where it will supply a customer with the first 250 magnetic gift cards for free. In return, Future POS Ohio gets to keep 25 of those gift cards worth $10 each. References, whether face-to-face, or through a letter included in a quote to a prospective client, are the key to the business development of the firm. Future POS Ohio uses a return on investment (ROI) analysis that compares the purchase price of the system to the ways the solution will save the customer money. The combination of using customer references and an ROI analysis has helped Future POS Ohio grow its client roster over the years.

This article reports on the warehouse management system (WMS) application offered by value-added reseller DataToolz, Inc. based in Huntington Beach, California. According to the company's CEO, Paul Gunther, the tier-three and tier-four markets are the targets for DataToolz' hardware and software applications. "We focus on the manufacturing and wholesale distribution verticals; however, our belief is that if you have a warehouse, we can help you," states Gunther. Software accounts for 40% of DataToolz' total sales, and 60% of that revenue comes from its QuickStock WMS program, which is available in batch and wireless versions. INSET: Offer WMS Customers Portable Bar Code Printing.

This article provides information on DiamondTouch Inc., a software developer and value-added reseller (VAR) that specializes in point-of-sale systems for pizza restaurants, and its creation of a channel for cost-effective customer relations. Chief executive Tom Bronson believes that the channel contributes to the company's market share. As of October 2005, the company has signed up 14 VAR for the distribution of its POS systems. DiamondTouch established a support organization for its VAR. It is also creating a VAR certification process which should be completed by the end of the year. INSETS: Match Your Receipt To The Vertical;Security Camera/POS Software Integration In Demand.

This article relates how value-added reseller (VAR) BarCode ID Systems Inc. maximized its automatic identification and data collection (AIDC) sales growth in 2005. Rarely can sales revenue growth be tied to one particular client, and the company's projected 28% sales growth is no exception. That is not to say this AIDC VAR does not have one big new client that will be a major contributor to that growth, it does. However, much of the value-added reseller's growth in 2005 will be affected by a combination of strong vendor relationships, improvements to customers' legacy data collection systems, and enhancements to internal business processes. BarCode ID Systems made some business process changes of its own in 2005. After surveying its customers, the company implemented some new systems to enhance the customer experience, ensure order accuracy, and improve interdepartmental communications. INSET: Add On Wireless Switch Revenue.

This article relates how point of sale (POS) value-added reseller 21POS has doubled its sales revenue since 2003 by standardizing its hardware/software solutions and merging with a credit card processing firm. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, CEO Tim Moon insists his multilingual staff is a necessity for marketing to and servicing his target audience. To do so, Moon and his business partner, Harrison Young Kim, have made two significant changes to their company. First, they designed an integrated POS system and standardized the hardware and software they used in the systems. Then, 21POS developed an exclusive partnership with credit card processing company ePS Credit. Together, these two changes enabled 21POS to double its sales revenue since 2003. The addition of ePS Credit eliminated the service calls 21POS technicians were fielding regarding credit card processing questions. INSETS: Is Your Distributor More Than A Source For Products?;Is Wireless POS Really A Fit For Your Client?.

This article presents views of several touch screen and display executives on digital signage opportunities for value-added resellers in the U.S. Digital Signage Systems uses the following to explain the basics of how digital signage works: display content is entered into the authoring console; finished content is uploaded to the server via the central administration software controls on the authoring console; and the server pushes content out to the various digital signage systems within a network. Keddy Chen, vice president and general manager of GVISION USA Inc., notes that the displays used in digital signage often starts at 15 inches in size and go up from there. Often these displays include Motion Picture Experts Group standard card holders and video-in and video graphics array inputs. Digital signage can be static, like a group of monitors placed throughout a retail store constantly pushing out department-targeted messages, or it can be dynamic, dependent upon some type of input. Profit margins at 30 percent to 60 percent can be achieved due to the ongoing improvements in display technology and the small number of solution providers in this emerging market. Digital signage will change the way point of sale is executed across subverticals in retail.

This article focuses on the manner in which value-added reseller Retail Data Systems managed to deploy hundreds of point of sale systems over 6 years. Point of sale projects involving hundreds of locations and multi-year rollouts are challenging. Not only can the sales cycle take years, the coordination of the staging, shipping and service can be enough to give any value-added reseller a problem. It all started in 1996 when general manager Tom Gleissner made a call to a grocery chain. The company was using an older proprietary point of sale system with separate bar code scanners and scales. The company tested the solution developed by Retail Data Systems but decided not to purchase the solution. By improving the specifications of the solution, Retail Data Systems won a deal with the grocery chain. The redundancy and remote maintenance features of the grocery chain's software were some of the key reasons the company won the deal. The remote maintenance feature was one of the customer did not have with its previous system. This allowed corporate office to remotely perform actions such as polling financials or making price changes. Indeed, not every point of sale value-added reseller could sell and service a large client. For Retail Data Systems, persistence paid off.

The article provides information on the operations and performance of value-added reseller Realstar Solutions. According to Conrad Hopp, Realstar's President and CEO, the company remained competitive with the major distributors and Internet reseller's because of its 5,000-square-foot warehouse full of inventory, in-house repair services and direct vendor relationships. Another factor behind the success of the company is its diverse product line. Realstar has implemented a checklist of questions for each item it sells to avoid postsale problems with its own customers.

The article offers some valuable tips on how to win all-in-one point-of-sale (POS) sales from mass marketers of PC-based POS systems. The battle against PC-based component POS systems is waged by value-added resellers who are selling electronic cash registers and all-in-one POS systems. The opinion of manufacturer representatives who specialize in these units are considered, particularly on how value-added resellers can win this fight.

The article presents information on 2-D bar code scanning. The markets that offer value-added resellers the opportunities for selling 2-D bar code products are government agencies, healthcare and those related to the supply chain. In order to convince a client to implement 2-D scanning data collection system, value-added resellers should stress that a large amount of data can be printed in a small space with a 2-D bar code. When choosing a 2-D bar code scanner, some technical issues to be considered are data management, performance of the 2-D scan engine, ability to read stacked symbologies and reading performance.

The article presents advice on selling retail software to small- and medium-sized business from industry experts, namely Microsoft Business Solutions director Mike Dickstein, CerTek Software Designs Inc. president David Roberts, POSitive Software vice president of business operations Justin Boyce and Synchronics manager Andee Pure. These experts identify retail businesses that need retail software for the point-of-sale systems. They highlight the importance of assessing a client's existing retail software before offering alternative solutions. They also identify the drivers of retail software growth.

The article interviews several radio frequency identification (RFID) technology experts, namely ThingMagic Inc. Vice President of marketing Kevin Ashton, AWID President Jeffrey Jacobsen, SkyeTek marketing Director Tony Anast and WJ Communications RFID Account Manager Titus Wandinger. Ashton and Jacobsen talked about the integration challenges value-added resellers should expect with handheld RFID readers and the integration challenges that accompany a portal RFID installation. Anast and Wandinger mentioned some misconceptions that value-added resellers have about RFID readers.

This article presents an interview with executives, Emmanuel Picot of Evolis Card Printer, Kathleen Phillips of FARGO Electronics, and Ike Pastroumas of Ultra Electronics Card Systems, regarding how value-added resellers (VAR) can take advantage of the demand for ID card technologies. According to the executives, sales are up in the ID card technology industry. Some of the reasons cited for this growth include increased adoption by verticals such as government and healthcare, upgrades to existing systems, and decreasing hardware/software costs. Providing constant support and guidance is a key way of differentiating VAR from both box movers and online marketers, both of which are prevalent in the ID card technologies market. In particular, Picot lists installation, integration, training, and maintenance as some of the common services VAR can offer. But Phillips said that versatility is a real differentiator for ID card technology VAR these days. In other words, VAR need to have the ability to sell and service systems that use an ID card for more than just physical security, such as solutions for vending, parking, or access to computer networks. Pastroumas added that service after the sale and custom solutions for specific markets also help distinguish VAR from box movers.

The article discusses several factors to be considered by value-added resellers (VAR) when choosing a channel vendor. VAR should find how a partner program was developed and how changes are made. They should determine the tenure and experience of the support personnel of the vendor since they will serve as their direct contacts with the vendor. The training to be provided under the partner program should be evaluated. VAR should also check references when assessing a vendor on product quality. They should also remember that the customer service or support departments of their vendors are an extension of their company.

The article discusses the value of value of electronic cash registers (ECRs) to value-added resellers (VARs). According to Bruce Mann, vice president of marketing and product development at CRS Inc., ECRs called AMODs (adding machines on drawers) are designed for start-ups with a limited budget. Larry Sampey, general manager of the Systems Products Division at Casio Inc. said that point of sale dealers are not interested in selling at the price points of ECRs offered by stores like Staples, Office Max, or Sam's. Three categories of ECRs that VARs will find valuable to resell was identified by Mann. He added that VARs that specialize in PC-based solutions do not see ECRs as a viable source of profit.

The article offers valuable tips for value-added resellers who are considering selling ID card technologies. According to Gerardo Talavera, managing director of the Americas for Evolis Card Printers, the industry trend is toward higher security ID cards that cannot be forged. He explained that those cards include radio frequency identification, smart chips, magnetic stripe technologies, holograms, microtext, and invisible inks. Legislation that drives ID card adoption include Real ID Act, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, Transportation Worker Identification Credential program and Registered Traveler program. It was said that the convergence of physical and logical security is another factor driving ID card adoption. Planning the ID card system start-up cost is recommended.

The article questions whether point-of-sale (POS) value-added resellers are augmenting their sales with revenue from payment processing services. When trying to improve upon slim hardware margins, the recurring revenue opportunities of payment processing are enticing for POS value-added resellers. But there are some options, trends and industry basics they should be aware of before delving into this complicated technology. There are various considerations like credit card standards, secure payment processing and fast transactions for clients, and the issue of contactless payment.

The article discusses trends on revenue opportunities with point-of-sale (POS) peripherals. Clients seeking POS peripherals want them to be simple to install, which means plug and play. The simple nature of peripherals makes it easier for value-added resellers to provide a cost-effective solution to an end user. Value-added resellers should inform clients about the options of a hardware device and make sure that the customer's software and hardware work together before installing a POS system. A value-added reseller can add value to a POS peripheral sale through various ways such as application programming and configuring.

This article gives pieces of advice on how value-added resellers (VAR) can keep the cash flowing in from point of sale (POS) sales. No matter what type of industry VAR target for POS systems, it is likely one common problem is speed of payment. This is especially true if the target market accepts a lot of checks. Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act supports acceptance of electronic images of checks in payment transactions. By selling receipt printers that can read and create images of checks, VAR can offer customers a product that can shorten the length of time it takes to transfer funds from a check transaction. In addition to grocery, the hospitality and retail markets continue to be hotbeds of activity for POS sales. According to the 2004 Retail Automation Equipment Vertical Market Analysis of Venture Development Corp. (VDC), retail automation penetration is only 39% for the North American specialty store market. That spells opportunity for VAR selling products such as handheld bar code scanners/terminals, payment processing terminals, POS terminals, and receipt printers. But VDC cautions that smaller retailers like convenience stores will likely be slower to adopt new POS products due to limited budgets.

The author offers tips for value-added resellers (VAR) on using Windows 7 operating system (OS) as additional source of revenue. He cites the importance of inquiring about the type of OS, hardware and peripherals used by clients before persuading them to shift to Windows 7. He advises VAR to be prepared to answer questions about the features of the new OS. He suggests testing Windows 7 and addressing the enhanced features anecdotally.

The author reflects on how value-added resellers can become true innovators. He asserts that repeat sales generation is the way to gauge a solution's degree of innovation. He cites, as an example, the case of Active Control, winner of the 2009 Channel Innovator Award and creator of Active Mine, a two-way 802.11 wireless communications and tracking system for underground mines. He mentions that innovation does not always entail customizing or creating a new solution, it is also sometimes related to a business model.

The article discusses the highlights of the ScanSource IMPACT NOW conference held in Orlando, Florida. The conference offers valuable business education to the value-added resellers (VAR) attending the conference, according to the author. During the event, marketing consultant Robin Robins discussed the importance of using testimonials and developing compelling marketing messages.

In this article, the author discusses the demand for radio frequency identification (RFID) systems in the U.S. The author advises value-added resellers and integrators to learn more about RFID and become certified to sell whatever RFID products best fit their businesses. He also observes the shift in demand for more complicated and integrated RFID systems. The author predicts creative, new RFID-related solutions like TetraGate will become more common in the future. He adds that end users in every industry will begin to view RFID as an affordable technology for improving some existing process or system.

The author discusses how value-added reseller (VAR) could make a profit out of mandates, regulations and standards. He believes adding a new type of service could boost margins of any VAR, integrator or independent software vendor (ISV) that has retail or hospitality clients that accept credit card payments. He is calling on VAR to capitalize on the need for payment security knowledge by first understanding the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard.

The article discusses the significance of the acquisition of Symbol Technologies by Motorola to value-added resellers. The acquisition signals another change in the automatic identification and data collection and point of sale industries. Many people view the deal as a step in the right direction for Symbol which has been troubled by financial problems. As a result of the acquisition, Motorola is expecting cost savings of $100 million by 2008 and to achieve that amount, there will have to be additional layoffs at Symbol.

The article reflects on some rules for using the acronym SMB, which stands for small- to medium-businesses. SMB is not a market in itself but a segment of every market. End users defined as the SMB are probably not as primitive with their technologies as some people would like one to believe, nor do they all have the financial resources to upgrade to better solutions. Understanding the rules can help in choosing new SMB-labeled products or deciding whether to attract a new size of customer. One example is point-of-sale value-added reseller Business Automation Consultants, which had to change to attract retailers with fewer than five locations.

The article presents the author's point of view on AIDC (automatic identification and data collection) VAR (value-added reseller). According to the author, AIDC VAR should understand RFID (radio frequency identification). The author believe that RFID is just another type of data collection and the expertise of AIDC VAR in designing fixed-mount bar code scanner systems will not help in designing RFID portals.

The article features point of sale value-added reseller Business Solutions Partners (BSP), the 2006 winner of the "Business Solutions" Channel Innovator Award for point of sale technologies. The company's solution is vertically focused and involves partnerships that are key to the company's sales growth. It designs custom solutions for clients in industries such as distribution, manufacturing, financial services and retail. In March 2005, BSP first designed its custom bundles and currently has 25 clients using at least one of these solutions. According to Shawn Ezhaghi, retail systems project manager at BSP, the Apparel and Wine/Liquor bundles are the most popular.

This article focuses on the topics of presentations during the Solution City conference held by ScanSource for value-added resellers on August 25, 2005. There were some presentations on radio frequency identification (RFID). Allan Bennett, president and chief executive of System Concepts Inc., discussed the advantages of RFID for businesses. Ian Gelenter of Metrologic presented advice on selling bar code technology to hospitals. Other topics discussed were strategies to improve sales and marketing as well as business organization and development.

Presents news briefs concerning the point-of-sale systems POS) industry as of October 2005. Launch of the new Web site of Metropolitan Sales Co.; Information on the channel program offered by StrandVision LLC to value-added resellers; Appointment of Lee Harville as vice president of sales and marketing at onePOS.com, a restaurant POS software developer; Certification of TransAct's Ithaca iTherm 280 and KITCHENjet 1000 printers by Posera Software Inc. for use on its Maitre'D POS platforms.

Presents updates on the information technology industry as of October 2005. Search for value-added reseller partners by Transparent Products Inc., a touch screen manufacturer; Information on a team of credit specialists established by Tech Data to help resellers generate more revenue from selling point-of-sale (POS) systems; Features of the BEETLE/iPRO POS system from Wincor Nixdorf.

This article focuses on the launch of the redeveloped Web site of Nimax after its acquisition by Ingram Micro, as of October 2005. A Web site development team from Ingram contributed in the redesign of the Nimax site. Value-added resellers will be able to benefit from the new site due to its provision of real-time access to product inventories and prices, the ability to compare the features of products and the capability of downloading product information. The site also includes enhancements for its vendor partners.

This article presents an update on ScanSource as of October 2005. The company has created its RFID Solutions Group, which consists of ScanSource resellers who are early adopters of radio frequency identification (RFID) and are experts in selling and supporting RFID solutions. The current members of the group include Enterprise Information Systems, Miles Technologies, IDentiTrak Technologies and System Concepts. Value-added resellers can define how a member of the group is used and viewed by the end user. ScanSource also launched its Profit Maps program, a series of free business planning tools. The company partnered with the JS Group and 4-profit in developing some of the content for Profit Maps.

Looks at the possible issues that may emerge and questions that may be raised by U.S. businesses and customers from implementing radio frequency identification (RFID) technology. Action to be taken when proposing a bar code-based data collection system; Views of some value-added resellers on the technology; Reason some companies are willing to adopt the technologies.

This article reports on the profitability of the bar code ticket printer project of data collection value-added reseller Scan Technology Inc. The gaming industry has been an avid adopter of automatic identification and data collection technologies. In particular, casinos are usually seeking better ways to collect data and streamline operations. For example, bar coded tickets are now often issued in place of cash for winning slot machine-gamblers. Scan Technology counts several casinos as clients. The AS/400 Integration and Ethernet Connectivity project of the company included Datamax ST-3210 and SV-3210 printers. Both printers are 203 dots per inch versions, but the ST-3210 is a tabletop model and the SV-3210 is a vertical in-counter model. There were two unusual features of such a project. First, the casino wanted the printers integrated with its AS/400 network platform. The casino also wanted the printers connected via Ethernet, which the Datamax printers did not offer in an acceptable internal configuration. For this, Scan Technology recommended using HP Jetdirect devices to connect the printers to the network, thereby providing access to each printer for multiple network users.

This article discusses the importance of customer service. The use of anecdotes, statistics or something that quantifies one's good service is more effective than criticizing competitors. The experience of the author when he moved to a new home exposed the type of customer service provided by a cable company through its cable guy. The cable guy was exceptionally polite and helpful. The phone company, on the other hand, was a disappointment. Not only did the customer continually have to wade through a maze of phone prompts to finally reach a real live person. The lesson that can be learned from the experience is that the professional attitude of employees can influence the decision-making of customers. Good service is crucial to point of sale value-added resellers. Installation services for point of sale equipment are often a one-time source of revenue. Conversely, maintenance, upgrades, training and repair services are what will endear value-added resellers to clients and provide them with revenue well beyond the first installation.

The article deals the plan of ScanSource to simplify the radio frequency identification (RFID) certification process for value-added resellers (VAR) in 2005. It is currently finalizing enhancements to its RFID Edge program that will enable VAR to become certified on multiple vendors' RFID products. According to Greg Dixon, ScanSource chief technology officer, these enhancements are really a four-prong strategy consisting of qualification, training, resources and alliances. The training portion of the plan consist of a three- to four-day, hands-on, solutions-oriented workshop that will include 20 percent vendor-specific RFID information. ScanSource is working with its RFID vendors to develop a core curriculum for this training. Another part of this RFID plan is offering access to on-call solutions engineers. The alliances portion of the plan stresses that ScanSource views RFID as a solutions sell. Therefore, the company is partnering with software vendors like Seeberger so all facets of an RFID solution are covered.