Thursday, June 30, 2016

Throwback Thursday - RegistWare POS

As we are headed in to a summer holiday weekend, I thought that a simple post might be in order. The image below contains 2 things:

  1. A single sided 5.25 floppy that I used with a TRS-80
  2. A CD with the RegistWare POS software that I formally did sales and channel development for but sadly was not established enough to be offered beyond the events of September 11, 2001 

As always - if you are a retailer in the US in need of no cost point of sale advice, please call me on my cell at 208-340-5632 or email me at kevinantosh@gmail.com

Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Latest Patches/Fixes/Updates for Microsoft RMS

A very detailed document explaining the various updates/fixes/etc to the Microsoft Dynamics RMS point of sale software. Please review carefully and contact myself or your Dynamics RMS Partner for more information as this is already over 2 years old.

http://www.rite.us/Portals/0/Documentation/RMS/Microsoft%20RMS%20Version%20Log%203-27-2014.pdf

If you are in the US, I can be reached using the form to the right, via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com or on my cell at 208-340-5632 (I am on mountain time).

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Enhancements for the Microsoft Dynamics RMS Point of Sale Software

Wow - so I've taken the time to review a lot of the various add-ons for the Microsoft Dynamics point of sale software and will be sharing more information on each add-on over the next couple of weeks. The idea is that these add-ons enhance RMS and many will be upgraded to work with Retail Management Hero as well (Retail Management Hero is the new version of RMS - contact me for verification on options and portability)

Here are the different modules:

  • Card Defender: EMV hardware and software for RMS
  • Age Verification: Verify customers age and read/scan/swipe state issued ID's
  • Advanced Purchase Order: Enhanced data for creating purchase orders
  • Biometrics/Fingerprint Reader: Use a fingerprint reader for log-in
  • Coin Dispenser: Use coin dispensers with RMS for change delivery
  • Enhanced Z Report: Get more detail in your daily Z report
  • Delivery Module: Use RMS in your retail business that offers deliver services
  • Express Customer Setup: Use ID card information to enter customer data in to RMS
  • Enhanced Gift Cards: Not happy with the Voucher Gift Card system in RMS? 
  • Inventory Roll Back Report: See changes in inventory that took place after request date
  • Keg Registration: Allows for the rental and tracking of kegs within RMS
  • Open Discount: Setup additional open discount buttons in RMS
  • RITE Label: Enhanced label printer features and functionality
  • Price Level Extension: increase the number of price levels offered in RMS
  • Profit Checker: Set desired profit margins
  • Restock Report: Quickly see which inventory items need to be replenished
  • Emailer: Email receipts to customers and perform very limited mass emails
  • Sales Velocity Tool: Quickly see product movement
  • Supplier Integration: Upload a suppliers database of products and use electronic purchasing
  • Time Clock: Enhanced use and reporting of the time clock function in RMS
This is quite the list in addition to the other e-commerce, mobile, and loyalty add-ons that already exist for RMS and will likely be used with Retail Management Hero as well. I'll be posting more information over the coming weeks but please get in touch with me if you have any questions.

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.



Friday, June 24, 2016

Point of Sale Terms

Nice article covering some of the terms that are used related to point of sale systems - I'm guilty of often using acronyms so here are some additional terms not found in the original article:

SaaS: Software as a Service - software that you pay an ongoing fee to use (normally monthly but can be annual or even seasonal).

Partner: Company that is trained and certified to sell, install, train on, and support a specific point of sale software program.

POS: Point of Sale - a software program or app used to track sales, inventory, and customer information. Not to be confused with payment terminals or point of service hardware and software.

Merchant Services: any and all things related to how you accept and authorize payment by debit and credit cards, Apple Pay, and Google Wallet. This includes the hardware used as well as the company that provides your credit and debut card processing (like Heartland, First Data, Gravity, etc).

Here is the rest of the article: http://www.cashdrawer.com/blog/12-pos-jargon-terms-to-know/?utm_source=Q2-+2016+NL+to+Dealers+%26+Press&utm_campaign=Q2+NL+to+US+Dealer+%26+Press&utm_medium=email

If you need some help defining point of sale terms or have general questions related to retail point of sale systems, please contact me using the form to the right, on my cell at 208-340-5632 (I am on Mountain Time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com


Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Card Defender EMV Add-On for the Microsoft RMS Point of Sale Software

Wow, so I know a lot of Microsoft Dynamics RMS and HQ users have been looking at what to do related to the EMV liability shift date. For many of the 1104 stores using RMS that have contacted me, this is the main reason that you are looking at other point of sale programs like Retail Management Hero or NCR CounterPoint.

If your only 'issue' with RMS is the lack of built in EMV/Chip card processing then I would strongly advise taking a look at Card Defender for RMS (and HQ).

Compared to other third party EMV add-ons for RMS, I really like the fact that Card Defender does not have any per transaction charges - just a very nominal flat monthly fee in addition to initial hardware, software and setup costs. Compared to other RMS EMV/Chip card solutions that charge a per transaction fee - which can easily add up to $730/year for even a modestly sized retail store - Card Defender allows for an initial investment.

Oh, and even better - you know I am very opposed to any systems that lock you into using a specific company for merchant services - Card Defender is processor agnostic so you can use the merchant services company that offers you the best rates.

Card Defender works with RMS version 1.3 or higher and also works with HQ for multi-location RMS users.

Plans are to make Card Defender compatible with the new Retail Management Hero point of sale software (subject to what Retail Management Hero ends up offering for payment platforms) which means, for RMS users, Card Defender can be an interim or a long term solution.

Card Defender is already in use at multiple businesses using RMS so this is not something new that you have to worry about being a beta tester for.

No per transaction fees + processing agnostic + established solution = a very cool EMV./Chip card interim or long term solution for Microsoft RMS (and HQ) point of sale software users.

Want more information on Card Defender or have general point of sale questions? If you are in the US, I can be reached at 208-340-5632 (I am on Mountain Time), using the contact form to the right, or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com

Review of RITE in St. Cloud Minnesota

One of my main reasons for joining the team at RITE in Sartell/St Cloud, MN was the companies reputation as a retail point of sale dealer/VAR/partner/reseller.  Not only did I meet with the companies leadership twice but I also spoke with some of their customers as well as some of their competators.

No one had any complaints about RITE or the retail point of sale solutions offered by RITE which made me comfortable in adding my name to RITE's roster of point of sale experts.

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.

Monday, June 20, 2016

Retail Management Hero Technical Requirements

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

Given the immense amount of interest in the new version of the Microsoft RMS point of sale software - now re-branded as Retail Management Hero (RMH), here are the technical requirements for RMS.
  • Windows version 7, 8.1 or 10
  • Windows server 2008+/SQL Express/SQL 2008+
  • If upgrading from RMS then you need to be on version 2.014+ of RMS
  • If upgrading from RMS then you need to be current on your annual software maintenance agreement or the RMH lane licenses are $250/lane instead of free (plus $215 per lane for year 1 software maintenance)
  • SMTP server information for setting up RMH to email receipts, etc
  • OPOS peripherals (receipt printer, etc)
  • .Net 3.5+
  • Compatible platform and terminals if using EMV and standard credit and debit card processing
The remaining memory and similar requirements are pretty basic as RMH does not need a lot of memory or a large hard drive (but does need "room to grow" as the database increases in size over time).

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

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.


The Right Time for RITE

Those of you who follow my blog know that the point of sale company that I worked for, DirectPOS (or RVP Business Systems), stopped selling and supporting point of sale systems in fall of 2013.  Since then I have spent well over $8,000 of my own money traveling to meet with prospective employers who offer similar products and services to what DirectPOS offered.

After multiple meetings, I am pleased to announce that I have joined the team at RITE. The time was right to join RITE with the release of Retail Management Hero and Retail Realm Essentials as well as Cloud Retailer.

Don't panic - my blog site and YouTube Channel will still be a source of no cost point of sale advice and news but will now offer retail point of system sales and services that many of you have been asking for.  My focus will be around retailers located in Idaho and Utah as well as the surrounding states. RITE has multiple locations already so on-site support is available nationally as needed.

I'm looking forward to helping retailers in the US find the best point of sale solution for their business or organization!

Do contact me at kevinantosh@gmail.com or 208-340-5632 as I'll be working up some discounts and promotions over the coming weeks.

Monday, June 13, 2016

SHA-1 to SHA-2 Requirements and Point of Sale Systems

Update October 28th, 2016: the deadline for TSYS SHA2 compliance is now January 1st, 2017 and December 27th, 2016 for First Data. Microsoft RMS users will need to look at integrated solutions like Card Defender for Microsoft RMS or separate terminals that do not integrate with RMS to comply with this requirement.  I've had multiple stores using RMS and First Data also contact me over the last couple of days as well so I suspect that I'm going to be quite busy setting up Card Defender over the coming months!

September 15th 2016 Update on new SHA-1 issue specific to Windows 10 and Heartland: http://retailpospondering.blogspot.com/2016/09/windows-10-sha-1-and-sha-2-issues.html

Given how quickly people figure out how to compromise credit card information and similar data, I suspect that we will be seeing new credit card processing security requirements coming out several times each year.

If you have been informed that your merchant services company requires you to comply with SHA-2 then you need to contact your point of sale vendor/dealer/partner to ensure that your system is SHA-2 compliant.

You can learn more about SHA-2 by visiting https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SHA-2

As always, contact me for no cost retail point of sale advice.

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Is Retail Management Hero Really A New Version of Microsoft RMS?

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

So, many of you have been asking me whether the new Retail Management Hero software is really a new version of the Microsoft Dynamics RMS point of sale software.  The short answer is "yes".  Here is how this all came to be.
  1. Sales Management Systems (SMS) sold a point of sale program called QuickSell 2000 in the late 1990's via resellers and point of sale value added resellers (including myself).
  2. SMS released QuickSell Commerce 
  3. SMS's products (and some of their employee's) are acquired by Microsoft
  4. Microsoft released RMS version 1.3 which offered a direct low cost upgrade from QuickSell 2000 and QuickSell Commerce
  5. Microsoft released RMS version 2.0 (and various updates and service packs)
  6. Microsoft shifts distribution of RMS to Scan Source and then Retail Realm
  7. Microsoft announces in 2014 that RMS is "end of life"
  8. Microsoft sells the coding and rights of RMS to Retail Hero in Canada 
  9. Retail Hero in Canada and Retail Realm partner together to update RMS 
  10. June 14th, 2016 Version 3 of RMS is released under the new name of Retail Management Hero
Probably boring stuff but you can see that RMS has a long history - as well as a user base exceeding 40,000 stores.  The new version is of high interest to RMS users as well as retailers searching for a POS system due to the following:
  • EMV compliant out of the box
  • Low cost upgrade from RMS (starting at $232.00/computer)
  • RMS users (in most cases) can keep their existing data and computers, cash drawers, etc
  • New customer loyalty module
  • Adaptable to nearly any type of retail store
  • Overall investment cost will likely be around 30% less that similar systems
  • Speed and reliability of an on-site POS system (not cloud based or "pay as you use")
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.


Monday, June 6, 2016

Microsoft RMS Upgrades and Retail Management Hero Pricing

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

Wow, so it's obvious that there are a lot of folks using the Microsoft Dynamics RMS point of sale software who want to upgrade to the new version of RMS which has been rebranded under the Retail Management Hero point of sale software name.  We'll call the new version RMH.

RMH is also proving to be of high interest to stores who want the speed and reliability of a computer based point of sale system without the expense of other point of sale software programs like Retail Pro and NCR CounterPoint.

I'm working on demo videos, price lists, and deployment options but it may take me a few weeks to get everything recorded, written and posted.  I also need to share some individualized information with specific stores.

The plan is to offer RMH nationally with on site deployment available as well.  I'm pretty excited about this opportunity since so many of you expressed that you needed an actual provider of retail point of sale systems.

That being said, all initial point of sale advice will still be free and unbiased.  My blog site and YouTube Channel started while I was selling and supporting point of sales systems and will continue to be a source for news, reviews, videos, and (once again) sales and support of multiple different retail point of sale systems.

I'll be adjusting my blog site and YouTube Channel to reflect the sales and support 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

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.

Thursday, June 2, 2016

More Information on Retail Management Hero Point of Sale (Microsoft Dynamics RMS/POS 2009 Replacement)

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

Wow - so much to share regarding the June 14th, 2016 release of the Retail Management Hero (RMH) point of sale software as a replacement for Microsoft Dynamics RMS and Microsoft POS 2009 point of sale software programs!

I'll be creating more detailed blog posts, reviews, overviews, and videos over the next 2 weeks but here are some bullet points:
  • Release date is June 14th, 2016
  • Easy and very low cost migration from RMS/POS 2009 to RMH (pricing starts at $215.00/computer + labor)
  • RMS/POS 2009 users can keep their existing equipment in most situations
  • RMS users can keep their histiorical data
  • EMV processing out of the box (very limited will be expanded by Q3 2017)
  • Built in customer loyalty program (limited - with add-ons available as well)
  • RMH has nearly all of the features and functions that RMS offered...and much more like emailing receipts and matrix purchase order creation for apparel stores
  • Adaptable to all types of retail stores - even stores with heavy service/labor offerings
  • Fills the niche for stores whose volume or number of locations does not justify investing in Retail Pro, NCR CounterPoint, or similar point of sale software programs
  • Offers the reliability, speed, up-time, and features/functions than many of the cloud based POS systems can't touch (like Clover, Silver, Vend. Shopkeep, etc)
Stay tuned for more details as I will be offering sales and support for the following point of sale programs effective immediately (US - all locations):
  • Microsoft Dynamics RMS and RMS HQ (support only - sales to existing users only)
  • Microsoft Dynamics POS 2009 (support only)
  • Retail Management Hero versions 3 and 3.1 (starting June 14th, 2016)
  • Cloud Retailer POS
  • Retail Realm Essentials POS
Many more details to follow.

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

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.

CounterPoint Point of Sale Users Forum

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