Sunday, December 29, 2013

New Years Resolutions

As physical inventories are wrapped up and we head in to 2014, here are a few things that should be on your New Years Resolution List (all business related):

  1. I will stay current (or become current) on any point of sale software maintenance agreements which will help make sure that I comply with the new MasterCard Unique Terminal ID requirement coming up in April 2014 and the EMV requirement coming up in fall of 2015.
  2. I will learn one new feature/function within my point of sale software each month to make sure that I am getting the most out of my point of sale system.
  3. I will budget and plan ahead for new hardware that will need to be purchased in 2015 to meet EMV requirements.
Pretty easy list!

As a reminder, I am not currently affiliated with any point of sale companies or manufactures but have 14 years of experience working with retail, restaurant, and museum point of sale solutions. You can reach me at 208-340-5632 (business hours - mountain time) or kevinantosh@gmail.com if you have any point of sale related questions.

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Another Potential Major Credit Card Security Breach

Another potential credit card security breach has been reported - this time involving Target.  While it may seem like only larger retail chains are the targets of credit and debit card information theft, a small regional chain or even single  location retail stores can be  targeted as well (no pun intended).

I've posted multiple times in the past but another security breach just reinforces that you need to make sure that you are taking all precautions to protect your customers payment information.  This means that everything from your router to your firewall settings to making sure that your point of sale software is up to date needs to be checked on at least a monthly basis.

Major overhauls that will effect everyone who accepts debit and credit cards are still 1-2 years away so preventive action must be taken on your part to avoid fines and loss of revenue should your point of sale system be compromised.

Talk to your point of sale partner and the company that handles your merchant services to make sure that you are taking all the correct precautions to prevent payment information theft.

Here is a link to more detailed information from CNN on the latest potential breach:
http://money.cnn.com/2013/12/18/news/companies/target-credit-card/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Sunday, December 15, 2013

Retail Pro Expands International Reach

Aside from the upcoming credit and debit card mandates coming up in 2014 and 2015, it can be tough to find any actual news related to point of sale software that isn't self-promotion or just information on software improvements.

Since I previously worked extensively with the Microsoft RMS Store Operations and RMS HQ solutions, I was able to work with a global audience that included customers outside of the United States.  It appears that the folks Retail Pro are taking advantage of the specialty retail store market outside of the United States as well.

Retail Pro is focusing expansion efforts in to Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East.  This will mean that Retail Pro point of sale software will be available in a total of 87 countries. Having a global solution helps  solidify a point of sale software program in the specialty retail market since that means that a company has the resources to adapt the software for differences in languages, currency, math, and cultural differences.  This also makes the software solution attractive to retail stores who may have multiple locations in different countries.

You can read the complete press release by clicking here.

As a reminder, I am not currently affiliated with any point of sale companies or manufactures but have 14 years of experience working with retail, restaurant, and museum point of sale solutions. You can reach me at 208-340-5632 (business hours - mountain time) or kevinantosh@gmail.com if you have any point of sale related questions.


Saturday, December 7, 2013

More information on Microsoft RMS/HQ/POS 2009/Dynamics Conference

The good folks at Retail Realm have posted more information on their  4th annual "‘Microsoft Dynamics’ Retail Technology Conference".

 It honestly looks like the 40,000+ users of the various Microsoft point of sale software programs will have to wait until April 2014 to hear more about Microsoft's plans related to Dynamics RMS Store Operations, HQ, and POS 2009.  Here are a few highlights of the conference:





Get ready for Retail Realm's 4th annual ‘Microsoft Dynamics’ Retail Technology Conference! Learn the latest news and updates directly from Microsoft about the future of RMS, RMS Next Generation, AX for Retail, Statement of Direction, and so much more! Utilize this great opportunity to connect with the reseller network, interact with Microsoft representatives, solution / hardware providers, and retail industry professionals. Find out about fresh new concepts in retailing and learn firsthand where the future of retail is headed! Don’t miss out! REGISTER for the conference today!

TIMELINE:

April 24 – 26, 2014 at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, NV
  • Thurs. PM - Afternoon Golf Event 
  • Thurs. PM - Welcome Cocktail Reception - Shadow Bar
  • Fri. AM - All-day Conference Sessions
  • Fri. PM - Exhibitor Extravaganza
  • Sat. AM - All-day Conference Sessions
  • Sat. PM - Wrap-Up / Awards Reception
You can see a video related to the conference at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5HN1rNyoDc
 

Full conference details and registration can be found on Retail Realm's website: http://www.rrdisti.com/rr-conference-2014

I'm sticking with my past advice - it you are current on your software maintenance agreement and can wait until April, keep using your current point of sale solution.

If you are not current on your software maintenance (which is a very bad thing with mandatory compliance updates coming out in 2014 and 2015 for anyone that takes credit and debit cards via a point of sale system), then I would highly suggest either getting current on software maintenance ASAP or looking for alternative solutions like Retail Pro. 

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 (mountain time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com.



Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Point of Sale Software Reviews

As I sort through my list of ~3800 contacts, I've had a few people contact me about getting reviews from actual users of the various point of sale programs on the market.  As I have mentioned before, I meet with retail store owners after they have started using a point of sale system and get the owners "brutally honest" feedback on the system.

Rather than upload a bunch of reviews, you can contact me at kevinantosh@gmail.com or during business hours mountain time at 208-340-5632 and I will be happy to share comments from specialty retail stores using the following point of sale software solutions:
  • Cougar Mountain POS
  • QuickBooks POS
  • Registware
  • Regit2000
  • Comcash
  • Retail Pro
  • Clover
  • NCR Silver
  • Fasttrax
  • NCR CounterPoint
  • Microsoft POS 2007/2009
  • Microsoft RMS Store Operations
  • Microsoft RMS Store Operations HQ
  • Various Sam4S cash registers
I also have some limited feedback on Lightspeed point of sale.

With so many contacts, I'm sure that I have met with a business similar to yours!

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 (mountain time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com.

Monday, December 2, 2013

Updated Information for Past, Present, and Future DirectPOS Customers

Revisions related to the sale and closure of DirectPOS:

http://retailpospondering.blogspot.com/2013/09/important-information-for-present-and.html


NCR Silver Updates

Some long overdue updates related to NCR Silver. As a reminder, NCR Silver is a tablet based point of sale system for retail stores and quick serve restaurants. The functionality of NCR Silver falls between what a cash register can do and what a computer-based point of sale system can do.  You pay a monthly subscription fee to use NCR Silver in your iOS device.

Hardware Updates: 

NCR Silver runs on Apple®i; iOSTM 6.0 & 7.0 devices. When implementing integrated credit, the NCR Credit Card Reader supports the following devices: iPad® 2, iPad with Retina display (3rd generation), iPad Mini & iPad Mini with Retina Display, iPad Air, iPhone® 4 and iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, 5s and 5c, or iPod touch® 4th and 5th generations.

Previously NCR Silver did not work with hardware designed for 3rd generation iPads or 5th generation iPhones and iPod Touches

New Features in Version 3 of NCR Silver:
  • NCR Silver now supports multiple locations and can scale to meet the needs of retail shops, cafes, bakeries, restaurants or any small business that is expanding. With easy-to-use tools and reports, owners can manage items across all their sites, see a consolidated view of site sales data, and still easily navigate to individual locations for site-level details.
  • Small business owners get more control with the ability to set user roles like Cashier or Manager and to assign permissions so they can grant or limit access to functions such as price override, discounts, returns, voids and tip adjustments.
  • A new Time Clock feature makes everyday easier for small business owners and their employees. Employees simply sign in and out through the app, and owners can export timesheets for payroll.
I've talked to a few places using NCR Silver and the response has been positive but with a note that most retail store owners indicated that they plan on upgrading to a more complete point of sale system "down the road" (ie. something that can print barcode labels and create purchase orders).

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 (mountain time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com.

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Merchant Credit Card Cyber Attacks

I've posted before about malware designed to capture credit card information from your stores point of sale system, it also appears that cyber criminals are attacking multi-location retails stores to steal multiple pieces of credit card data.

Multiple credit card cyber attacks specifically targeting Rosauers, Yokes, Super One and Trading Company. Link to the full article: http://www.ktvb.com/news/business/Rosauers-warning-customers-following-credit-card-fraud-attack-233388291.html

Merchant Services Best Practices - this is what point of sale technicians advice me related to credit card security and your retail point of sale system:

  • Make sure that the point of sale system is not on the same network as other networks in your store (separate routers, Internet access, passwords, etc.) 
  • Change all passwords every 60 days and make sure that the passwords contain letters, numbers, and special characters.
  • Use business class network equipment (ie. - not the $99 wireless router that Best Buy sells).
  • Make sure that your point of sale software and anti-virus software is kept current.
  • Check to see what type of credit card swipes, pin pads, and signature capture pads can be used with your point of sale system - newer and more secure equipment might be available.
  • Make sure that you follow the rules related to what types of credit card information you can keep "on file" (see your merchant services agreement for more information).
  • Use a IT company to make sure that your network and firewall settings are at their highest.
  • Make sure that you are doing your required PCI scans.
  • Consult with an IT professional or your point of sale partner/dealer for a more complete "best practices" list.
I realize this requires a modest investment (likely $500 or less, depending on the size of your retail store) but would you rather face these options if someone is able to steal credit card information from your point of sale system:

  • Fines in excess of $10,000 for not meeting credit card security standards.
  • Loss of revenue from customers (past, present, and future) knowing that your system was "hacked".
  • Loss of revenue due to your business no longer being able to accept credit cards (which could be a long term sanction from MasterCard/Via).
This is not a scare tactic from MasterCard/Visa - it is the reality of accepting credit cards in today's retail environment.

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Mac Based Point of Sale Systems for Retail Stores

From time to time, I am asked about retail point of sale solutions that run on Macintosh computers (not iPads or iPhones but actual Mac's). Over the last 14 years I have seen several Mac based point of sale solutions come and go.

Over the last few years, LightSpeed has developed a decent client base. Over the last few months I was able to visit some specialty retailers using LightSpeed (sporting goods store, candle store, and a boutique).

It was interesting that none of them actually bought LightSpeed specifically as they wanted something that ran on Mac computers. One bought LightSpeed since it had an open interface for add-ons related to automated purchasing. The other two owners bought LightSpeed as they felt both the software and the hardware had a cleaner and more updated look than the Windows-based point of sale systems that they looked at.

It appears that LightSpeed has mixed to mostly positive reviews (tough to tell which reviews are real and which are fake).  You can read more here: http://www.softwareadvice.com/retail/lightspeed-profile/#reviews

LightSpeed has also worked to grow a local dealer/reseller base which helps when it comes to local support. You can find more information about LightSpeed by visiting: http://www.lightspeedretail.com/

From what store owners have told me, LightSpeed is a viable option for smaller specialty retail stores - regardless of whether you prefer Mac's over PC's. Keep in mind that Mac's do operate somewhat differently from PC's so if your computer experience is all Microsoft Windows based, you may need to devote some time to learning the Macintosh Operating System.

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 (mountain time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com.

Monday, November 18, 2013

New Review of NCR CounterPoint

Update July 19, 2015.  The information below refers to a single review and, as time as passed, many more reviews have been posted. Either businesses "love it" or "hate it".  Some of the issues related to what businesses appear to not like about NCR CounterPoint related to getting full support and training from their NCR CounterPoint SQL Partner/Dealer and not using the correct computer hardware.

It is also possible that some of the businesses overbought based on their business size and technology needs when it comes to a point of sale system.

A new review of NCR CounterPoint has been posted on softwareadvice.com.  Here are the review highlights:
  • Business has been using NCR CounterPoint for 8 years
  • The overall consensus is that the program is very expensive (initial purchase, support, and ongoing maintenance)
  • There are unresolved functionality issues with barcode label printing and Z reports
  • Overall review was 2 out of 5 stars
You can read the whole review here: http://www.softwareadvice.com/retail/radiant-systems-counterpoint-profile/

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 (mountain time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com.

Free Mini Analysis

Since I have had the opportunity to speak with multiple point of sale companies since the closure of DirectPOS, I have gleaned quite a bit of information related to which company is offering what solutions and what type of end of year promotions.

I realize that this is a tough time of the year to being thinking about technology equipment for your retail store or museum but we do have some pressing timelines related to the MasterCard Unique Terminal ID Requirement, the future of Microsoft RMS/HQ, and EMV Requirements.  This means that everyone needs to start thinking now about where they want to go over the next year with their point of sale system.

I am currently offering a free basic phone or email consultation to help you determine whether you need to upgrade (if you already have a point of sale system) or which point of sale systems might be best for you (if you currently do not have a point of sale system).  This is a strictly non-sales consultation since I do not currently represent any point of sale companies or software manufactures.

You can reach me via cell at 208-340-5632 or email at kevinantosh (at) gmail (dot) com. I am in Mountain Time and a typical phone consultation takes less than 15 minutes.  You will receive professional advice and related options to help chart your point of sale technology plan.

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Incentive for Former DirectPOS Customers and NCR CounterPoint/Microsoft RMS Customers

With Microsoft being fairly quiet on what their plans are for their point of sale software packages (RMS Store Operations, HQ, and POS 2009), I've been receiving calls from retail stores who need to upgrade sooner than later.

If you are a current NCR CounterPoint or Microsoft RMS user, the folks at Big Hairy Dog (BHD) are offering some nice discounts if you switch to Retail Pro through Big Hairy Dog.  There are some details that need to be discussed so be sure to call me at 208.340.5632 or email me at kevinantosh (at) gmail (dot) com.

As a reminder - it appears that we will not be hearing much from Microsoft until April 2014 so it wouldn't hurt to start exploring other options sooner than later - especially since the MasterCard unique terminal ID requirement and EMV standards are coming up in 2014 and 2015.

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 (mountain time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com.

Sunday, November 10, 2013

New Service Pack for Microsoft Dynamics POS 2009

For those of you using the Microsoft POS 2009 point of sale system, a new service pack was recently released. Note that you must be current on maintenance in order to download the service pack (you can do this via your CustomerSource account or by contacting your Microsoft Dynamics partner that provided your point of sale equipment.

Here are the service pack highlights:

New Features

  • Detailed Sales report directly in Microsoft Office Excel with improved performance - You can now view the Detailed Sales report for all departments, categories, or suppliers, directly in Microsoft Excel with improved performance. For more information, see About Detailed Sales reports in the Manager View Help.
  • Report viewing in Microsoft Office Excel - Certain additional reports can now be viewed in your choice of either the standard report window or Microsoft Office Excel. Simply select the new View in Microsoft Excel check box in one of these reports, and then click Refresh Report as usual. To view the list of reports that have this functionality, see List of reports in Manager View Help.
    Note Consult with your Microsoft Certified Partner to have this functionality added to additional reports.
  • New configuration option to disallow manual entry of weights when a scale is in use on a register - The store manager can now configure whether cashiers are allowed to manually enter the weight of an item while a scale is attached to the register. For more information on this feature, see POS Workflow Options in Manager View Help.
  • NCWM NTEP certification 13-005 - Microsoft Dynamics POS 2009 Service Pack 2 is compliant with National Conference on Weights and Measures, U.S. certificate number 13-005. For details, see About weighed items in Manager View Help.
    Note This is applicable in the United States locale only.
  • Support for the Ingenico iSC350 payment device - We have completed compatibility testing and provided some code changes in support of the Ingenico iSC350 payment terminal. To set up and install the iSC350 device, follow the steps in the Ingenico iSC350 setup document available in the Download section of the Microsoft Dynamics POS 2009 SP2 download page.

Other Improvements

In addition to the new features listed above, Service Pack 2 includes fixes for the following issues:
  • Payment processing settlement requests do not contain card-level information and could lead to higher fees.
  • During label printing, long item descriptions overwrite the adjacent labels.
  • The Sold Price values in the Detailed Sales report are incorrect.
  • The days of the week headers in the graphs calendar in POS View display as Monday through Sunday instead of Sunday through Saturday. The days of the week do not line up with the correct days of the month.
  • You receive the following error message when you try to tender a transaction with a debit card:
    A problem occurred during payment processing verification.
    Details: Error receiving response from Vital. Failed to Read SSL Stream.
  • Credit cards that do not pass the Luhn algorithm fail to process. To resolve this issue, a new configuration option has been added to the Advanced Options dialog box for credit card payment methods.
  • In limited scenarios, vouchers (gift cards) can be redeemed for more than their value.
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 (mountain time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com.

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Microsoft Retail Software Conference

A quick reminder that sales of Microsoft Dynamics RMS and HQ to new users ends nest 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.

I just received communication that Retail Realm and Microsoft will be hosting a conference in Las Vegas, NV on April 24th to April 26th, 2014.  The conference is slated to be dedicated to just the Microsoft family of point of sale solutions (RMS Store Operations, HQ, Nex Gen RMS, POS 2009, and AX for Retail).  Hopefully this will finally clear up what the future holds for current Microsoft RMS/HQ/POS 2009 customers.

You can read more about the conference by clicking here: http://www.rrdisti.com/blog/why-you-should-attend-the-retail-realm-2014-conference

In addition, it will be critical for Microsoft to communicate how they plan to update current software users for the upcoming MasterCard unique terminal ID requirement (being enforced in 2014) and the EMV requirements (being enforced in Oct 2015).

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 (mountain time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com.

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Updates on Clover Point of Sale


Updated September 4th, 2015: to summarize all the information below - 3 years ago Clover looked promising but todays advice is to avoid Clover like the plague - I've stopped tracking the number of complaints specific to Clover as its clear that choosing Clover is a bad decision. 

Update July 6, 2015: no shortage of complaints against Clover specific to expensive long term contracts, costly buyout clauses, unable to transfer licensing if the business is sold, and sales reps making promises for features/functions that Clover just can't do.  I believe the overall tally is over 400 verified complaints against Clover.

Update 1.January.2015:

Based on user feedback and the fact that First Data locks you into a costly merchant services contract when purchasing Clover, I do not recommend that anyone considers Clover as a possible point of sale system for your business or organization. There are much better systems on the market like NCR Silver and Bindo Point of Sale that perform at a same or better level and do not lock you in to costly merchant services contracts.

As I have mentioned in the past, I came across some issues with Clover point of sale when it came to actually selling the Clover solution (the folks at Clover said that they were "moving in a different direction" and didn't feel that they could support any new customers at the time).

I liked Clover as it worked well in both a retail and quick-serve environment.  Well, it turns out that First Data Corporation (one of the largest payment processing companies) has acquired Clover point of sale and relaunched Clover with updated hardware.  It will be interesting to see how this effects the merchant services options that Clover previously offered.

Even more interesting is that the Clover website states that Clover will be sold through First Data but there is no pricing information and only a "wait list" to be "one of the first" to get a Clover system.  You can see more information at https://www.clover.com/waitlist or www.clover.com.

NCR Silver is one direct competitor to Clover so it will be interesting to see how First Data markets Clover.  I suspect that there will be some incentives to use First Data for merchant service since there is more money to be made off of merchant services in the long term than off of the Clover hardware and software.

Bottom line: wait and see or look at a different solution if you need a point of sale system sooner than later.

*Updates 7/24/2014**Feedback Received in July 2014*
  • Returned it (Clover) the next day"
  • "(sales rep) couldn't even demo the system"
  • "they will raise my (merchant services) rates"
  • "don't want to be locked in to a credit card contract"
  • "good step up from a cash register"
  • "missing features"
  • "went with Bindo which does more and doesn't require me to use a specific company for credit and debit card processing services"
The Bindo solution was mentioned a couple of times.  Folks noted that Bindo does more than Clover and is even offering some various incentives like free hardware currently. If you are curious about Bindo Point of Sale, check them out at www.bindopos.com.

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 (mountain time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com.

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Updates on Microsoft RMS Store Operations, One Step Retail Solutions, NCR Silver, Big Hairy Dog, and Spark Systems Solutions

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.

A few updates for previous DirectPOS customers as well as all users of Microsoft RMS Store Operations and Store Operations HQ.

It appears that Spark Systems Solutions has delayed establishing an office presence in the Boise, ID and Spokane, WA area. They do have technicians working from home in each city so there is still full local support for current and future Micro's users (but no showroom to see the different types of systems).  I will pass along address information once I hear that they have established an office presence in Boise and Spokane. In the meantime, you can reach them via phone at (801) 486-2151 (also known as Cowans Restaurant Solutions - Salt Lake City, UT).

Ada Cash Register continues to provide sales, service, and programming for Samsung cash registers as well as supplies for cash registers and computer based point of sale systems. You can reach Ada Cash Register at 208-407-2202.

RITE has started their expansion westward and will be offering multiple retail point of sale systems in the states of ID, OR, WA, UT, MT, NV, and WY with a special focus on the Boise, ID, Spokane, WA and Salt Lake City, UT markets.

I've had a few calls and email about NCR Silver - especially since I was previously able to offer significantly discounted pricing for NCR Silver. As I am no longer able to offer the discounted pricing, you can contact NCR Silver directly at 877-630-9711 or visit http://ncrsilver.com/ for more information.

It appears that One Step Retail Solutions out of Phoenix, AZ is only interested in supporting NCR CounterPoint customers (based on calls and emails received). They will support RMS and RMS HQ customers - but for a fee.  Present Microsoft RMS, RMS HQ, and Microsoft POS 2007/2009 customers can contact Microsoft directly at 888-477-7877 for support (free, if you are current on your software maintenance) or to be referred to a different Microsoft RMS/POS/HQ partner.

Finally, things have been very quiet at Microsoft regarding the future plans for RMS/HQ/POS 2007/2009.  There are rumors that the software is being "abandoned" but no official word has been communicated (one way or the other) from Microsoft.  If you currently use any of the Microsoft point of sale products, then you may want to just start thinking about looking at a different solution like Retail Pro.  I know several single and multi-location retail stores that use Retail Pro. A good source for Retail Pro is Big Hairy Dog.

I've known Big Hairy Dog for 10+ years and they are committed to providing affordable point of sale solutions along with great customer service.  They are located in Sacramento, CA and can be reached at 800-377-7776. You can also go to their website at http://www.bighairydog.com/ (there is a history behind the funny name but they are a true 'survivor' as a retail point of sale solution provider).

Long post - I'll wrap things up by saying that I wish that One Step Retail Solutions and Spark System Solutions/Cowans Restaurant Solutions would have been more honest about their plans which would have made it easier to communicate to my former customer base.

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 (mountain time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com.

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

New Location for Ada Cash Register

A quick note that Ada Cash Register is moving in to a new location over the next few days. Here is their address:

Ada Cash Register
600 N. Maple Grove Road
Ste. P5
Boise, ID 83704


Ada Cash Register will be the "goto" place for not just cash register sales, repairs, programming, and supplies, but also for general retail and restaurant point of sale supplies.  You can reach Ada Cash Register at 208-407-2202.

 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 (mountain time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com.

Monday, September 16, 2013

Important Information for Present and Future DirectPOS Customers - Updated 14.June.2015

Update June 2016: RITE out of St Cloud, MN has started their westward expansion to offer a variety of retail point of sale systems in the states if ID, NV, OR, WA, MT, WY and UT with a special focus on the Boise, ID, Spokane, WA and Salt Lake City, UT markets.


Very important information to pass along related to DirectPOS in Boise, ID and Spokane, WA. I will hit the highlights and you can always contact me via email at kevinantosh (at) gmail (dot) com or 208-340-5632.
  • As of Today, Monday September 16th, 2013, DirectPOS has merged with Cowans Restaurant Solutions out of Salt Lake City, Utah. The new combined company will be called Spark Systems and will have a physical office presence in Salt Lake City, UT, Boise, ID and Spokane,. WA.
    12/2/2013 Update: Correct new business name is Spark Solutions Group - they currently only have an office in Salt Lake City, UT and will only be supporting Micro's brand equipment.

  • Because of this change, Spark Systems will only sell, service and support the Micro's and Aldelo point of sale solutions for restaurants and bars in Utah, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington State. 
    12/02/2013 Update: No sales or support for Aldelo.

  • For those of you with cash registers (supplies, repairs, programming, purchasing), you can reach Rick Bier at Ada Cash Register (208-407-2202). Rick has extensive experience with cash registers.
  • If you are in need of paper or ribbons for cash registers or kitchen/bar/receipt printers, you can also contact Rick Bier at 208-407-2202 as he will be your source moving forward for paper and ribbon supplies (and barcode labels as well I believe).
  • If you are a NCR CounterPoint user, your information has been acquired by One Step Retail Solutions in Phoenix, AZ who will be providing support for your system. Note that One Step Retail Solutions will not have a local office presence in Idaho, Utah, Oregon, Montana, or Washington State but does plan to keep a technician on staff in the Boise, ID area.
  • If you are using one of the Microsoft Point of Sale solutions (RMS Store Operations, HQ, POS 2007, or POS 2009), your information has also been acquired by One Step Retail Solutions in Phoenix, AZ but they have not communicated to me what level of service and support they will be able to provide.
    12/02/2013 Update: Feedback indicates that One Step is not interested in supporting customers using the various Microsoft point of sale solutions (RMS, HQ and POS 2007/2009).

I'm am hopeful that a computer tech company or even a point of sale company in Idaho, Utah, Washington, Oregon, or Montana will see this as an opportunity to grow/establish a physical office presence in Boise, ID and/or Spokane, WA as retail stores, museums and government agencies in these states have become accustomed to working with a local company for all of their point of sale hardware, software, training, installation, and on-going support needs (as of the end of August, I had over 300 customers/clients using various point of sale systems designed for retail stores, museums, and government agencies).


2/7/2014 Update: the former DirectPOS Micros technicians based in Boise are no longer employed with Cowans or Sparks.  I am available to field retail, restaurant/bar and museum point of sale questions and can put you in touch with the correct resource as needed.

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 (mountain time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com.



Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Ada Cash Register

As you know it can be tough to find a local company that sells, services, programs, and offers supplies for cash registers so I wanted to pass along some information about Ada Cash Register.

Ada Cash Register is based in Boise, ID and offers the Sam4S line of cash registers as well as being able to service and offer supplies for many different kinds of cash registers. Rick Bier is the owner and he has many years of cash register sales, service, and programming experience.

Ada Cash Register also offers paper and ribbon supplies for cash registers as well as for the common receipt printers used with computer based retail point of sale systems.

As DirectPOS in Boise, ID and Spokane, WA is no longer offering cash registers, cash register repair/programming, or cash register supplies, I would highly recommend getting in touch with Rick Bier at Ada Cash Register - he even rents cash registers for short term special events!

Rick can be reached at 208-407-2202 or rick (at) rbier (dot) us

You can also find him on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/adacashregister


Monday, August 26, 2013

New Contact Information

Just a quick note that my email address is still kevinantosh (at) gmail (dot) com.

My new cell number is 208-340-5632.

I will have some additional important information to share with everyone in early September.

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Microsoft RMS Store Operations and RMS NextGen (or NexGen)

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 13.June.2015: A quick note that I have been receiving multiple calls and emails from Microsoft Dynamics RMS users looking to replace RMS due to the upcoming October 1st, 2015 EMV liability shift deadline as well as the "end of life" status for Dynamics RMS and HQ. I have personal experience with RMS users upgrading to NCR CounterPoint and would be happy to share - just visit my contact page for information on how to reach me. I can also put you in touch with a trusted NCR CounterPoint SQL partner.

More current advice for options available to Microsoft Dynamics RMS and HQ users can be found here and here.

As you know, I have worked heavily with the Microsoft RMS Store Operations and HQ program over the last decade (and with QuickSell 2000 & QuickSell Commerce before that).  I was hoping that Microsoft would be ready to share information about the future of RMS and the new version due out later this year currently known as RMS NextGen (or RMS NexGen) at RSPA last week.

Unfortunately, no new information was made available. Given that the current version of RMS doesn't support the upcoming EMV and MasterCard unique terminal ID requirements, this is a bit concerning.  I have been advising my client base to start thinking about the following options:

  1. If they are not current on the annual software maintenance to look at renewing and becoming current on software maintenance OR looking at switching to a different point of sale system with a clearer future (we can transfer the data from one system to another in most cases).  
  2. If they are current on software maintenance, to hold tight until October of this year when (hopefully) Microsoft will release a "Statement of Direction" related to RMS.  At that point we can then see if it makes sense to continue using RMS or look at other options.
I will continue to pass along information on RMS and RMS HQ as soon as Microsoft makes the information available to their Dynamics Partners.

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 (mountain time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com.

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Tuesday Tip: Discounts in Microsoft RMS and NCR CounterPoint



Both NCR CounterPoint SQL, and Microsoft RMS Store Operations have great flexibility when it comes to offering percentage or flat dollar amount discounts.  Very helpful if you are running a promotion or have a need to extend a discount (like for the sale of a display/demo item).

Generally, your NCR CounterPoint partner will program the point of sale screen to include the various buttons needed according to how you want to discount.  It is helpful to have a discount ‘menu’ with one main discount key and then the various other discount options and choices in a ‘menu’. That way, the point of sale screen doesn’t become too cluttered with too many buttons.

Here I have setup some various discount buttons to appear once a main discount button is pressed from the point of sale screen:



“Shift” + “F3” is the discount key in Microsoft RMS Store Operations. The trick is that when the cursor is over a specific item on the transaction then the discount is just applied to the specific item. If the cursor is not over a specific item, then “Shift” + “F3” will allow for a whole transaction discount.

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 (mountain time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com.