Another payment security breach with a well know chain: https://krebsonsecurity.com/2017/02/fast-food-chain-arbys-acknowledges-breach/

All I can say is Arggg - this is happening so often and yet the technology is available to all businesses to prevent this type of a security breach. Simply put:

1. Ensure that your Malware and Virus software is active and up to date 
2. Have payment processing technology like Card Defender that meets or exceeds industry security compliance standards

OK 'nuff said - lets hope that your retail store has already taken the steps to protect your customers payment data.

Do I still Offer Consulting Services?

I've had a couple of retailers contact me wondering if I still offer point of sale system consulting services. The short answer is "yes" but with the following stipulations:

1. Hourly rate is $125 which is billed in 15 minute increments via my employer.
2. The first 15 minutes is free.
3. Travel expenses may apply for in person assistance.
4. I can consult outside of the different point of sale solutions that RITE offers (I've worked with around 20 different POS systems total).
5. If you do happen to purchase a POS system from me, the consulting fees (less any travel) can be deducted from the cost of the POS system.

Even if I can't provide you with the system that you need, I can help you select the best system and connect you with the best resource.

I've helped organizations with anywhere from 1 to 297 locations find the best point of sale system over the years and can be reached at 208-340-5632 or kevinantosh@gmail.com

Whats the Deal with Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Retail?

As Microsoft Dynamics RMS users start to think about plans for beyond July of 2021, more and more options are becoming available. While Retail Management Hero is the least expensive and least stressful migration option for most RMS users (pending the release of the RMS HQ replacement for Retail Management Hero come the end of 2017 which should scale up nicely for RMS users with multiple locations and will not be cloud based as previously reported), Microsoft Dynamics 365 has some retail/point of sale functionality that might appeal to retail chains who want a cloud based solution to save on hardware expenses.

Dynamics 365 allows for the modular based approach like Dynamics AX does and features a very robust enterprise level solution that would appeal to retailers with multiple locations and/or complex operations.

A single user license cost for Dynamics 365 - including the retail module - is $12,600 over the course of 5 years so retailers really need to balance costs/needs against other solutions. It basically boils down to factoring all costs associated with a POS system over the course of 5 to 7 years (hardware, software, network, deployment, support, updates, network, etc) against what your organization needs in a POS system.

More information on Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Retail can be found at https://explore.dynamics.com/operations-retail or please contact me at kevinantosh@gmail.com or 208-340-5632.