What other Microsoft RMS/HQ Users are doing for RMS End of Life

NOTE: I am keeping this updated as we move through 2021 as best I can

As a wild 2020 quickly comes to a close, more and more retailers are contacting me for advice specific to the Microsoft Dynamics RMS / HQ point of sale software and the upcoming end of extended support dates.

Many of you have even paid my travel expenses so I could come onsite to advise/consult/meet in person!

A summery of retailers that I've had in person or phone conversations with broken down by whether HQ is being used or not.

Not Using HQ (approx 475 single location stores that I have spoken with):

• 132 of you have upgraded to Retail Management Hero or Cloud Retailer
• 50 of you have replaced RMS with a different POS system (NCR CounterPoint SQL, Bindo, ShopKeep, LightSpeed, LiquorPOS, Netsuite, Epicore, Vend, and Clover appear to be the most popular)
• 125 of you have moved to stand alone payment terminals and will stick with that for the next 2+ years
• 142 of you have put in Card Defender and will stick with that for the next 2+ years 
• The remaining retailers have put in other payment terminal solutions as provided by your merchant services company (eg. Shift 4) or have not communicated back to me what your plans are

Using HQ (approx 57 chains that I have met/spoken with over the last 24 months):

1. 3 location chain: staying on RMS for now - will start exploring options in late 2019
2. 4 location chain: staying on RMS for now but will replace by Oct 2019. Looking at ERP or POS with built in accounting
3. 8 location chain: still on RMS for now. Looking at options but nothing shared back to me.
4. 4 location chain: staying on RMS and no plans to replace at this time
5. 5 location chain: put in Card Defender. Will keep using RMS for another 2+ years
6. 3 location chain: replaced RMS/HQ with SalesPad as they use Dynamics GP for accounting
7. 18 location chain: started replacing RMS/HQ with Netsuite
8. 9 location chain: started replacing RMS/HQ with Netsuite
9. 50 location chain: replaced RMS and HQ with NCR CounterPoint 
10. 2 location chain: staying on RMS for another 2+ years
11. 38 location chain: staying on RMS for now - will evaluate replacement options in 2019 or 2020
12. 8 location chain: staying on RMS for now - will evaluate replacement options in 2019 or 2020
13. 5 location chain: staying on RMS for now - will evaluate replacement options in 2019 or 2020
14. 4 location chain: staying on RMS for now - will evaluate replacement options in 2019 or 2020
15. 14 location chain: staying on RMS for now - will evaluate replacement options in 2019 or 2020
16. 18 location chain: just starting to evaluate options as of late 2018
17. 3 location chain: staying on RMS for now - will evaluate replacement options in 2019 or 2020
18. 6 location chain: Put in Cloud Retailer with Card Defender at all locations.
19. 297 location franchise (technically not using HQ) - put in Card Defender, likely moving to Epicore in 2022.
20. 2 location chain: staying RMS for the time being - looking at Card Defender and updating some hardware
21. 3 location chain: Replacing RMS/HQ with Cloud Retailer and Card Defender
22. 7 location chain: staying on RMS/HQ for now but recently implemented Card Defender at all locations
23. 5 location chain: initiated process to start putting in Netsuite per a franchise agreement.
24. 16 location chain: just starting the process to look at RMS/HQ replacement options
25. 2 location chain: replaced RMS with Retail Management Hero
26. 2 location chain: moving to Cloud Retailer now for deployment in late summer 2019
27. 16 location chain: moving to Cloud Retailer now for deployment in late 2019
28. 34 location chain: exploring options like Cloud Retailer for deployment in 2019 or 2020
29. 18 location chain: exploring options via an RFI to replace RMS/HQ in late 2020
30. 8 location chain: put out an RFI in 1/2019 for RMS/HQ replacement options and still evaluating as of 8/2019.
31. 40 location chain in Oregon: just now starting to look at RMS replacement options - very interested in Retail Management Hero but see no replacement for HQ yet if using RMH and the Retail Management Hero discounts end April 2020.
32. 45 location chain in Illinois: just now starting to look at RMS replacement options - very interested in Retail Management Hero but see no replacement for HQ yet if using RMH and the Retail Management Hero discounts end April 2020.
33. 50 location chain in Ohio: Renewing their maintenance program for RMS/HQ support with RITE. Very honestly told me that there is nothing on the market that matches their size of retail operation that isn't super expensive. They are looking at the Cloud Retailer option as well.
34. 19 location chain in California: just starting their search for RMS replacement options.
35. 3 location chain in Texas: using the DRS Bike Interface for RMS - holding out for RMH Central to be released soon.
36. 5 location chain in Washington State: Moving from RMS/HQ to Cloud Retailer
37. 19 location chain in Washington State and Alaska: awaiting an appointment with me to discuss further.
38. 12 location chain in Oregon: testing out In Store POS in 3 locations as a potential RMS/HQ replacement
39. 2 location chain in California: just starting the search - expressed some interest in Cloud Retailer
40. 2 Location chain in Arkansas: just starting the search - looking at Cloud  Retailer and RMH for now.
41. 4 location chain in South Dakota: just starting to look at RMS replacement options
42. 5 location chain in Alaska: replaced RMS/HQ with Celerant
43. 7 location chain in Canada: looking at options now
44. 4 location chain in AZ: looking at options like Cloud Retailer now
45. 39 location chain across the US: replaced RMS/HQ with RMH and RMH Central (and hate it - see their review here: https://www.softwareadvice.com/retail/retail-management-hero-profile/
46. 3 location chain in the NE US: Didn't know that RMS was End of Life - not sure what they will be doing
47. 2 location chain in Alaska: hanging on to RMS and HQ for the time being due to negative reviews of RMH Central
48. 2 location chain in Alaska: starting the search for an RMS replacement to put in late 2020. Is looking at Cloud Retailer.
49. 18 location chain in South Dakota: elected to replace RMS/HQ with Cloud Retailer
50. 22 location chain in Oregon:  Replacing RMS/HQ with Cloud Retailer 
51. 29 location chain in the southeast US: replacing RMS/HQ with RMH/RMH Central
    

I have 5 other chains (with 3 to 5 stores each) that I've spoken with but have not been keeping me updated on their plans.

(Disclaimer: Microsoft RMS will not magically stop working come July of 2020 or July of 2021 but it will become more difficult to support over time as technology changes. I will continue to support RMS past July 2021 but this will not be indefinite).

RMS Issues/Motivation to Change

1. End of support for Windows 7
2. End of support for Microsoft RMS
3. Pressure / additional fees from merchant services provider for using an outdated POS system
4. End of Retail Management Hero (RMH) licence discounts for Microsoft RMS users
5. Lack of peripheral hardware support
6. Not able to re-activate license keys
7. Fee's being charged by merchant services provider for using "retired" POS software
8. Fee's being charged by merchant services provider for not paying RMS maintenance ("BRAP")
9. Various integrations no longer working
10. Issues with Windows 10
11. Current Microsoft RMS Partner/VAR/Dealer/Reseller ending support for RMS and HQ.

Footnote on RMS Add-ons:

Some of you rely on various RMS add-on's like PoolCorp, ShipRush or the bike store and service modules from DRS for RMS. At this time, you can't move away from RMS without losing these add-on's. Initial indications are that many of these add-on's will work with some of the RMS replacement programs as we get closer to 2020 and 2021 (subject to change of course).

If you would like to have an in-person or phone conversation about the future of the Microsoft Dynamics RMS point of sale software and advice specific to your retail business, please contact me at 208-340-5632 or kevinantosh@gmail.com.

Please do share this post/site with other retailers who are using RMS / HQ as well.

What other Microsoft RMS/HQ Users are doing for RMS End of Life

NOTE: I am keeping this updated as we move through 2019 instead of creating a whole new blog post.

As 2018 quickly comes to a close, more and more retailers are contacting me for advice specific to the Microsoft Dynamics RMS / HQ point of sale software and the upcoming end of extended support dates.

7 of you have even paid my travel expenses in 2018 so I could come onsite to advise/consult/meet in person!

A summery of retailers that I've had in person or phone conversations with broken down by whether HQ is being used or not.

Not Using HQ (approx 400 439 single location stores that I have spoken with):

• 106 of you have upgraded to Retail Management Hero or Cloud Retailer
• 46 of you have replaced RMS with a different POS system (NCR CounterPoint SQL, Bindo, ShopKeep, LightSpeed, QuickBooks POS, and Clover appear to be the most popular)
• 120 of you have moved to stand alone payment terminals and will stick with that for the next 2+ years
• 120 132 of you have put in Card Defender and will stick with that for the next 2+ years 
• The remaining retailers have put in other payment terminal solutions as provided by your merchant services company (eg. Shift 4) or have not communicated back to me what your plans are

Using HQ (approx 38 chains that I have met/spoken with over the last 24 months):

1. 3 location chain: staying on RMS for now - will start exploring options in 2019
2. 4 location chain: staying on RMS for now but will replace by Oct 2019. Looking at ERP or POS with built in accounting
3. 8 location chain: still on RMS for now. Looking at options but nothing shared back to me.
4. 4 location chain: staying on RMS and no plans to replace at this time
5. 5 location chain: put in Card Defender. Will keep using RMS for another 2+ years
6. 3 location chain: replaced RMS/HQ with SalesPad as they use Dynamics GP for accounting
7. 18 location chain: started replacing RMS/HQ with Netsuite
8. 9 location chain: started replacing RMS/HQ with Netsuite
9. 50 location chain: replaced RMS and HQ with NCR CounterPoint - project has been halted for various reasons and they are now searching again for RMS replacement options
10. 2 location chain: staying on RMS for another 2+ years
11. 38 location chain: staying on RMS for now - will evaluate replacement options in 2019 or 2020
12. 8 location chain: staying on RMS for now - will evaluate replacement options in 2019 or 2020
13. 5 location chain: staying on RMS for now - will evaluate replacement options in 2019 or 2020
14. 4 location chain: staying on RMS for now - will evaluate replacement options in 2019 or 2020
15. 14 location chain: staying on RMS for now - will evaluate replacement options in 2019 or 2020
16. 18 location chain: just starting to evaluate options as of late 2018
17. 3 location chain: staying on RMS for now - will evaluate replacement options in 2019 or 2020
18. 6 location chain: staying on RMS for now - will evaluate replacement options in 2019 or 2020 Put in Cloud Retailer with Card Defender at all locations.
19. 297 location franchise (technically not using HQ) - put in Card Defender, likely moving to Epicore in 2020
20. 2 location chain: staying RMS for the time being - looking at Card Defender and updating some hardware
21. 3 location chain: Replacing RMS/HQ with Cloud Retailer and Card Defender
22. 7 location chain: staying on RMS/HQ for now but recently implemented Card Defender at all locations
23. 5 location chain: initiated process to start putting in Netsuite per a franchise agreement.
24. 16 location chain: just starting the process to look at RMS/HQ replacement options
25. 2 location chain: replaced RMS with Retail Management Hero
26. 2 location chain: putting in Cloud Retailer now for deployment in late 2019
27. 16 location chain: putting in Cloud Retailer now for deployment in late 2019
28. 34 location chain: exploring options like Cloud Retailer for deployment in 2019 or 2020
29. 18 location chain: exploring options via an RFI to replace RMS/HQ in late 2020
30. 8 location chain: put out an RFI in 1/2019 for RMS/HQ replacement options and still evaluating as of 6/2019.
31. 40 location chain in Oregon: just now starting to look at RMS replacement options - very interested in Retail Management Hero but see no replacement for HQ yet and the Retail Management Hero discounts end April 2020.
32. 45 location chain in Illinois: just now starting to look at RMS replacement options - very interested in Retail Management Hero but see no replacement for HQ yet and the Retail Management Hero discounts end April 2020.
33. 34 location chain in Ohio: Renewing their maintenance program for RMS/HQ support with RITE. Very honestly told me that there is nothing on the market that matches their size of retail operation that isn't super expensive. They are looking at the Cloud Retailer option as well.
34. 19 location chain in California: just starting their search for RMS replacement options.

I have 5 other chains (with 3 to 5 stores each) that I've spoken with but have not been keeping me updated on their plans.

(Disclaimer: Microsoft RMS will not magically stop working come July of 2020 or July of 2021 but it will become more difficult to support over time as technology changes. We have 11 support techs and will keep supporting RMS/HQ as along as feasibly possible)

RMS Issues/Motivation to Change

1. End of support for Windows 7
2. End of support for Microsoft RMS
3. Pressure / additional fees from merchant services provider for using an outdated POS system
4. End of Retail Management Hero (RMH) licence discounts for Microsoft RMS users
5. Lack of peripheral hardware support

Footnote on RMS Add-ons:

Some of you rely on various RMS add-on's like PoolCorp, ShipRush or the bike store and service modules from DRS for RMS. At this time, you can't move away from RMS without losing these add-on's. Initial indications are that many of these add-on's will work with some of the RMS replacement programs as we get closer to 2021 (subject to change of course).

If you would like to have an in-person or phone conversation about the future of the Microsoft Dynamics RMS point of sale software and advice specific to your retail business, please contact me at 208-340-5632 or kevinantosh@gmail.com.

Please do share this post/site with other retailers who are using RMS / HQ as well.

Updates on the Retail Management Hero Point of Sale Software

Fresh off of the product update webinar today, here are the latest updates on the Retail Management Hero point of sale software version 3.3.2:

• 414 Total Deployments
• Lots of new features/functions added - some highlights:
• Support of OPOS Scale/Scanners
• Support of Dual Cash Drawers
• Basic Time Clock
• Blind Closeout
• Returns at Different Store
• Card Defender is now available for RMH
• Only processor agnostic solution
• No contracts
• No per transaction fees
• Only solution for RMH that works with TSYS and First Data (that I am aware of)
• Focus on Stability versus adding Features and Functions
• RMH Release 3.4 July 2017
• Task Pads
• Reports change to what RMS offered
• RMH Release 3.5 Q3 2017
• Customer feedback improvements
• RMH Central Integration
• RMH Central 1.0 Q3 2017
• Replacement for Microsoft Dynamics RMS HQ
• On premise or cloud versions
• No more worksheets! 
• RESTful and WebSocket API's for near real time 2 way communications
• Windows App and future web based application
• Pricing to be determined
• RMH Web Services
• Light weight POS client
• Use on mobile devices
• Android and iOS support
• Available via app store/pricing to be determined 
• Online Purchases of RMH and related hardware
• RMH website will allow for online purchases (coming late summer 2017)
• Sale still needs to be completed by a certified RMH Partner
• More training and users guide documentation coming soon

Great to see the "roadmap" and successes specific to Retail Management Hero as well as RMH Central! I'm excited as this opens the door to Microsoft Dynamics RMS HQ users who would rather not invest in a new POS system and have to start from scratch with all their data (and training, setup, expenses, ect). 

My personal advise specific to RMH Central is to wait until the program has stabilized before deploying - this likely means waiting until Q1 2018 (and I already have multiple retailers lined up to do this!).

Confused? Have questions? Need advice?  Contact me at 208-340-5632 or kevinantosh@gmail.com as I do work for a tier one Microsoft Dynamics Partner (RMS, HQ and Dynamics 365) who is also fully certified to sell, install, and support Retail Management Hero.

Link to the full webinar:
https://vimeo.com/223827824?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_feed%3B33tgIwY%2FSu62nAyLW8YF%2Bw%3D%3D

Microsoft Dynamics RMS Replacements: Retail Management Hero and Cloud Retailer

So, I had originally made the video below to help paint stores determine which retail point of sale program might be better for their business but realized that the video is also a good overview showing how to determine whether Retail Management Hero or Cloud Retailer is a better replacement point of sale program for the Microsoft Dynamics RMS software.

Here is the video:

As always, contact me at kevinantosh@gmail.com or 208-340-5632 with any retail point of sale related questions.

Real World RMS to RMH Upgrade Costs

Now that I have had the opportunity to provide specific proposals for retailers wanting to upgrade from the Microsoft RMS point of sale software to the new Retail Management Hero point of sale software (RMS version 3), I'm quite pleased to pass along that the costs are very realistic compared to having to purchase a new point of sale system.

Factoring in the discounts that I have been offering, a typical retail store is only spending around $2,000 to $5,000 on the upgrade. The variables related to how many computers are using RMS in a selling capacity and whether or not any of the hardware needs to be replaced.

Not bad compared to spending $8,000 to $12,000 on a new POS system or going with a subscription based point of sale system that has $1,500 to $3,000 in upfront hardware costs and $4,740 to $10,740 in subscription fees over the course of 5 years (plus you don't get to keep all of your historical data with these options).

How to obtain a 30 day trial version of Retail Management Hero: http://www.pospondering.com/2017/01/how-to-obtain-30-day-trial-license-of.html

Want to learn more? In the US and in need of no cost retail point of sale advice? I can be reached using the contact form to the right, on my cell phone at 208-340-5632 or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com.

Retail Management Hero Promotional Pricing Extended to Microsoft POS 2007/2009/2.0 Users

A quick note that Retail Realm and Retail Hero have let me know that users of the Microsoft POS 2007, 2009 and 2.0 point of sale programs can also upgrade to the new Retail Management Hero point of sale software program at the $250/license cost (plus maintenance and labor/new hardware as required).

This is a really great opportunity for stores using these point of sale software programs to upgrade to a newer point of sale program!

Be sure to contact me at 208-340-5632 or kevinantosh@gmail.com for more information (US only please).

Another Option for Microsoft Dynamics RMS Users: eMobilePOS

I recently had the opportunity to learn more about eMobilePOS who actually offers an option allowing businesses and organizations using the Microsoft Dynamics RMS point of sale software to use mobile devices like tablets while still using the core RMS SQL database.

eMobilePOS has multiple different options and solutions available depending on what type of business you have. You can learn more about eMobilePOS by visiting: http://www.emobilepos.com/

NCR CounterPoint SQL as an Upgrade or Replacement for Microsoft Dynamics RMS

A quick reminder that sales of Microsoft Dynamics RMS and HQ to new users as well as mainstream support ends next year (2016) so please keep that in mind if you are thinking of purchasing RMS or HQ as point of sale software for your business or organization.

April 3rd, 2016, new video review/overview of the NCR CounterPoint SQL point of sale software: http://retailpospondering.blogspot.com/2016/04/updated-review-of-ncr-counterpoint-sql.html

With the EMV Liability Shift Deadline looming as well as the "end of life" status form Microsoft Dynamics RMS and HQ, I wanted to revisit NCR CounterPoint SQL as a logical upgrade from RMS.

I've had direct experience in the past with retail stores and museums replacing RMS with NCR CounterPoint and overall the experience has been positive. It is easy to transfer the data from RMS to NCR CounterPoint SQL and users appreciated the additional features and functions that NCR CounterPoint SQL offers. The user interface for NCR CounterPoint SQL is very different from the user interface in RMS but is also more customizable.

As NCR CounterPoint SQL offers a lot more than RMS, dedicated training sessions are a "must have" as is allowing for time to transition to a new point of sale system. Another bonus is that NCR CounterPoint SQL works with most of the same peripherals (barcode scanners, cash drawers, etc) as Microsoft Dynamics RMS.  NCR CounterPoint SQL is also much better suited for multi-location environments that using Microsoft Dynamics HQ.

About the only complaints that I heard from businesses and organizations who upgraded to NCR CounterPoint SQL from Microsoft Dynamics RMS is that the reporting in NCR CounterPoint SQL is not as robust as the reporting in Microsoft Dynamics RMS. In most cases this was overcome by writing custom reports using Crystal Reports.

Are you  in the US and in need of no cost retail point of sale advice?  I'm happy to help and can be reached on my cell at 208-340-5632 (I am on Mountain Time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com. There is also a contact form to the right that can be used to reach me.

EMV Options for Microsoft Dynamics RMS (and HQ) Point of Sale Software Users

Update July 2016: Since many Microsoft RMS point of sale software would like to keep using RMS for another couple of years but still need to deal with the EMV Liability Shift Date, visit this post for more information on the Card Defender EMV add-on for Microsoft RMS versions 1.3 and higher (and HQ as well): http://retailpospondering.blogspot.com/2016/06/card-defender-emv-add-on-for-microsoft.html

Video explaining the different EMV Liability Shift Date options and offering advice for users of the Microsoft Dynamics RMS (and HQ) point of sale programs in the United States. Covers all the options from doing nothing, using separate credit card terminals, using a payment gateway, or switching to a different point of sale system.

Between EMV and the 'end of life' status with RMS and HQ, just about everyone using RMS (including HQ) has to take some course of action.

I have already been contacted by 1102 stores and organizations using RMS (with about 12 also using HQ) for free and unbiased advice and direction so this is real word advice and not sales fluff. If you are in need of free and unbiased advice - including trusted contacts at any of the solutions that I mention in the video of which many are offering significant discounts to RMS users - please contact me via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com or on my cell at 208-340-5632.  You can also visit my contact page for other ways to get in touch with me.

Microsoft Dynamics RMS and HQ Buying Group

A quick reminder that sales of Microsoft Dynamics RMS and HQ to new users as well as mainstream support ends next year (2016) so please keep that in mind if you are thinking of purchasing RMS or HQ as point of sale software for your business or organization.

Update July 5th, 2015:  I've now had 731 stores using RMS contact me and, while the "RMS buying group" sounds great, it is proving to be too cumbersome to coordinate.  What I have done instead is work out some discounts for RMS users with various point of sale program that have already proven to be popular replacements for RMS and HQ. Visit my contact page for information on how to reach me for more details and to see how I can direct you to the best resources.

I wanted to pass along this idea: since I'm now in contact with over 720 stores in the United States that currently use the Microsoft Dynamics RMS point of sale software (with around 17 also using HQ), would it be good for all of you to connect with each other?

Based on my records, none of you are in competition with each other but all of you are seriously considering replacing RMS/HQ with a different point of sale solution. 720 stores approaching a vendor who can offer a solution to replace RMS/HQ would mean huge buying power (think along the lines of the buying groups that many of you are members of). While its likely that one point of sale program will not meet everyone's needs, the potential for cost savings is huge even if some of you go with one solution and others choose a different solution.

If you have any questions, comments, suggestions or want to get on the "list" - please get in touch with me using the contact form to the right, via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com, or on my cell at 208-340-5632.

New Option for RMS/HQ Users - Retail Management Hero

Updated information on Retail Management Hero as a direct replacement for RMS as of December 3rd, 2015: http://retailpospondering.blogspot.com/2015/12/updated-information-on-new-retail.html

New video discussing options for Dynamics RMS and HQ users as of December 5th, 2015: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evVWS7dj0Bs

How to obtain a 30 day trial version of Retail Management Hero: http://www.pospondering.com/2017/01/how-to-obtain-30-day-trial-license-of.html

Wanted to let all of you using the  Microsoft Dynamics RMS point of sale software more about the new Retail Management Hero point of sale software that will be available in late 2015 or early 2016. Please keep in mind that all the information is subject to change as the software is still in development mode.

Retail Management Hero (RMH) is being developed as a solution for single location RMS users and smaller chains using HQ that don't have the size or budget to migrate to Retail Realm Essentials. RMH could truly be considered RMS version 3 as the core database will remain the nearly the same but the user interface will be completely updated and new features will be added.

This is great for RMS users as the plan is that you can transfer your data (inventory, customers, etc) from RMS to RMH.  Even better is that the current plan is to offer free licenses of RMH to RMS users who are current on their software maintenance. Users who have opted not to stay current on their software maintenance will be able to purchase licenses of RMH.

About the only bummer in all of this (for RMS users) is that it appears that RMH will not be available in time to meet the October 1st, 2015 EMV Liability Shift Date in the US. This means that RMS users still need to make arrangements related to EMV along with the associated hardware and software costs.

You can always contact me with any questions related to RMH, RMS or point of sale in general. All advice is free and unbiased (up to 1 hour of my time).

I'm working on getting some screen caps and more details related to RMH and will post more information as it becomes available as I personally know about 700 stores in the US using RMS of which around 15 also use HQ.

Based on the interest from end users as well as Microsoft Partners it looks like the folks at Retail Hero have a goldmine on their hands!  Now they just need to get the software ready for deployment.

Are you  in the US and in need of no cost retail point of sale advice?  I'm happy to help and can be reached on my cell at 208-340-5632 (I am on Mountain Time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com. There is also a contact form to the right that can be used to reach me.

Future Option for Microsoft Dynamics RMS Point of Sale Users

Update July 2016, Retail Management Hero demo and overview: http://retailpospondering.blogspot.com/2016/07/new-version-of-rmsretail-management.html

Updated information on Retail Management Hero as a direct replacement for RMS as of December 3rd, 2015: http://retailpospondering.blogspot.com/2015/12/updated-information-on-new-retail.html

New video discussing options for Dynamics RMS and HQ users as of December 5th, 2015: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evVWS7dj0Bs

Looking towards the end of 2015 or early 2016, it appears that users of the Microsoft Dynamics RMS point of sale software will have the option to trade up to new point of sale software. The new point of sale software is currently being written with a target release date towards the end of 2015.  This new software will offer features and functions similar to what RMS offers and will be marketed towards single location and small chain retail businesses.

The good news is that the intention is to offer free licenses of the new software to RMS users who are current on their annual software maintenance. If you are not current on your annual software maintenance then licences of the new software can be purchased at $250.00/lane plus required first year maintenance at $215/lane.. The new software licenses are slated to have a license cost similar to an RMS license.

The bad news is that this new point of sale software will not be available until after the EMV Liability Shift Date has passed so current RMS users still need to make plans related to EMV and chip based credit and debit cards.

Of course, if you have not been staying current on your annual RMS software maintenance then you are behind the eight ball already.

My advice remains the same - now is the time to look at your options related to replacing RMS or continuing to invest in RMS.   Don't wait too long or you will end up end the back of line with the thousands of other RMS users who waited until the last minute.

Are you  in the US and in need of no cost retail point of sale advice?  I'm happy to help and can be reached on my cell at 208-340-5632 (I am on Mountain Time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com. There is also a contact form to the right that can be used to reach me.

Take Aways from the 2015 Retail Realm Conference for Microsoft Dynamics RMS and HQ Users

Updated information on the upcoming Retail Management Hero Software (or what I am coining "RMS 3.0 for 2015 and beyond") can be found here: http://retailpospondering.blogspot.com/2015/06/new-option-for-rmshq-users-retail.html

The recent Retail Realm Conference in April of 2015 helped clarify the current situation related to the Microsoft RMS and HQ point of sale programs. Here are the highlights:

• Sales of RMS to new users will end July 2016
• Extended support for RMS will end July 2021
• Right now complying with the October 1st 2015 EMV Liability Shift Date in the US can only be accomplished using paid third party payment gateways or using payment terminals that are not connected to RMS
• If you do not stay current on your annual software maintenance agreement, you will not qualify for any updates or license swap options for new point of sale programs
• Retail Realm Essentials is a new point of sale program that is a possible replacement option for stores with multiple locations that also currently use HQ.
• Retail Management Hero is a new program under development that is designed for single location RMS users and they will be offering license swap options to RMS users who are current on their annual maintenance. No word on when Retail Management Hero will be available other than that the software presently is about "40% complete". 

There are obviously some trends that you need to be aware of based on the above information:

• If you are not current on your annual maintenance for RMS and/or HQ - your options are very limited for EMV/Chip Cards and switching to Retail Realm Essentials or Retail Management Hero.
• It does not make sense to invest in RMS at this point if you are searching for a point of sale system for your business or organization (would you buy a car if you knew that you could no longer obtain service for it after a specific date?).
• If you are current on your software maintenance then Retail Realm Essentials might be an option if you presently also use HQ and have multiple store locations.
• Retail Management Hero may be a good option for single stores using RMS or stores that do not use or need HQ and are also current on their annual maintenance agreement. However it is not clear when Retail Management Hero will be available.

My advice to RMS and HQ Users:

1. Make a plan for EMV/Chip Cards
2. If not current on software maintenance, look at either replacing RMS or look at the cost to renew your software maintenance
3. Make a plan as to whether you want to keep investing in RMS/HQ, for how long, and whether Retail Realm Essentials or Retail Management Hero are possible replacement programs
4. Look at other point of sale options just to see what might be of interest to you - a lot has changed over the last couple of years and you may find that a much better option exists for your business or organization that is well worth the cost to switch point of sale systems.

If you need some unbiased advice, please visit my contact page for information on how to reach me. I've worked extensively with QuickSell 2000, QuickSell HQ, QuickSell Commerce, Microsoft Dynamics RMS, HQ, and multiple other point of sale programs and apps. Currently I'm offering  advice and information to around 700 stores in the US using RMS of which around 15 also use HQ.

Are you  in the US and in need of no cost retail point of sale advice?  I'm happy to help and can be reached on my cell at 208-340-5632 (I am on Mountain Time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com. There is also a contact form to the right that can be used to reach me.

Retail Essentials Point of Sale Software

Just a quick request to any Microsoft Dynamics Partner in the US or Canada that is planning to become certified to sell and support the new Retail Essentials (Retail Realm Essentials - powered by Microsoft Dynamics)  point of sale solution: please contact me!

I have been receiving multiple requests from Dynamics RMS and HQ users looking for detailed information related to Retail Essentials and I can not find anyone who is currently planning on selling and supporting Retail Essentials.  There are also several hundred current RMS and HQ users that I am personally familiar with that would appreciate knowing more about Retail Essentials to see if Retail Essentials is a viable upgrade.

My contact information can be found here.

New Point of Sale Software from Microsoft and Retail Realm

***Note that this software program is no longer available. Please contact me for other options***

Some more information was made available related to the new "Microsoft Dynamics Retail Essentials" point of sale software. As I have mentioned before, I have fielded a lot of calls and emails from upset Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management Store Operations (RMS) users over the last year due to the official "end of life" announcement from Microsoft related to RMS and lack of clear communication related to EMV compatibility in RMS.

What we know about Retail Essentials:

• Retail specific version of Dynamics AX
• Will be sold and supported via trained Microsoft partners
• Tentatively will be available for deployment in late February 2015

What we don't know about Retail Essentials:

• Cost
• Specific features and functions
• Mobile device compatability
• EMV compatability
• Data conversion for RMS users
• Multi-location features (if any)
• Peripheral compatibility

With so many stores looking to me for advice (well over 700 stores in the US), I'm hopeful that someone from a Microsoft Partner, Microsoft, or Retail Realm will work with me to learn more about Retail Essentials so I can share that information with you.

UPDATE: Retail Realm was kind enough to reach out to me so I am going to hold off on making any recommendations until I get a chance to learn more about Retail Essentials.  Then I can hopefully share more and help you make an informed decision on what to do (whether you are searching for a replacement for RMS or whether you are searching for your first POS system).  I hope to have more information to share with everyone by mid December.

Here is a link to the official press release - contact me if you have questions:
http://www.rrdisti.com/announcements/microsoft-and-retail-realm-jointly-announce-microsoft-dynamics-retail-essentials-with-retail-realm

Are you  in the US and in need of no cost retail point of sale advice?  I'm happy to help and can be reached on my cell at 208-340-5632 (I am on Mountain Time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com. There is also a contact form to the right that can be used to reach me.

What Microsoft Dynamics RMS Users are Doing

Update July 2016: Since many Microsoft RMS point of sale software would like to keep using RMS for another couple of years but still need to deal with the EMV Liability Shift Date, visit this post for more information on the Card Defender EMV add-on for Microsoft RMS versions 1.3 and higher (and HQ as well): http://retailpospondering.blogspot.com/2016/06/card-defender-emv-add-on-for-microsoft.html

Update July 2016, Retail Management Hero (RMS version 3.X) demo and overview: http://retailpospondering.blogspot.com/2016/07/new-version-of-rmsretail-management.html

Updated information on Retail Management Hero as a direct replacement for RMS as of December 3rd, 2015: http://retailpospondering.blogspot.com/2015/12/updated-information-on-new-retail.html

New video discussing options for Dynamics RMS and HQ users as of December 5th, 2015: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evVWS7dj0Bs

Update August 9th, 2015. I have now talked to over 740 stores using RMS. Since the upcoming October 1st 2015 EMV Liability Shift date is a big concern in conjunction with the 'end of life' status for RMS, here is blog post and video specific to the different EMV options for RMS users: http://retailpospondering.blogspot.com/2015/06/options-for-microsoft-dynamics-rms-and.html

Updated information on the upcoming Retail Management Hero Software (or what I am coining "RMS 3.0 for 2015 and beyond") can be found here: http://retailpospondering.blogspot.com/2015/06/new-option-for-rmshq-users-retail.html

I have another post (April 2015)  related to what RMS users are actually doing which can be found here.

As we know, Microsoft announced in May 2014 that the end of sales to new customers and mainstream support for Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management Store Operations (RMS) will be July of 2016.  That may seem far away but we have a more pressing issue related to whether RMS will be updated to support EMV hardware by October 2015 which is the deadline for EMV in the US.  Because of this, many RMS users have already started to look at various options to replace RMS with a different solution.

Based on conversations with a lot of RMS users - including businesses and organizations with multiple locations using HQ - this is what I advise (this is also what folks have told me they are doing as well so it is great to obtain so much 'real world' feedback):

Single Location RMS Users:

• Taking a 'wait and see' approach if everything is running fine
• Actively searching for an RMS replacement if the system is not currently running or is old enough that the system needs to be replaced anyway

My recommendation to  single location users would be to at least think about replacing your RMS point of sale system. The biggest concern is that you may have to start using a separate credit and debit card terminal which opens the door to user error and also creates extra work since you have to reconcile two different close out reports each day.

RMS Users with HQ and/or Multiple Locations

• Many of you have already started the process of searching for something to replace RMS/HQ
• Some of you have started the process to switch to a mobile point of sale system to reduce up front costs while others want to stay with a more traditional computer-based point of sale system that may allow you to utilize your current computers and peripherals
• Writing your own internal point of sale solution (but several of you have contacted me as your internal system may not be ready for deployment by October of 2015 so you are also searching for short or long term solutions)

My recommendation to RMS users with multiple location and/or are using HQ is that you truly need to start looking now. The complexity of replacing a system for 5-500 stores requires some fairly extensive planning and you can't be left 'behind the curve'. Planning just means that have you have some options ready in case RMS is not EMV 'friendly' come October of next year.

Negative Sentiment towards Microsoft

Many of you have also stated your disappointment with the lack of communication from Microsoft as well as the lack of clear information on  good RMS/HQ replacements from Microsoft. Dynamics AX POS as well as Retail Essentials are marketed as possible replacements but folks seem to be 'fed up' with Microsoft and not interested in either of these solutions (or really anything from Microsoft at this point).

Discounts for RMS and RMS HQ Users
There are some reputable point of sale companies offering various discounts for RMS and HQ users. In most cases your existing customer, vendor/supplies, and inventory information can be transferred from RMS to a new POS system.

If you are curious about the discounts  you can reach me using the contact form to the right, via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com, or on my cell at 208.340.5632.  I will be doing my best to stay on top of the RMS/HQ situation and will share advice and real world experience as information becomes available to me.

Are you  in the US and in need of no cost retail point of sale advice?  I'm happy to help and can be reached on my cell at 208-340-5632 (I am on Mountain Time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com. There is also a contact form to the right that can be used to reach me.

Discounts and Promotions for Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management Systems (RMS) Users

Update June 28th, 2015 - special discount and incentive from a national NCR CounterPoint Partner for RMS and HQ users: http://retailpospondering.blogspot.com/2015/06/big-discount-and-incentive-for.html

Hello to the 40,000+ users of the Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management Systems (RMS)   Through some careful conversations, I have been able to obtain commitments from several trusted and established point of sale companies offering some very significant discounts on point of sale software and hardware.  These discounts and various promotions apply if:

• Your business is in the United States
• You are currently using the RMS point of sale program in your business
• You are:
• Looking to upgrade or refresh RMS
• Looking to replace RMS with a similar point of sale solutions
• Looking to replace RMS with a completely different point of sale solution 

To give you an idea - these promotions and discounts are worth anywhere from $1500 to $5000 depending on what you need in terms of software, hardware, and labor.

Best advice is to contact me and we can chat more. As always, my advice is completely free. These discounts and promotions will end at some point.  You can use the "contact me" form to the right, email me at kevinantosh@gmail.com or reach me on my cell at 208.340.5632.

Things to Keep an Eye On

As we wind our way though July, here are some things to keep in mind for the next 12 months:

• Microsoft and their various point of sale solutions - at some point we really need to hear more about the replacements for Microsoft Dynamics RMS Store Operations and Dynamics POS 2009.  
• EMV - this is still over a year a way (Oct 2015) but will effect everyone anyone who takes credit and debits cards. Start talking now to your point of sale provider or the company that handles your merchant services now to see what the plan is and how much EMV compliance is going to cost you.
• Keep an eye on the mobile solutions like Bindo Point of Sale (www.bindopos.com) as this latest generation of point of sale solutions are looking more and more attractive given the modest monthly fee that covers support and system updates
• Watch out for the "fly by night" point of sale apps. I've seen a lot of point of sale companies come and go over the last 15 years.  Key warning signs that you may talking to someone who is not committed to a long term presence in the point of sale world:
• No toll free number
• Very basic website with limited information
• No user reviews
• Very small number of references
• The program or app was written by someones brother, nephew, etc
• They don't come across as understanding "retail"
• They are working out of someones garage or basement

Can I help?  If you are in need of some free point of sale advice, please use the contact form to the right, email me at kevinantosh@gmail.com or call me on my cell at 208.340.5632. In addition to working with thousands of folks over the last 15 years to help them find the best point of sale solution, I have also now secured various discounts with trusted point of sale solution providers in the United States.

More Information for Microsoft RMS Users

A quick reminder that sales of Microsoft Dynamics RMS and HQ to new users as well as mainstream support ends next year (2016) so please keep that in mind if you are thinking of purchasing RMS or HQ as point of sale software for your business or organization (not a wise investment at this point).

Another great article related to the recent 2014 Retail Realm conference and the future of Microsoft RMS Store Operations point of sale software:

http://msdynamicsworld.com/story/microsoft-dynamics-retail-essentials-offering-smbs-met-optimism-questions-rms-phase-out-nears

Again, the advice that I am passing along to the folks that I have provided RMS to in the past is to consider these options:

1. If you are current with your annual maintenance agreement, then you can wait and see if switching to Microsoft Retail Essentials makes sense or if you want to look at other point of sale solutions.
2. Aside from support for RMS ending in 2016 or 2021 (depending on your agreement with your Microsoft Partner), there is nothing that would prevent you from continuing to use RMS unless RMS will not be EMV complaint (which would mean that you have until Oct 2015 to replace RMS).
3. If you are not current with your maintenance agreement, then now is a great time to start exploring other point of sale options. 

Note that I am in the process of negotiating some point of sale software and support discounts for all RMS users - whether you continue to use RMS or not. 

Are you  in the US and in need of no cost retail point of sale advice?  I'm happy to help and can be reached on my cell at 208-340-5632 (I am on Mountain Time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com. There is also a contact form to the right that can be used to reach me.