Low-Cost, High-Performance Imaging Technology from Datalogic

Post image for Low-Cost, High-Performance Imaging Technology from Datalogic In early 2012, Datalogic released a low-cost imaging scanner in limited markets called the Quickscan Lite. After deploying hundreds of thousands of these units in those markets, in September 2013, they made these units available to the US market. The QW2100 imaging scanner is the perfect low-cost solution for your 1D imaging needs. Whether it’s retail, document/invoice processing, bank/finance environments, or other light-duty scanning, the QW2100 is great! Some of the highlights: Lightweight and ergonomic Quick reading capability USB and RS232 options Datalogic patented ‘Green-Spot’ technology IP42 rating 3-year factory warranty

Ruckus Brings Together Smart Wi-Fi with Cloud Computing to Simplify the Provisioning, Management and Monetization of Wi-Fi Access with SAMS

The Ruckus Team at Uniquepos is really excited about the introduction of Ruckus’ Cloud-Based Smart Access Management Service, SAMS for short. The ability to manage a Wi-Fi network in the cloud is yesterday’s news. Unlike the dozens of other offerings already in the market, SAMS enables partners to manage and monetize the access points they have deployed from the cloud, saving the expense of on-premise controllers and servers and monetizing these networks by collecting analytics and layering on custom other services. The first of a new breed of Ruckus Smart Wireless Services (SWS), SAMS enhances the guest experience by letting businesses quickly create and customize wireless hotspots for single or multiple sites without building extensive data centers, or deploying expensive and cumbersome infrastructure typically required for offering managed Wi-Fi access services. SWS is a flexible framework for layering value-added software services, such as cloud-based wireless access (SAMS) and Ruckus SPoT location services, as well as virtualized management software over carrier-class Smart Wi-Fi infrastructure products and platforms to give organizations unprecedented flexibility to build reliable, scalable and robust Smart Wi-Fi solutions based on their specific requirements, and to enable channel partners to easily migrate to recurring revenue-based service models. As WLAN management shifts to the cloud, venue owners now have access to cost-effective, easy-to-manage enterprise-grade wireless at a lower total cost of ownership (TCO). SAMS delivers flexible deployment and management options through a simple, Web-based portal that allows highly customized Wi-Fi access services to be defined and created in a matter of minutes, and provided at a low TCO. Unlike other public wireless access alternatives, SAMS combines all the necessary infrastructure components and service elements into a single solution. Ideal for any organization or venue offering managed public wireless access, such as shopping malls, stadiums, convention centers, airports and retail outlets, SAMS transforms the traditional model for offering managed Wi-Fi services by moving local network infrastructure, such as WLAN controllers, authentication servers, captive portals, advertising engines and content filtering into the cloud as a service. Tailored for venues looking to more easily and conveniently offer users a better wireless access experience without the need for multiple services from multiple vendors and extensive IT staff or infrastructure equipment at every site, SAMS also represents a compelling new managed services opportunity for channel partners looking to become managed service providers (MSPs), by creating recurring service revenues with minimal investment. From a single, easy-to-navigate Web-based console in SAMS, channel partners can now easily create, customize and manage a wireless access service on behalf of a wide range of customers. SAMS can be set up and managed either by the channel partner or the customer’s own staff with a minimum level of IT expertise, through the use of intuitive Web-based management tools, including flexible and customizable advertising tools that are simple and easy to create and set-up. Once the service is configured through a simple wizard driven setup, Ruckus Smart Wi-Fi access points automatically “phone home” to register with the cloud controller. However, unlike other cloud-based Wi-Fi services, if the access points can’t reach the cloud controller, local access services are not disrupted. Ongoing management of SAMS and monitoring of access points and clients, along with historical reporting, is provided through a comprehensive network portal that gives administrators a wide range of controls, such as creating AP zones, templates and management domains for different customers. SAMS works transparently with your already deployed Ruckus ZoneFlex Smart Wi-Fi access points and/or on-premises Ruckus ZoneDirector WLAN controllers for unmatched deployment flexibility, compared with existing hotspot services. All requisite authentication services, WLAN administration and service management tools are integrated directly within SAMS. When configuring SAMS, customers have complete control over service branding and functionality, such as the ability to enable authentication with popular social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. Service enforcement controls can be used to limit the length and number of sessions, restrict bandwidth consumption or filter access to specific content. To further customize access services and enrich the user experience, SAMS provides a rich set of user analytics that can be collected over periods of time. Each venue is provided with a view into their wireless access service from a single Web-based dashboard. From this dashboard, customers have at-a-glance information, such as popular registration methods, total user sessions and visits, new and returning user visits, registration by device type, age group and gender, and the most popular devices being used on the network, as well as the average duration of user sessions. The process to enable managed wireless access with SAMS is simple. Once logged into the service portal, customers simply create a new site, configure access settings, customize the registration page and user journey and upload any ads or messages to be displayed.

Cutting-Edge 2D Imaging at an Affordable Price

Recently, Datalogic announced the release of their new Quickscan QD2400 series of 2D imagers. As a leader in scanning technology, they were able to bring together exceptional quality and performance in a 2D imager, while maintaining a competitive price point. In stock at ScanSource and ready to ship now, the QD2400 series features: Omnidirectional reading performance Datalogic’s patented Green-Spot good read feedback Outstanding snappiness LED-based aiming for reduced visual stress Advanced motion tolerance optics The perfect device for retail point-of-sale applications, the Quickscan QD2400 imager delivers high-end performance and reliability at a more cost-effective price!

You’ll Shoot Your Eye Out!

Not if you use an Intermec by Honeywell scanner designed for Healthcare applications. Both the new Intermec SF61B bluetooth and the SR31T tethered scanners are available in a healthcare configuration.  These scanners use a 2D area imager with an LED aimer so there is no laser light emitted that could potentially “shoot your eye out.” Moreover, these scanners are built with a white plastic housing that has been tested with over two dozen cleaning solutions typically used in hospitals to sanitize equipment. Sorry Miss Shields.

For more information, follow these links:

SF61B Healthcare

SR31T Healthcare 

Walmart Mandates PTI Compliance

Produce Tractability Initiative (PTI) came about as a response to the 2006 spinach crisis, an event that sickened hundreds, lead to the death of four people, and resulted in a complete recall of spinach products across the nation – a huge toll from both a human and economic standpoint.  Another scare in 2008 with tainted jalapenos just reinforced to the produce industry that comprehensive case-level traceability was needed.

PTI meets that need, but, up until now, compliance has been voluntary.  January 1, 2014 changes that for many in the produce supply chain when Walmart starts mandating that all fresh produce suppliers must include a PTI-compliant label on all their shipments.  Several others, including the Publix grocery store chain, are also planning on instituting a similar requirement in the near future, and they are just the early adopters.  Mike Agostini, senior director of produce for Walmart, predicts between 60%-85% compliance by the end of 2015.

As a reseller, if you have end-user customers in the produce supply chain that are not moving forward with PTI, or are hoping it is all just going to go away, now is the time to engage with them.  If you are feeling as confused about PTI as your customers, ScanSource has ISV partners who specialize in providing PTI solutions, who would be happy to help you and your customer with a PTI solution.

FoodLogiQ

Mobia Solutions

For you BarTender users, Seagull Scientific released an update in November 2013 with increased PTI label support.

Even if your customers are not supplying Walmart, now is the time to be seriously moving forward with PTI.

Want to learn more about PTI?http://www.pma.com/sites/default/files/education/PTI/index.htm

Uniquepos Mobile Shopping Experience

Uniquepos.com announced mobile shopping that lets customers to shop with iphones, ipads, mobile computers, android devices !

Consumers are Driving Retail Transformation and Epson Answers

Walk into any retail environment and you can see the retail transformation taking place. It is being driven by the consumer, how they shop and the mobile devices that they use.  I do it myself.  I find a product in the store and then use my smart phone to shop for the best price, search for an immediate coupon, etc. The question is: how will retailers and technology manufacturers respond to this transformation?

Epson America has answered with the NEW! OmniLink Solutions. Mobile. Smart. Connected.

The OmniLink product is on the cutting edge of technology change and will allow retailers to take advantage of how consumers are shopping, while providing enhancements to their levels of service.

Epson has taken the reliability and performance of their TM printers and added intelligence expanding functionality.  The entry-level product can print from any mobile device and is a gateway providing direct connectivity to the Cloud and access to loyalty program, couponing and real-time analytics.

The upper tier OmniLink can print from any mobile device and can also drop into and work seamlessly with existing POS systems, providing a smaller footprint.  It is a quick and cost-effective enhancement or alternative to the standard POS station.

The OmniLink allows retailers to protect their legacy POS investments while gaining access to the technology changes seen in the market. Point of Sale needs to more. It needs to provide a better service and customer experience.

Call to day for Epson thermal printer expert : 1866-888-0303

Consumers are Driving Retail Transformation and Epson Answers

Walk into any retail environment and you can see the retail transformation taking place. It is being driven by the consumer, how they shop and the mobile devices that they use.  I do it myself.  I find a product in the store and then use my smart phone to shop for the best price, search for an immediate coupon, etc. The question is: how will retailers and technology manufacturers respond to this transformation?

Epson America has answered with the NEW! OmniLink Solutions. Mobile. Smart. Connected.

The OmniLink product is on the cutting edge of technology change and will allow retailers to take advantage of how consumers are shopping, while providing enhancements to their levels of service.

Epson has taken the reliability and performance of their TM printers and added intelligence expanding functionality.  The entry-level product can print from any mobile device and is a gateway providing direct connectivity to the Cloud and access to loyalty program, couponing and real-time analytics.

The upper tier OmniLink can print from any mobile device and can also drop into and work seamlessly with existing POS systems, providing a smaller footprint.  It is a quick and cost-effective enhancement or alternative to the standard POS station.

The OmniLink allows retailers to protect their legacy POS investments while gaining access to the technology changes seen in the market. Point of Sale needs to more. It needs to provide a better service and customer experience.

Consumer vs. Rugged Devices: The Great Debate

If you are like me, you are trying to keep up with mobility trends and the impact of consumer devices in our space. I came across a solid piece from the Mobile® Enterprise editorial staff regarding consumer vs. rugged devices with regard to field force automation recently, and I think it makes a lot of sense.

Many think that consumer-grade devices are well suited for field service, but they don’t consider every day wear and tear that will cause premature device replacement. End users need to consider the total cost of ownership when considering consumer-grade devices – not just the initial purchase price.

It is important to consider the following when comparing consumer vs. rugged devices:

• Environment – will it be too hot, too humid?
• Peripherals – will there be additional costs for peripherals for key functions such as card swiping?
• What is the failure rate or need for 3^rd-party assistance? Or, what is the potential of downtime and loss of productivity? How will the issue affect the bottom line?

Consumer devices aren’t necessarily the right way to go when automating the field force.

The Datalogic Elf PDA Squashes those Pesky Bugs!

Considering the amount of ant hills I see in my yard every year, I can really appreciate the importance of a good bug man! To me, pest control seems pretty simple… find bug -> kill bug. However, it is a full blown field force application that, with the use of a good mobile PDA, can be really streamlined. Enter Okolona Pest Control (OPC) and Datalogic. Using the Datalogic Elf PDA, the OPC technicians have an electronic record of the service ticket, the client history, and their day’s work in the palm of their hand.

Find out more about the OPC story and how the Datalogic Elf Mobile PDA is keeping technicians efficient and customers happy!

Using Datalogic Mobility to Develop Remote Inventory Management in Healthcare

When most people think of ADC in healthcare environments they think Barcoding at the Point of Care (BPOC). Well yes, that is a major application in that vertical, but inventory management is huge in healthcare as well. Consider the tools that are floating around a hospital/doctor’s office/medical facility. If these items are not tracked appropriately that could be a huge area of lost dollars.

Datalogic recently worked with a company called Angioscore inc, which manufactures a balloon catheter used in treating arterial disease. Because Angioscore must track inventory and keep records of when their devices are used to get paid, it’s very important for them to stay on top of what is happening with them.

Check out this video with some more information on the implementation and uses of the Memor mobile computer in inventory management in the healthcare vertical.

Thermal Barcode Printers: A look at Printhead and DPI Requirements

Every printer needs a way of locating the Top of Form (top of the label.) Thermal Barcode Printers have two ways of doing this. Which one you use depends on the type of label you are using.

How the printer locates the Top of Form

• Gap/Notch Media
• Black Line Media (Black Bar, Mark)
• Continuous Media

Most labels have an 1/8th inch gap between each label. In this case the printer uses a Transmissive or Gap sensor. This sensor shines a light at the label while another sensor measures how much light is getting through. More light gets though the gap between labels letting the printer know where the Top of Form is. The same sensor works on labels/tags that have a hole or notch on one side.

The second type of sensor is a Reflective or Mark sensor. It is used for media that has a black line on the back. Instead of shining light through the label it shines light on the bottom and watches how much light is reflected back. When the light hits the black line the light level changes, letting the printer know where the Top of Form is.

Some media does not use either sensor. It is called Continuous, meaning there is no way for the printer to determine top of form. In these cases the sensors are just turned off. The printer just prints when you tell it to without looking for top of form. Receipt paper is an example of a continuous media.

Thermal Barcode Printers: Explaining Media and Ribbons

Labels

What’s important to keep in mind is there is a media for every application, be that a simple shipping label that only needs to last 3 days, or a warning label that needs to last 10 years on the side of a fishing boat in the North Atlantic. Both are labels, and both can be printed using the same Thermal Barcode Printer, but each is specifically designed to meet the needs of a very different environment.

• Paper Labels
• Synthetic Labels
• Tags
• Specialty Media
  • Wrist Bands
  • Jewelry
  • Linerless

Paper Labels:
These are perfect for a wide range of applications such as shipping labels, labels on file folder and shelves, price tags, etc. or any application where the label does not need to stand up to the elements. Their chief advantage is price.

Synthetic Labels:
These labels are made of synthetic materials such as polypropylene and polyester (plastics). They are used in situations where the label will be exposed to an environment that is unfriendly to paper. While outdoor application come to mind (the side of the fishing boat), they also have some level of resistance to exposure to chemicals (think Health Care). How much exposure and which chemicals can very on the specific make-up of the label which is why there are such a wide variety of synthetic materials available.

Tags:
Tags tend to be thick paper without adhesive on the back. Garment and shelf tags are their most common application.

Specialty Media:
Labels and tags tend to be the most common media, but we need to mention at least a few of the most popular specialty Medias. Wrist bands are not only used in health care but also common in event management. Jewelry labels are all referred to barbell or butterfly labels because of their unique shape. They are used for wrapping around small items such as rings. Linerless labels are labels without backing materials. They use special adhesives and usually require a non-stock Thermal Printer with special non-stick label handling mechanisms.

Ribbons:

The label is only half of the media solution. For Thermal Transfer labels it is important to keep in mind the ribbon has to match the type of label you are using. When in doubt just ask whoever made the label which ribbon is appropriate but there are some general rules you can follow. The difference between ribbons boils down to the type of ink they carry. Different formulations of inks are used to adhere to different types of materials.

• Wax
• Wax/Resin
• Resin

Wax:
Wax ribbons are for use with paper labels.

Wax/Resin:
Wax/Resin ribbons are used with synthetic labels that have a matte finish. Also good for certain “coated paper labels” which are paper labels that contain a thin clear coating.

Resin:
Resin ribbons are used with synthetic labels that have a gloss finish. It is usually clear when the wrong ribbon is being used, as the ink will tend to either print very light, or the ink that does transfer will flake off easily.

Call us today to learn more on thermal printers : 1866-888-0303

Thermal Barcode Printers: A look at Printhead and DPI Requirements

In real simple terms a Thermal Printhead is made up of a series of perfectly square heating elements over a ceramic substrate. These heating elements are usually referred to as dots. The number of these dots per inch (dpi) indicate the resolution of the printhead. The standard DPIs are 203, 305, 406, 609. The higher the DPI the smaller each dot, hence a higher resolution. Matching the DPI to the application is almost as important as selecting the correct media. The next few slides detail when each DPI would be used. Outside of North America it is common to see the printhead referred to in Dots Per Millimeter.

• 203 dpi – 8 dot
• 305 dpi – 12 dot
• 406 dpi – 16 dot
• 609 dpi – 24 dot

203 dpi – 8 dot

One reason the DPI is so important is it dictates the size of the barcodes that can be printed. For most general barcoding and labeling purposes a 203 dpi printer is adequate. Each dot in a 203 DPI – 8 dot printhead is 5 mils wide. Each mil is .001 of an inch. This means the dot is .005 inches wide. Since you cannot turn on half a dot (it is all or nothing) the smallest barcode that can be generated is 5 mils. The size of the barcode then goes up in increment of 5. So a 203 dpi – 8 dot printer can generate barcodes of 5 mils, 10 mils, 15 mils, etc. For most general applications a 5 mil barcode is small enough. Most standard scanners usually have a minimum read spec of about 5 mils anyway. As you can see from the illustration below some basic graphics are printable with 203 DPI – 8 dot.

305 dpi – 12 dot

305 dpi – 12 dot printer have dots that are 3.3 mils wide. This allows for printing of barcodes of close to 3 mils. Since most high density scanners have a minimum read spec of 3 mils, 300 dpi – 12 dot printers are adequate for most customers high density barcode printing needs. 305 dpi – 12 dot also allows for more detailed graphics and smaller font sizes. It also allows for a range of barcode sizes that are not available using 203 – 8 dot, printheads, 3 mil, 6 mil, 9 mil, etc. It is important to keep in mind that if a customer’s barcode spec is very specific, which some compliant barcode specs can be, that a specific DPI printer may be required. For example if the customer has to product a 5 mil barcode, with no variation at all, they will have to go with a 203 – 8 dot printhead. A 300 DPI – 12 dot printhead just cannot produce a 5 mil barcode. Thankfully most customers do not have to be quite so specific. Most customers would have a hard time telling the difference between a 5 mil barcode printed with a 203 dpi – 8dot printer and a 6.6 mil barcode generated with a 305dpi – 12dot printer.

406/609 dpi – 16/24 dot

406 DPI – 16 dot and 609 DPI – 24 dot, are used for applications where extreme resolutions are needed. Often the need is for very detailed graphics or fonts. They both also offer a greater range of barcode mil sizes as well, useful if a specific size is required. They also allow for extremely small 2d barcodes.

Determining your DPI

DPI/MM and “X” Dimension

• How does this relate to a bar code?
• Remember the “X” Dimension?
• How would I print a 10 mil bar code?
• What about a 5 mil bar code?
• 12 mil?
• 50 mil?
• Mil Spec 1182 or 100% UPC?
• Graphics?
• Highest quality graphics or photos?

As we have seen the Dots Per Inch directly effects the size barcodes that can be generated. It also effects the quality of the graphics and fonts. Take a second and think about which DPI you would recommend for each application.

Printhead Widths

In addition to different resolutions, printheads (and the printers that contain them) come in different widths. This allows you to chose the width that is closest to the actual label size you are printing. By far the most popular width in label printers is 4 inches. There are other options which would be used for narrow or wide labels. The sizes listed here are just examples. With a print width of 5.04 inches, the Zebra 140XiIII+ for example, will fall between these sizes and the Sato M10e has a printhead that is 10.5 inches wide. It is important to remember there is a max label width and a max print width listed on printer spec sheets. Max label width indicates the actual width of the label and liner that can fit in the printer. Max print width indicates the actual width of the heating elements. For example the Datamax I-4210 has a max media width of 4.65 but a max print width of 4.10 inch. Using media wider than 4.1 inches will simply result in white space on the edges.

Tagged as: Education, Thermal Barcode Printer, training

Mobile Computer Terminals: A Closer Look At Form Factors

Mobile Computers come in numerous designs and form factors to meet the ergonomic needs for many jobs and situations.

There are three main form factors categories:

• Handhelds
• Wearables
• Vehicle Mounts

Handheld Terminals

A handheld mobile computer is ergonomically designed to be held by the user. Some of the many options include:

• A choice of scan engine options (laser scanner, imager or camera for scanning barcodes)
• A touchscreen for ease of use.
• A number of different keypad configurations available ranging from simple PIM keypads to 53 key full alphanumeric keypads.
• Optional snap on devices that support a Mag Stripe Reader, GPS radio, RFID snap on or Cable Attachment Modules.
• Personal attachment options such as wrist straps and holsters for both hip and shoulder.

Handheld mobile computers are compact and easy to carry.

Many solutions may require add on items to accommodate printing or credit card transactions. Some mobile computers have optional snap on devices that support a Mag Stripe Reader, GPS radio, RFID snap on or Cable Attachment Modules.

Gun style handhelds:
Ergonomically best for scan intensive applications such as warehousing and back room inventory

Brick style handhelds:
Best for mostly data entry with a light scanning. Often seen in field service, route accounting and retail

Enterprise PDAs:
Compact form factor that incorporates WWAN communications and GPS, combining multiple devices into a single platform

Wearable Terminals

• Freedom of movement to perform barcode reading tasks quickly, safely and comfortably
• Wrist mounted or waist mounted with ring scanner
• Key based, pen based (touch screen) or both
• Hands-free wearable data collection

Wearable mobile computers are designed to allow the user to be able to use their hands to be able to perform other tasks, and be able to perform barcode reading tasks quickly, safely and comfortably. These units are mounted either on the wrist or waist, with a scanner that is worn on a finger or back of hand. The computer often has a keypad for data entry and a touchscreen for running applications.

Vehicle Mount Terminals

• Works with all forklifts (propane, gasoline and electric)
• Some designed for automobile use instead of forklifts
• Extremely rugged and shock tested
• Touch screen or full/compact keyboard options
• Peripheral ports for external scanners and/or printers
• Vehicle terminals support Win Mobile, Win CE and Win XP OS

Vehicle mount computers are designed to be used in vehicles such as forklifts, automobile, and trucks. They are built to be extremely rugged and tested against industry vibration standards. VMCs often have touchscreens and a variety of keyboard options for data entry. They have more real estate for dedicated peripheral ports for external scanners or printers. A variety of operating system options exist, such as Windows Mobile, CE and Windows XP.

Configuring 802.11 Wireless on Motorola Mobile Computers

ScanSource POS & Barcode Tech Services has put together this handy guide detailing setting up 802.11 wireless on Motorola mobile computers.

Microsoft Dynamics for Retail Delivers the Future of Omnichannel Customer Engagement Today

Microsoft Dynamics for Retail Delivers the Future of Omnichannel Customer Engagement Today

Introducing personal, connected and relevant retail experiences through true omnichannel management, next-generation point of sale and revolutionary e-commerce.

At the National Retail Federation’s annual conference today, Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq “MSFT”) announced the latest release of Microsoft Dynamics for Retail with new capabilities and next-generation innovation to help retailers deliver a complete shopping experience through end-to-end, search-based e-commerce; next-generation point of sale (POS); and a true omnichannel commerce engine. Building on Microsoft’s commitment to retail and delivering a widely available, end-to-end, omnichannel solution, adopted in more than 38 countries, these capabilities further enhance the unique value proposition of Microsoft Dynamics for Retail, helping leading retailers worldwide deliver the connected, personal and relevant experiences their customers expect.

Graeme Hackland, chief information officer of Lotus F1 Team, understands the critical need for speed, agility and delivering a compelling customer experience. Competing in one of the most popular sports in the world can be as challenging off the track as it is on when it comes to managing mission-critical business applications. The Lotus F1 Team is using Microsoft Dynamics to help fine-tune and drive every aspect of its business, from managing the design, manufacturing and testing of the 20,000-plus parts on each car to analyzing real-time data from the racetrack. The team now also plans to use Microsoft Dynamics for Retail to address POS, merchandising, e-commerce and more.

“We want to be in a position to win,” Hackland said. “We’re investing in people and technology, and we need to improve our processes. Microsoft Dynamics for Retail is going to help the team with specific retail challenges in 2014 and beyond.”

Edwin Watts Golf is an example of a true specialty retailer that during the past four years has grown its retail business to more than 90 retail locations in addition to direct mail and Internet sales. The company has also grown in its breadth of offerings with custom golf equipment, trade-ins and specialized customer service that was taxing the capabilities of its aging legacy systems. A leader in customer service, Edwin Watts Golf needed a solution that could offer a seamless customer experience across all its retail channels while also giving it the flexibility and agility to maintain its best practices.

“Many vendors offer strong POS solutions, but Microsoft Dynamics for Retail offered us the complete omnichannel experience — including phone and Internet sales channels,” said Lynda Barr, chief financial officer, Edwin Watts Golf. “Our products, especially golf clubs, are complex in that they are offered in a variety of technical specifications. As a result, we fill a high percentage of custom orders, we offer trade-in credit for old equipment and we have very specific customer service requirements. Thus, we needed the flexibility and ease of customization offered by Microsoft Dynamics for Retail that no other vendor could deliver to meet our business needs.”

Microsoft Dynamics for Retail delivers the future of omnichannel customer engagement with new innovations such as the following:

• Revolutionary e-commerce. Retailers looking for an accurate, timely, consistent online experience for their customers, while reducing complexity for themselves, finally have a solution. Microsoft Dynamics for Retail offers end-to-end e-commerce, based on powerful, next-generation search technology, with a fully integrated Web storefront, complete catalog and real-time order management.

• Next-generation POS. Today’s empowered consumers have access to seemingly endless sources of information through smart devices. Retailers can now be on a level playing field with a POS solution without limits. Custom content, rich product details and critical customer insight can be pulled from any channel to the fully configurable, touch-optimized Microsoft Dynamics Point of Sale. And with full support for POS on Windows Phone 8 and powerful tablet devices such as Microsoft Surface, retailers have the power of choice in the devices they leverage to seamlessly engage with their customers.

• True omnichannel commerce engine. Managing multiple channels for retailers today means inefficiency, since outdated and complex technology solutions rely on multiple commerce engines that require retailers to perform the same tasks over and over in hopes of achieving the desired result. Microsoft Dynamics for Retail uniquely offers an omnichannel commerce engine to manage all of a retailer’s channels. This means creating a promotion, discount or other strategic initiative just one time and having it light up every relevant customer touch point. This allows the retailers to be agile and opportunistic to help them stay ahead of the trends, reduce complexity and reduce costs.

Retailers worldwide, including Diane von Furstenberg, Eason, Fanatics Inc., Marc Jacobs, Mattress Firm and Optic 2000, have chosen Microsoft Dynamics for Retail to take their businesses into the future.

“We work with retailers around the world to help them become Dynamic — connected, personal, agile and opportunistic — but it’s as much about the technology as the strategy,” said Michael Griffiths, global product industry director, Retail & Distribution, Microsoft Business Solutions. “Retailers need innovation and a modern architecture for omnichannel, POS and e-commerce to be about more than just marketing. We invest more than any other vendor in globalization and solution research and development to ensure that we support our customers with an industry-leading solution whose capabilities are built to work together, offering retailers a vision for the future that helps reduce cost and complexity — allowing them to always be ready for what’s next.”

Further Information

More information on the new capabilities of Microsoft Dynamics for Retail can be found athttp://www.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics/retail.aspx.

About Microsoft Dynamics

At the heart of every successful business are the people who make things happen. Microsoft Dynamics designs modern business solutions that empower individuals with intuitive tools that allow them to do their best work. Our proactive, easy-to-use business applications adapt to the way people and systems work, enabling businesses to rapidly deploy and be forward-looking in an ever-changing world.

To Learn more about Microsoft Retail Management System Call us at 1866-888-0303

Microsoft Expands Distribution of its Retail Management System

Microsoft announced agreements with two of its key retail distribution partners, ScanSource and Tech Data, on Monday that will make Microsoft Business Solutions Retail Management System (RMS) available to the distributors' authorized reselling partners. To learn more about Microsoft RMS , please contact us at 1866-888-0303

Aldelo, LP. Releases Aldelo POS 2013

Pleasanton, California, March 28, 2013 - Aldelo, LP., the leading provider of field proven, feature rich, and easy to use restaurant POS software solutions for the hospitality industry, announced the release of its Aldelo POS 2013.

"We are pleased to release the newest version of our software, "stated Harry Tu, President. "Although the design has a new, customizable look, Aldelo POS 2013 (formerly known as Aldelo For Restaurants) has more than just a pretty face. There are more than 100 updates to the previous version to enhance ease of use, productivity, and profits."

About Aldelo

Aldelo, LP. develops software solutions for the hospitality industry and is a leading provider of point of sale and management systems for independent and chain establishments, including restaurants and food and beverage operations in hotels, resorts, and clubs. Aldelo has over 80,000 installations in 15 countries and manages a worldwide distribution network of more than 400 dealers, which enforces the company's international position. The Aldelo® For Restaurants and XERA POS software suites offer a complete set of solutions to effectively manage restaurants of any size, earning a reputation for innovation and excellence by meeting and exceeding the needs of its customers. To learn more about Aldelo PRO and Aldelo Lite 

10 tips to drive traffic to your website with Google Places & Local Search

Ever wonder why some businesses show up before yours in Google’s local search results? We have too.  So we asked the search experts over at WebsiteBiz.comand Amanda gave us some great advice to pass on to you.

Let’s start with some eye-opening stats. Did you know that according to searchengineland.com, a leading search engine blog, only 37% of businesses have claimed their local business on one or more search engines? And approximately 50% of Google users search for a local business at least once per month. That is some serious opportunity to tap into.

According to Amanda, here are 10 great tips to help you drive more traffic from local search:

1. Google Places Title – Note that for a title tag of the listing itself, Google Places sometimes pulls from the Google Places posting and sometimes pulls from the website homepage’s title tag. Use your actual business name in the title. If you are South Carolina Technology Experts LLC, don’t just put South Carolina Technology Experts. Don’t add additional keywords in title. Google detects this as trying to unfairly optimize.
2. Google Places Additional Details Section – Include geo-modifiers and other important keywords for your business here.
3. Google Places Categories – Don’t use keywords or geo-modifiers here. Just make them a very accurate description of what you do.
4. Business address proximity to center of the city – The closer your address is to the center of the city, the more importance Google places on your relevance to a certain city. Some people try to use other addresses than their business address to try to rank higher. However, Google has been known to figure that out somehow and penalize those listings. Some people have reported people calling them claiming to be with Google and asking if their Google Places address is their primary place of business. Do not use a P.O. box!
5. Reviews – Number of reviews with 4 or 5 star ratings will boost your SEO for the Google Places page. Don’t do it all in one week, but over time, ask real customers here and there to add a review.
6. Phone Number – Make sure to use a local phone number for the city for which you are trying to optimize. Never use an 800 number.
7. Off-Page Directory Links – Don’t just use Google Places to list your site. Use other popular online directories Yahoo, White Pages, Business.com, etc. Make sure to use the same address and phone number for every listing across directories.  Contact info consistency is very important for local search. For example, some businesses list their store address on some directories and their office address on others. Also, claim any outdated listings and make sure to update the information so it is consistent.
8. More Images – Upload images and media on your Google Places pages. Also upload images using Panoramio and make sure to add alt tags and optimize image file names. Images show up for local search results and case studies show users are much, much more likely to click for a picture. Users will even bypass the first 5 or so results if something further down has a picture.
9. Geo-Tag Your Media – A geo-tag is a type of meta data that allows you to enter in coordinates for a relevant location for your images or video. Depending on your website management system, you might be able to upload a plug-in to help you input this data.
10. More Citations –Get more NAPUs (name, address, phone number, url) on other sites. Your business name and contact info listed on other sites are great for increasing local search results, they don’t even need to be hyperlinked back.

Last but not least, make sure to complete every section  of the Google Places profile (Your profile should say 100% complete at the top when you log in). Google Places optimization goes hand-in hand with local optimization for your business