Microsoft RMS/HQ End of Life and EMV

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 8th, 2015: Blog post and video covering all the options available for RMS users related to EMV: 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


Update January 1st, 2015:

Based on recent conversations with Microsoft and Retail Realm, use of EMV hardware with Microsoft Dynamics RMS Store Operations and HQ will only be available via third party software add-ons (subject to change of course). While this does provide a way for RMS/HQ users to comply with the EMV liability shift, it also means that you will need to pay to use the third party EMV software.

Of course, RMS and HQ are end of life so it make more sense to start planning to replace RMS/HQ with a new point of sale program.

Confused? Contact me for free and unbiased advice.


Since I have been receiving multiple calls and emails related to Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management Systems Store Operations (RMS) and Headquarters (HQ), I wanted to pass along some updates based on what I know so far related to RMS and HQ 'end of life' as well as EMV compatibility.

First, on EMV compatibility:

A forum response from a Microsoft Representative states that there are no plans to upgrade RMS to work with EMV hardware.  However, there is a good chance that a third party will step in and offer some sort of add-on so RMS users can use EMV hardware.  I have heard of some third party RMS EMV apps becoming available but they take a percentage of each transaction.

It is starting to look like RMS and HQ users need to start looking at other options as I question whether it makes sense to invest in a point of sale product whose end of sales and mainstream support date is July of 2016.

Which brings up another possibility related to RMS and HQ:

Given the sheer number of users, as well as all the companies that sell RMS and HQ or offer various enhancements for RMS and HQ, I am hopeful that someone might acquire the rights to coding and database design for RMS and HQ.  I have not heard anything but it seems really strange that a point of sale program used by 40,000+ stores would just be completely retired.

Like I said, I've not heard anything yet but a companies like Retail Realm and New West Technologies stand to loose a lot of revenue if RMS and HQ are retired.

The upside (if a company acquired the rights to RMS and HQ) would be an extremely large existing user base - the downside is that a lot of RMS and HQ users are pretty upset with Microsoft and already making plans to switch to different point of sale programs before October of 2015.  And I don't just mean small single stores but stores with hundreds of locations in the US.

So - anyone interested?  Of course, Microsoft may not be interested in selling the coding and database information for RMS and HQ so this could be a mute point in the end...

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.

Bindo Point of Sale Announces a Free "Forever" Version of Bindo

Bindo Point of Sale has now released a free version of the Bindo point of sale solution designed for iPads and other iOS devices.  The free version has limitations related to how many employees and products you can have in the app but would work well for very small businesses that only offer a few products or services.

This would also work well for concession stands with limited offerings, food trucks, seasonal businesses, or mobile service only related businesses.

You can find out more by visiting https://bindopos.com/ or https://bindopos.com/pricing . More reviews on Bindo POS can be found here: https://bindopos.com/reviews

On a personal note - this is a nice alternative to Square as Bindo does not require you to use a specific company for merchant services (credit and debit card processing) which would save you upto a 1/2% in merchant services fees when compared to Square.  You still have to purchase the hardware for both Square and Bindo so that is not a factor but a 1/2% savings on merchant services fees can add up to savings of several hundred dollars per year for even very small businesses.

Best Practices Advice for Public Sector Agencies Search for Point of Sale Systems

As I have worked with a lot of State, City, County, and other public sector entities over the years, I thought that it would be helpful to create a 'best practices' video specific to point of sale systems and public sector organizations.  This would be geared towards the following that are operated by a state, county, city or similar government organizations:

1. Museums
2. DMV's
3. Golf Courses
4. Gift Shops
5. Retail Stores
6. Restaurants
7. Thrift Shops
8. Permits
9. Payment Recording and Collection
10. Fish and Game/Hunting

Here is the video:

I ran through a lot of information very quickly in the video so please contact me for more information (I do have a slightly more detailed document that I would be happy to email you or we can chat more to see if I can help you in any way - this is completely unbiased information).